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sappeared in ashes and smoke； replaced by burnt ruins where stray dogs

congregated　and　where　mad　transients　frightened　the　local　children。　In　other

areas　razed　by　fire；　large　affluent　houses　had　been　built；　and　I　was　astonished

by their extravagance； by windows of the most expensive Veian stained

glass；　and　by　lavish　two…story　residences　with　bay　windows　suspended　above

high　walls。

As　in　many　other　cities；　money　no　longer　had　any　value　in　Istanbul。　At　the

time I returned from the East； bakeries that once sold large one…hundred

drachma　loaves　of　bread　for　one　silver　coin　now　baked　loaves　half　the　size　for

the same price； and they no longer tasted the way they did during my

childhood。　Had　my　late　mother　seen　the　day　when　she’d　have　to　spend　three

silver　pieces　for　a　dozen　eggs；　she’d　say；　“We　ought　to　leave　before　the　chickens

grow so spoiled they shit on us instead of the ground。” But I knew the

problem of devalued money was the same everywhere。 It was rumored that

Flemish and Veian merchant ships were filled with chests of counterfeit

coin。 At the royal mint； where five hundred coins were once minted from a

hundred drachmas of silver； now； owing to the endless warring with the

Persians； eight hundred coins were minted from the same amount。 When

Janissaries discovered that the coins they’d been paid actually floated in the

Golden　Horn　like　the　dried　beans　that　fell　from　the　vegetable…sellers　pier；　they

rioted；　besieging　Our　Sultan’s　palace　as　if　it　were　an　enemy　fortress。

A　cleric　by　the　name　of　Nusret；