Tag: Sarai Sierra

Photo Essay: Tour of Istanbul (Includes first-hand account)

Istanbul – The third largest city in Europe spans the Asian and European continents at the famous Bosporus waterway and offers visitors many historic and modern destinations.

Istanbul has been in the news a lot lately since the disappearance and tragic demise of American tourist Sarai Sierra who was robbed and killed there. However, millions of tourists from all over the world visit Istanbul every year and find the streets safe and full of amazing architecture, historic castles, delicious food, museums, music, and exotic markets.

Istanbul was founded as Byzantium in the 7th Century B.C. Lying along the famous Silk Road, it connected Asia and European tradeways and saw the reign of four great empires: the Roman, Byzantine, Latin, and Ottoman. It was a center for the spread of Christianity since The Apostle Paul traveled through it on his way to Greece and Rome in the 1st Century A.D. The Ottoman turks conquered it in 1453, and it became a center of Islamic culture. Now it is an interesting mix of Christian churches and Islamic mosques. Saint Sophia (also known as Haggia Sophia or “Ayasofya” in Turkish) is the most famous example of this. Dedicated in the 4th Century as a church, it later became a mosque and is now a museum.

Directly opposite Saint Sophia, in a lovely garden courtyard near a park, lies the majestic Blue Mosque (“Sultanahmet”) which was build during the reign of Sultan Ahmed 1 in the 17th Century. It has six minarets and many colored tile designs and circular strings of lights inside its impressive domes. Visitors can respectfully enter.

Not far away is Topkapi Palce (“Topkapı Sarayı”) which was built by Sultan Mehmed II who conquered Istanbul in 1453 and set up the Ottoman reign which lasted until 1921. For over 400 years, sultans resided in Topkapi Palace. A huge complex set within majestically-gated castle walls, it holds many courtyards, gardens, and royal chambers. You can see collections of swords, armor, manuscripts, and clothing. The “Harem” section highlights an amazing collection of jewelry worn by sultanas. A cafe in the largest courtyard and garden area offers strong Turkish tea and coffee, and a nearby gift shop features duplicates of Hürrem Sultan’s famous ring, books, veils, and other treasures.

Besides walking through grand, historical places and taking photos of old stone walls, tourists can ride a ferry across the Bosporus, shop at the traditional Grand Bazaar, and walk along the main street at Taksim with its Victorian architecture, art galleries, book stores, clothing boutiques, cafes, pubs, and discos.

These are just the beginning of things to see and do in Istanbul.

more :

via Photo Essay: Tour of Istanbul (Includes first-hand account).

February 7, 2013
Articles: Murder in Turkey Strikes Close to Home

Murder in Turkey Strikes Close to Home

By Alicia Colon

It was a note on my daughter’s Facebook page asking for prayers for Sarai Sierra, the young mother of two, then missing for a week traveling alone in Turkey, that made me wonder if my daughter knew her. Sarai Sierra’s battered body was discovered near a highway in Istanbul, last weekend.

When the story first broke in the news, I was under the impression that she was a Muslim-American so I was surprised when I learned she was Hispanic. I was even more shocked when I saw her picture after she was found murdered in Istanbul for I recognized her as a girl who grew up with my children. In fact I also knew quite well the woman who was supposed to have traveled with Sarai but had to back out due to finances.

When I first read my daughter’s Facebook note, I texted her that I was glad I had gone to Tangiers when I was young and the world was different, because I would never recommend a woman traveling to a Muslim country alone in these times.

It was 1969 when I took a ferry from Malaga to Tangiers. I worked for an airline so travel was virtually free and I liked travelling alone rather than going tourist. I sought out Morocco because I thought it was an exotic locale and it certainly lived up to my expectations. This trip ranks as my most exciting and interesting and included trips to a Sultan’s palace, a belly dance emporium, a visit from Berber Arabs in a café playing what looked like steel drums, dancing at a nightclub where I was the only female, a late visit to a bakery at 2 am and giant roaches in the hotel. I was only there overnight but I still have the silver, bronze and copper tray I bought in a tourist trap.

At the time I found the Moroccans to be sociable, sophisticated and very friendly, although there were areas like the Kasbah that resembled a scene straight out of the biblical era. As an American tourist I was treated with respect, but those days are long gone. I wish I had remained close to Sarai and her friend Magdalena so I could have warned them to leave Turkey out of their travel plans.

I realize that the Turkish government is considered moderate, but that does not mean it has control over the extremist Wahhabbi sect which has little regard for independent women. Although there had been attacks on Americans before 9/11, it was that event that emboldened the radical Islamists and the growing Sharia influence in Europe should have opened our eyes to this hatred against all of our women. It’s a hatred that feminist groups continue to ignore while they instead target the GOP and the pro-life organizations.

We should boycott any Muslim controlled country that does not welcome tourists and keeps them safe — which means all of them. Perhaps if enough Americans stay home, the so-called moderate nations will rein in the animals in their midst. Even if not, lives would be saved.

It is very painful to see the nasty comments posted on news articles about Sarai, a young mother of two, calling her selfish and stupid for abandoning her children to go on a photographic jaunt. Now stories are coming out trying to tarnish her motives for going to Turkey to begin with. These are the times when I loathe being part of the media that has become as bad as the tabloid paparazzi climbing over one another to be first with the dirt.

All I can think of is that this sweet young mother is dead, and I don’t care whether her death came from an unwise decision or if some intrigue was involved. I know that I was very, very lucky in 1969 and at the time I took some dangerous chances as well. I will always remember the young Sarai and her sister walking with their Mom along Van Duzer, always beautifully dressed and coifed. My deepest sympathy for her family.

R.I.P. Sarai.

via Articles: Murder in Turkey Strikes Close to Home.

February 7, 2013
Sex twist in slay

Slain mom’s Internet pal claims they had sex tryst in Turkey – NYPOST.com

SI mom’s final fling with Turkish lover

By SELIM ALGAR and JEANE MACINTOSH

Last Updated: 4:14 AM, February 7, 2013

Posted: 2:07 AM, February 7, 2013

A murdered Staten Island mom not only hung out with a “criminal element” on her dream European vacation — she also made room in her busy itinerary for a secret rendezvous with an Internet beau.

Amateur photographer Sarai Sierra — who left her husband and two young sons in New York for the trip overseas to take pictures — had sex the day before she vanished with a man she’d first met online last fall.

The fellow, identified only as Taylan, told police he had consensual sex with Sierra on Jan. 19, after a first date in the bustling tourist city Jan. 13, according to Turkish newspaper Vatan.
TRAGIC END: The coffin of Staten Island mom Sarai Sierra (inset) is borne in Istanbul yesterday for the trip back to New York City.
He hoped to see her again, but she never responded to his messages, Taylan told cops.

Taylan’s revelation came as The Post first reported that FBI investigators in Turkey are looking into Sierra’s ties to “sketchy characters” in Istanbul.

“She gets there, and the first people she met up with were a criminal element,” a source said.

Federal agents are still in the early stages of their probe and want to know whether Sierra got involved with drug traffickers, human traffickers or efforts to transport jewels or currency illegally, a law-enforcement source said yesterday.

The adventurous Sierra left New York for her solo trip Jan. 7 with a credit card, $400 in cash, running shoes, high heels and her iPhone and iPad, her husband, Steven Sierra, told investigators.

She was found dead of a single blow to the head in a seedy area of Istanbul Feb. 2, nearly two weeks after she failed to show up for a Jan. 21 flight home.

Taylan, who has been extensively interviewed by Turkish authorities, had previously denied a physical relationship with Sierra and claims he was not involved in her disappearance or murder.

He is one of 22 people that Turkish police have taken sperm and/or blood samples from as they hunt for Sierra’s killer.

Meanwhile, Istanbul police said they continue to press witnesses — including a tipster who claimed he saw Sierra with a group of men known for hustling and harassing tourists.

The tipster told cops he first saw Sierra Jan. 11, speaking to a man outside the popular Sultanahmet Mosque in Istanbul. The man handed her a card, Turkish newspaper Milliyet reported.

After leaving the mosque, Sierra was seen talking to the man and “took a walk” with him and four or five other men, the tipster said.

Sierra flew to Amsterdam Jan. 15 and to Munich the next day, returning to Istanbul Jan. 19.

The tipster told authorities he next saw Sierra with the same man Jan. 21, at Topkapi Palace.

Sierra’s body is slated to be flown back to the US today, officials said. Her husband, Steven, and brother, David Jimenez, were also returning to Staten Island yesterday after flying to Istanbul to search for her.

Sierra’s friends and family said they don’t believe Taylan’s story of a Turkish fling.

Local churchgoers raised the funds for Sierra’s cash-strapped husband and brother to fly to Turkey. The family sold her Instagram photos online to pay for shipping her casket home and her funeral.

Turkish Airlines didn’t charge to fly Sierra home, and Matthew Funeral Home donated its services. A Staten Island cemetery has offered her a free burial plot.

Additional reporting by Josh Margolin

via Slain mom’s Internet pal claims they had sex tryst in Turkey – NYPOST.com.

February 7, 2013
Man held in Turkey claims he had affair with murdered New York woman

A man being questioned by Turkish authorities in the murder of a New York tourist found beaten to death in Istanbul has reportedly told authorities there he had a sexual relationship with the woman.

The Turkish man, identified only as “Taylan,” gave DNA and sperm samples to police investigating the death of 33-year-old Sarai Sierra, a mother of two found beaten beyond recognition near ancient walls in Istanbul, the Turkish daily Vatan reported Wednesday. The man told investigators he had a consensual sexual relationship with Sierra before she was last seen on Jan. 21, according to the newspaper.

But Sierra’s best friend, Magdalena Rodriguez, told FoxNews.com she doesn’t believe the man’s claim.

“We know Sarai. We know she didn’t run off with anybody,” said Rodriguez, who originally planned to accompany Sierra on her solo vacation to Istanbul.

“She would have told me. She would have said something,” said Rodriguez, who claims she was in constant contact with Sierra during the trip.

“I don’t believe what he [Taylan] says for one second,” she said, adding, “Sarai wouldn’t willingly and knowingly involve herself with people who did not have her best interest at heart.”

Sierra, a freelance photographer from Staten Island, N.Y., traveled to Istanbul Jan. 7 and failed to return on a flight Jan. 21.

Turkish authorities say Sierra died from a single blow to the head. A local funeral company on Tuesday told the Hürriyet Daily News, an English-language newspaper in Turkey, that she had multiple injuries to her head and face.Her body was found Saturday near remnants of the city’s ancient walls. Turkish police said there appeared to be no sign of a sexual assault, though the New York Daily News reported the woman was found in only a shirt and underwear. Sierra’s gold jewelry was still on her, but her tablet computer and U.S. cellphone are missing.

A source familiar with the investigation told FoxNews.com that Sierra had contacted “amateur tour guides” online in advance of her trip. Taylan was among the individuals whom she had communicated with, and the two were known to have met on Jan. 13, according to multiple Turkish media accounts. The pair had planned to meet by the Galata Tower on Jan. 21 — the day she was last seen — but Taylan reportedly told investigators that Sierra never showed up.

Rodriguez claims she and the family were aware of Sierra’s online communications. “We knew about the tour guides … We knew she planned to meet them,” she said, adding, “She’s not one to just meet a random person and then wander away with them.”

New York Rep. Michael Grimm, a former FBI agent, said Turkish police still have hours of video footage to review as they piece together Sierra’s last movements. A special unit of Turkish police set up to find Sierra has an image of her at Galata Bridge, which spans Istanbul’s Golden Horn waterway and where she went on her last day to take photos. An FBI official confirmed to FoxNews.com that the agency is also involved and has been since the early stages of the investigation.

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During her trip, Sierra made two pre-planned excursions to Munich and Amsterdam, and then returned to Istanbul. Authorities are probing Sierra’s trips to Munich and Amsterdam as part of the investigation into her death. Friends and family insist Sierra visited the three places because she was “in love” with the architecture and culture of those cities and wanted to practice her photography.

“We knew she was going to Munich and Amsterdam. Nothing about this trip was a surprise. She made her own route and that’s what she wanted to do,” Rodriguez said.

Prosecutors in Istanbul got a court order Monday for authorities to take blood and DNA samples from 21 people already questioned in the death, according to Turkish state media.

Samples reportedly taken from under Sierra’s fingernails suggest she may have tried to fight off her attacker. A blanket was also found near the body, leading investigators to question whether she was killed in another location and then placed near the ancient walls, which are close to a highway.

Sierra’s husband, Steven, is still in Istanbul, where he traveled last week to help in the search. The woman’s body is reportedly being flown out of the country for free on Thursday by Turkish Airlines. Sierra’s family sold many of the her photographs online to help pay for her funeral. Any additional funds will go to Sierra’s two young sons, who have not yet been informed of their mother’s death.

FoxNews.com’s Cristina Corbin and the Associated Press contributed to this report.

via Man held in Turkey claims he had affair with murdered New York woman | Fox News.

February 7, 2013
NY mom found dead in Turkey: Should moms not travel alone?

NY mom found dead in Turkey: Should moms not travel alone?

12:56 am February 5, 2013, by Theresa Walsh Giarrusso

The Staten Island mom who traveled alone to visit Turkey for several weeks was found dead on Saturday. And what I can’t get over is the outpouring of blame not for the person that killed her but for the mother for traveling alone.

Here is the background of the story if you haven’t been following (I bolded the big stuff):

From The Associated Press:

“A New York City woman who went missing while vacationing alone in Istanbul was found dead on Saturday and police detained nine people for questioning in connection with her case, Turkey’s state-run news agency said.

“Sarai Sierra, a 33-year-old mother of two, was last heard from on Jan. 21, the day she was due to board her flight back home. Her disappearance attracted a lot of interest in Turkey, where such disappearance of foreign tourists are rare and Istanbul police had set up a special unit to find her.

“The Anadolu Agency said the body of a woman was discovered Saturday evening near the remnants of ancient city walls and that police later identified it as Sierra’s.

“The agency did not say what caused her death. The private NTV television reported that she was stabbed to death, while a private news agency, Dogan, said she had a wound to the head, suggesting she may have been hit by an object.

“Police reached by The Associated Press refused to comment on the case.

“Sierra, whose children are 9 and 11, had left for Istanbul on Jan. 7 to explore her photography hobby and made a side trip to Amsterdam, Netherlands, and Munich, Germany. She had originally planned to make the trip with a friend, but ended up traveling alone when her friend canceled.

“She was in regular contact with friend and family and was last in touch with her family on Jan. 21, the day she was due back in New York. She told them she would visit Galata Bridge, which spans the Golden Horn waterway, to take photos.

“The location where the body was found, is a few kilometers away the bridge. It is near a major road that runs alongside the sea of Marmara and offers an iconic view to visitors of dozens of tankers and other vessels waiting to access the Bosporus strait. Police stopped traffic on the road as forensic police inspected the area.

“Anadolu suggested Sierra may have been killed at another location and that her body may have been brought to the site to be hidden amid the city walls.

“At least nine people were detained for questioning in Istanbul over the arrests and a police official on the site told journalists two of them were women. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to reporters on the case.

“It was not clear if a Turkish man Sierra had exchanged messages with during her stay in Istanbul was among the group that was detained. That man was detained for questioning on Friday but was later released. Turkish news reports had said Sierra had made arrangements to meet the man on Galata Bridge but the man reportedly told police the meeting never took place.

“Sierra’s husband, Steven, and brother, David Jimenez, travelled to Istanbul to help in the search. Sierra’s mother, Betzaida Jimenez, said she couldn’t talk when reached in New York.

“Shortly after she was reported missing, Turkey set up a special police unit which scanned through hours of security camera footage in downtown Istanbul in search of clues over her disappearance. A Turkish missing persons association had joined the search, handing out flyers with photos of Sierra and urging anyone with information to call police.

“While break-ins and petty thievery is common in Istanbul, the vast and crowded city is considered relatively safe in comparison to other major urban centers. The American’s death was unlikely to have a significant impact on tourism, an increasingly large component of the Turkish economy.

“In 2008, an Italian artist Pippa Bacca, was raped and killed while hitchhiking to Israel wearing a wedding dress to plead for peace. Her naked body was found in a forest in northwest Turkey. A Turkish man was sentenced to life in prison for the attack”

So what is interesting is the comments following the story and there were similar comments on other sites – even Turkish news sites.

From the Huffington Post comments on the AP story above:

masseynm

What in the world was she thinking???

americanpatriot4ever

brings more than his fair share to the table

Visit the Muslim world at your own peril. No lifeguards on duty (in any sense of the word).

(I lost the name on this one)

Very, very sad. I had hoped so much that she would return home to her family. I have traveled alone, and unfortunately, it can be very dangerous for a woman to travel alone. I don’t blame the woman; I blame the killer. It takes guts to travel like she did…RIP.

Missteek

I am so sorry for her and her family. I hope the culprits are found.

Let this (sadly) be a lesson………it is unwise to travel alone, especially to a foreign country, when you are a woman.

Judith Berge

I live on staten island where this woman was from. Rip…I don’t understand what she was doing going there alone. I will pray for her and her family.

relaxxing

if you’re young and single careful when you chose to go to another country, having children should make you think twice before going alone..

ridemaster

I would never let my wife travel alone to another country.”

This was only one of a few that blamed the killer and not the woman:

“tozomona

“Very, very sad. I had hoped so much that she would return home to her family. I have traveled alone, and unfortunately, it can be very dangerous for a woman to travel alone. I don’t blame the woman; I blame the killer. It takes guts to travel like she did…RIP. “”

So what do you think: Should women not be traveling alone? (I got a lot of heat for telling my babysitter to be careful when she traveled with her buddies. ) Should moms not travel alone because they have such big responsibilities at home? Is the mom to blame or the killer? Should the husband have put his foot down when the friend dropped out? Should the husband have gone with her? (The difference there is traveling with a friend someone else is paying half the expense but with your husband you’re just doubling the expense. ) Is there benefit for women/moms/wives to get out and see the world without family?

Is Turkey the issue? Are women safe to travel alone other places – France, Spain, Israel, Bermuda – or no where?

February 6, 2013
Sarai Sierra’s Photos Become Big Sellers As Family Puts Them Online

By ALYSSA NEWCOMB (@alyssanewcomb) and NICK SCHIFRIN (@nickschifrin)

Feb. 5, 2013

Sarai Sierra, from New York, has been missing in Turkey since Jan. 21, 2013. (Courtesy Sarai Sierra’s family)

The family of Sarai Sierra, an amateur New York photographer slain while on a trip to Turkey, put her photos up for sale today and quickly sold enough photographs to pay forher funeral, the woman’s brother said today.

The photos remain on sale and the profits will now be going to her two young sons, the family said.

Sierra, 33, was found bludgeoned to death near a highway in Istanbul on Saturday. Her iPhone and iPad, the tools she used to share her photos with her thousands of Instagram followers were reportedly missing.

The Staten Island mother of two traveled to Turkey alone on Jan. 7 after a friend had to cancel. It was Sierra’s first overseas trip, and she kept in contact with her family the entire time, they said, sharing stories of her journey and posting photos online.

“Sarai’s passion for photography and love for capturing the beauty we see in culture, architecture and scenery was her reason for traveling to Istanbul,” her brother, David Jimenez, wrote on a website set up to sell his sister’s photography.

Among the photos for sale are Istanbul sunsets, and shots of Sierra’s beloved New York City.

By this afternoon, Jimenez put out another message saying, “Hey Instacanvas, Thank you for all the support in purchasing Sarai’s pictures. Quick update, all expenses for Sarai’s funeral have been paid for! From here on out any picture of hers that you purchase will NOT be going towards her funeral. All funds will be going to her children. Thank you for your support. David”

Sierra had been scheduled to arrive home at Newark Liberty International Airport on Jan. 22. When her husband, Steven Sierra, called the airline, he was told his wife never boarded the flight from Istanbul.

Steven Sierra and Jimenez traveled to Istanbul to aid in the search.

An intense two week search for for Sarai Sierra ended when her battered body was found.

An autopsy was completed Sunday, but results aren’t expected for three months. Turkish officials however said Sierra was killed by at least one fatal blow to her head.

A casket holding the Staten Island mother was taken to a Istanbul church Monday where it remains as Sierra’s family makes arrangements to bring her home.

Turkish police hope DNA samples from 21 people being questioned in the case will be key to finding the perpetrators, state media reported. A motive is not yet clear.

“They’re still investigating so they might think it might be a robbery, but they’re not sure,” said Betsy Jimenez, Sierra’s mother, said Monday.

The family also faces the heartbreaking task of telling Sierra’s two sons, ages 11 and 9, that their mother is dead.

The boys have been under the impression that their father has gone to Turkey to bring their mother home – alive.

“It’s going to be the hardest thing he’s ever going to have to do in his life,” said Rep. Michael Grimm, (R-NY) who added that the Staten Island family isn’t sure when Steven Sierra will be able to bring his wife’s body home.

ABC News’ Josh Haskell contributed to this report.

via Sarai Sierra’s Photos Become Big Sellers As Family Puts Them Online – ABC News.

February 6, 2013