Spices, Sweetmeats and Potions
Spice Bazaar, Istanbul 2009
Is there a word more intriguing than ‘bazaar’? For me, it conjures up visions of dark alleyways: silent figures draped in flowing robes gliding hither and thither, the air filled with the fragrant aromas of rose petals, tea, saffron, cumin and pepper.
The spice market in Istanbul used to be a huge market but today is reduced to one or two corridors and sells mainly to tourists. Among the spices and sweets are shops selling belly dancer spangles. Fun, but I don’t think that shop is traditional.
I have a coffee table book titled, Bazaar. It has photos of bazaars all over the world but, of course, mainly Islamic countries. Sadly, things have changed since those photos were made. Exotic merchandise has been replaced by quotidian stuff from China. Cheap and useful, but not interesting.
The photo above shows a shop that could have been featured in that book. The men are wearing western clothes but at least they are in shadow. You can still find the essence of the bazaar if you try and if you use a selective viewpoint. Figure out what makes the shop timeless and eliminate the things that yell “Modern”. I liked the dried figs strung in meters long strands and the garlands of dried red peppers hanging alongside. And, of course, the pyramids of spices and henna are absolutely necessary. I like to get a few of the signs written in a foreign language in sharp focus. We can’t read them, but that is even more exotic.
The only light entering the Istanbul bazaar is from the large gates at the ends of the corridors. They need the ubiquitous flourescent lights but try to keep them out of your photo. Nothing ruins a photo quicker than a blotch of white. If you see one, you must, must, must get rid of it. Otherwise your viewer’s eye will go to that blotch of white every time.
And check out photo books at the library before you go. Of course, there is the internet, but those photos taken generations ago are the best. By looking at them, you will know what to feature in your own photos. That way you can capture the essence of what makes your destination worth visiting.