Dawn, Üsküdar

I remarked to a friend the other night that I've never been quite so interested in the phases of the moon as I have been during Ramadan here. Because the month of fasting is lunar, Ramadan begins and ends with the new moon. Where we are now, the thin nib of the mood, signals that the month is almost over.

The moon has also been rising later -- at just about 4:00 am --  which means that it rises with the dawn. I noticed it tonight, as I was being driven back from Eyüp. At one point, we were driving north; the moon sprung up beyond the dark ridge of Çamlıca. When I made it home, I sat on the balcony and watched the morning sky fill with light.