• Field trip to the fjord:
• Sinop Harbor
• Expedition's Black Sea fleet:
• Ortoz 2:
• Yildez:
• Guven: SONAR boat
• Testing the ROV:
  
• Using the ROVs:
• Traversing the Ancient Shore
  
• The Diner:
• Dredging the Ancient Beach

• Internet Cafes:
• Samsun
• Arrival in Istanbul:
• Night in Istanbul:
• Traveling in Istanbul:
• Pera Palace:
• Our Istanbul Guide Mr. Alatli:
• Along the Bosphorous:
• Carpets
  

Field Trip to the Fjord:

As the MIT crew was busily engaged, the rest of us non-techies decided to go for a swim. We drove to an area north of Sinop. I was fascinated at the interesting geography of the area. Thin volcanic fingers projected into the Black Sea forming what appeared to be a series of fjords. I explored one of the wave cut caves by the shoreline. They were mysterious and brought to mind the travels of Jason and the Argonauts and the cave of Colis. When we got back to the beach there was the sound of music pipes and drums. Every few minutes someone would fire two or three round from a pistol. The shooting went on and on. Everyone exited the water and someone called the police. We left and chose another place to swim. back

The Turkish Ships of the Black Sea and Sinop Harbor:

Steel is rapidly replacing the traditional wooden hauled design for fishing boats. Steel has a great number of advantages over the wooden boats. The steel boats are generally bigger and therefore better able to better handle the rough weather of the Black Sea. On most of the ships and boats in Turkey (for that matter on most all trucks and automotive vehicles in Turkey) eyes are painted. Eye painting on the bow of the vessel is a tradition that has been on going on for millennia. The belief is the eyes will see and guide the vessel to safety. Ships and boats are named after the family that owns them. An example is Guven that is owned by Mr. Guven. He captained the boat while his son acted as 1^st mate.back

Underwater Expedition's Black Sea fleet:

Instead of bringing a special scientific/oceanographic vessel in from the Mediterranean, the expedition used part of Sinop. s fishing fleet for the underwater survey work. This made a great deal of sense because the fishing boats are especially designed to work on the Black Sea. They are stable and commanded and crewed by locals who know the sea well and can drive their boats like New York City taxicabs. Compared to the cost of an oceanographic research vessel, the cost to charter one of these boats is a bargain. On the main deck of the fishing boat is a large cabin that we converted into a computer/equipment room although we had to cover the windows to cut down on the amount of light entering the space. The captain commands the boat from the top most deck. ROV and sonar is stored on the aft deck. Three ships from Sinop were used: Yildez, Guven, and Ortoz. Later, the sea going trawler and tug Saros would join the expedition to provide further support.back

Ortoz 2:

The Ortez 2 is the smallest of the fleet of four boats that were used for the Black Sea Surveys this year. The primary job of the Ortez 2 is to carry National Geographic. s ROV the Benthos Mini-Rover Mark II. This second ROV is designed to take sill pictures and high quality television images. National Geographic staff member Keith Moorehead controlled all the operations of the ROV. It was fascinating to learn about all his adventures as staff member of NGS. I learned a lot about ROVs by listening and watching. Last year the Orcoz 2 was the only boat that participated in the in the underwater surveys and then dragged a sonar fish mapping a large section of Sinop. s south bay. A number of promising targets were identified and were marked with coordinates so they could be relocated and explored further this year using the ROV. This season we will use GPS (Global Positioning System) to move the ROV. s to exact target coordinates. Dr. Cheryl Ward is the head archeologist on the Ortoz 2 and the Mini-Rover worked off Orcoz 2 for most of the survey. back

Yildez:

Yildez 3 is about twice the size of the Ortoz 2 and has three decks instead of two. The Yildez 3 carries the second ROV, the Benthos Sea Rover. This ROV transverses the search area using both sonar, a small red can on top the ROV, and a television camera. Data is transmitted by cable into the computer room onboard the boat where operators carefully watch and control all ROV. s operations. back

Sonar Equipment: Guven:

Perhaps the most important data gathered by the expedition was from the sonar surveys. With sonar, wide areas of the sea bottom can be mapped relatively quickly and in great detail. The Guven, a medium sized wooden fishing boat, carried the sonar equipment and crew. Because she is constructed of wood as opposed to steel, magnetic problems that can interfere with the sonar are reduced. The boat drags a torpedo or missile shaped piece of equipment called a fish. On the sides of the fish are two sonar transponders and two receivers. The sonar therefore looks out to the sides with a dead spot exactly in the middle. In order to get the highest resolution images of the ocean bottom, the boat must go quite slow. To reduce its speed to the lowest possible degree, Guven dragged large tires through the water. back

Fouth of July: Testing the ROV:

On the fouth of July everyone was invited onboard the Yildez. Everyone on the expedition, both those involved in the land and sea surveys, came onboard. While the technicians checked out the survey equipment, we sailed along the north coast east of Sinop. It was a fascinating tour of the coast. I could see from the deck many of the areas that surveyed by the land team including a Roman bridge. It looked little different than the scene described by Hamilton over a hundred and fifty years ago except for the modern structures. From the deck of Yildez I had my first swim in the Black Sea. I jumped off the bow many times getting back onboard by climbing up the anchor chain. The water was a great temperature. The Turks, always ready for a party, served a delicious meal complete with Turkish grilled meatball sandwiches. For desert we had watermelon. This felt like a real American 4^th of July.

The MIT crew lowered the ROV into the water and began to test them out. They experienced some leaks and floatation problems but these could be remedied.

In the evening we had a meeting during which safety rules and protocols to be adhered to were explained. The line up of whom is going to be in each boat for the next day was provided. My first assignment was on Ortez 2. back

Using the ROVs:

Contrary to what many people imagine, one can't just lower a ROV overboard and expect everything to work perfectly. Much of our first week was spent getting the ROVs working and properly calibrated.

Of course, the platforms we used for the surveys are Turkish Black Sea fishing boats. Their design has evolved over many years and is well suited for operation in these waters. Unless there is significant wave action, they are relatively stable considering their size. The boat. s boom mounted on the stern worked surprising well for supporting the ROV. A ROV weighs about one hundred pounds. A crewmember uses a rod to keep the ROV from making contact with the ship. s hull. The next issue to resolve was the ROV's flotation. This needed to be adjusted to accommodate both the equipment. s weight on the ROV. s frame and the water salinity. The deeper the ROV dove, the greater the salinity. Light was also a problem. All the power that the ROV gets is through a cable that runs down to it. The ROV uses flood lights, cameras, sonar, and thrusters. This can create power overload thus shorting out the transformer. Every time an overload occurred, the transformer and power switches had to be reset. Martin Bowen and Keith Moorehead usually piloted the ROV without the lights, to conserve on power, and only occasionally switched on the lights to illuminate an object.

I soon became aware of the weeks and even months it takes to film successfully underwater. Even with modern equipment, survey work is tedious. The Black Sea is a large body of water and it wasn. t clear exactly what we were looking for. Geologists were helpful in explaining some odd lumps we encountered. In other cases, what appeared to be a potential wreck turned out to be large rocks that perhaps were dumped from a barge or ship when heavy weather came along. Close to shore we ran across some of the ships from the old Ottoman fleet that were sunk by the Russians. We also encountered fairly "modern" sunken ships probably from WW I or WW II.

Luckily I am in the company of some of the most knowledgeable people in the world on the subject of underwater archaeology. The time passes much more quickly because of this. I like the crew. They all are very interested in the operation of the machinery and don. t mind answering my many questions. Keith Moorehead had recently returned from Australia where he had filmed sharks. He described some of the risks that photographers take to obtain National Geographic quality photos. According to Keith, you have to get up close and personal with the object you wish to photograph in order to capture the image correctly.

In my spare time, I drew a picture of Yoph, a member of the Yildez crew and his grandson. They liked the pictures very much. They gave me the Turkish sign for "good" by razing all four fingers vertically, placing the thumb to the top of the middle finger, and then shaking the entire hand. In return, Yoph taught me how to splice rope, a very important craft if one hopes to become an accomplished sailor.

The ROV made it to the bottom toward the end of the day. By viewing the TV monitor everybody could follow it's progress. I was surprised that I did not see any fish. Probably the lights and noise scare them off. The ROV cruised across a sandy plain that was almost featureless. The other boat used sonar and was able to find some targets by the end of the day. In the evening we would watch these shots replayed on TV. Latter the National Geographic camera ROV will take a closer look. back

Traversing the Ancient Shore Line of the Black Sea:

July 15 Today I was assigned as a crewmember of Guven together with Arnold H. Carr and Robert Morris who worked for American Underwater Search and Survey (AUSS) out of Massachusetts. It was beautiful summer morning and the brackish mist reminded me of sailing on the Chesapeake Bay. As we headed out of the harbor, the water was peaceful. This was my first day traveling by boat outside of Sinop. s South Bay. As we approached the craggy volcanic end of the Sinop peninsula I could see in the distance a distinct line of black water and beyond a sea of huge whitecap swells. Being one of the last days when the AUSS crew was going to be with us, we had to gather more sonar information on the ancient shoreline. The benefits of capturing this vital data out weighed the risk and captain ran the ship out through huge swells. Everyone onboard had to grab hold of something to avoid being tossed into the water. Most simply lay prone on the deck too seasick to move. Eventually the swells appeared to be abating and the AUSS crew launched the sonar fish. The tires we usually used to slow Guven would not be necessary as we headed north into the prevailing sea. The plan was to run a track line until we encountered the ancient shore. The depth of the ancient shoreline has been established at 300 meters. Therefore, as we approached that depth everyone watched the video screens and paper printouts closely. After proceeding about twenty-five miles out from land, our sonar indicated that we were going over wave cut cliffs of the ancient water body. There it was before us on the computer screens. The cliffs and beaches one would expect of any water body except that here it was 300 meters below us. Indeed this is what we were looking for. We now could run Guven on a course that parallels the ancient coastline.

The weather was worsening and being one of the few hands who was able to stand, I was put to work.

The computer took the sonar and GPS readings automatically. However the depth of the water varies and instruments that are located on the boats bridge measure this. I stood on the bridge using a walkie-talkie to call the depths down to the sonar operators. The wind was so intense that my rather strong voice simply couldn. t be heard. The boat captain was fully engaged trying to stay on course as we traversed the ancient coast on track lines back and forth. This is called "mowing the lawn." In spite of the lousy weather, Arnold and Robert manned their equipment stoically recording the images. The choppy swells pulled the sonar fish up and down in jerky motions. These were recorded as a small line of static on the screen. To keep everyone. s mind off our seasick stomachs, Roberts told "war stories" including incredible tales about their search for the debris of TWA flight 800 that crashed into the sea off of Long Island, New York several years ago. His particular crew had obtained some of the first sonar images of the aircraft wreckage.

Arnold, once a boat captain himself, gave Captain Guven a much-needed break from running the track lines. To make it in before dark, we turned back to port. With the wind and waves astern of us, we moved toward Sinop at top speed. As we headed into the Sinop harbor, the sunset briefly bathed the entire peninsula in red and gold light as only sunsets associated with stormily weather can do. Although we were all exhausted we had a great sense of accomplishment. We indeed had found the ancient seashore and had the printouts to prove it. I felt elated. I had been part of the crew that had made a very significant . and historically important scientific . discovery. We may not have found Noah. s Ark but we had discovered the seashore on which he once may have trod. Dating the age of the beach would now be the next undertaking. back

The Diner:

My Dad and his friend John Olsen arrived in Sinop about July 16. They were only allowed to stay with the expedition for three days given that they did not have research visas. They nevertheless had a good opportunity to get to see the expedition at work and go out on Saros as she sailed up the coast taking bottom soundings. I took them to the Bronze Age site near the Sinop bus station and showed them around town. John was able to go into the field with Owen and see some of the other Bronze Age sites and visit the Roman bridge that crosses an open field where one a stream was located.

The first night they were there, a bus took us all out to a restaurant where everyone in the expedition was treated to a magnificent diner. It was a "who is who" in the archeology world including Dr. George Bass, the pioneer in underwater archeology, Bob Ballard and the National Geographic and NPR staff. back

Dredging the Ancient Beach and the Conclusion of the Expedition:

On the night of July 22, Dr. Ballard decided that we would dredge the ancient beach and recover whatever we could to prove exactly when the flood occurred. Out of the thick sludge that was dredged up, fresh water shells and pieces of driftwood were recovered. These would be sent to laboratories for carbon dating. Latter in the fall of 1999, it was reported that the age and nature of the artifacts confirmed the time when the great flood occurred . 7,600 years ago. This is the proof that we were seeking and would be the basis for many more years of underwater exploration for sites of human civilization now hidden beneath 500 feet of water in the mysterious Black Sea. We had now established both the exact location of the ancient beach and its age. This will form the bedrock for future underwater archeological investigations all around the Black Sea.

This year. s expedition was now essentially over and I received permission from Dr. Hiebert to go off and explore Turkey with my Dad and John Olsen. back

Internet Cafes:

Though out our trip in Turkey, we always needed to use Internet cafés to send back reports to the folks at home. Once I used the hotel telephone to send out digitized photos that I had taken with the UPenn camera. I almost died when the bill for several hundred of dollars (US) was presented. The solution was to write everything up on the laptop and then load the data onto a floppy disk. Then find an Internet Café and through Yahoo or Hotmail send it out. Telephone lines are erratic in Turkey so it often took several attempts before the file was successfully transmitted. Fiber optic lines are as yet unknown in most parts of Turkey.

In the last few years or so, Internet cafes have popped up all over Turkey. If you look hard enough you can find them in virtually any Turkish town. Young people are embracing them more than any other group. The cafes are "in," "hot," and "happening" places. When my Dad visited one, he remarked that he was easily twice the age of the oldest person in the establishment. My Dad isn. t that old, but he was right.

In Samsun, for example, I asked at our hotel counter if there was an Internet café or hookup nearby. The owner. s son, perhaps 15 years old, and his younger brother suddenly appeared. Neither could speak any English. They led us through the crowded streets of the City for what felt like several miles proudly delivering us to a place crammed full of people. We rewarded the boys with some cheap gaudy T-shirts we had brought from Washington DC. Instantly they proudly put them on, and we were friends for life.

As we entered the cafe, there was a desk that took computer time reservation and payment for Internet and computer services. Three rooms housed computers. In addition there was a game room where backgammon was being played and another a café where cay (tea) was served in the traditional tulip-shaped glasses along with beer and Turkish coffee (heavy stuff which is about half full of what appears to be sludge). Outside was a terrace with patio furniture again packed with people waiting access to a computer. I noticed many of the users were looking at the web with a peculiar interest in Web porno sites. The owner/operator was a University student not much older than I. He spoke excellent English, wanted to know everything about the US and where the electronic age was taking our country. He was very optimistic about Turkey. s future. Throughout my trip I encountered many young people from Central Asia who regarded Turkey as a country of great modernity and opportunity!

The Sinop Internet café is the establishment I got to know the best. It opened only two months before I arrived. The café was an old storefront perhaps once being a grocery store. All they had were a few desks, cheap computers (Chinese knockoffs), and a single phone line. Service to use one of the computers was inexpensive at about .75 cents (US) an hour. In Istanbul. s city center, the price jumped up to about three dollars US per hour.

When I first went to the Sinop café early in my trip, it was easy to find a computer but toward the end, the place was always full. The most popular software used by the Turks was the virtual chat software. It is quite similar to AOL. s instant messenger. As Sinop started to fill up with Turkish students from the local universities, there was more demand for computer services. I have reasonably good computer skills and brought along much software. The young Turks who ran the establishment were quite eager to barter my time and software for computer time. It was fun. While their English was poor and my Turkish virtually non-existent, we communicated via English/Turkish translation software on the computer. We would converse as best we could until we hit an important word. We then would use the software to resolve our communication difficulties. They thought that the digital camera and my laptop computer were awesome. The price of these specialized digital tools in Turkey is three or four times normal American prices. Every employee of the café was photographed and their photos quickly incorporated into their web site. The young Turks who operated the facility were locals but the operation and equipment actually owned by some sort of syndicate out of Istanbul. The reality is that it will be many years before personal computers are within the capability of the average Turk to purchase. If I were an investor, I would place my money behind Internet cafes in the developing areas of the world. back

Samsun:

Samsun is a very special place to the Turkish people because it is where the revolution of Ataturk began. It is the largest port city on the Black Sea Coast and grew economically because of accessibility to the country. s interior. While boasting a much superior harbor, the high mountains with high passes cut Sinop off from the Turkish interior. Russia has long dominated the Black Sea (particularly after the Crimean war) and land communication and transportation routes were very important to the Ottoman Empire, therefore Samsun developed more rapidly.

While I spent only spent one night at Samsun with my Dad and his friend John Olsen, there was on that day an international dancing festival in the city. I got to see Native American (yes, American Indians!) dancers in Samsun performing right alongside dancers from Ireland and Africa. WOW!

While dining one evening at a fairly nice restaurant in Samsun, the headman (probably the owner) came up to us and extended his establishments and the Turkish peoples condolences over the death of John F. Kennedy Jr. in a plane crash. I felt like the US Secretary of State and thanked him for the expression. It amazed me how much the Kennedy tradition matters to foreigners and how President Kennedy. s son. s death symbolized the end (perhaps) of the Kennedy empire. It also reminded me that Turks still think in terms of imperial rulers whose powers pass down from generation to generation. Democracy is still a relatively new concept in Turkey.

We flew from Sansum back to Istanbul via Turkish Airlines. I was an interesting flight since we could visit with Dr. Bob Ballard who was on his way to Frankfort Germany and then back to the States to rejoin his family. He is a most fascinating person although now somewhat of a cult personality and great explorer in the eyes of the world. He told us of his experience with the DIA in Viet Nam and how he transferred to the Navy because of the awful things he saw being done by US Army against suspected Viet Cong collaborators. I realized he is a true scientists when he told me the story of the discovery of Titanic and how he never envisioned others ever disturbing the watery tombs of so many for commercial purposes. back

Arrival in Istanbul:

We checked into the Hotel Zoë, a place referred to us by Dr. Hiebert as being very reasonable and quite nice. The price was about $50.US per night, much more than what we had expected. The Zoë is a restored building that has been decorated with much classical art. It is literally within two blocks of Hagia Sophia next to an ancient and unrestored roman bath. We could only stay one night and found it somewhat uncomfortable given that our room lacked air conditioning. We then were referred to the Hotel Green that was immediately across the street. back

Night in Istanbul:

The sky is clear, birds soar into the air as though they are crazy, the air calm and the dome of Hagia Sophia rises in the background with light sparkling off its minarets. It was simply magnificent with floodlights playing off the many hues of the ancient stones of the mosque. This scene is hypnotic making one chill with the reality that they are witnessing a place that is ancient, foreign, and yet still vibrant and important to the stability of the world. Istanbul is probably the most mysterious, beautiful, haunting, dangerous (traffic), and absolutely vital city I have ever visited. With its many hills and harbor backdrop, it has the feel of San Francisco. Everyone is busy going someplace and conducting some sort of transaction. This goes on 24 hours a day without stop. It is a city of thieves and merchants and surprisingly little overt poverty or beggars. It is also a city of intrigue and commerce with ships from every nation of the world transiting the Bosphorous. It is a gritty city that cannot be described as clean. Nevertheless its basic elegance shines through. back

Traveling in Istanbul:

Buses are the primary means on transit within Istanbul. They are quite modern although not adequately air conditioned given the summer heat and body odors. People are reasonably well dressed in K-Mart style/quality clothing. Many to cool themselves use hand fans. One fellow fanned me, as he was standing and I sitting. Finding my way around Istanbul by public bus became a personal challenge and also a matter of economy. I wanted to see the real city, its nooks and crannies, grime, slums, and all. However figuring out how the system worked including the bus routes, fares, etc. had to be resolved. Whenever I travel with my Dad, he wears a light backpack and I carry my camera. Valuable papers (tickets and passports) and money is split between the backpack and my/our person. I ride "shotgun" if my Dad is wearing the pack staying about 6 feet to his left or right rear. This was a process we worked out when traveling in Italy where robbery is a very real problem and where my Mother was robbed on the subway (actually she scared the robbers into giving her back her purse). In Turkey, amazingly we had no thievery problems whatsoever. It is an amazingly honest country (except for slick business transactions) which is not a surprise given the legal consequences. My Dad tells me stories of when he was in the US Navy of a Turkish sailor, docked in a US Navy port, being hanged for insubordination to a Turkish officer. The US authorities prevented the Turks from carrying out the execution while in port. The Turkish destroyer simply went out beyond the three-mile limit to accomplish the deed. back

Pera Palace:

When we went to the US Consulate to obtain assistance to obtain a visa into Ukraine (We never went because of too many complications.), we noticed the nearby Pera Palace because of its size and Edwardian Architecture. Built in 1892 for the sole purpose of hosting passengers from the Orient Express, a train that went from London to Istanbul, the palace architecturally is a fascinating blend of east and west. The Palace is where kings, queens, artists, and even the great Ataturk stayed. Agatha Christie wrote her novels from here including "Murder on the Orient Express." Trotsky, Czar Nicholas, Edward III, Zsa Zsa Gabor, Ernest Hemmingway, and Jackie Onasis are among the great celebrities and notables who have been Pera Palace guests. Resting in the corner of the ornate main hall of the Palace was a gilded passenger chair that was carried on poles by four or eight men. It was used to transport guests to and from the train station that was situated on the other side of the Golden Horn. And we thought slavery had disappeared in the 20^th century! back

Our Istanbul Guide Mr. Alatli:

Mr. Alatli met my father and John Olsen when they were standing in line waiting to enter Hagia Sophia. He is a fascinating individual about 60 years old, very spry, and an architect. He knew Istanbul like the back of his hand. Being a shepardic Jew he said he could be middle of the road regarding Christianity and Islam. He claimed that he was a student at the University studying to be a lawyer. The tour he provided my Dad and John Olsen of Hagia Sophia for about $5.US blew their sock off. It was seeped in history: engineering and architectural. They were so impressed that they engaged him for the entire following day for about $45 US plus providing him all meals (Wherever he took us, his meal was complementary.) and transportation costs. I joined my dad and John on this one.

About 8 AM, Mr. Atatli arrived at our hotel sitting us down and lecturing us about the ancient and modern history of Istanbul and all of Turkey. It was to be a lecture that was continued all through the day as we moved to and fro throughout the City. From the cistern to a variety of mosques to ancient Christian churches Mr. Alatli knew his city. He was a patriotic Turk and was very defensive of his government. s policy toward the Kurds.

Our guide even took us into the Bazaar where he matched us up with a gold merchant who made plenty in sales to both John and my Dad. The bazaar is huge with what appears to be thousands of merchants selling virtually everything. It is said that this was the first shopping mall.back

Along the Bosphorous:

The Hotel Criteon is another one of those beautiful hotels that is out of space and time. It is very modern and built next to a sumptuous palace (which now functions as a convention center) on the Bosphorous built probably sometime in the late 19^th century. Our ethnicity got us into the Criteon Hotel, and we were free to wander around and have the grand tour. Inside were glass staircases, beautiful flowers, and an elegant restaurant overlooking the Bosphorous. Outside was an enormous swimming pool with beautiful (and scantily dressed women) lounging as though they were on the French Rivera. The few men we saw looked like Tycoons . huge guts, spindly legs, and well up in age. They were being swooned by the beauties. Who says the Sultan. s era is over! We then returned to the old city via water taxi providing us a chance to taste the mystery of the great Bosphorous. It is unbelievable to have great tankers sail by so close to you and then rusting Russian trawlers, Rumanian whatevers, ships from Bulgaria, Georgia, Mondolvia and virtually every other nation of the world. They pass so close by you feel you can reach out and touch them.

I was amazed at the strong current in the Bosphorous as the waters of the Black Sea rush outwards into the Sea of Mammara. If I had my kayak with me, it would have been a lot of fun to play in the waves. Along the shore, we saw a lot of kids swimming in the water. Usually they did this in a protective cove.

According to the Pittman and Ryan book Noah. s Flood, the Bosphorous once was a river that flowed from the Black Sea into the Sea of Mammara. Over time, the river dried up and the high earthen dike at the northern end of the Bosphorous became like a plug holding back the then rising waters (created by glacial melt) of the Sea of Mammara. Eventually the plug popped releasing the ocean waters into the Black Sea which then lay about 500 feet bellow. According to these experts, that event must have been a scene out of Hell with water cascading through the opening at a rate equal to 200 times the volume of water falling over Niagara Falls. I stood in awe at the Bosphorous realizing that I was part of a historic expedition that was out to prove the veracity of this theory. back

Carpets:

Wheeling and dealing for carpets is a learned skill as my father narrates:

Hamilton had a similar experience when he went carpet shopping in Istanbul in the 1840s:

The dyes of Asia Minor are celebrated for their vividness and durability. Particularly the dyes of madder, and green from berries of the tchekeri, which grow in great abundance near Caesarea and Angora, and are called the merchants of Smyra yellow berries&

" On expressing a wish to witness the process of making carpets, we were at first told that it would be attended with some difficulty, as they are entirely made by woman; but after some time. An old man was found who agreed to admit us after the women had been sent out of the way. The machinery is very rude and simple. And fully accounts for the difficulty which, according to the Smyma merchants, exists in executing order exact breadth to which the carpet may stretch in the making..."

If there is a lesson here it is that you should first feel comfortable with the seller of the carpet since there are so many variables about carpet. The average person simply does not know what he is buying. The color and appearance of the carpet matters, but when it comes to quality, it is a matter of weaving, colors, and types of wools and silk. How tightly the knots are tied on the reverse of the carpet will determine how long it will last.

My Dad finally did buy a Turkish carpet but it was back home in Virginia. A Persian who he trusted sold it to him. He got a better buy I think than he would have gotten in Turkey. back