Turkey day 7!
Although biblical sites, history lessons, and Roman ruins are mind-blowing and impactful to gain context for the Bible, taking a break today to see a cultural treasure was an amazing experience; we got to see how authentic Turkish rugs are made! As we pulled up to the carpet cooperation between over 100 villages and 2000 workers, mainly women, we stepped into an important pillar in Turkish culture. These rugs were used by the nomadic people as floor coverings that could be easily rolled up to take to their next location. They were also used in the Ottoman Empire as decorations on the floor and walls, displaying their luxury through vibrantly dyed silk, cotton, and wool.
Once we saw the process of silk production (loosening silk cocoons with hot water and winding up strands to make a luminous thread), we were able to sit down with a local rug marker and practice double knot tying, a distinct feature of Turkish rugs. The lady I was sitting next to spoke no English, but she was so kind by giving me a kind smile and a hearty laugh at my attempts at Turkish. The guides of the cooperation then gave us a show of all the different rugs and encouraged us to “dance with butterflies” by taking our shoes off and feeling the softness of the rugs.
Afterwards, the ladies prepared a meal for us and gave us time to chat before driving to a bazaar where we could bargain for saffron, Turkish delight, honey, olive oil, and handcrafts after the owner gave us a display of his best products. We then drove to our unbelievable hotel on the seaside for the last three nights in Turkey and finished the afternoon with a cruise on the Aegean with a mush up of 80s songs aimed at the usual age group of those tours.
My evening consisted of facing my fear of dark water and swimming after the sun had set, exploring the spa complex at the bottom of the maze that the hotel is, and playing a card game called Scum till 11. It was a great day, and I can’t wait for more!
– Ruth Visser (Current Student)
