A Fez of the Heart - Seal

            The main concept that I found interesting was that the fez hats were illegal for citizens of Turkey and were “acceptable” for the tourists.  I don’t understand how fezzes can be acceptable one day by society, and the next day they are forbidden.  Moreover, the topic about topless beaches also had a similar effect.  Initially it was seen as terrible by society, and now it is acceptable by society. 

It seemed as though the town of Pomegranate made a complete three hundred sixty degree turn with its economics and customs or ways of life.  The life of a Turk changed dramatically during and after the death of Mustafa.  The narrator was able to remember the large amount of fezzes that were in the family attic.  Now, the narrator describes how they are “forbidden” in the Turkish culture.  This change had a direct effect on the market for merchants as well.  As the fezzes were looked down upon by Turkish culture, the demand for fezzes decreased.  The fezzes were cheap to begin with, and the sellers received even less money when the fezzes were not part of Turkish norms.

Beyond the specific example of this town in Turkey, there are conflicts between tourism and culture.  Simply stated, tourists are allowed to do things whereas the Turks are not.  This even goes back to the fez example and how it is forbidden for Turks to wear it but acceptable to tourists.  However, I also see connections between tourism and economics.  As a whole, tourism positively contributes to the overall market because individuals bring in money from other countries to spend in these countries.  As a result, this provides money flow in the country, Turkey in this case, and even keeps the merchants in business.