Still Burning

No I was determined I would not post from Istanbul. Not that there is nothing to tell here on the other side of the world, but simply because I feel all has been said and done. And if I do write, I said to myself, it should be more than just day to day ruminations. For some reason I feel Istanbul, this sad sad beautiful city, deserves an article like the one I read in the Cultural Studies reader. It is titled Building on Disappearance. The author tells the story of Hong Kong and how the dısappearance of the local, traditional and historical in Hong Kong is used by preservationists to actually destroy the city's past by legitimazing this act of destruction and isolating the real city into tiny historic sites. Like putting history in the zoo along with other animals for display. I never looked at preservation from this angle. Before I even read the article, the other day I walked through Old Catalca (Eski Catalca) and I noticed those beautiful konaks, now on the verge of collapse, none restored. Amidst the ugliness of modern buildings, these outdated silent houses stood on their own. I even thought to myself, If I were rich I would buy one of those historic houses, restore it, and live in it. Then coincidentally I read this article on disappearance. This is how I came up with the idea of writing something that will leave trace in Istanbul's rapidly disappearing reality - identity - beauty. I think it is a huge irony that the poor marginalized Roma live in these old cities while we are confined into new cities of ugliness. In apartments that do not breathe.