One of the first things most of us do in the morning is look at our reflections in the mirror. And if we remember that obsidian mirrors dating from 6000 BC have been found at the Neolithic site of Çatalhöyük in Turkey, the desire of human beings to see themselves evidently dates from the mists of time. Modern mirrors with a reflective layer of metal beneath glass first appeared in Nuremberg in the 15th century, and from there spread to Venice, where the golden age of mirror making began. Immense Venetian pier mirrors were brought to Istanbul to decorate Aynalikavak Palace built on the shore of the Golden Horn in 1717 by Sultan Ahmed III.
A story dating from much earlier than this is told about the Turkish folk hero Nasreddin Hoca, an amusing and shrewd character, whose humour often reflects sharp insight into human nature and understanding: One day Nasreddin Hoca goes to draw water from the well, and sees the moon reflected in the surface. Thinking that the moon has fallen into the well, he hurries to pull up his bucket, and in his haste tumbles onto his back.