Erdoğan Bey Lütfen ...ikiye benim İstanbul kırma (please don't break my Istanbul into two)

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 :

Mehter Marsi Dolma Bahce

Ottoman Janissary Military Band

Mehter at Topkapi Palace

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.

Fetih 1453 movie thriller (with english subtitle)

Fetih 1453 Full Muzik

My Life For My Flag - Fetih 1453 song

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

Learning Turkish language, Turkçe

Ohh..cool...we touched 17,897 pageviews today!! I love number 17. My jersey (for Volleyball and Softball) was 17. And it always brought good luck to me and my team, Yee Haaa !! Stay tuned...I shall write on Turkish Belly dancing in my next Post... Ahaaakkkk.....

Thought I'd write about Turkish language today, lest I forget, after leaving her for sooo longgggggg.

Turkish language, Turkçe is not an old language. The language that you hear them speak today was actually 'created' by Kemal Ataturk. It was a gradual change that Ataturk painstakingly undertook and ended with a 'new' 90,000 new vocabularies. After borrowing and modifiying from the French, German, English and some Arab languages, finally in about 1934, a new Turkish language was born, as so was surnames.

Thereafter, all Turks must use and adopt this language, irrespective of their ethnic origins. Any other languages are to be undertaken privately if anyone so wish but a Turk must only speak Turkçe and nothing else. The Turks are aware that Turkish language is one of the most difficult languages in the world and they would be really happy and appreciative if they see that you, a foreigner, can speak Turkçe. You get brownie points...and might get away with many many things. Trust me on this...I'd managed to get out of some sticky situations by simply conversing in Turkçe with them.

 Apart from the usual 26 alphabets that we have, Turkçe has an additional 6 characters that warrant special mention and require special Turkish keyboard, which I did not have. So, most times, when I wrote something in Turkçe it is not exactly right without these special 6 alphabets. But they are not difficult to comprehend, it's just a matter of pronouncing them properly.

For a tourist, just remember that there are 2 types of c,g and s. Normal g,c and s is pronounced as'g',  'k' and 's' respectively. However, whenever g,c and s become 'soft g, c and 'soft s' ( ç,ğ ş )  with an additional subscript below it, it becomes "ch" and "sh" respectively. While the g become silent and would enhance the sound of the preceding alphabet. It all sounds 'Greek' to you? C'mon....it's not all that bad... really !!

The difficulty arise in making  sentences because all the nouns are brought to the front, followed by verbs and adjectives. As such, you can't simply translate from Turkçe to English and vice versa using Uncle Google. What this means is...when they talk, you'll have to listen until they finish the whole sentence to know who did what and why! My Swiss-German friend said that this is also the case with German language. And...according to her, that is why Turkish (and Germans) are good listeners as compared to the French or Italians! She said that, you can interrupt a French or Italian talking because you can already guess what they were going to say from the beginning of the sentence. Hmm? Good point there, eh?

Don't ask me why because that's how it is...I've even argued with my tutor who simply could not understand why it was done that way,too. Ohh my tutor....yes...I think I tortured her enough during the class but she was a good tutor. Thank you Duygu! Though we are still trying to figure out why the Turks say "drinking cigarette' instead of "smoking cigarette". I suspect it went back to the nargile or 'shisah" era.

Turkçe do not have any reference to male or female. Nonetheless, it's a very interesting language. Sentences are normally long and if you watched the news on the telly, you can see how breathless the newsreader became after reading the news. To catch up for time, they had to speak very fast.

For me, I think I can ace a written Turkçe examination but when it comes to oral and practical test, I'll fail miserably. The Turks speak in a very harsh and deep voice and they they tend to swallow the words when they speak. A recipe for disaster for 'hard at hearing" me. Boy....they do have big and deep voices. Even their children have deep voices and do not shriek like normal kids. So in the end, I just told the Turks to listen to me and not the other way around. After all, they're supposed to be good listeners, yes ???  

OK...more on Turkce in my next postings. I shall leave you with my archive (collections) of Edirne, the city where Fetih The Conqueror started from on his journey to conquer Constantinople (now Istanbul). I will write about that too...so do stay tuned !!!!

The magnificent Selimiye Camii in Edirne. This is one of the masterpieces by Great Mimar Sinan (Sinan the Architect)

It's amazing to note that, even though there are more than 70,000 mosques across Turkey, the wonder of each and every mosques are so unique and is always being appreciated by the locals as well as tourists. The locals love their mosques very much and it forms a big part of their lives, not just a place to worship Allah but also as a place to share a picnic with their family members.
Selimiye Camii, Edirne

As the post rightly says, this is not a graveyard. rather, it's an exhibit of various forms of tombstones that could be found all over Turkey. Historically, headgear played a very important role during the Ottoman era. The position and status of an officer is evidence by his headgear. That explains the various designs of headgears that could be found during the Ottoman period. Likewise, a tombstone (of an officer)  in Turkey, is a replica of the headgear of the said Officer. So, it's quite easy to identify the rank of the owner of the tombstone just by looking at it.

Interesting and intriguing tombstones of officers of past era...

A Graveyard replica beside The Selimiye Camii, Edirne

Inside Selimiye Camii. The hanging lights and the red carpet would remind us of The Blue Mosque. However, the tiles here are not as blue as The Blue Mosque. But it still is as spectacular! Just as the Blue Mosque, The Selimiye Camii is still being used until today, centuries after it was first constructed !!

A wonderful detail on the  main quarter dome of Selimiye Camii.

Another view inside Selimiye Camii with its distinctive red carpet.

At first we didn't know what this was. But we did noticed that many people were going towards this little corner and at times, it caused quite a commotion inside the mosque

Turned out that, this is a place where people (believers) would drink up the water from this little 'cistern' while they make a wish. It was believed that if you drank the 'sacred' water while making a wish, your wish will come true. I did not try it so I didn't know how far true are this. But anybody is welcomed to visit, go inside the mosque and drink (and make a wish) from this cistern. May all your wish come true.....

If you took 15 minutes, sit down and just look around you while you are inside this mosque, soon enough you'll begin to understand and appreciate what a great architect, Sinan was.

Captivating and mersmerised..... who knows  what you will find here ?????

Beautiful...... don't you think so? 

Ohhh.... look at those tiles..... it's even nicer in real life, this photo do not do justice to it. I'm so sorry about that !

Sadirvan, the place to take ablution, or you cleanse yourself before you pray. This is right in the middle of the courtyard of the Camii. And the structure is made of natural marble. Incidently, Turkey is famous for its yellow, brown and gold marble as well as multi colored Onyx. The marble and Onyx of Turkey are prized possession and it's not uncommon to see them in huge panels adorning walls of great hotels all around the world.

The Sadirvan

Edirne in my hands

Turkish Delight IV - Miniatures and replicas of Istanbul

Mutlu Yillar...Happy New Year...Ok Ok...I missed the boat, January is almost done and February is just round the corner. So maybe my new year wish is more apt for the Chinese now since they're going to celebrate the Chinese new year beginning second week of February. So..how was your new year celebration? Did you say that you spent the evening burning your previous year's resolution? My...my...why am I not surprised...

Well..at least I'm keeping to my words by writing this post. I did promised you the series on this,right? Aha...i have not broken my previous resolution, i.e to keep my words when I promised. Boy...I wish I hadn't...it is so $#%*! difficult to do so! Grumble grumble grumble.....

For those of you who have traveled to Istanbul (or Turkey), I am sure that you would realise that apart from the beautiful and colorful porcelains, Turkey too have wonderful glass and crystal pieces. I understand that this is made possible due to its abundant minerals and other stones. Turkey's(golden and green)  Onyx is much sought after, and it's marble is second to none. If you paid more attention to their vintage buildings, you'll realise that almost all the floors and walls are constructed of either marble or onyx. Especially the remarkable hamams. And these marbles mostly came from the Marmara ( Istanbul ) area. Not surprising as "Marmar" means marble in Turkce. There's  a hotel in Bursa that has its vanity sink carved out of a solid piece of beautiful marble. It's just plain..... luxurious !!

On top of that, Turkey is also the world largest producer of Boron (93% world output) , a mineral used in many things including in making glasses (and crystal)...and into making that LCD glass display of your tablets! Are you impressed already? So..where am I going with this? Remember...we were talking about glass and crystal? Ahh.... you're still having the hangover from the New year celebration?? Wakey..wakey....

Let me cut to the chase, when in Istanbul (or Turkey) go to their glassware specialty shop called Pasabahce (pronounced Pashabahche).  Look out for their " historical collection " gallery. It's a spot where they'll display the Limited Edition pieces based on historical buildings or shapes and specially created miniature pieces captured from famous or significant objects. If you were with kids or impatient companions, deposit or dump them somewhere for a couple of hours, 'cos you gonna need those few hours, believe me!

I can assure you that, you would be sitting at one corner, looking at each and every pieces and just continue looking. And that is after you've made a few rounds of the gallery, not a care in the world of who is beside you...who cares if it's Cindy Crawford!! Or Brad Pitt !!!

It is as if you're in a Gallery but this time, you can touch the pieces while admiring them and they are soooo magnificent!! Each and every pieces of them. And each pieces tell a story ... and what amazing stories they are !! Ohh.. if only our history teachers could be more imaginative and teach us history with interesting pieces to pique our interest and imagination.....

Feast your eyes on these collections. But these are only a few of many that you can view at the gallery. There are more exquisite pieces and are out of this world !!! and bear in mind that they are all limited collections and no more than 2000 pieces were created of each designs. And I must confess....the actual pieces are more exquisite than these photos....i think my lighting are all wrong...what a shame..sigh.... nonetheless, let's start the new year with something beautiful, shall we? I know, I know.. you do that every morning, when you look in the mirror........chill people......the year has just begun !!!!!

Kubbe (the Dome) from the Istanbul Historical Collection. This lilac piece is  a miniaturised version of the wall and dome found in Hagia Sophia. It is actually a candle holder but of course....with such a beautiful piece, who would wana light the candle and ruin it's glass?

The grand Haghia Sophia. This is what this miniature is trying to replicate...

See if the miniature managed to replicate the grand master ...

From this angle, maybe ??

A dome inside Haghia Sophia....

A 3-D effect of the creation. The Stabilo (pen) is there to give scale to the whole piece.  

The back portion of " the Dome" candle holder. this piece comes complete with 2 pieces of lilac colored candle. The magnificent Hagia Sophia's interior was replicated through several other miniatures and you can read more on other products (reproductions) at THIS e-CATALOG  or the website HERE

The domes of Sultan Ahmed camii ( or The Blue Mosque) in Istanbul

The effect of the blue tiles inside the mosque gave it it's name, The Blue Mosque.

Closed up view of the dome that the following miniature is trying to replicate...

View inside the Blue Mosque. It is still being used today and would be closed for tourist during certain prayers time, unless you want to perform your prayers there. 

Another view inside the mosque, during it's quiet day....

The Sedefkar vaso. This vase depicts the beautiful and intricate detailing inside the Sultan Ahmed Mosque or more popularly known as The Blue Mosque (due to the effect of the blue tiles inside the mosque). The indented detailing on the vase is their interpretation of the details found on the dome of the Blue Mosque. 

The 3-D effect of the vase. It's  a beautiful handmade smoke tinted glass and 

the embossed patterns adorning the piece have been

handcrafted using platinum gilding

Closed up detail of the 'dome' of the Blue Mosque.

A water kiosk or fountain inside the Topkapi Palace. They are almost always made of marble or even onyx. and adorned with gilded gold on the metals.

This is however, a Sadirvan for ablution. The muslims will cleanse themselves here before they go inside the mosque to perform their prayers. This was at the courtyard the Blue Mosque. But the construction is almost similar to the water fountain

Water kiosk and fountain vase. Nowadays, people talk about about Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) or even Corporate Social Value (CSV) when corporations try to do their part for the society. Centuries ago, the Ottoman Sultans and Sultanas and even the Viziers were already doing their part for the societies. These water kiosks and/or fountains were built under their instructions and serve as a place for normal people to quench their thirst or even for ablution or for other purposes. How very civilised !!! 

Paşaçeşmesi Vase is handmade glass and the 

embossed patterns adorning the piece were made 

using 24 K handcrafted gilding.

The miniature fountain figures and the window 

network on both sides on the vase are handcrafted 

from bronze metal.

An Iznik Denizli water pitcher. This is not part of the Collection but nonetheless, it still is a great piece. It depicts how important the  marine and sea activities are to them. Being flanked by The Black Sea, The Marmara Sea, The Golden Horn and The Bosphorus, life in Istanbul (and Turkey) centers a lot on sea and its marine and had been so for the past centuries.

As was mentioned in my previous postings, Turkey played an active part in the Silk Road (Route) and in fact, Bursa (about 2 hour drive from Istanbul) was the last leg (journey) of the Silk Road and you can see still many caravasaray (caravan park) where these traders used to stay while doing their trades. And that explain a lot on why Chinese influence could be seen at many places, especially where the porcelain and pottery industries are concerned. The Turks were sent by the Ottoman Sultans to China to learn the art of making potteries and porcelains. And later on, the Turks made their own trademark designs and process.

Nice, don't you think?

Another famous Iznik tiles depicting a famous lale (tulips) inspired garment worn by the Ottoman Sultans and other important people. Sorry about the photo but  you should be able to see the beautiful glaze that only an Iznik tiles can offer. That is why, anything of Iznik tiles would be much more expensive than the normal porcelain and tiles that you see in the shops. 

You can see many original garments like this being displayed at The Topkapi Palace museum. And lale or tulips are one of the most popular motifs of all times. 

The Nars Bowl. Pomegranates have been used as symbol of fertility, plenitude and wealth in many different cultures and geographies. In Anatolia pomegranates have been one of the important images and they have symbolized plenitude from antiquity to the present

The town of Side, meaning ‘pomegranate’ in the local dialect of the ancient Anatolians, used the pomegranate image as a symbol of the town from the Classical Period to the reign of
the Roman Empire. Thus, the name of the town is identical to the type of coins they produced. The coins themselves seem to almost speak the name of the town.

The Pomegranate Bowl is made of handmade red glass. All the patterns on the object have been hand-decorated with 24 carat gold gilt.

The Pomegranate Bowl, in the “Talking Coins”, bears the images of six coins minted during the various eras of the town of Side applied onto glass as a pattern. The body of the bowl
has been decorated with floral motifs usually seen in ancient Greek and Roman art






The Pomegranate Bowl is made of handmade red glass. All the patterns on the object have been hand-decorated with 24 carat gold gilt.

 Yedikapi Vaso - Seven Gate Vase
Handmade glass vase in caramel color decorated with gold gilding

In various cultures, it is believed that the human soul leaves the body and ascends to Heaven. This ascession  is often represented symbolically by the concept of the " Seven Gates" through which the soul has to transcend. The shedding of of a layer of clothing at each gate, and coming out naked  at the end symbolizes  the salvation of the soul from earthly and materialistic qualities, finally being ready to to be re-born in the spiritual realm. *

View from the top

The design of Yedikapi Vaso has been imspired by the concept of seven "planes/levels" of existence in different cultures, which has been symbolized by depictions of various Anatolian portl motifs. *

"Halic Isi" ( Golden Horn Work) style on blue and white Iznik ceramics production. This pattern was formed by small leaves and floral design s winding around branches applied on opal - glass. Some people said that the winding design actually depict the 'whirlpool' effect of the water at the Golden Horn.

The Halic Isi Dipper are handmade of opal glass with handmade reliefs on it. Circa 1535 - 1545 *

This exotic vase or jug is not part of the Pasabahce Collection. This is a replica of an original vase that is being displayed inside the Topkapi Palace meseum in Istanbul.  It is one of the many beautiful pieces displayed in the Palace museum for all to see when you visit the Topkapi Palace, which is open to the public.

The original Vase is made of black quartz and embellished with rubies, while the leaf motif if of real gold. It was actually a gift from *** (opppss...I can't remember now)  to the Ottoman Sultan. 

This replica is handmade from black quartz and the leaf motif  was gold gilded. The stones are crystal  and other physical  attributes are exactly the same as the original.

Another replica from the original bowl that is being displayed in the Topkapi Palace museum. The clear quartz is embellished with emeralds and rubies and the leaf motif is actually real gold. This bowl was also parts of the gifts collections displayed. It was  also a gift from someone to the Ottoman Sultan.

The Bowl is so exquisite and replica is an exact copy of the original, except that the stones crystals and the leaf motif is of gold gilded. But it is still sooo exquisite !! You gotta see it to appreciate its real beauty. It is much nicer when there is light shining through the bowl !!

Closed up view of the replica.

Another replica from the Topkapi Palace Museum collections. These beautiful golden bowl  was part of the gifts collection and is entirely of gold on quartz.

I'm afraid I don't have much detail on this bowl except that the replica is exactly the same with the original. But it certainly is a beautiful piece to look at.  The golden hue really add magic to the bowl.

Closed up view of the golden bowl

Talismanic objects  intended to preserve the owner from misfortune or evil eye, and bring health and good luck have been used for thousands of years, as they still are today.

The Shifa Bowl . My all time favorite, and that's why I kept it for the last! Islam and medicine had always been together and many mysteries of medicines, diseases and the fact of the Universe can be found in the Quran. The Muslims believe that God had promised that all diseases (in this world) have it's corresponding anti-dote or remedies or medicines. It's for human to search for all the remedies and mostly all would resort to the use of the Quran for healing.

This Syifa Bowl is a replica of the bowl actually used in Turkey for traditional healing. Holy water that was poured into this bowl would either be drunk or bathe with. The bowl is full of inscriptions and symbols found in the original bowls used by the Turks and it include the Esma-i- Husna  (beautiful names of Allah), the words "Ya-Kafi" "Ya-Shafi" "O He who heals, he who intercedes" and "Ya alemu-l alemin" (O He who is wisest in the universe), all in the nesih script.

The Syifa Bowl are hand made from glass and all the relief designs are hand-gilded using real 24 carat gold leaf.

There are 99 beautiful names of God and they are all inscribed inside this Syifa Bowl, plus other inscriptions and symbols

Look at the beautiful translucent but opaque finish of the bowl. I know, I'm contradicting myself but think of it as a Ying and Yang kinda thing. I'm so sorry but the photo really do not do justice to it 

Err...if these collections have somehow woken up the artistic in you and you think that you might wana know more of these exquisite collections, you can browse on their website HERE. And if like me, you too were smitten by these collections....well....Istanbul would be truly nice to visit in June till October before it gets to be too cold. These collections are just a few hours away....by your Airlines of course!!

Go to Istanbul, get one or two of these pieces and bring home a piece of  history back to your home...
Sweet dream my readers....... wherever you are.....