On the vehicle ferry to Bursa |
My host family is very gracious but there have been some cultural and linguistic barriers to overcome. In order to protect their privacy, I am not going to use their names and will avoid detailed descriptions. My home consists of a mother and father in their 50s and one of their daughters, who is in her late 20s. The parents only know a few words of English, but my host sister speaks English better than I speak Turkish. She has been an invaluable intermediary between myself and her parents, explaining some of my American idiosyncratic and translating when necessary. My host mother is a housewife and is therefore home more than the father and daughter, who both work. My host mother and I have already had a few good conversations in Turkish about ourselves and our families. She is also very enthusiastic about helping me learn vocabulary and Turkish customs. As my host sister puts it, she and her family are "conservative" Muslims. Elaborating on this, I would add that they are conservative in a traditional, rather than neo-Islamist or Salafi fashion. The mother covers her hair with a kerchief both in and out of the house but my host sister does not wear hijab and dresses in a manner similar to many American 20-somethings. All the members of the family in the house pray 5 times a day and follow other important Muslims customs such as not eating pork. They are very curious and open minded about the culture and religion of Americans and other non-Turks and seemed disappointed and confused when I told them I don't regularly attend church.
A proud Bursa simitci who asked me to take his picture. |
Bursa itself is both similar and different from Istanbul. Many of the street scenes are very similar: bunches of independent shops and street vendors, crowed sidewalks even in the heat of the day, winding narrow streets, crazy drivers and random animals (today I saw a horse grazing by a highway exit). However, in many ways it is distinctly different. Bursa has the reputation for being a more pious city and I can see some superficial evidence of this. There are plenty of people of Western dress but there are more women wearing black, Arab or Iranian style garments and covering their faces with a niqab.
Uludag |
Osman Gazi, first Ottoman Sultan |
Bursa has a relatively large and significant historic center. Yesterday, I walked to the Ulu Cami (great mosque) and market area with some fellow CLS students.
Ulu Cami was built in 1399, a time when Bursa was the capital of the expanding Ottoman Empire. It was built by the architect Ali Neccar under orders from Sultan Beyazdi I.
The most interesting and unusual feature of the mosque is the ablution fountain which dominates the center of the space. Normally, these fountains for ritual purification are found outside or in the courtyard of the mosque.
The market is different from the covered bazaars in Istanbul. It is more of a commercial district with covered markets on some streets and others without. Parts have been refurbished and covered with a glass canopy that shades the entire road.
There are fewer sokak kediler and kopekler in Bursa than there are in Istanbul. Apparently they send many stray animals to a sanctuary outside of town, which is certainly a humane solution to the stray problem. However, I did manage to spot this pretty kedi hanging out with the underwear in a shop in the market quarter. Unfortunately for me, like other cities in Turkey, Bursa has a lenient policy when it comes to urban livestock. The last two days, I have been woken up every hour starting at 4 am by a very determined rooster. Even with my legendary ability to sleep through noise, my rooster friend is going to pose a challenge to my REM.
In other poultry news, the host parent of one of the other CLS students brought these adorable baby chicks (civ civ) with him to the language school on our first full day.
I am beginning to realize that I may not have as much time for writing as I did when I was in Istanbul. The CLS program requires more of my time and I also need to make time for my host family. However, I will do my best to update with pictures and news as much as I can.
So glad you are enjoying your time there, this is so very informative and I love the pics!
ReplyDeleteNicely done, Claire.
ReplyDeleteLooking forward to your next posting.
Glad to hear good things about your host family.
Please tell them you family sends their best regards.
Good luck with your studies!
This is very exciting material. Glad to read things are going well. Yes, give our best to the host family. Lotsa Love, Dad.
ReplyDelete