Turkey's beaches are witnessing an incredible juxtaposition of beauties clad in bikinis (or even topless) with babes donning head-to-toe swimwear. Under moderate-to-conservative Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Muslim sensitivities about women's clothing are getting a more sympathetic ear. Thus, tailors such as Mustafa Karaduman, nicknamed The Prophet's Couturier, are pioneering efforts to make swimming attire in strict adherence to dictates of the Qur'an. These suits allow Muslim lovelies to tan guilt free as the cloth allows the sun's rays to bathe their bodies but not expose them. Within the secular democratic society of modern Turkey bequeathed by her Western-oriented founder Ataturk, the differences in garb are likely to continue to coexist as long as fundamentalistic tendencies are kept in check. Of course, the bikini and less is likely to rule in Western societies where feminine beauty is celebrated and not cloaked.
Cf. http://www.guardian.co.uk/turkey/story/0,,1788565,00.html.
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4 comments:
Quite a revealing article. You covered it well and so does Mustafa, apparently. I'm sure that some of the garments that he makes for Turkish women resemble the Tents of Kedar. He could be missing an emerging market, J: "Allah's tent maker."
BTW, Don't let my ex know, she might want one.
Thanks, J. As to the bathing dress designed by Mustafa, I've seen in catalogues swimwear that is similarly tan-thru. Wonderful for the modest and/or aesthetically challenged.
Nice alliterative headline, James. I see you've got some of DiDi's editorial knack.
Thanks, Joseph, for the high compliment. Look very much forward to seeing you all Fri.
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