Once Upon A Time In Antalya🔊

There was a quaint little coastal city in southwestern Turkey, Antalya. The city's rich history dipped back into times when human civilization gained its first breath, but this story is not about the city per se; it is centered on a warm-hearted carpet-weaver, Yusuf.

Yusuf had been living in Antalya all his life. He was in his late sixties and had an affable aura about himself that made him very well-known throughout the city. Yusuf wasn't just a carpet-weaver but also a storyteller. Customers from various corners of the city, and sometimes even beyond, would flock to his store, captivated by the allure of his weaves and his charming chronicles.

One chilly winter evening, when the sky was painted a delicious mix of magenta and orange, smoke plumed away from chimneys, and the city was retiring to bed under a warm blanket of snow, Yusuf received an unexpected guest. It was a tired, grizzled man with eyes that held stories untold. His cloak was dusty and worn out. He was a stranger; yet, there was something familiar about him. Yusuf, following his instinct, welcomed him with a warm cup of Sahlep.

The stranger was weary from his endless journey but his eyes shone with a strange excitement as he looked around Yusuf's store, touching the carpets, admiring their ornate patterns. Yusuf noticed the stranger's interest and promptly started a conversation on carpets and his craft. He explained how each intricacy around the warp and weft signified an indelible portion of the life of the weaver, a saga of their struggles, triumphs, unrequited love, and memories.

The discussion led both the men into a journey back into their lives. Yusuf learnt about the stranger's past, his tireless travels, his encounter with magic, and his search for a legendary treasure hidden beneath the sands of time. The stranger, who called himself Ahmet, was a man whose past was as intricate as the carpets Yusuf wove. Unraveling it was like crossing a labyrinth, taking a new surprising turn with each step.

Yusuf offered Ahmet to stay for the night and rest at his humble abode, to which the latter agreed graciously. The next morning Ahmet left, leaving Yusuf with an old map, his words echoing, 'You'll know when it's time to use it, Yusuf, and you'll find what you're looking for.'

In the following years, Yusuf became even more engrossed in his craft. Each carpet that he weaved now held not just his story but also that of Ahmet's. People began to notice a shift in his designs. They became more ingenious, mysterious, bearing a story that was mystifying yet awe-inspiring.

One cold night, just as the one when Ahmet had dropped by, Yusuf found the old map while cleaning his attic. His heart beat fast as he remembered Ahmet's last words. Cautiously, he opened it, finding it marked with unintelligible symbols and a path leading towards a location near the city. His old heart was stirred with a wave of adventure he had never felt before.

With some apprehension and a lot of excitement, Yusuf decided to follow the map. As he treaded the path shown in the map, he embarked on a journey that led him towards mountains, through woods, across streams, the city dwindling behind him, until he came upon a cave.

Inside, it was dark, cold, and slightly eerie. But Yusuf was not just a carpet-weaver, he was also a storyteller; he had learned to see in the dark, to find beauty in the unknown. As he moved further into the cave, his eyes finally adjusted to the darkness, and what he saw next had his heart thudding against his chest; rolls and rolls of magnificent carpets, each unique, each with its own tale, just like his own.

From that day on, Yusuf dedicated his life not just weaving carpets but also preserving the legacies that the cave held. His little store flourished, and his storytelling had a new edge to it, complex like the weaves and threads of his carpets, intriguing like the map given to him by a stranger.

In his own little ways, Yusuf found his real treasure nestled in the heart of his beloved city, Antalya: stories, endless stories woven into carpets, waiting to be told, waiting to be heard. And that's how the quaint little city became an abode of legendary tales told through the tongues of traditional carpets, woven beautifully with patience and love, each a treasure in itself.