SANDRA &MIKE &THE LAMPS
Sandra from South Africa — the famous lamps of Kybele with Mike, who decorated with them before anyone else. Sandra was coincidentally the sister of a fellow my brother knew in South Africa years before. All roads led to Kybele.
HASAN EN FAMILLE
Kazumi — Selin — Hasan —— Kazumi & Hasan met in college and were running Kybele Hotel along with his brothers Mike and Alpaslan. Several of the staff spoke Japanese. The Kybele was a little island of cheer, taste and positivity in that cold visit.
VEYSEL & BEDI
Veysel ‘Sexy Man’ — Bedi —— Veysel was the first person I knew in Sultanahmet when I came there in 1999. I heard later that he emigrated to Australia.
BAYRAM’S PAGE
Nizam’s best friend Bayram, who still works in Sultanahmet, ran into him last week. An interesting face.
GUYS AT SUNSHINE HOTEL
The guys in the lobby at Sunshine Hotel — Irfan — Mehmet —— Sunshine Hotel had good architectural design but was a horrible hole. Mercifully it has been sold and renovated into something very fancy.
WATERPIPE DETENTE
Very cold wind & blowing sleet outside ——I haven’t heard the term in years, used to describe civil relations between countries on the brink of war, but ‘detente’ perfectly describes my time with Nizam on this trip.
A CARPET FAMILY
Ramazan Supper with Hüseyin & Katherine — Royal Rug Gallery —— Huseyin was riding high that year, had married his elegant (&very nice) French girlfriend Katherine and opened his own shop. Here they are with their son. I imagine he’s out of college now.
THREE GENERATIONS
MORNING AT KYBELE
Susan is from Vermont & works with an organization that assists communities make the the transition from Communism to Democracy — ISC Institute for Sustainable Communities — Erkan — Ali Sanci — Cats puffed against the cold.
PAIN & CONFUSION
No, I will not sleep here — All his children look like their mother——
AYASOFYA ON A DARK DAY
…A cold dark day 10,11,12 December 2001 —— An ambitious drawing, but it does catch something of the fever and grandeur of that dark time.