在伊斯坦布尔度过的斋月 (图)

正值全球穆斯林的斋月，闲人又在伊斯坦布尔，特编译此文以示纪念。


Sutanahmet的斋月锣鼓喧天、霓虹闪烁
气球、彩旗标语、土耳其垃圾食品、漫游的托钵僧、音乐会，摊贩们用每一种必要的语言高喊" buyurun " （欢迎）—就像一个三明治摊主说的： "这里什么都有，在每一个角落都有事情进行着。"

很多外国人在Sultanahmet这个伊斯坦布尔最古老、最令人兴奋的地方欢度斋月夜晚时发现：斋月不仅仅是禁食和祈祷。

57岁的洛杉矶人Anne Afzali说这是她第一次访问土耳其，但并不是她的第一个斋月，她曾在阿富汗住过6年并且嫁给了一个穆斯林。“我已经过了多个斋月，但没有一个如此令人愉悦，”她说，“简直就是一个没有酒精的嘉年华会。”

气球、彩旗标语、土耳其垃圾食品、漫游的托钵僧、音乐会，摊贩们用每一种必要的语言高喊" buyurun " （欢迎）—就像一个三明治摊主说的： "这里什么都有，在每一个角落都有事情进行着。”

斋月的所有活动都在跑马场附近举行，这里变成了每天开斋后娱乐项目的竞技场，并且一直持续到凌晨。广场上到处是一家老小和成群结队的朋友，即使是“独行者”在斋月的Sultanahmet也不显得孤单了。

“我们原以为斋月是一段深色的、严肃的时间，”58岁的Beverly Wishon说，“发现这个嘉年华会令我吃惊。”

Afzali和她的朋友们与大多数人一样：“我们沿着这个大集市一路走着一路吃着。”

多数游人说他们在Sultanahmet最喜欢的斋月活动就是那无尽的土耳其传统食品和垃圾食品，有棉花糖、爆米花、木炭烤玉米、gözleme(薄煎饼卷奶酪、香肠和土豆)、döner(旋转卷饼)、künefe（甜品）、baklava（甜品）、lokma（一种粘着糖浆的炸面圈）和冰激淋。

而穿着荧光橙色市政工作服的工人们则穿梭着捡拾人群身后的垃圾。

糖果酱：
斋月的一个颇受欢迎的食品是彩色的奥斯曼糖果酱粘着在棒上，就象棒棒糖。“这就是传统的奥斯曼酱，对皮肤、眼睛很好，对任何部位都有益处,” 28岁的Volkan Başoğlu一边说一边将橘子、猕猴桃、草莓、香蕉和柠檬酱条旋转到棒子上面。每晚他大概卖出350个这种传统棒棒糖， “它里面含有60种不同香料，”他说。Başoğlu在这个斋月集市卖了6年这种糖果酱，他还说这时间段里他最喜欢的是音乐和美女。

这个集市继续让该社区独特的兜售叫卖本领声名远扬。

爆米花及游乐玩具
在过去３年中，４０岁的Ａｌｉ　Ｋｏｔｉｌ带到　Ｓｕｌｔａｎａｈｍｅｔ的是诸如空中曲棍球的游乐玩具　和游戏、“奥斯曼记忆”摊位以及爆米花机。他解释道：爆米花适合ｉｆｔａｒ（传统的斋月晚餐）之后的胀肚，“当你吃的快时就胀肚，而爆米花会让你的胃舒服。”Ｋｏｔｉｌ警告说仿制的糖果酱没有蜂蜜基底，他建议吃蒜肠包（半条面包夹土耳其香肠）。“尽管油腻而且人们经常吃，斋月期间，大家仍想吃蒜肠包，”Ｋｏｔｉｌ说：“大家试图增加身体的能量和血糖。”

当问起他今年的生意如何时，Kotil说由于斋月越来越靠近夏季，天气更好，生意也越来越好。“天气暖和，那些想出来转悠的大人孩子们出门就更方便，”“还有，随着经济水平的提高，大家愿意多花点钱，因此生意一年好过一年。＂他还说：现在仅仅是斋月的开始，客流量还未达到高峰，“周六的晚上是如此拥挤简直寸步难行，今天是第一天，大家正在家里用ｉｆｔａｒ，还没计划出门呢。”

碳煮土耳其咖啡
伊斯坦布尔的最佳土耳其咖啡可以在跑马场边的临时小饭馆寻到，咖啡的行家里手们在炭火上慢慢地煮着土耳其咖，这种方法令它有了个不同的名字“木炭咖啡”。37岁的Nurettin Yıldız已经在Şirinevler的一间咖啡馆煮了6年咖啡，他说这种10分钟的慢煮方式才令咖啡特别美味并且有很多泡沫，“这咖啡很特别，能令你放松。”他还说：生意好的晚上，他一次在炭火中煮１５ｃｅｖｚｅ（特殊的土耳其咖啡壶）还供不应求。　

丰富多彩的留念
众多的斋月传统活动之一是买小饰品或拍照留念。游人们可以找到摊位将他们的名字用奥斯曼书法写下，墨水和羊皮纸被用来做永久的书签、盘子或者架子，有各种尺寸和价格的。

另一项热门选择是“奥斯曼纪念”：花１５新里拉，你可以装扮成巴夏（土耳其君主）和王妃拍照。游人们，特别是那些两口子们排着队、微笑着全副武装起来，这盛装还配齐穆斯林头巾、剑、八字胡和土耳其长衫。当记者问“奥斯曼纪念”摊位整理服装的工作人员为什么人们想要个奥斯曼记忆呢，他毫不犹豫地回答：“为什么不呢？”“斋月是特别的，人们在封斋，当他们从伊斯坦布尔甚至土耳其的其它地方来到这里，他们想拍照片留念。”

赴Ｓｕｌｔａｎａｈｍｅｔ斋月嘉年华会的旅程
最终是什么使得Ｓｕｌｔａｎａｈｍｅｔ成为如此受欢迎的斋月集市目的地呢，因为它浸淫在历史中。
在过去３年中，Şengül Lök每年斋月都从法兰克福到Ｓｕｌｔａｎａｈｍｅｔ来感受斋月的庆祝活动，并在特别的祈祷中拜访清真寺。她说：“在这里，人们手牵着手地走着，他们带着孩子一起来，微笑着，这里是喜悦。”她的嫂子Ｋｅｚｉｂａｎ　Ｌｊａｊｉｃ说她特别喜欢这里的气氛，还有全家在一起的景象，“黑夜变成白天了，每个人都出来啦。”


The fanfare, bright lights of Sultanahmet's Ramadan
Balloons, streamers, Turkish junk food, whirling dervishes, concerts, vendors shouting "buyurun" (welcome of sorts) in every language necessary – as one sandwich vendor put it: "There's everything here. In every corner something is going on."
（DAMARIS KREMIDA
ISTANBUL - Turkish Daily News）

Ramadan is more than just fasting and prayer, as many foreigners are discovering in Sultanahmet, the oldest part of Istanbul and the most exciting place to celebrate evenings during the month-long event.

Anne Afzali, 57, of Los Angeles said this was her first time visiting Turkey, but not her first Ramadan. Afzali lived in Afghanistan for six years and is married to a Muslim.

"I have lived through many Ramadans, but none were as jolly as this," she said. "It's like a carnival without the alcohol."

Balloons, streamers, Turkish junk food, whirling dervishes, concerts, vendors shouting "buyurun" (welcome of sorts) in every language necessary – as one sandwich vendor put it: "There's everything here. In every corner something is going on."

All Ramadan action takes place around the Hippodrome, which becomes the arena of post-fasting entertainment until the wee hours of the morning. The square is filled with families and groups of friends. Even "loners" do not seem alone on Ramadan nights in Sultanahmet.

"We only thought Ramadan was this dark solemn time," said Beverly Wishon, 58. "I was shocked to find a carnival."

Afzali and her friends did what most other people visiting do: "We've eaten our way around the bazaar," she said.

Most visitors say their favorite thing about Sultanahmet's Ramadan festivities is the endless list of Turkish traditional and junk food including cotton candy, popcorn, grilled corn on the cob, gözleme (flat bread filled with cheese, sausage and potatoes), döner, künefe, baklava, lokma (a type of fried donut with syrup) and ice cream.

Workers from Eminönü Municipality scurry around in bright-neon orange uniforms picking up the garbage crowds have left behind.

Candy paste:

A favorite of Ramadan festivities is the colorful Ottoman candy paste served on a stick like a lollipop. "This is the historical Ottoman paste. It is good for the skin, the eyes, it's good for everything," said Volkan Başoğlu, 28, as he twirls stripes of orange, kiwi, strawberry, banana and lemon paste flavors onto a stick.

He sells about 350 of the traditional lollipops every night. "It has 60 different spices in it," he said. Başoğlu has been selling this candy at the Ramadan fair for six years and said what he loves best during this time is the music and the girls.

The fair retains the neighborhood's distinct flair notorious for peddling customers to try this or eat here.

Popcorn and rides

For the last three years, Ali Kotil, 40, has been bringing rides and games like air hockey and an "Ottoman memory" booth and popcorn stand to Sultanahmet.

He explained that popcorn is ideal for a stomach full on iftar (the traditional evening Ramadan dinner). "When you eat quickly, you bloat and popcorn comforts your stomach."

Kotil warned against paste candy imitations that do not have a honey base, and suggested the sucuk ekmek (half a loaf of bread stuffed with Turkish sausage).

"Even though it is fatty and people usually don't care to eat it, during Ramadan, people crave sucuk ekmek," said Kotil. "They try to top up their energy and increase their blood sugar."

When asked how business was looking this year, Kotil explains that it is getting better every year because Ramadan is falling on better weather as it moves toward summer. "It is entering warm weather, so families and children who want to go out for a stroll can do so more easily," he said. "And as their economic situation seems to be improving, they are more willing to spend, so every year business gets better."

He said this is only the beginning of Ramadan so the volume of visitors has not peaked yet. "On Saturdays you can't walk around here, it is so crowded. This is the first day and people are having iftar at home. They haven't made any plans to go out yet."

Turkish coffee cooked on coal:

The best Turkish coffee in Istanbul can be found in front of temporary eateries around the Hippodrome. In fire and coal pits, coffee experts slow cook Turkish coffee.

The method lends it a different name: "Közde kahve." Nurettin Yıldız, 37, has been making coffee at a café in Şirinevler for six years. He said the 10-minute slow cooking method is what makes it so delicious and gives it such thick foam.

"It is special and relaxes you," Yıldız said. On busy nights, he has 15 cezve (a special pot to prepare Turkish coffee) cooking in the pit at once, and it is still not enough to keep up with the demand for it, he said.

Memories galore:

One of the many Ramadan traditions is capturing memories with knickknacks or on camera. Visitors can find booths at which their names are written in the traditional Ottoman calligraphy style. Ink and parchment, however, are traded in for permanent marker and plates or frames, which range in sizes and prices.

Another popular choice is the "Ottoman Memory." For YTL 15 you have a chance to dress up as a Pasha and Princess and have your photo taken.

Visitors, especially couples, line up all smiles for the chance to sport the attire that comes complete with turbans, sword, mustache, and kaftans. When the Turkish Daily News asked an "Osmanlı Hatırası" (Ottoman Memory) booth worker decked out in the attire why people would want an Ottoman memory for Ramadan, he said "why not?" without flinching.

"Ramadan is a special time. People are fasting, and when they come here from other parts of Istanbul or even Turkey they want to take a picture for memory," he said.

Traveling the distance for Sultanahmet's Ramadan festivities

At the end of the day what makes Sultanahmet such a popular Ramadan fair destination is that it is steeped in history.For the last three years Şengül Lök has been traveling to Sultanahmet from Frankfurt to enjoy the Ramadan festivities and visit the mosques during the special prayers. "Everyone here walks hand in hand, they can come with their children, they are smiling. There is joy," she said.

Her sister–in-law Keziban Ljajic said she loves the atmosphere and the fact that you can see families together. "The night turns into day. Everyone comes out."