(ANSA) - ISTANBUL, 28 JUN - Two apparently distant worlds, Istanbul and Tel Aviv, meet every day in the authentic culture of the food markets that animate the life and streets of these two cities.
Here begins the journey of "Pazar // Shuk", a photographic volume by Kornelia Binicewicz and Italo Rondinella - just published by the Turkish publishing house Paper Street & Co. - which investigates commonalities and differences between Turkey and Israel in the culture of markets, well rooted in both countries.
The shots of the Italian photojournalist Rondinella lead the reader to secretly observe, and then immerse himself, the almost intimate atmosphere that reigns during the meetings of sellers and buyers among the market stalls, places that, in a different way, dictate the rhythm of daily life in Turkey and Israel.
"In Istanbul the market represents the identity of the district where it is located, it is linked to the people who live in that area and expresses the demographic picture of that specific place, whether it is areas where Kurds or wealthy and secular Turks or conservatives live for the most part" spiuegaall ' ANSA Binicewicz, Polish anthropologist living in Istanbuldove, curates musical projects.
"In Turkey the market satisfies the needs related to daily shopping,
in most cases in relation to the woman who then cooks at home.
Even in Israel it was once like this but now the markets are different places, the neighborhoods where they are located have become gentrified and there are fewer and fewer stalls that simply sell food products and more and more stands where typical dishes are cooked.
It is a phenomenon of the last 10 years that has also changed the public, now in the markets of Tel Aviv there are mainly young hipsters and food enthusiasts ".
The texts edited by Binicewicz collect the stories of sellers, customers and restaurateurs who buy the ingredients for their dishes in the markets.
Through their stories, the characters bring the reader into contact with a culinary tradition that has its roots in the Ottoman Empire, quarters of Istanbul where one can still meet the culture of the Armenian and Greek Orthodox minority or a Tel Aviv fish market run by a Israeli along with a Palestinian fisherman.
In this way the book becomes a sort of unconventional guide of the two cities where you can find also recipes of typical dishes signed by the restaurateurs interviewed.
The title takes shape from the way markets are known in Istanbul and Tel Aviv: "pazar" for Turkey, from Persian "bazaar", and "shuk" in Israel, a relative of the Arabic "souk".
The project was commissioned by the Israeli Consulate in Istanbul and is published - in English, Turkish and Hebrew - in the context of the recently inaugurated process of normalization of diplomatic relations between Turkey and Israel.
(HANDLE).