Istanbul: People
Photos & Words: Salina Christmas

Women shopping for gold at the Grand Bazaar.

Traditionally, Muslim women are endowed with gold by their husbands. Mothers shower daughters and grand-daughters with gold.

Women are encouraged to wear gold by the religion, and the husbands, if they can afford it, are very much encouraged to show their appreciation of the other halves with gold. And nice houses. And servants.

Dowries, paid by men to women, not the other way around, are traditionally paid in gold.