A Fez of the Heart: Travels around Turkey in Search of a Hat Assignment

a. I found the passage "since I have not been in Pomegranate long enough...Life used to be fun... now its just business..." (pg 11) to be the most interesting. In this passage the author summarizes how the influx of tourist, immigrants and modernization have erased the traditions of Pomegranate. Depictions of the people and city through the media have wrongly perceived the ideals of Pomegranate. A major influence that have changed Pomegranate is the influx of tourism. Over the years tourist have ignored traditions of Pomegranate and instead have persistently used their own customs. It is surprising to see how much a place can change with in a short span of 20 years, its "twenty-year transformation, it seemed that pomegranate had lost more than it had gained". Customs, tradition, food and ideology have been covered by influence of new generations.

b. Culture, tradition and customs changed as the city became more prosperous. In the economic perspective, change is necessary for a city to grow. Such change is evident in the transformation of the market system in Pomegranate. Traditional market stalls have been replaced by "Naf-Naf, Chanel, Moschino, Lacoste and other departmental stores". However change can be very negative, as it has caused new generations to forget and replace traditional customs that have been passed down for generations. Therefore economics and culture can be viewed as having an inverse relationship. As economics increase the value of culture decreases, among future generations that have become more modernized.

c.The Great Wall of China has been a popular tourist attraction for many years. People all over the world visit this wall for its historical value and sheer size. It is also considered to be one of the seven wonders of the world. The Forbidden City is another popular tourist attraction. People come to this historical site for its structural elegance, and isolated beauty. There are two characteristics between these two popular attractions that draws people. First, both these tourist icons is precious and have rich history. Second, none of these historical icons can be compared to anything else around the world.