Jerusalem and Istanbul: Juxtaposing and Personifying Ancient Cities for a 21st Century Readership

For writers that have earned status as cultural legends, like Yehuda Amichai (1924-2000) and Orham Pamuk (1952-), the respective cities where they themselves resided serve as both setting and muse. In the writings of Amichai, the holy city Jerusalem assumes the role of both a backdrop for his poetry as well as an all-encompassing symbol of Israel and its people. In the autobiographical and semi-autobiographical prose of Pamuk, it is Istanbul, the geographical and cultural crossroads of Europe and Asia that simultaneously inspire and dictate the nature of his narrative. Both authors have been celebrated for their integration of the city as a silent, verbally if not literally, character within their works--a multifaceted player shaping and influencing at every turn. For their openness to criticize religion and secular approaches, Amichai and Pamuk lend well to a comparative analysis. Both poet and novelist regard the religious components of their writing as cultural, not spiritual. Amichai saw Jerusalem as both virtuous and hateful, Pamuk regards Istanbul with appreciation and contradiction, but neither writer's name will ever be written or spoken without evoking images of their respective muses. This paper analyzes urban personification to look at the many roles of Istanbul and Jerusalem comparatively. [For the complete Volume 13, Number 1 proceedings, see ED568595.]