Writings
As an anthropologist of culture, I carefully observe people and their lives. Whether it is the story of a forgotten singer, the memory of a long-destroyed railway route, the scent of a forgotten fragrance, an old recipe, or an interview with an artisan, each is an opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of the world and the people who shape it. I write for various international magazines and publish on Substack - "Time Shelter".
Recent essays
NO. 001
The story of two women who dared to dream big, transformed national musical cultures and created connections between Lebanon and Türkiye.
A twelve-year-old Nouhad Haddad, later known as Fairuz, spent hours listening to radio broadcasts featuring two extraordinary Egyptian singers: Laila Murad and Asmahan. Raised in a modest Syriac Orthodox family, she grew up surrounded by traditional values. Her father, originally coming from Mardin (Turkey), believed that a respectable profession was essential for a young woman and hoped that his daughter would become a teacher. Fairuz accepted this vision outwardly while secretly nurturing dreams of becoming a singer.
NO. 002
Hammams have always played a central role in promoting public health, personal hygiene, social relationships and rituals. Let's not downgrade them to a spa or luxurious beauty salons.
Francesco, an Italian designer from Rome, receives news of an unexpected inheritance in Turkey. At first, the legal formalities and the death of a forgotten relative seem like an inconvenience he wants to settle as quickly as possible. He travels to Istanbul intending to sell the property left to him by his eccentric Aunt Anita and return home. Yet Istanbul begins working its magic from the moment he arrives.
NO. 003
The trajectory of her musical career remains mysterious. From a professional standpoint, Renata Lewandowska had everything to become one of Poland’s most celebrated female artists in the 70s.
I have a few tunes that always stay with me. They make me feel good, help me connect with myself, or simply transport me somewhere else. I recently realized that one of those songs is Lato tego roku (This Summer) by Renata Lewandowska, a recording from the 1970s. Even though I love it dearly, it remains largely unknown.
NO. 004
The story of one of the greatest businessmen of the Ottoman Empire and a pioneer of Turkey's perfume industry is a story of its famous kolonya.
Like many fascinating stories, this one begins in a port district. The genius loci of the Ottoman Empire lies along the Bosphorus, the strait that for centuries connected merchants, travelers, and dreamers from across the world. As Istanbul became the empire’s commercial heart, import-export companies settled along the Bosphorus and the Golden Horn, particularly in Galata, Karaköy, and Eminönü. By the late nineteenth century, these neighborhoods had also become home to shops selling luxury goods imported from Europe and beyond.
NO. 005
Without a doubt, Selda is the most iconic figure of the Turkish psychedelic music scene. I had the privilege of writing the liner notes for the reissue of her debut LP from 1978.
The progressive, psychedelic perception of music elevated the Anatolian sound to another level. It first mesmerized its original local listeners back in the 70s. The bands like Moğollar, Kardaşlar, Dadaşlar, Kurtalan Ekspres, Dostlar, MFÖ, Ersen and musicians such as Cem Karaca, Erkin Koray, Fikret Kizlök, Okay Temiz and the last but not least Barış Manco, created a new scene and changed the path of Turkish music forever. And there she was – Selda Bağcan – a young female folk singer with an extremely pure and crystal vocal.
NO. 006
Tereny Lewantu od zawsze były zamieszkiwane przez przedstawicieli różnych kultur i religii. Miasta takie jak Antakya, Mardin, Jerozolima, Akka, Damaszek, Aleppo, Tripolis czy Bejrut od tysięcy lat tworzą wielokulturowe mozaiki, wypełnione różnorodnymi dźwiękami, smakami i zapachami.
Wywodzący się z języka włoskiego termin levante, oznaczający „wschód”, odnosi się przede wszystkim do Libanu, Syrii, Izraela, Jordanii i Palestyny. W szerszym kontekście pojęcie to może obejmować także Turcję i Egipt. Od wielu lat jestem związana z kulturą tego regionu. Odkąd zamieszkałam w Turcji, Lewant stał się dla mnie jeszcze ważniejszy.