在伊斯坦布爾度過的齋月 (圖)

正值全球穆斯林的齋月，閑人又在伊斯坦布爾，特編譯此文以示紀念。


Sutanahmet的齋月鑼鼓喧天、霓虹閃爍
氣球、彩旗標語、土耳其垃圾食品、漫遊的托缽僧、音樂會，攤販們用每一種必要的語言高喊" buyurun " （歡迎）—就像一個三明治攤主說的： "這裏什麽都有，在每一個角落都有事情進行著。"

很多外國人在Sultanahmet這個伊斯坦布爾最古老、最令人興奮的地方歡度齋月夜晚時發現：齋月不僅僅是禁食和祈禱。

57歲的洛杉磯人Anne Afzali說這是她第一次訪問土耳其，但並不是她的第一個齋月，她曾在阿富汗住過6年並且嫁給了一個穆斯林。“我已經過了多個齋月，但沒有一個如此令人愉悅，”她說，“簡直就是一個沒有酒精的嘉年華會。”

氣球、彩旗標語、土耳其垃圾食品、漫遊的托缽僧、音樂會，攤販們用每一種必要的語言高喊" buyurun " （歡迎）—就像一個三明治攤主說的： "這裏什麽都有，在每一個角落都有事情進行著。”

齋月的所有活動都在跑馬場附近舉行，這裏變成了每天開齋後娛樂項目的競技場，並且一直持續到淩晨。廣場上到處是一家老小和成群結隊的朋友，即使是“獨行者”在齋月的Sultanahmet也不顯得孤單了。

“我們原以為齋月是一段深色的、嚴肅的時間，”58歲的Beverly Wishon說，“發現這個嘉年華會令我吃驚。”

Afzali和她的朋友們與大多數人一樣：“我們沿著這個大集市一路走著一路吃著。”

多數遊人說他們在Sultanahmet最喜歡的齋月活動就是那無盡的土耳其傳統食品和垃圾食品，有棉花糖、爆米花、木炭烤玉米、gözleme(薄煎餅卷奶酪、香腸和土豆)、döner(旋轉卷餅)、künefe（甜品）、baklava（甜品）、lokma（一種粘著糖漿的炸麵圈）和冰激淋。

而穿著熒光橙色市政工作服的工人們則穿梭著撿拾人群身後的垃圾。

糖果醬：
齋月的一個頗受歡迎的食品是彩色的奧斯曼糖果醬粘著在棒上，就象棒棒糖。“這就是傳統的奧斯曼醬，對皮膚、眼睛很好，對任何部位都有益處,” 28歲的Volkan Başoğlu一邊說一邊將橘子、獼猴桃、草莓、香蕉和檸檬醬條旋轉到棒子上麵。每晚他大概賣出350個這種傳統棒棒糖， “它裏麵含有60種不同香料，”他說。Başoğlu在這個齋月集市賣了6年這種糖果醬，他還說這時間段裏他最喜歡的是音樂和美女。

這個集市繼續讓該社區獨特的兜售叫賣本領聲名遠揚。

爆米花及遊樂玩具
在過去３年中，４０歲的Ａｌｉ　Ｋｏｔｉｌ帶到　Ｓｕｌｔａｎａｈｍｅｔ的是諸如空中曲棍球的遊樂玩具　和遊戲、“奧斯曼記憶”攤位以及爆米花機。他解釋道：爆米花適合ｉｆｔａｒ（傳統的齋月晚餐）之後的脹肚，“當你吃的快時就脹肚，而爆米花會讓你的胃舒服。”Ｋｏｔｉｌ警告說仿製的糖果醬沒有蜂蜜基底，他建議吃蒜腸包（半條麵包夾土耳其香腸）。“盡管油膩而且人們經常吃，齋月期間，大家仍想吃蒜腸包，”Ｋｏｔｉｌ說：“大家試圖增加身體的能量和血糖。”

當問起他今年的生意如何時，Kotil說由於齋月越來越靠近夏季，天氣更好，生意也越來越好。“天氣暖和，那些想出來轉悠的大人孩子們出門就更方便，”“還有，隨著經濟水平的提高，大家願意多花點錢，因此生意一年好過一年。＂他還說：現在僅僅是齋月的開始，客流量還未達到高峰，“周六的晚上是如此擁擠簡直寸步難行，今天是第一天，大家正在家裏用ｉｆｔａｒ，還沒計劃出門呢。”

碳煮土耳其咖啡
伊斯坦布爾的最佳土耳其咖啡可以在跑馬場邊的臨時小飯館尋到，咖啡的行家裏手們在炭火上慢慢地煮著土耳其咖，這種方法令它有了個不同的名字“木炭咖啡”。37歲的Nurettin Yıldız已經在Şirinevler的一間咖啡館煮了6年咖啡，他說這種10分鍾的慢煮方式才令咖啡特別美味並且有很多泡沫，“這咖啡很特別，能令你放鬆。”他還說：生意好的晚上，他一次在炭火中煮１５ｃｅｖｚｅ（特殊的土耳其咖啡壺）還供不應求。　

豐富多彩的留念
眾多的齋月傳統活動之一是買小飾品或拍照留念。遊人們可以找到攤位將他們的名字用奧斯曼書法寫下，墨水和羊皮紙被用來做永久的書簽、盤子或者架子，有各種尺寸和價格的。

另一項熱門選擇是“奧斯曼紀念”：花１５新裏拉，你可以裝扮成巴夏（土耳其君主）和王妃拍照。遊人們，特別是那些兩口子們排著隊、微笑著全副武裝起來，這盛裝還配齊穆斯林頭巾、劍、八字胡和土耳其長衫。當記者問“奧斯曼紀念”攤位整理服裝的工作人員為什麽人們想要個奧斯曼記憶呢，他毫不猶豫地回答：“為什麽不呢？”“齋月是特別的，人們在封齋，當他們從伊斯坦布爾甚至土耳其的其它地方來到這裏，他們想拍照片留念。”

赴Ｓｕｌｔａｎａｈｍｅｔ齋月嘉年華會的旅程
最終是什麽使得Ｓｕｌｔａｎａｈｍｅｔ成為如此受歡迎的齋月集市目的地呢，因為它浸淫在曆史中。
在過去３年中，Şengül Lök每年齋月都從法蘭克福到Ｓｕｌｔａｎａｈｍｅｔ來感受齋月的慶祝活動，並在特別的祈禱中拜訪清真寺。她說：“在這裏，人們手牽著手地走著，他們帶著孩子一起來，微笑著，這裏是喜悅。”她的嫂子Ｋｅｚｉｂａｎ　Ｌｊａｊｉｃ說她特別喜歡這裏的氣氛，還有全家在一起的景象，“黑夜變成白天了，每個人都出來啦。”


The fanfare, bright lights of Sultanahmet's Ramadan
Balloons, streamers, Turkish junk food, whirling dervishes, concerts, vendors shouting "buyurun" (welcome of sorts) in every language necessary – as one sandwich vendor put it: "There's everything here. In every corner something is going on."
（DAMARIS KREMIDA
ISTANBUL - Turkish Daily News）

Ramadan is more than just fasting and prayer, as many foreigners are discovering in Sultanahmet, the oldest part of Istanbul and the most exciting place to celebrate evenings during the month-long event.

Anne Afzali, 57, of Los Angeles said this was her first time visiting Turkey, but not her first Ramadan. Afzali lived in Afghanistan for six years and is married to a Muslim.

"I have lived through many Ramadans, but none were as jolly as this," she said. "It's like a carnival without the alcohol."

Balloons, streamers, Turkish junk food, whirling dervishes, concerts, vendors shouting "buyurun" (welcome of sorts) in every language necessary – as one sandwich vendor put it: "There's everything here. In every corner something is going on."

All Ramadan action takes place around the Hippodrome, which becomes the arena of post-fasting entertainment until the wee hours of the morning. The square is filled with families and groups of friends. Even "loners" do not seem alone on Ramadan nights in Sultanahmet.

"We only thought Ramadan was this dark solemn time," said Beverly Wishon, 58. "I was shocked to find a carnival."

Afzali and her friends did what most other people visiting do: "We've eaten our way around the bazaar," she said.

Most visitors say their favorite thing about Sultanahmet's Ramadan festivities is the endless list of Turkish traditional and junk food including cotton candy, popcorn, grilled corn on the cob, gözleme (flat bread filled with cheese, sausage and potatoes), döner, künefe, baklava, lokma (a type of fried donut with syrup) and ice cream.

Workers from Eminönü Municipality scurry around in bright-neon orange uniforms picking up the garbage crowds have left behind.

Candy paste:

A favorite of Ramadan festivities is the colorful Ottoman candy paste served on a stick like a lollipop. "This is the historical Ottoman paste. It is good for the skin, the eyes, it's good for everything," said Volkan Başoğlu, 28, as he twirls stripes of orange, kiwi, strawberry, banana and lemon paste flavors onto a stick.

He sells about 350 of the traditional lollipops every night. "It has 60 different spices in it," he said. Başoğlu has been selling this candy at the Ramadan fair for six years and said what he loves best during this time is the music and the girls.

The fair retains the neighborhood's distinct flair notorious for peddling customers to try this or eat here.

Popcorn and rides

For the last three years, Ali Kotil, 40, has been bringing rides and games like air hockey and an "Ottoman memory" booth and popcorn stand to Sultanahmet.

He explained that popcorn is ideal for a stomach full on iftar (the traditional evening Ramadan dinner). "When you eat quickly, you bloat and popcorn comforts your stomach."

Kotil warned against paste candy imitations that do not have a honey base, and suggested the sucuk ekmek (half a loaf of bread stuffed with Turkish sausage).

"Even though it is fatty and people usually don't care to eat it, during Ramadan, people crave sucuk ekmek," said Kotil. "They try to top up their energy and increase their blood sugar."

When asked how business was looking this year, Kotil explains that it is getting better every year because Ramadan is falling on better weather as it moves toward summer. "It is entering warm weather, so families and children who want to go out for a stroll can do so more easily," he said. "And as their economic situation seems to be improving, they are more willing to spend, so every year business gets better."

He said this is only the beginning of Ramadan so the volume of visitors has not peaked yet. "On Saturdays you can't walk around here, it is so crowded. This is the first day and people are having iftar at home. They haven't made any plans to go out yet."

Turkish coffee cooked on coal:

The best Turkish coffee in Istanbul can be found in front of temporary eateries around the Hippodrome. In fire and coal pits, coffee experts slow cook Turkish coffee.

The method lends it a different name: "Közde kahve." Nurettin Yıldız, 37, has been making coffee at a café in Şirinevler for six years. He said the 10-minute slow cooking method is what makes it so delicious and gives it such thick foam.

"It is special and relaxes you," Yıldız said. On busy nights, he has 15 cezve (a special pot to prepare Turkish coffee) cooking in the pit at once, and it is still not enough to keep up with the demand for it, he said.

Memories galore:

One of the many Ramadan traditions is capturing memories with knickknacks or on camera. Visitors can find booths at which their names are written in the traditional Ottoman calligraphy style. Ink and parchment, however, are traded in for permanent marker and plates or frames, which range in sizes and prices.

Another popular choice is the "Ottoman Memory." For YTL 15 you have a chance to dress up as a Pasha and Princess and have your photo taken.

Visitors, especially couples, line up all smiles for the chance to sport the attire that comes complete with turbans, sword, mustache, and kaftans. When the Turkish Daily News asked an "Osmanlı Hatırası" (Ottoman Memory) booth worker decked out in the attire why people would want an Ottoman memory for Ramadan, he said "why not?" without flinching.

"Ramadan is a special time. People are fasting, and when they come here from other parts of Istanbul or even Turkey they want to take a picture for memory," he said.

Traveling the distance for Sultanahmet's Ramadan festivities

At the end of the day what makes Sultanahmet such a popular Ramadan fair destination is that it is steeped in history.For the last three years Şengül Lök has been traveling to Sultanahmet from Frankfurt to enjoy the Ramadan festivities and visit the mosques during the special prayers. "Everyone here walks hand in hand, they can come with their children, they are smiling. There is joy," she said.

Her sister–in-law Keziban Ljajic said she loves the atmosphere and the fact that you can see families together. "The night turns into day. Everyone comes out."