Like many of the stops on one of the world's great trade routes, the Silk Road, Trabzon used to be a lot more important than it is today. But the old market streets of this Turkish Black Sea port city still ring with sounds that could have been heard when ancient Greeks and Romans walked these streets.The patient, rhythmic tapping of hammer on metal permeates this alley of coppersmiths. Shelves are filled with gleaming pots, bowls and pitchers. In a corner of each shop, a single worker, usually an older man, patiently toils away on his latest creation — never quite identical to the ones that preceded it.Mahmut Efeoglu, 70, says the copper cooking pots are gorgeous and conduct heat superbly. He says he enjoys working with the soft metal."You can tap it into a variety of shapes — it's the best for cooking," he says. "I started learning from my father when I was 7. Right now I'm going to open this piece up a bit so it fits on top of that other one," he adds, reaching for a pair of long
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