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A view Of Izmir, Turkey From Space

Located in the western Anatolia region of Turkey, İzmir is the country’s third most populous city and its second largest port (after Istanbul). This astronaut photograph highlights the modern urban landscape of the İzmir metropolitan area. In addition to being a major trade center, greater İzmir is a hub for regional tourism.

The İzmir region has included urban areas for almost 3,500 years, and the ancient core of the city was originally known as Smyrna. Due to its location on the Gulf of İzmir (lower left) and its access to the Aegean Sea, İzmir has been an important Mediterranean Sea port for most of its history.

Today, the metropolitan area includes eleven districts, many of which were independent neighborhoods prior to agglomeration into “greater İzmir.” Densely built residential and commercial districts, characterized by gray to reddish gray rooftops, occupy much of the center of the image. Larger structures with bright white rooftops are indicative of commercial/industrial areas near the İzmir Port (image left).

Two large sport complexes, the Atatürk Stadium and Şirinyer Hippodrome (horse racing track) are visible at image upper left and image right. Numerous vegetated parks (green) are located throughout the area.

Astronaut photograph ISS027-E-33889 was acquired on May 16, 2011, with a Nikon D2Xs digital camera using an 800 mm lens, and is provided by the ISS Crew Earth Observations experiment and Image Science & Analysis Laboratory, Johnson Space Center. The image was taken by the Expedition 27 crew. The image has been cropped and enhanced to improve contrast. Lens artifacts have been removed. The International Space Station Program supports the laboratory as part of the ISS National Lab to help astronauts take pictures of Earth that will be of the greatest value to scientists and the public, and to make those images freely available on the Internet. Additional images taken by astronauts and cosmonauts can be viewed at the NASA/JSC Gateway to Astronaut Photography of Earth. Caption by William L. Stefanov, NASA-JSC.

Instrument: ISS – Digital Camera

via A view Of Izmir, Turkey From Space – Irish Weather Online.

June 10, 2011
Hurt Maesteg holidaymaker in Turkey insurance wrangle

Relatives of a holidaymaker who is paralysed in a hospital in Turkey say they have been told to pay about £43,000 to get him back to south Wales.

Michael Lonergan was injured when he and his family went on holiday to Turkey

Michael Lonergan’s family say he broke his neck diving into the sea and believed he was covered by insurance.

Hospital treatment is around £23,000 and flying Mr Lonergan, of Maesteg, back to the UK another £20,000.

Insurance underwriter ETI Travel Protection would not discuss his case, but said most policies had exclusions.

“It’s been pretty horrendous,” said Mr Lonergan’s partner, Debbie.

The couple and their children Jack, five, and Grace, one, were on their first family holiday, and staying at the Didim Beach resort in Altinkum on the west coast of Turkey.

The insurers were pretty much saying it was his own fault”

“He had been swimming in the sea last Thursday and at the end of the pier there was a ladder to climb out,” she added.

“Other people were jumping in off the pier and he thought he would.

“It was only about 3ft from the pier to the water but he misjudged the depth of the water and smacked his head on the sand.”

She said Mr Lonergan, a keen boxer who works at Corus steel works in Port Talbot, was knocked unconscious after hitting his head before being rescued from the sea by a member of the public.

However, she said the circumstances of his injury had been disputed by the insurer.

He was taken to hospital before being transferred to the private Ozel Gazi hospital in Izmir, around two hours away, through the insurance company and underwent surgery.

The rest of his family were put up in a nearby hotel. They said they were told on Wednesday the insurers would not be paying up.

Mr Lonergan has feeling in his arm and right leg again, but his family said doctors feared he may not get the use of his left leg back, while he cannot control any of his limbs.

“It is very rare that we will make a decision not to pay out when one of our policy holders has been admitted to hospital whilst on holiday”

Adrian Lawrence ETI, underwriter

His sister Claire said the family were trying to find the money to fly her brother home on Sunday.

Exclusions

Journeys Travel Insurance issued the cover and is the claims handler, but it is the underwriter ETI which has declined to pay out.

“We were saddened when we were informed of the incident and we are unable to discuss a specific case such as this or go through the medical circumstances due to client confidentiality,” said Adrian Lawrence of ETI.

“It is vitally important that members of the public who are travelling abroad act responsibly and as if they were uninsured.

“There are exclusions on most travel policies. One of the exclusions is wilful exposure to needless risk in any circumstances, except whilst in the act of saving or attempting to save a human life.

“It is very rare that we will make a decision not to pay out when one of our policy holders has been admitted to hospital whilst on holiday.

“Each case is considered individually and the vast majority of claims made are resolved quickly and in the customers favour.”

A spokesman for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office said: “We aware of the hospitalisation of a British national and are providing consular assistance for the next of kin.”

via BBC News – Hurt Maesteg holidaymaker in Turkey insurance wrangle.

June 10, 2011
A Video Gamer’s Fantasy At Hotel Barbados In Istanbul

A Video Gamer’s Fantasy At Hotel Barbados In Istanbul

Tayla Arditi, Guide Istanbul
Tayla Arditi is an editor at Guide Istanbul.

Are you looking for a hotel where you can do more than sleep and relax?

You can play all day without ever leaving your hotel room with the new state-of-the-art digital entertainment center called “The Game for Big Kids,” featuring a wide range of the latest games, such as Playstation 3, Nintendo Wii and Acer Predator at the Point Hotel Barbaros in Istanbul.

In the past, gaming was thought of as a home leisure activity.

The Game transforms it into a chance to socialize with friends in a public setting.

With an investment of $1.5 million, and covering almost a mile, at least 300 people can play at the same time in this high-tech facility. Here, you can enjoy a 3-D race simulator, football games on a giant screen or popular games, such as Half-Life or Quake.

The closed music rooms allow you to live out your rock star or DJ fantasies, while the VIP rooms allow for private movie screenings.

Options are also available if you are more interested in The Game than staying in the hotel. The facility can be accessed with a 3-month, 6-month, or annual membership pass, while business and corporate membership plans are also available.

via Businessinsider

June 7, 2011
Istanbul, a city of history and intrigue

Equidistant from London and Abu Dhabi, Istanbul makes an ideal half-way point to meet a friend from the Old Continent.

Q&A:Welcome to the Great Divide

Last Updated: June 6, 2011

What is Turkey’s main industry? Turkey has a diversified industrial base but its economy has always centred on the Bosporus, a strategic waterway connecting the Black Sea and the Mediterranean. It provides Istanbullus, as the city’s residents are known, with an excellent excuse to get out on the water regularly because the city spreads across both sides of the channel.

Is it used for anything other than carrying Byzantine navies and Russian commodities? Small cruise ships jostle for position on the quayside at Galata Bridge, offering tourists a delightful tour of the nearby coast for a mere 10 lira (Dh23.35) per person. It’s also a superb sailing venue, and last month played host to the Extreme Sailing series for 40-foot catamarans.

Is Turkey part of Asia or Europe? That is the whole point! Istanbul is built on both sides of the Bosporus, so it qualifies for both.

Isn’t it joining the EU? Turkey applied to join in 1987, signed a customs union in 1995 and was officially recognised as a candidate in 1999. But negotiations have stalled.

So you mean I have to change money and get a visa? You can buy a visa at the airport for about US$20 (Dh73.50). You can change all major currencies at exchange houses in Istanbul.

For the European visitor, this city spanning the Bosporus provides a tantalising glimpse of the Orient, with its rich Ottoman past. For the Gulf traveller already conversant with Islamic history, it offers a fascinating variation on the theme.

There is just so much history packed into this town, and so many delightful views, that any business traveller will need to set aside at least a weekend to take it in.

Top of the deck for this writer is the Topkapi Palace. Home to the Ottoman Sultans for 400 years until the mid-1850s, this hill-top fortress hides a city of exquisite tiles with painted floral designs behind its stone walls.

Perhaps the most fascinating enclave of the palace is the imperial harem, which was home to ruling Sultans’ mothers, who were known as the Valide Sultans, the concubines and Sultans’ wives plus the rest of the royal family, including servants. This complex household was overseen by African eunuchs and out of bounds for anyone else.

Perhaps the most evocative story of the harem was the Kafes, otherwise known as “the Cage”. To avoid wars of succession, Ottoman rulers were mandated for centuries to kill their brothers on assuming office. But in the 17th century, Sultan Ahmet dictated the tradition of fratricide be reformed in favour of putting all potential successors under house arrest in this area of the harem. Brothers were confined to this precinct surrounded only by deaf mutes and barren concubines. Their only hope of escape was in the event of the Sultan’s death.

For some, it proved too much.

Ibrahim I emerged from the cage in 1640 and earned the sobriquet “Ibrahim the Mad” for his depraved rule.

He was deposed eight years later after drowning 280 concubines in the Bosporus.

Top 5: Essentials while in Istanbul.

1 Bosporus cruise.

2 Grand Bazaar.

3 Spice Market.

4 Underground cisterns of Yerebatan Sarnici.

5 Turku band in Beyoglu restaurant.

The Quote: “First the rent and taxes went up, and then, thanks to the immigrants, the city was flooded with razor sellers, simit sellers, stuffed mussel sellers, tissue sellers, slipper sellers, knife and fork sellers, sundries sellers, toys sellers, water sellers and soft drink sellers, and as if that weren’t enough, pudding sellers, sweet sellers and doner sellers have now invaded our ferries.” Ohran Pamuk in Istanbul, Memories and the City

tashby@thenational.ae

via Istanbul, a city of history and intrigue – The National.

June 6, 2011
No compensation for Turkey holiday mix-up couple

WISH you were here at the Bitezhan Beach Hotel in Turkey? Allen and Christine Lewins were there – but never got the chance to stay.

The couple had booked and paid for their holiday with website mediatravel.co.uk

But when they arrived at the hotel – at 4am – there was no record of their booking.

They had to stay in the reception area until senior staff arrived at midday.

And then they were shipped off to another hotel at the edge of the resort.

Whose fault was it? Not Allen and Christine’s.

I wanted to hear what mediatravel.co.uk had to say but, first, Allen told me how the holiday turned into a nightmare when no one from the company was able to help when the couple turned up.

He said: “I used the numbers in the terms and conditions, only to find recorded messages.

“I had to ring my daughter in the UK asking her to contact someone from the travel company.

“While all this was going on I was refused use of the hotel telephone, and refused a temporary room for the night, so we spent the whole time sitting in the hotel reception.”

Allen finally spoke to someone from mediatravel on his mobile.

He says the company admitted over the phone they had received an email from the hotel saying they could not take the booking.

The company, however, said they did not know this at the time of departure.

The couple were eventually sent to another hotel but claim the facilities were not as good and it was on the outskirts of the resort.

He said: “It was located on the very outskirts of Gumbet, next to a sewerage plant, it had no private beach, no mini-market, no entertainment at any time of the day or night.”

Allen, of Blyth, Northumberland, complained to his rep and completed a customer feedback form.

I thought I would copy what the highly-educated rep had to say: “Mr Lewins was booked to stay at the Bitez but woz not accepted and woz moved to Club Flora.”

Woz? Nice to see such an understanding of spelling and concern to do things right.

It woz time to find out what mediatravel haz to say.

They said they woz – sorry, last time I’ll do that – unaware of the booking mix-up before departure.

Spokesman Nav Rig told me: “I can confirm the clients were located in alternative accommodation of the same standard and within the same resort with the same room type and board basis.”

Mediatravel said there would be no compensation and hoped the experience would not put Allen off travelling with them again.

Shall I tell them, Allen, or shall you?

via No compensation for Turkey holiday mix-up couple – Sunday Sun.

June 6, 2011
Old & New İstanbul (1) / Eminonu Galata Bridge

Old & New İstanbul (1) / Eminonu Galata Bridge

Last month National Geographic magazine celebrated its 10th year in Turkey with a beautiful exhibition, with the photos taken in Turkey but have not been published before..They also gave a small album of these photos with the April issue. As I am always crazy about old photographs, it was such a big treat for me..

Now I will try to show you some places of İstanbul with the help of these photos..
Photo of Yeni Cami from the Galata bridge. Taken by Maynard Owen Williams in 1928

another one from 1925 by Branson de Cou /Ewing Galloway

and today…

Galata Bridge is the bridge that spans the Golden Horn and the very fist bridge constructed at this place in 1894. The one in NG photo was the 4th bridge built in 1912. The current and the 5th one opened in 1994.

The Ottoman imperial mosque behind is called the New Mosque, but it was finished in 1665!!!

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June 6, 2011