The name flashed in my mind like a neon sign last night at 4am whilst I was semi-conscious and feeding Sofia. It was a name I had wanted for my future daughter... back when I was 14? 15? It was a name inspired by a Turkish girl whom I met on the sea crossing from the mountain resort of Ankara to Istanbul. I found a picture of her recently whilst spring cleaning my old room, which was probably what prompted the random recall.
As with my life, a lot of things that happen are like intended coincidences- some purely satirical, others simply strange.
My daughter is actually named, in part, not after a Turkish girl but after a Turkish historical site- the St Sophia (Hagia Sophia) which is a beautiful Byzantine basilica/church, turned mosque, turned historical museum in the city of Eastern Istanbul. In fact, Sufia means just that in Arabic- "beautiful".
Inside is a marriage of Christianity and Islam, a reflection of the great Byzantine and Ottoman empires.. *do you see a painting of Jesus Christ between the Islamic scribes?
(http://www.sacred-destinations.com/turkey/istanbul-hagia-sophia.htm)
Visiting that place invoked an awakening in me about how I was tied to this great civilisation and should probably know some of its history well. But back then, all I remember was how breath-taking it was being within its walls, a lot like those Roman churches in Angels & Demons (which incidentally was the last movie I watched a day before giving birth to Sofia).
Sara was my mother's idea. She who is the first wife of Prophet Ibrahim- the prophet who restored the Kaabah to its current glory. Whose footprints I chanced to see during one of my Umrah excursions with Mum & Dad.
But the names I truly like best are universal ones- they carry multiple meanings in various languages.
The girl's name Sarah \s(a)-rah\ is pronounced SARE-ah. It is of Hebrew origin, and its meaning is "princess". Biblical: originally called Sarai, Sarah shared an adventurous nomadic life with her husband Abraham. She is described as being exceptionally beautiful even into her older years.
The girl's name Sophia \s(o)-phia\ is pronounced so-FEE-ah. It is of Greek origin, and its meaning is "wisdom". Used in English-speaking countries since the 17th century. The famous Istanbul mosque Hagia Sofia was once a Christian church.
It occurs to me in the wee hours of yesterday morning how intricately pieces of my life are linked together without me intending it.
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Whilst still on the topic of baby names, here's a hearty congratulations to Heidi and Manu... their long-awaited firstborn is finally here. Tino & Sofia share the same EDD- 30 Jun 09- so I was anticipating having Heidi as a roomie at TMC. I really should ask her what Tino means as Kai has various meanings:
"Rejoice" in Finnish
"Keeper" in Scandinavian
"Beautiful" in South African
"Ocean" in Hawaiian
"Forgiveness" in Japanese
Tino Kai Seth, 3.3kg popped out on 22 Jun 09, I guess the tips on inducing labour worked after all! *teehehehe*
