UmAy Home is a place where I will always come back to, physically and emotionally. It is a place of peace and positive introspection. It serves as a safe port during a challenging time, and I was able to look back on my journey while there, as a proper “misafir” would do.
Misafir is the Turkish word for guest (so old that it can be traced back to the Kutadgu Bilig, one of the written examples of Turco-Islamic cultural history, penned in the 11th century during the Karahanid Empire), comes from the Arabic root safar, meaning voyage/travel. It is also the root of the word sefaret (embassy) and part of the world misafirperverlik, meaning hospitality in Turkish. Hospitality is one of UmAy House’s many virtues, and it is present in many dimensions: spiritual, intellectual, nutritional, physical… Ozlem and Sevil have arranged the house with delicate courtesy and love. It is a privilege to have stayed here.
Banu Pekol, Misafir 🙂
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