But suddenly the cloud disperses, and groups of pigeons head in different directions to the rooftops of their owners’ homes. Pigeon keeping is a popular pastime in Urfa, and in pursuit of the birds we followed our chance acquaintance Ahmet Toprak through the labyrinthine streets. In and out of courtyards, and up and down flights of steps onto the rooftops we went, visiting the pigeon fanciers. At every door we had a new question, and each proudly displayed pigeon won new admiration. Finally we entered a coffee house whose sign read Çardakli Kahve. One of the rooms had an entire wall divided into wire aviaries. Facing these were small tables and stools. This was where the pigeon fanciers gathered, the murmurs of their conversation mingling with the cooing of the birds.

But the real action was on the coffee house roof. Although I had spent the entire day visiting pigeon fanciers, I had not yet seen so many birds together. I was surrounded by four to five hundred pigeons producing a steady hum of sound.

Birds which return are regarded as loyal and courageous. Each flock has a leader, which is always one of the birds with ‘a clean record’ which has never been caught. Sometimes a pigeon owner issues a challenge known as ürkütme, laying wager that his birds are uncatchable on any terms that the challenged owner cares to set. The challenger is obliged to accept all the terms or custom dictates that he surrender all his birds or give up pigeon keeping altogether. Terms include transporting the birds to a release point several hundred kilometres away and releasing them at night to increase the chances of confusing them. Each bird works for three or four years before being mated with a female of its own variety. The youngsters are trained for a year before participating in the ‘mixing’ with the other birds. Tending the birds is a time consuming job, and apart from cleaning out cages and giving food and water the birds are adorned with beads and jewellery. Bracelets known as takim made of bone or amber are attached to their feet, and some have silver earrings and necklaces.

The tinkling and chinking sound of this jewellery harmonises with their delicate cooing voices. The bird keepers also paint a distinctive mark of ownership on the underwing of each bird. Semsettin Bey explains that his colour is orange, and that wherever in the province a bird of his is caught, it is recognised as a Çardakli pigeon. Semsettin Bey describes pigeon keeping as a wonderful hobby, so long as the obsession is kept within reasonable limits so that money that should be going to wives and children is not spent on the birds. ‘It is a tradition passed down to us from our fathers and grandfathers,’ he says. ‘The pleasure is not just in the competition. Whatever troubles you might have in the world, they are forgotten when you feed your birds in the evenings. You find serenity in their company.’ Perhaps the pigeon fanciers journey with their birds in imagination, and who knows where they fly.

By Ugur GOKTAS