[If you’ve never heard of Zentangle, start here.]
This week’s Zentangle Diva’s challenge has been a cross-cultural experience for me. As I was contemplating how I was going to “green up” a tile (composition) honoring the Christian Saint Patrick, I was sitting on the veranda of our pension in Ayvalik, Turkey, listening to battling calls to prayer from the two local mosques.
View from our pension veranda overlooking the rooftops of Ayvalik, Turkey and the Aegean Sea, including the minaret of one of the local mosques.
We’re 5,071 miles from home, traveling for three weeks, so I had to be judicious in choosing which tangling supplies to bring along. Fortunately, two green pens made the cut, so I was able to come up with something for this week’s challenge.
Given that Islamic law doesn’t permit representations of human or animal forms, Islamic art is a riot of patterns — a tangler’s dream.
Wall and ceiling tiles in the harem of the Topkapi Palace, Istanbul. Turkey.
I really wanted to share some other photos of 1,000 year old tangling, but I’m having internet difficulties (First World problem), so they will have to wait for another time.
Have you been to Turkey? Do they celebrate Saint Patrick’s Day where you live? If so, how?
{ 30 comments… read them below or add one }
Wow! Lots of lovely tangle patterns! Really nice tile! Continue to enjoy this wonderful trip!
Wow, Suzanne, this is a really accomplished tile. The “shine” on the phicops(?) is excellent and there is definitely a Moorish flavour to it. As always, your travels sound fascinating. We’ll be on Tenerife in a couple of weeks, couldn’t you “drop in” for lunch one day, as your homeward flight is likely to pass across us?
Actually, we fly home from Israel and instead of taking the direct route home, they make flights to and from the Mid-Atlantic states in the U.S. take the northern route—-over your real home in the United Kingdom!
Love your travel stories! I have a good friend who has been to Turkey, and she remembers fondly the open air markets. I have a wrap from…not Turkey, but is Uzbekistan close to Turkey? Because she got it for me when she was traveling, and Turkey was one of the places, so was Uzbekistan (or some -istan country nearby)
So wonderful, the tile. I like how the green phicops ribbons look so polished, with their gleams, and the circles overlapping each other and such. It’s lovely. Patterns galore, all around you and in your tile.
We are the worlds worst bargainers, so we stay out of markets in countries where bargaining is expected—-that and the only thing we have room for now that we’re down-sized empty nesters is refrigerator magnets.
Wow, must be inspiring over there in Turkey with all those beautiful patterns. Great submission of the challenge, with just enough green. I like it very much. Have a nice holliday and enjoy all the patterns.
It’s true. The patterns i see all around Turkey are pretty mesmerizing.
So glad that you brought the green pens with you so you could create this beautiful tile. Great composition and the phicops highlighting is wonderful.
Your stories of your travel experiences are so vivid and color me with envy (that will cast a nice green for St. Patty’s day. 🙂 ) I can’t wait to see the photos of the patterns of the tangles in Turkey.
Thanks for sharing, Suzanne.
Maureen, that’s a good one—-envy being the right emotion to comport with this week’s Zentangle Diva’s “green up” challenge.
I am so very impressed by your tile; it really has this Asiatic feeling. Have a fantastic time over there.
This is a really fabulous tile. It is always hard to know what to pack but I too am glad the green pens made the cut! I am going on an artists’ retreat next week so I have my own sorting and decisions to make. No cooking or cleaning, just drawing, stitching, and walking the lovely grounds for five blissful days!
Your Zia is awesome. You achieved really this special islamic touch. I like your phicops. Would like to be in Turkey too. We travelled there in our honeymoon over 27 years ago. Time to make a second trip again, hahaha.
I envy your Tangle ability 🙂 And thanks for sharing all the beautiful places with us. Don’t forget to bring Dino a treat 🙂
Suzanne,
Hope y’all are having a great time. I like the green pen and your view photo is wonderful young lady! No I have never been to Turkey. So I guess I receive extra brownie points now! LOL! Hopefully your return flight is without incident.
Mike
Mike, next stop is Israel where Mr. Excitement has to sing for his supper.
Wow! I love this drawing!
Your green diva tile is so beautiful! I like the composition and the detailed pattern.
Wish you a wonderful time on your trip 🙂
Gorgeous piece. I love the sparkle you achieved. Lucky you to get to see so many interesting designs. Enjoy!
Pretty green effects.
This tile is fabulous! So detailed and expressive! You must be enjoying the elements of Turkish life as you seem to express a comfort in this tile 🙂 ENJOY your time and the rest of your journey…
Lovely tile, good thing you took the green pens.
I love the sandswirl – it makes a nice compliment to the round shape of your tangle. Good thing you brought your green pen! Really nice!
Nice tiles, new and old!
You’ve really taken what you’ve seen an absorbed the finest details throughout your tangle. Even your use of the shape of it is a surprise in the greatest of ways.
Lucky for you you packed some green pens. Nice job on this. I like the mirroring of tangles. Like the picture from the harem. Bet you are seeing a lot of great patterns. Will have lots of pictures to deconstruct.
Thank you all for your kind comments about my attempt to go green. Tomorrow we fly to Jerusalem. I bet there will be some tangle inspirations there.
When I saw the news this week I immediately checked your blog to see if you were near Tunisia! Sigh…such craziness everywhere. Your creation is absolutely beautiful, I am amazed you had time to tangle. It reminds me of some type of metal hair piece. Stunning!
Thanks for checking on me, Lynell. I was in a Muslim country that starts with a “T”. Fortunately, it wasn’t Tunisia. It was Turkey. 🙂
Suzanne, your tile is absolutely gorgeous! Luckily you had taken the green pens with you too. It is so intricate and beautifully drawn that I have come back several times just to look at the beauty of this piece. Anyway, I hope that you are enjoying your travels and staying safe. That part of the world can be so crazy sometimes.
interesting blog 🙂
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