December 15, 2009

After our adventures in the Turkish Bazaar and after exploring the Sultan’s Topkapi Palace, the next day, we wandered the streets of Istanbul outside the bazaar.  As if we didn’t have enough of them, we wandered into yet another rug shop.
 
My wife spied a particularly vivid red carpet, not too big, but very beautiful, with a very ornate golden border. The merchant was very impressed with our choice, as it turns out that this was a true antique, woven by hand nearly a century ago. That deep red color, a blood shade of crimson, was made with natural dyes, derived from the heads of insects (ugh!).
 
Well, we had the obligatory apple tea and hung out there for a while, casually bargaining. You need to understand that in this part of the world, there is no fixed price for anything. Everything is negotiable. And bargaining is both expected and respected, almost a social form.
 
Well we finally struck a deal, after a few hours (nothing is rushed, here) though the owner was crying that I was robbing him. That actually means that he wasn’t robbing ME as badly as would have liked to. But, it was all in good humor. And we got along with the merchant and his sons very well. 
 
We stopped by to say hello a few more times that week. Turns out that the sons were well connected with the Ministry of Antiquities. So, since we were coming due to return home, I asked their advice about a purchase I’d made in the Bazaar, one day.
 
I have always had a weakness for bladed weapons, swords, knives, of all kinds. Guess it has something to do with being a surgeon (or a frustrated warrior). And I had seen this magnificent oriental dagger, deeply chased and burnished silver, pommel, guard and scabbard, with the odor and patina of great age. It had a long, straight, pointed blade with a central blood groove, perhaps 12 inches long. It was striking.
 
Now, I rarely get things for myself, other than a few T-shirts, in most places we visit. I usually enjoy buying a few nice things for my wife. But this was an exception. So, I bought it as a souvenir and was thrilled with the purchase. 
 
But then, I found out, belatedly, that the Turkish Ministry of Antiquities did not permit the exportation of any culturally significant Turkish artifacts from the country. Uh oh. Visions of “Midnight Express” and spending hard time in a Turkish hell hole flew through my mind.
 
We decided to ask our pals at the rug shop. So I brought the knife, to show them. Well, they were very impressed. They also assured me that it was quite genuine, not a fake antique, for the tourist trade. The merchant who swore to me that it was real was telling the truth. Well, that was a relief. But now what?
 
Well, it turns out that it was not, strictly speaking, a Turkish antiquity. Rather, it was made on the northern border shared with Russia, with a distinctly Caucasian design. So, a case could be made that it did not violate the ban on taking Turkish antiquities out of the country. But still, they advised me to bury it deep in my suitcase and hope for the best. Great.
 
Well, I thanked them and said our goodbyes. Then, I did exactly what they advised. Came the morning of our departure, we arrived at the airport at 4 AM. All these military guards, with fully loaded and poised submachine guns, were everywhere, looking over everyone (and this was well before any of today’s terrorist attacks). Great. 
 
I watched, as our bags were sent through the x-ray machines, holding my breath. Amazingly, everything was cleared. Had my friends from the rug shop spoken to their friends at the airport? I guess I’ll never know. Because that dagger showed quite clearly on the     x-ray image. I saw it. I’m sure they did, too. However, or whyever, they ignored it and let it pass, thank God for small favors.
 
I was very grateful to get on that plane, without incident, I can tell you. And I slept nearly all the way home. So that was the end of our first trip to Turkey. All in all, quite an experience, rich with good memories and wonderful times.
 
And I still have that antique rug, today. And the Caucasian blade.
 
We arrived home, safe, tired, but happy. Then it was back to work for me, slicin’ and dicin’ those hips and knees. And if you’d like to treat YOUR knee pain with some proven conservative treatments and bypass the operating room yourself, then try my newest healing program: HOW TO AVOID KNEE SURGERY    http://www.drbillsclinic.com/avoid_knee_surgery.html 
 
Til next time, my friend, be well.
 
Yours for a pain-free tomorrow,
 
Dr. Bill

P.S. For DR. BILL’S LITTLE GREEN BOOK ON ELIMINATING KNEE PAIN, a concise, but complete handbook on the root causes and the various options for treating knee pain, go to http://drbillsclinic.com/eliminate_knee_pain.html 
 
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Copyright, 2009 by William Thomas Stillwell, MD, FACS
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