Category: Travel

Your guide for proper etiquette at sacred sites

By lisa schencker

The Salt Lake Tribune

First published Oct 14 2011 12:05PM

Not everyone who visits Temple Square in Salt Lake City is Mormon. Catholics aren’t the only ones who trek to St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City. And the Blue Mosque in Istanbul, Turkey, draws tourists of all faiths.

For most international travelers, visiting religious sites is inevitable. They are hubs of history, repositories of art and often skyline-dominating, cultural behemoths. But they also are often living places of worship that demand a certain level of respect and decorum. Sometimes tourists don’t know all the rules when visiting sites outside of their own faiths. And sometimes they forget to show proper respect in their zeal to sightsee.

Travel expert Rick Steves, who has authored numerous travel guides, said visiting world religious sites is a worthwhile endeavor.

“If we’re all God’s children,” Steves said, “it’s great to get to know the family.”

But he emphasized it’s important for tourists to remember their place.

“If you have a huge church,” Steves said, “that’s been there for 1,000 years, built to facilitate worship, and there’s two people sitting in one pew actually using the church for what it was built to do, their needs should trump everyone else’s needs who come as tourists and sightseers.”

The Salt Lake Tribune asked Steves, a virtual staple on public television, and Stuart M. Matlins, co-editor of the book How to Be a Perfect Stranger: The Essential Religious Etiquette Handbook and publisher at SkyLight Paths Publishing, for their thoughts on visiting religious sites as a tourist.

They both said whether visiting the gargoyle-topped Cathedral of Notre Dame in Paris, the sacred Western Wall in Jerusalem or the stately Westminster Abbey in London, common rules of respectfulness apply.

via Your guide for proper etiquette at sacred sites | The Salt Lake Tribune.

Story continues at :

October 15, 2011
Arab Tourists Flock to Turkey for a Dash of History

Lured by Turkey’s soap operas, shopping, and historical heritage, Arabs from all over the Gulf are flocking to Turkey.

The boom in Arab tourism over the past several years has been a boon for the country’s tourism sector, but the ongoing turmoil in the Middle East has put the brakes on this trend.

Between 2008 and 2010, entries from the Arab world increased 62%, driven by the signing of numerous visa-free treaties with Middle Eastern states. Turkey’s popular soap operas, Istanbul’s mega malls, the so-called suitcase trade, and Turkey’s cultural and historical heritage drew nearly two million tourists from the Arab world in 2010.

Arab tourists tend to spend more money and stay longer than their European and American counterparts, making them a particularly attractive market.

Yahya Terzi, director of sales at Alharran Tours, attributes this to the fact that Arabs in general travel with their large, extended families.

“They like to relax with family. When you calculate how many people they have in their family, they end up spending more money. They also like first class hotels and restaurants. They don’t tend to stay in three star hotels,” he told SES Türkiye.

Arab tourists are also drawn by the sights and sounds they see every week on popular Turkish soap operas.

“They want to see where their favourite soap operas are shot and they want to meet the actors,” according to Shirin Schade, managing director of Travelstyle.

Tour operators noticed a significant jump in Arab tourists after Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan’s shouting down of Israeli President Shimon Peres at Davos in 2009.

“In the summer after Davos, they [Arab tourists] started to come here because more people learned about Turkey,” Abdulkadir Duger, general manager of Alharran Tourism and Travel Agency, told SES Türkiye. “They enjoyed their first visit and more and more started to come.”

While the incident surely won sympathy from the Arab Street, more significant has been the signing of numerous visa-free travel agreements with its Middle Eastern neighbours, which made it much easier for tourists and businessmen to visit Turkey.

In a recent article entitled “Turkey’s ‘Demonstrative Effect’ and the Transformation of the Middle East”, Bogazici University professor Kemal Kirisci points out that tourism and Istanbul as a venue for various NGO and activist gatherings can play a role in promoting Turkey as a democratic, liberal and secular model for the Middle East.

“Turkey’s visa-free travel policy also allows the possibility of reinforcing the image of Turkey formed through media,” Kirisci writes, pointing out for example, that 71% of Saudi women watch Turkish TV series.

Despite the growing enthusiasm for Turkey, Sueda Albaker, business development and office manager of Albaker Tours, said that her company has seen a drop in tourists since the start of the Arab uprisings and Turkey’s turbulent relationship with Israel.

“Arab tourists visiting Turkey have decreased because some of them couldn’t travel because the borders were closed,” Alakbar explained.

The largest drop in the number of tourists comes from Bahrain, Israel and Syria, according to the General Directorate of Investment and Enterprises Department of Research and Evaluation. However, the number of tourists from Kuwait, Iraq and Saudi Arabia increased by at least 39%.

Albaker blames the drop in tourists from certain countries on fears that if an uprising were to start while they are vacationing abroad, they wouldn’t be able to return home.

When the Middle East begins to stabilise, many in the Turkish travel industry are confident Turkey will continue to be an enticing destination for Arab travellers.

Schade thinks that new legislation in Europe targeting Muslims could help draw even more people to Turkey.

“Turkey is a Muslim country. They can cover up the way they want and no one says anything,” he explained.

The fact that countries like France have started penalising people for wearing the chador could dissuade them from visiting places like Paris, according to Schade.

Friday, 14 October 2011

Setimes

October 15, 2011
10 Things to Do in Istanbul

Posted by jbogdaneris on October 11, 2011 – 8:21 am

Overwhelming is the operative word for the old capital of the Ottoman Empire. On the cobble-stoned streets masses of tourists shuffle their way through the remnants of old civilizations. Up above on the many terraces overlooking the city, are spectacular views of the aqua-colored Bosphorous and soaring minarets. And then several times a day the wailing melodic call to prayer echoes from the loudspeakers of the mosques pushing aside every other sound for a few moments.

1. The Sultanahmet

I spent nearly all my time in this historic neighborhood and still don’t feel like I saw half of it. The epicenter of tourist hotels and big important sightseeing destinations, it still manages to retain an air of mystery and discoverability despite being under a seemingly constant invasion of travelers. Much of the action occurs outdoors and everything is for sale from the delicious sesame-covered round bread known as simit to long-forgotten childhood toys. Orient Express is a centrally located hotel with a pool and a rooftop restaurant but the romantically named Poem Hotel (whose rooms are named after examples of famous Turkish verse) is on a cozier street with a sweeping view of the world’s narrowest shipping lane and a sprawling terrace populated with brazenly cute felines.

2. Beyoglu

If you leave the Sultanahmet and take a ride over the Galata Bridge (where fisherman cast their lines at all hours of the day and night) you’ll discover a more modern Turkey in this neighborhood. Headscarves are in shorter supply and a younger crowd of locals and visitors swells the main boulevard Istiklal Caddessi and the adjoining arteries teeming with bars, cafés and even late-night fruits stands. Newly resurrected tavern Cicek Pasaji is a traditional brasserie known as a meyhane and a great place to eat cheap food, sip beer and listen to impromptu live music.

3. Hamdi Restaurant

A local institution with sweeping views of the city, this is a good place to start your culinary journey of the city. Its famous for its kebap dishes but also has a devastatingly good haydari (a yoghurt, roasted eggplant and garlic dip) large puffy fresh bread, and the best humus I may have ever tasted. Enter through the ground floor baklava shop

4. The Blue Mosque

Built as an architectural response to the spectacular Aya Sofia, the Blue Mosque is generally considered the lesser of the two, but why choose? The six minarets rise high into the sky and act as a landmark for wayward tourists. Its profile is postcard perfect from every angle and the inside must be seen to be believed. Allow plenty of time for gazing heavenward at the tile work with mouth agape.

5. Aya Sofia

Originally built as a Byzantine church then later re-commissioned as a mosque it’s now a museum whose Christian mosaics of uncommon beauty were only recently uncovered with painstaking care. The many layers of history on view are an apt metaphor for the city outside its glorious domed ceiling.

via 10 Things to Do in Istanbul. PART 1

October 12, 2011
48 Hours: Istanbul

As the summer heat subsides, Turkey’s premier city buzzes with a host of autumn events.

By Laura Holt

Rex Features

Night vision: The Blue Mosque at dusk

Travel essentials

Why go now?

Seven hills, four bodies of water and two continents meet in this sprawling maritime city, which mixes historic mosques and markets with rooftop bars for a city break with depth and dimension. As autumn falls, Turkey’s premier metropolis shakes off the heat of high summer with a season of festivals: starting with film (Filmekimi; 8-15 October; filmekimi.iksv.org), moving on to music (Akbank Jazz; 13-23 October; akbanksanat.com), and culminating in the celebration of Republic Day on 29 October, when a light display and fireworks will illuminate the Bosphorus Bridge (1).

Touch down

On arrival, British travellers must pay £10 (in cash) for a visa. Istanbul’s main airport, Ataturk, is 20km west of the centre on the European side. It is served by Turkish Airlines (020-7471 6666; turkishairlines.com) from Birmingham, Heathrow and Manchester; and British Airways (0844 493 0787; ba.com) from Heathrow. A train/tram combo gets you quickly and cheaply into town. Follow signs for the Hafif Metro; buy a 2 lira (YTL2/0.70p) token and take the train to Zeytinburnu station. Transfer to the tram bound for Kabatas (different token, same price) which heads first to Sultanahmet, before crossing to the newer parts of town.

The city’s second airport, Sabiha Gokcen, is 50km west of the centre, across the Bosphorus on the Asian shore. Pegasus (0845 0848 980; flypgs.com) flies here from Stansted, as does easyJet (0843 104 5000; easyJet.com) from Luton and Gatwick. An airport bus (00 90 212 518 03 54; istanbulairportshuttle.com) travels to central hotels for €10, or less for groups of four or more.

Get your bearings

Istanbul is loosely divided into three. In the southern part of the European side, Sultanahmet marks the hub of the old town. Encircled by fortified walls, this area cradles a triumvirate of architectural jewels: the russet-hued beauty of Hagia Sophia (2); the Blue

Mosque (3) with its six minarets; and the expansive hilltop pile of Topkapi Palace (4).

Moving clockwise towards the north, the Golden Horn estuary bisects the older part of the European side, from the more modern section of bars, bistros and shopping precincts stretching from Galata Bridge (5) into the Beyoglu area, and up towards the main Taksim Square (6).

Finally, to the east: the Bosphorus Strait cuts its path between Europe and the Asian bank, linking at its northernmost limit the Black Sea with the Sea of Marmara to the south.

Check in

For close proximity to the sights of Sultanahmet, the Hotel Amira (7) at Mustafa Pasa 79 (00 90 212 516 16 40; hotelamira.com) has suitably opulent rooms dressed in red and gold hues, with a roof terrace overlooking the Sea of Marmara. Doubles from €99, with breakfast.

In Beyoglu, the Pera Palace Hotel (8) (00 90 212 377 40 00; perapalace.com), is a grande dame with a revived spring in her step. First opened in 1892 in the twilight years of the Ottoman Empire to serve European passengers of the Orient Express train, the hotel has recently been restored to its former glory after a £20m renovation. Doubles from €200, room only.

High style is also evident at the new Istanbul Edition (9) (00 90 212 317 77 00; editionhotels.com), which opened in the business district of Levent, in April. It boasts a restaurant by Cipriani, a nightclub and doubles from €305, with breakfast.

Day one

Window shopping

The Spice Market (10) is an excellent place to plunge into the frenzy of colour and commerce that comprises Istanbul. Your senses will be assailed by an atmospheric array of piled powders, colourful cubes of lokum (Turkish delight) and even “Sultan’s Aphrodisiac” for the more adventurous; 9am-7pm daily.

Take a hike

Start at the Eminonu ferry port (11), the main maritime intersection for boats across the Bosphorus. The hub is dominated by the Yeni Camii (12), an Ottoman imperial mosque built in 1597 with two elegant minarets. Cross Galata Bridge (5), with rows of fishermen casting their lines. Head north along Yuksek Kaldirim, with the handsome medieval spire of the Galata Tower (13) as your target (00 90 212 293 8180; galatatower.net; 9am-8pm daily; YTL11/£4). First erected in 528 by Emperor Justinian, before being rebuilt by the Genoese in 1348, this stone beacon stands 61 metres above ground, with exceptional views from its narrow platform at the top.

Continue north to Istiklal Caddesi. This pedestrianised artery is the epitome of modern Istanbul: international chains, smart restaurants and a maze of side-streets, known as the Beyoglu passages, offering a traditional contrast. One of the most notable is found through the iron gate labelled “Balik Pazari” (fish market) (14) where you can finish the walk amid iced displays of whole turbot, while watching hawkers fry calamari on street-side stalls.

Lunch on the run

The final right-hand street at the end of Istiklal is the location for Haci Baba (15), hidden behind a modest door at number 39 (00 90 212 244 1886; hacibabarest.com; noon-midnight daily). Here, an Iskender kebab – lamb on a bed of flatbread, with tomato and yogurt sauce – costs YTL22 (£8). There’s also a peaceful terrace with views of the Greek Orthodox church, Aya Triada.

Take a ride

… to Asia. Hop aboard the Bosphorus Cruise (sehirhatlari.com.tr; YTL25/£9) which departs daily from Eminonu (11) at 1.35pm and takes you nearly the full length of the waterway: past shore-side mansions and enviable summer homes, underneath two soaring bridges, before the banks pull away to meet the mouth of the Black Sea. If you don’t have time for the full half-day tour, dozens of ferries cross to Asia for YTL2 (£0.70).

An aperitif

The jewel in the Eresin Crown (16), on Kucuk Ayasofya 40 (00 90 212 638 44 28; eresin.com.tr), is its impressive rooftop bar overlooking the Sea of Marmara. This boutique hotel welcomes non-guests daily between 10am-midnight and serves traditional raki cocktails for YTL15 (£5).

Dining with the locals

By nightfall, Akbiyik Avenue buzzes with meyhanes (traditional Turkish restaurants) and becomes one of Sultanahmet’s busiest thoroughfares. Albura Kathisma (17) at number 26 (00 90 212 517 90 31; alburakathisma.com) dishes up tender kebabs with tomatoes and flatbread for YTL23 (£8). What sets this venue apart though, is what lies beneath. Ask the waiters, and they will lead you through a maze of dimly lit vaults and dank underground tunnels which formed part of the Magnaura (senate building) during the Byzantine era.

Day two

Sunday morning: go to church

The Blue Mosque (3) – so called for the coloured tiles adorning its interior – was built in 1609 for the teenage Sultan Ahmet I. It provoked resistance due to its six minarets, deemed to rival those of Mecca – the only other place to have as many at the time. Inside, the Iznik mosaics ornamenting its domed cupola are beguiling. The mosque is closed five times during the day for prayer. In the morning, the longest window is between 7am and 12.30pm; free. Female visitors must cover their heads and shoulders; men should wear trousers.

A walk in the park

Gulhane park (18) is a tranquil green park on the edge of Sultanahmet, with shaded lawns and views of the Bosphorus. On the left is Hagia Eirene church (19). Next, the Archaeology Museum (20), with a collection of terracotta artefacts, Ottoman coins and ancient tombs (00 90 212 527 27 00; istanbularkeoloji.gov.tr; 9am-5pm, except Monday; YTL10/£3.50).

At the northern edge is Topkapi Palace (4) (00 90 212 512 0480; topkapipalace.com), built at the top of the ancient acropolis in 1459 as a retreat for the Sultans. It holds three open courtyards, surrounded by exhibition rooms, containing bejewelled robes, encrusted chests and elaborate gifts bestowed on the Ottoman rulers by visiting dignitaries (YTL20/£7). Inside, buy a ticket for the Harem section (YTL15/£5), which allows you to roam through the cool tiled rooms where successive Sultans housed their wives and mistresses. Open 9am-5pm daily except Tuesday.

Out to brunch

Turkish meze is on offer at the Balikci Sabahattin (21) on Cankurtaran Caddesi (00 90 212 458 18 24; balikcisabahattin.com), near the Blue Mosque (3). Here, trays of octopus salad and marinated seabass are served within a crumbling courtyard for around YTL10 per dish (£3.50). Open daily from noon.

Cultural afternoon

Head underground to the Basilica Cistern (22) or “Sunken Palace” (00 90 212 522 12 59; yerebatan.com), near Sultanahmet Square. This impressive system of subterranean aqueducts was built in 532 to service the water requirements of the Byzantine Emperor Justinian and his people. It boasts 336 marble columns, enhanced today by modern lighting (open daily 9am-6.30pm; YTL10/£3.50).

Emerge and make your way to Hagia Sophia (2): one of the oldest extant symbols of the Byzantine period, dating back to the sixth century. Built as a church and transformed into a mosque a millennium later, it has served as a bastion for two of the world’s leading religions, and now displays a mix of Christian murals and Islamic calligraphy across its soaring dome and upper galleries. Open daily 9am-7pm; YTL20 (£7).

The icing on the cake

Take the tram north to Kabatas, which stops near to Dolmabahce Palace (23) (00 90 212 327 26 26; dolmabahcepalace.com). This 19th-century mansion was the residence of choice for Sultans of the late-Ottoman period after they stopped living in Topkapi. Visitors must take guided tours around its two main sections, the Harem and palace (YTL20/£7; 9am-4.30pm; closed Mon/Thur).

After General Ataturk, the founding father of the Turkish Republic, exiled the last Sultans, he used this as his base in Istanbul. He died here in Room 71 on 10 November 1938 at 9.05am: all the clocks are stopped in remembrance.

https://www.independent.co.uk/travel/48-hours-in/48-hours-istanbul-2367150.html

October 9, 2011
A Tight Wide-open Space: Finding love in a Muslim land

In 2003, when the shockwaves of 9/11 still echoed through the US and the country was fighting two wars in Muslim countries, Matt met a beautiful woman on an airplane and decided to follow her to Turkey. This is the story of what happened there.

BUY THE BOOK: Paperback

Book trailer from Matt Krause on Vimeo.

October 8, 2011
Morgan Freeman Treated To Special Turkey Tour

Morgan Freeman Treated To Special Turkey Tour

Morgan Freeman was given a sightseeing tour of Istanbul by one of Turkey’s top ministers on Thursday (06Oct11).

The veteran actor is on vacation in Europe following a whirlwind promotional tour for his new movie Dolphin Tale, and Freeman made the most of his free time.

He was spotted visiting several landmarks in the city with friends, and the group was shown around by Mustafa Demir, the Minister of Public Works and Settlement.

via Morgan Freeman | Morgan Freeman Treated To Special Turkey Tour | Contactmusic.

October 8, 2011