A Bridal Shop in the Old City
In spite of the reflections captured in the shot out the bus window, it is interesting because it illustrates a fact about life in a Moslem country. This is one of literally hundreds of wedding gown shops in the old city.
In the old city every block in the retail district boasted at least two bridal shops! Our tour guide explained this is because the wedding is the only memorable thing that ever happens to a conservative religious woman. She dreams of it as a young girl. After the marriage there is nothing to look forward to except more babies. In the old city most of the women on the street wore something of the old black costumes, some were veiled and some not.
Life in the new city seems quite different. We saw women of all ages wearing business suits or attractive dresses, riding busses and driving cars going about their business like their counterparts in the western world. Our tour guide described Turkey as a secular Moslem country. That is, the mosque doesn't govern everyday life of the people unless they wish to submit to that regimen.
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