Turkey 2014- Day 5

After enjoying a delicious breakfast at the Kolin hotel, we checked out and made our way to a few historical sites enroute to Izmir. Our first stop was Homer’s Troy where we seen the ruins of nine cities built on top of each other and an enormous reconstruction of the famous wooden horse. It was an incredible site to see as the history I learnt at school finally came to light. For those of you who are not familiar with the tale of the Trojan Horse, “it is a story from the Trojan War about the subterfuge that the Greeks used to enter the city of Troy and win the war. In the canonical version, after a fruitless 10-year siege, the Greeks constructed a huge wooden horse, and hid a select force of men inside. The Greeks pretended to sail away, and the Trojans pulled the horse into their city as a victory trophy. That night the Greek force crept out of the horse and opened the gates for the rest of the Greek army, which had sailed back under cover of night. The Greeks entered and destroyed the city of Troy, decisively ending the war. The main ancient source for the story is the Aeneid of Virgil, a Latin epic poem from the time of Augustus. The event is referred to in Homer's Odyssey. In the Greek tradition, the horse is called the "Wooden Horse". “

After marvelling at the huge reconstructed wooden horse, we headed for Pergamon. Enroute we enjoyed a light lunch at one of the quaint road side restaurants.  At Pergamon we observed the charming view of the acropolis of ancient Pergamon way up on a mountain top. We visited the Asclepion and the ancient centre of healing said to be the world’s first hospital. I was quite fascinated to hear that in ancient times all patients with mental illnesses were placed in the basement for treatment.  “Founded by a man named Archias, the Asclepion of Pergamon became famous under Galen (131-210 AD), a local physician who pursued his medical studies in Greece and Alexandria (Egypt) before settling as doctor to Pergamon's gladiators.

From the parking lot and entrance (TL15), where there are shops and snack-and-drink stands, we walked along a monumental marble street bordered by columns. This was once an active market street, with shops lining both sides of the street. The acropolis of Pergamum is clearly visible on its hilltop to the east.

Coming into the main precinct of the Asclepion, we noticed the large marble column fragment bearing the Asclepion's symbol: two snakes facing each other across a wheel. As snakes shed their skins are "reborn," so patients at the Asclepion were to shed their illnesses and regain health.

We first noticed the large theater of the Asclepion, in front of which are several stone-framed sacred pools, filled with water (and frogs) in spring, though perhaps dry in summer and autumn.”

After touring the site for over an hour in the blistering heat we made our way to Izmir. We checked into the opulent Hilton Izmir Hotel in the middle of town a few streets away from the beach. After enjoying a really sumptuous meal we took a walk on the beach front. The highlight of the evening was undoubtedly taking a ride back to the hotel in a horse and cart.

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Beware of the Muslim swingers club in your area

                                                      Picture: www.inyourpocket.com

A few days ago there was an article published with regards to the swingers club in Lenasia. On another facebook page people were arguing that the write up just can not be true.Well folks it is true. I heard the story from the horses mouth. The house where these illicit activities are occurring is located in extension 5.. rainbow valley. Apparently it is an area in Lenasia where rich Indian families reside. The club comprises of rich Muslim,Hindu and Tamil businessmen.The lady who related her ordeal to the newspaper divorced her husband within a week after he took her to the club and expected her to engage in sexual activities with his friend. She had no idea that her husband belonged to the club. He informed her that he was invited at a friends house for dinner. Arriving at the home, she noticed many of the women dressed erotically. Her husband dropped his car keys in a bowl which she found odd. After indulging in some finger foods, she noticed some of the couples dancing. She also noticed a man picking up their car keys from a bowl. Her husband then instructed her to go upstairs with the gentleman who also happened to be a close friend of his. She was totally confused and asked her husband why should she go upstairs with the man. Her husband then revealed the truth to her that he is a part of the swingers club and he wants her to participate as well to improve their sex life. Naturally she was shocked. She slapped him, took the car keys and drove off to her mothers home.  The lady has been married to her husband for almost 20 years. They have grown up married kids..There is apparently a Muslim swingers club in Houghton, Laudium and Sandton as well.Shocking is n't it...Some of these men who belong to swingers clubs feel that it is better to engage in these type of sexual activities with their wives instead of marrying other women or having affairs. There is also a group of Muslim businessmen who frequent elite escort agencies in Sandton. These businessmen believe that they are unable to marry other women, as their wives will not accept the presence of a second or third wife. Many of these businessmen fear divorce as their wives are fifty percent share holders in the business and hence if their infidelity is caught they will pay a heavy price. Many of these businessmen believe that their wives are old and can not satisfy them sexually any more and hence have opted to frequent elite escort agencies in Sandton where their activities and identities are kept totally secret.

Yesterday afternoon the police informed us that there is a Muslim owned home in Fietas that has become a brothel.Drugs and alcohol is sold at this house. Young Indian, white, coloured and Malay girls are recruited to satisfy customers needs. Muslim businessmen, Imaams and moulanas frequent this house for sexual gratification. Many of these young women are on drugs so they have sex with different men in exchange for drugs and alcohol. I felt so embarrassed when the policeman said that most of the drug busts in this country involve rich Muslim businessmen.These same men walk with their heads high, showing off about their properties,cars and houses yet it is all earned in a haraam way. In their quest to achieve name and fame they have destroyed the lives of innocent young men and women.Well all i can say is that these people can show off about their materialistic possessions in this world but when they go six feet deep they will have to answer to their Creator....

When I posted this info on facebook last night, it seems to have received lots of interest with many people messaging me wanting to know where are the houses located etc etc. I will not divulge any more information. The issue I have though is that the Ulema in our community know that this is happening so why are they not addressing this issue in a Juma khutbah. Every week they talk about the same old crap but fail to address pertinent issues within our community. With regards to the home in Fietas, I hope that the police arrest members of this family soon and take legal action against them. People like that need to rot in jail with the keys thrown away.......

Kitchro - A delicious Indian soup

Mom's Kitchro recipe has always been a huge hit especially during the winter months. Mom would cook a big pot of soup and distribute it within the community especially among the poor and elderly folk. I should have posted this recipe a long time ago but what can I do... time is a factor......

                                           1. In a big pot add 1 1/2 tablespoon chana dhaal

                                           2. Add 1 1/2 tablespoon oil dhaal

                                           3. Add 1/2 a cup rice
                                         

                                          4.Add 3/4 cup crushed wheat

                                          5. 1 1/2 tablespoon barley
                                       

                                               6. Rinse out all the ingredients in the pot as depicted above

                                          7. Add water and 1 teaspoon salt to the lentils and cook until soft

                                          8. In another pot chop up one onion. Add jeera ( cumin)

                                          9. Add 1 tablespoon ghee and a 1/4 cup oil to the onions

                                          10. Cook onions until brown in colour

                                          11. Wash and clean 1 kg of bony leg mutton. Add 2 tsp green chillies

                                          12. Add 2 teaspoon salt

                                          13.Add a few pieces of taj, lavang and elachi
                                          (cardamon, cinnamon sticks, clove and whole pepper)

                                         14. Add 2 teaspoons of aradh (turmeric)

                                          15. Add 2 teaspoons of ginger garlic masala. Marinate the
                                           meat in the above ingredients.

                                          16. Add the marinated meat to the onions.

                                          17. Add water and cook until soft

                                      18. Once the lentils are cooked soft remove from stove

                                          19. Now liquidize the water and lentil mixture

                                          20. Add the liquidized mixture to the cooked meat

                                         21. In a small frying pan. Chop up one onion. Add some jeera

                                          22. Add 2 tablespoons ghee (clarified butter) and 1 whole
                                                green chilli (optional). Cook until light brown.
                                     

                                          23. Add the light browned onion and ghee mixture to the soup.

                                         24. Add 2 teaspoons of garam masala on top. Stir soup.
                                              Garnish with greens, fresh coriander and spring onions.
                                          You can also add a little bit of lemon juice. If the soup is too
                                          thick you can thin it down by adding some water. If it is not strong
                                         enough, you can add a little more green chillies to the soup and stir.

You can enjoy this soup with Rey's delicious home made naan

Thinking of those I left behind

I wrote this article a few months ago but I simply forgot to post it.

The best part about having your own business is of course flexibility and being able to report to work at whatever time suits you. Alhamdulilla, thanks to God Almighty my family and I experienced one of the best, most relaxing fasting month's ever. Our home is functioning on Saudi mode at present as I had become so accustomed to life in the Kingdom. We usually break our fast with zamzam and tamoor and of course a few savouries in line with South African Indian tradition. Dad then drops me off at the pharmacy before heading off for taraweeh prayers at the masjid close by. After taraweeh we head back home and then have a full dinner. Almost every night we have guests over for dinner making it a fun and jovial experience. A few nights ago at the dinner table dad decided to call a friend of mine residing in Riyadh. In fact he is more of a fatherly figure rather a friend. He hails from a middle class family in Pakistan and spent half his life in the Kingdom working as a messenger in a hospital. To earn extra money he would also stitch clothing. Through hard work and determination he put all his kids through university making them well respected members of society. What amazed me about this middle aged gentleman was undoubtedly his kind demeanour. Whenever mom would visit the Kingdom, he would take us out for dinner and every year at Eid he would surprise me with a whole carrier bag full of new clothes. Whilst chatting to him though I was saddened at some of the news he relayed to me.

 A colleague of mine that I worked with passed away in an accident a few months ago and a Syrian doctor who was a mutual friend was missing after making his way to Syria. I was deeply saddened and aggrieved. These were people I knew, living beings that I laughed and joked with. I knew their friends and their family. Naturally I was unable to sleep that night. The next morning Allah put a thought in my mind. I called a mutual friend in Syria and I then received news that the Syrian doctor and his family had major issues when they returned to their country of birth. Their homes and properties had been destroyed. Thank Allah though that they managed to escape without getting hurt. They moved away to Sweden. I got a hold of the mobile number and wasn't I elated and filled with jubilation at hearing their voices on the phone. Whilst they lost their land and their property they were still living and breathing. Whilst they had to give up their life of luxury and move into a small apartment at least there is hope of a better future for their kids. Under Swedish law they are unable to practice as medical professionals without first mastering the Swedish language. They need to study Swedish and then write an exam in order for them to be fully integrated into society. Not many of us will be able to do this. I admire their strength and determination.

I was then informed about my Palestinian friend who resides in Jeddah. His parents along with immediate family reside in Ramallah. Hence they are safe from the Israeli aggression. However, when I spoke to him I could hear the pain and anguish in his voice when he describes the atrocities that have been inflicted against his extended family residing in the Gaza strip. Doctor Hani witnessed the wickedness of the Israelis at the tender age of five years old. He was walking to the masjid with his maternal grandfather when Israelis soldiers kidnapped his grand dad. His grandfather screamed at him to run and hide. He ran down the alleyway into the masjid and remained in the basement for two days without food. Naturally his own parents were under the impression that he was kidnapped as well. After two days he returned home to the surprise and happiness of his family. His grand dad was however tortured and then murdered at the hands of the Zionist Jews. His body was chopped up into pieces and thrown at their door. Whilst South African kids are brought up in a lap of luxury sheltered and protected by our families, the young children of Palestine are denied a normal childhood. Tears rolled down my cheeks listening to Hani's childhood stories. He mentioned to me that whilst life was tough, he wanted to break free. He wanted to acquire an education. He felt that he needed to empower himself. There was no money though and yet he knew he had to leave the land of his ancestors in order to make a better life for himself and his family. One day by chance he came into contact with foreigners visiting Jerusalem. They were from Latin America. Through the grace of God Almighty they took a liking to young Hani and he returned with them to their country. They gave him an education and he learnt fluent Spanish. Hani told me that every step of the way he felt as though Allah was with him helping him through all of his trials and tribulations. When he completed his schooling he wanted to acquire a tertiary education but he didn't wish to burden the family he was staying with. He applied for a bursary and even though there were thousands of applicants, he was accepted. A few other families in the neighbourhood he was residing in subsidized his other expenses like textbooks and of course transport money to and from university. Today Doctor Hani is well respected in his field of medicine. But despite his success as a doctor, he mentioned to me that he will never feel complete happiness until he returns to his homeland. He works in Saudi to support his own family as well as his extended family. Every year he seeks admission for one family member at a university abroad. In his opinion, knowledge and intellect is what the Palestinian people need in order to one day grow as a successful nation. Whilst I felt saddened listening to his story, all he said was," Dear Sumayya, peace and war comes from Allah. Be happy and grateful in every situation that you are faced with. Alhamdulillahi 3ala kulli haal."

Turkey 2014- Day 4

As we had a really long day ahead of us, we woke up just before sunrise. We packed our luggage the night before as we were checking out of the hotel. We were all excited and enthusiastic about the road trip and the rich heritage the country had to offer us.  But before our road trip began, we first needed to visit the majestic Blue mosque. We did not visit it completely the day before, as it was Friday and hence extremely crowded. As we headed for the Blue mosque I was stunned by the number of tourists that had already made their way to this building of grandeur even though it was so early in the morning. I always thought that the early bird catches the worm, but I was proven wrong. The queue was horrendous. Nonetheless whilst waiting in line, we had an opportunity of chatting to tourists from other countries. I was quite shocked at the level of ignorance and disrespect that many of the tourists had with regards to visiting a place of worship. You would think that a person coming from a first world country would be educated enough to know about other people’s culture and religion. Yet again I was proven wrong.

 Many travelers pitched up at the mosque in shorts, sleeveless tops and mini-skirts. Whilst scarves are provided at the entrance of the building to cover up in the case of indecency, I honestly think that a good traveler is one who respects the law and culture of the country.  I was quite annoyed with an American woman who told us that her family called her to check up on her. They told her that she needs to be very careful as she is in a Muslim country. Muslim people are uncivilized and anything can happen to her. Of course, I could not simply turn a deaf ear to her statements and so I retaliated. This is what I said to her,

“ My dear, with all due respect, do you see people walking the streets with guns and grenades. Your government, through the media have brainwashed you people into thinking badly about one billion people who follow a religion of peace. You should be more afraid of the American government than worry about innocent Muslims who are content with their daily lives. The west invades other countries, rape those countries of their wealth, minerals and oil due to greed. What business does your government have to poke their noses in the internal affairs of other nations? Do you honestly think the world is so stupid into believing everything your government showcases on television?”  The woman stared at me with a stunned look on her face. She then told me that she works for a department within the American government and that she does agree with me wholeheartedly. It was the first time that she actually visited a Muslim country and she was taken aback by the kindness and hospitality displayed by the Turkish nation towards foreigners. She promised to return to the USA and change the mindset of her family and friends towards Muslims people.

Words cannot explain the beauty of the 17^th century Blue mosque, a strong reminder of how mighty and powerful the Ottoman Empire must have been.  After spending an hour inspecting the architecture of the building, we then headed back to the bus to commence our road trip through Turkey. Our first stop was Tekirdag, a two hour drive from Istanbul. Tekirdag is a small countryside farming community. Most of the meat in Turkey comes from this farming community. At Tekirdag we stopped at a filling station for lunch.W e enjoyed fresh Gosleme’s , a Turkish cheese pancake. After lunch we headed towards Gallipoli. “The Gallipoli Campaign, also known as the Dardanelles Campaign, the Battle of Gallipoli or the Battle of Çanakkale (Turkish: Çanakkale Savaşı), was a campaign of World War I that took place on the Gallipoli peninsula[6] in the Ottoman Empire between 25 April 1915 and 9 January 1916. The peninsula forms the northern bank of the Dardanelles, a strait that provides a sea route to what was then the Russian Empire, one of the Allied powers during the war. Intending to secure it, Russia's allies Britain and France launched a naval attack followed by an amphibious landing on the peninsula with the eventual aim of capturing the Ottoman capital of Constantinople (modern-day Istanbul).[7] The naval attack was repelled and, after eight months' fighting, with many casualties on both sides, the land campaign also failed and the invasion force was withdrawn to Egypt.

The campaign was one of the greatest Ottoman victories during the war and a major Allied failure. In Turkey, it is regarded as a defining moment in the nation's history: a final surge in the defence of the motherland as the Ottoman Empire crumbled. The struggle formed the basis for the Turkish War of Independence and the founding of the Republic of Turkey eight years later under Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, who first rose to prominence as a commander at Gallipoli. The campaign is often considered as marking the birth of national consciousness in Australia and New Zealand and the date of the landing, 25 April, is known as "Anzac Day" which is the most significant commemoration of military casualties and veterans in those two countries, surpassing Remembrance Day (Armistice Day).”

After visiting the cemeteries at Gallipoli,and paying our respect to all those soldiers who died during the war, we then headed towards the Eceabat ferry landing.  After a twenty minute ride on the ferry, crossing the Dardanelles Straits we found ourselves in the university town, Canakkale. We checked in for an overnight stay at the opulent Kolin hotel. Over the years, the hotel has received numerous awards for service excellence and thus played host to many diplomats and dignitaries including Prince Charles and his current wife. After enjoying a five star dinner at the hotel dining hall, we retired to bed.

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Turkey 2014 - Day 3

After waking up at the crack of dawn, we made our way to the restaurant for a sumptuous breakfast overlooking the Bosphorous river. I was particularly impressed with the fresh honeycomb blocks at the breakfast buffet. After breakfast we headed for a day tour to all the major attractions in Istanbul. It was also the first time that we met the rest of the tour group. Having arrived late at the hotel the day before due to flight delays and the rainy weather conditions, we missed the initial group meeting with our guide Ajay.  We were altogether 38 passengers on the luxury bus from all parts of the world. We met people from Canada, America, New Zealand, Australia, South Africa and the UK. We were the only Muslims on board the bus and hence we were the centre of attraction. We could sense a certain degree of racism from some members of the group and believe it or not some of the American tourists literally thought that we resided in a jungle setting with animals roaming by.  Whilst a fully kitted out tour is convenient and takes into account hotels, food and tours, it is not for the faint hearted as you need to be able to interact with many different kinds of personalities on the bus. I was quite shocked at the level of childishness among grown up adults who literally fought for a particular seat on the bus as though they were school kids.  I found that South Africans are quite timid, complacent people as opposed to our loud mouth bullying American counterparts.  Nonetheless we tried our best to be the best we could be.

Our first stop was the Topkapi Palace , the home of the Turkish Sultans for four hundred years. We marveled at the grandeur of the majestic Ottoman buildings and admired the Treasury and Porcelain collections. What fascinated me the most was the Islamic artifacts dating back to the time of the Prophet Muhammed (saw). Unfortunately we were not allowed to take pictures in the building. Frames depicting the collection at the Topkapi palace can be viewed at the exquisite gallery at the Turkish mosque in Midrand, South Africa. Turkey is definitely a tourist destination and the Turks must be complimented on mastering the art of hospitality. Never in my life did I see so many tourists and buses. At the Topkapi Palace mom and I were stopped repeatedly by tourists from other countries wanting to take pictures with us. Some tourists found the sight of the hijab fascinating. I was intrigued with the group of Chinese Muslims that we met. We spent a few minutes engaging in dialogue with them. It was fun, fascinating and captivating.  After spending some time at the Topkapi Palace we then made our way to Haghia Sophia. Hagia Sophia is a great architectural beauty and an important monument both for Byzantine and for Ottoman Empires. The mystical city Istanbul hosted many civilizations since centuries, of which Byzantium and Ottoman Empires were both the most famous ones. The city today carries the characteristics of these two different cultures and surely Hagia Sophia is a perfect synthesis where one can observe both Ottoman and Byzantium effects under one great dome. It is the only building in the whole world that served three religions, namely paganism, then Christianity and finally Sunni Islam. Today the building stands as a museum in the Turkish Republic. .

After marveling at the beauty of the Haghia Sophia and snapping up a few shots, we then took a lunch break. We made our way to a quaint little roof top restaurant that had breathtaking views of the Blue mosque and surrounding areas. The cheese pizzas and salads were delicious. Turkish people love fresh food. They prefer eating  organic grown vegetables. The women are very hard working and domesticated.

With regards to food, we preferred having vegetarian meals only as many restaurants served ham and alcohol. Even though the locals told us that all the meat is halaal, we were not comfortable with eating any of the meat products.

After lunch we made our way to the Hippodrome which was the scene of the horse chariot races during the Byzantine Era.. We then headed off to the Grand bazaar. With over 6000 shops to choose from, your head doesn’t work. At the grand bazaar, you will be able to find anything and everything from leather jackets, souvenirs, ceramic plates, branded clothing, shoes and jewellery. The one item that fascinated me most at the bazaar was the blue eye. All over Turkey you will find a blue eye, either as a key ring, frame or necklace. The symbol of the blue eye originated from ancient Mesopotamia and continued into modern Turkey. Turks believe that it is a symbol of good luck and also wards off the evil eye. The time we spent at the bazaar was too short and so we planned to re-visit this shopping paradise on our last day of vacation which was a free day of leisure.

We ended off the day with a magical sunset cruise on the Bosphorus river where some of the most expensive properties in the world can be found today. We traveled towards the old city from close to the Black Sea where the scenery complimented the grandeur of the Ottoman palaces, old mansions and fortresses. 

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