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Zentangle Diva’s Challenge #209 – Ayvalik, Turkey Edition

by Suzanne Fluhr on March 16, 2015 · 31 comments

[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.

Rooftop view Ayvalik, Turkey.

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.

Zentangle Diva challenge 210

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.

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 }

1 Art Lady Kate Tangles March 16, 2015 at 12:54 pm

Wow! Lots of lovely tangle patterns! Really nice tile! Continue to enjoy this wonderful trip!

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Maggibee March 16, 2015 at 3:11 pm

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?

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Suzanne Fluhr March 17, 2015 at 11:16 am

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!

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HeidiSue March 16, 2015 at 3:39 pm

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.

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Suzanne Fluhr March 17, 2015 at 11:17 am

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.

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Diana March 16, 2015 at 5:46 pm

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.

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Suzanne Fluhr March 17, 2015 at 11:18 am

It’s true. The patterns i see all around Turkey are pretty mesmerizing.

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Maureen Stott March 16, 2015 at 11:06 pm

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.

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Suzanne Fluhr March 17, 2015 at 11:20 am

Maureen, that’s a good one—-envy being the right emotion to comport with this week’s Zentangle Diva’s “green up” challenge.

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Annemarie March 17, 2015 at 5:39 am

I am so very impressed by your tile; it really has this Asiatic feeling. Have a fantastic time over there.

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Dorita March 17, 2015 at 12:11 pm

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!

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Beewatch March 17, 2015 at 12:12 pm

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.

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Margaret March 17, 2015 at 12:48 pm

I envy your Tangle ability 🙂 And thanks for sharing all the beautiful places with us. Don’t forget to bring Dino a treat 🙂

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Mike (Nomadic Texan) March 17, 2015 at 1:04 pm

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

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Suzanne Fluhr March 17, 2015 at 4:43 pm

Mike, next stop is Israel where Mr. Excitement has to sing for his supper.

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Suzanne Moshier March 17, 2015 at 1:16 pm

Wow! I love this drawing!

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Sandra March 17, 2015 at 1:51 pm

Your green diva tile is so beautiful! I like the composition and the detailed pattern.
Wish you a wonderful time on your trip 🙂

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Jean Chaney March 17, 2015 at 2:05 pm

Gorgeous piece. I love the sparkle you achieved. Lucky you to get to see so many interesting designs. Enjoy!

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Sabina March 17, 2015 at 3:51 pm

Pretty green effects.

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Sheila Grube March 17, 2015 at 4:12 pm

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…

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bmlilith March 17, 2015 at 8:39 pm

Lovely tile, good thing you took the green pens.

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Suzanne Durville March 18, 2015 at 1:45 pm

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!

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Jeanette March 18, 2015 at 6:38 pm

Nice tiles, new and old!

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Sarah Satonin March 18, 2015 at 6:42 pm

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.

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Donald W March 19, 2015 at 9:05 pm

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.

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Suzanne Fluhr March 20, 2015 at 10:02 am

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.

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Lynell March 21, 2015 at 12:02 pm

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!

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Suzanne Fluhr March 21, 2015 at 3:26 pm

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. 🙂

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LezliB March 22, 2015 at 5:16 pm

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.

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Afrah March 27, 2015 at 11:35 am

interesting blog 🙂

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