JONATHAN TAMAYO
Florence Columnist
It was a mass exodus from the villa: 50 people at five in the morning, crawling out of bed to make our five-hour bus ride to the airport in Rome. As we boarded our plane we were handed “bird flu” pamphlets accompanied by Arabic music, while we entered a plane bearing the crescent moon and stars of Islam. Thus began our spring educational field trip to Turkey.
“On our field trip we got to experience so much of (Turkey’s) traditional customs, food and culture,” sophomore Kalynn Karnicky said.
Before leaving for Turkey, some complications stirred. First, there was an itinerary dispute in which we voted to visit the Asian side of Istanbul rather than a palace, and our trip was delayed a day to be a part of the “Today Show” in Florence.
Upon our arrival, we noticed distinct differences in Turkish culture. One difference is the prayer calls five times a day, since Turkey is 99 percent Muslim. An announcer chants verses from the Koran, which is the cue for everyone to stop what they’re doing, roll out their prayer rugs, face Mecca and pray to Allah.
The food in Turkey was also a great change. After having pasta for every single meal in Florence, most of us welcomed the change in food. We ate beef, lamb, soups, kabobs and other traditional Turkish foods.
Our days were spent traveling from site to site to absorb as much of the culture and history as possible. Highlights included exploring the ruins of Ephesus and visiting the Temple of Artemis and St. John’s Basilica. We also went to an archeological museum that housed the fertility statues that Paul mentions in the Bible.
In Istanbul we went to the Hippodrome where chariot races were held in the days of the Roman emperors. We also saw the Blue Mosque, a large building 213 feet wide by 239 feet tall with six minarets.
Right across the street is the Hagia Sophia, or The Church of the Holy Wisdom. This is another gigantic building that was built in the times of Justinian and Theodora in 544 A.D.
The next day in Istanbul we took a cruise through the Bosphorus Straight which connects Europe and Asia. When we made it to Asia, we ate a traditional Turkish-Asian meal and went to many out-door markets that sold spices, fish and produce.
Cultural shopping also took up our time. One afternoon was spent at a traditional carpet manufacturing company. They gave us a demonstration on obtaining silk from a cocoon and dying threads, and then brought us to another room where four women wove Turkish rugs. After, we were given Turkish delights and apple tea while a group of men rolled out rugs for us.
Nights were spent at optional activities that included a Turkish bath and watching Whirling Dervishes. Whirling Dervishes are members of a spiritual offshoot of Islam. They are known for their practice of whirling as a form of remembering Allah. They are also known for their extreme poverty and austerity. The Turkish bath, better known to the Turks as Hamam, is a ritual that is more than five centuries old, while the whirling dervishes are a group of men who spin in circles to Islamic music for meditation and worship.
A lot of time was also spent shopping at Grand Bazaars. We learned to haggle more than 50 percent off of items like daggers, magic lamps, Turkish towels, fez hats, turbans and spices.
Overall the Turkey field trip was incredible and more than any of us could have expected.
“It was very interesting to see the ancient Islamic culture integrated with the modern world Turkey has become,” Karnicky said. On this trip we’ve learned a lot, seen a lot, experienced a lot, but most of all, we had a blast doing it. Arrivederci dalla Villa di Firenze.
03-23-2006
