melancholy

[I]n Istanbul the remains of a glorious past and civilization are everywhere visible...Many Western writers and travellers find this charming. But for the city's more sensitive and attuned residents, these ruins are reminders that the present city is so poor and confused that it can never again dream of rising to the same heights of wealth, power and culture.

Orhan Pamuk Istanbul: Memories of a City

reading pamuk has given me a number of new perspectives on this trip, on istanbullu, and especially on this city. if nothing else, he has presented a more authentic interpretation of this place and this lifestyle. slowly, with orhan's help, i am shifting my perspective away from that of an awe-struck tourist. one thing few visitors to this city see is that what we view as magnificent pieces of architecture and history are reminders of the glories of an unredeemable past for those who are linked to these buildings' history. pamuk eloquently highlights the melancholy that these reminders invoke. a melancholy that is inextricably linked to those who call this place home. slowly my perspective is changing i am beginning to see this place in a different way.