Travel Turkey with Music

Travel Turkey with Music

Turkey Dream Country | Youtube Video

Turkey Dream Country | Youtube Video

The Country of Turkey

Turkey is one of the best-kept holiday secrets in the travel business. Europeans have spent their holidays here for many years, taking advantage of the unbelievably low prices for travel services that can be had. Yet among many people, Turkey is probably one of the most misunderstood countries on Earth. It is common for travelers arriving in Turkey to be surprised at the number of misconceptions they had about Turkey. Here are some facts about Turkey to set the record straight.

Turkey is a secular democracy. Although the population is 99% Muslim, Turkey's government is stauchly secular. If you read The constitution of Turkey, which a search on Turkey Central will enable you to do, you'll see that Turkey's government is not unlike the typical European or American government.

Turkey is not a desert. Camels are not from here, although the logo of the pyramid and camel on a pack of Camel cigarettes, and the inscription "Turkish American Blend" imply this. Camels were imported to Turkey years ago, however you will probably never even see one. While Turkey is often confused with middle-eastern countries, many areas of Turkey are covered in forests, lush with greenery, while others are more dry. The coastlines and beaches are very beautiful with cliffs and sandy beaches. There are mountains with fantastic ski resorts, large lakes and rivers, and places where the foliage changes beautifully with the seasons. The Southwest coast of Turkey resembles Southern California for its climate in the Summer. Turkey also has some of the most unusual geological sites in the world, for example, the "fairy castles" of Capadoccia and the mineral pools of Pamukkale, among other places.

Turkey is rich in history, especially Biblical history. The Apostle Paul traveled and lived around Turkey for years, The Apostle John and the Virgin Mary lived in Ephesus, and many of the Old and New Testament stories happened throughout Turkey. Noah's Ark came to rest on Mount Ararat in Eastern Turkey. Santa Claus (Saint Nicholas) actually came from Demre, Turkey, and was buried in Turkey (telling your kids this is your option). It would take pages to cover all of the Biblical history that occurred in Turkey, but it is often referred to as the "second holy land." One of the oldest known human cities, Catalhoyuk, is in Turkey and is currently under excavation. Of course, Turkey is also a place where much Muslim history occurred, since the Ottoman Empire, controlled much of the known world in its time, with its magnificent mosques and palaces still wowing tourists in its former capital, Istanbul. Turkey is the land of the Seljuks, the Phrygians, the Hittites, the Urartians, and other ancient cultures as well. Each culture has left traces of their presence, resulting in Turkey being known as "the cradle of civilization." Today Turkey is replete with museums, ruins, and monuments built by its ancient inhabitants. So if you want to visit the holy lands, but are concerned about your safety, Turkey is your best alternative, if not a primary choice of destinations.

Violent crime is not common in Turkey. While all cities have some level of crime, violent crime is relatively rare in Turkey when compared to most US and European cities.

There is a lot to do in Turkey. Do you dive? like to paraglide? Hike? Shop? Swim? You name it, you can do it in Turkey, and spend a lot less doing it. There is some fantastic diving to be had there, some places are actually underwater museums where you can explore ruins non-divers will never see. You can take a balloon flight over Cappadocia and see this fantastic scene from above in the tranquility of its skies. The shopping offers some fantastic bargains on carpets, gold and jewelry, and hand-made crafts. If you just want to party and have the time of your life, visit the world's largest outdoor disco in Bodrum, the Halicarnus Disco. You can't help but have a good time--believe us--Bodrum and the other popular tourist destinations have no shortage of happening nightspots. If you're interested in a relaxing holiday on the beach, visit places like Fethiye or the many undeveloped, pristine beaches in Antalya. Anywhere you decide to go, there is a wonderful experience awaiting you, no matter how you would like to spend your holiday in Turkey.

Turks genuinely like foreign people. If you've been to Turkey before, you'll know exactly what we're talking about. But if not...you'll just have to visit and experience Turkish hospitality on your own. Many tourists and visitors leave with a lasting positive impression of the Turks, and have found them to be a very polite, kind, and proud people, with an open heart towards others. It is said that if you make a friend of a Turk, you have a friend for life.

Turkish women don't wear burkhas. Turkish women don't wear chadors, burkhas, or any of the head-to-toe coverings. Although you will see Turkish women dressed modestly and wear headscarfs, this is not required, or even encouraged, and has more to do with family traditions and personal religious expression. You will more likely see Turkish women wearing stylish western clothing. Women in Turkey are free to enjoy all of the freedoms that men do, and also serve in prestigious positions in business and government. Turkey recently had a woman prime minister, and their freedoms are guaranteed by the constitution of the Republic of Turkey.

Summer in Turkey!

With much enthusiasm for our native countries, Bengi Korkmaz, MBA 2, Christos Stergiou, MBA 2. and I organized a trip to Turkey and Greece this past summer. While we wanted the trip to give an opportunity to GSBers to explore the history, culture, food, nightlife, and beaches of both countries, our only constraint was time. Of course this was nothing new to GSBers, so we planned an itinerary that covered Istanbul, Bodrum (a popular summer destination on Turkey’s West Coast), and Patmos (the famous Greek Island where Sir Christos Stergiou renews his soul.
On the 3rd of September, the official start date of the trip, I was very excited. Nonetheless, the idea of hosting 25 curious, hyperactive GSBers in my country made me nervous. The first day of the trip, Bengi and I were bombarded with questions about the history of every building, stone, or dish we ran into. We then decided to memorize the guidebook. However, realizing that some people on the trip, like Abbas Hasan, MBA 2 actually knew more than the guidebook, we decided to hire a guide who, unlike us, actually knew what he was talking about.
In the limited time we had in Istanbul, we tried to see most of the “must see” places including the ancient grandeur of Ayasofya (Hagia Sofia); the Ottoman architectural piece of Sultanahmet Camii (the Blue Mosque); the lavish home of the Sultans, Topkapi Palace; the Middle-Eastern atmosphere of Kapali Carsi (the Grand Bazaar) and Misir Carsisi (Spice Bazaar); the Byzantine mosaics of Kariye Camii (Church of St. Saviour in Chora) and Reina, Angeliquebuz and Pasha (the must visit clubs of the city).
During our stay in Istanbul, people were most surprised by the followings startling facts:

* The number of mosques in the city (yes, there are about 6000 mosques but given 99% of the Turkey’s population is Muslim this should not be so surprising)
* One meal in Istanbul can be equivalent to three meals in other places (or five Arbuckle meals)
* People in Spice Bazaar can say “Turkish Viagra, 5 times a night” in 10 different languages in 30 seconds
* Good negotiation skills are required in the bazaars (Turks should teach Negotiation Class at the GSB)
* People are good looking. I guess the trip members were not convinced by the Turkish representation in our class.

After three hectic days in the city, we set off to Bodrum. As summer was coming to an end, Bodrum was relatively empty. So we chose to relax on the beach, eat a ton, and swim a lot. One day we took a boat trip, which really excited the male members as they made friends with the topless women on the other boats in the bay.
After two peaceful days, the moment of truth hit Bengi and me, as we had to hand the reigns of our 6-day hegemony to Christos. While we were on the boat on our way to Patmos, Christos delivered a touching speech, which can be summarized as “from now on, do what I tell you to do.” During our two days in Patmos we pretty much did what he told us to do.
What we learned in Patmos:
* The scenery is amazing, especially its sunsets and its moonlit nights
* Jeff Kuo is an amazing singer. We recorded him singing so wait to see it yourself
* Christos’ mom is a great cook, hence his growing stomach is well-justified
As our wonderful trip came to a close, I left Patmos with a heavy heart, but not without a promise to return. On my journey back to Istanbul, I thought to myself how wonderful it was to have shared my country’s culture and landscape with my friends.

Sources: http://www.gsbreporter.com/news/2003/10/20/Travel/Summer.In.Turkey-532345.shtml

Turkey Art Culture

Among the prominent statesmen of the 20th Century, few articulated the importance of culture as well as Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the founder of the Turkish Republic, which stated: "Culture is the foundation of the Turkish Republic." His vision encompassed Creative cultural heritage of the nation and the best values of world civilization. It stressed personal and universal humanism. "Culture," he said, "is a key element, a person worthy of humanity," and described Turkey as ideological "creation of patriotism blended with a high humanist ideal."

To create the best synthesis, Ataturk underlined the need for the use of all viable elements in the national heritage, including the ancient indigenous cultures, and techniques of art and civilization of the world, past and present. Gave impetus to the study of earlier civilizations of Anatolia - including Hittite, Phrygian, Lydian and others. Pre-Islamic culture of theTurks the subject of intense research, which revealed that, long before the Seljuk and Ottoman Empire, the Turks had their own civilization. Atatürk, the popular art and folklore of rural areas as a source of Turkish creativity.

The development of painting, sculpture and crafts, was arrested by Ottoman officials who claimed to represent the human form was idolatry, but these arts flourished during Ataturk presidency. Many museums were opened and architecture gained new strength. Western classical music, opera and ballet, theater and has impressive strides.Several one hundred "People's Houses" and "People's Rooms" across Turkey, the local population and young people, a wide range of artistic activities, sports and culture. Books and magazines publishing publication enjoyed a boom. The film industry began to grow. In all areas of cultural life, Ataturk inspired a boom.

Ataturk's Turkey is living proof of this ideal - a country rich in its own national culture, open to the heritage of world civilization and at home, equipping the modern technological age.