Today we went to the famous Spice Market, which is quite small in comparison to the Grand Bazaar but I found it much more preferable. The scents of the exotic spices, herbs, and teas filled the pavilion and lured you into certain shops (if the Turkish men with funny english catch phrases did not). Looking at the various products made me appreciate the rich blend in culture that has shaped the Turkey. Obviously not all the spices were found in Turkey, but imported from various places around the world like India, Africa, Asia.
As Americans, I feel like we are isolated from other cultures not just geographically, but by choice. We think too highly of ourselves and are not open to what other cultures have to offer. Turkey and most other countries in Europe and Asia have integrated other traditions into their own making a true melting pot of values.
It's like in Aladdin when is taking Jasmine on a magic carpet and he sings of how he can open her eyes to a whole new world (my four year old niece asked me how he literally can open her eyes). Having a magic carpet or a perhaps a plane really opens your eyes to the world around you and discover new things and adventures.
I've studied the globe and understand the orientation of it, but actually being straddled between Europe and Asia made me realize the proximity of all these amazing civilizations. Greece is a boat ride away! For some reason that blows my mind. Maybe it's because I live in Texas and just getting out of the state takes forever, but in Europe each country and it's unique heritage is like Rhode Island to Connecticut. This proximity probably helped the Trojans get so many allies to help them fight off the Greeks.
No comments:
Post a Comment