Category: Travel

Arab spring fuels tourism boom for Turkey

Tourists from Gulf countries prefer Istanbul and Black Sea coast over usual summer destinations of Egypt and Syria

Constanze Letsch in Istanbul, guardian.co.uk

Arab Tourists in Turkey

Muhammad al-Menhali and wife Imad from Abu Dhabi who normally go to Egypt, enjoy their first trip to Turkey where they say they ‘feel safer’. Photograph: Jonathan Lewis

Muhammad al-Menhali and wife Imad from Abu Dhabi who normally go to Egypt, enjoy their first trip to Turkey where they say they ‘feel safer’. Photograph: Jonathan Lewis

The Arab spring is fuelling a Turkish summer as Saudis, Kuwaitis and other tourists from the Gulf states who would have previously spent summers in Syria or Egypt look further north.

Figures from the Turkish ministry of culture and tourism show bookings from Saudi Arabia and Kuwait are up by 75% and, with the beginning of Ramadan days away, hotels in Istanbul and the northwestern city of Bursa are fully booked.

Turkey’s new wave of Arab visitors in part attribute their presence in the country down to the instability in their usual summer holiday destinations.

“We come here now because there is so much trouble in other Arab countries,” said Muhammad al-Menhali from Abu Dhabi, who was in Turkey for the first time with his wife Imad and baby son. “We usually go to Egypt, but we feel safer in Turkey.”

In the Grand Bazaar in the historical Sultanahmet district of Istanbul, shopkeepers said they had noticed a significant increase in Arab tourists over the last year. “I like Turkey so much. The country feels familiar; I don’t feel like a stranger,” said Housiya al-Hamadi, strolling with six members of her family past market stalls offering hand-painted porcelain, silk scarves and touristic knick-knacks. Her only complaint was that few Turks speak English or Arabic. “We often have to communicate with hands and feet,” she laughed.

Approximately 1 million Arabs live in Turkey, and their language skills are now highly sought after. With Turkey having long steered away from its Arab neighbours and imperial Ottoman past, learning Arabic was considered backwards, necessary only for religious scholars. Now private language schools in Istanbul increasingly offer Arabic courses, and shops advertise sales positions for Arabic speakers.

Besides Istanbul, Arab tourists prefer the lush Black Sea coast, with Uzungöl and Trabzon topping the list. The sun and sea packages that draw British and German tourists to Antalya or Fethiye every year hold little attraction for tourists from the Middle East, according to Turkish travel agencies catering to Arab clients. “The Black Sea coast is green, and not as hot in the summer as their home countries,” said Abdülkadir Düger, general manager of Alharran Tours.

Simultaneously western European countries have become less appealing. “After 11 September, visa requirements became much stricter, visas for the UK and other European countries are now very hard to get for us,” said Oussama Salaha, a Jordanian who is now living in Saudi Arabia. “Turkey is a Muslim country, we don’t need to worry about halal food, the culture is close to our own. Veiled women don’t face any issues in Turkey. Saudi tourists don’t go to France any more since the French government banned the face veil.”

Düger suggested changes in Turkey’s foreign policy and its rapprochement with Arab countries had played a crucial role in its growing popularity with Arab tourists.

Over the past couple of years, the Turkish government has lifted visa requirements for Arab countries such as Syria, Qatar, Lebanon, Yemen and Jordan.

“Arabs are welcome guests in Turkey,” said Düger. “We will probably soon need more hotels to accommodate them all.”

via Arab spring fuels tourism boom for Turkey | World news | The Guardian.

July 26, 2011
Western Turkey, Beyond Istanbul

Western Turkey, Beyond Istanbul

Turkey is changing fast. And it’s modernizing fast. For my vacation this year, I hit the road in Turkey, with romantic memories (a few years old) of horse-drawn carriages and villages with economies powered by hay, dung, and ducks. While that rustic old world is tougher to find, the deep traditions and warm hospitality of the region are as endearing as ever, especially if you venture past the predictable sights and tourist zones. Turkey has a sparse and frustrating train system, but flights are cheap and competitive bus companies provide easy, comfy, and inexpensive connections throughout the land.

At the crossroads of Europe and Asia, Turkey is looking West and getting there. It is a vast land, bigger than Texas and with a population of 60 million. Only half of Turkey’s 42,000 village s had electricity in 1980. Now they all do. Does modernization threaten the beautiful things that make Turkish culture so appealing? An old village woman assured me, “We can survive TV and tourism because we have strong cultural roots.” The Turkish way of life is painted onto this land with indelible cultural ink.

I followed my wanderlust to one of my favorite destinations in Turkey, the village of Guzelyurt in Cappadocia. Families here go about daily life as they have for generations. I walk down streets that residents from 3,000 years ago might recognize, past homes carved into rock, enjoying friendly greetings of “Merhaba.” Time is not money here. It’s the perfect place to slow down and experience a true “back door” experience: playing backgammon in a smoky teahouse, downing cup after cup of tea.

With the help of a guide, I enjoy a home visit, the perfect two-way cultural exchange. A village woman serves me a simple, home-cooked lunch. Then, with the guide as translator, I get to really connect with my host. This is the best way to gain an insight into her world and village life in Turkey.

Cappadocia is rightly famous for its fantastic land formations and labyrinthine cave dwellings going back to early Christian days. And it’s also famous for a breathtaking way to survey this exotic landscape: by riding a hot-air balloon. I enjoyed a dreamy early-morning glide over a scenic wonderland. Each morning, 50 to 80 balloons lift off, giving lots of travelers a fine memory and stunning pictures.

Ancient ruins litter the Turkish countryside, reminding visitors that the more archaeologists dig, the more they realize that Anatolia (Asian Turkey), along with Mesopotamia, is a birthplace of civilization. And travelers often forget that 2,000 years ago the west coast of Turkey was the heartland of ancient Greece — a region called Ionia. A relatively new excavation at Aphrodisias h as uncovered an ancient city dedicated to Aphrodite, Greek goddess of love and beauty. There are ruins at Troy, mythical site of Homer’s Iliad, and Pergamum, with its beautifully sited theater and Temple of Trajan. At the impressive ruins of Hierapolis, you can walk through a vast and fascinating necropolis — city of the dead — where tombs line a network of roads, and then take a quick dip in a natural thermal pool amid chunks of Roman columns.

But for me, the showstopper is Ephesus. One of the biggest cities of the Roman Empire, Ephesus had a population of 250,000 and was a thriving seaport until its harbor silted up (it now lies five miles inland from the Aegean coast). It’s famous for its once-spectacular, now-ruined Temple of Artemis — one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World — and the dramatic, partially restored Library of Celsus, one of the largest libraries of its time. A walking tour of the still- paved streets is the best way to peel back the layers of dust to understand the everyday lifestyles of the rich and Roman. As I strolled down the broad main drag, I just replaced my fellow tourists with toga-clad ancients to easily imagine the long- ago city, with its statues, bubbling fountains, arches, and shops.

When I’ve had enough of blockbuster antiquities, I head for the coast. What better way to take a “vacation from vacation” than by sailing on the Turkish Riviera? Along Turkey’s southwest coast, beautiful wooden boats (called gulets) cruise the azure waters, exploring coves and inlets. I capped off my trip with a day-cruise from the resort town of Bodrum, swimming and lazing while admiring striking views of jewel-like Aegean islands.

Turkey is so rewarding as a destination because it gets me out of my comfort zone and challenges my norms. Experiencing the friendly charm of Turkey, I am like that balloon lifting off the wild Cappadocian field — free, at least for a while, from the bonds of my culture and ready to experience the world from a different perspective.

Rick Steves (www.ricksteves.com) writes European travel guidebooks and hosts travel shows on public television and public radio. Email him at [email protected] and follow his blog on Facebook.

via Western Turkey, Beyond Istanbul | Wichita Eagle.

July 23, 2011
Istanbul’s Latest Hot Table

Among the world’s great kitchens, Turkish cooking may be more mauled than even Mexican when cooked off its home turf. Nearly every major city in the world has a mediocre kebab stand that is a sad substitute for the brilliantly regional cuisines of Turkey. This is why I always show up in Istanbul with a carefully plotted meal plan — the dearth of really good Turkish restaurants outside of Turkey means there are just so many dishes I don’t want to miss eating again before I go home.

Photographs by Orhan Cem CetinThe dining room at chef Didem Senol’s Istanbul restaurant Lokanta Maya.

Photographs by Orhan Cem CetinThe dining room at chef Didem Senol’s Istanbul restaurant Lokanta Maya.

Most of the places on my standing list, including Zubeyir Ocakbaþy (Bekar Sokak 28; 011-90-212-293-3951), Ciya Sofrasi (Caferaga Mah Guneslibache Sk. No.43; 011-90-261-330-3190) and Hunkar (Mim Kemal Öke Caddesi 21; 011-90-212-225-4665), are simple spots serving terrific traditional Turkish food. (Hunkar actually specializes in Ottoman cooking.). But since the city’s restaurant scene has boomed — a reflection of the thriving Turkish economy — several local chefs have opened up places that serve inventive contemporary Turkish cooking to sophisticated younger Istanbulers who want food that’s local but light and healthy and offered up in a stylish setting. Many of these new takes on the Turkish kitchen are unfortunately also pricey, tourist-oriented spots where you’re paying a premium for a view.

The white bean salad at Lokanta Maya.

A year ago, however, the chef Didem Senol, who studied at New York’s French Culinary Institute, opened Lokanta Maya (Kemankes Caddesi No.35/A; 011-90-212-252-6884), a strikingly good-looking contemporary Turkish table in the Karakoy neighborhood. It’s since become not only one of the hippest and most popular spots in town but a delicious template for a new style of Istanbul restaurant, one with an indigenous but modern menu, excellent service and seriously good food. Eager to try it on a recent trip, I could only score a seat at the service bar on a busy Friday night — putting me more or less in the staff’s way — but a terrific waiter nonetheless took the time to explain the entire menu. It’s an appealing mix of Turkish and eastern Mediterranean dishes mostly made with organic produce and showcasing Senol’s vast knowledge of regional Turkish cuisine and her passion for the cooking of the Aegean coast.

My meal began with Cypriot halloumi cheese grilled inside of grape leaves and served with a garden chutney of sliced scallions, crushed roasted hazelnuts, cucumber and tomato. Next, crispy golden zucchini fritters came cooked in hazelnut oil and served with minted yogurt dip. Both starters were excellent, and during the pause that proceeded my main course I sipped a pleasant Turkish Umurbey sauvignon blanc by the glass and watched the restaurant fill up with a handsome, mostly local crowd who filled the Danish-modern-inspired tables and eyeballed the wall covering of walnuts inside of chicken wire. When it arrived, my slow-roasted lamb was succulent, spoon tender and served on bed of rice pilaf bright with sumac berries, currants, Turkish cranberries and pine nuts.

Concluding with a mastic-gum pudding under a red-berry coulis, I couldn’t help but think that if the New York restaurateur Danny Meyer were to do a Turkish restaurant it would look and taste a lot like Lokanta Maya. I liked this place so much, in fact, that I wasn’t disappointed the following night when Turkish friends picked me up to take me to a wonderful new restaurant for dinner and, well, guess where I ended up? This time I got to try the caramelized sea bass with oranges that I’d been eyeing as a main course when the waiter suggested the lamb. As it turns out, both are superb.

via Eurofile | Istanbul’s Latest Hot Table – NYTimes.com.

July 23, 2011
The Stunning Hagia Sophia in Istanbul

Greetings,

Visited the stunning Hagia Sophia today in Istanbul, Turkey. What a place, it’s been three times that I’ve been to Istanbul and every time the line scared me, today I sucked it up and went in, worth every drop of sweat waiting in line, the building is truly magnificent and a UNESCO World Heritage Site for good reason…

The Hagia Sophia which means “Holy Wisdom” in Latin, has a pretty long history dating back over 1700 years. For most of it, served as a Orthodox patriarchal basilica, then a mosque and now a museum. The old saying “they don’t build them like they used” to comes to mind in a most serious manner.

The building is literally a monstrosity and you can spend hours wandering around it even though for the most part it’s a very large open concept. Naturally the focal point being the central dome which considered the true essence of Byzantine architecture and some say it “changed the history of architecture.” Supposedly it had been under scaffolding for ages and is now prime-time to visit.

The building stayed as a church until 1453 when Constantinople aka Istanbul was conquered by the Ottoman Turks and ordered to be converted into a Mosque, so you know… For almost 500 years it was the primary mosque of this city and naturally served as the primary model for further Ottoman mosques with the most famous being the Sultan Ahmed Mosque which is best known as the Blue Mosque. in 1935, it opened as a museum.

If you’re in the area, it’s quite hard to miss. It’s located near the Blue Mosque and is simply majestic. Always knew I’d be back and would have to see it then, if you’re in the area, recommended. Will also suggest that if you wish to take photos, arrive early as it gets crowded fast. It will cost you 20 Lira to get in which is roughly 10 euros.

Apart from checking out the mosque, just hung around doing very little today. Will note something of interest… The price of clothes here are so cheap that it’s almost not worth doing laundry through a service unless you love your gear. Besides the obvious architecture, rich history and culture, Istanbul is a hot spot for shopping, best place I’ve seen outside of SE Asia.

Also hit up the post office, let me give you some adivce. You will be told to get a ticket, the English one will say something like 500 when they are serving number 93. You’ll wait for about 2 dozen numbers before you lose your cool and head to the desks. Then they tell you that letter mail has no numbers and there is no line at the desk to your left. I’m sure there is a skeleton corpse of some all too polite tourist who has been sitting there since 1987.

Not sure how much longer I’ll be in Istanbul, quickly becoming my third home.

Tips hat,

via The Stunning Hagia Sophia in Istanbul | Stop Having a Boring Life.

July 22, 2011
Friendly, modern Turkey welcomes visitors

Friendly, modern Turkey welcomes visitors

Turkey is changing fast. And it’s modernizing fast. For my vacation this year, I hit the road in Turkey, with romantic memories (a few years…

By Rick Steves Tribune Media Services

Turkey is changing fast. And it’s modernizing fast. For my vacation this year, I hit the road in Turkey, with romantic memories (a few years old) of horse-drawn carriages and villages with economies powered by hay, dung, and ducks. While that rustic old world is tougher to find, the deep traditions and warm hospitality of the region are as endearing as ever, especially if you venture past the predictable sights and tourist zones. Turkey has a sparse and frustrating train system, but flights are cheap and competitive bus companies provide easy, comfy, and inexpensive connections throughout the land.

At the crossroads of Europe and Asia, Turkey is looking West and getting there. It is a vast land, bigger than Texas and with a population of 60 million. Only half of Turkey’s 42,000 villages had electricity in 1980. Now they all do. Does modernization threaten the beautiful things that make Turkish culture so appealing? An old village woman assured me, “We can survive TV and tourism because we have strong cultural roots.” The Turkish way of life is painted onto this land with indelible cultural ink.

I followed my wanderlust to one of my favorite destinations in Turkey, the village of Guzelyurt in Cappadocia. Families here go about daily life as they have for generations. I walk down streets that residents from 3,000 years ago might recognize, past homes carved into rock, enjoying friendly greetings of “Merhaba.” Time is not money here. It’s the perfect place to slow down and experience a true “back door” experience: playing backgammon in a smoky teahouse, downing cup after cup of tea.

With the help of a guide, I enjoy a home visit, the perfect two-way cultural exchange. A village woman serves me a simple, home-cooked lunch. Then, with the guide as translator, I get to really connect with my host. This is the best way to gain an insight into her world and village life in Turkey.

Cappadocia is rightly famous for its fantastic land formations and labyrinthine cave dwellings going back to early Christian days. And it’s also famous for a breathtaking way to survey this exotic landscape: by riding a hot-air balloon. I enjoyed a dreamy early-morning glide over a scenic wonderland. Each morning, 50 to 80 balloons lift off, giving lots of travelers a fine memory and stunning pictures.

Ancient ruins litter the Turkish countryside, reminding visitors that the more archaeologists dig, the more they realize that Anatolia (Asian Turkey), along with Mesopotamia, is a birthplace of civilization. And travelers often forget that 2,000 years ago the west coast of Turkey was the heartland of ancient Greece — a region called Ionia. A relatively new excavation at Aphrodisias has uncovered an ancient city dedicated to Aphrodite, Greek goddess of love and beauty. There are ruins at Troy, mythical site of Homer’s Iliad, and Pergamum, with its beautifully sited theater and Temple of Trajan. At the impressive ruins of Hierapolis, you can walk through a vast and fascinating necropolis — city of the dead — where tombs line a network of roads, and then take a quick dip in a natural thermal pool amid chunks of Roman columns.

But for me, the showstopper is Ephesus. One of the biggest cities of the Roman Empire, Ephesus had a population of 250,000 and was a thriving seaport until its harbor silted up (it now lies five miles inland from the Aegean coast).

It’s famous for its once-spectacular, now-ruined Temple of Artemis — one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World — and the dramatic, partially restored Library of Celsus, one of the largest libraries of its time.

A walking tour of the still-paved streets is the best way to peel back the layers of dust to understand the everyday lifestyles of the rich and Roman. As I strolled down the broad main drag, I just replaced my fellow tourists with toga-clad ancients to easily imagine the long-ago city, with its statues, bubbling fountains, arches, and shops.

When I’ve had enough of blockbuster antiquities, I head for the coast. What better way to take a “vacation from vacation” than by sailing on the Turkish Riviera? Along Turkey’s southwest coast, beautiful wooden boats (called gulets) cruise the azure waters, exploring coves and inlets. I capped off my trip with a day-cruise from the resort town of Bodrum, swimming and lazing while admiring striking views of jewel-like Aegean islands.

Turkey is so rewarding as a destination because it gets me out of my comfort zone and challenges my norms. Experiencing the friendly charm of Turkey, I am like that balloon lifting off the wild Cappadocian field — free, at least for a while, from the bonds of my culture and ready to experience the world from a different perspective.

Rick Steves (www.ricksteves.com) writes European travel guidebooks and hosts travel shows on public television and public radio. His column runs weekly at seattletimes.com/travel and occasionally in print.

via Travel | Friendly, modern Turkey welcomes visitors | Seattle Times Newspaper.

July 20, 2011
World ministers to discuss work safety at Istanbul congress mid-September

ISTANBUL, Shaaban 11/July 13 (IINA)-The 19th World Congress on Safety and Health at Work, which will be held in Turkey, will serve as an important step for an initiative regarding work safety, a senior Turkish official has said.

Labor and Social Security Ministry Undersecretary Birol Aydemir told Today’s Zaman that the meeting will be the largest gathering of senior Cabinet members from many countries. He said Turkey has invited the labor and social security ministries of 99 countries to the congress.

The congress will also witness new developments. Aydemir announced that the labor and social security ministries of 57 member countries of the Organization of the Islamic Cooperation (OIC) will meet for the first time in Istanbul. “For the first time, OIC member States will discuss work safety and health issues among themselves. For the first time, the labor and social security ministries of 57 member countries will convene to discuss what can be done about work safety. The Islamic world needs this very much. It is a great honor and we are proud to host the first edition of such an important summit,” he said.

This all-inclusive ministerial summit will be held at the Haliç Convention Center in Istanbul on Sept. 11-15 with the participation of labor ministers. The congress’s motto is “Building a Global Culture of Prevention for a Healthy and Safe Future.”

The congress is being organized by the International Labour Organization (ILO), the International Social Security Association (ISSA) and the Turkish Ministry of Labor and Social Security. It will start with the speeches of high-level representatives of the co-organizers and continue with the opening of the International Film and Multimedia Festival.

Aydemir said they will discuss emerging global challenges on the subject, adding that the congress will greatly contribute to efforts to raise awareness on work safety and health.

“Unfortunately, in most countries, including Turkey, work health and security have come to the agenda only in connection with adverse events. People talked about work security during tragic events that caused many casualties, such as mine accidents, but the issue faded away. We want to see work health and security being treated as a primary issue in every field. From legislative work to social awareness campaigns, we have entered a fast process. We can also call this an initiative to raise social awareness,” Aydemir explained.

“This important issue has been ignored in Turkey for many years but there are serious problems on a global level as well. We hope that the congress we will host will contribute to efforts to raise social awareness on a global scale — not only in Turkey but also all countries where work safety is ignored,” he added.

During the 19th World Congress on Safety and Health at Work, 932 papers will be presented and technical sessions will be held. Thirty speakers are expected to highlight preventive measures, system development and global challenges in their presentations. In addition to 31 symposiums, 91 oral presentations will be held at the congress. Aside from technical sessions, the congress will include two regional meetings, and the closing ceremony will take place at the Haliç Convention Center on Sept. 14.

Progress made on the Seoul Declaration will be reported at the closing ceremony, which will also include the highlights and major outcomes of the 19th world congress. The Istanbul Declaration to be signed by labor ministers will be announced to the participants as well.

The 19th World Congress on Safety and Health at Work hosted by Turkey will showcase a first. “Alongside world congress, a fair on work safety and health will exhibit state-of-the-art technological products in the fair space of the Haliç Convention Center,” Labor and Social Security Ministry Undersecretary Birol Aydemir said, bringing attention to the capacity of the Haliç Convention Center.

A total of 250 companies working on work safety all around the world will display their hi-tech products in the fair space. The fair will open on Sunday, Sept. 11, at 2:40 p.m. and remain open to visitors from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. during the congress.

Local and international companies and institutions specializing in personal protectors, work safety equipment, work clothes, environmental health and safety management, road and traffic security, work safety warning signs, work health and safety training institutions, fire safety, environmental hygiene and industrial cleaning equipment, air-conditioning systems, measuring technologies and detectors, alarm and warning systems, search and rescue equipment, first aid equipment, authorized body and certification services, stocking equipment, pallet loading and stacking equipment and the media will participate in the fair.

AH/IINA

via Turkey/Congress: World ministers to discuss work safety at Istanbul congress mid-September.

July 19, 2011