Anatolian voice inside | suFI & FLAMENCO | Republic Celebration | GATES OF BYZANTINE | Fire of Anatolia

FALL 2005 | vol. 7 | issue 23 CONTENTS FALL 2005 11 16

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10 from Sufi to Flamenco 11 a celebration of Turkey feature articles 16 Gates of Byzantium 20 Fire of Anatolia

03 pResident’s letter 04 schedule of Events 05 OPEN BOOK Community News Peace in the World Flu Shots A Special Thanks 08 from the TACAM Archives 08 CLASSIFIEDS 22 tAsty Recipes 23 Editor’s letter  23 boARD MEMBERS  ANATOLIAN VOICE PRESIDENT’S letter

Dear Friends,

I would like to start my letter by wishing everybody a happy new year. Another busy year is behind us. We started with the General Assembly meeting and continued our events with the Father’s Day Picnic, Zafer Bayrami Picnic, Ottoman Poetry Night at the University of Michigan, Farmington Heritage Festival, Chicago Turkish Festival, wonderfully prepared celebration of the October 29th Republic Day Gala, Seker Bayrami celebration, great show of Fire of Anatolia, ATAA’s Convention in Chicago and saying goodbye to a great friend of our community Canan and Cuneyt Ozaktay. It was definitely a very busy seven months for me. I met many people, I would like to leave you with this poem from I made new friends and I learned many things: it was a good year Cahit Sitki Taranci overall, despite being very busy. i would like to tell a little bit of my experience in ATAA’s Con- DESEM KI vention in Chicago. I listened to many good seminars: it was very interesting to meat with Turkish people from all the over United Desem ki vakitlerden bir Nisan aksamidir. States. I listened to their problems, their solutions and experi- Ruzgarlarin en ferahlaticisi senden esiyor. ences while we had lunch together. Mostly, I liked the evenings Sende seyrediyorum denizlerin en mavisini, when we all sat down, talked and talked about everything and Ormanlarin en kuytusunu sende gezmekteyim. anything. While we are all trying to adopt to life in United States, I realize that we still miss our country, our customs and especially Senden kopardim ciceklerin en solmazini. the friendships that we cherish. How lucky we are that we are not Topraklarin en bereketlisini sende surdum. alone: we have our community, which provides us the comfort of not Sende tattim yemislerin cumlesini. being alone. Remember, you should be receiving your membership renewal Desem ki sen benim icin, forms very soon, and a survey attached too. Please renew your Hava kadar lazim, membership, it is very important that you support TACAM: all the Ekmek kadar mubarek, work we do, we are doing it for our community—none of us have Su gibi aziz bir seysin; any gain but only working countless hours to do something for our Nimettensin, nimettensin! community. Please do not forget to send your dues. TACAM exists because of your support, without you TACAM has nothing. Also, Desem ki.... you should be receiving a survey to fill out, this survey will tell us Inan bana sevgilim inan. what you want, what kind of activities you would like to attend, etc. Evimde senliksin, bahcemde bahar; Let us know what you want, let’s hear from you, our members. We Ve soframda en eski sarap. can only serve you better if you tell us what you want. Ben sende yasiyorum, now, I will end my letter thanking everybody who has worked Sen bende hukum surmektesin. very hard to help TACAM and our community, you are greatly appreciated. I salute you for your efforts and work. Thank you for Birak ben soyleyeyim guzelligini, giving me the opportunity to serve you. Thank you all and have a Ruzgarla, nehirlerle, kuslarla beraber. great year! Gunlerden sonra bir gun, Sayet sesimi farkedemezsen, Ruzgarlarin, nehirlerin, kuslarin sesinden Bil ki olmusum. Fakat uzulme, musterih ol; Ve neden sonra LEYLA D. AHMED Kabirde boceklere ezberletirim guzelligini, 2005-2006 TACAM PRESIDENT Tekrar duydugun gun sesimi gokkubbede Hatirla ki mahser gunudur Ortaliga dusmusum seni ariyorum. ANATOLIAN voice  Schedule of events

January 2006

15 Sunday | Kurban Bayrami: Lamb and pilav will be served

February

18 Saturday | Fund raising Event: at night, Club House at Willow Court, Southfield, MI 48034

April

1 Saturday | From Sufi to Flamenco: an encounter in music, song and dance with cross-cultural currents from Spain and the Orient. Location TBA, organized by “Peace in the World”

23 Sunday | Children’s Day: more information will be posted in the upcoming issues of the Anatolian Voice and the website

as always, check www.TACAM.org for more up-to-date information

diyanet takvimi Yilbasi | 1 Ocak Kurban Bayrami | 10-14 Ocak (4 gun)

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Community News • Doctors Jennifer and Baran Sumer are happy parents of Ayla Anastasia Sumer. She was born June 17, 2005. Baran is doctors Timur and Nilufer Sumers’ son. • Ilkim Erturk has ventured into the business world with the opening of her diverse store Ionnia in Ann Arbor. The store features imports and hand-painted originals from Central Asia Arun Sinha and especially Turkey. • Arun Bartu Sinha made his debut on Wednesday, November 9th at 2:00 am, weighing in at 8lb 1oz, and is 20” tall. He is the child of Rana and Sanjay.. Ayla Sumer

Peace in the World Upcoming Events for 2006 the “Peace in the World” Initiative is very excited to pioneer the planning of the first Turkish Festival in Michigan for September 2006. To make this event successful, we are in need of many volunteers. Please contact us at info@peaceintheworld. org or 248.701.1050, if you would like to take part in this exciting event. An event that will promote and show the American public our hospitality, culture and food. This Festival will be very similar to the one in Chicago at the Daley Plaza. It will have the Ankara Olgunlasma Fashion Show, Folklore Dancers, Whirling Dervishes, Mehter Takimi and delightful Turkish cuisine such as Turkish coffee.

ABOUT THE FLU and shots Options for preventing the flu Influenza (flu) kills about 36,000 people in the United States per year. Infection with the virus can result in symptoms: such as muscle aches, fever, sore throat, cough, fatigue and nausea. Getting a flu shot is still the best way to avoid the illness, but other options are also available. Is the flu shot the best choice for me? Flu vaccines contain the virus strains that scientists predict will be most widespread during the upcoming flu season. The viruses have been killed, so they cannot cause infection. The vaccine is injected into the upper arm. It takes about 2 weeks after vaccination to be protected, so the best time to get the shot is between October 15 and November 15. People at high risk for the flu should get a shot. They include: • Children 6 months to 23 months • Caretakers of babies younger than 6 months • Children aged 2 years or older who have a chronic illnesses, such as heart disease, diabetes, a blood disorder, or a weakened immune system • Adults aged 65 years or older • People who live in nursing homes • Women planning a pregnancy during this season • Those aged .5 to 18 years who take daily aspirin • Healthcare workers People who should not get a flu shot include babiesyounger than 6 months and people allergic to chicken eggs or who have had a fever. Most people do not experience side effects from the shot. Am I able to get the nasal flu vaccine?

The vaccine is available as a nasal spray, although there are differing opinions about its effectiveness. About 3 million doses are expected to be available. healthy people aged 5 to 49 years can spray the vaccine in their noses instead of getting a shot. Side effects of the spray may include a runny nose and vomiting. Pregnant women and people around someone with a weakened immune system should not use the nasal vaccine. (continued on next page) ANATOLIAN voice 

Are antiviral drugs an option for me? These drugs are another option for preventing the flu or for shortening the length of it if you take the drug within 2 days of sickness. These drugs are most often used in people at high risk of complications from the flu and are estimated to be 70% to 90% effective in preventing the flu. However, they can cause trouble sleeping, shakiness and depression. As always, consult your doctor for advice. Source: Postgraduate Medicine, September 2005

TEXT sourced by Birol Halicioglu

Thank YOu! TACAM would like to thank all of the staff, performers, contributors, volunteers and sponsors for dedicating count- less hours of their own time to provide a most anticipated and enjoyed evening. Thank you! COMMITTEE Script Writer: Ebru Basaran MineOzalp Chair Script Editors: Ozlem Falkiewicz and Mine Ozalp Ebru Basaran Co-producers: Ebru Basaran, Ozlem Falkiewicz and Ozlem Falkiewicz Master of Ceremony Mine Ozalp Verda Gurol Narrators: Ebru Basaran and Kemal Tarakcıoglu Tuba Gurtekin PowerPoint® Presentation: Beyza Sarıoglu Canan Ozaktay Music: Mine and Gokhan Ozalp Beyza Sarıoglu Special Effects: Onur Bay Voula Sonbay English Translation: Tuba Gurtekin Didem Seyhoglu Cast in the order of appearance SPONSORS Paper Boy: Ekin Kayaalp Semra Adman – Donated home-made baklava Lord Kitchener: Ron Shull Leyla & Ferid Ahmed – Donated brownies, fruits and Voice of Ataturk: Serdar Eren the Cake Halide Edip Adıvar: Didem Seyhoglu Mete & Mehpare Gencyuz – Donated Turkish flag Village Woman: Neziha Agrawal balloons Voice of Officer Ali: Yuksel Taskın Meral & Kemal Goknar – Student Sponsorship Student 1: Neeki Ozdemir Verda Gurol – Donated fruits and the cake Student 2: Ozlem Falkiewicz Birol Halacoglu – Student Sponsorship French Teacher: Mine Ozalp Birsel & Alev Kusefoglu – Donated Turkish flag District Governor: Hakan Günel balloons and Çarık key chains as party favors Hallac Asım: Onur Bay Treasures By Tasci (Mr. and Mrs. Gokhan Ozalp) Kahveci Ali: Serdar Eren – Donated bookmarks as party favors Hasan: Ekin Kayaalp

OTHER CONTRIBUTORS And of course, TACAM would like to thank all of our donors for making it possible to support TACAM Leyla and Ferid Ahmed – Logistics through their generous donations for the Silent Auction. Cigdem Biber – Ataturk costumes, VCD from Turkey Sponsor’s Advertisement Sermet Gurol – Balloons and 328 S. State St. decorations Nickels Arcade Marcus Mann – Balloons and Suite 8 decorations Ann Arbor, MI Nurten Ural – Provided equipment 48104 734.222.8191 CUMHURIYET CHOIR

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from Sufi to Flamenco

Cumhurriyet Bayrami

Gates of Byzantium

Fire of Anatolia

 ANATOLIAN voice 10

TEXT by Stichting Kulsan from Sufi to Flamenco an encounter in music, song and dance

Eastern profound mysticism and Andalusian vivid who was often a realism; music from monasteries alongside popular musician/com- expression; the music, rhythms and dance of Southern poser himself. Spanish flamenco contain an unmistakable Oriental The musicians element, which originated with the mystic 12th century also actively Eastern Sufis. The Sufis and dervishes paid little -at participated in tention to the borders between the two Islamic Caliph- the mystical ates of East and West. The migration and influence also gatherings in moved in the other direction. In this way, Spanish-Jewish the Tekke or composers and musicians played an important role in the Mevlevihane, colorful Ottoman music, which developed in Istanbul at the houses of the the Sultan’s court and in the Islamic dervish monasteries. dervish orders. The “ilahi” (Islamic hymn) performed by the Sufi singer Hymn and Ayin, from Turkey, is effortlessly and harmoniously continued classical compo- in the “martinete” (basic form of Flamenco), by the Fla- sitions for the dervish ceremonies, formed the core of the menco singer from Spain. Combinations of string instru- mystical music, with lyrics taken from court poetry and ments such as the kanun (cither) with the guitar, rhyth- from mystical folk poets, such as Yunus Emre. mic improvisations on the caja and the küdüm and the the Jews developed their own Sephardic culture out mystical melodies of the ney (reed flute) create tensions of elements of their culture from Spain, supplemented which dissolve with the accompaniment of the songs. In and combined with Ottoman elements: they greatly con- rhythm and movement of dervish-dance and flamenco, in tributed to Ottoman classical and mystical music. In Is- the harmonies of the ilahi and martinete, the boundaries tanbul, Jewish composers made names for themselves in are blurred. Oriental music as well as in Jewish; such as Izak Algazi and David Behar.Melodies from Byzantine-Greek church Oriental Influences in Flamenco music sometimes sound remarkably similar to Islamic mystical hymns or Jewish synagogue song. In the mosaic Over time, Flamenco has developed in Andalucia to of cultures people influenced one another. An example is take its present form. The Moors occupied this area for the Greek-Orthodox musician Lambadarios Petros at the centuries, with Cordoba serving as the capital. Because of time of Sultan Selim III (1789-1807), who conducted the the colonization and occupation of Andalucia by various choir of the Greek Patriarchal Church. He taught the ney peoples, the Moorish, Byzantine, Jewish and Mozarabic and was also a musician and composer at the court of the cultures greatly influenced flamenco. Furthermore, the Sultan. 15th century saw the arrival and influence of the nomadic de Tekkes and Mevlevihanes are sometimes re- gypsy population. From the 17th century until 1860, ferred to as the music schools of the Ottoman Empire. In flamenco was a part of popular culture—especially of these schools the complicated and rich vocal and instru- the gypsies and the poor. The Orientalism in the “canto mental makam music was passed on from teacher to pupil joudo” (deep voiced songs) as well as the complicated 12 orally, a tradition which continued into the last century, beat rhythms can be explained by the contact of Southern involving both the secular classical music and the reli- Spanish society with the Greeks, Byzantines and Arabs, gious mystical Sufi music, which plays an important role and also by the influence of Christian liturgical chanting, in the classical musical treasury of Turkey. The creation which has both Syrian and Hebrew roots. of the secular Turkish Republic began the end of Palace Ottoman Sufi Music life and the Tekkes, resulting in a disruption and stand- still of the musical tradition. In the second half of the Islamic music developed differently in different countries. last century the teaching of music was taken up again by The culture which developed under the Ottoman Empire teachers at the Conservatory, some of whom had received was clearly enriched by the great diversity of peoples, their education in the old tradition. cultures and traditions of this society. The mystical music and dance from the Far East, Tasavvuf (Sufi), became one of the pillars of Ottoman classical and religious music. The classical musicians served the Palace of the Sultan, TEXT by Nurten Ural a celebration of the Turkish Republic

As once Mus- tafa Kemal Ataturk said; “I f w h o l e - heartedly wish that you celebrate About 12 PHOTOS 13-14 Membership 11 15 ANATOLIAN voice 12 cumhuriyet Bayrami

As once Mustafa Kemal Ataturk said: “I wholeheartedly wish that you celebrate this great national holiday with ever greater honor, hap- piness, peace and tranquility. Happy is he who says I am a Turk,” Ne mutlu Turkum diyene. Yes, this year all of us Turks and friends of the Turks in Michi- gan celebrated the 82nd anniversary of the Republic of Turkey. With the leadership of Mine Ozalp, chair of the event-committee, a grand “Mine-esque” event was put together. There were many unexpected surprises. Thank you to all who worked so hard to make this event possible. during dinner the crowd watched Ataturk’s Costumes by the Ankara Olgunlasma Institute. Then our gracious master of ceremony Ozlem Falkiewicz introduced our president Leyla Ahmed who then gave a welcome speech. Followed by Nurten Ural, Michigan’s honorary consular general for Turkey, who gave an Independence Day of Turkey message and introduced Marty Callaghan, an executive film producer of Third Coast Films. Nurten also introduced Councilman, John Ak- ouri. Mr. Akouri delivered a proclamation to TACAM from the City of Farmington Hills. After dinner, the live Cumhuriyet Oratorio, “Towards a Demo- cratic Republic,” took place. The sixteen volunteers in this performance spent weeks of preparations and rehearsals to produce this show. A special thank you goes out to Ebru Basaran who wrote the script and to everyone else who was involved. After the crowd finished wiping their tears, they were entertained by a Cumhuriyet Choir which had ten musicians who sang the songs that our hero Ataturk enjoyed: the songs were Canakale Icinde, Pen- cere Acildi and Dag Basini Duman Almis.* Then the evening was continued with everyone on the floor danc- ing all night with the tunes of our DJ Hakan. As Ataturk once said, “the whole civilized world will once again recognize that the Turkish nation, moving unified toward the national ideal, is a great nation. I do not doubt that the long buried charac- teristics and abilities of the Turks will, as they progress, shine like a new sun on the horizon of the great civilization of the future.” I do not know if this is what Ataturk meant; however, I do know that all of the people that were involved with this event shined like a new sun on the horizon. What a great event for all of us who were there.

 please refer to page 6 for complete cast listings. 13 ANATOLIAN VOICE

Opposite PAGE A few close-ups reveal the happiness and pleasure at this year’s ball THIS PAGE Energetic celebrations from both the Choir (bottom) and Actors (top and bottom right corner), masterfully coordinated by Mine (center right edge), help bring much enjoyed entertainment with the history and music of the Republic. PAGE 14 Guests also enjoyed dinner, Turkish deserts, gifts and an eclectic silent auction graciously supported by our friends of the community. ANATOLIAN voice 14

Enjoy these events and much more, including this newsletter, free-classified space on the Internet (www.TACAM.org), and discounts from sponsor’s stores with a TACAM membership! Sponsor’s Advertisement TEXT BY GARO LACIN Gates of Byzantium

16 17 ANATOLIAN VOICE a History of the Gates†

8 TETARTU PILI This is the third military gate, not for public use. It has no access to the Fourth Gate outside and it opens between two walls. Today the ground level is raised. In the Ottoman period it was not used and was not given any name. It is next to the Mevlana Kapi.

PILI TU AYIU ROMANU This is the most famous gate in the 1453 siege of Constantinopolis (Istanbul). 9 Gate of St. Romanus The beginning of the Mesoteichion area (The middle of the land walls) was starting at St. Romanus gate (hill top) and was going down to Sulukule Kapisi (in the valley) and by going up again to Edirne Kapi (hill top).This area was the weakest for defense, that’s why the major attack was done here by the Ottomans. the Otag-i Humayun of Sultan Mehmed II was set up across this gate, 6 stad away (1108 m)—today at the location of Maltepe Hospital. The canons were bombing this area non-stop. This gate was defended by the famous knight Giovanni Justiniani and the volunteer Venetians. the last emperor of Byzantium, Constantinus XI of Paleologus, fell near this gate. The Ottoman army entered the city from an open hole at the north of this gate on Tuesday May 29th, 1453, around 10:00 am. the gate got its name from the church of St. Romanus behind it. In the Ottoman period it was called Top Kapisi because of the biggest canon called Shahi was placed facing to the gate. Today, as short, it is called Topkapi. The arch is demolished, only the entrance exists. It is next to the Tetartu Pili.

PORTA TU PEMPTU Also called Ayia Kiriaki Pili (Gate of Ste. Ciriaci). It was the fifth military gate 10 Fifth Gate but it was also used by the public. The gate was also called Ste. Ciriaci from the church of Ste. Ciriaci behind it. In July 450, the emperor Theodosius II (402 – 450) had a fatal hunting accident by falling from his horse and injuring his spine in the Lycus valley, outside of the city walls. He was then carried by the Praetorian Guards and entered the city from this gate. There is an old Latin inscription on the lintel. The visibility is limited, it is almost worn out. I found it important to describe this inscription because soon it will not be visible from corrosion. See bottom picture at direct left. PORTARVMVALIDOFIRMAVITLIMINEMVROS PVSAEVSMAGNONONMINORANTHEMIO “Pusaeus the Great, not lower then Anthemio (Governor), strengthened the entrances of the walls with firm gates”

Pusaeus was a Governor Praefectus Pretorio in the reign of Leo I (457 – 474). The inscription was after the renovation of the walls by the Great Pusaeus in 469. In the Ottoman period, it was called Sulukule Kapasi after the Lycus River of the tenth tower between Topkapi and Sulukule kapisi. It is next to the Topkapi.

PORTA TU CHARISIUS Also called Porta Adrianopolis (Gate of Edirne). The gate is at the seventh hill 11 Gate of Charisius of Istanbul and is next to the Sulukule Kapisi. It was named after Charisius, the chief of the Green Faction (Prasinon) of Constantinopolis, who had started the construction of the walls from Golden Horn in the 5th century. (Please refer to the Anatolian Voice Summer article on Gate no. 7 for more details, p. 16) The second possibility for naming could be the location of the gate in the property of Charisius family estate. The gate was also called Porta Adrianopolis for it faced the direction of Hadrianopolis (Edirne). On Tuesday, the 29th of May, around 10:00 am, when the city fell to the Ottomans, the first Kapikulu soldiers entered the city through here. The same day at noon Fatih Sultan Mehmed II (1451 – 1481) with his high officials entered the city from this gate. In the Ottoman period the gate was also called with the same name, Edirne Kapisi, but today it is shortened to Edirnekapi. By following north down the slope, it ANATOLIAN voice 18

can be reached from Tekfur Sarayi to the famous Kerkoporta attached to the palace walls.

KERKOPORTA This is the famous gate from the legend of Kerkoporta during the siege of 1453. 12 Circus Gate It was a military gate. During the siege all the gates were bricked up. Knight Justiniani opened this gate in case of counter attack and it was forgotten to re-bricked. The Legend of Kerkoporta was borne when fifty janissaries discovered and entered through the unbricked postern. It was the last gate on the Theodosian walls and was in the junction of the Comnenian walls. Doucas describes the location of this gate: “Pros to katothen meros to Palatio (a gate) towards down to the bottom of the palace.” The gate is attached to the outer walls of the Palace of Constantinus Porphyrogennitus (Tekfur Sarayi), where the last Byzantine emperor Constantinus XI lived. Dragazis Paleologus (1448 – 1453) had spent all of his time there during the siege. In the Byzantine era, the gate was named after a circus in the meadow, on the left of the moat which today is a Greek cemetery. In the Ottoman period the gate was also called with the same meaning: Canbazhane Kapisi. It is next to Edirnekapi. The arch of the gate collapsed in the earthquake of 1894. Today only the left curve of the arch and the inner entrance exist with its authentic laid bricks from the siege of 1453.

PARAPORTION This postern was the entrance of the courtyard of the Palace of Constantinus 13 TU PALATIU VII Porphyrogennitus (913 – 959) (Tekfur Sarayi). The gate was open between KONSTANTINUS the palace walls and the moat—it was not for public use. Nor was it named or PORFIROGENNITUS used in the Ottoman period. Today the gate is bricked up with its authentic The Postern of the laid brick wall from the 1453 siege. It is next to the Kerkoporta if one goes Palace of Constantinus 300 feet west. The ground level is raised three meters. The heavy bombarding Porphyrogennitus destroyed the entire front wall in between Edirnekapi and Kerkoporta and the moat was filled with soil. As a result, today we are not able to picture the geography of the area as it was back then, but the moat in between Kerkoporta and the Postern of St.Callinicus still exists.

PARAPORTION TU AYIU This postern was used to go to the monastic church of St. Callinicus (behind 14 KALLINIKU this gate). It was not used or named in the Ottoman period. Today the gate is The Postern of St. Callinicus bricked up with authentic laid brick wall from the 1453 siege. The tower on the left side of the gate was called the tower of Phrantzis or the tower of Kaligaria. Emperor Constantinus XI and his secretary Yeorgiu Phrantzis were watching the Ottoman army on May 28th midnight from this tower: Phrantzis, “We were unable to keep our tears. We left the palace and rode our horses towards Charisius gate, it was three hours passing the midnight. After giving courage to the all defenders, towards morning we went up the tower called Kaligaria. We saw the Ottoman army. . .attacking with screams.”

KALIGARIA PILI It was open for public use and was the gate of the quarter of Kaligaria 15 Gate of Caligaria (Caligariae) behind it. The factory of military shoes—Caligae—was in this quarter, from which the gate and quarter received their names. In the Ottoman period, the gate was called Egri Kapi because of being crooked according to the straight wall. It is next to the St. Callinicus Gate.

YIROLIMNI PILI The name is an abbreviation of Argiro Limin or “Silver Harbor”, because the 16 Gate of Silver Harbor view of the Golden Horn was shining from this gate like a silver belt. When the fourth crusade arrived to Constantinopolis, they camped in the field outside of this gate. Emperor Isaacius Angelus made all the discussions with the crusaders from this gate. In the Ottoman period the gate was not used

 directions: After entering Tekfur Sarayi, walk west along the city walls, climb the demolished wall in the courtyard and walk carefully towards the round towers, the third one is the tower of Kaligaria. 19 ANATOLIAN VOICE

and was subsequently not given a name. Today the gate is bricked up with its authentic laid brick wall from the last siege of 1453. The ground level is raised two and half meters and the gate is buried in the ground. It is next to the Egri Kapi. A bust of an anonymous emperor once was over the lintel, now is in the Archeological museum of Istanbul.

PORTA TON It is next to the Yirolimni gate, in Ayvansaray, at the junction of the Golden 17 VLAKERNON Horn (Halic). It was a unit of double gates. The exterior one is on the Leo V Gate of Blachernas, Lower Armenus’ (813 – 820) walls and the interior one (which is opposite the other) and Upper Blachernae is on the Heraclian (610 – 641) walls. The walls of Theodosius—after reaching to Tekfur Sarayi—are turned to the east to the Balat direction. This leads to the Tekfur Sarayi. The hunting pavilion Blachernae Palace, St. Nicolas church and St. Basilius Hagiasma lay outside of the city walls. When the Avar danger started, the emperor Heraclius (610 – 641) built these walls and took all the buildings into the city limits. This was the construction of the first gate of Blacherna on the Heraclian walls as an exterior city gate until Leo’s walls were built up. Today the steps, the patrol route and the station of the Greek fire (Grejua) exist above the gate. The ready army of the capital (in Praesentalis Germen) got fighters stationed in Scutari (Uskudar). Numeri Militum was the army of the palace. The 14th region-Blachernae (Ayvansaray) was protected by the Legionum Armenorum (Armenian Legion), who worked in the Byzantine army until the 10th century. In 627 during reign of Heraclius (610 – 641) when Avars attacked Istanbul and burnt the lower Blachernae, they were defeated by this legion. In 815, Leo V Armenus (813 – 820) built his walls in front of the Heraclian walls and added another gate of Porta Blachernon on his walls, which is opposite to the previous gate as an exterior gate of the Blachernae. By this way, this section of the city turned into a military garrison. This gate was not for public use—only the palace officials could use it to go to the upper Blachernae Palaces. When entering from the exterior gate of the Blachernae, the Porta ton Vlakernon passed the garrison and exited from the interior gate, which reached the gardens of the palace in the lower Blachernae. According to Dion Byzantinus, the word in Latin Blachernae and in Greek Blaherna is given after “a Scyte General named Blacherna who got killed here.” Psedo- Codinus said: “From a plant called Blachna (Turkish: egrelti otu), Fougere, Fern, (Filicineae Pteris-Aquilina), which grows in the swampy areas. Scarlatos Byzantios said: “In the shores of this area exist a lot of amout of Lacherna (Palamut fish-Bonito).” The first opinion from Dion Byzantinus, without historical evidence, is difficult to accept. Second opinion: in the Byzantine and the Ottoman periods, this area, towards the end of the Golden Horn, was wooded and swampy because of no water circulation: it is very good possibility for ferns (Fougere) to grow here. The third opinion is also acceptable, until 1969, when the schools of the Palamut fishes use to come from the Marmara sea and ended up by entering the Golden Horn (Halic). My opinion: Blacherna is the abbreviation of two words, instead of Blachnalacherna together (Ferns, bonito), as an abbreviation of (BLA)chna, la(CHERNA) turns to Blacherna. In the Ottoman period, this gate was not used and was not named. Today the gate is bricked up with its authentic laid brick from the siege of 1453. The ground level is raised 5 meters: half of the gate is buried to the ground. The moat is completely filled up. In the section, between two gates, there is a Turbe of Toklu Ibrahim Dede, who joined the siege of Istanbul in 1453. 18 KSILOPORTA This was the last gate of the land walls and it was next to the Blacherna gate. Wooden Gate It was on the additional supportive walls from the corner of the city walls in Ayvansaray, up to the sea of the Golden Horn. In the Ottoman period it was called with different names Dideban Kapi, Ahsap Kapi and Odun Kapi. It was demolished in 1868.

†Unless otherwise noted, all dates are ad, Anno Domino. ANATOLIAN voice 20

TEXT by Neeki Rad Ozdemir Fire of Anatolia a journey of discovery 21 ANATOLIAN VOICE

Wednesday, November 2nd, finally arrived. And, (the giant who stole fire from the gods in order to give as I boarded the train in Ann Arbor, leaving my Turkish- it to mortal humans), and Pandora (the punishment to born husband and tons of backlogs behind, I could not be bestowed upon mankind, in the form of the first ever help feeling at least some degree of apprehension as to woman) were borrowed from Greek mythology. As for whether this whole middle-of-the-week leisure trip to Ahura Mazda (the spirit of Good) and the symbolism Chicago was going to be worth the while. After all, it was of fire (as the purifying force and the source of all life), not like I was Turkish! And the last-minute changes to they come from Zoroastrianism (the ancient religion the date of the performance made me wonder exactly of Turkey’s eastern neighbor, Iran). I also could not how “professional” this dance troupe really was. But, help notice that the creators of FoA did not hesitate to as an aficionado of dance and folklore, indiscriminate capitalize on the success of certain artistic expressions, of ethnicity, I remained curious of the highly-acclaimed particularly in the West: namely belly dancing, Lords of reviews for Fire of Anatolia (FoA). So, I decided to put up the Dance and Riverdance, and Korean drum players. All with the hustle and bustle of the Windy City. I can say about their ingenuity is: “Kudos to their acute it was a sunny Indian summer day in Chicago as sense of entrepreneurship!”. well. And a warm breeze blew through the narrow shady despite its avant-garde take on folklore dance, FoA corridors of The Loop district. The blinking red, orange would still serve as a great Course 101: Introduction and yellow neon lights of the Chicago Theatre lit the to Turkish Dances. The choreographers of the show words Fire of Anatolia on the old-fashioned marquee, have attempted at modernizing folkloric dances by creating the feeling that a flame was also burning outside interspersing brief and simplistic episodes of Western- the structure—as well as within. style modern ballet into the show started late. But, after all, both the a sequence of regional performers and I had traveled from far. And the delay Turkish dances and gave me a chance to appreciate the intricate interior other traditional Middle reminiscent of old time grandeur and opulence. Finally, Eastern styles (e.g. belly the heavy crimson velvet curtain rose. I recognized, in the dancing and dances rhythmic music and the alertness of the beat, the voice associated with spiritual Naturally, the proficiency of a people who have had to constantly fight against the sectarian Islam). of the dancers leaves the ruggedness of the nature surrounding them—a people Luckily, the frequency viewer with a complete galloping courageously forward on horseback. of these modern ballet the organization was around set two acts and a sections decreases as sense of satisfaction. total of five scenes, which raised the show to a meaningful the show progresses. play with a clear message: a hope that Good will prevail And the great variety over Evil. A classical theme, repeatedly recycled: FoA’s of regional Turkish expressions, as well as the extremely version offered nonetheless a new twist to an old story. clever choreographic formations, are enough to give joy to The forces of Good, although ultimately “victorious” the audience. Naturally, the proficiency of the dancers, as over the forces of Evil, refrained from annihilating their well as the smoothly-designed choreographic transitions, opponents. In that sense, the underlying message was one leaves the viewer with a complete sense of satisfaction. of peace. Rather than focusing on revenge, FoA’s creators if I did notice anything lacking, it may have been in propose that harmony is achievable by gaining the respect the absence of elaborate costumes. However, even though of the adversary and through the ability to convince. A not rich in material, they were always appropriate. The belief definitely noble in spirit, albeit maybe innocent overall visual impression was one of a simple stage, a and naïve given the reality of human nature. The forces uniform palette of slightly varying hues flourishing into a of Evil, depicted through performers in black costumes, busy canvas, a massive parade of colors and senses. remained in control through most of the show (Act I, i was especially impressed with the whole of Act Scene 2 & Act II, Scene 1) and did not hesitate to torture II, Scene 2 and the “battle of the drums”. Imagine, if you innocents. But, the forces of Good, clad in white, managed would, a stage filled with some forty performers, each to finally organize themselves in order to fight against carrying a davul drum. Picture a stage first divided into Evil (Act II, Scene 2). Interestingly enough, the turning clear troop formations of Evil versus Good, and then the point coincided with spirituality, Sufism, and the dance scene of a one-on-one battle between Black and White of the Whirling Dervishes. So, what separates Good from soldiers. Initially, the scene is one of war: the drums Evil is the human conscience? The same conscience that engage in argument. Then, there’s a shift. They beat in distinguishes mankind from other animals? That’s what I concert carrying on a teasing dialogue. interpreted from the abrupt movements and vulgar make- All in all, words are not enough to describe the up of the Evil forces, when juxtaposed with the elegant intricate nature of this show. Heavy in symbolism, gestures and flowing costumes of the proponents of every aspect of this performance deserves attention. A Good. The forces of Evil acted like animals; they seemed constant feast for the eye, ear and mind, Fire of Anatolia’s primitive. The proponents of Good appeared aerial and progression is as coherent as its moralistic message: enlightened. These contrasts of Black versus White, the evolution of a people from primitive depths (e.g. Darkness versus Light, and Experience versus Innocence the worship of fire in Act I, Scene 1) to sophisticated are basic to all cultures; and, therefore, transcend potential (e.g. a festival of colors in Act II, Scene 3). Its national differences. Thus, FoA was able to convey a richness in variety is mind-boggling, and the discipline simple message to a global audience. of its numerous dancers awe-inspiring. And the whole is i discovered that another reason why FoA had a complete and quasi-perfect artistic expression making managed to gain the hearts of audiences worldwide was logical sense and lead by a strong theatrical drive. probably because it taps on a variety of cultural sources So, I say: “May the fire in you continue to burn, for its characters. Zeus (the God of all gods), Prometheus Anatolia! Courage & Perseverance!”. ANATOLIAN voice 22 TASTY Recipes over medium heat, stirring often, until it’s wilted. Drain Stuffed Tomatoes the spinach well and squeeze it dry; then chop it. In large Serves 10 skillet over medium heat the olive oil and butter, stir in scallions and spinach and cook for 2 minutes. Let the 10 medium tomatoes mixture cool. Add the eggs, feta cheese and parsley to the 3 slices of bread cooled spinach mixture. Season with salt and pepper, set 50 gr. pine nuts the mixture aside. 1 bunch fresh basil 100 gr. feta cheese To prepare the pastry, place melted butter in a bowl along 50 gr. kasseri cheese with the milk, olive oil and egg and mix them together. 2 cloves of garlic Brush this mixture on a 13 × 18 × 1 inch baking pan. 4 tbsps. oil Carefully unroll the filo dough and place 1 sheet on the Freshly ground pepper pan. Lightly brush the dough with a little of the butter mixture. Place a second piece of dough over the first and Preheat oven to 375 degrees. brush it with the butter mixture. Continue layering in Slice the tops of the tomatoes and empty the inside of the this manner until there are 10 layers of filo dough. Put a tomatoes leaving only the shells. damp towel on the remaining filo dough to keep it from drying out. Cut the crust off the bread, wet crustless-bread with water and squeeze water out. Leaving dough like Spread all of the spinach mixture evenly over the filo consistency. dough in the pan. Cover the mixture for another sheet of dough brush with the butter mixture and continue Place the pine nuts in the frying pan (no oil) and stir until layering and brushing each layer with butter mixture pink (med. heat). Slice the basil into small pieces. Then, until all the filo dough is used. Make the glaze by Cut the feta cheese into cubes. Grate the kasseri cheese. combining the egg yolks with the milk. Brush this glaze Press the garlic. over the top. Using a sharp knife, cut the pastry into 12 square or 24 triangles. Bake for 20 minutes in 375 Mix the bread, pine nuts, feta cheese, kasseri cheese, degrees, then lower the heat to 325 degrees and bake for garlic and oil. Add ground pepper. Divide this mixture another 20 minutes. When they are ready the top will among the ten tomatoes and replace the top halves. Oil be lightly brown and crispy. Let the boreks stand for 10 the oven pan (glass) and place the stuffed tomatoes in it. minutes before serving.

Place the pan in the oven and bake for approximately 30 This recipe comes from Sultan’s Kitchen, an excellent cook minutes. book with over 130 recipes from Turkish Cuisine. Prepared by Ozcan Ozan, who has a restaurant in Boston with the same name. You can find this book on-line at Amazan.com Ispanakli Peynirli Tepsi Boregi or order it from Barnes and Nobles book store. (Spinach and Feta Cheese Boreks) Reminder: Cookbook committee would like your favorite Filling recipes for the upcoming TACAM cookbook. Please 3 pounds fresh spinach, trimmed contact Verda Gurol (248.514.7835 and ¼ cup vigin olive oil [email protected]). ¼ cup unsalted butter 1 bunch scallions, trimmed and finely chopped Afiyet olsun! 2 egs 1 to ½ cup crumbled feta cheese TEXT BY CANAN OZAKTAY AND LEYLA AHMED 1/3 cup finely chopped fresh Italian parsley salt and freshly ground black pepper

Pastry ¼ cup unsalted butter 1/3 cup milk ¼ cup olive oil 1 egg 1 pound filo dough, about 20 to 22 sheets

Glaze 2 egg yolks ¼ cup milk

Heat the oven to 375 degrees. To make the filing, cook spinach in 1 cup boiling water 23 ANATOLIAN VOICE a note from the editor Well nothing too complex this season. Just a few newsletter updates. I reduced the size of the main body text and was wondering if any of you find that too small to read (it’s pt9 ): small change, but makes a lot of room. I am also hoping for a special winter issue with focus on Turkish Cultural history, but as always, your articles and work help make this newsletter a pleasure for the community!

EROL AHMED EDITOR

TACAM Governing Board 2005-2006 ANATOLIAN VOICE SUMMER 2005

Executive Board of Directors EDITOR president | Leyla Ahmed Erol Ahmed vice-president | Mine Ozalp secretary | Cihangir Tasdemir Contributors treasurer | Voula Sonbay Leyla Ahmed, Garo Lacin, Canan Ozaktay, Nurten past-president | Canan Ozaktay Ural, Birol Halacoglu, Mine Ozalp, Cihangir Tasdemir, Neeki Rad Ozdemir Board of Directors 2005-2006 Birol Halacoglu Published quarterly by Verda Gurol The Turkish American Cultural Association of Michigan Mert Aksu P.O. Box 3552 Marcus Mann Farmington Hills, MI 48333 Ilhan Berberoglu phone: 248.348.4176 fax: 248.626.8279 Alternate Board of Directors [email protected] Ebru Basaran Zeki Aral Advertising rates per issue Didem Seyhoglu Full page 125 USD Ilkim Erturk Half page 50 USD Zeynep Cakir Quarter Page 25 USD Mutia Erig contact TACAM for advertising details

Board of Trustees www.tacam.org Nurten Ural 2006 Ali Kayaalp 2006 Figen Ozsoylu 2006 Emre Bulbul 2007 Rengin Usmen 2007 Hulya Cakan 2007

Audit Committee Mehtap Aksoy 2007 Oguz Cekmeceligil 2007 ANATOLIAN voice 24

The Voice of the Turkish American Community the ANATOLIAN VOICE is a quarterly publication of the TURKISH AMERICAN CULTURAL ASSOCIATION of MICHIGAN

a Quick Reminder

Know of any members not receivng their Anatolian Voices? Then please contact TACAM so we can im- mediately update the mailing list. Remeber, you only on the cover: pottery. perfect have two more issues left for the 2005 membership symmetry and classic season so renew soon for 2006. colours of red, blue and green typify this peice. Persia.