HISTORY OF CAMLICA

To take a bird's eye view of the Metropolis and the Bosphorus you must visit the heights of Camlica. Kucuk Camlica is a charming pinewood which we will climb in order to get to Buyuk Camlica.

Speaking of Camlica one cannot help thinking of the author Abdulhak Sinasi Hisar, that poet of the Bosphorus. He wrote an unforgettable work entitled: 'Our Uncle from Camlica'. This author (who is among the world's best and will not be well known until it is too late, which is the fate of undiscovered genius) has written a passionate description of Camlica. where he spent the greater part of his childhood.

The author explains to us that when he lived in one of the Bosphorus yalis he seemed to take pleasure in every single drop of the fresh water of the Bosphorus. When he was in Camlica he seemed to breath a large bouquet of fresh, scented air. The following names show to us the picturesque atmosphere of these areas: Fistik agaci (the pistachio tree), Baglarbasi (the top of the vineyards), Servilik (the Cypress Wood). Nuh Kuyusu (Noah's Well). All these picturesque and poetical names have lost their meaning since the town's expansion, the trees and the green fields having more or less disappeared. As for Camlica, the author in describing it says:

"The earth here holds remarkable virtues, everything grows, thrives, becomes more and more, the flowers give their scents everywhere, noises harmonize with nature, nature breathes in the warmth, flowers perfume the air, the sun spreads healing rays, insects sing in their own way and man seems to be swimming in the midst of all these exhalations he never suspected existing!"

We cannot leave without regret the wonderful descriptions of this worthy author, but his literary pictures will always follow us in our thoughts, when we leave Camlica and see far away (to our left) the islands, Istanbul and its outskirts [facing us) and the Bosphorus (to our right).

The Master (unhappy in his life and never accorded his proper literary value) describes Camlica as a whole with the Istanbul panorama facing him, and all its colours and natural scents.

" Spring starts at Camlica with a clear morning full of sane and invigorating air which prompts the birds into their morning songs... spring like the waters flowing slowly away from the riverside which they had formerly invaded, spring with all the vigours of its sap covers the earth and the trees and fills our eyes and hearts with wonder.

The ladies used to love going for a walk in these early hours. They wore their machellah or other garments, covered their hair with a fine headscarf, and ran into the fields. The places for our walks materialized for us, did also our pleasures, i.e. driniking a bowl of milk in the morning. We played like children on a holiday. The atmosphere, hardly touched by the night air, was fresh and seemed to emerge from a refreshing sleep, scents still had some night humidity, but it was not less brilliantly clear for that. Around noon the golden sun was burning with all its rays, heating the air, leaving a hue streak of light in the sky, refreshed only by a light breeze. Passersby, faces lined by the exigencies of life, showed no tiredness, and their hearts even though deeply wounded, would not betray this by one posture or gesture... We were still very far from the sweet and serious evening mood, but we children, before the afternoon heat started, couldn't decide to leave the ladies and the pleasure of running free- in the fields in their company, and start walking back.

Wild flowers, open to life, but on the point of wilting lifted their heads everywhere in the most isolated spots and presented to the viewer a multicolored picture most charming to the gaze, trees in full bloom added their charm to this delightful scene; the slightest breeze disengaged scents typical of the Camlica aroma! Mint, thyme, laurel, violets, wild roses, lime trees, unknown flowers with pale colours and captivating scents, resinous pines, with acacia trees scenting the air and purifying the atmosphere. One had a great feeling of well-being of rest and quiet with every breath, and the heart seemed to absorb every drop of this comforting life-elixir. Thus we seemed to penetrate into another climate, going through the meadows with their high grass, in the midst of beautiful trees immortalized by all their years of spring we were swimming it seemed, in a sea of bliss."