I’ve arrived safely at the end of my long journey! I won’t tell you about how tiresome it was, I’m sure you’d rather hear something about what I saw here in Turkey instead; after all, a letter from Turkey that has nothing extraordinary in it would be disappointing! ;)
Let’s see, most of you have never seen camels in real life, so I guess the description of them will be new to you. I’ve seen a ton of pictures of camels, but none of them were even close to what I saw with my real eyes. Although I could be making a false observation here, I feel like they resemble stags; their legs, bodies, necks, and color look exactly the same. But they are a lot bigger and faster. They can out-run horses; in fact, they brought the first news of the loss of the battle of Peterwaradin to Belgrade. Anyway, they have humps on their backs, so it’s difficult to load them. They’re actually pretty ugly creatures with heads too large and disproportionate to their bodies.
The horses here are not put to labor, nor are they fit for it. They’re really gorgeous though and full of spirit. They’re generally little and not very strong, but they are swift. I have my own white horse now that I’d never part with! You should see how he prances under me with so much energy that I’m tempted to mount him but I’ve never rid a horse in my life. When the Turks saw my sidesaddle, they looked at it with as much wonder as the Americans must have looked at the ship of Columbus.
I have to tell you about the house I’m staying in. I’m sure you’ve heard that houses here are so miserable, but trust me, that's not the truth. I’ve visited many of the houses here, so I can definitely speak from experience. It’s true that they don’t usually decorate the outside of their houses, which are built of wood. But I don’t blame their bad taste for this; I blame the oppression of the government. Every house is at the disposal of the Grand Signor so people don’t see the point in spending much on their homes. Their main concern is to build a home that’ll last. Every home, big and small, is divided into distinct parts that are joined together by a narrow passage. They rarely build above two stories and their stairs are broad and not usually more than 30 steps. One part of the house belongs to the lord and the adjoining one is called the haram, which is the ladies’ apartment. The ladies’ apartment is more grand, being filled with paintings and furniture.
The rooms are all spread with Persian carpets. The sofas are laid with richer carpet, and all round it a sort of couch raised half a foot, which is covered with rich silk or whatever the owner desires. Mine is made of scarlet cloth with a gold fringe. Round this, against the wall, are extravagant cushions. They are generally brocade or embroidery of gold wire upon satin. There is nothing more gorgeous than this. The seats are so comfortable that I never want to sit in a chair again. The ceilings are usually low and always made of wood. There’s pots of perfume or baskets of flowers between the windows, but what’s most fascinating to me are the marble fountains in the lower part of the room that throw up spouts of water, giving a nice coolness to the room and a enjoyable sound. Each house also has a bagnio for either hot or cold baths.
The gardens, planted with high trees and beautified with fountains, are where the ladies spend most of their time, listening to music or embroidering.
You’re probably surprised at my descriptions, which are so different from what you have been told by the common voyage-writers, who like to talk about things they don’t know. It’s really rare that a Christian is admitted into the house of a man of quality, let alone the harams, which are forbidden ground. So, these travel bloggers can only speak of the outside because women’s apartments are out of sight.
Anyway, I think I have shared a lot of stuff with you for once. If you’re not happy with the topics I’ve chosen to talk about, let me know what you’d rather me blog about!
Let’s see, most of you have never seen camels in real life, so I guess the description of them will be new to you. I’ve seen a ton of pictures of camels, but none of them were even close to what I saw with my real eyes. Although I could be making a false observation here, I feel like they resemble stags; their legs, bodies, necks, and color look exactly the same. But they are a lot bigger and faster. They can out-run horses; in fact, they brought the first news of the loss of the battle of Peterwaradin to Belgrade. Anyway, they have humps on their backs, so it’s difficult to load them. They’re actually pretty ugly creatures with heads too large and disproportionate to their bodies.
The horses here are not put to labor, nor are they fit for it. They’re really gorgeous though and full of spirit. They’re generally little and not very strong, but they are swift. I have my own white horse now that I’d never part with! You should see how he prances under me with so much energy that I’m tempted to mount him but I’ve never rid a horse in my life. When the Turks saw my sidesaddle, they looked at it with as much wonder as the Americans must have looked at the ship of Columbus.
I have to tell you about the house I’m staying in. I’m sure you’ve heard that houses here are so miserable, but trust me, that's not the truth. I’ve visited many of the houses here, so I can definitely speak from experience. It’s true that they don’t usually decorate the outside of their houses, which are built of wood. But I don’t blame their bad taste for this; I blame the oppression of the government. Every house is at the disposal of the Grand Signor so people don’t see the point in spending much on their homes. Their main concern is to build a home that’ll last. Every home, big and small, is divided into distinct parts that are joined together by a narrow passage. They rarely build above two stories and their stairs are broad and not usually more than 30 steps. One part of the house belongs to the lord and the adjoining one is called the haram, which is the ladies’ apartment. The ladies’ apartment is more grand, being filled with paintings and furniture.
The rooms are all spread with Persian carpets. The sofas are laid with richer carpet, and all round it a sort of couch raised half a foot, which is covered with rich silk or whatever the owner desires. Mine is made of scarlet cloth with a gold fringe. Round this, against the wall, are extravagant cushions. They are generally brocade or embroidery of gold wire upon satin. There is nothing more gorgeous than this. The seats are so comfortable that I never want to sit in a chair again. The ceilings are usually low and always made of wood. There’s pots of perfume or baskets of flowers between the windows, but what’s most fascinating to me are the marble fountains in the lower part of the room that throw up spouts of water, giving a nice coolness to the room and a enjoyable sound. Each house also has a bagnio for either hot or cold baths.
The gardens, planted with high trees and beautified with fountains, are where the ladies spend most of their time, listening to music or embroidering.
You’re probably surprised at my descriptions, which are so different from what you have been told by the common voyage-writers, who like to talk about things they don’t know. It’s really rare that a Christian is admitted into the house of a man of quality, let alone the harams, which are forbidden ground. So, these travel bloggers can only speak of the outside because women’s apartments are out of sight.
Anyway, I think I have shared a lot of stuff with you for once. If you’re not happy with the topics I’ve chosen to talk about, let me know what you’d rather me blog about!
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