BLUEFISH
As not only a coastal city, but straddling the Bosphorus
strait, Istanbul is famous for many species of fish. But among these,
one has a special place. This is lüfer or bluefish, whose shoals
have always been eagerly awaited; which has been written about by
Ottoman poets; for which the sultans had special boats made, and
anglers along the Bosphorus used silver hooks. Bluefish is therefore
justly known as ‘sultan of the Bosphorus’.The bluefish
is one of Istanbul’s legends, and its flavour is at its most
exquisite here. Clearly the cool waters of the strait are the secret.
So when speaking of Istanbul and its fish, the bluefish
is the one which first comes to mind. Pomatomus saltatrix, to use
its Latin name, begins its travels from the south in spring, the
shoals swimming from the Aegean into the Marmara, and along the
Bosphorus to the Black Sea.On rafts moored to the banks of these
gently flowing branches of the river are several restaurants nestling
amongst greenery.
Here you can enjoy a delicious meal of fresh trout
and the local pastry known as gözleme. During the summer months
spent in the cool waters of the Black Sea the fish become well nourished
and their fat content increases. In September they begin the journey
southwards again, lingering for some time in the Bosphorus.
Catching bluefish was a popular and festive pastime among residents
of the Bosphorus shores until just thirty or forty years ago. When
the first spate - known as katavasya - began in September, these
anglers thought of nothing but catching the first bluefish of the
season. The anglers would also vie to get the first catch each morning,
taking up their places early on the Bosphorus shore at Kavaklar,
Kandilli, Kanlica, Ortaköy, Çengelköy, Beylerbeyi,
Sariyer, Istinye and other good fishing spots. All would throw their
lines out at the same moment. There was also competition between
anglers on the European and Asian shores of the Bosphorus. Unlike
the professional fishermen, amateurs fished purely for the pleasure
of it. another.
The finished manuscript was presented to Sultan
Süleyman by Ibrahim Pasa in 1525.In the introduction Piri Reis
explains his reasons of writing the manual and the benefits of the
navigational sciences for sailors, and gives accounts of storms
and winds, the compass, nautical charts and their symbols, the different
seas and oceans, Portuguese colonies on the shores of the Indian
Ocean, voyages of exploration along the African coast and in the
Sea of China, the Indian Ocean, and the Atlantic, and the discovery
of America.The manual proper begins with a description of Çanakkale
Strait (the Dardanelles), and its forts of Sultaniye and Kilitbahir.
Piri Reis goes on to describe in detail the fortresses, islands,
coasts and harbours of the Mediterranean and Aegean, including those
of Greece, the Morean Peninsula, the Adriatic, Italy, Sicily, Sardinia,
Corsica, France, Spain, the Canaries, North Africa, Egypt and the
Nile, the eastern Mediterranean, Crete, Cyprus, southern and Aegean
Turkey, Gelibolu and the Gulf of Saros.
The finished manuscript was presented to Sultan
Süleyman by Ibrahim Pasa in 1525.In the introduction Piri Reis
explains his reasons of writing the manual and the benefits of the
navigational sciences for sailors, and gives accounts of storms
and winds, the compass, nautical charts and their symbols, the different
seas and oceans, Portuguese colonies on the shores of the Indian
Ocean, voyages of exploration along the African coast and in the
Sea of China, the Indian Ocean, and the Atlantic, and the discovery
of America.The manual proper begins with a description of Çanakkale
Strait (the Dardanelles), and its forts of Sultaniye and Kilitbahir.
Piri Reis goes on to describe in detail the fortresses, islands,
coasts and harbours of the Mediterranean and Aegean, including those
of Greece, the Morean Peninsula, the Adriatic, Italy, Sicily, Sardinia,
Corsica, France, Spain, the Canaries, North Africa, Egypt and the
Nile, the eastern Mediterranean, Crete, Cyprus, southern and Aegean
Turkey, Gelibolu and the Gulf of Saros.
As well as information about water depth, anchorages,
coastal vegetation, sources of drinking water and shipyards, he
describes the local inhabitants, their religions, the political
powers of each region and trade. He even includes information about
ancient sites. There is a large-scale chart for each harbour and
island, and drawings of buildings and important monuments in the
coastal towns.Kitab-i Bahriye is a matchless nautical guide to the
Mediterranean, and a primary source of biographical information
about Piri Reis himself. Later copies were enlarged to include the
coast and islands of the Marmara Sea, and Istanbul. Copies of the
original edition of 1521 and that produced for Sultan Süleyman
in 1525 are to be found in major libraries around the world as well
as in museums and libraries in Istanbul. One of the most outstanding
Kitab-i Bahriye manuscripts is that with 232 charts now in Istanbul
University Library.
* Kemal Özdemir, is a researcher and writer
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