Merhaba... and may peace be upon you, always.
I simply must write today, I am sooo heart-broken over what's going on in Istanbul, as we speak. It's so devastating to see Istanbul shrouded with tear-gasses and water-canons and to witness such atrocities in such a beautiful city. I pray that it will stop very soon....
Whatever they do.... i'm being apolitical here.. please please do not destroy any of those beautiful, magnificent and historical buildings, monuments and centuries-old whatever! don't forget, your Ottoman Sultans took pain to restore and kept everything intact for us to see and learn, centuries later! They were great conquerors but they never destroyed buildings, churches or mosques or other things. We should learn from them.... it's so easy to destroy something, just one blast and all will be gone....
Although i know that I'm an Yabanci (outsider), I feel so strongly for Istanbul that if you hurt her, you hurt me too!! Pleez.... can't you just sit down and settle things as how a family would at their dinner table? Don't prolong it, 'cos the longer you let it simmer, the worst it's gonna be. Yours is a remarkable nation that withstood many charges and onslaught from all directions but you managed to stand tall as giants in this ever changing world. The tectonic plates have shifted ecologically and economically but I pray that 'earthquakes' are the only shifts that will result out of it for Istanbul.You are just too beautiful to change....
When the Turks are angry, it's a very dangerous thing to happen. Why... have you seen them in a fist fight by the roadside because someone had just crashed into their new shiny Range Rover or Harley? Remember that I once posted in this blog that ALL males in Turkey have to do their National Service for two years? Can you imagine the consequences if all those 'fully-trained soldiers' out there, who believe that they are fighting for whatever goodness for their people, country or lives... decided to fight it out? Heaven forbids.... if this clashes are not resolved amicably...
The Turks are brave and ferocious soldiers and were feared by many centuries ago and you'll be shocked to know that many modern-day military procedures originated from the Turks. The military march (bands) were copied from the Turks. There's even a song called "Turkish March". But the Turks used the march as a prelude or warning to the people of the towns or villages that they were going to conquer. Few days before their armies start their siege, they'll send out groups of musicians with their neys (flutes), drums and other instruments blaring around the town at full blast twenty-four hours continously for couple of days. They'll have a three shift group to make sure that the music continue throughout the whole day and night. When one group take a rest after 8 hours, another group will take over. So... this must have been the beginning of a three-shift policy initiated during the Industrial revolution decades ago.
So eventually.. if you were the people in that village or town, after being hounded and psyched by the shrieking music and sights of the huge, fierce and no-nonsense uniformed players.... would you bother to fight back? See... half of the battle was already won!! Guerilla warfare at its best. Music has been known to soothe and heal but who would have thought that it can also be used to strike terror... without even you realising it..how clever !!! The Turks knew.... centuries ago !!! And.. don't let me start on their connection with the creation of Draculas. I'm sure you all have watched and cried after watching that vampire (and dracula) movie! But do you know that draculas (and vampires) started with one ferocious Turk who drank the blood of his enemies? Aha... betcha didn't know that... sure .... you just love the romance in it.. LOL !!
Mehter at the Topkapi Palace. The Turkish Military march was enacted at Topkapi Palace to explain to the tourists of the significance of the march. It was really an interesting event to watch.
The event was done in full ceremonial robes and uniforms for the best impact.
Now... would you argue with these people?? I know I wouldn't. I'm too young to die... boo hoo....
Watch these videos if you're keen to see more :
And..let me tell you this incredible but true story. If you didn't believe me, go out and buy the CD for the movie "Fetih 1453". It tells the story of how Fetih (the Conqueror) conquered Constantinople (now Istanbul) from Constantine. For me, there were two significant scene that really amazed me. The way that Turks conquered Constantinople and the final scene where after conquering Constantinople, Fetih liberated everybody irrespective of their religions and allowed them freedom to choose and observe their religions. The then non-muslims actually feared that they would be killed after Constantinople fell and had gathered in Hagia Sophia, trying to seek refuge for the last time. So... we can see how tolerant the Turks (Ottomans) were even when they had the power to do otherwise. How very cultured, democratic and contemporary..... way ahead of their neighboring counterparts.
Now, when Fetih wanted to conquer Constantinople, his battle ship could not pass through the Golden Horn that separated Constantinople from the mainland. Tried as he might, he just could not pass through due to the stone wall surrounding Constantinople with its seven gates. And his surviving people were already either dying or beginning to lose their morale. They had earlier on, fabricated huge metal chains that they later on tied to the two kale (castles) on each side of the Bosphorus, rendering Constantinople helpless and traumatic as help and supplies could not pass through this chains to reach them. Constantine's ally could not reach him on time but at the same time Fateh was still not able to pass through The Golden Horn.
The kale (castle ) on the European side that held the big metal chain running across The Bosphorus so that Constantine could not get access to help and supplies from his allies.
Though the chain is long gone, the kale is still there.....
The magnificent kale that protect Istanbul from further attacks coming from the Bosphorus
Magnificent, isn't she?
So..what's a Conqueror to do? He did something unimaginable and unheard of at that point in time. But something that was later on adopted at The Suez Canal but with a twist! He literally took his battle ship out of the water, put it on logs as "sleepers" and pushed the battle ship UP the hilly terrain and put it back where it was to face the weakest spot of the stone-wall for their attack. And the rest, they say....... is history!
Determination? Innovative? Fearless? Remarkable? A combination of all could turn out to be very lethal. And I see these traits in Turks all the time. Plus the fact that they are also very competitive, passionate and principled. But sometimes passion could make you do 'strange and dangerous' thing.
Part of the stone wall that protected Constantinople from direct attacks. These walls surround the whole city with strategically located seven gates. And this wall made it impossible for attacks to come from the Marmara Sea.
The wall that stood against the test of time. There are evidence of them being hit but it was not entirely destroyed and are still standing among other newly completed buildings around it.
See how intact these walls are, even after centuries of weather, earthquakes and assaults by men. Some buildings are still being used as part of Turkish normal dwellings or shops. You can still see some samples of magnificent building materials used in building them which enable them to withstand all those assaults.
Old and new.... vintage against contemporary... it is there for all to see and reflect on life before and after us....
They walk amidst historical environment and I sometimes wonder if they are aware of the significance of their surrounding. Maybe not to the young generations but the older group would not hesitate to tell you all over a cup of chai...
See how well-preserved they are....
The Bosphorus, Marmara Sea and the Golden Horn intersection. Can you see the high stone wall in the fore ground? These walls stopped many sea or marine attacks from all those suitors who would love to conquer Istanbul at that time.
But Fetih could not siege Constantinople using this route, so he had to push his battle ship along the Golden Horn to get to his strategic spot, Constantinople's weakest point from the stone wall.
The intersection where the Bosphorus, Marmara Sea and the Golden Horn (Halic) meets. It is now a center of a very busy port with most vessels taking and using the Bosphorus to go to Russia and the Balkans via The Black Sea or using the Marmara Sea to go to other African and European countries via The Mediterranean.
My wishes for today... I hope the people of Turkey (especially Istanbulites) could read my writings and open up their eyes to the outcomes that might turn up worse if they didn't close the gap. Talk talk talk and negotiate negotiate negotiate till you reach agreement. It is not impossible. Your history has shown that nothing is impossible in this world. Just open up your heart... and do what's right for your little Istanbul. And please..... don't break my Istanbul into two....
Let me leave you with this haunting Song by Bruno Mars... hmmm... we are all guilty of taking our loved ones for granted .... yeah.. we are only human....... just don't make it a habit,ok? 'cos you don't wanna know how painful a broken-heart feels........
Err Bruno...forget the flowers... can I have your aviator? Cool.......
When I was your man - Bruno Mars
