STORIES FROM THE MEADOWS
HERE YOU MAY FIND SELECTED STORIES ABOUT MESIRE CULTURE -BOTH FICTION AND NON-FICTION- COLLECTED FROM BLOGS, BOOKS, NEWS ARTICLES, PODCAST AND MAIL-LISTS.
FOR MORE VISUALIZED NARRATIVES PLEASE REFER TO THE SCROLL ON THE MAIN MESIRE MENU AND THE LINKS TO THE PODCASTS FOR THE AUDIO.
STORY #1
“İstanbul Cuma Günleri Nasıl Eğleniyor? - Kurbağalıdere’de Fikir Tepesi”
[The Fikir [Idea] Hill at Kurbağalıdere [the rivers with frogs]
Mehmet Selahattin, Milliyet, 14 May 1932.
Kurbağalıdere, Kuşdili Meadow, Yoğurtçu… These three names remind me of Kadıköy’s old entertainment and leisure festivities lasted until a quearter century ago, in a dreamy manner. Especially on Kuşdili; what interesting stories and adventures we have heard…
The driver showed me an oil-smelling dry river that passed under a wracked bridge and told: “Here my sir, we have arrived at Kurbağalıdere.”.
As we were walking towards the medow a gaggle of geese welcomed us. Twisting their long necks, they blocked our was as if asking for ‘ayakbastı’ [step-on] money. We hardly made our way through them. We were looking for a shadt corner to rest. Is it better to settle beside the river, or to give our back to the river and settle against the people swinging on the swing?
Before we could decide, a boy with a mat at his hand came running. I asked: ‘Are you going to lay a rush mat?’
He stared at me:
‘If you want I can, but you have to pay!’
Rush mat’s rent is not high: 25 Kuruş. Nevertheless, it is not for sure thhat if you sell it, it would make that much! Let’s cut it short, we have perched at a corner.
[…]
I am looing around. Nobody has the power to see one another. Some set up thhe semaver [a large kind of teapot], preparing their tea, some opened thheir small bottle starting to get tipsy slowly. The dishes go along the alcohol are as plenty as God gives and they are scattered around.
[…]
We get used to the area slowly. The swing hung on the strong branches of the plane tree is never empty. You will give 5 Kuruş if you want to swing ten times!
[…]
We had our food, we had our coffees. Now it is the time to stroll towards the meadows. How else is the time going to pass?
[…]
After five to ten steps beyond the bridge, the Fikir Hill appeared. Just in a moment we have found ourselves in a flowing loud crowd of people. This flood was even more impassible at the top of the hill. There was a danger of throwing a child’s stool, jumping over a swing, or stepping into an olive oil dish plate. The molestations of loud druns were heard from everywhere:
‘You are too cute, I swear!’
‘My two eyes, my diamond!’
People thumping out on their legs:
‘ooh… oh… ooh!’
‘Girl! I won’t let you go to strangers!’
[…]
Simit seller, sessame helva sellers, rooster candy seller spot this as a great opportunity and do whatever it takes to hunt a child:
‘Where is a little candy for fun?! It makes children happy my sirs!’
‘My helva is sweet!’
‘There is pistachio, there is hazelnut!’
‘Peppermint candy, full of character!’
‘Demirhindi [tamarindo], my sherbet is iceee!’.”
PODCAST #1
Dr. Ali Şükrü Çoruk ile Osmanlı İstanbulun’da Eğlence Kültürü [The Entertainment Culture in Ottoman İStanbul with Dr. Ali Şükrü Çoruk]
Cengiz Özdemir and Ozan Sağgöz hosting Dr. Ali Şükrü Çoruk, Kültür Tarih Sohbetleri, December 2017.
PODCAST #2
Abdülhak Şinasi Hisar ve Boğaziçi Medeniyeti [Abdülhak Şinasi Hisar and the Bosphorus Civilization]
Cem Erciyes and Kansu Şarman hosting Haydar Ergülen, İstanbul Ansiklopedisi, 19 May 2022.
STORY #2
“İstanbul Cuma Günleri Nasıl Eğleniyor? - Çubulu’ya Doğru Bir Cevelan” [A Trip Towards Çubuklu]
Mehmet Selahattin, Milliyet, 5 July 1930.
“Here we are at the fronts of Küçüsu. Göksu mansion, smiles like a white pearl knitted into a belt of emeralds in the middle of the greens surrounding it. Sea looks like calm lake here. The joyous sounds of the children naked till their belly reach from the shores.
The ferry whistle blew with a sound disturbing the centuries-long silence of the Anatolian Fortress’s deaf stones. Here is the Hisar [fortress] Mosque, here is the tiny tiny village coffeehouse where the tired oldmen sit cross-legged.”
PODCAST #3
Osmanlı ve Cumhuriyet Döneminde İstanbul’da Balolar [İstanbul’s Balls in Ottoman and Republican Periods]
Cem Erciyes and Kansu Şarman hosting Prof. Özlem Kumrular, İstanbul Ansiklopedisi, 6 January 2022.
STORY #3
“İstanbul’un Mesireleri” [Istanbul’s Mesires]
Ertan Ünal, Hayat Tarih, 1 Eylül 1969.
“Visits of the Sultan are with a convoy lead by guides. Only invited people and people with very high ranking* may attend the festivities organized for Sultan. People stood on the sides of the road and welcomed the convoy, threw freshly picked spring flowers and shouted “Long live out Sultan!”. The Sultan’s horse is harnessed by silver instruments. The dress code for the people invited was wearing ‘sable coat’ and ‘ferace’ a long dress worn by women.
PODCAST #4
İstanbul’un Seyyahları [İstanbul’s Travellers]
Cem Erciyes and Kansu Şarman hosting Oğuz Otay, İstanbul Ansiklopedisi, September 2021.
STORY #4
“İstanbul Cuma Günleri Nasıl Eğleniyor? - Küçüksu’da Birkaç Saat” [A Couple of Hours at Küçüsu]
Mehmet Selahattin, Milliyet, 13 August 1932.
“I am looking at the one and only Göksu River with astonishment from the concrete bridge that willow trees bend on. I remember the days I contemplated over the view at the same spot exactly twenty years before this, only leaning on the ballustrade of a wooden bridge instead of a contcrete one. Am I the same person who’s shadow is falling on the face of Göksu’s water? I was a fifteen-year-old child by then but not a child at heart. I was already excited before I reached the age of love.
Göksu was again silent, calm and beautiful. The girls of Bosphorus who wrapped their chubby bodies in mysterious veils and hide in the sheets, overwhelmed their lovers by stares mixed with fear and bashfulness. We looked forward to watching the boats lined one after and other floating capriciously towards the opening of Göksu to the Bosphorus in the evening. At that moment a word shout out from a boat was snatched by many, everyone raced to find a reason for taking the word on to themselves.
Lover, was a thing that we worshipped. Before the eyes see it, our hearts sensed. Love wasnot a commodity bought and sold as it is today. It was a sherbet of martyrdom. Who drank would got carried away.
[…]
As I see, Göksu left its place for Küçüksu. I turn to the right after the bridge. When I got into the territory of the wide meadow, I agreed with the old men. There was a crowd lie sand at Küçüksu. There wasnot even one seat to sit on at the coffeehouse surrounded by metal wires. In the middle of the meadow groups of corn pots are boiling. That’s true, three things of Gösu was famous: its corn, its kağıt helva [a desert/candy], and its pottery. I don’t know if there is pottery still but the corn keeps its taste. […] Even I couldn’t stand I had two corns in a row.
Two students walked before me. They rested in the shade of a tree. They smiled at the shameless girls sweeping them. One of the girls passing by frowned without question:
“We are angry [resentful] with you!”
‘Why is that so, what happened?’
‘You have flirted with Sabahat!’
They refused fiercely.
‘It’s a lie! We swear, it’s a lie!’
‘Not at all! We saw the sil handkerchief you gave!’
‘Liar! That handkerchief is hers!’
At that moment the girls took out two handkerchiefs from their chests identical to wach other with blue embroideries on sides.
‘Here! It’s the same as the ones you have given us!’
Instantly I started laughing. The same old blue beed story. Whoever has the blue beed, my heart is theirs! Nevertheless the gentlemen made it up to the girls, now they are walking under the trees
[…]
The evening breeze came. People gathered around the acrobats slow by slow. The music of the meadow garden turned into a merry tune. There are some sharing the nice Kırkağaç melon that they made into a meze and leaning on the tree, there is nothing can be add to their joy. They resemble the renowned lines of the song: ‘Let’s go to Göksu, have a drink and have fun.’.”
PODCAST #5
İstanbul’un Kayıkları ve Kayıkçıları [İstanbul’s Boats and Boatmen]
Cem Erciyes and Kansu Şarman hosting Mehmet Mazak, İstanbul Ansiklopedisi, August 2021.
Works cited:
Aposto. ‘Kurbağalıdere’de Bir Pelikan Olmak #31’. Accessed 3 September 2022. https://www.apos.to/i/62864495a9837a0007abd38e.
Kültür & Tarih Sohbetleri. ‘Dr Ali Şürü Çoruk Ile Osmanlı İstanbulun’da Eğlence Kültürü’, n.d. https://open.spotify.com/episode/1LvWQ6rNoSHmVfymQ34Axv?si=489882cf96b04db3.
Selahattin, Mehmet. ‘Çubuklu’ya Doğru Bir Cevelan’. Milliyet Gazetesi, 5 June 1930, sec. İstanbul Cuma Günleri Nasıl Eğleniyor. İstanbul Üniversitesi Gazeteden Tarihe Bakış Projesi. http://nek.istanbul.edu.tr:4444/ekos/GAZETE/milliyet//milliyet_1930/milliyet_1930_temmuz_/milliyet_1930_temmuz_5_.pdf?utm_source=aposto.
Selahattin, Mehmet. ‘Küçüksu’da Birkaç Saat’. Milliyet Gazetesi, 13 August 1932, sec. İstanbul Cuma Günleri Nasıl Eğleniyor. İstanbul Üniversitesi Gazeteden Tarihe Bakış Projesi. http://nek.istanbul.edu.tr:4444/ekos/GAZETE/milliyet//milliyet_1932/milliyet_1932_agustos_/milliyet_1932_agustos_13_.pdf.
Şarman, Kansu, and Cem Erciyes. ‘Abdülhak Şinasi Hisar ve Boğaziçi Medeniyeti’. Istanbul Ansiklopedisi [Istanbul Encyclopedia], n.d. https://open.spotify.com/episode/1LvWQ6rNoSHmVfymQ34Axv?si=489882cf96b04db3.
Şarman, Kansu, and Cem Erciyes. ‘İstanbul’un Kayıkları ve Kayıkçıları [İstanbul’s Boats and Boatmen]’. Istanbul Ansiklopedisi [Istanbul Encyclopedia], n.d. https://open.spotify.com/episode/6kbks3vP7eNg8F0u67FmCz?si=9efe3b1f37f241ac.
Şarman, Kansu, and Cem Erciyes. ‘Osmanlı ve Cumhuriyet Döneminde İstanbul’da Balolar [İstanbul’s Balls in Ottoman and Republican Periods]’. Istanbul Ansiklopedisi [Istanbul Encyclopedia], n.d. https://open.spotify.com/episode/1TjXMKd1PtWzmcTP6Bea75?si=abfc651b3968420a.
Ertan, Ünal. ‘İstanbul’un Mesireleri’. fotokart (blog), 13 October 2020. https://www.fotokart.shop/blog/istanbulun-mesireleri/.