Time to indulge in my little addiction again: those weekly photo challenges. The theme for this week’s photo challenge by The Daily Post is Windows. Interesting topic!
I have a couple of photos that would’ve fit the theme perfectly but I’ve already posted them before. One of them is actually one of my all-time favorite travel photos: I’ve named it Sunrise at an airport. That would be Honolulu airport, to be more precise. We caught the most beautiful sunrise just before we had to board our plane to leave – how bittersweet. The sunrise is framed by an empty waiting lounge.
The other one is from a hotel room window in Buenos Aires. You know the feeling when you’re looking out a window, and what you see seems almost at arm’s reach – yet also very far away? I often get that feeling when traveling.
So for this week’s challenge I chose this window from the Topkapi Palace which was a highlight to my visit to Istanbul some years ago.
I wrote about my visit in a post I titled On Belonging, and also used up my best photos there, so have a look if you have time!
The photo isn’t framed well, it’s just a quick snap by walking by. But what caught my eye was the idea of those shutters. What or who used to belong behind them? When would they open?
The Snow Melts Somewhere 
19 replies on “Behind Those Closed Shutters”
Lovely. And thank you for making me have a look at your other Topkapi post. Incredible! One of these days… maybe…
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Who knows? You’re so close! Still, so much to explore in Italy… 😉 ❤
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Loved your “On Belonging” post. I like your take on the windows theme here and the idea of not knowing all the stories, of being comfortable with the mystery of a place.
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That’s exactly what I meant, so happy it came across! That place, Topkapi, if any, really evoked feelings of mystery and storytelling
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[…] The Snow Melts Somewhere Behind Those Closed Shutters […]
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I love windows and doors: they hold so much potential, for excitement, for revealing secrets, for entry into a completely different world. I just read “On Belonging”; I can imagine the ladies of the harem leaning out those windows, wistfully dreaming of the world outside.
Thank you for transporting us to a different time & place.
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Thank you for your kind comment and for reading the post! 😊 That’s exactly what I’ve been picturing in my mind. Were the ladies happy or sad, priviledged or trapped… if I had more spare time, I’d love to dive into some history books to read more about this time and place. Which is a great feeling to get when traveling or viewing photos
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I have discovered that having context, like knowing a little about the history, makes for better travel, enjoyment of food, art, music … well, basically most things in life!
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True 🙂
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Regarding this and your thoughts for the “On Belonging” post, there is a Timeline documentary about 16th century Turkish harem life. I’m including the website link, but you may also be able to find it on YouTube: http://tinyurl.com/y7gy4cep.
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Hey thanks for the tip! Will check it out! 🙂 I also read a historical fiction novel a while ago on the subject which keeps ringing in my mind, can’t remember its name though…
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So exotic
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Yes, it was!
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I remember reading a lovely novel about that palace. It was called The Aviary Gate and it was set in two historical time periods. Worth a read. Can’t remember the author though.
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I just discovered the author’s name of the book I mentioned. It is Katie Hicks.
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Hey, I’ve actually read that book! 🙂 I love imagining life like it was in the book – maybe more so than actually knowing what history books have to say about it
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The author did a doctoral thesis on it so that accounts for the authenticity. I loved it too
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Great when history come alive! One of my favorite books is The Egyptian by Mika Waltari, placed in ancient Egypt. If you’re interested in historical fiction, I really recommend it! In Finland, it’s considered a classic (the author is Finnish)
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Great thanks! I’ll look it up.
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