By Heidi Trautmann

When you hear or read the name Ismet Tatar you would first expect to learn about one of her new art projects. No, Ismet Tatar has presented a newly published book in English, translation of a book already launched in 2007 in Turkish. A book to honour the olive tree of Cyprus, but also to honour the Cypriot cuisine she grew up with and has shared with her friends and many guests at her table. In her foreword she says:

“I have lived amongst olive trees since childhood and since the Great Forest Fire of 1995 in North Cyprus, they have become the subject of my paintings and writing of this book. My aim is to give the history of the olive, to convey an appreciation of the importance and the uses of olive oil and to give the recipes of our local dishes in which olive oil is a most precious ingredient. As with everything else.

Whilst doing this research, I studied many publications, but it was other people’s experience in particular which were most helpful. My happiest times were when I had invited guests to our table set with green and black olives, aromatic olive oils and pureed olives and let them have a taste and discuss them. Here, I would like to thank all my acquaintances, so numerous that I cannot mention them all by name, who shared their knowledge and experience with me. In particular, I wish to thank my assistant Ayshe Keskin, who helped me while preparing the recipes.

To my mother, Shaziye Eril, I owe much gratitude, for teaching me everything I know, to my daughter Havva Tatar Anil for the help and support who prepared the layout of this book, to Léonie Brittain for her patient editing and to my husband Rüstem Tatar for the help and support he gave me in my research. It also gives me great pleasure to welcome you, my dear readers… Ismet Tatar

Looking at the typical image of green olives on the cover of the book, full and inviting, reminds me of the coming harvest season end of October, the days full of the unique pleasure of holding in your hands this precious fruit and see it turn to golden liquid in the oil factory where we take it two days later.

In her book Ismet has collected thoughts about the olive tree, its value to the human mankind, its history and its appreciation by famous people in their books and letters, but also in holy books as the Koran and the Bible. In North Cyprus, on the way to Güzelyurt, there is a most precious place, a garden full of old olive trees several hundred years old, and of this garden she shows the beautiful and sacred olive trees, witnesses of Cyprus’ population and history of many hundred of years ago.

Then we learn about the whole process of olive picking and turning them into the treasures we later find on our tables.But also the secrets of beauty and health recipes, some I never heard of. Next to the written recipes beautiful and tempting, mouth watering photos.

Sivelay Sadikoglu conveys her appreciation of the value of this book for us, for our generation and the ones to come with the words:

“We have lost our values. We say we have no choice in this, yet we lament the loss of those values which formed us.

But the talented artist Ismet Tatar is an exception. She still possesses these values, and works tirelessly, researches thoroughly; and now she has written the most precious book for the generation to come.”

Ismet Tatar was born in the village of Inönü (Sinde) and graduated from the Painting Department of the Vocational Training Faculty at Ankara University. She then worked as an art teacher. Influenced by social events in Cyprus, she paints women, trees and soil. She has had exhibitions both in Cyprus and abroad.

The first book she published in Turkish “Cyprus Dowry Chests” for which she had done intensive research on the history of Cypriot dowry chests and their patterns, is a most important work.

Contact iztatar@hotmail.com / www.oranjartgallery.com. The books are available in the local bookstores.