19. At the Funeral

"Like Kemal’s family home, the Pamuk Apartments on Tesvikiye Street, where I lived for almost my entire life, were very close to the Tesvikiye Mosque, where the funerals of the rich took place. Many of my relatives’ funerals also took place in this mosque, as well as the funerals of many of my novels’ protagonists. This was the first mosque I ever visited. Our maid, bored of being at home, carried me there, and I liked that place, with its floors carpeted just like at home, where bored shopkeepers, porters, and cooks could congregate and make friends. Not just the rich but also famous singers, politicians, and generals had their funerals held at the Tesvikiye Mosque, and we watched the processions that followed their coffins to the cemetery pass by our house, accompanied by a military band or city council members." (The Innocence of Objects by Orhan Pamuk)