The gate of the Etz Ahayim Synagogue in Ortaköy, on the European shores of Istanbul. Dating from Byzantine years, this synagogue survives only as a shadow of its former glory, after a fire destroyed large parts of it in 1941. Like most other synagogues in Istanbul, its gates are heavily guarded after the bomb attacks in 2005.
Tuesday, 19 June 2007
The Gates of Etz Ahayim
The gate of the Etz Ahayim Synagogue in Ortaköy, on the European shores of Istanbul. Dating from Byzantine years, this synagogue survives only as a shadow of its former glory, after a fire destroyed large parts of it in 1941. Like most other synagogues in Istanbul, its gates are heavily guarded after the bomb attacks in 2005.
Extreme Dimorphism
My first reaction upon seeing these mating cockroaches was "Oh, everyone except me is busy getting laid..." Then, I was really surprised as the the couple seemed to consist of different species of cockroaches!
Obviously, there was something wrong with that conclusion. I mean, what were the chances? A brief research soon showed me what was really going on; this was a perfectly valid match, there was simply a remarkable sexual dimorphism in these oriental cockroaches. (Blatta orientalis) The one with the wings is the male, and strangely enough, he is as airworthy as his wingless girlfriend. Perhaps the wings just help him to impress girls.
Faded Glories
An old mansion, one of the last of its kind, peers out from the surrounding tree cover like a fading ghost. From Kozyatagi, on the Asian side of Istanbul.
At the Hagia Triada
The interior...
...and exterior views of the Greek Orthodox Hagia Triada, a landmark church of Taksim Square. The Bambi snack bars right in front of the church remain open until the morning, serving greasy munchies and snacks to drunken people on the way home from the myriad bars and clubs of Taksim.
A Snail
I found this snail on a rainy night in my garden. Professional malacologist Aydin Örstan has identified him as an Eobania vermiculata. For more on snails and relatives, visit Mr. Örstan's excellent blog at http://snailstales.blogspot.com/
Salonica, Old and New
When you are in Thessaloniki, the most popular meeting spot is "by the Kamara..." This structure is part of the massive palace complex of the Roman Emperor Galerius that also includes the famous Rotunda and numerous ruins around Egnatia Avenue. It was erected near the year 300 to mark the Emperor's victory against the Persians, and the capture of Ctesiphon in what is now Iraq.
In the more modern part of the city, nice-looking buildings conceal awful and overpriced hotels.
Crossing the Bridge
The Bosphorus bridge as seen straight from the underside. A resident British artist, Ned Pamphylion, spent years trying to paint it in the colors of the rainbow.
Fires
Smoke rises from a fire lit to clear a field.
Smoke rises from an exploding paint factory. Both mishaps are from the 45-minute stretch of highway leading from my university to Istanbul.
Minibar
Here we go with a brief special about the "minibar" phenomenon in Ankara, the Turkish capital.
Ankara has a large population of educated, affluent youth, and their constant longing for quality nightlife is rarely satisfied. Without many nice bars or nightclubs to go, they have taken matters into their own hands, and began drinking in the streets. But this is a special kind of drinking-in-the-street, and it has acquired its own name, "minibar."
This picture shows my friend Neco and some other people having a good time at the corner of Bestekar street. Notice the posh bars and nightclubs in the background, none of which are preferable to drinking in the streets.
Minibar blues on the corner around the Vakif Bank in Ankara. Minibars can form anywhere and everywhere young people hang around. You can see foreign ambassadors' kids and true-blue Turkish punks making out, or puking on the same sidewalks in perfect harmony.
Surprisingly, a similar phenomenon used to exist in Istanbul until recently. Though nowhere as popular as the Ankara minibar, hundreds of street-drinkers would concentrate in the infamous "Back Street" near the Nevizade in Taksim. Unlike Ankara's minibar crowd, the "Back Street" people hailed from less wealthy segments of the society. Their retort to the streets was a consequence of desperation rather then self-imposed boredom.
Ankara has a large population of educated, affluent youth, and their constant longing for quality nightlife is rarely satisfied. Without many nice bars or nightclubs to go, they have taken matters into their own hands, and began drinking in the streets. But this is a special kind of drinking-in-the-street, and it has acquired its own name, "minibar."This picture shows my friend Neco and some other people having a good time at the corner of Bestekar street. Notice the posh bars and nightclubs in the background, none of which are preferable to drinking in the streets.
Minibar blues on the corner around the Vakif Bank in Ankara. Minibars can form anywhere and everywhere young people hang around. You can see foreign ambassadors' kids and true-blue Turkish punks making out, or puking on the same sidewalks in perfect harmony.
Surprisingly, a similar phenomenon used to exist in Istanbul until recently. Though nowhere as popular as the Ankara minibar, hundreds of street-drinkers would concentrate in the infamous "Back Street" near the Nevizade in Taksim. Unlike Ankara's minibar crowd, the "Back Street" people hailed from less wealthy segments of the society. Their retort to the streets was a consequence of desperation rather then self-imposed boredom.
