Thank goodness, the heat wave is over!
The sun's still hot but not as killing as before.. Now I can troup to the Khan to buy stuff to take back home!
Monday, July 2, 2007
Wednesday, June 27, 2007
Bad tooth solves mystery of Egypt's Pharaoh queen
Middle East Times: June 27, 2007
Archaeologists hailed one of the most important finds in Egyptian history Wednesday after a tooth identified the 3,500-year-old mummy of Queen Hatshepsut, the most powerful female Pharaoh.
Billed as the most significant find since the discovery of King Tutankhamen's tomb in 1922, Egyptian antiquities chief Zahi Hawass made the announcement to a packed press conference in Cairo. He said that one of two mummies found in a tomb in the Valley of the Kings in Luxor about a century ago had been identified as Hatshepsut, the greatest woman monarch of the ancient world.
"The discovery of the Hatshepsut mummy is one of the most important finds in the history of Egypt," the antiquities chief said. "I'm sure that this mummy will help us to shed light on this mystery and on the mysterious nature of her death."
Hatshepsut ruled for 21 years from 1479 to 1458 BC, declaring herself Pharaoh after the death of her husband-brother Tuthmosis II.
The fabled queen, known for sporting a false beard and dressing like a man, was identified thanks to a broken tooth following examinations of four mummies from the New Kingdom using the latest forensic technology.
Hawass said that the mummy identified as Hatshepsut was of a "fat woman in her 50s who probably died of cancer."
In 1903, archaeologist Howard Carter - who later made history with his discovery of Tutankhamen - found two sarcophagi in tomb 60 in the Theban necropolis, the Valley of the Kings in Luxor.
One apparently contained the mummy of Hatshepsut's wet nurse, Sitre-In, and the other of an unknown female.
Later in 1920, he found the magnificent funerary temple of Deir Al Bahari, which Hatshepsut had built for herself at Luxor. Mysteriously, two sarcophagi found in the temple were empty.
That is where the search for Hatshepsut had ended until the US-based Discovery Channel asked Hawass to take another look.
The mummies from tomb 60 were brought to Cairo for the first time and Hawass used CT scans to produce detailed 3D images that linked physical traits of the unidentified mummy to those of Hatshepsut's heirs.
But the definitive proof, according to Hawass, was found in an ancient box inscribed with the female Pharaoh's name that was discovered in 1881 at the famous Deir Al Bahari temple, scene of a bloody massacre of tourists in 1997.
Inside the box were organs from the mummy and a tooth. Examined for its possible connection to a missing molar in the unidentified mummy from tomb 60, analysts found that it was a near-perfect match.
"Not only was the fat lady from KV-60 missing a tooth but the hole left behind and the type of tooth that was missing were an exact match for the loose one in the box," Hawass said. He said that the find could help to explain the mystery of Hatshepsut's disappearance from the ancient record after her death and the empty sarcophagi in her burial temple.
"Her reign during the 18th dynasty of ancient Egypt was a prosperous one, yet mysteriously she was erased from Egyptian history," he said.
American Egyptologist Elizabeth Thomas had first suggested years ago that the second mummy in tomb 60 belonged to Hatshepsut, because her hand was resting on her chest in a position reserved for monarchs.
Discovery said that a team of archaeologists would now carry out DNA testing on the mummy to confirm her identity.
Hatshepsut, daughter of Pharaoh Tuthmosis I who ruled from 1504 to 1484 BC, ruled before later female Pharaohs Nefertiti and Cleopatra. After the death of her husband-brother Tuthmosis II, she reigned as regent for his son by a concubine, Tuthmosis III.
Hatshepsut soon declared herself Pharaoh, donning royal headdress and a false beard. Her rule is seen as a time of stability and prosperity for Egypt. But records of her reign suddenly end after her death. Her monuments were demolished by her jealous successor, Tuthmosis III, and her mummy was thought to have been lost forever
Thursday, June 14, 2007
Turkey
I have just returned from Turkey, and, thught it was a good example of a predominantly Islamic nation trying to ensure that its Islamic nature does not overide every other aspect of its existence.
Yes, its important to allow people religious freedom, but how can a simple thing like wearing a headscarf define a religion? It's easy for people to talk about women choosing to wear the headscarf voluntarily, but if you are brought up in an environment where its ingrained in you from childhood that its a woman's duty to cover herself, where is the freedom to make a choice? An indoctrinated choice can hardly be called a choice! Plus I think one needs to review the context, the environment and the exigencies of the times in which Mohamad laid down the rules regarding modesty for women.
What Turkey is doing is creating an open environment for women and trying to ensure that there is equality for women. Are there issues relating to Kurds? Yes, there are, but I don't think Turkey has ever claimed to be Utopia. Do they need to work on it? Yes, they do, but that does not take away from what ever they have achieved.
In any society, radical change is never peaceful, and, perhaps that would also be Turkey's fate. If through its turmoil, its able to emerge as a secular state, it may well become a role model for other Islamic states. Practicising Islam does not neceessarily mean that a state has to lose its secular nature
Yes, its important to allow people religious freedom, but how can a simple thing like wearing a headscarf define a religion? It's easy for people to talk about women choosing to wear the headscarf voluntarily, but if you are brought up in an environment where its ingrained in you from childhood that its a woman's duty to cover herself, where is the freedom to make a choice? An indoctrinated choice can hardly be called a choice! Plus I think one needs to review the context, the environment and the exigencies of the times in which Mohamad laid down the rules regarding modesty for women.
What Turkey is doing is creating an open environment for women and trying to ensure that there is equality for women. Are there issues relating to Kurds? Yes, there are, but I don't think Turkey has ever claimed to be Utopia. Do they need to work on it? Yes, they do, but that does not take away from what ever they have achieved.
In any society, radical change is never peaceful, and, perhaps that would also be Turkey's fate. If through its turmoil, its able to emerge as a secular state, it may well become a role model for other Islamic states. Practicising Islam does not neceessarily mean that a state has to lose its secular nature
Sunday, June 10, 2007
Ortakoy
While on the Bosphorus Cruise, the Guide had pointed out an area called Ortakoy, which is the place that locals frequent. The restaurants, the guide said, served the best fish in town, and, were open till very late at night.
So leaving our son with my mother-in-law, my husband and I set off for dinner at Ortakoy. The cab drops you off on the main road from where you walk down quaint cobbled streets lined with stalls selling everything from junk jewellery to Turkish evil eyes, from fired tiles to beautiful Turkish figurines, from gorgeous ceramics to cat sketches! (What is about cats in this part of the world? Even back home in Egypt people are obsessed with cats!)
Located on the European Bosphorus shore, Ortakoy, {literally "the village in the middle" (orta}) is a really cool place with lots shops, open air cafés (very Parisian), restaurants, and, tons of arty crowd along with youngsters, with an occasional young Turk revving past in his fancy motorbike.
As I discovered later, the stalls lining the streets are an impromptu street market on Sundays by artists displaying their wares for sale. Prices are a little lower than Grand Bazaar and the artists are usually not given in to bargaining. There are two permanent shops that sell the most gorgeous blue / aqua green Turkish pottery that I have seen. The pieces are unique, different from the run of the mill stuff that you’ll find in Grand Bazaar, and expensive, but worth every penny you spend. And, there is this lovely shop selling copies of old photographs / lithos of Istanbul, copies of Ottoman edicts and official decrees, and, hold your breath, copies of the posters advertising the Orient Express! The last I just had to buy!
Hubby and I walked to the end of the area where a natural jetty is home to number of tourists and Turks out with the family. A group of youngsters sat in one corner under a tree singing songs and strumming a guitar. I was really tempted to join, but satisfied myself by listening to them. Bunch of young friends, sipping coffee, singing, laughing at a shared joke – ah, how I yearn for the uncomplicated life when you are young!
The most beautiful part of being at Ortakoy is that you are right at the edge of the Bosphorus. You can hear the waves as they crash against the shore, and, feel the breeze as it caresses your skin.
As we walked back towards the restaurants, I noticed a beautiful mosque on my left. This is Büyük Mecidiye Camii (Grand Imperial Mosque of Sultan Abdülmecid), usually called simply the Ortaköy Camii. Other than its beautiful architecture, what is really tantalizing is that its almost in the water on the Bosphorus shore.
Right next to the mosque was a lady, making something, which resembled Indian roomali rotis. On the table were jars with assorted fillings – mushrooms, penayir (yes, like the Indian paneer), cheese, mashed potatoes, beef, mutton etc. As she expertly tossed and rolled out the rotis, I was intrigued enough to try one. The dish, the lady explained, was called “Queslame” and was a local Turkish roll. Could I get a vegetarian one? Of course! Decided to go the whole hog and pointed to everything vegetarian that I could find – penayir, potatoes, cheese and mushrooms.
She essentially rolled out the dough into a really large roti / pancake and then added all the stuffing. Folded it over to form a square and then cooked it on a pan. Once cooked, rolled it in a paper and handed it to me. Yum! It was delicious, albeit a little dry.
Numerous restaurants line Ortakoy, selling everything from Lebanese to Chinese to Continental cuisine.
Verdict: To sit in the evening breeze, next to the Bosphorus, and, have your dinner makes Ortakoy a not-to-miss experience. I’m defiantly going to be back!
So leaving our son with my mother-in-law, my husband and I set off for dinner at Ortakoy. The cab drops you off on the main road from where you walk down quaint cobbled streets lined with stalls selling everything from junk jewellery to Turkish evil eyes, from fired tiles to beautiful Turkish figurines, from gorgeous ceramics to cat sketches! (What is about cats in this part of the world? Even back home in Egypt people are obsessed with cats!)
Located on the European Bosphorus shore, Ortakoy, {literally "the village in the middle" (orta}) is a really cool place with lots shops, open air cafés (very Parisian), restaurants, and, tons of arty crowd along with youngsters, with an occasional young Turk revving past in his fancy motorbike.
As I discovered later, the stalls lining the streets are an impromptu street market on Sundays by artists displaying their wares for sale. Prices are a little lower than Grand Bazaar and the artists are usually not given in to bargaining. There are two permanent shops that sell the most gorgeous blue / aqua green Turkish pottery that I have seen. The pieces are unique, different from the run of the mill stuff that you’ll find in Grand Bazaar, and expensive, but worth every penny you spend. And, there is this lovely shop selling copies of old photographs / lithos of Istanbul, copies of Ottoman edicts and official decrees, and, hold your breath, copies of the posters advertising the Orient Express! The last I just had to buy!
Hubby and I walked to the end of the area where a natural jetty is home to number of tourists and Turks out with the family. A group of youngsters sat in one corner under a tree singing songs and strumming a guitar. I was really tempted to join, but satisfied myself by listening to them. Bunch of young friends, sipping coffee, singing, laughing at a shared joke – ah, how I yearn for the uncomplicated life when you are young!
The most beautiful part of being at Ortakoy is that you are right at the edge of the Bosphorus. You can hear the waves as they crash against the shore, and, feel the breeze as it caresses your skin.
As we walked back towards the restaurants, I noticed a beautiful mosque on my left. This is Büyük Mecidiye Camii (Grand Imperial Mosque of Sultan Abdülmecid), usually called simply the Ortaköy Camii. Other than its beautiful architecture, what is really tantalizing is that its almost in the water on the Bosphorus shore.
Right next to the mosque was a lady, making something, which resembled Indian roomali rotis. On the table were jars with assorted fillings – mushrooms, penayir (yes, like the Indian paneer), cheese, mashed potatoes, beef, mutton etc. As she expertly tossed and rolled out the rotis, I was intrigued enough to try one. The dish, the lady explained, was called “Queslame” and was a local Turkish roll. Could I get a vegetarian one? Of course! Decided to go the whole hog and pointed to everything vegetarian that I could find – penayir, potatoes, cheese and mushrooms.
She essentially rolled out the dough into a really large roti / pancake and then added all the stuffing. Folded it over to form a square and then cooked it on a pan. Once cooked, rolled it in a paper and handed it to me. Yum! It was delicious, albeit a little dry.
Numerous restaurants line Ortakoy, selling everything from Lebanese to Chinese to Continental cuisine.
Verdict: To sit in the evening breeze, next to the Bosphorus, and, have your dinner makes Ortakoy a not-to-miss experience. I’m defiantly going to be back!
Turkish Hamam
The hotel that we were staying in offered complimentary Turkish Bath for guests. I guess all hotels in Turkey would offer a Turkish bath experience – I’d be surprised, nay, shocked if they did not! Had been telling my husband that we should go and experience a Turkish Bath while we were in Istanbul – it would be sacriliege not to!
Our guide on an earlier tour had explained that Islam’s emphasis on personal cleanliness was responsible for construction of hundreds of hamams all over Turkey, and, especially Istanbul. Men and women have different hamams or different bathing hours in the same hamam. While some public hamams are clean, he recommened that we use our hotel one (if the hotel was a reputed, neat and clean one) to avoid any chance of any infection!
So while everyone slept in the afternoon, I ventured down to the floor that housed the Turkish bath.
I was ushered into the ladies cloakroom to change, and, offered a cloth (pestemal) to wrap around me. I politely declined, indicating that I preferred my one-piece swimwear. How would I get cleaned, asked the hamamn attendant, despairingly shaking her head. I’m quite clean actually, thank you, this was just for the experience! Shaking her head at this strange foreigner, she lead me to the steam room, where I sweated for about 15mins.
After this, she lead me to the main hamam area which is a big room, really, really sweltry with a round marbled podium in the centre. All along the walls, there were quaint brass baisins with taps above (one for hot and the other for cold water) and a brass bowl to scoop the water.
It appeared I had a choice, explained the attendant. I could either soap myself or she would do it for me. Basically, the attendant would rub you all over with a coarse cloth called kese to clean you of all your dirt. Then she would lather you with soap suds, and, then wash you. After this was done, for a fee, you can get a massage, where they make you lie down on the marble podium in the centre. I had seen tons of these photographs when looking up Turkish baths. Now I knew better!
I opted to bathe myself. After being steamed for 15 mins, the cool water felt heavenly against my skin, and, I must admit that I felt really clean.
Verdict: A Turkish bath is a must do, not just for the resultant cleanliness, but jst for the experience!
Our guide on an earlier tour had explained that Islam’s emphasis on personal cleanliness was responsible for construction of hundreds of hamams all over Turkey, and, especially Istanbul. Men and women have different hamams or different bathing hours in the same hamam. While some public hamams are clean, he recommened that we use our hotel one (if the hotel was a reputed, neat and clean one) to avoid any chance of any infection!
So while everyone slept in the afternoon, I ventured down to the floor that housed the Turkish bath.
I was ushered into the ladies cloakroom to change, and, offered a cloth (pestemal) to wrap around me. I politely declined, indicating that I preferred my one-piece swimwear. How would I get cleaned, asked the hamamn attendant, despairingly shaking her head. I’m quite clean actually, thank you, this was just for the experience! Shaking her head at this strange foreigner, she lead me to the steam room, where I sweated for about 15mins.
After this, she lead me to the main hamam area which is a big room, really, really sweltry with a round marbled podium in the centre. All along the walls, there were quaint brass baisins with taps above (one for hot and the other for cold water) and a brass bowl to scoop the water.
It appeared I had a choice, explained the attendant. I could either soap myself or she would do it for me. Basically, the attendant would rub you all over with a coarse cloth called kese to clean you of all your dirt. Then she would lather you with soap suds, and, then wash you. After this was done, for a fee, you can get a massage, where they make you lie down on the marble podium in the centre. I had seen tons of these photographs when looking up Turkish baths. Now I knew better!
I opted to bathe myself. After being steamed for 15 mins, the cool water felt heavenly against my skin, and, I must admit that I felt really clean.
Verdict: A Turkish bath is a must do, not just for the resultant cleanliness, but jst for the experience!
American Indian?
Very amused. I’ve had at least three people asking me if I was from the US?
Shucks, don’t tell me I’ve acquired an accent!
I, sometimes, make fun of people who travel overseas for a couple of months, and, acquire an accent. Omigosh, I’m becoming one of them!
Shall very carefully watch how I speak over the next few days!!
Shucks, don’t tell me I’ve acquired an accent!
I, sometimes, make fun of people who travel overseas for a couple of months, and, acquire an accent. Omigosh, I’m becoming one of them!
Shall very carefully watch how I speak over the next few days!!
Misir Carsisi
After a trip to Kapili Carsisi decided we must pay a visit to Misr Carsisi, not just to see what the market is like, but because it’s the Egyptian market! Egyptian comes from the association with Spices. In ancient times, spices from Egypt used to be brought and sold here. Hence, Misr Carsisi is also known as the Spice Bazaar.
Decided to take the tram from Sultanahmet to Eminonu. Walked out from the subway, past Yeni Cami towards Misr Carsisi. One of the locals told me that Yeni meant new! New? A hundred of years old mosque! What a delightful paradox!
Walked to a brown and beige stone building which displays a sign in brass proclaiming it to be Misr Carsisi. The one thing that struck me, I was suddenly seeing women wearing headscarves! Was it just co-incidence that I found women in headscarves near an Egyptian market?
Walked through the market – a bit of a disappointment. I guess I was expecting shop after shop displaying mounds of aromatic spices. I had visions of browsing, weighing buying pure, fresh smelling spices. Well, there are shops selling spices, but nothing close to the Carsisi of my imagination.
Was most amused while browsing through some shops selling what they called Indian curry powder and Indian saffron, which by the way, looked like nothing back home!
There are a number of shops selling touristy trinkets as well, and, a shop selling the most beautiful embroidered Turkish towels. Now I’ve grown up hearing about the fabulous Turkish towels, so succumbed to the temptation, and, bought two gorgeous fluffy towels. I’m still admiring them in their pretty packs, haven’t had the heart to open them!!
Verdict: You may want to visit Misr Carsisi to tick the box, but if you don’t, you wont miss too much.
Decided to take the tram from Sultanahmet to Eminonu. Walked out from the subway, past Yeni Cami towards Misr Carsisi. One of the locals told me that Yeni meant new! New? A hundred of years old mosque! What a delightful paradox!
Walked to a brown and beige stone building which displays a sign in brass proclaiming it to be Misr Carsisi. The one thing that struck me, I was suddenly seeing women wearing headscarves! Was it just co-incidence that I found women in headscarves near an Egyptian market?
Walked through the market – a bit of a disappointment. I guess I was expecting shop after shop displaying mounds of aromatic spices. I had visions of browsing, weighing buying pure, fresh smelling spices. Well, there are shops selling spices, but nothing close to the Carsisi of my imagination.
Was most amused while browsing through some shops selling what they called Indian curry powder and Indian saffron, which by the way, looked like nothing back home!
There are a number of shops selling touristy trinkets as well, and, a shop selling the most beautiful embroidered Turkish towels. Now I’ve grown up hearing about the fabulous Turkish towels, so succumbed to the temptation, and, bought two gorgeous fluffy towels. I’m still admiring them in their pretty packs, haven’t had the heart to open them!!
Verdict: You may want to visit Misr Carsisi to tick the box, but if you don’t, you wont miss too much.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
