Una rosa è una rosa è una rosa…non è così?
Ah, Halfeti: il gioiello nella corona della Turchia. Con il suo meraviglioso mix di antico fascino bizantino, armeno, egiziano e ottomano, E città rinomata per i suoi scambi commerciali con il resto del mondo.
Spices and soft leathers. Cloth and coffee. Some of the most desirable treasures in the world are found where the continents of Europe and Asia meet. Of all the commodities traded in and around the town of Halfeti, the most coveted was the black rose. Il più raro dei fiori, originario delle vicine rive dell’Eufrate. The roses bloom only once a year, displaying their petals of darkest red. It’s said to be the combination of terroir and the pH of the river that makes the roses appear soft black in the hot summer sun.
News of this fabled black rose travelled fast across the seas, and a quest for the truth began. On their journey of olfactive discovery, travellers became enamoured with the unusual skylines of Halfeti, dominated by domes and minarets, and the grand kasbahs confusing to even the most intrepid explorers. These emporia emanated exotic sounds, sights and scents. The tale of a rare flower had sparked curiosity for more. The cogs were turning. A fragrant icon was to be born.
A trip to the bazaar exposed these explorers to Levantine spices – cardamom, nutmeg, cinnamon and saffron. Le medine traboccano di queste spezie disposte in cumuli colorati. Non era un commercio su larga scala, non ne occorrevano grandi quantità. Un pizzico era sufficiente per creare una nota di misticismo orientale. With oil extracted from the rose petals, the notes of Halfeti were beginning to sing.
Il nostro viaggio profumato attraverso il Golfo Persico continua... Ci rilassiamo sulle note del patchouli in rotta verso una base muschiata seducente di resine, oud e ambra. L’oud è finemente mescolato con la morbidezza vellutata del cedro e dei legni di sandalo. Smelling these final notes is akin to watching glowing embers of firewood, or seeing the sunset on the Turkish coast as ships head back to England with their precious cargo.
An icon was born.