Preparing Sweets In Tiled Bazaar

Ornate blue and red tilework climbs the archways of a covered bazaar kitchen, patterned lanterns hanging in clusters from the wooden ceiling and casting warm light across the room. In the foreground, a hand sprinkles pistachios into a copper bowl above trays piled high with baklava, rolled pastries, and cubes of pink and green Turkish delight. Further back, women in floral headscarves roll dough and knead pastry at a long wooden counter, while others stir steaming pots on a stovetop, smoke curling upward past hanging lamps. Tall copper coffee pots sit beside the counter, and shelves stocked with jars and packets line the tiled walls. Arched doorways lead deeper into the shop, where more workers move between tables. The trays of baklava are already scored into small diamonds, each one a piece waiting to be lifted from its neighbor.