Süleymaniye Mosque – Video Gallery

June 5, 2008

The Süleymaniye Mosque (Süleymaniye Camii) in the historical part of Istanbul is a grand mosque and very capable of rivalling with the Blue Mosque, if not beating it. Below you’ll find a fair impression of it. There are two versions available: a YouTube version (smaller in size) and a WVM version (bigger in size). The […]

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If You Don’t Visit the Süleyman Mosque Now, You’ll Hate Yourself Later

June 1, 2008

The Süleymaniye Mosque (Süleymaniye Camii) is not only stunning; in my opinion it is also the masterpiece of the famous architect Sinan (Mimar Sinan). Sure, the Blue Mosque is the most famous one and therefore better known among the tourists, which is also its drawback. The Süleymaniye Mosque, crowning Istanbul’s highest hill, doesn’t suffer from […]

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The Hippodrome (of Constantinople), or What Is Left Of It

May 25, 2008

The Hippodrome (At Meydanı) was a of course a horse-racing track, what’s in the name. But during the Byzantine Empire, the hippodrome was not only used for chariot races. Court ceremonies, coronations and parades also took place at the hippodrome, making it the sporting and social center of Byzantine life for over 1000 years. The […]

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Smoking Like a Turk, But No Longer in Turkey

May 19, 2008

On 19 May 2008, the first wave of the anti-smoking legislation comes into effect. From that day on smoking in Turkey is prohibited in all enclosed areas, except residences and designated places. Just like many other European countries, the Turkish parliament enacted a law to control and prevent the harm caused by tobacco products. However, […]

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Blue Mosque – Video Gallery

May 15, 2008

The Blue Mosque or Sultanahmet Mosque (Sultanahmet Camii) in the historical part of Istanbul is one of the most famous religious monuments in the world. Below you’ll find a fair impression of it. There are two versions available: a YouTube version (smaller in size) and a WVM version (bigger in size). The length of both […]

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The Blue Mosque – One of the Most Famous Misunderstandings

May 12, 2008

The Sultanahmet Mosque (Sultanahmet Camii) was built between 1609 and 1617 and is also known as the Blue Mosque because of the blue tiles used to decorate the walls of its interior. The construction was commissioned by Sultan Ahmet I. The idea was to build a monument that would not only rival with the magnificent […]

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Almost Live Video Feed of Istanbul

May 4, 2008

Istanbul continuously confirms its status as one of the world’s metropolitans. First there was fierce voting to get Istanbul included in the first Global Monopoly board game. And recently, EarthTV has installed a brand new camera to give you ‘live’ daily impressions of the bridge between Europe and Asia. The Earth television network was founded […]

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Haghia Sophia – Video Gallery

May 1, 2008

The Hagia Sophia (Ayasofya) in Sultanahmet (the historical part of Istanbul) is among Istanbul’s most famous and fascinating monuments. Below you’ll find a fair impression of it. There are two versions available: a YouTube version (smaller in size) and a WVM version (bigger in size). The length of both movies is the same: 2:33 min. […]

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Official, National & Religious Holidays in Turkey

April 24, 2008

Below you’ll find a list of the official, national and religious holidays in Turkey for 2009, 2010 and 2011. When you plan a city trip or a cultural excursion, you may want to take a look at these. Museums, monuments and palaces may be closed on official and national holidays, and can have deviating opening […]

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What Everybody Ought to Know About VAT and Tipping

April 22, 2008

It is custom to tip in Turkey. In the majority of Istanbul’s bars and restaurants, service is not included. But tipping is not only expected for table services. So, for what services are tips expected, and how much? On the other hand, the value-added tax (VAT) is always included in the prices displayed. But as […]

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