Legacies of Ancient & Modern Cultures
" The sound stops short, the sense flows on" Chinese saying
While walking through the old part of Beyoglu (Istiklal avenue), you'll come across an eclectic Ottoman building called Cité de Pera just opposite Galata Palace, today's Galatasaray Lycee. It might remind you some of the 19th century buildings in Paris and Vienna with their beautiful architectural ornaments on their facades. ... Continue Reading →
...The knot of fear United in peace Every now and then Juxtaposed Just a few steps apart Looks at each other compassionately On the shores of Istanbul The Ezan The Bell The Hazan Beki L. Bahar This pretty village lies on the European side of Bosphorus. When the Byzantine emperor Basil commissioned a... Continue Reading →
Myths do travel as long as people wander The Bosphorus, known as the Istanbul Strait is a strait that forms the boundary between the Thrace and Anatolian sections of Turkey. The ancient writers state that the Bosphorus derived its name from the passage of Io in the shape of a cow. The story of... Continue Reading →
Arnavutköy (arna-vut-kėuy), the Albanian Village This charming neighbourhood is located on the European side of the Bosphorus. At one time she was called as Anapolis and Estias. Her name “Albanian” comes from the group of Albanians settled during the early Ottoman period, and the Greeks used to call her as Michaelion “the city of angels” ... Continue Reading →
In our walk and cruise by Bosphorus trip, we have the opportunity to see and talk about how the view and landscape of Bosphorus has changed through time. The current exhibition at Pera museum displays the photographs of the Anatolian Shore of the Bosphorus from the mid XIXth Century to XX Century. The eastern world especially the Arabs used... Continue Reading →
One of the largest urban excavations in history exposes a massive Byzantine port. This is the site where a new east-west rail line will emerge from below ground connecting with the city's subways light rail system and the busses. But, nearly 1,700 years ago another transportation hub was built here the first port of Constantinople... Continue Reading →
Istanbul has lively street music performances similar to other metropolitan cities in the world. While you are walking on the pedestrian street called Istiklal Caddesi or Beyoglu, you can hear the rhythms and sounds of Anatolia. If you click the link below, you can listen to a song played with Kemence by a man from... Continue Reading →
“Say Istanbul and a seagull comes to mind Half silver and half foam, half fish and half bird” Bedri Rahmi Eyuboglu Turkish painter and poet (1913-75) When ever I see the seagulls, they always remind me of Jonathan Livingston who sets out to discover the world beyond the horizon in quest for wisdom. When they... Continue Reading →
Legacies of Ancient & Modern Cultures 