No Girls Allowed
Mardin, Turkey 2009…a tea garden in the old souk. It’s place where men can play chess or backgammon, smoke , gossip and drink tea while their women shop or do the household chores. It’s a tradition in the Islamic world that the home is the woman’s domain and the street is the man’s domain. The tea garden seems to be a home away from home. We tourists sat at an empty table and now and then got up to take photos. No one objected. In fact, they were obliging. What I remember most, right now, is the teen-age boys roaming between the tables with a tray stacked with simits (the pretzel/bagel ring-shaped bread). Why don’t we have simits here is what I want to know?
This is a tea garden in Damascus. I passed it on my way to the Hammadiyeh souk. It was a peaceful place in 2010. I just peeked in and took a wide-angle shot. I suppose I could have gone in and taken a few more shots. Sometimes, knowing that a place is strictly for men, I feel reluctant to enter. If I’d really wanted a shot, I’d have definitely asked before shooting. I’d have had a friendly smile on my face. And if possible, I’d have taken the time to have a short conversation with whomever I wanted to photograph. All those small gestures go a long way in smoothing the way for some good photographs.
A Home Away from Home
Here is a Turk sitting in his favorite teahouse in Kars, a city that was once conquered by the Russians. He was happy to pose for me. I gestured for him to hold up his glass. Now, in hindsight, I see I should have had him show the tulip shape of the glass. A tulip shaped tea-glass says Turkey. It would have added to my photo. As one of my daughters told me recently, I’m not perfect. Ouch!
Kars still has a Russian influence. This teahouse had several samovars left from the occupation. Now they are used as a decoration, not to make tea….but they could still be used.
Despite all the turmoil and horror going on in the Middle East, I have to think that the majority of ordinary people, who live there, are as astounded as we are at the turn of events.