x0x Turkish Tales
Travel
By Annabella Proudlock
Jamaica Observer
We woke to the sound of prayers wafting from the
minarets of the Blue Mosque, the haunting sound
that was to follow us throughout our journey. The
verses of the Koran are chanted five times a day
from mosques in every village and town in this
country of surprises.
In homage to a dear friend who died recently and
had asked me to write up our trip together five
years before, I returned to Turkey, now
accompanied by my artist friend Graham Davis.
Olives at the market in Kas
Turkey is a huge peninsula that juts out into the
Eastern Mediterranean with 5000 miles of
coastline, and mountains twice the height of Blue
Mountain Peak. We visited only a fraction of
Anatolia, the region across the Bosphorus in Asia,
but moved from dense forests, to salt lakes,
gorges, and the extraordinary landscape of
Cappadochia.
Despite a population of 68 million, Turkey can
feed itself, one of the few countries in the world
able to do so. Throughout our journey we saw both
men and women working in fields of cotton,
potatoes, olive trees, pumpkins and grains.
Families with young children and well-trained dogs
tended large herds of sheep and goats. There are
also large industrial areas, a thriving textile
industry, and a steadily growing tourism business.
I had researched our trip on the Internet, (travel
is the second most widely used resource on the
web) and chosen Journey Anatolia, a small tour
company. Owner Serkan, Turkish-born and raised in
England, had similar interests as myself, having
previously worked in film and design.
His passionate love for his homeland and eagerness
to share would bring a time of laughter and
lasting memories. Through him we discovered its
ancient history, culture, cuisine and beauty,
travelling over 2,000 miles in his trusty
Landrover, which gradually filled with our
purchases of carpets, lamps, fruit and spices.
Turkey has numerous Greek and Roman archaeological
sites - huge amphitheatres, aqueducts, temples,
tombs, mosaics and inscriptions. Some were on
remote coastal headlands or hidden as in the
forests of Olimpos.
n more modern times, from the 12th Century,
traders along the Silk Route brought exotic goods
from the East. Turkey, the crossroad between two
continents, has always been a meeting place of
both worlds. There are museums everywhere.
The famed Topkapi Palace in Istanbul evoked the
fairy tale images of my visit as a student, after
sitting in a train from England for five days and
nights. Once the home of Sultans, it offers a
breathtaking insight into their opulent lives with
diamonds the size of hens' eggs, exquisite inlaid
thrones, and the bejewelled robes that adorned the
concubines of the harem.
Below the palace is the Bosphorus, the narrow
strait that divides Europe and Asia. One of the
world's busiest shipping lanes, our ferry
zigzagged past boats of all sizes, and elegant
Ottoman homes, the summer residences of Turkey's
wealthy.
The silhouette of the city from the water is a
sight never to be forgotten. To cleanse ourselves
for the journey, we visited a Turkish bath, or
'hamam', where I got steamed and scrubbed on an
enormous marble slab. Men and women are in
separate areas, but the sight of so many naked
women was bizarre.
Our route took us past the killing fields of
Gallipoli, memorialised in the Mel Gibson film of
the same title. As in most places, Serkan knew
where to find the best food, and that night we
dined on lamb that had grazed on wild oregano, and
was cooked with yoghurt over coals. Turkish
cuisine is a heady mixture of spices and local
produce.
In markets we marvelled at shiny eggplants,
cabbages twice the size of my head, beautifully
presented fish and radishes as large as
grapefruit. Peppers in a rainbow of colours, lush
pomegranates and pistachios jostled for space
between crimson tomatoes and pale green pumpkins.
I learned to love lentil soup, and 'pide' - the
Turkish version of pizza. I drank endless cups of
cay, apple tea and Turkish coffee, along with
local beer, wine and a yoghurt drink called
'ayran'. Each region has its own specialities,
including bread all shapes and sizes of bread. We
especially enjoyed Turkish delight, a sweet
concoction of nuts and fruits whose popularity
rivals our Easter buns.
Luckily our journey was quite active, so that our
waistlines did not expand too-too much. Our next
overnight stop, Pamukkale, has spectacular calcium
cliffs and pools, gleaming like snow in the
sunshine.
The Romans recognised their mineral properties and
built a large spa nearby. The weather became
warmer as we travelled south, past the spectacular
Saklikent gorge, narrower and higher than Bog
Walk. Kas, our home for two days is a former
fishing village where tourism has made its mark
with many shops and restaurants.
Around the harbour, the captains of gulets (boats
of traditional design) wait for customers to
explore the many islands, sunken cities and coves.
It was here that Graham succumbed to the charms of
a carpet. Turkish carpets are world famous and the
finest sell for many thousands of dollars, but
after nuff cups of tea (and most of the morning) a
bargain was struck with the Turkish higgler.
Travelling along a truly dizzying coastal road, we
reached Olimpos. It was here that I saw my most
surreal sight of the journey - the Chimaera.
Steeped in mythology, these eternal flames appear
spontaneously out of crevices on a remote
hillside. Used in navigation by ancient mariners,
no one can explain the gas coming from deep within
the earth, hot enough to cook on, and photographs
cannot capture the otherworldly feel of the
experience.
Our next stop, Konya, is a conservative Moslem
city, birthplace of the founder of the Whirling
Dervishes. Despite the name, the religious
ceremony is graceful and majestic. Like pocomania,
it involves chants, music and dance, and for the
uninitiated it is a deeply moving experience.
From there we drove to Cappadochia, a World
Heritage Site of volcanic valleys and pillars
formed from wind and rain over the centuries.
With its incredibly improbable rock formations,
cave houses and frescoes, it is probably the most
photographed area of Turkey. Indeed our hotel was
carved into the rocks.
At dawn we viewed it from a hot air balloon,
passing vineyards and villages - a journey that
ended unceremoniously as we tipped gently over on
landing.
Our last nights in the countryside were spent in
Safranbolu, another World Heritage site, which
became prosperous from the sale of saffron and
leather. We stayed with a local family in their
18th century Ottoman home. Early in the morning
our host, Cengis, took us into the mountains to
his father's sheep farm. Here, as everywhere, the
people were friendly, dignified and eager to share
their knowledge.
We returned to Istanbul along mountain roads and
super highways. It was now the month of Ramadan
when during daylight hours people are forbidden to
eat or drink, so nightfall is a time of festivity.
All around the Blue Mosque, stalls and restaurants
are set up, and children gazed wide-eyed at the
colourful homemade sweets and special foods. As we
say goodbye, I too feel wide-eyed and awed by the
magnificence and magic of Turkey.
{20050402trh.txt}
x0x Turkish news for week ending 02 April 2005
[Best when viewed with the courier font.]
****************************************************************
This line is available for your commercial announcement!
****************************************************************
A service of the TURKISH RADIO HOUR, producer of:
TURKISH CULTURAL PROGRAM
Saturdays at 6:00 P.M.
KUSF FM 90.3, San Francisco
Also tune to
ORIENT EXPRESS
Tuesdays at 10:00 P.M.
KKUP FM 91.5, CUPERTINO
****************************************************************
Ahmet Toprak edited today's news. Your host today is Senem Ozer
****************************************************************
For a subscription to the Internet edition of this news,
send a blank email to:
TurkC-L-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
****************************************************************
NEWS BRIEFS
Edited by Gokce Gokalp
* In a surprise move, the ruling Justice and Development
Party government decided on Thursday to postpone the
implementation of the new Turkish Penal Code, as well as
the Criminal Procedural Law and the Misdemeanors Law from
April 1 to June 1 in order to make revisions to lessen the
concerns of many groups, including journalists.
Commenting on the decision, Foreign Affairs Minister
Abdullah Gul said the government had made great efforts in
drafting the new penal code, but conceded that there were
still technical problems and that revisions seemed to be
needed to overcome certain shortcomings. In related news,
Foreign Ministry Deputy Undersecretary Volkan Bozkir
briefed European Union officials Thursday in Ankara on the
matter reported the daily Turkiye.
* In related news President Ahmet Necdet Sezer stated
Thursday that he also favored putting off implementation
of the new Turkish Penal Code. He told reporters that the
postponement was good as it would allow for needed
revisions to be made according to the daily Turkiye.
* Speaking at a conference in Istanbul Thursday,
Switzerland's Foreign Affairs Minister Micheline Calmy-Rey
reiterated that Turkey's European Union membership bid was
very important, adding that it would also serve to
strengthen stability in the region. European Union values
are not about exclusion, but rather integration and
clarity, she stated, adding that Switzerland was
determined to develop relations with Turkey.
Ms. Calmy-Rey indicated that some 80,000 Turkish
citizens in Switzerland had successfully integrated to the
country. "Turkey, as an element for stability in its
region, deserves our trust," she added according to the
daily Milliyet.
* According to the daily Cumhuriyet, Foreign Affairs
Minister Abdullah Gul commented on Greek Cypriots' recent
urging of Turkey to open its air and sea ports to Greek
Cyprus, saying that there was no conflict between Turkey
and the European Union on the issue.
Mr. Gul also reiterated that the government wouldn't do
this before the international isolation of the Turkish
Republic of Northern Cyprus is brought to an end. Greek
Cypriots claim that Ankara opening its air and seaports to
Greek Cyprus is part of its Customs Union obligations.
* Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus Prime Minister
Mehmet Ali Talat stated Wednesday that the Turkish
Republic of Northern Cyprus 's right to trade directly
could not for long be blocked either by the Greek Cypriots
or other powers.
Stressing that the European Union had no intention to
drop the topic of direct trade, Talat said that his
government would insist on the issue. The premier added
that he expected important steps would be taken towards a
settlement on the island before Turkey begins its European
Union accession talks on Oct. 3 reported the daily
Turkiye.
* In related news, Mr. Joost Lagendijk, co-chairman of the
Turkish Parliament-European Parliament Joint Parliamentary
Commission, stated Wednesday that Turkey had kept its
promise by declaring that it will sign the Ankara
Agreements additional protocol.
Mr. Lagendijk underlined that Turkey isn't obliged to
recognize Greek Cyprus in order to begin membership talks
and continued:
"However, when Turkey extends the Customs Union protocol
in order to include Greek Cyprus, this will indicate that
a light recognition of Greek Cyprus by Turkey has
occurred." reported the daily Aksam.
* According to the daily Sabah, Ruling Justice and
Development Party Erzurum Deputy Ibrahim Gundogan and
Izmir Deputy Serpil Yildiz resigned Wednesday from their
party.
The two are expected to join the Motherland Party before
this weekends congress. Meanwhile, Justice and Development
Party Gaziantep Deputy Omer Abusoglu, who quit his party
on Tuesday, joined the ranks of Motherland Party during a
ceremony held in Ankara Wednesday.
* Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld denied that he had
criticized Turkey for not allowing US troops to be
deployed on its soil before the Iraq war, which could have
opened a second front in the north of Iraq.
Although Mr. Rumsfeld did not recant his recent
statement that Ankara's refusal had resulted in a greater
level of insurgency in Iraq, he stressed that Turkey had
made its own decision as an independent country.
"They had a brand new government [in early 2003], headed
by a political party that had not governed in that
country," he told reporters. But still "they actually went
forward and made a good faith effort to do it [authorize
the deployment]."
When asked whether he was "blaming" Turkey in his
earlier remarks, Mr. Rumsfeld answered, "I wasn't at all.
They're a sovereign nation [and] they make their own
decision," reported the Turkish daily Hurriyet.
* According to the daily Star, in the runup to
negotiations due between Turkey and Syria, the Foreign
Ministry has agreed to establish a commission to find an
acceptable formula for the territory problem between the
neighboring countries.
The so-called territory issue concerns 10,000 square
meters of land in the southern province of Hatay, as Syria
claims these Turkish territories.
The commissions head Ambassador Mehmet Yildiz has
requested written comments and recommendations of the
Office of the General Staff, Interior Ministry and the
Ministry of Public Works on the issue.
The commission will develop Turkey's arguments on the
Hatay issue to be discussed with Syrian officials and
review the issues that a possible bilateral agreement
could cover.
ARTS AND CULTURE
* Sponsored by Turkey's Naval forces command, preparations
for the first Marmaris International Maritime Festival are
continuing, reports the Turkish Daily News.
Marmaris is a town located in the southwest of Turkey
where the Aegean and Mediterranean seas intersect.
The area is dotted with coves and is an ideal location
for yacht enthusiasts.
The governor of Marmaris is saying that the festival is
aiming to increase the number of visitors to the area.
The Marmaris municipality, the South Aegean Tourism
Hotel Operators Union and the Maritime Chamber of Commerce
will participate in the festival. Turkey's president Mr.
Ahmet Necdet Sezer will be attending the opening ceremony
of the five-day festival.
The festival will take place April 27-May 1.
* Turkey's Environment and Forestry Ministry reports that
it has started a project to duplicate and store the genes
of plants and animals native to Turkey. The genes will
then be available for cloning.
The project will be in collaboration with the Scientific
and Technical Research Council of Turkey.
The ministry says that Turkey is rich in endemic
species. The European mainland in its entirety has 12,000
plant species, whereas Turkey alone has more than 9,000,
3,000 of which are endemic plants.
In the first phase of the project three gene banks will
be established. The research Council will start the gene
bank at the Marmara Research Center in Gebze, the
Environment and Forest Ministry will establish another
gene bank in Antalya, and the Agriculture and Rural
Affairs Ministry will establish the third gene bank in a
place yet to be determined.
The project will aid in preserving species such as the
tulip and crocus, which are used in the pharmaceutical,
paint and cosmetics industries.
Gene samples will also be taken from wild animals such
as the hyena, gazelle, wild goat, bear and otter as
determined by the Agriculture and Rural Affairs Ministry.
The ministry open shows say that gene samples could be
preserved in gene banks for hundreds of years.
* The 4th Boston Turkish Movie Film Festival started with
the Turkish film "Dry Summer", a 1964 Golden Bear award
winner directed by Metin Erksan.
The festival, taking place at the Boston Fine Arts
Museum, will run until April 10. It will feature the best
10 Turkish Movies selected by the Ankara Cinema
Association for the first time in North America. These
movies were first featured at the 39th Karlovy Vary Film
Festival in the Czech Republic last year.
Founder and director of the festival Mr. Erkut Gomulu
said the festival has been running since 2001 and is
becoming more and more popular every year.
Mr. Gomulu said this year's festival is a good
opportunity for those wanting to see the best Turkish
films from the last 40 years, adding, "Turkish films have
gained new momentum in the last few years due to the
successful work of young directors like Nuri Bilge Ceylan,
Zeki Demirkubuz, Fatih Akin, Neco Celik and Ferzan
Ozpetek."
The festival will end with Nuri Bilge Ceylan's film
"Out of Reach", which has won many awards at international
film festivals.
The remaining "Best 10 Turkish Movies" that the festival
will feature are:
- Atif Yilmaz's "Selvi Boylum Al Yazmalim,"
- Omer Lütfi Akad's "The Bride",
- Yavuz Turgul's "Mr. Muhsin",
- Yilmaz Guney's "The Hope",
- Omer Kavur's "The Homeland Hotel",
- Zeki Okten's "The Herd",
- Zeki Demirkubuz's "Innocence" and
- Serif Goren's "The Road".
* Turkey's southeastern province of Batman, which is out
of the way for most tourists, is trying to promote its
historical riches to the world with a "Miss Hasankeyf
Beauty Pageant" during Tourism Week, April 15-22.
Young women between the ages of 16 and 25 are eligible
to enter the pageant, and the winner will be awarded
around $800 in local currency, a cell phone and shopping
coupons from sponsoring companies.
Great interest is expected in the pageant, which will be
the first of its kind to take place in Batman.
* Rocks in Cappadocia Turkey carved by the ancient
Hittites 5000 years ago in the shape of castles for
defensive purposes and huge subterranean holes in which to
hide are the most frequented tourist attractions in the
area. The most popular castle is Uchisar, located in
Nevsehir province, carved out of a soft rock known as
"tufa", reports the Dogan News Agency.
Uchisar Castle, situated 600 feet above the Ceviz
River, was originally sculpted as a strategic defense
location and residence and is widely considered to be the
world's first skyscraper.
Uchisar Mayor Mustafa Zuhal noted that the tufa rock
found in the region is easy to work with, enabling a
single rock to house a wine cellar, living quarters,
kitchen, stables and approximately 400 other rooms.
Another castle measuring 300 feet in height, called
Ortahisar Castle, was also created by the Hittites and
used for defense and housing as well.
* The Bodrum Municipality and Bodrum residents have
launched a campaign for the return of King Mausolos'
mausoleum to Bodrum, reports the Turkish Daily News.
Bodrum Is a Historic City in the southwest in the region
of Turkey where they Mediterranean and Aegean seas
intersect.
The mausoleum is one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient
World and is currently exhibited at the British Museum.
A total of 1,200 signatures were collected in the first
four hours of the month-long campaign. Roger and Nancy
Withespoon, who came from London to Bodrum for a vacation,
also signed the petition.
Deputy mayor of the city said they intended to expand
the campaign and that after collecting enough signatures
they would apply to the European Court of Human Rights for
the return of the mausoleum.
Queen Artemisia ordered the mausoleum built for her
husband Mausolos, the king of Caria, who lived between 377
and 353 B.C. in Halicarnassus, the ancient name for
modern-day Bodrum. All that remain today are some of the
stones from the mausoleum.
British archeologists discovered the mausoleum, which is
believed to have been destroyed during a major earthquake.
Lord Stratford Canning launched excavations in 1846 with
special permission from Sultan Abdülmecit of the Ottoman
Empire.
* The 7th State Theater Sabanci International Theater
Festival opened with a ceremony on Sunday March 27 in
Turkey's Mediterranean City of Adana.
Turkey's new Culture and Tourism Minister Mr. Atilla Koc
addressed a ceremony.
Turkey's State Theaters' general manager, Mr. Lemi
Bilgin, said with every passing year a bigger audience was
reached and that 17 theater groups with international
artists from Italy, Russia, the United States, Romania and
Greece as well as Turkey are taking part in the festival.
The festival will end with a concert by Zuhal Olcay on
April 30.
* Turkish State Theaters artist Aclan Buyukturkoglu has
received positive reviews from critics and audiences with
Norman Barasch's play "Standing By," which he staged in
Los Angeles last week. The play is the humorous story of
two young people who meet on a plane and who realize that
it is impossible to achieve anything in life without
taking risks.
The play was featured at the Matrix Theater on Friday.
Mr. Buyukturkoglu, lauded by critics for his unique
directing style, told the Dogan News agency that he, as a
Turk, was proud of putting on a play in Los Angeles.
Getting ready to enter into the world of movies with the
film "High Places", Mr. Buyukturkoglu said he wanted to
become known in Hollywood as well.
He emphasized, however, that theater was his first love
and that he would never leave his main profession. The
first Turkish student ever to graduate from the American
Film Institute, Mr. Buyukturkoglu had his first experience
in theater direction in Hollywood with Franz Kafka's "The
Trial," which was sold out for four months.
The play received favorable reviews from the local
press, which said the Turkish director's point of view was
radically different than that of Americans and that this
made the play more interesting.
EXCHANGE RATE for the U.S. dollar in New Turkish Liras: 1.36
WEATHER
High and Low Temperatures in Degrees F, Weather
Ankara, in central Turkey----------: 39/27 Snow
Antalya, on the Mediterranean------: 64/50 Showers
Istanbul, in northwestern Turkey---: 45/37 Sleet
Izmir, on the Aegean---------------: 52/43 Mostly Cloudy
Trabzon, on the Black Sea----------: 43/37 Rainy
Snow depths at skiing locations:
Erciyes, in Kayseri, Central Turkey 14 inches
Ilgaz, in Kastamonu, North Central Turkey 67 inches
Kartalkaya, in Bolu, Western Turkey 47 inches
Palandoken, in Erzurum, Eastern Turkey 16 inches
Saklikent, in Antalya, Southern Turkey 28 inches
Sarikamis, in Kars, Eastern Turkey 30 inches
Uludag, in Bursa, Western Turkey 79 inches
SPORTS
Turkish Soccer Premier League
Last week games
Besiktas - Trabzonspor 1 - 0
Malatyaspor - Rizespor 0 - 1
Gaziantepspor - Ankaragucu 2 - 0
Kayserispor - Istanbulspor 0 - 0
Galatasaray - Ankaraspor 4 - 2
Gençlerbirligi - Konyaspor 2 - 1
Sebatspor - Samsunspor 3 - 0
Sakaryaspor - Diyarbakirspor 3 - 2
This week's games
Fenerbahçe - Gaziantepspor 2 - 0
Rizespor - Gençlerbirligi 1 - 1
Ankaragucu - Sakaryaspor 2 - 7
Istanbulspor - Sebatspor 1 - 0
The Top Five in the League:
Team Points
1. Fenerbahçe 65
2. Galatasaray 60
3. Trabzonspor 55
4. Besiktas 48
5. Rizespor 41
ANNOUNCEMENTS
* A Benefit Concert
Sunday, April 24, 3:30 PM
at
the Ross Valley Masonic Auditorium
Larkspur, CA,
for
Devi-ja Delgado Croll,
well-know performer of world music in the SF Bay area.
- There will be three incredible ensembles, and
- will feature (among other great artists) Devi-ja's father, legendary Bay Area
world music percussionist Vince Delgado.
Devi-ja has participated in many Turkish events over the years.
*** The Alaturka restaurant underwrote today's program,
where gourmet Turkish cooking is an art:
869 Geary St, (cross street Larkin)
in San Francisco
For reservations: (415) 345-1011
http://www.chowbaby.com/Alaturka/
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
{A$agidaki duyuru haberlerden SONRA yayinlanacak}
*** Turkish American Association of California has partially
underwritten today's program. TAAC is a non-profit
charitable organization established to promote better
understanding between Americans and Turks.
If you have any questions about Turks and Turkey,
give them a call: 1-415-646-0946
or e-mail them at taac@...http://www.taaca.org
*** Planning to go to Turkey? Take a look at our Web pages
that is full of articles and information furnished by
travelers like yourselves:
http://travel.to/sunholiday
*** For more music from Turkey and the Middle East tune to
International Cultural Program.
San Francisco World TV Channel 29
Sundays at 9-10 A.M.
Also can be viewed in other cities in California, Chicago,
New York, Russia, and Georgia.
Consult with 415-564-7778 timing and stations.
*** Yayinlarimiz siz dinleyicilerimizin katkilari ile surebilecektir.
Studyomuza telefon acarak nasil katkida bulunabileceginizi
ogrenebilirsiniz.
Telefonumuz 415-751-KUSF e-posta adresimiz: trh@...
A service of the TURKISH RADIO HOUR On the airways since 1982.
*** NORTH BAY TURKISH CLASSICAL MUSIC ENSEMBLE
North May Turkish Classical Music Ensemble is looking for players
traditional Turkish classical instruments such as oud, ney,
tanbur, kanun or kemence, bendir or kudum; or even western
instruments that easily adapt to Turkish music, such as cello.
The ensemble is also looking for people, who can sing in Turkish,
or are interested in learning.
The group is open to anyone with a sincere interest in Turkish
music.
For details call Hank Levin at 415 492-0728, or email:
turkmusic@...
{20050402trh.txt}
x0x Fausto Zonaros life in Istanbul
By Omer Faruk Serifoglu
'Elisa, my beloved wife, it is thanks to you that I found the strength
to live in Istanbul. If you had not come earlier and made a circle of
friends, and if you had not given me courage, perhaps Istanbul would
have continued to be the dream of mysterious colours of which I read
in Edmondo d'Amicis' book. I am thinking of the early years when we
made a living by painting watercolours, repairing frames and printing
photographs... I will never forget Signor Zellich, the owner of
Zellich bookshop on Yuksekkaldirim, and his sons, who were so kind in
their attentions. We placed my paintings in his large window and
priced them at one lira each. Four paintings were sold and he paid me
the sums immediately. That was the first money I earned in Istanbul.'
When Fausto Zonaro first arrived in Istanbul he could not find words
to describe the city's beauty, saying that the descriptions by
Gautier, Amicis and Loti could not be surpassed. Zonaro was born on 18
September 1854, the son of a middle-class family in Masi in the
district of Padua.
He studied drawing and painting as a young man, and worked in Italy
and France before coming to Istanbul in 1891. In 1896 he was appointed
painter to the Ottoman sultan. A magnificent book about this Italian
painter by Erol Makzume and Osman Ondes has now been published on the
occasion of a retrospective exhibition of his work. One of Zonaro's
first friends in Istanbul was Director of Customs Mahmud Bey, who
helped him when he was having difficulty at the Customs on his arrival
in the city, invited him to his office and offered him coffee. This
first acquaintance turned into a lasting friendship, and Zonaro was a
frequent visitor at Mahmud Bey's house in Salacak. When Illustrierte
Zeitung magazine published in Leipzig featured Zonaro's masterpiece Il
Banditore, illustrating a scene from the Napoleonic period, on the
cover in November 1892, Zonaro became sought after in Istanbul's
diplomatic circles and high society.
He began to give art lessons to Yusuf Bey of the Ottoman Foreign
Ministry, Nadine de Rodevich, Countess Vitalis, Maikof, daughter of
the Belgian ambassador Mademoiselle Dudzeele, Madame Cropenshi,
Baroness Wenspeir and other illustrious figures of the time. In later
years his students included such notable Turkish artists as Celal Esad
Arseven, Hoca Ali Riza, Sehzade Abdulmecid, Mihri Musfik and Celile
Hanim. He was introduced to Osman Hamdi Bey, founder of Istanbul
Archaeological Museum, and was impressed by his kindness, courtesy and
culture. The two men became friends and used to go fishing together on
the Bosphorus, as Zonaro relates: 'Our boat filled with fish, each
weighing three kilos. When Hamdi Bey asked if that was sufficient, I
said that I could feed my entire neighbourhood in Taksim with so many
fish. That day, after eating our fill with Hamdi Bey, I took the
remainder home in a basket and we ate fish for the next week. The
Bosphorus had begun to feast me not only with its blue hues, but also
with its delicious fish.'
One Friday in 1896 Zonaro watched the Ertugrul cavalry regiment
passing over Galata Bridge, and began to visit the same spot every
week to sketch the procession. After completing his oil painting based
on these sketches, friends suggested that he present it to Sultan
Abdulhamid II. The sultan admired the painting so much that he awarded
Zonaro the Mecidi Order and appointed him court painter. A year later
Zonaro was rewarded for his painting of the Battle of Domeke in the
Turkish-Greek War by being allocated one of the houses for palace
officials in Besiktas. Zonaro lived and worked at No 50 Akaretler for
the next 12 years, and the house became a gathering place for
intellectuals, eminent members of Istanbul society, leaders of its
different religious communities and foreign visitors, who came to
watch Zonaro at work and converse with him. His visitors included
Enver Pasa, Winston Churchill, Ali Sami, Adolphe Thalasso, Sehzade
Burhaneddin, Sehzade Abdulmecid, Sevket Cenani, Max Olaf Heckmann, Dr
Fritz Fraumberger, Mario Perrone, Attilio Centelli, Emilie Helferich,
Dr A Kampf,
Recaizade Ekrem and Osman Hamdi Bey. Zonaro often used to paint in the
gardens of Yildiz Palace: 'Yildiz Park always enchanted me with its
exquisite beauty, tranquillity and birdsong. I loved to paint there.
First I did sketches based on drawings, and then began to paint.
Usually Sehzade Burhaneddin Efendi would join me, and we would
converse in French as he shyly watched me from a corner beneath his
sunshade.' Zonaro was friends with another of the Ottoman princes,
Sehzade Abdulmecid, whom he described as 'a gracious man, filled with
love of art.' Sehzade Abdulmecid purchased Zonaro's painting entitled
The Wildflower for the unprecedented sum of 200 liras, after
extracting from him a promise that he would not paint another similar
composition. From the time he was appointed court painter, Zonaro
desired to paint a portrait of Sultan Abdulhamid II, and the sultan
finally agreed to this in 1908. After Abdulhamid was deposed in 1909
Zonaro's close association with the sultan made him persona non grata
with the new regime.
In November that year he was called to the palace and told that his
position as court painter and his salary were revoked, and that he
could only remain in the house on Akaretler on condition he paid rent.
Early in the morning on 20 March 1910 two phaetons drew up outside the
house. Zonaro, his wife Elisa and their children left the house where
they had lived for over 12 years for the last time. Until his death in
1929 Zonaro's love of Istanbul was perhaps accompanied by feelings of
bitterness. In his memoirs he wrote, 'Now I yearn for those sorrowful
days that pain me to remember. But I was not crushed by those times of
sadness, and nor shall I be. I continue to work with all my strength,
and with respect and passion for my art. The mystery of the East still
holds me in its grasp.
* Omer Faruk Serifoglu is an art historian.
[From http://makeashorterlink.com/?M19C128CA ]
x0x But why? Turkish chicken thigh!
Although chicken thighs are higher in fat than other chicken cuts, you can
easily minimize that and get the benefit of their full-flavored, juicy
meat, according to a feature in the April-May issue of EatingWell
magazine.
Food writer Victoria Abbott Riccardi has created half-a-dozen recipes for
the ever-versatile chicken, and among them is this simply succulent and
very low-fat dish using chicken thighs. "Consisting primarily of richer
dark meat," she writes, "they are exceeding tender and flavorful."
To minimize the fat, be sure to remove the skin and trim thighs
thoroughly.
For quick cooking, choose boneless, skinless thighs. When slow-cooking, as
in braising, bone-in thighs work best because they will retain their
moisture better. Two 2-to 3-ounce boneless thighs yield a 3-ounce cooked
portion.
In this dish with a Turkish influence, the acidity of the yogurt helps
tenderize the chicken and keep it moist. If you can't find hot paprika,
substitute 2 teaspoons sweet paprika and ¼ teaspoon cayenne.
TURKISH CHICKEN THIGHS
8 bone-in chicken thighs (about 3 ½ pounds total), skin removed, trimmed
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 cup low-fat plain yogurt
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
2 teaspoons hot paprika
1 ½ teaspoons dried mint
½ teaspoon salt
Place chicken in large bowl. Add lemon juice and toss to coat. Whisk
yogurt, garlic, ginger, paprika, mint and salt in a separate bowl. Pour
the yogurt mixture over the chicken and stir to coat. Cover with plastic
wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 24 hours.
Position rack in upper third of oven; preheat broiler. Remove the chicken
from the marinade (discard marinade). Place the chicken on a broiler rack
and broil until browned on top, about 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature
to 400 degrees and bake until the chicken is juicy and just cooked
through, about 15 minutes longer. (Thigh meat will appear dark pink, even
when cooked through.) Serve immediately.
— Makes 4 servings.
[See the following for more:
http://www.tug.tubitak.gov.tr/album/sgs/gallery/Antalya/Antalya_Goller_Bolgesi.j\
pghttp://antalya.medyak.net/uydu/ (Click on "Goller Bolgsi" links)
http://www.math.umn.edu/~alayont/turkiye/akdeniz/beysehir.jpghttp://www.tef.selcuk.edu.tr/~atemizer/photo/my/mix/beysehir2.jpghttp://www.voyagevirtuel.info/pages/turkey/turquie2.php ]
x0x The Turkish Lake District
By Ali Ihsan Gokcen
In pale winter sunshine we drove along the eastern shore of Lake
Beysehir, heading for the Hittite rock carvings at Eflatunpinar. The
expanse of water marbled in countless tones of light green and blue
against the backdrop of the snowy mountain range stretching along the
opposite shore was a magical sight. We were in the Turkish Lake
District, which lies north of Antalya. The lakes in this mountainous
region are home to hundreds of thousands of water birds. In the crisp
clear air the views are marvellous in every season, with a light and
depth ideal for photography. By day white clouds gliding across the
sky and by night the stars of the Milky Way are reflected in the
waters of Beysehir, Egirdir, Kovada, Acigol, Burdur, Salda, Yarisli,
Akgol, Eber, Aksehir, Sugla and Cavuscu lakes. Beysehir is the largest
of the lakes here and the third largest in Turkey. Cracking, folding
and sinking of the eath'sg crust created this beautiful landscape.
The principal lakes in the region are tectonic, but since the region
is largely limestone the terrain has a fascinating karst structure
featuring gorges whose walls rise hundreds of metres in height,
countless deep caves, ridges and furrows known as lapies, swallow
holes, potholes and poljes. Lake Beysehir stretches 45 kilometres from
north to south on the eastern side of the Dedegol Mountains at an
altitude of 1125 metres. There are thirty islands of various sizes in
the lake, which became a national park in 1993 to protect this unique
natural habitat. The area around the city of Beysehir on the lak'si
southeast shore has many buildings and ruins dating from the Seljuks,
including the Seljuk summer palace of Kubadabad, famous for the
remarkable tiles and stucco decoration discovered during excavations
here. These 13th century works of art can now be seen in the Tile
Museum in Konya. For a view of the lake from high above, take the road
leading westwards from Yenisarbademli.
This road runs through forests of black pine and juniper and climbs
over the Dedegol Mountains to Lake Egirdir, which is 50 kilometres
long and lies at an altitude of 900 metres. Making your base in the
town of Egirdir, you can visit Mount Barla, Aksu, the Zindan Caves
near Gelendost, and the magnificent Lake Kovada, which is also a
national park, and lies in the same tectonic valley as Lake Egirdir.
Travelling this time to the southwest brings you to Lake Burdur, which
is 35 kilometres in length. Since it forms a closed drainage basin its
waters contain a high proportion of soda, sulphur and chlorine, and
very few species of fish live here. However, it is an important home
for water birds in the winter months, including the world's largest
colony of white-headed ducks, which are an endangered species. Twenty
kilometres to the west is the 27-kilometre long Lake Acigol. The water
has a high salt content and the shallows dry up in the summer months,
creating large salt flats where many species of water birds and waders
such as ruddy shelducks, flamingos and avocets feed.
Lake Eber and Lake Aksehir share the same depression between Mount
Emir and the Sultan Mountains. Lake Eber is inhabited by a wide range
of wildlife, including fish, watersnakes, turtles, shellfish and water
birds, and became a nature reserve in 1992. A large part of the lake
is covered by reedbeds five to six metres in height which provide an
important breeding ground for birds like the pygmy cormorant,
Dalmatian pelican, various species of heron, glossy ibis, and
spoonbills. Migratory birds which stop to rest and feed here include
the white pelican, greylag goose and several species of duck. Eber's
neighbour Lake Aksehir is equally spectacular. All these lakes with
their unforgettable scenery and diversity of wildlife and plants, are
like gems in their mountain settings.
* Ali Ihsan Gokcen is a photographer and freelance writer.
{20050326trh.txt}
x0x Turkish news for week ending 26 March 2005
[Best when viewed with the courier font.]
****************************************************************
This line is available for your commercial announcement!
****************************************************************
A service of the TURKISH RADIO HOUR, producer of:
TURKISH CULTURAL PROGRAM
Saturdays at 6:00 P.M.
KUSF FM 90.3, San Francisco
Also tune to
ORIENT EXPRESS
Tuesdays at 10:00 P.M.
KKUP FM 91.5, CUPERTINO
****************************************************************
Ahmet Toprak edited today's news. Your host today is Fuad Tokad
****************************************************************
For a subscription to the Internet edition of this news,
send a blank email to:
TurkC-L-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
****************************************************************
NEWS BRIEFS
Edited by Fuad Tokad
* Turkey's Foreign Affairs Minister Abdullah Gül signals
readiness to work with leaders of the revolution in
Kyrgyzstan, saying they are friends of Turkey, reports the
Turkish Daily News.
Turkey sent a plane carrying members of an official
delegation to Kyrgyzstan a day after the former Soviet
republic's government was toppled at the end of widespread
street protests. The Turkish officials will be having talks
with Kyrgyz authorities. On the way back, the plane will
bring Turkish citizens who want to flee from the chaos that
ensued the uprising in Kyrgyzstan.
Approximately 3,500 Turks are living in Kyrgyzstan,
comprising students studying in private universities,
academics teaching in Kyrgyz universities, businessmen and
workers, said Turkish officials.
* Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld lashes Turkey over
Iraq, reported NTV on Monday. Mr. Rumsfeld the next after
has blamed Turkey for the high level of the insurgency in
Iraq, saying if Turkey had allowed US troops to invade Iraq
from Turkey attacks by militants would have been at a much
lower level.
Speaking on the second anniversary of the US-led invasion
of Iraq, Mr. Rumsfeld said that many insurgents had been
able to evade capture by fleeing north when military
operations began in the south.
By a narrow margin of just four votes, Turkish Parliament
defeated the bill to allow US forces to deploy in Turkey
before hostilities began in March 2003.
* Turkish Daily News reports that the Turkish government is
close to making its decision on a Washington proposal to use
Turkey's southern air base of Incirlik as a cargo hub for
U.S. forces operating in the region, said a Turkish
parliamentarian from the ruling Justice and Development
Party.
The parliamentarian was attending a meeting in Washington,
called, "Can the U.S.-Turkish relationship be repaired?"
Other attendees of the event, hosted by the American
Enterprise Institute, were influential "neo-con"s: Former
Deputy Secretary of Defense Richard Perle, Robert Pollock,
who wrote the Wall Street Journal op-ed painting Turkey as
rapidly turning into a hotbed of vicious anti-American
attitudes, and Michael Rubin, who recently questioned
Justice and Development Party's links to Islamic capital.
The proposal to use Turkish base as a cargo hub for U.S.
operations in Afghanistan and Iraq has been on the table for
several months.
* If Turkey were to hold elections this Sunday, the ruling
Justice and development Party and the main opposition
Republican People's Party would still be the only two
parties to win more than 10 percent of the vote and send
deputies to Parliament, a poll conducted by the MetroPOLL
Strategic and Social Research Center showed.
According to the survey carried out in 12 Turkish cities
on a total of 2,922 subjects, the Justice and Development
party appears not only to be consolidating its Nov. 3, 2002
electoral support but could indeed win the vote of an
additional 2 percent of the electorate.
* Turkey and the European Commission agreed on the text of a
protocol that would extend Ankara's Association Agreement
with the European Union to the ten new members, including
Greek Cyprus and is waiting for the commission to send a
letter starting an "exchange of letters" as the first step
in the eventual signing of the document.
As part of a complex mechanism to ensure that signing of
the protocol does not mean recognition of the Greek Cypriot
administration by Turkey, Turkey has asked the European
Union Commission to send a letter on the text of the
protocol. If the letter is the same text agreed between
Turkey and the European Union Commission, then the Turkish
side will sign it and send it back to the commission, which
will then present the document to member states for
approval.
* In related news, in a history making journey,
representatives of a British investment firm flew direct to
the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus Monday.
Still subject to a series of international embargoes,
there are no direct flights to Turkish Cyprus. Instead, all
flights to the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus must go
through Turkey.
Store International's director Michael Bouttcher has said
he is looking to invest in tourism in the Turkish Cypriot
side of the island. The British businessman is considering
building two hotels in the Turkish Republic of Northern
Cyprus, one in Girne and the other in Catalkoy.
* Turkish Daily News reports that the anger felt by the
Turks for the dragging and attempted burning of the Turkish
flag by Kurdish youth during Nevroz celebrations in Turkey's
southern Mediterranean City of Mersin on Monday continues to
reverberate.
Governor's Office in the mainly Kurdish city of Diyarbakir
decided to hang a huge Turkish flag on its building on
Friday, as part of the flag frenzy that has gripped the
nation since Monday.
Former pro-Kurdish Democracy Party deputy minister Mr.
Orhan Dogan said Turkey was currently going through a very
important period, warning the 70 million people of Turkey
against losing control for something that was done by two
naughty boys.
Mr. Dogan said: "We all need to be very calm. I believe we
will overcome this anger. We, Kurds and Turks, founded this
nation together. Our flag is one of the paramount symbols of
our unity. Kurds and Turks need to trust each other."
Turkey's Human Rights Association President Mr. Yusuf
Alatas, said on Friday that when one looked at the
exaggerated reaction, one started to think that those who
did not want peace planned the attempted burning and
flag-dragging incident.
* A strong earthquake shook Turkey's eastern province of
Bingol late Wednesday evening, though initial reports say
that damage was limited and there were no casualties.
The quake, which registered 5.5 on the Richter Scale of
magnitude, occurred just before midnight and had its
epicentre near Bingol's Karliova township.
Karliova's mayor Mr. Muzaffer Golen said there was no
damage in the immediate vicinity of the town's centre.
However, authorities were still contacting outlying
communities in the mountainous region.
It was the second strong quake to hit the region in two
weeks, with 15 people being hurt when a tremor measuring 5.7
struck the same area on March 12.
* Commenting on the busiest February and March in 10 years,
Tourism and Agency Association chairman Mr. Timur Bayindir
said: "March is always a busy month for Istanbul, but this
year we have seen a sharp increase in reservations. When
they can't find rooms in Istanbul, people are looking to
Kilyos, Bursa, Tekirdag and Kocaeli."
He added that this year Istanbul would be welcoming 6
million tourists, 20 million nationally, adding $17 billion
to Treasury coffers in what is expected to be a highlight
year in tourism.
Mr. Bayindir also spoke of the national responsibility to
welcome tourists. "Every tourist who leaves our country
happy counts as a representative for us," he said.
* Based on current pricing levels and gross national
product, Turkey's economy is the ninth largest in Europe,
according to figures released by the Istanbul Chamber of
Industry on Tuesday.
However, the study showed that, with a per capita income
of $4,112, Turkey has a lower income than any European Union
member state and the lowest purchasing power in all of
Europe.
Turkey also has the highest consumer inflation rate among
all European Union countries, the study showed.
The report cited unemployment as one of Turkey's largest
and most serious problems, with 10 percent of the workforce
jobless. Of European Union member states, only Poland (18.7
percent), Slovakia (17.9 percent), Spain (10.8 percent) and
Lithuania (10.6 percent) were worse off.
* TeliaSonera, a leading telecommunications company in the
Nordic and Baltic regions, agreed yesterday with the
Cukurova Group to acquire an additional 27 percent stake in
Turkcell, the leading mobile operator in Turkey, for a cash
consideration of $3.1 billion and increased its effective
ownership stake to 64.3 percent.
Meanwhile, Cukurova will continue as a local partner with
a 13.5 percent stake.
The transaction is expected to be finalized in the second
quarter of 2005.
TeliaSonera announced that it would not make a public
tender offer for Turkcell, which will remain a listed
company. The only Turkish company listed on the New York
Stock Exchange, its net sales for the first nine months of
2004 amounted to $2.55 billion.
Turkcell had 5,062 employees at the end of 2003.
TeliaSonera CEO stated that they would not make any changes
in the administrative structure of the company.
ARTS AND CULTURE
Edited by Hayal Koc
* Anticipation for the 24th International Istanbul Film
Festival has reached a fevered pitch, as honored guest
Sophia Loren will arrive in Istanbul on April 1st to kick
off the festivities. The actress will be also awarded the
Lifetime Achievement Award.
The official opening ceremony, hosted by CNN Turk, will
take place on April 2nd. The festival will last until April
17th.
Over 150 producers from 62 different countries will
participate in the festival, where some 166 movies will be
screened.
Sponsored by Akbank and Efes Pilsen, the festival will
showcase classics, two feature films, as well as
biographies, short and long documentaries, and independent
movies.
Among some of the famous movies are Vera Drake. There will
also be an evening gala each night throughout the festival.
For more information on the festival, please visit
http://www.iksv.org/film.
* Following the suggestion of Gaziantep University
archeology professor Dr. Rifat Ergec, several museums
throughout Turkey will now play period-specific music to
enhance visitors experience.
Dr. Ergec believes this will not only "complete" the
learning and cultural experience, but it will also leave a
unique, lasting impression on visitors. The museums that
will partake in the experiment are yet to be chosen. *
World famous Italian photographer Gabriele Basilico will be
in Turkey until the end of the month taking pictures for his
collection for the upcoming 9th Annual Istanbul Bienali
festival, which will take place in September and October.
His collection will include black and white pictures of
Istanbul.
* The Gallipoli Battle Exhibition is on display at the Rahmi
Koc Museum until the end of the month.
The collection includes seven thousand objects from the
Gallipoli Battle, such as arms, bullets, flasks, epaulets,
buckles, juice bottles, grenades, cannon bullets,
kitchenware, and field phones. The museum is open everyday
except Mondays.
See http://www.rmk-museum.org.tr/english/
* The Artist of Athens Olympic Games, famous painter Alecos
Fassianos opened his first personal exhibition in Nisantasi,
Istanbul.
The exhibition is open until April 8th.
* A world-famous jazz organization has invited a Turkish
group to the "Spirit of Woodstock" festival scheduled to
take place in Mirapuri, Italy, on Aug. 5-7, reported by the
Dogan News Agency.
The festival will be broadcast on radio and TV stations
from Europe and the United States to Asia and the Far East.
Turkish group Mecazi will sing folk songs. The group will
be introduced to viewers on the committee's official Web
site for a period of six months.
Approximately 30,000 fans will attend Mecazi's 45-minute
performances Aug. 5-7 on an open-air stage.
Mr.Yusuf Eker, vocalist and pianist for the group, said it
was an honor to be invited to this festival and that
Mirapuri was a dream come true for any musical group. "All
rock, pop, jazz, folk and Latin music groups are
congregating here. We are very happy that, for the first
time, we can do something for Turkey. Our group has now
received invitations from 26 other countries to participate
in festivals being held in the United States, Canada, the
Far East, Asia and Europe," he said.
See http://www.mecazi.com/ and
http://www.mirapuri-enterprises.com/Spirit/Woodstock.shtml
* San Diego's Balboa Park is host to a unique set of small
structures that are collectively called the International
Cottages.
This group of cottages, each home to a different nation,
takes turns holding outdoor programs of folk dancing and
music.
Recently local American and Turkish volunteers set up the
"House of Turkey" there. At the Hall of Nations, another
structure nearby, they will have the first Turkish related
event tomorrow.
The event will feature films about Turkey, and attendees
will be served Turkish appetizers and Turkish coffee.
The event will start at 12:30. For more information see
http://www.houseofturkey.org/
EXCHANGE RATE for the U.S. dollar in New Turkish Liras: 1.35
WEATHER
High and Low Temperatures in Degrees F, Weather
Ankara, in central Turkey----------: 63/32 Partly Cloudy
Antalya, on the Mediterranean------: 66/50 Partly Cloudy
Istanbul, in northwestern Turkey---: 63/39 Foggy
Izmir, on the Aegean---------------: 64/46 Showers
Trabzon, on the Black Sea----------: 54/32 Partly Cloudy
Snow depths at skiing locations:
Erciyes, in Kayseri, Central Turkey 14 inches
Ilgaz, in Kastamonu, North Central Turkey 67 inches
Kartalkaya, in Bolu, Western Turkey 47 inches
Palandoken, in Erzurum, Eastern Turkey 16 inches
Saklikent, in Antalya, Southern Turkey 28 inches
Sarikamis, in Kars, Eastern Turkey 30 inches
Uludag, in Bursa, Western Turkey 79 inches
ANNOUNCEMENTS
*** The Alaturka restaurant underwrote today's program,
where gourmet Turkish cooking is an art:
869 Geary St, (cross street Larkin)
in San Francisco
For reservations: (415) 345-1011
http://www.chowbaby.com/Alaturka/
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
{A$agidaki duyuru haberlerden SONRA yayinlanacak}
*** Turkish American Association of California has partially
underwritten today's program. TAAC is a non-profit
charitable organization established to promote better
understanding between Americans and Turks.
If you have any questions about Turks and Turkey,
give them a call: 1-415-646-0946
or e-mail them at taac@...http://www.taaca.org
*** Planning to go to Turkey? Take a look at our Web pages
that is full of articles and information furnished by
travelers like yourselves:
http://travel.to/sunholiday
*** For more music from Turkey and the Middle East tune to
International Cultural Program.
San Francisco World TV Channel 29
Sundays at 9-10 A.M.
Also can be viewed in other cities in California, Chicago,
New York, Russia, and Georgia.
Consult with 415-564-7778 timing and stations.
*** Yayinlarimiz siz dinleyicilerimizin katkilari ile surebilecektir.
Studyomuza telefon acarak nasil katkida bulunabileceginizi
ogrenebilirsiniz.
Telefonumuz 415-751-KUSF e-posta adresimiz: trh@...
A service of the TURKISH RADIO HOUR On the airways since 1982.
*** Tune in to the following broadcasts in the Bay Area:
- Every Saturday at 6 P.M. to the
Turkish Cultural Program on KUSF FM 90.3
- Every Tuesday at 10 P.M.
KKUP 91.5 to the Orient Express
- Tune in to KPFA FM 94.1 every Monday at 10 A.M. for
Music from Africa-Asia, hosted by Kutay Kugay.
- Mondays 7:00 - 10:00 P.M. 89.5 FM
International Program KBES
(Covers Stanislaus County all the way to Manteca),
Hosted by George Geevargis.
{20050326trh.txt}
[See the following:
Old Tire: http://www.tireliler.com/eski_resim.html
New Tire: http://www.tireliler.com/resim.html ]
x0x A warm welcome at Tire
By Omer Kokal
Apollo used to amuse himself playing the lyre on
Mount Tmolos (today Bozdag) overlooking the plain of
the Kucuk Menderes River. The god was convinced that
his music was unsurpassed in beauty. But the shepherd
Marsyas who played his flute while watching over his
flocks on the pastures of the same mountain was also
a skilled musician. One day Apollo decided that two
musicians were too many for one mountain, and invited
Marsyas to compete with him before a panel of
adjudicators.
When both musicians had finished playing and it was
time to judge between them, only King Midas of
Phrygia voted for Marsyas. Apollo was so angered at
the king's decision that he declared him to be
ignorant of music and turned his ears into those of a
donkey. Then, his rage still unassuaged, he had the
poor shepherd flayed alive. About two thousand years
ago a sculptor portrayed Marsyas suffering the
torment of this dreadful punishment. Today this
statue can be seen in the modest little museum at
Tire. But the ancient city of Tire was neither small
nor modest.
The history of the city goes back to the time of the
Lydians, when it was known as Tyrha, meaning castle.
The city was of great importance for Lydia, because
of its strategic position on the major trade route
between Ephesus and Sardis. Tire first came under
Turkish rule with the Aydinogullari emirate in the
13th century, followed by the Ottomans from 1426
onwards. During this period the ancient trade road
from Ephesus took a new course to Izmir and Manisa
after leaving Tire.
Although the city has become a backwater today, such
famous figures as Timur (Tamerlane), Seyh Bedreddin
and Suleyman the Magnificent visited it in the past.
Jews from Palestine were settled here during the time
of Alexander the Great, people from Ephesus arrived
under the AydinoGullari ruler Sasa Bey, and Bekta$i
mystics in the early part of the 19th century. Then
during the population exchange of the 1920s, Turks
from Crete settled here. These waves of new settlers
combined with thriving commerce over many centuries
meant that arts and crafts of many kinds flourished.
Felt makers, rope makers, saddlers, tinsmiths and
clog makers still produce their wares by traditional
methods in rows of shops in the centre of the town.
The architecture and cuisine also reflect the
multicultural influences of Tire's past.
The traditional houses of Tire are gaily painted in
colours including indigo blue, sunshine yellow,
cherry red, and leaf green. These tiny houses are
freshly painted every year, and as you wander through
the streets you are sure to encounter someone
painting their house. The town is bejewelled by no
less than 41 historic mosques dating from the 15th to
18th centuries, and their minarets, each decorated
differently, shape the distinctive skyline.
Specialities of the Tire cuisine include meatballs
and dishes of various vegetables gathered wild from
the fields and hills and cooked with olive oil.
Making use of wild plants of many kinds, such as
nettles, endive, chicory and fennel, reflects the
influence of Cretan Turks on the local cuisine.
The favourite local dessert of unsalted whey cheese
with black mulberry jam wins the hearts of visitors
too.
Another surprise awaiting you is a game called
karambol, similar to billiards and known nowhere else
in Turkey. It is played on a concrete area measuring
about 13 x 4 metres surrounded by boards 20
centimetres in height, and the players strike the
balls with their fingers. No one in Tire has any idea
where or when the game originated. Tuesday is market
day, and the market fills almost every street of the
town, recalling its past as an important commercial
centre. You will not notice time passing as you
explore this fascinating market, looking at the
stalls filled with tempting arrays of fruits and
vegetables, and locally produced goods. The market is
so famous that people come here to shop from Izmir,
Selcuk, Kusadasi and elsewhere in the region. When
you need a rest from wandering through the market,
take a seat at one of the outdoor coffee houses
shaded by great plane trees and order a Turkish
coffee that will refresh you immediately. The coffee
houses also serve the traditional nargile or
waterpipe, which outsiders might try for the sake of
tradition or fashion, but local people enjoy as a
restful accompaniment to conversation. The people of
Tire love to converse and are always ready to chat to
strangers. You can learn many interesting things
about the town from them, such as the fame and
strength of Tire rope, which was used to haul Ottoman
ships overland from the Bosphorus into the Golden
Horn during the Ottoman conquest of Istanbul in the
15th century, or the fact that Ottoman coins were
struck at the imperial mint located here from the
15th until the 18th century. Something you will
discover neither from books about Tire nor from
conversing in the coffeehouses, but rather sense if
you observe the town carefully, is that it shares
characteristics with each of the three successive
capitals of the Ottoman Empire: It nestles in trees
and greenery like Bursa, abounds in mosques like
Edirne, and is built on seven hills like Istanbul.
* Omer Kokal is a photographer and freelance writer.
[See the following for more:
http://ina.tamu.edu/ ]
x0x Exploring the blue depths of the Aegean and Mediterranean
By Levent Konuk
The coasts of Anatolia are sprinkled with ancient cities whose
harbours bustled with ships engaged in the thriving sea trade of the
Aegean and Mediterranean. But not every ship made it safely to
harbour. Many were wrecked in storms and sank with their cargoes to
the seabed, and the remains of these have lain hidden on the seabed
for long centuries. Wrecks of both merchant and warships each have
their historical tale to relate, and are among the underwater sights
that fascinate divers today.
No other region of the world is so rich in sunken history as the seas
around Turkey. The world's oldest known wreck was discovered at
Uluburun near Kas, and after years of work was lifted to the surface
and placed on exhibit. Nautical archaeology began in Turkey, and today
is recognised as a distinct branch of archaeology throughout the
world. The first scientific excavation carried out entirely underwater
took place at Gelidonya Point in 1960.
This was followed by excavations of the Uluburun, Serce Limani, Roman,
Yassiada Eastern Roman, Ottoman, Bozburun and Pabucburnu wrecks, all
of which passed into archaeological literature and were followed with
interest all over the world. The timbers of wrecked ships are
destroyed within a few years by fireworms, but their cargoes often
resist erosion by the sea water for thousands of years. Commodities of
many kinds were transported in amphoras, pottery jars with pointed
bases and two handles. Such jars are known to have first been used in
the city of Troy in 3000 BC. The tapering pointed shape enabled them
to be stacked safely in ships' holds and kept upright so that their
contents did not spill. As well as wine and olive oil, these jars were
used for grain, salted fish and many other dry commodities. Despite
the passage of thousands of years, most of these amphoras remain
undamaged at the bottom of the sea.
Over recent years divers have been given access to many areas where
diving was formerly not allowed, bringing to light hundreds of wreck
sites which can be visited by divers once archaeological studies have
been completed. However, divers are expected to take the utmost care
not to damage such sites, and it is forbidden to remove any remains
they might discover, alter their position or even touch them. This is
because an amphora on the seabed marks the position of a wreck, and to
move it might make the site impossible to ever locate. Ships that sink
on a sandy bottom are often buried in sand by sea currents, leaving
nothing but a few amphoras visible. More modern wrecks interest both
historians and divers. Dozens of ships sunk in Canakkale Strait during
the First World War, the Saint Didier which sank 200 metres off
Antalya Harbour, and the Paris II sunk off Kemer during the same war
attract thousands of divers from both Turkey and abroad. In some parts
of the world today ships are sunk deliberately to attract divers,
bringing animation to the underwater life of these areas.
One of the great advantages for those wishing to explore shipwrecks in
Turkish waters is that these are usually fairly close inshore. Turkey
is surrounded by four seas, the Mediterranean, Aegean, Marmara and
Black seas. The Gulf of Saros is one of the most popular areas for
divers of all levels, since it is within easy reach of Istanbul. The
cold waters of the gulf, with its strong currents, abound in many fish
species, such as groupers, sea bass and conger eels, and numerous
other sea creatures, such as nudibranches (a kind of sea slug),
shrimps and starfish. At Ayvalik further to the south, coves and bays
sheltered from the fierce winds of the Aegean are home to colonies of
bright red coral and soft corals whose colours are equal to any in the
Red Sea. With its clear water, natural reefs and Mediterranean seals,
Bodrum is another area noted for its underwater beauty.
Then there is Kas, where the warm sapphire sea with its diversity of
water creatures and reefs seems to have been created just for diving.
An Italian bomber plane can be seen on the seabed here. Although it
lies slightly beyond the depth limit for recreational diving, so long
as the right precautions are taken it is possible for amateur divers
to visit this site. Bes Adalar, the Five Islands, are foremost among
the places preferred by experienced divers. Another group of islands,
the Three Islands, are like a natural aquarium, their reefs home to
shoals of barracuda and white bream (Diplodus sargus), and with many
spectacularly beautiful underwater caves. Three of these caves are
visited by Mediterranean seals at certain times of the year. Early May
is the time to see dolphins leaping through the waters off Kemer. Many
divers come to see the wreck of the French warship, the Paris II,
resting at a depth of 30 metres just five minutes away from Kemer
Marina, and the Saint Didier 50 metres off the sea cliffs at Antalya.
As you travel eastwards the diversity of underwater plants and sea
creatures increases, due to the numerous escaped species from the Red
Sea that have found a new home here. All of us have a responsibility
to ensure that the underwater world is bequeathed intact to future
generations, and the best souvenirs of their history and marine life
are our colourful memories.
* Levent Konuk is a photographer.
[See http://www.dzkk.tsk.mil.tr/muze/turkish/alisamiboyar.jpg
and http://www.tcmb.gov.tr/yeni/arts/27.JPG ]
x0x A Turkish Painter in Perspective Ali Sami Boyar
The Turkish Republic issued its first stamps in 1925 and its first
banknotes in 1926. Both were designed by the same artist, Ali Sami
Boyar, who came first in the design competition that was held. Boyar
was a naval officer who had trained at the Academy of Fine Arts and
under Cormon in Paris. Upon his return from France he worked at
Istanbul's museums, taught at the Academy of Fine Arts for Girls and
the Academy of Fine Arts, becoming director of the latter institution.
As an artist he became famous for his paintings of Istanbul's mosques
and fountains. Ali Sami Boyar was born in Istanbul in 1880 and
graduated from Heybeli Naval College in 1898. Since he was a child he
had loved painting, and he went on to enrol at the Academy, where he
graduated as first in his year. After teaching art at the Naval
College he was sent for further studies in Paris in 1909. There he
worked in the studio of the famous painter, Cormon, and did copies of
works by famous French artists for the Imperial Museum in Istanbul.
When he returned home in 1914, he continued his career as a
professional artist, while also working at the Museum of Turkish and
Islamic Art (then the Evkaf Museum) and the Naval Museum. For some
years before his retirement he served as director of Haghia Sophia
Museum. When the Sultan Osman battleship was purchased for the Ottoman
navy, a competition was held for a painting of this dreadnought, and
Ali Sami Boyar won first prize. He painted hundreds of pictures on
many subjects, but Istanbul's mosques and fountains were his favourite
subject and that for which he is best remembered. Many of his large
watercolour paintings were sold to foreign collectors, and he has a
prominent place in Turkey's modern art history. In 1925, when the
first stamps and first banknotes of the Turkish Republic were being
printed in London, Boyar was sent to that city.
Over the next few years his fame spread beyond Turkey's boundaries,
and at the exhibition of his work in Paris in 1931 all the paintings
were sold. He continued to paint prolifically into his old age. He
died in 1967 but his memory lives in in his paintings in many
collections and museums.
* Taha Toros is a historian.
{20050319trh.txt}
x0x Turkish news for week ending 19 March 2005
[Best when viewed with the courier font.]
****************************************************************
This line is available for your commercial announcement!
****************************************************************
A service of the TURKISH RADIO HOUR, producer of:
TURKISH CULTURAL PROGRAM
Saturdays at 6:00 P.M.
KUSF FM 90.3, San Francisco
Also tune to
ORIENT EXPRESS
Tuesdays at 10:00 P.M.
KKUP FM 91.5, CUPERTINO
****************************************************************
Ahmet Toprak edited today's news. Your host today is Ahmet Toprak
****************************************************************
For a subscription to the Internet edition of this news,
send a blank email to:
TurkC-L-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
****************************************************************
NEWS BRIEFS
By Jan Claire
* Amid the risk of more landslides in Sugozu village in
Koyulhisar, Sivas, the Turkish daily Hurriyet reports that
fifteen people are trapped under the soil. The landslide
buried 21 houses, according to the Crisis Management
division of the Turkish Prime Ministry Directorate
General's office. Nine people have been hospitalized, and
five additional people were treated and released.
Anatolia News Agency reported that dozens of rescuers
were immediately sent to the area, along with earth-moving
equipment, but they have been unable to get to work with
the fears their equipment could cause another slide.
The area where the landslide occurred had been declared
risky for settlement by local construction authorities,
but residents refused to move out of their homes perched
on the slope.
* News is out Friday that Turkmen and Arab Shiites
demonstrated yesterday in the northern Iraqi oil city of
Kirkuk against the Kurdish desires to annex the city.
Local Sadr representatives were very clear in their
opposition to the Kurdish plan to implement Iraq's interim
constitution, which would return tens of thousands of
Kurds who were expelled from Kirkuk.
According to the local Sadr representatives, the
demonstraters were there to denounce the transitional law
and its article 58.
"This article clearly calls for resolving former
president Saddam Hussein's four-decade policy of
'arabization' in which he moved Shiites from the south to
Kirkuk and removed the city's native Kurds," the
representatives said, "Arabs are Iraqis, and we must
continue to live with our Turkish, Turkmen and Christian
brothers in the city of Kirkuk - and nobody has the right
to chase us out!
According to the Agence France Presse, Iraq's outgoing
foreign minister Mr. Hoshyar al-Zebari said the country's
leading Shiite and Kurdish political blocs had agreed that
the next government would implement Iraq's transitional
law on Kirkuk. Mr. Hoshyar al-Zebari is an ethnic Kurd.
Kirkuk's final status will be settled after the
permanent constitution is in place and after a full census
is conducted throughout Iraq.
* Thursday, a Turkish man received a 7-1/2 year sentence
in prison for threatening to blow up a passenger jet
flying over Germany.
Mr. Burhan Bayrambey, age 28, issued the threat just a
few minutes after the flight took off from Munich enroute
to Istanbul in June of last year.
He had waved his mobile phone and shouted, "Don't panic,
I've got a bomb in my hand," and after the plane made an
emergency landing in Munich, he was captured.
No weapons or explosives were found onboard the plane.
All 150 passengers left the plane safely, after minister
Bayrambey jumped out an exit door and was injured.
His demand was for the plane to land in Hamburg, Germany
where his former wife lived. During the court trial, he
said he was upset about the breakup of his marriage, and
hoped that by hijacking the plane he could persuade his
wife to see him again.
He was convicted of hostage-taking, and causing a risk
to air traffic, even though his defense lawyer said he was
"confused and disoriented" at the time of the incident.
* Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has once
again criticized the Turkish media on Thursday, for what
he called, "exaggeration and even fabricating news
stories".
He said, in a news story published in the Turkish daily
Cumhuriyet - and we quote - "Exaggerated stories irritate
our citizens. The media shouldn't forget the psychological
effects of what they report. The media must support
security forces so as to protect and promote our country's
national interests".
Mr. Erdogan has been critized, in turn, by Turkish
media, for inhibiting press freedom by blaming Turkish
media coverage for triggering negative European responses
to the police stopping an Istanbul demonstration.
On Thursday, the Turkish daily Hurriyet reported that
three more policemen have been suspended over the March
6th protest clampdown on the womens demonstration. The
three officers were found to have used excessive force
against demonstrators in the protest.
So far, a total of six policemen have been suspended,
whose actions were harshly critized by the European Union.
* The daily Turkiye has reported that Turkish president
Mr. Ahmet Necdet Sezer has said he would travel to Syria
on April 12 to pay an official visit as originally
scheduled.
He commented to a reporter: "Of course I will go," and
told of his plans to visit Syria after the landmark trip
last year by the Syrian president to Turkey.
There had been advice to Sezer not to go to Syria in the
midst of international pressure on Damascus to withdraw
its troops from Lebanon.
Turkish Foreign Affairs Minister Abdullah Gul has said
that Turkey is already acting together with the
international community on the Syria issue and carrying
out its consultations and discussions with both allies and
neighboring countries to reach a peaceful settlement on
the troop withdrawal from Lebanon.
* On the Syrian issue, a Turkish delegation including five
members of the Justice and Development Party and three
Republican People's Party deputies met in Washington DC
with Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld.
US and Turkish relations were discussed and the Turkish
daily Milliyet reported that US Deputy Defense Secretary,
Paul Wolfowitz expressed U.S. worries about the recent
developments in Syria.
The Turkish parliamentarians stated that Turkey attaches
great importance to its relations with regional countries
and has good relations with its neighbors.
Milliyet reported that Mr. Wolfowitz told them, "if your
relations with Syria are on good terms, then we request
that you use this position to convince Syria to withdraw
its troops from Lebanon".
The Turkish parliament delegation also met with
officials from the State Department and the White House
and they communicated that a reason for much of the
anti-Americanism in Turkey is the continued presence of
the rebel group Kurdish Workers Party in northern Iraq.
They also brought up the need to end the isolation of
the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus. They asked for
U.S. assistance on the Cyprus issue.
Both the Turkish and US representatives felt the
meetings were valuable, and promised that further
discussion and action will be forthcoming.
* On Thursday, Turkish President Sezer approved the
controversial bill giving expelled students amnesty and
allowing them to return to their universities for the next
term.
Students expelled on academic or disciplinary grounds
will be allowed to return, if they comply with the rules.
The amnesty includes those students who refused to remove
their headscarves following the ban in Turkey.
The ban on headscarves, however, has been in place since
Turkey approved a legislation banning the use of
headscarves in schools and universities in June 1997,
sparking heated debates between the government and
religious groups.
ARTS AND CULTURE
By Hilal Koc
* The latest documentary from famed Turkish director Tolga
Ornek, "Gallipoli" opened in theaters in Turkey.
Coincidentally, the 18 of March is the 90th anniversary
of the Gallipoli War. The war is known as providing the
impetus for Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the founder of modern
Turkey and its first president, to rise in prominence, and
the rise of the sovereign nation states of Australia and
New Zealand.
The film will also be in movie theaters in Australia,
New Zealand, England, Germany and be shown in US starting
June 6th.
Tolga Ornek also directed critically acclaimed
documentaries "Ataturk," "Nemrut," and "Hittites."
For this project, Ornek teamed up with producer Hamdi
Doker and was sponsored and supported by Dogus Holding,
Garanti Bank, Calik Holding, Deva Holding, Koc Alliance
and many other Turkish giants.
For more details on the film, log on to
http://www.canakkale-film.com.
* The first annual "Cukurova Multi-tonal Music Festival"
kicked off in the southern Mediterranean Turkish city of
Adana last week and lasts through the 20th of March.
The committee organizing the event hopes to initiate
more conversation and facilitate increased cultural
enlightenment in the region. The goal is to make the
southeastern city a "cultural center."
* The "Turkish-Chinese Cultural Night" was held in the
Northwestern Turkish city of Bursa and was hailed a
success by the Ankara based Chinese Consulate General Song
Aiguo and Istanbul Consulate Yuhong Yang.
The event which featured speechs, photography exhibits,
dance and fashion shows will be held again next year.
* Medical Day was celebrated with a concert put on by
well-known group Kargo at Saklikent, in Turkey's capital
city of Ankara.
Medical Day, observed on March 14, has a history
indirectly dating back to 1827, when a medical school was
established to teach modern medicine. The first activities
leading to the establishment of the actual day took place
on March 14, 1919, when Istanbul was under Allied
occupation.
The medical students' protest of the foreign presence
became a tradition and is still celebrated as Medical Day.
In honor of Medical Day Kargo, which has finally
released an album called "Fire and Water" after a
four-year hiatus, performed some of their new songs during
the concert at Saklikent.
Ankara's amateur rock group Gece (Night) also appeared
on stage that evening, performing their own
funk-alternative brand of rock music.
* Preparations for forming a federation for the smartest
dogs in the world, known for their loyalty towards their
owners, "Kangals" are underway, according to Dogan News
Agency.
The Cumhuriyet University Kangal Research and Breeding
Center head Mr. Yusuf Ziya Orak said: "When we achieve
2,000 registered breeders and dogs, a federation will be
formed. Furthermore this federation will then gain the
right to join the International Dog Federation."
He said that the research would determine the exact
number of Kangals and breeders at hand.
He added that foreign countries were misinformed about
these dogs, because they thought only one type called the
Anatolian Shepherd exists and stated:
"The federation will show to the world there are
different types of Kangals with different characteristics
in our country, like Kars and Akbash. For us to achieve
this we need at least 2,000 dogs and registered breeders."
Mr. Orak said that to preserve the pure breeds of
Kangals was important and that studies to draw up genetic
maps were being conducted at the Middle East Technical
University.
* The 24th Annual International Istanbul Film Festival,
organized by the Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts,
is approaching with full speed. The Festival sponsored by
AKBANK will be replete with some of the most striking,
newest and world-class films, special screenings, guest
stars and chats with masters of cinema from April 2 and to
17th, 2005.
Once again, the Festival will practically lock
film-lovers into the movie-theaters in April with
approximately 170 films to be screened.
Among these films will be some brand new films that
participated in world-acclaimed festivals last year and
were appreciated and greatly honored with awards, as well
as unforgettable cinema classics and masterpieces from the
masters of cinema.
The first female director ever to win the Palme d'Or at
Cannes Film Festival with the movie Piano, Jane Campion of
New Zealand, and one of the most impressive actors in the
history of cinema, Harvey Keitel, will visit Istanbul for
the Film Festival.
Jane Campion will chair the jury of the International
Golden Tulip Competition. She will be in Istanbul
throughout the second week of the festival, and Harvey
Keitel will arrive on April 14th.
Jane Campion and Harvey Keitel's Piano will be screened
on April 15 th, Friday at 7 PM at Emek Movie-Theater.
Before the screening, they will meet with the audience.
What's more, Harvey Keitel will receive at the Closing
Gala scheduled for April 16th, "The Life-Time Achievement
Award."
For more information, please log on to
http://www.iksv.org.
* The collaboration between Turkish photographer Muammer
Yanmaz and Selen Akcali is now on display.
The project, called "40 Station New York," is a
photography exhibit of 40 Turks living in New York, all
taken in subways and metro stations. The project was
first conceived when Mr. Yanmaz took several memorable
pictures of Turks in French metro stations in 2002.
The interesting exhibit will be shown in its sponsor
Mavi Jeans stores in Turkey until May 4th and then moved
to New York for another month.
EXCHANGE RATE for the U.S. dollar in New Turkish Liras: 1.32
WEATHER
High and Low Temperatures in Degrees F, Weather
Ankara, in central Turkey----------: 59/41 Partly Cloudy
Antalya, on the Mediterranean------: 72/57 Clear
Istanbul, in northwestern Turkey---: 61/46 Rainy
Izmir, on the Aegean---------------: 70/46 Partly Cloudy
Trabzon, on the Black Sea----------: 59/46 Rainy
Snow depths at skiing locations:
Erciyes, in Kayseri, Central Turkey 24 inches
Ilgaz, in Kastamonu, North Central Turkey 83 inches
Kartalkaya, in Bolu, Western Turkey 55 inches
Palandoken, in Erzurum, Eastern Turkey 18 inches
Saklikent, in Antalya, Southern Turkey 35 inches
Sarikamis, in Kars, Eastern Turkey 35 inches
Uludag, in Bursa, Western Turkey 93 inches
SPORTS
By Mark Nowak
* Turkish Soccer - Premier Divsion
Week 24 Results
Trabzonspor 4 - 3 Sakaryaspor
Ankaragucu 1 - 1 Denizlispor
Istanbulspor 0 - 3 Galatasaray
Konyaspor 2 - 0 Malatyaspor
Fenerbahçe 3 - 2 Gençlerbirligi
Rizespor 2 - 1 Sebatspor
Diyarbakirspor 3 - 0 Gaziantepspor
Samsunspor 3 - 3 Kayserispor
Ankaraspor 2 - 4 Besiktas
Week 25 Matches
Denizlispor 2 - 0 Fenerbahçe
Malatyaspor 0 - 1 Rizespor
Gaziantepspor 2 - 0 Ankaragucu
Kayserispor 0 - 0 Istanbulspor
Besiktas 0 - 0 Trabzonspor
Galatasaray - Ankaraspor
Gençlerbirligi - Konyaspor
Sebatspor - Samsunspor
Sakaryaspor - Diyarbakirspor
Standings
Team Pts
1. Fenerbahçe 62
2. Galatasaray 57
3. Trabzonspor 56
4. Besiktas 46
5. Rizespor 40
6. Denizlispor 39
7. Konyaspor 34
8. Gaziantepspor 34
9. Malatyaspor 31
10. Ankaraspor 30
11. Gençlerbirligi 29
12. Samsunspor 29
13. Diyarbakirspor 29
14. Ankaragucu 28
15. Kayserispor 20
---------------------------
16. Istanbulspor 19
17. Sakaryaspor 19
18. Sebatspor 10
* Turkish Basketball - Men's
Team Pts
1 Efes Pilsen 38
2 Ülker 37
3 Be?ikta? 35
4 Fenerbahçe 32
5 Tuborg 31
6 P.Kar??yaka 30
7 Türk Telekom 30
8 Erdemir 29
9 Darü??afaka 28
10 Banvit 27
11 Tekelspor 26
12 ?.T.Ü 26
13 Galatasaray 25
14 Büyük Kolej 25
Turkish Basketball - Women's
Team Pts
1 Be?ikta? 38
2 Fenerbahçe 37
3 Erdemirspor 36
4 Ceyhan Bld. 34
5 Mersin Bld. 34
6 Migros 32
7 Çankaya Üniversitesi 29
8 ?ÜSK 28
9 Bota? 25
10 Galatasaray 23
11 Orimcam 22
12 Burhaniye Bld. 22
* ULEB Euroleague Top 16 Basketball Standings
Group D
Macc. T-A 4 - 0
Montepas. 2 - 2
Cibona 1 - 3
Ulker 1 - 3
Group G
AEK 3 - 1
Efes Pilsen 3 - 1
Benetton 2 - 2
Prokon 0 - 4
* FIBA Europe League
Playoffs - Quarter Finals
Fenerbahce 70-67 Besiktas
Fenerbahce leads series 1-0
* NBA
Hidayet Turkoglu Pts rebs assts mins
Orlando 90 - 98 Seattle 12 0 2 24
Orlando 102 - 110 LA Clippers 1 2 2 15
Orlando 94 - 105 Sacremento 14 5 1 26
Orlando 82 - 98 New Jersey 23 3 3 27
Mehmet Okur
Utah 80 - 94 New Jersey 12 4 1 17
Utah 84 - 103 Indiana 16 1 2 29
Utah 73 - 92 Cleveland 7 7 1 27
Utah 62 - 64 Detroit 7 11 3 36
* The two World Cup 2006 qualifiers are just around the
corner and Turkish team coach Ersun Yanal has announced a
24-man squad to compete against Albania on March 26 in
Istanbul, and against Georgia on March 30 in Tbilisi.
Fenerbahce's goalkeepers Volkan Demiral and Rustu Recber
have been placed on the team, as well as top players of
Galatasaray, Besiktas, Galatasaray, Trabzon, and
Denizlispor.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
*** The Alaturka restaurant underwrote today's program,
where gourmet Turkish cooking is an art:
869 Geary St, (cross street Larkin)
in San Francisco
For reservations: (415) 345-1011
http://www.chowbaby.com/Alaturka/
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
{A$agidaki duyuru haberlerden SONRA yayinlanacak}
*** Turkish American Association of California has partially
underwritten today's program. TAAC is a non-profit
charitable organization established to promote better
understanding between Americans and Turks.
If you have any questions about Turks and Turkey,
give them a call: 1-415-646-0946
or e-mail them at taac@...http://www.taaca.org
*** Planning to go to Turkey? Take a look at our Web pages
that is full of articles and information furnished by
travelers like yourselves:
http://travel.to/sunholiday
*** For more music from Turkey and the Middle East tune to
International Cultural Program.
San Francisco World TV Channel 29
Sundays at 9-10 A.M.
Also can be viewed in other cities in California, Chicago,
New York, Russia, and Georgia.
Consult with 415-564-7778 timing and stations.
*** Yayinlarimiz siz dinleyicilerimizin katkilari ile surebilecektir.
Studyomuza telefon acarak nasil katkida bulunabileceginizi
ogrenebilirsiniz.
Telefonumuz 415-751-KUSF e-posta adresimiz: trh@...
A service of the TURKISH RADIO HOUR On the airways since 1982.
*** Turkish Folkdancing in Northern California:
*** Arkadash Turkish Folk Dance Ensemble, San Jose
Free classes, all ages are welcome
When : Fridays 7:30-9:30pm
Where: Emma Prusch Park Multicultural Center
647 South King Road
Also in Stanford:
When : Tuesday 8-10pm
Where: Stanford University
e-mail: arkadash_tfe@...
Don't have e-mail? Reach us at the station and we'll
relay your message to them..
*** Group Yore
When : Wednesdays 7:30-9:30pm
Where: University of California at Berkeley
Contact: oyataskin@...
Web: http://www.geocities.com/grupyore/
*** Horon, Monterey
For more information call Yavuz Atila:
1-831-646-1916
Horon is a Turkish American Association of California
associate organization
{20050319trh.txt}
[See the end of the article for photographs of the some of the plants]
x0x Wonderland of colour
By Professor Dr Neriman Ozhatay
The great diversity of Turkey's geography and climatic
conditions, from vast plains to alpine pastures, glacier
lakes to sandy coasts provides habitats for many
thousands of plant species. A white snowdrop lifts its
delicate head above the snow in early spring; the crimson
blooms of tulips carpet Mu$ Plain with fiery colour in
late April and early May; white sea lilies bloom on sandy
beaches in the summer; grape hyacinths blaze everywhere
from high mountains to the coasts. Even in the early
spring and late autumn bulbous plants like these paint a
colourful tapestry. Turkey is one of the foremost
countries in the world for flowering plants, home to
10,765 flowering species and ferns, of which one third
are endemic; in other words one plant in three does not
grow naturally anywhere else in the world.
The coutry'se abundant water sources, wide altitude
range, and habitats ranging from forest, steppe and sand
dunes to wetlands, marshes and peat bogs, geological and
geomorphological diversity, and the wide range of climate
zones all contribute to this floral diversity. Other
important factors are the coutry'sn location at the
junction of the Euro-Siberian, Mediterranean and
Iranian-Turanian phytogeographic regions, and the fact
that it is a crossroads between the continents of Europe,
Asia and Africa. Bulbous plants are among the loveliest
species of all. Their bulbs which store nutrients beneath
the soil feed the showy flowers that appear each season.
Although their flowers wither and die, their bulbs live
for many years. The homely onion (Allium cepa) is an
example of this type of plant, which can be grown either
from bulbs or seeds. Turkey's flora include 688 wild
bulbous species, and some genera, such as fritillaria and
crocus, are represented by more species in Turkey than in
any other country. In other words, Anatolia is the
genetic centre for these flowers.
Since rainfall is plentiful in spring and autumn when
bulbous plants bear their flowers and seeds, and the
weather is dry in summer when the bulbs are dormant, the
Anatolian climate is perfect for these plants. Many
native species, whose beautiful blooms are often enhanced
by their fragrance, find their way to Europe as garden
flowers. In the mountain villages of Anatolia local
people gather the wild bulbs for export mainly to the
Netherlands, from where they are distributed to other
European countries and America. Prior to the 1990s this
trade was carried on indiscriminately, without any legal
controls to prevent excessive harvesting, but today
regulations are enforced by the Ministry of Agriculture
and Rural Affairs. Exported species include the snowdrop
(Galanthus), fritillaria, the snowflake (Leucojum
aestivum), Scilla bifolia and sea squill (Urginea
maritima).
Tuberous perennials like cyclamen, anemones and winter
aconite (Eranthis) are also exported. Some of Turkey's
bulbous plants are of pharmacological importance, such as
sea squill, whose bulbs provide the active ingredient for
some heart medicines. This species has a large bulb and
produces numerous small whitish flowers in autumn. It
flourishes in sandy soil, mainly on the forest floor and
in glades of Turkish pine in the Mediterranean region of
western and southern Turkey, at an altitude of 300
metres. An endemic species of grape hyacinth (Muscari
muscarimi ) was prized for its scent and cultivated as a
garden plant in Ottoman times, when perfume made from its
blossoms was used by Turkish women. Trade in flowering
bulbs poses serious conservation problems for Turkey. The
Society for the Conservation of Wildlife (DHKD) has
launched a project to increase public awareness of
exported species, under which a collection has been
created at Ataturk Arboretum in Istanbul's Belgrad
Forest.
They can also be seen in Ozgurluk Park in the district of
Goztepe in Istanbul during the flowering season.
* Professor Dr Neriman Ozhatay is a lecturer in
Pharmaceutic Botany at Istanbul University's Faculty of
Pharmacy
http://www.gartendatenbank.de/pflanzen/eranthis/img/015.jpg
cyclamen
http://www.lavanta.com/flowers/cyclamen%20mirabile.jpg
anemone
http://www.turkishodyssey.com/gallery/images/s0172.jpg
snowdrop (Galanthus)
http://www.turkishodyssey.com/gallery/images/s0173.jpg
fritillaria
http://www.adventureturkey.net/resim/news/Fritillaria.JPGhttp://www.turkishodyssey.com/gallery/images/s0174.jpg
snowflake (Leucojum aestivum)
http://www.zanthan.com/gardens/photos/320/LeucojumAestivum2.jpghttp://www.pacificbulbsociety.org/pbswiki/files/Leucojum_aestivum_Gravetye_.JPGhttp://www.virginiagarden.com/leucojum/leucojum.jpg
Scilla bifolia
http://www.fungoceva.it/erbe_ceb/image_erbe/Scilla_bifolia.jpghttp://www.gartendatenbank.de/pflanzen/scilla/a002.htm
sea squill (Urginea maritima).
http://pharm.u-shizuoka-ken.ac.jp/~yakusou/BOTANY/B_GARDEN/PHOTO/ORGPICT/ka/kais\
ouFL.JPG
homely onion (Allium cepa)
http://www-ang.kfunigraz.ac.at/~katzer/pictures/alli_16.jpg
grape hyacinth
http://www.pacificbulbsociety.org/pbswiki/files/Muscari/Muscari_muscarimi_2.JPG
Review of "Flora of Turkey and the East Aegean Islands"
http://www.plant-talk.org/stories/28turkey.html
"Wildlife Tours Around Lavanta hotel"
http://www.lavanta.com/env_wildlife.html
"Wildlife" from Turkish Odyssey
http://www.turkishodyssey.com/gallery/wild.htm
"The Coy Brides of the Taurus Mountains"
http://www.antalya-ws.com/english/flora/
[See http://www.utdallas.edu/~jbt015000/gallery/Turkey/P0001073http://www.utdallas.edu/~jbt015000/gallery/Turkey/P0001075http://rubens.anu.edu.au/htdocs/surveys/charlotte/0329/032948.JPGhttp://tallis.umd.edu/~pfeifer/turkey/images/I/36 ]
x0x Dreams created in glass and porcelain
By Omur Tufan
Nineteenth century Ottoman glass and porcelain is characterised by
decoration influenced by European styles combined with traditional
Turkish forms, reflecting the westernisation movement that gained
momentum during this period. The finest wares of this century were
produced not by traditional workshops, but in new factories
established under the patronage of sultans and statesmen, as the
Ottoman Empire sought to encourage modernisation of the coutry's
manufacturing industry. Harnessing the traditional skills of local
artists, the glass and porcelain factories produced fine wares for the
palace and the wealthy classes that would meet the tastes and needs of
Turkish consumers, and be able to compete with imports from Europe.
One of the earliest such ventures with royal backing was launched in
the early 19th century, when Sultan Selim III sent the Mevlevi dervish
Mehmed Dede to Italy - for centuries a leading centre of glass
manufacture - to learn the glassmaking techniques of that country. On
his return from Italy, Mehmed Dede helped to establish the first
modern glass factory in Istanbul, and soon glass was being made at
numerous small factories in Pa$abahce, Beykoz, Cubuklu and Incirkoy.
Topkapi Palace Museum has a large collection of the beautiful
glassware made at this period, including lamps, tulip vases, snow
cooling jugs, rosewater sprinklers, ewers, basins, bowls, sweetmeat
dishes, drinking glasses, coffee cups, mirrors and perfume bottles.
Colour twist ware known as ce$m-i bulbul (nightingalren eye), opal
glass painted with polychrome floral decoration, gilded cut glass and
coloured glass in tones of red or blue with gilt and painted
decoration were produced. Figures of birds are common, either purely
ornamental or used as rosewater sprinklers. In 1845 new porcelain
factories were established in Eyup, Beykoz, Galata and Balat,
producing what was known as Istanbul ware, with designs on either a
white or straw yellow ground, and bearing the mark Eser-i Istanbul.
These pieces are usually unsigned, although one in the Topkapi Palace
collection bears the signature of a craftsman named Ali Zade Omer
Efendi. The Istanbul ware tiles in the collection are similar in size
and whiteness to those of Europe, and have predominantly green and
gilded designs on a white ground.
The ceramic and porcelain factory established at Incirli near Beykoz
on the Asian shore of the Bosphorus by Rodosizade Ahmet Fethi,
Minister of the Cannon Foundry, produced both tiles and tableware with
painted designs. Founded during the reign of Sultan Abdulmecid
(1839-1861), this factory produced porcelain of a quality equal to
that of Vienna and Saxony, with designs in keeping with Turkish tastes
of the time. The products of this factory also bear the mark Eser-i
Istanbul, sometimes as a plain imprint, and sometimes stamped in red,
blue, black, mauve, purple and gold. The plates, vases, lidded dishes,
jugs, teapots and cups made at the Beykoz porcelain factory were
expensive and of a high quality, intended primarily as luxury gifts.
After remaining in production for 25-30 years, the factory was forced
to close down as a result of declining demand.
In 1894 another porcelain factory was established, this time under the
patronage of Sultan Abdulhamid II (1876-1909). The idea is said to
have originated with the French ambassador Paul Cambon. At this time
France was renowned for its Sèvres porcelain, which was extensively
used at the Ottoman court, and the new factory was to produce
porcelain of the same high technical quality but designed and
decorated by Turkish craftsmen. Known as the Imperial Yildiz Porcelain
Factory, it was established in the grounds of Yildiz Palace, and its
products were at first made almost exclusively for the court. The
artists employed at the Yildiz factory signed their beautifully
painted decoration, enabling us to identify them. They include eminent
painters of the period, some trained at the palace studios, others at
the military colleges (which taught art to a high standard and
produced numerous outstanding Ottoman painters), and some at the
Academy of Fine Arts.
The vases, jardinières, plates, tea services, coffee sets, dishes,
jugs and decorative wall plates made here were marked with a star and
crescent. Their designs included not only western style landscapes and
floral compositions, but also designs based on traditional Turkish
motifs. One set of tea cups made for the sultan bears portraits of all
the Ottoman sultans up to Sultan Abdulmecid. When Sultan Abdulhamid II
was deposed in 1909 the factory was closed down, but reopened a few
years later. In 1998 the factory became a working museum under the
auspices of the Department of National Palaces.
* Omur Tufan is Keeper of Glass and Porcelain at Topkapi Palace
Museum.
[See photographs at:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/efendi/5822576/http://www.travel-images.com/turkey13.htmlhttp://www.exploitz.com/pictures/4131/index.php?pix= ]
x0x Byways of the Black Sea region
By Halil Ibrahim Tutak
Misty peaks, festive gatherings on mountain pastures,
fiery-natured People, luxuriant vegetation, hazelnuts, tea
and anchovies are the images that come first to mind when
thinking of the Black Sea region.
And when we speak of the eastern Black Sea, we think first
of the Kackar Mountains that stretch from Trabzon to Artvin.
But geographically, the eastern Black Sea begins at the
Melet river in the province of Ordu. So sharp is this
natural boundary that the Caucasian spruce (Picea
orientalis), that symbol of the eastern Black Sea forests,
cannot be seen west of the river. This area attracts
relatively few visitors from other parts of Turkey, and is
consequently little known by any but its inhabitants. So we
set out on a journey of discovery. Heading south from the
city of Ordu we halted on the bridge over the Melet to cast
our gaze upon the towering Kurul Rocks, before leaving the
river behind and entering the eastern Black Sea region. The
winding road climbed between hazelnut orchards and through
the towns of Kabaduz and Yokusdibi.
After a while the hazelnuts made way for mainly coniferous
forest, and we began to see steep tracks leading up to the
yaylas or mountain pastures. We began our trek through the
forest up to Turnalik Yayla.
Any tiredness we might have felt was immediately forgotten
at the sight of the splendid waterfall and the crystal clear
waters of the stream into which it poured. The sun shone
from a bright blue sky all the time we were walking, but
that evening thunder reminded us that this was the eastern
Black Sea. Flashes of lightning lit up the countryside like
day, and then the rain began to fall in a torrent. We were
staying that night in the climbers' hut at Celikkiran Obasi,
and our glasses of tea brewed over the woodstove tasted even
better accompanied by the tapping of the rain outside. In
the morning the weather was clear again, and we went on to
Ablaktasi, a high rock from which there was a spectacular
view over the wooded valleys below.
Our route that day would take us through the forest. Due to
the high rainfall in this region, the undergrowth in the
forests here runs riot. The most common species is the
rhododendron, whose showy yellow and purple blossoms
splashed our path with their bright colours. The path then
followed the banks of a stream for some way before bringing
us to the camping site at Ikidere, where the Volkswagen
Festival is held every July. Here we enjoyed a well earned
rest before setting out again for Cambasi Yayla at an
altitude of 1850 metres. This yayla is the highest mountain
pasture in the province, and in the past the inhabitants of
the city of Ordu used to move here for the summer. Old
people recall that even official institutions, including the
court and prison, moved up into the mountains during the
summer months. In appearance it is just like a town. We did
not stay here, but set out again. There were three possible
places where we could camp that night: Ertas Trout Farm, and
the villages of Semen Oba and Yaprakbasi Oba.
The word oba literally means encampment, and refers to small
villages around the pastures that serve as centres for
obtaining provisions.
Now we were climbing into the Karagol Mountains that rise to
a height of 3107 metres, and whose six glacier lakes reflect
the peaks and the sky like mirrors. Our goal was Lake Aygir,
the westernmost of the six.
We drove part of the way, and from there an hou'sr walk
along a steep path brought us to the lake at 2600 metres.
Its banks were bright with yellow and purple violets, snow
carpeted the surrounding slopes, and segments of ice floated
on the surface. The view was magical. We spent the night at
Bektas Yayla, a lively little town with shops and a 50-bed
hotel. That morning we decided to hike to Lake Sagrak, the
glacier lake furthest to the east. Our route took us first
to the village of Aksu, and then to Kaginagil Oba. Although
the road continues on to the lake, the snow had still not
melted in places and the road was impassable for vehicles.
This meant a two hour walk.
Colourful flowers lifted their delicate necks amongst the
rocks, displaying such tenacity under harsh conditions that
those of us not used to demanding climbs found new strength.
From all around came the trilling sound of streams created
by the melting snow. The view of the lake was was
breathtaking. There was far more snow here than at Aygir,
and most of the lak'sh surface was still iced over. As we
continued our journey northwards, it seemed as if nature had
pulled every shade of green out of its magiciasdi box. We
passed through green valleys and over green hills. The
friendly reception we received at the obas around Kulakkaya
warmed our hearts. Sharing both their food and joy of life,
we made our way upwards along the forest paths to the summit
of Mount Cal. From this 2030 metre vantage point we could
see the Black Sea sparkling on the horizon, the island of
Giresun directly facing us, and Mount Sis marking the
boundary of Trabzon province.
The view over this vast landscape was obliterated when mist,
wind and rain again reminded us of the temperamental climate
of the eastern Black Sea region. Our return journey took us
via Cigdibi and Sullukoy, where concrete has not yet
encroached, Pinarlar Waterfall, Uzundere Valley with its
delicious trout and rare flowers, Kumbet Yayla and Kockayasi
Holiday Village consisting of log cabins, Cakrak Yayla with
its church and stone bridges, and finally into the town of
Giresun.
Our journey was over, but vivid memories remained with us of
smiling hospitable people, wild orchids, spectacular views,
and the many other sights of this beautiful region.
* Halil Ibrahim Tutak is a photographer and freelance writer
x0x Cradle of civilizations Anatolia
By Nermin Baycin
Helmut Uhlig, one of Europe's leading linguists, says in
his book Die Mutter Europas: 'Human beings spent the
thousands of years of prehistory regarding all the quirks
that life brought as both fate and a kind of protection.
They emerged from the darkness in the embrace of the
mother, just as a plant emerges from the darkness of the
earth, and falling to the earth once again, dispersed and
returned to it.' The earth was seen as the universal
maternal embrace, symbolised by the mother goddess, and
this concept carries Uhlig on a journey into the depths
of history to discover the place where everything began.
This place is none other than Anatolia and Mesopotamia,
which are regarded as the cradle of civilisations.
Anatolia's heritage made it a source of cultural
inspiration, and the motherland of Europe. Uhlig is
neither the first nor the last to express a truth that
has been recognised for a long time.
Archaeological excavations and studies have continually
expanded the body of evidence showing that Anatolia is
indeed the mother of civilisation. Gobekli Tepe,
Kaletepe, Cayonu, Catalhoyuk, Troy, Hattusas and numerous
other ancient sites have revealed remarkable new insights
into the past. Some of these sites are world famous while
others are hardly known outside the realm of archaeology,
but all are glittering stones in the fascinating mosaic
making up the history of civilisation. Gobekli Tepe is
one such site where around eleven thousand years ago
people who lived by hunting and gathering created an
awesome temple on a mountain top. With extraordinary
skill and organisation they created this unique place of
worship, carving and raising standing stones weighing
many tons. Gobekli Tepe near Sanliurfa was evidently a
meeting place.
The spectacular location of this mountain temple towering
over Harran Plain, the plateaus stretching towards
Mesopotamia and the hills around it; its huge scale, the
way the buildings were deliberately buried, and the
standing stones adorned with reliefs depicting wild
animals, reveal how much is not yet known and understood
about prehistory. What prompted people who lived the
lives of wanderers and did not yet cultivate their own
food to carry gigantic stones weighing 50 tons to a
mountain summit? Did the tribes and groups who met here
become the pioneers of settled life? An obsidian workshop
discovered at Kaletepe at the foot of Mount Gollu in the
volcanic region of Cappadocia represents another
innovation; this time the mass production of stone tools
eleven thousand years ago. Here we find a degree of
standardisation so remarkable that it is comparable to
tody'sr machine production.
Kaletepe obliges us to revise our knowledge about
relations between prehistoric cultures, their social
organisation, technology and trade.
At a time when animals capable of carrying loads had not
yet been domesticated, obsidian tools and unworked
obsidian were exported from here to lands as far away as
Cyprus and Palestine. This trade and mass production at
Kaletepe are proof that social organisation achieved a
complex structure far earlier than previously thought. To
observe the stages of the first productive village
communities, we must now travel to the northern extremity
of the region known as the Fertile Crescent; to Cayonu
near the town of Ergani in the Turkish province of
DiyarbakIr. This settlement, which was inhabited
continuously until the iron age (1000 BC), is noted
particularly for the way its architectural remains and
diverse artefacts depict step-by-step the development and
transformation of early human settlements between ten and
eight thousand years ago, making it a key site in the
prehistoric map of the Near East.
Cayonu is the largest settlement of this period ever
excavated, and the copper and malachite artefacts
uncovered here are precursors of the technological
development which would later give rise to the ages of
metal working. Before farming had become a way of life,
the world's oldest town and largest neolithic settlement
made a precocious appearance on Konya Plain. With its
murals on the house walls, figures of the mother goddess,
cult of the bull and other splendours, Catalhoyuk was a
settlement of a sophistication quite unexpected for a
people who lived nine thousand years ago. Another
striking characteristic was the non-hierarchic social
structure exhibited here, contrary to that of its
contemporaries. We now move forward in time to the bronze
age, when the urban system was becoming well established.
The port city of Troy emerged in 3000 BC at Hisartepe in
the province of Canakkale, a strategic point between the
continents of Asia and Europe. According to some
archaeologists Troy is the world's oldest known trading
city and customs post. The city features extensively in
Homer's Iliad, the starting point of western literature,
and its fame reverberated down the ages as the most
renowned city of antiquity.
Founders of Anatolia's first centralised state, the
Hittites, drew up the world's first peace treaty, wrote
the first autobiography, and first granted queens equal
powers with kings. Like the Hittites many other Anatolian
cultures made remarkable contributions to the development
of human civilisation, and it is here that some of the
brightest stones in its mosaic have been discovered and
the process of discovery still continues.
* Nermin Baycin is an archaeologist
[See miniaturist Levni's description of Ottoman dancers:
http://www.geocities.com/surnamei_vehbi/030b-031a.htmlhttp://www.geocities.com/surnamei_vehbi/047b-048a.htmlhttp://www.geocities.com/surnamei_vehbi/065b-066a.htmlhttp://www.geocities.com/surnamei_vehbi/072b-073a.htmlhttp://www.kulturturizm.gov.tr/portal/arkeoloji_en.asp?belgeno=1802http://www.panflutejedi.com/Images/paneast3.JPG ]
x0x Recapturing an ephemeral art: Ottoman dancing
By Dr Metin And
The desire to dance is as old as the history
of human beings. Emotions, ideas and
sometimes stories are expressed by the
movements of the dancr'sn body, and dancing
may have been the first medium of
communication. Researchers agree that
dancing has played an important role in the
social life of all civilisations. During the
time of the Ottoman Empire dancing was form
of entertainment enjoyed both at court and
amongst ordinary people. Unfortunately these
dance traditions have not survived to the
present day, and our information about them
is restricted mainly to Ottoman miniatures
and drawings and paintings by Europeans who
visited Turkey in past centuries. When
exploring the history of Ottoman dance it is
important not to confuse such authentic
documents with the works of European
Orientalist painters, who depicted not what
they had seen but what they imagined. Such
fruits of fantasy include female slaves
dancing naked in harems. Ottoman miniatures
on the other hand, reflect the true nature
of this dancing, as do pictures by eye
witnesses, many of them not professional
artists, whose job was to collect written
and visual information about the Ottoman
Empire for the monarchs of Europe. Ottoman
dances had their origins in theatre, the
performers enacting a subject by means of
pantomime in the form of dance, using body
language to convey their meaning. These
dances were of three types. The first was
performed by dancers known as cengi, who
originally included both men and women, but
in later times came to be women only. The
word cengi is derived from ceng, a type of
harp played upon the knees and no longer
used today. The cengi dancers held a type of
castanet known as carpara in their hands,
and sometimes also handkerchiefs. Their
costumes were highly ornate, concealing
every part of the body apart from the face
and hands. Some cengis whirled china plates
on the tips of their fingers while they
danced, and were then known as kasebaz or
'dish jugglers'. Male dancers were known as
kocek. They usually wore skirts and imitated
girls in both appearance and demeanour, but
sometimes performed as men, wearing trousers
and conical caps.
Since this type of dancing consisted of
sprightly steps and leaps, and the
performers wrinkled up their faces like
rabbits as they danced, kocek were popularly
known as 'rabbits' or 'rabbit boys'. The
koceks gave public performances, while
cengis performed for audiences of women
only. When we look at the western theatrical
tradition, we find some similarities in this
respect. For example, men played womn'sl
roles in ancient Greek comedy and tragedy,
and in Shakespearean England, too, womn'se
roles were always played by men, even such
romantic figures as Shakespeare's Juliet. In
ballet it was common for men to play womn'se
and women men's roles. In Japanese, Chinese
and other Far Eastern traditional theatres,
which always included elements of dance, the
most important actors were the men who
appeared in womn's roles. In Ottoman cengi
dancing, women dressed as men to play male
roles in dances featuring roles for both
genders. The third type of Ottoman dancers
were known as curcuna dancers, meaning 'djin
soldiers'
These resembled clowns and danced with jerky
convulsive movements, making a lot of noise.
They generally wore comical masks and
strange, ridiculous costumes, and we might
describe them as grotesque dancers.
Curcuna dancers also appeared in the
improvised comedies known as ortaoyunu. A
miniature by Levni shows kocek and curcuna
dancers performing at the festivities held
to celebrate the circumcision of the sons of
Sultan Ahmed III in 1720. In this picture we
see the koceks dancing before the tent of
the grand vezir, while curcuna dancers
wearing masks amuse the audience with a
clumsy imitation of them. The costumes worn
by some of them resembled those of
Harlequin, the clever and witty servant who
features in the Italian commedia dell'arte,
an improvised folk theatre. European court
dances, such as the maatachino, buffens and
moreska, were also performed in Ottoman
Turkey by cengi dancers, who at the same
time played in ortaoyunu and performed
classical ballets.
During the time of Sultan Suleyman the
Magnificent, when at the request of Pope
Clement VII Venice, Florence and other small
Italian city states joined forces under a
nonaggression pact in order to save the
dukedom of Milan, citizens of Venice,
Florence and Genoa living in Istanbul
celebrated the pact with a festival lasting
three days and nights. Among its organisers
was Alvise Gritti, who as the son of the
Doge of Venice was called Beyoglu ('lord's
son') by the Ottomans.
Gritti had a large mansion in the district
of Pera, and in time this district came to
be called Beyoglu after him. But to return
to the festival. One of the ballets that was
performed was a tragic story of a beautiful
girl enslaved by two elderly men, and the
second was a story from mythology about
Psyche. Both ballets included Turkish cengis
among the dancers, who performed to an
audience of Ottoman courtiers, Ragusans,
Greeks and Italians. The Venetian diplomat
Carlo Zeno wrote a long and detailed account
of this magnificent festival in a letter
sent from Istanbul on 17 February 1524.
Dancing is an ephemeral art that lives and
dies with the bodies of the dancers. Only
through these pictures and written accounts
can we attempt to partially recapture what
these Ottoman dances were like.
* Professor Dr Metin And is a member of the Turkish Academy of Sciences
{20050312trh.txt}
x0x Turkish news for week ending 12 March 2005
[Best when viewed with the courier font.]
****************************************************************
This line is available for your commercial announcement!
****************************************************************
A service of the TURKISH RADIO HOUR, producer of:
TURKISH CULTURAL PROGRAM
Saturdays at 6:00 P.M.
KUSF FM 90.3, San Francisco
Also tune to
ORIENT EXPRESS
Tuesdays at 10:00 P.M.
KKUP FM 91.5, CUPERTINO
****************************************************************
Ahmet Toprak edited today's news. Your host today is Senem Ozer
****************************************************************
For a subscription to the Internet edition of this news,
send a blank email to:
TurkC-L-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
****************************************************************
* The Voice of America reporter Amberin Zaman reports that the top
European Union officials rapped Turkey's government about its failure to
fully implement several recent reforms crafted to ease the country's entry
into the European bloc.
The Voice of America says that the criticism came a day after police in
Istanbul attacked women demonstrators commemorating World Women's Day.
The police officials say that the rally was illegal, and the women were
permitted to have rallies at different parts of the city, but not at that
particular place to avoid traffic jams. The government officials and the
prime minister blamed the media for negative publicity.
A lot of Turks were also critical of the police. Many columnists in the
Turkish papers wrote articles critical of the police and the government.
In a press release the Turkish businessman's and industrialists
association also criticized the government and asked them to assume
responsibility.
* Turkish Journalists Association head Orhan Erinc
criticized Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogans recent accusations
that the media had aired exaggerated stories concerning police
actions against Womens Day protesters last weekend.
"While trying
to defend the police, the prime minister is being unfair to
publishers who value their independence", said Mr. Erinc.
* Speaking of women's rights, the Turkish daily Star reports that Turkish
Parliament's Planning and Budget Commission on Tuesday,
International Womens Day, approved a bill proposing that working
mothers be allowed three hours of daily breastfeeding leave for
the first six months after birth and one-and-a-half hours a day
for the second six months.
The bill also says that pregnant women
who are willing to work up to three weeks before the expected
birth date will be allowed to do so, with doctor approval.
The daily Star says that thebill would also boost other maternity and
paternity leave rights.
* The Turkish dailies Cumhuriyet and Hurriyet carried out the comments of
the Turkish foreign affairs ministry spokesman on U.S. Turkish relations.
The spokesman on Wednesday announced a shift in Turkey's Iraq
policy and reiterated that the country is strongly committed to its
strategic partnership with the United States.
Rebuffing recent
allegations that the ruling Justice and Development Party's Islamist
leanings had helped encourage rising anti-American
sentiment in Turkey, the spokesman stated that Turkey is a friend and ally
to the US and that such media allegations had no place in Ankaras
relations with Washington.
The spokesman also announced that Turkey would not oppose a federation
in Iraq, if the new Iraqi constitution to
be approved by the Iraqi people requires this. "However, Turkey still
opposes any possible independent Kurdish formation in the
region and believes that Iraq's territorial integrity must be
protected", he added.
* On this side of the World, State Department spokesman Mr. Richard
Boucher told in his daily briefing that relations between U.S. and the
Turkish government are strong and positive.
Asked about reports of high anti-US sentiment in Turkey, Mr. Boucher
said that he wouldnt speculate about press reports.
*A powerful earthquake measuring 5.7 on the Richter scale shook Karliova
in eastern Turkey on Saturday. Fortunately, the news arriving indicates
so far that there were no deaths.
As California, Turkey is a major earthquake zone with many fault lines
crossing the country. A 1999 earthquake killed more than 30,000 people in
Western Turkey.
* The Turkish daily Turkiye reports that the Turkish president President
Ahmet Necdet Sezer approved a new law on the
Turkish Straits.
The law is designed to reduce the risk of
pollution in the Straits by not allowing the passage of uninsured
ships in Turkish territorial waters.
In addition, ships which fail
to meet World environmental standards won' t be allowed to pass
through the straits.
Turkish vessels which do not meet these
standards will also be barred. All ships will have to
submit information on their cargo to the Undersecretariat of
Navigation.
The use of Turkish Straits is a major friction point between Russia and
Turkey.
* The European Union officials paid a visit to Turkey this week and met
with Turkish officials to discuss Turkey's preparations for the European
Union membership.
The European Union officials praised turkey's efforts in undertaking
reform to meet the European Union membership criteria, but said that more
is necessary.
* The private Turkish Channel NTV reports that the international monetary
fund is asking Turkish government to undertake reforms in Social Security,
financial services and tax laws and regulations before it extends $10
billion of loans.
* Gas prices are going up in Turkey reports Channel NTV. With the new
increases in refined product, Turkish consumers will pay the equivalent of
$6.3 a gallon for gasoline.
* Turkey's Central Bank announced a reduction in short term interest rates
of one point Wednesday, bringing the rate down to 15.5 percent, reports
the private Channel NTV.
The Central Bank decision was linked to the good inflation figures for
February that we reported to you can last week's news.
ARTS AND CULTURE
Edited by Serkan Hatipoglu
* "Snow"' by Orhan Pamuk and Elif Safak's "The Flea
Palace" are the books of two Turkish authors who are
among the 80 books that have made it to the final of
the British newspaper, The Independent's "best
translated novel" competition.
The prize for the competition in which six writers
from different countries have moved to the finals is
£10.000. (24,000 New Turkish Lira) The winning writer
will share the prize money with the book's translator.
Other books and writers competing for the award are:
Frrederic Beigbeder: "Windows on The World," (France),
Xiaolu Guo: "Village of Stone," (China), Chigo
Buarque: "Budapest," (Brazil) and Irina Denezhkina:
"Give Me" (Russia).
* A photograph exhibition titled "Turks: Architects of
an Empire and the Genius of Sinan" has opened at the
Shapero Gallery in London.
Masterpieces of Sinan the architect, chief architect
to Suleyman the Magnificent, are presented to visitors
with 35 photographs by architect-photographer Ahmet
Ertug. The exhibition, which focuses on the
masterpieces designed by Sinan, also includes detailed
photographs of 16th century Iznik tiles. The Shapero
Gallery also presents antique books from the Ottoman
era besides 10 paintings dating from 1790 from its
collection in the exhibition. Ertug said that he aimed
to show the British public that Turkey could make a
significant contribution to the European Union (EU) in
terms of culture and arts.
* The Turkish Daily News published in English reports that a joint project
between Greek and Turkish foundations to rescue Mediterranean seals has
received 2300 Euros from a company that conducts chartered yacht tours in
Turkey's Southwest Coast.
The yacht charter company has collected the money as donations from the
people who have gone on their tours.
The Mediterranean seals are an endangered species.
* The islands in Lake Van in eastern Turkey is home to botanical
treasures, writes the Turkish Daily News
.A study has shown that the four islands have some 346 different types
of herbs and plants, some of which are endemic.
The study, conducted by three scientists, has been going on for the past
three years.
Akdamar, one of the four islands of Lake Van, has great tourism
potential, partially due to a historic Armenian church located on it.
* The 3rd Filmmor Women's Film Festival continues through March 18 in
Istanbul at the French Culture Center, Goethe Institute and Kartal Hasan
Ali Yücel Culture Center.
In addition to films, the fest includes workshops and discussions. Laura
Mulvey and Helma Sanders-Brahms are the guests of honor for this year's
festival. Also, several female filmmakers such as Liris Harma will
participate.
Following the screenings in Istanbul, the festival moves to the DSM
European Movie Theater in Diyarbak?r on April 1-2 and then to the City
Culture Theater in Batman on April 4-5. There will be Kurdish simultaneous
translation for all screenings in Batman.
The Filmmor Women's Film Festival aims to ease women's participation in
the media and cinema and to increase the opportunities for women in these
fields to express themselves, organizers say.
Admission to the screenings is free.
* Turkey is a smoker's paradise. Well, not anymore. Two news articles
that appeared in the Turkish daily News indicates that the opposition to
smoking is growing. As a result, even some traditional Turkish cafes that
have been the dens for smokers are going cold turkey.
An Antalya cafe recently set up a non-smoking area, and noticed that
even the smokers put out their cigarettes and preferred to sit in that
area.
The opposition is also coming from all walks of life. For example, in
the Western City of Denizli 23 children from a kindergarten have launched
an anti-smoking campaign. The children, carrying small banners that read,
"Please put out your cigarette," tried to warn smokers in Deliklic?nar
Square by means of their small but effective effort.
Some people, unable to resist the children who warned them about their
health, put out their cigarettes. Meanwhile, other passers-by who saw the
children carrying small pots resembling ashtrays and waging a campaign
against smoking attempted to "escape" from the children, resulting in some
funny scenes.
The children immediately surrounded these smokers and urged them to
extinguish their cigarettes.
* Italian Ambassador to Ankara Carlo Marsili and his wife Selva Marsili
hosted a ceremony and reception on Tuesday, March 8, in honor of Turkish
businessman U?ur Terzio?lu, with the support of the Italian construction
firm Astaldi S.pA, at the Italian Embassy.
During the reception, which was held to celebrate Terzio?lu's receiving of
a Medal of Honor from the Italian government, Ambassador Carlo Marsili
made a speech, in which he underlined the contributions Terzio?lu has made
to promote Italian culture abroad. Marsili stated that the number of
Italian films that are screened in Turkey per year has reached over 100,
thanks mainly to the efforts of Terzio?lu, who in 1971 went to Italy and
established a film company there.
* Eight ceramics artists from Eski?ehir have joined forces and staged a
joint exhibition at the State Fine Arts Gallery called "8 K," in which "K"
stands for "kad?n" (woman) in Turkish.
The exhibition opened on March 8, World Women's Day, and can be viewed
until March 18. It consists of 50 ceramic designs by artists Zehra
Çobanl?, Oya Uzuner, Emel ?ölenay, Özgür Kaptan, Ece Yaz?c?o?lu, Dilek
Alkan Özdemir, Lale Demir Oransay and Ezgi Hakan Okur.
Outstanding pieces on view include Kaptan's "The Woman Who Gives Birth
Until She Finds the Son," Oransay's "Woman and Slavery," Ozdemir's "Hürrem
with Seven Husbands" and Çobanl?'s "Hands."
* The Turkish Film Festival, organized by the Assembly of Citizens of
Turkish Origin (ACORT), will take place March 16-29 in Paris, according to
the Do?an News Agency.
Films to be shown include "Against the Wall," "Where are You, Firuze?"
"Construction," "A Season in Hakkari," "Piano Piano Rascal," "School,"
"Mud" and "Making Ships Out of Watermelon Skins." Guests scheduled to
appear at the festival, where cinema shorts will also be featured, are
directors Ye?im Ustao?lu, Ezel Akay, Ömer Varg? and Durul Taylan.
The film festival will be held in the Parisian district known as "Little
Istanbul," so called due to its large number of Turkish residents. During
the festival, children will be invited to watch the film "Piano Piano
Rascal" free of charge.
ACORT, formed by a group of Turkish immigrants in France, has been engaged
in behind-the-scenes activities in France in support of Turkey's accession
to the European Union.
* Turkish artist Yücel Dönmez, who has been living in Chicago since 1980,
will exhibit a fresh artistic style called Deepism in what American
critics say is a new trend in the world of art.
Mr. Dönmez said Deepism, including the aspects of today's conceptual
art, would carry the art of painting to its peak. He added that Deepism
was also reflected in today's world in the fields of literature, medicine,
physics, technology and politics.
Dönmez conveys the feeling of eternity in his work by synthesizing it
with the reason for our cosmic existence.
US art critics say Mr. Dönmez's inspiration comes from Turkish art,
which he uses as a base, developing his own style and technique. Chicago
Tribune art critic Alan Artner said Dönmez, with his strong technique and
style, has created something new in modern painting. "It's like looking at
Kandinsky or Klee's work; I don't see traces from any other artist. The
same goes for Yücel Dönmez's work; I don't see traces of other artists."
Mr. Dönmez has an exhibition in Istanbul that will run through March 30 at
the Antique Art Gallery in Istanbul's Taksim district.
* The Pan-European Federation for Heritage, Europa Nostra, asked for
Turkey's Foreign Affairs Minister Abdullah Gül's help in saving the
ancient city of Allianoi from being flooded by Yortanl? Dam, which is to
begin operation in November.
Europa Nostra Executive President Otto von der Gablentz and
representatives of nongovernmental organizations, the European Council and
UNESCO wrote a letter to Gül and asked for help in rescuing Allianoi and
its Roman baths. Gablentz said Gül should fight to save these ruins and
that they should remain for future generations to see. The letter, dated
March 1, 2005, also said it was unusual to see Roman thermal springs of
such splendor outside areas of Roman habitation and that this Roman bath
was historically important.
The flooding to be caused by the dam would constitute a great loss to
Turkey's historical legacy and also deprive the country of tourism. If no
solution is found, Allianoi will be submerged and lost forever under the
waters of Yortanl? Dam.
Situated near Bergama at the Pasha Thermal Spa, Allianoi was founded
during the Hellenic period and was transformed by Roman Emperor Hadrian
(A.D. 117-138). Dr. Ahmet Yarash and his staff discovered the ancient city
Allainoi during construction of the state waterworks dam in 1995.
* Handmade carpets made by the people of K?z?k, Bolu in northwestern
Turkey all receiving help from the European Union.
As part of the "Active Labor Force Programs Project" organized by the
Recruitment Office and financed by the European Union, the Helping and
Solidarity of K?z?k Village Association was formed. The project managers
opened eight carpet workshops in Bolu's Akta? Quarter and women from the
village are paid 120 euros per month to weave carpets.
The president of the association Mr. Yahya Özçelik said that their aim is
not only to keep the tradition of K?z?k carpet's alive but to also give
the housewives and unemployed young people of the area work.
Mr. Özçelik underlined that the history of K?z?k carpet's dates back to
the17th century and added: "We launched this project to improve both our
economic and social conditions. We will train 20 people for three months
and this number will increase to 60."
Mr. Özçelik also said that the European Union provided 36,000 euros for
the project and added, "We want to obtain a patent for K?z?k carpet's and
later sell them to the overseas markets."
EXCHANGE RATE for the U.S. dollar in New Turkish Liras: 1.26
WEATHER
High and Low Temperatures in Degrees F, Weather
Ankara, in central Turkey----------: 43/23 Partly Cloudy
Antalya, on the Mediterranean------: 59/41 Partly Cloudy
Istanbul, in northwestern Turkey---: 46/30 Partly Cloudy
Izmir, on the Aegean---------------: 54/34 Mostly Sunny
Trabzon, on the Black Sea----------: 45/37 Rainy
Snow depths at skiing locations:
Erciyes, in Kayseri, Central Turkey 49 inches
Ilgaz, in Kastamonu, North Central Turkey 83 inches
Kartalkaya, in Bolu, Western Turkey 63 inches
Palandoken, in Erzurum, Eastern Turkey 18 inches
Saklikent, in Antalya, Southern Turkey 35 inches
Sarikamis, in Kars, Eastern Turkey 35 inches
Uludag, in Bursa, Western Turkey 98 inches
SPORTS
Edited by Mark Nowak
* Turkish Soccer- Premier Division
Week 23 results
Galatasaray 1-0 Besiktas
Gençlerbirligi 4-0 Ankaragucu
Istanbulspor 1-1 Samsunspor
Sakaryaspor 1-1 Ankaraspor
Denizlispor 0-0 Diyarbakirspor
Malatyaspor 0-2 Fenerbahçe
Gaziantepspor 3-2 Trabzonspor
Kayserispor 2-1 Rizespor
Sebatspor 3-5 Konyaspor
Besiktas 0-0 Gençlerbirligi
Istanbulspor 1-2 Ankaragucu
Week 24 matches
Trabzonspor 4-3 Sakaryaspor
Ankaragucu 1-1 Denizlispor
Istanbulspor 0-3 Galatasaray
Konyaspor 2-0 Malatyaspor
Fenerbahçe - Gençlerbirligi
Rizespor - Sebatspor
Diyarbakirspor - Gaziantepspor
Samsunspor - Kayserispor
Ankaraspor - Besiktas
Standings
Team Pts
1. Fenerbahçe 59
2. Galatasaray 57
3. Trabzonspor 55
4. Besiktas 42
5. Denizlispor 36
6. Rizespor 34
7. Konyaspor 34
8. Gaziantepspor 31
9. Malatyaspor 31
10. Ankaraspor 30
11. Gençlerbirligi 29
12. Samsunspor 28
13. Ankaragucu 28
14. Diyarbakirspor 26
15. Sakaryaspor 19
16. Istanbulspor 18
17. Kayserispor 18
18. Sebatspor 10
* ULEB Euroleague Basketball Standings
Group D
Macc. T-A 3 - 0
Montepas. 2 - 1
Ulker 1 - 2
Cibona 0 - 3
Group G
AEK 3 - 0
Efes Pilsen 2 - 1
Benetton 1 - 2
Prokon 0 - 3
*Turkish Basketball - Men
Team Pts
1 Efes Pilsen 36
2 Ülker 36
3 Be?ikta? 34
4 Fenerbahçe 31
5 Tuborg 30
6 P.Kar??yaka 28
7 Türk Telekom 28
8 Erdemir 27
9 Darü??afaka 27
10 Banvit 25
11 ?.T.Ü 24
12 Galatasaray 24
13 Büyük Kolej 24
14 Tekelspor 24
*Turkish Basketball - Women
Team Pts
1 Be?ikta? 36
2 Fenerbahçe 35
3 Erdemirspor 34
4 Ceyhan Bld. 32
5 Mersin Bld. 32
6 Migros 31
7 Çankaya Üniversitesi 27
8 ?ÜSK 27
9 Bota? 24
10 Galatasaray 22
11 Orimcam 21
12 Burhaniye Bld. 21
*NBA
Hidayet Turkoglu Pts, rebs, assts, mins
Orlando 96 - 101 Minnesota 32, 5, 4, 40
Orlando 96 - 106 Toronto 21, 2, 4, 43
Orlando 92 - 111 Cleveland 11, 2, 6, 35
Orlando 105 - 81 New Jersey 4, 5, 4, 26
Mehmet Okur
Utah 82 - 94 Memphis 14, 5, 2, 33
Utah 83 - 89 Indiana 18, 12, 3, 34
Utah 94 - 101 San Antonio 14, 7, 2, 30
ANNOUNCEMENTS
*** The Alaturka restaurant underwrote today's program,
where gourmet Turkish cooking is an art:
869 Geary St, (cross street Larkin)
in San Francisco
For reservations: (415) 345-1011
http://www.chowbaby.com/Alaturka/
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
{A$agidaki duyuru haberlerden SONRA yayinlanacak}
*** Turkish American Association of California has partially
underwritten today's program. TAAC is a non-profit
charitable organization established to promote better
understanding between Americans and Turks.
If you have any questions about Turks and Turkey,
give them a call: 1-415-646-0946
or e-mail them at taac@...http://www.taaca.org
*** Planning to go to Turkey? Take a look at our Web pages
that is full of articles and information furnished by
travelers like yourselves:
http://travel.to/sunholiday
*** For more music from Turkey and the Middle East tune to
International Cultural Program.
San Francisco World TV Channel 29
Sundays at 9-10 A.M.
Also can be viewed in other cities in California, Chicago,
New York, Russia, and Georgia.
Consult with 415-564-7778 timing and stations.
*** Yayinlarimiz siz dinleyicilerimizin katkilari ile surebilecektir.
Studyomuza telefon acarak nasil katkida bulunabileceginizi
ogrenebilirsiniz.
Telefonumuz 415-751-KUSF e-posta adresimiz: trh@...
A service of the TURKISH RADIO HOUR On the airways since 1982.
*** AEGEAN FRIENDS
Arkadas * Filoi
AEGEAN FRIENDS
is a social-cultural group of Greeks,
Turks, Cypriots, and other peoples of good will,
coming together to
celebrate their rich heritage, explore common roots,
and promote peace in the Aegean region.
Share music, food, and conversation.
Dance. Create art.
Discover the generosity of the heart.
For more information contact
AEGEAN FRIENDS
Box 14022
San Francisco, CA 94114-0022
or e-mail: aegfriends@...
Aegean Friends's website is at: http://members.aol.com/aegfriends
{20050312trh.txt}
----------------------------------------------------------------------
This article was sent to you by someone who found it on SFGate.
The original article can be found on SFGate.com here:
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2005/03/13/TRG\
OJBMSI31.TMP
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Sunday, March 13, 2005 (SF Chronicle)
Turkish or tourist? Answer only after a nice hot bath
Reyhan Harmanci
My friend Emma and I sat on the stained carpet at our gate in New York's
La Guardia airport, waiting to board our flight to Istanbul. Our
conversation, like many we would have in the next two weeks, went in
circles.
"Omigod, I'm so excited."
"Me too. Omigod."
"This is going to be so fun."
"Totally. How long is the flight?"
"I don't know. What is the time difference?"
"I don't know. Eight hours maybe."
"When's the last time you went there?"
"High school. I think. Do you think anyone on this flight looks like me?
It's going to be so weird to be around a lot of people who look like me."
Emma started laughing. "Uh, no one here looks like you."
"I'm sure when we get to Turkey you'll see how Turkish I really look."
My father emigrated to America from Turkey when he was almost 30, and the
majority of his immediate family still lives in Istanbul. ("Still" -- as
if it would make sense for them to move away, en masse, to a foreign
country.) In my hallway, there were a series of framed photos. I was in
middle school when I asked my mother why she had a cheesy, old-time, sepia
tone photo taken of me when I was a baby; she looked confused, then looked
at the wall, and then started laughing. "Oh honey, that's not you. That's
your father. But you could be twins!" In fact, we could have been the same
person. The same round face looked plaintively from behind the same curly
mop of dark brown hair.
Acknowledging the similarities between my father and me was always a
conditional affair. Like most children, I lived in fear of being
different, but craved the attention that difference brings. So my
Turkishness became an adaptive quality. When I could take weeks off of
school to go on family vacations, I waxed enthusiastic about how great it
was to go back to "the motherland"; when I went to summer camp, I tried to
introduce myself as Suzanne, my middle name.
By the time college applications rolled around, I embraced and amplified
whatever bits of ethnicity I could lay claim to. I bragged about Turkish
cuisine, I took credit for the beauty of the Turkish coast. If I had known
any Turkish, I'm sure I would have inserted into conversation, just to
give me that certain je ne sais quoi, that veneer of culture.
My memories of Turkey itself, though, had faded. When I was living at
home, before boarding school, my family would go at least twice a year.
The trips blur together, so my few distinct recollections are divorced
from any sense of chronology: the taste of the black cherry drink, visne,
that my brother and I drank all day long; chasing after feral cats along
the edges of a park near my family's apartment building; looking out the
window at the grimy urban sprawl as we sped from the airport to the city
of Istanbul; then, most shamefully, pitching a fit in the Topkapi Palace,
crying, whining, moaning, begging to go back to the car to play my Gameboy
as my grandfather peered down at me, confused, and my mother grabbed my
collar tight enough to pinch my neck and dragged me to a museum chair,
ordering me to stay put while they enjoyed the exhibition.
Emma and I woke up from shallow sleep on the plane as the wheels hit the
tarmac. "We're here!" I said, pointing to the window. She asked: "Can we
go to a Turkish bath? I really want to go to a Turkish bath."
I scrunched up my face, baring my teeth. "A Turkish bath? Really? That's
so... I don't know, should we go to see a whirling dervish? Should we buy
fez hats and pose for pictures with large swords? Are we, like, tourists?"
Emma made a face back at me. "Actually, Reyhan, that's exactly what we
are."
One plan had already been made: We had hotel reservations in the
Sultanahmet, the touristy part of Istanbul near the Hagia Sophia and the
Blue Mosque. "I can't wait to see the Hagia Sophia again," I crooned, my
face slamming against the window, as our driver reaffirmed my memories of
the terror of driving from the airport in Istanbul. "It's so beautiful!"
By now Emma was getting a little more cautious. "Did you bring a
guidebook?" she asked.
"God, no. Do you think we need one? We can just ask people. Turkish people
are really friendly."
We arrived in the early afternoon, put our stuff down at the hotel, and
headed out. After an hour, it was clear that we desperately needed a
guidebook. The Turks of the Sultanahmet were extremely friendly and
extremely focused on selling us carpets, scarves decorated with rows of
plastic gold coins, disposable cameras, postcards, key chains, hookahs,
necklaces and, every now and then, hashish.
Frustration began to overwhelm me: How had I neglected to ask actual Turks
(i.e., my father) about what to do when we actually got to Istanbul? What
did I think would happen, some kind of internal sixth Turkish sense would
lead me to hidden back alleys and secret bars where the young, cool kids
go? I get lost on Muni regularly; at the very least, we needed a map.
I was sweating in the sun. Emma was sweating in the sun. We walked around
the same few streets, trying to find an updated English guidebook without
venturing too far from our hotel, our only recognizable landmark.
"We really should go to a Turkish bath. We're disgusting."
My face scrunched up again. "Let's find a guidebook first. We should at
least know a good one to go to." We kept walking.
Fanning ourselves with pamphlets we took from the hotel, we went into
every bookstore on the tourist strip in the Sultanahmet. We found one
Lonely Planet, with the cover ripped off, from 1999. "Twenty dollars," the
man in the store said. We were so hot, so tired, so sick of walking in
circles, that we almost bought it. But next to the store were huge signs I
had been trying to ignore. "Turkish Bath," they shouted. "Authentic
Turkish Bath and Steam Room."
Emma looked at the sign and then looked at me.
"OK," I said, putting the book down, "let's go. We're tourists. But let's
be the kind of tourists who don't have any plans, who just wander around
and find things, and have a good time getting lost."
The kind, I could have added, who don't know anything about a place before
they get there.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Copyright 2005 SF Chronicle
13 March 2005
x0x Turkish Delight
Historic Istanbul makes a perfect short break destination.
Turkey is a land of magnificent contrasts. The meeting place of Europe and
Asia, the country is a colourful combination of the two. No where more so
is this evident than in Istanbul, Turkey's largest city inhabited by
10million people.
Home to everything from chique fashion boutiques to bustling markets,
Istanbul is an exotic destination that is proving more and more popular as
a short break tourist destination, especially if you enjoy shopping with a
passion.
Whether hoping to browse the numerous markets for a hidden treasure or
treat your taste buds to Turkey's delicious spices, this city has it all.
Istanbul is the perfect destination to buy an authentic rug or Turkish
textiles, renowned for being the best in the world. Antiques, jewellery
and spices are also staple Istanbul bargains too.
Bargaining, or 'Pazarlik' in Turkish, is essential in the markets of
Istanbul. There are never any price tags - its up to you to determine the
price. Bargaining is especially popular when buying unique handmade goods
like carpets, crafts, artwork and antiques. To avoid losing out it's
important to get a sense of the market and visit other shops to get a
taste of how much things cost.
Markets
If markets are your thing, there is no better city than Istanbul. There
are markets providing everything from spices to stereos. For food lovers,
the Bahik Pazari fish market is a must, and sells exotic spices and
refreshing teas - as well as fish. Similarly, the Egyptian bazaar or spice
market has a variety of spices, fruit, nuts and delicious royal jelly from
the beehives of the Aegean sea.
The Kapali Carsi or Grand Bazaar is the market in Istanbul and is home to
over 4,000 shops. Walk the exciting labyrinth of alleys and thoroughfares
and take in the sumptuous sights, sounds and smells. There are a range of
things to buy, including antiques, leather goods, tourist souvenirs,
jewellery and textiles.
If you prefer something a bit more leisurely, the Sunday market of Arasta
Bazaar, one of the few markets open on a Sunday, is the perfect place for
slowing the pace.
Boutiques
Istanbul has a variety of shops and boutiques to suit everyone's taste. To
see popular Turkish fashion designers head to the Rumeli Caddesi in
Nisantasi or visit the many and varied boutiques on the high street
Istiklal Caddesi. But if you're looking for quality garments, head for the
Vakko on the Instiklal Caddesi. This famous boutique, one of Turkey's
oldest and most elegant fashion houses, is the place to find a special
item. Even Bill Clinton, former US president, has been seen sporting one
of their ties.
Sube, a boutique on Arasta Bazaar, is great for quality kilim handmade
slippers or kilim boots. Kilim slippers are made from the famous Turkish
fabric kilim that has been woven by the women of Anatolia for over 4000
years.
For bits and bobs, the Sofa boutique on the Nuruosmaniye Caddesi is a
great boutique for old maps and prints, original Iznik and Kutahya
ceramics, vintage jewellery and other treasures.
Holiday specialists Deckchair.com, who recently launched a series of
packages aimed towards short-break and shopping holidaymakers looking to
snag a bargain break in the capitals of Europe, currently have a number of
great late deals to Istanbul, starting from just £209 per person for a
three night stay at a three-star hotel in the busy Sirkeci district of
Istanbul.
From http://50connect.co.uk/
[See more at:
http://www.unf.edu/classes/byzantium/istanbul/Topkapi/?C=M;O=D ]
x0x Secret garden: Topkapi Palace Harem
By H. Canan Cimilli
As visitors enter the door of Topkapi Palace Harem their sense of
anticipation is tangible. Even today they envisage the possibility of
meeting an odalisque, her long skirt trailing on the ground as she
walks. The word harem originates from the Arabic harim, comprising the
concepts of secrecy, inviolability and sacrosanctness that pervade the
very walls of this place and marked life here over the centuries that
it was a closed book to strangers. The harem section of Topkapi Palace
was carefully situated so that it could not be seen from the state
apartments and the courtyards where public affairs were conducted.
Tursun Bey, a chronicler at the time of Sultan Mehmed the Conqueror
the feminine article, even the sun would not be admitted to the
harem.' Known in other eastern countries as perde (purdah), zenane or
endrUnr, the royal harem at the Ottoman Palace was known as the
Dar-us-saade, or Place of Felicity, while the section of the palace
known as the Imperial Harem encompassed both the harem proper,
the state apartments of the sultans, the quarters of his household and
the pavilions in the fourth courtyard. The secrecy associated with the
royal harem and the harems of upper and middle-class Ottoman houses
aroused the keen curiosity of foreign travellers and artists who
visited Ottoman Turkey, but their written accounts and pictures of the
harem were based for the most part on hearsay. With a few exceptions
it was not until the end of the 18th century, during the reign of the
enlightened reformist Sultan Selim III (1789-1807) that the architect
and draughtsman Melling, Daniel Clark and other artists were admitted
to the palace harem to draw from observation instead of imagination.
In 1909, following the deposal of Sultan Abdulhamid II, the Ottoman
historian Abdurrahman Seref Bey made a detailed study of the buildings
and apartments of the harem, and the women, princesses and princes who
lived there. His findings were published as a series of articles in
1910 and 1911 in the historical journal Encumen-i Osmani Mecmuasi. The
harem was home to the sultan himself, his mother, wives,
daughters, sons, brothers, the high ranking female officials who
managed the affairs of the household, hundreds of maidservants, and
black eunuchs. The earliest parts of the harem quarters are the Golden
Road, the sultn'sr private kitchen, and that section known as Eski
Hasekiler. The service sections of the harem included kitchen, food
cellar, baths, laundry, sick room and the dormitories of the
maidservants and black eunuchs. As the population of the harem
increased from the end of the 16th century onwards, mezzanines and
additional buildings were constructed containing bedrooms for the
serving women and self-contained apartments for the wives of the
sultan. The 17th century Ottoman writer Evliya Celebi records that
until the late 16th century the harem did not move to Topkapi Palace,
although the sultans conducted their daily business there and often
spent the night, going occasionally to the Old Palace to visit their
wives and children. Sultan Suleyman the Magnificient (1520-1566) took
only his wife Hurrem Sultan and some women-in-waiting to this palace,
the complete transferral of the harem from the Old Palace taking place
during the reign of Murad III (1574-1595). On 24 July 1665, while
Mehmed IV (1648-1687), his harem and household were at the palace in
Edirne, a great fire broke out at Topkapi Palace, destroying the
Palace of Justice, the Council of State, the Treasury, the Land
Registry Office, most of the harem from the Carriage Gate to the
Apartment of the Sultan's Mother, and the kitchens. The 17th century
Turkish scholar Katip Celebi wrote in his Takvimu't-Tevarih that the
fire was started by a maidservant who had stolen a ring. Mehmed IV and
his mother returned to Istanbul to inspect the situation, and the
sultan ordered the construction of a new harem building whose interior
walls were entirely decorated with tiles. This was completed in 1668,
but since Mehmed IV and his successors who reigned during the second
half of the 17th century lived for the most part at Edirne Palace, the
harem at Topkapi did not regain its importance until the reign of
Ahmed III (1703-1730), a period popularly known as the Tulip Era.
European baroque began to influence Turkish art and architecture at
this time, and the Tulip Era is characterised by a new naturalistic
style which is perhaps most strikingly exemplified by the painted wall
decoration consisting of vases of flowers and plates of fruit in the
Fruit Room of Ahmed III in the harem. The passion for garden flowers
became evident everywhere, on clothing, furnishings and in
architectural decoration, and extending even to the names of the harem
women, who began to be given melodious Persian names like Laligul
(Ruby Rose) and Nazgul (Shy Rose) that suggested they were as
beautiful and graceful as flowers. Later in the 18th century, rococo,
with its delicate colour schemes and light romantic motifs, began to
influence Turkish art, and the Pavilion of Osman III built on a
terrace facing the Hunkar Sofasi (Throne Room of the Harem) and the
gracefully decorated wooden structures known as the Gozdeler Dairesi
(Apartment of Favourites) above the Golden Road are typical of this
later style.
Life in the royal harem was very different from that imagined by
Europeans. As an institution in Ottoman society the harem reflected
the secluded privacy of family life. The cariyes or maidservants who
served the women of the household were trained and educated in the
skills and accomplishments thought appropriate for women at the time,
and after a certain number of years in service allowed to marry. In
the royal harem, under the guidance of the sultn's mother or the
principal officer of the harem household, a woman known as the chief
treasurer, the girls were taught to read and write, play music, and
the intricate rules of palace etiquette and protocol. Very few were
honoured even by the privilege of waiting at the sultn'sg table, and
still fewer became royal wives.
After nine years of service the harem girls were given their
manumission document, a set of diamond earrings and ring, a trousseau
and some gold as their marriage portion, and suitable husbands found
for them. They were renowned for their good breeding and for their
discretion, never being known to reveal any intimate details about the
royal family to outsiders. Nevertheless, graffiti on the harem walls
shows that not all cariyes were contented with their lot: 'Dilferib
whose heart burns / Is wretched / O God / Alas alas.'
* H. Canan Cimilli is a researcher and Keeper of the Harem at Topkapi
Palace Museum
[See more at:
http://www.tughranet.f2s.com/postcard/maki/costumes.htmhttp://www.belly-dance.org/prenten/turkey29.jpg ]
x0x Fruchtermanns Postcards Windows onto the past
By Baris Dogru
For Westerners the Orient was a mysterious world for centuries, and
this mysterious and imaginary Western image of the East even has a
name: Orientalism. The concept first took shape in the work of
European painters, and it was through these paintings that European
aristocrats and rulers made their first acquaintance with the East.
Accounts by European travellers who travelled eastwards made their own
contribution to this image, which with the development of photography
and photographic printing techniques entered a new stage. Postcards
became the most widespread vehicle of dissemination for these
photographs, and undoubtedly the most notable figure in this field in
the Ottoman Empire was Max Fruchtermann. Max Fruchtermann became the
coutry'sa first photography editor and publisher. Born in Kalucz, a
town on the frontier of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, in 1852, he moved
to Istanbul in 1867.
Two years later he opened a framing shop on Yuksekkaldirim Street,
where there are still several framers today. In the course of his work
Fruchtermann became aware of the huge demand for pictures of Ottoman
sights and scenes, and in 1895 entered into an agreement with the Emil
Pinkau printing house in Breslau for the production of the first
picture postcards of Istanbul. The first series depicted Seraglio
Point, the Galata Bridge and Galata Tower, Dolmabahce Palace,
Sultanahmet Mosque, Arnavutkoy, Kuzguncuk, and figures including
porters, water sellers, dervishes and fishermen. The enterprise took
off, and his picture postcards of Istanbul and scenes from other parts
of the country were soon being posted to the four corners of the
world. The first series was followed by numerous others, and with his
Gruss series printed by Fingerle Freudenberg in Rehydt, of which he
sent examples in his correspondence with collectors all over the
world, his reputation soared.
He went on to produce beautiful series depicting many Ottoman cities,
including Bursa, Izmit and Trabzon. Fruchtermann became a rich man,
but misfortune lay in store. The death of his wife in 1917 was
followed by the loss of his fortune, as his war bonds and other
investments became worthless with the defeat of Austria in World War
I. Fruchtermann died a broken man in 1918 at the age of 65. The golden
age of the postcard had gradually come to an end in a war-torn world,
as the optimistic intellectual climate of the pre-war period, in which
people had sought to get to know other countries and peoples, made way
for disillusionment. Massive economic upheaval aggravated the
prevailing pessimism, and naïve pleasures like postcards were pushed
aside. However, the story of Fruchtermann's postcards was not yet at
an end.
His son Paul continued to run the business, despite changed
conditions, until his death in 1966, when his second wife Anna was
obliged to close down the business. She sold off the stock - an
estimated 600,000 picture postcards - stored in the attic of the shop
to a junk dealer for just 2500 lira. It is popularly assumed that
photographs reflect a realistic and objective view of the world. In
fact the photographer has a degree of control over the finished
photograph comparable in some respects to that of the painter,
exercised by his selection of subject and scene, use of light, and
printing techniques. In Max Fruchtermann's postcards we see the clear
stamp of Orientalism in their subjective approach. Having taken this
into account, however, these photographs remain of undeniable
documentary importance, depicting historic buildings and monuments of
Istanbul that have disappeared today, costumes no longer worn, and
scenes now vastly altered. Looking back a century in time through
these postcards is a moving experience, reminding us both of what has
changed and what remains the same.
The importance of Fruchtermann's postcards is appreciated by
collectors all over the world. Thousands of these postcards have now
been published by Kocbank in three volumes, the result of intensive
research involved in tracking them down in numerous collections. They
cover the period from the late 19th to early 20th century, a time of
dramatic social changes which influenced the daily lives of all the
diverse ethnic and cultural communities of the Ottoman Empire. The
albums are a fascinating window on to that period and a valuable
documentary resource.
* Baris Dogru is a freelance writer
[See more at:
http://www.tashkent.org/uzland/samarkand.htmlhttp://depts.washington.edu/uwch/silkroad/cities/uz/samarkand/samarkand.htmlhttp://depts.washington.edu/uwch/silkroad/cities/uz/bukhara/bukhara.html ]
x0x Fabled Cities of the Silk Road Samarkand and Bukhara
By Nedim Sipahi
When did the first caravan set out along the Silk Road and from which
far city? Who was the master of the caravan and what dangers and
difficulties did he envisage as he set out to lead the merchants and
their pack animals on that long and arduous journey? All we know is
that from the 2nd century BC caravans travelled the Silk Road across
Central Asia, and the magnificent buildings in the cities along it
reflect the wealth generated by that past trade. In 138 BC the Chinese
emperor commanded Chang K'ien to make a journey of exploration
westwards, and he returned 13 years later after many adventures,
bringing back the first knowledge of those unknown lands. Trade
between east and west quickly prospered along the 6500 kilometre road
linking the Chinese capital Xi'an on to Rome. In the mid-13th century
the Venetian traveller, Marco Polo, journeyed across Asia through
regions about which the western world knew almost nothing at the time.
He followed the Silk Road, and when he returned wrote his account of
his adventures. Although this aroused western fascination with the
wonders of those distant lands, Central Asia remained largely unknown
by the West until the 19th century. The fabled cities of Samarkand and
Bukhara, which today are in Uzbekistan, were important oasis cities on
the section of the Silk Road leading through Central Asia. Bukhara,
whose history goes back 2500 years, stands on the edge of the Kizilkum
desert beside the Zerefshan River. It was ruled in turn by the Arabs,
Samanids, Karakhanids and Karahitays, and in 1220 conquered by the
Mongol ruler Ghengiz Khan, whose army largely reduced it to ruins. In
1370 it came under the rule of Timur (Tamerlane), and in the mid-16th
century became capital of the Bukhara Khanate ruled by the Uzbek
Sheybani dynasty. The oldest part of Bukhara is the ancient royal
citadel, which was an important marketplace on the Silk Road.
Known as Ark, the citadel housed 3000 people, and here were situated
the royal palace, treasury, mosque, mint, dungeons and other major
buildings. Here the Emir of Bukhara lived with his family and
officials during the time of the Sheybani dynasty. One of the city's
most imposing buildings is the Kelan Minaret dating from the 12th
century. Rising to a height of 48 metres, the minaret was a landmark
for caravans approaching the city from the desert. The Kelan Mosque
beside it, also known as the Cuma or Friday Mosque, was rebuilt in
1514. With its tiled portal and turquoise mosaic dome, this mosque is
one of the masterpieces of Islamic architecture. Opposite the mosque
is the Mir-i Arab Medrese built by the Sheybani ruler Ubaydullah Khan.
Bukhara was an important centre of scholarship and learning in past
centuries, and in the 19th century there were around a hundred
medreses or colleges here.
The famous medieval physician and scholar Ibn-i Sina (980-1037), known
as Avicenna in Europe, received his early education in Bukhara. The
oldest building in the city is the thousand year-old Mausoleum of
Ismail Samani built of mud bricks and with magnificent geometric brick
decoration inside and out. The Kukeldash and Nadir Divan Bey medreses
stand beside the pool known as Lyab-i Havuz, in which the great tiled
portal is reflected. The pool is surrounded by huge plane trees,
beneath which are tea gardens where the people of Bukhara relax in the
hot summer months. Samarkand is the second largest city in Uzbekistan
today. It has earned such descriptions as the Pearl of the East, the
Mirror of the World, and the Jewel of Islamic Art. Samarkand was
founded in the 4th century BC by the Sogdians, who made it the capital
of their Ahamenid Empire. In 329 BC Maracanda, as the city was then
called, was conquered by Alexander the Great, and later ruled in turn
by Central Asian Turks, Arabs, Samanids and Khwarzmshah.
In 1220 Samarkand was razed by the Mongols, and in the 14th century
became the capital of the Timurid Empire, under which it enjoyed its
period of greatest splendour. Like Bukhara, Samarkand stands on the
shore of the Zerefshan River. It is one of the greenest cities in
Central Asia. At the heart of the city is Rejistan Square surrounded
by three medreses, one of which was built by Timur himself. That to
the west was founded by Timur's grandson, the renowned astronomer UluG
Bey, after whom it is named and whose studies are reflected in the
star motifs on the portal. The Shirdar Medrese on the east side and
the Tilla Kari Medrese to the south both date from the 17th century.
Samarkand's principal mosque is the Bibi Hanim built in memory of
Timur's wife in 1398. Although the dome is today in ruins, the 25
metre high portal decorated with intricate tiled decoration is
magnificent. Another jewel of Samarkand is the Mausoleum of Gur-i Mir
where Timur himself is buried.
The high fluted dome with blue tiled decoration rises to a height of
37 metres and the mausoleum is a monument symbolising Timur's power
and love of the arts. The Shah Zinde is a complex of mausoleums when
numerous members of the dynasty were buried in the 14th and 15th
centuries. Several of them feature beautiful blue tiled decoration on
the domes and tile inscriptions around the drums. Near Afrasiab, the
hill where Samarkand's earlier settlement was located, is the
observatory built by Ulug Bey, who recorded the positions of 1018
fixed stars, and calculated the length of the solar year to within a
few seconds.
* Nedim Sipahi is a photographer and freelance writer.
{20050305trh.txt}
x0x Turkish news for week ending 05 March 2005
[Best when viewed with the courier font.]
****************************************************************
This line is available for your commercial announcement!
****************************************************************
A service of the TURKISH RADIO HOUR, producer of:
TURKISH CULTURAL PROGRAM
Saturdays at 6:00 P.M.
KUSF FM 90.3, San Francisco
Also tune to
ORIENT EXPRESS
Tuesdays at 10:00 P.M.
KKUP FM 91.5, CUPERTINO
****************************************************************
Ahmet Toprak edited today's news. Your host today is Ahmet Toprak
****************************************************************
For a subscription to the Internet edition of this news,
send a blank email to:
TurkC-L-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
****************************************************************
NEWS BRIEFS
Edited by Gokce Gokalp
* According to the daily Hurriyet, US Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen.
Richard Myers stated Thursday that Turkish Parliament's rejection of a
2003 motion to allow US troops to use Turkey as a base for a northern
offensive into Iraq had been the result of democracy.
General Myers also commented that there weren't any problems in
relations between Ankara and Washington. "Turkey is a close US ally and we
have a strategic partnership," added General Myers. "Turkey has shown
close cooperation in our military action in Iraq and Afghanistan."
* Turkey's Ambassador to Washington Dr. Faruk Logoglu stated Thursday that
during Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice's recent visit to Ankara, she
had vowed to Turkish officials that the US would deal with the Turkish
Kurdish rebels in northern Iraq.
Speaking to reporters in Washington, the Turkish ambassador stated that
Ankara was not opposed to any group's autonomy in Iraq as long as the
country's territorial integrity was ensured.
He stated that in the future all groups in Iraq should have a voice and
that no group should be dominated or has an advantageous position.
Commenting on the prospect of Syrian forces withdrawing from Lebanon,
Dr. Logoglu stated that this was possible, but might take some time,
reported the daily Turkiye.
* Speaking of Iraq, the United Iraqi Alliances Prime Ministry candidate
Ibrahim al-Jaafari stated Sunday that he wouldn't allow any organization,
including the Turkish Kurdish rebels, to attack neighboring countries,
reported the daily Cumhuriyet.
The alliance won last month's Iraqi elections.
* Turkish prime minister was on a tour of Africa this week. After staying
in Ethiopia for two days, on the last leg in his trip he talked with the
South African leaders.
In a press conference in the South African capital, the Turkish prime
minister said that Africa is an important continent for Turkish foreign
policy. He pointed out that 2005 was declared the year of Africa in
Turkey.
* The Turkish daily Star reports that the Turkish foreign affairs minister
Mr. Abdullah Gul as saying that Turkey is taking determined steps in its
European membership preparations.
According to the daily Star, the Turkish foreign affairs minister was
replying to a recent criticism by the European Commissioner Representative
and Turkey that since last December Turkey has slowed its pace of reform.
Mr. Gul also added that European Union should also be preparing for a
Turkish membership.
* In related news, "Turkey wont wait 15-20 years to become a European
Union member," stated the Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul in a
weekend interview with Chinese state television during his visit to the
country.
In the interview, Mr. Gul called Europe's concerns about Turkey's huge
population baseless, adding that the European Union's indecision was
hurting its image with the Turkish public
* The daily Milliyet carried out the European Commissioner Representative
Mr. Kretschmer's criticism on its Friday issue. According to the daily Mr.
Kretschmer says that he is not accusing the ruling Justice and Development
Party in slower pace of reform, but pointing the finger at the Turkish
bureaucracy. He said that the Turkish bureaucracy should work harder to
carry out the reforms.
Touching on a referendum on Turkey's European Union membership planned
by France, Mr. Kretschmer said that if Ankara adopts European Union
standards and makes progress in becoming a liberal democracy, the French
public's view of Turkey would turn positive.
* According to the Turkish daily Star, the European Investment Bank Vice
President Wolfgang Roth says that the former European Union Commissioner
for enlargement Guenter Verheugen was troubled by the European Union
letting Greek Cyprus join the bloc last year before a resolution was
reached on the island. Mr. Verheugen has few regrets in his political
life, but he does on this issue, Wolfgang Roth says.
The island of Cyprus is home to Greek and Turkish communities who have
been living apart since 1963, although the island gained its independence
in 1960 with the understanding that was going to be a bi- communal
republic.
Soon after the foundation of a bi-communal republic the Cypriot Greeks
reneged on international agreements and pushed the Turks into enclaves and
blocked them from participating in the economic and administrative life on
the island. From time to time Cypriot Greeks also massacred the poorly
defended Turks.
In 1974 when extremist Greeks, backed by the Greek junta in power then,
toppled the all-Greek Cypriot government with the ultimate goal of uniting
the island with Greece, Turkey exercised its right of intervention
according to a 1960 agreement guaranteeing the independence of the island.
The Turkish intervention gathered the Cypriot Turks into the Northern
part of the island to assure them the security and safety that they did
not have for many years.
In 2004 after lengthy talks between the two communities, the United
Nations proposed an agreement to reunite the island.
However, the Greek Cypriots rejected it in a referendum, although the
Cypriot Turks overwhelmingly approved the plan to reunite the island in a
separate referendum.
* Another news item from the daily star on Cyprus: On Thursday at a State
Department press briefing, deputy spokesman Adam Ereli reiterated that,
Greek Cypriot claims notwithstanding, there has been no transfer of
US-supplied weapons to the Turkish Republic of northern Cyprus.
Asked why the US had urged Syria to pull out from Lebanon, but was not
doing the same with Turkey and the Turkish Republic of northern Cyprus,
Mr. Ereli dismissed any parallel between Lebanon and Cyprus and pointed to
the US position supporting the UN plan for the islands reunification.
* According to the Turkish private channel NTV, the US Treasury issued a
statement Friday saying that the improvement in the Turkish economy meant
that the US did not consider Turkey needed additional assistance.
"In the most recent period, the Turkish economy has posted better than
expected results and sustainable growth has taken root," the Treasury
statement said.
In September last year, the US had promised to provide the $1.0 billion
in aid to support Ankara's program of economic and structural reforms.
The financing was also to compensate Turkey for losses caused by the war
in Iraq.
* According to Turkey's State Institute of Statistics, the consumer price
index rose by just 0.02 percent last month.
The marginal increases in both consumer prices and the wholesale price
index continues a general trend over the past two years, with inflation
falling to under 10 percent at the end of 2004, the best result in two
decades.
ARTS AND CULTURE
* Turkish Daily News reports that a gala presentation of the documentary
"Turkey in Japan", filmed by the Turkish-Japanese Foundation was held at
the organization's headquarters in Turkey's capital Ankara.
Among the guests were Turkey's State Minister and Deputy Prime Minister
Abdullatif Sener, Japanese Ambassador to Turkey Tomoyuki Abe, Turkish
Ambassador to Japan Solmaz Unaydin and Turkish- Japanese Foundation
Chairman Cafer Tayyar Sadiklar.
Mr. Sadiklar stated that they had decided to make the documentary
following the reciprocal documentary "Japan in Turkey" and at the
recommendation of Deputy Prime Minister Sener.
He added that they had to go to Japan three times for the documentary.
"We traveled 23,000 kilometers, visited seven cities and interviewed
nearly a hundred people," said Mr. Sadiklar.
Ambassador Unaydin also reminded the audience in his address that the
year 2003 had been proclaimed "Turkish Year," and that a series of events
had been held in Japan under its auspices.
The documentary "Turkey in Japan," features
- the Turkish Culture Village in Japan, where a replica of the tomb of
Alexander the Great, original of which is in Istanbul's Archeological
Museum , and
- a statue of turkey's founding Father Mr. Mustafa Kemal Ataturk are
located, as well as
- Turkish restaurants in Tokyo and
- the Association for Japanese-Turkish Fellowship, which has been active
since 1926.
The documentary includes the views of the Turkish people living in
Japan, with profiles from the lives of Turks married to Japanese.
The gala ended with a recital by pianist Mehmet Okonsar.
* 36 historic houses in Turkey's central province of Kayseri's Develi
town, part of the legacy left by Greeks and Armenians who once inhabited
the area and adorned with some of the most beautiful examples of
decorative stonework, are being renovated by the town's municipality
The municipal authorities say that the houses date back to 1800s.
The municipality will be renovating the houses taking into consideration
the input and opinions of Greeks and Armenians who still come to the area.
Develi Mayor Recep Ozkan said according to archeological excavations and
research into artifacts and structures, regional history and inhabitance
goes as far back as the Hittite Empire. There are also relics from the
Roman and Byzantine eras.
Later Greeks and Armenians settled in the area.
See photographs of Develi at:
http://www.kayseri.gov.tr/yeni/album/develi/http://www.katpatuka.org/venessa/photos/develi/ Note the
photograph that says "Mashallah", a phrase used for seeking the assistance
of Allah in protecting property or person, in Greek letters on the
following picture:
http://www.katpatuka.org/venessa/photos/develi/b/kapi-09.jpg
* Turkish capital Ankara is having another March fest.. The festival is
organized by The Middle East Technical University and LEO organization.
Ankara Jazz Association, Austria Cultural Center and Italian Cultural
Center, Greek Embassy, Goethe Institute, French Cultural Center and
Ministry of Culture and Tourism have considerable contributions to the
festival.
Among the activity sponsors are Microsoft Turkey and the Ayesas group of
companies.
The Turkish Daily News reports that the festival will feature 11
concerts and participants from six countries. Art exhibits and the Modern
Dance Festival bring spring's tidings to Ankara at the Middle East
Technical University.
The festival started with the Ankara Blue-Black Flamenco Group
accompanied by guest artists on March 1. One of the most prestigious
performers will be Nikos Touliatos at the Duo Faros concert. They were the
performers who, during the closing ceremonies of the 2004 Athens Olympics,
entertained the audience with a percussion show, going on to achieve
worldwide acclaim.
These artists are also appearing at the Izmir Jazz festival with the
support of the Greek Culture Ministry and embassy.
Mr. Touliatos, the first foreign guest at the festival, performed in a
concert with Duo Faros at 8:00 p.m. on March 2.
Prior to the concert Mr. Touliatos, a percussion expert who delights his
audience with his unique style, hosted a percussion workshop at Middle
East technical University's Kemal Kurdas Hall.
The festival will be on through March 24.
* Shops at the entrance to the old marketplace of Smyrna will offer
products similar to those of 2,000 years ago sold by salespeople dressed
in period clothing reports the Turkish Daily News. Smyrna is the ancient
name of Turkey's Aegean city of Izmir.
Studies involved with the planned excavations to be made this year at
the ancient Izmir Agora, the largest such marketplace in the world, are
continuing within the framework of the Kemeralti project, sponsored by the
Greater Izmir Municipality.
The excavation and restoration are being carried out by the Izmir
Archaeology Museum.
Museum director and head of the Izmir Agora excavations, Dr. Mehmet
Taslialan said that in putting the stores back into service they were
going to collaborate with the Izmir Chamber of Trade, which was supporting
the excavations.
"In ancient times, products such as olive oil, wine and soap were traded
at these stores. We are going to sell the same products, and our shop
assistants will dress in the same way the people of old did," Dr.
Taslialan said, adding that the products were going to be specially
produced for the agora.
"Our goal is to have the stores ready by Universiade 2005, the Olympic
games for students, to be held in Izmir in August," Dr. Taslialan added.
The Izmir Agora is located down from Kadifekale -- or Mt. Pagos -- and
has been used since Alexander the Great founded the ancient Smyrna in 333
B.C.
There were two different agoras in Smyrna in ancient times: the state
agora and the commercial agora. The state agora, located on the northern
slope of Mt. Pagos, reflects every architectural aspect of the period in
which it was built and is the largest agora in the world.
The first planned excavations in the area, conducted between 1932 and
1940, were halted after a period of time and were restarted in 2002 under
the Izmir Greater Municipality's project.
* Speaking of Izmir, the second of VINOLIVE wine, cheese, olive and olive
oil fair has taken place between March 3rd and 6th in Izmir.
As part of the fair there were numerous talks on olive oil and wine.
Several commercial and informative exhibitions also were present.
There was also a photography exhibition on olive trees by Turkish
photographer Birol Uzmez.
Countries such as U.S., Bulgaria, Georgia and Italy were present at the
fair.
* Turkey's capital city of Ankara welcomed the big screen starting last
Sunday, February 27 with the 16th International Ankara Film Festival.
In addition to the most successful of Turkish movies and documentaries
competing for a number of awards, the festival also offers a good
selection of movies from around the world.
The embassies of Belgium, Denmark, Finland, India, Iran, Switzerland,
Canada and Greece along with the British Council, the French Culture
Center, the Goethe Institute and the Italian Culture Center are all
sponsors of this year's festival.
The 16th International Ankara Film Festival started with an amusing
ceremony. Guests of the event walked from Ankara's Kugulu Park to the
State Theater's Stage accompanied by the Turkish Air Force Dance and Jazz
Orchestra on March 3.
This year 11 movies will be shown in the festival's National Feature
category. Included among the nominees are:
- last year's enjoyable movie, "Where Are You Firuze?", directed by Ezel
Akay.
- Ahmet Ulucay's "Making Boats from Watermelon Rinds", which received
numerous awards at festivals overseas, and
- "Heads or Tails" directed by Ugur Yucel., the winner of 11 awards at
last year's Golden Orange Film Festival in Antalya, including Best Film,
Best Director and Best Actor, are also in the running.
The World Mass Communication Search Foundation will honor the
Association of Movie Critics and Antrakt movie magazine with the annual
Mass Communication Award. Meanwhile, distinguished Turkish actor Tarık
Akan, who has performed in more than 100 movies, will be awarded the Aziz
Nesin Effort Award.
Twenty-five fictional and eight experimental movies will be featured in
the National Short Film category of the festival this year. There will
also be seven competitors in the animation category, which couldn't be
held at last year's festival due to a lack of applicants.
In the festival's International Short Film and Animation category, 86
movies will be presented to the audiences in five categories: "Oberhausen
50th Year Choice," "Spain-Basque Shorts," "Short Line," "Short Knows No
Bounds" and "After Going Out."
The festival will not only satisfy movie lovers but will also make
documentary enthusiasts happy, with a wide variety of documentaries from
all around the world planned. Out of the 34 documentaries entered, 20 will
be presented for the pleasure of the viewers. The leading ones are Bora
Akarsel's "Colors of Turkey", which tells of a Caucasian dance feast,
Fatih Orbay's "The Living Treasure" and Handan Turkeli's "East of Dead of
Winter".
The audience will be able to view 14 foreign documentaries from Poland,
Germany, Switzerland, Spain, Austria, Israel and the United States
competing in the International Documentary category as well.
Without doubt that the festival's International Features Program will be
the most delightful part, just as it was in the past.
The International Feature Movie category reunites viewers with different
movies from various countries. The program consists of five contenders:
Marco Bellochio's "Collective Show," "From Every Corner of the World,"
"From a Francophone Window," "From the North" and "The Way of the Earth."
Artist Cemil Eren will be awarded the Art Plane Award this year at the
festival, and his exhibition will be displayed during the opening ceremony
at the State Theater. Art lovers will be able to view Eren's exhibit at
the Cankaya Municipality Modern Arts Center through the end of the
festival.
The From Every Corner of the World section of the International Features
Program is drawing attention this year with its lineup. The movies to be
shown are:
"Schussangst," directed by Dito Tsintsadze
"The Golden Seashell," winner of the 2003 San Sebastian Film Festival
and Best Movie award winner of the 2004 Nurnberg Film Festival
"Devdas," directed by Sanjay Bhansali, the most award-winning film at
the 2003 International Movie Academy of India
"Masti," directed by Indra Kumar
"Frozen," directed by Juliet McCoen, the Viewers award winner at the
Slamdance Film Festival
"Equation," directed by Ibrahim Vahidzade
"Pieces of April," directed by Peter Hedges, the Special Viewers award
winner at the 2003 International Chicago Film Festival
"El Bonaerense," directed by Pablo Trapero, winner of the Fipresci award
at the 2002 International Chicago Film Festival
"Code 46," directed by Micheal Winterbottom, 2003 Venice Film Festival's
Golden Lion nominee
"The Soul of a Man," directed by Wim Wenders, winner of the Viewers
award at the 2003 Sao Paulo Film Festival
"The Girl from Monday," directed by Hal Hartley
"Black Cloud," directed by Rick Schroder
"Primer," directed by Shane Carruth, the Big Jury award winner at the
2004 Sundance Film Festival
"Mais Im Bundeshuus," (Corn Grains at the Parliament), directed by
Jean-Stephane Bron, the Best Documentary award winner at the 2004 Swiss
Movie Awards
"The Life & Death of Peter Sellers," directed by Stephen Hopkins
"Pornography," directed by Jan Jakub Kolski, the winner of many awards
at the 2004 Poland Movie Awards and Polish Film Festival
"They Came Back," directed by Robin Campillo
"Sky Hook," directed by Ljubisa Samardzic, the Best First Movie award
winner at the 2000 Milan International Film Festival
"Goose Feather," directed by Ljubisa Samardzic, the winner of a host of
awards at the 2004 National Film Festival, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Serbian director Samardzic is one of the guests at the festival, during
which time audiences will have a chance to meet with him.
See more at http://www.filmfestankara.org.tr/
* Turkey's Ministry of Environment and Forestry presented awards on
Thursday to the winner and runners up of a competition to design a logo
for Gallipoli Peninsula National Historic Park. The ceremony took place at
Ankara's Hilton Hotel.
The ceremony started with the reading of a poem written in memory of the
Gallipoli martyrs, while Minister Pepe gave a speech on the Battle of
Gallipoli, saying it was one of the most important events in Turkey's
history. He added that what was experienced on the peninsula had given new
direction to the world political history and was the reason Anatolia was
able to remain a homeland for the Turks.
Mr. Pepe explained that the intention was to explain the Gallipoli
victory to future generations by organizing activities on the peninsula.
"The remnants of the battlefield have been kept safe and have survived to
be seen today in their original form. This is the best-preserved
battlefield in the world."
He further noted that up until to today there has not been sufficient or
prestigious enough projects organized for the Gallipoli Peninsula and
underlined that they would devise new projects that would suitably honor
the martyrs of the Gallipoli battle by its 90th anniversary, which falls
on April 25, 2005.
Nature Preservation and National Parks General Manager Mustafa Kemal
Yalinkiliç provided further information on the logo competition, saying
that 416 works of art had been entered. A short list of six made the final
cut, of which three were awarded special commendations, while Aysen Tuba
Doruk's work took first prize, Murat Tektas second and Baris Atiker won
third place with their designs.
Speaking about the winning entry, which featured a Turkish soldier
dressed in a World War I uniform, Yalinkiliç said in the logo the
peninsula standing like an angel's wing behind the soldier reflected the
martyrs' spiritual presence and that the soldier's defiant posture was
symbolic of the fact that the Dardanelles could never be conquered.
The shores of the Dardanelles strait witnessed one of the fiercest
battles of World War 1. The allied campaign at Gallipoli aimed at creating
a second front and threatened Istanbul, the capital of the Ottoman Empire.
However, the campaign failed in disaster and ended in re-embarkment in
late December of 1915.
Every year on April 25 Representatives of Australia, New Zealand,
Britain, France, and Turkey participate in the dawn ceremony, in memory of
hundreds of thousands of lives lost in the battle.
British casualties, including imperial forces, amounted to approximately
205,000 in the campaign. French losses were estimated at around 47,000.
Turkish forces incurred around 250,000 casualties.
In an unusual move in December of 2003 the government of Australia said
that it would seek to designate the site of the battles as an Australian
natural treasure.
EXCHANGE RATE for the U.S. dollar in New Turkish Liras: 1.27
WEATHER
High and Low Temperatures in Degrees F, Weather
Ankara, in central Turkey----------: 54/28 Showers
Antalya, on the Mediterranean------: 64/50 Showers
Istanbul, in northwestern Turkey---: 59/37 Showers
Izmir, on the Aegean---------------: 57/43 Showers
Trabzon, on the Black Sea----------: 54/36 Partly Cloudy
Snow depths at skiing locations:
Erciyes, in Kayseri, Central Turkey 20 inches
Ilgaz, in Kastamonu, North Central Turkey 86 inches
Kartalkaya, in Bolu, Western Turkey 59 inches
Palandoken, in Erzurum, Eastern Turkey 18 inches
Saklikent, in Antalya, Southern Turkey 39 inches
Sarikamis, in Kars, Eastern Turkey 35 inches
Uludag, in Bursa, Western Turkey 92 inches
SPORTS
By Mark Nowak
* Turkish Soccer - Premier Division
Week 22 matches
Rizespor 1-1 Istanbulspor
Diyarbakirspor 1-3 Gençlerbirligi
Ankaragucu 3-0 Malatyaspor
Samsunspor 2-1 Galatasaray
Fenerbahçe 2-0 Sebatspor
Besiktas 2-1 Sakaryaspor
Trabzonspor 3-0 Denizlispor
Ankaraspor 1-0 Gaziantepspor
Konyaspor 3-1 Kayserispor
Standings
Team Pts
1 Fenerbahçe 56
2 Trabzonspor 52
3 Galatasaray 51
4 Besiktas 41
5 Rizespor 34
6 Denizlispor 34
7 Malatyaspor 31
8 Ankaraspor 29
9 Konyaspor 28
10 GaziantepSp 28
11 Samsunspor 27
12 Gençlerbirligi 25
13 Diyarbakirspor 25
14 Ankaragucu 24
15 Sakaryaspor 18
16 Istanbulspor 17
17 Kayserispor 15
18 Sebatspor 10
10
Week 23 matches
Galatasaray - Besiktas
Gençlerbirligi - Ankaragucu
Sakaryaspor - Ankaraspor
Denizlispor - Diyarbakirspor
Malatyaspor - Fenerbahçe
Gaziantepspor - Trabzonspor
Istanbulspor - Samsunspor
Kayserispor - Rizespor
Sebatspor - Konyaspor
*FIBA European Baskebtall League Playoffs
Besiktas defeats SIG Strasbourg 2-1
Tuborg Pilsener defeated by Azovmash Mariupol 1-2
Fenerbahce defeated Hapoel Tel Aviv 2-0
Quarter Final matches:
Fenerbahce - Besiktas
* ULEB Euroleague Basketball Standings
Group D
Macc. T-A 2 - 0
Ulker 1 - 1
Montepas. 1 - 1
Cibona 0 - 2
Group G
AEK 2 - 0
Benetton 1 - 1
Efes Pilsen 1 - 1
Prokon 0 - 2
*Turkish Basketball Men
Team
Pts
1 Efes Pilsen 34
2 Ülker 34
3 Beşiktaş 31
4 Fenerbahçe 29
5 Tuborg 28
6 Türk Telekom 27
7 Erdemir 26
8 P.Karşıyaka 26
9 Darüşşafaka 25
10 Banvit 24
11 İ.T.Ü 23
12 Galatasaray 23
13 Büyük Kolej 23
14 Tekelspor 22
* Turkish Basketball - Women
Team
Pts
1 Beşiktaş 34
2 Fenerbahçe 33
3 Erdemirspor 32
4 Ceyhan Bld. 31
5 Mersin Bld. 30
6 Migros 29
7 İÜSK 26
8 Çankaya Üniversitesi 25
9 Botaş 23
10 Galatasaray 21
11 Orimcam 20
12 Burhaniye Bld. 20
*NBA
Hidayet Turkoglu Pts, rebs, assts, mins
Orlando 111 - 89 New York 11, 7, 5, 25
Orlando 114 - 111 Sacremento 6, 0, 0, 12
Orlando 103 - 112 Miami 14, 3, 2, 22
Orlando 98 - 101 Miami 14, 2, 1, 22
Mehmet Okur
Utah 85 - 92 New Orleans 4, 7, 0, 18
Utah 96 - 74 Atlanta 19, 5, 5, 33
Utah 87 - 86 LA Clippers 11, 1, 1, 30
Utah 99 - 92 Houston 14, 9, 2, 40
ANNOUNCEMENTS
*** The Alaturka restaurant underwrote today's program,
where gourmet Turkish cooking is an art:
869 Geary St, (cross street Larkin)
in San Francisco
For reservations: (415) 345-1011
http://www.chowbaby.com/Alaturka/
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
{A$agidaki duyuru haberlerden SONRA yayinlanacak}
*** Turkish American Association of California has partially
underwritten today's program. TAAC is a non-profit
charitable organization established to promote better
understanding between Americans and Turks.
If you have any questions about Turks and Turkey,
give them a call: 1-415-646-0946
or e-mail them at taac@...http://www.taaca.org
*** Planning to go to Turkey? Take a look at our Web pages
that is full of articles and information furnished by
travelers like yourselves:
http://travel.to/sunholiday
*** For more music from Turkey and the Middle East tune to
International Cultural Program.
San Francisco World TV Channel 29
Sundays at 9-10 A.M.
Also can be viewed in other cities in California, Chicago,
New York, Russia, and Georgia.
Consult with 415-564-7778 timing and stations.
*** Yayinlarimiz siz dinleyicilerimizin katkilari ile surebilecektir.
Studyomuza telefon acarak nasil katkida bulunabileceginizi
ogrenebilirsiniz.
Telefonumuz 415-751-KUSF e-posta adresimiz: trh@...
A service of the TURKISH RADIO HOUR On the airways since 1982.
*** NORTH BAY TURKISH CLASSICAL MUSIC ENSEMBLE
North May Turkish Classical Music Ensemble is looking for players
traditional Turkish classical instruments such as oud, ney,
tanbur, kanun or kemence, bendir or kudum; or even western
instruments that easily adapt to Turkish music, such as cello.
The ensemble is also looking for people who can sing in Turkish,
or are interested in learning.
The group is open to anyone with a sincere interest in Turkish
music.
For details call Hank Levin at 415 492-0728, or email:
turkmusic@...
{20050305trh.txt}
[See more at: http://www.dogancaymuseum.org/ ]
x0x "All or nothing" Burhan Dogancay
By BAHAR KALKAN
Walls whisper and cry to him. Doors open for him. He
enriches his works with materials taken from real life. One of
Turkey's leading contemporary artists, Burhan Dogancay's works are
exhibited in 56 museums throughout the world. Nevertheless, he has
singlehandedly founded a museum on behalf of his father Adil Dogancay
and himself in Istanbul, which he calls `the world's most beautiful
city'.
Q: You received your first instruction from your father, painter Adil
Dogancay. You also followed his advice and learned a profession.
But in the end you decided to live solely from painting in a city like
New York. Most people would regard this as madness.
A: They even called it that on ABC television. "A mad Turk has come to
New York and is trying to earn a living from painting!" Courage,
that's what it is. Since my father was an ordnance survey officer, we
traversed Anatolia village by village. He taught me the ABCs of
painting when I was a small child. Later I studied law and earned a doctorate in
economics. I also did a stint as a government clerk. But my whole
ambition from youth was to be painter. New York was the art capital in
the late 50s and 60s. I went to the U.S. in 1962. It was a `jungle'.
For 14 years I tried to make a go of it. I suffered severe material
deprivation. But I had a motto, "All or nothing". In the `80s my
situation improved.
Q: You regard walls as `the mirror of society' and have photographed them
in many countries. Why walls?
A: Every painter has been interested in walls. For me walls are a poem, a
dream, perhaps the most beautiful abstract painting in the world.
You'll realize this too if you pay attention. The first painting, the
first writing, was done on the walls of a cave. It's in our genes.
Give a child a pencil and the first thing he turns to is the wall.
In my youth there were no colorful wall posters in Turkey. But the
posters and ads I saw on the walls in France made a big impression on
me.
The walls of New York are something else. In fact, walls are
a mirror of the society we live in. You can learn all the social,
economic and political aspects of a society from its walls. You can
see very beautiful compositions. There is chiaroscuro, and the effects
of the wind and the rain. Man comes, he sticks his posters on the wall
and reveals his hidden emotions in graffiti.
I've visited 113 countries and photographed their walls. I've
collected posters every place I've gone. I have a very big studio in
Soho, and one corner of it is like a big trash heap. As a result I'm
putting together what I saw in various places on five or ten walls and
creating a composition. I am
taking my inspiration from several different walls. On rare occasions
I use a wall mirror. In addition to your photographs you also keep an
archive of each country.
No one besides me has made worldwide photographs of walls. I have
about 30-40 thousand slides from 113 countries. They make up an
archive of the last 30 years of the 20th century and the start of the
21st.
Fifty or a hundred years from now when sociologists, art historians
and psychologists examine those photographs, they will understand the
problems and concerns of our time.
Q: Which motif is used most on all the walls you have photographed?
A: The most frequent motif is the heart. If I had photographed them,
there would be millions. But I had to find the most original of the
hearts. In thirty years I found one: A heart with two arrows. I also
came across a black heart on a wall in Nicaragua.
I draw the following conclusion from these photographs: There is no
end to the human imagination. You see things that make you say, "I
would never have come up with that slogan, or that image, in a
thousand years." I also see that the gap between the rich and poor
countries is widening by the day. I predicted that the 21st century
was going to be the century of terrorism before September 11th
happened. Your Ribbon series has also drawn a lot of attention.
The most important element on walls is light and shadow. I made a
model of those walls that was my own invention and put it on the roof.
My purpose was to examine how and where the shadows fall in the
sunlight. I transferred these things to canvas. The shadow of the
ribbons resembles calligraphy. In fact,
I am not doing calligraphy but making shadows.
Q: Your works are in 56 museums and many collections all over the world.
But you have gone to a lot of trouble to realize a dream of yours by
founding a museum on behalf of your father and yourself. How did the
idea of founding a museum in Turkey come about?
A: Every artist wonders what will happen to his work when he is gone. My
purpose was for a portion of my works at least to stay together and be
seen together with my earliest work. To me, Istanbul is the world's
most beautiful city. All it lacks is culture and art. If there had been a museum
of modern
art here, I wouldn't have had to set up my own museum. When I found no
museum, I decided to take things into my own hands. Apart from some
help from a few young friends, I had no assistance at all. "Not a
museum but a miracle!" they call it. We have Turkish and foreign
visitors, but we're going to have an official opening in May. My whole
aim at the moment is to turn the museum over to a foundation or an
institution.
Q: What did you keep in mind when you were choosing things for the
museum?
A: Unfortunately our building isn't very big, so we can only exhibit
one-tenth of the works. We had room to display two from each period. I
allocated one section for my father. Some of my works have been put in
storage. Once a year the works will be rotated. Only my and my
father's works will be exhibited in this museum.
Children are another reason I had this place built.
I place a lot of importance on their art education. All the proceeds
from my exhibition, `Blue Walls of New York', which is currently on at
the Is Sanat Kybele Art Gallery, will go to the Education Volunteers'
Foundation.
I see the future in children aged 5 to 12. In the museum I want to
create an artistic environment for their art education. Already
students are coming every week.
x0x Cascades of light in Istanbul
By Prof. Dr. METIN AND
In former times in Istanbul, events such as palace weddings, the birth
of Ottoman princes and military victories, were celebrated with
magnificent festivals, some of which lasted for weeks. During these
festivities, various illuminations were displayed at night. Rockets
and Roman candles were fired from the Seven Hills of Istanbul,
painting the dark blue sky as it were with bright yellow flowers;
thousands of lamps and torches were lit on the minarets and tall
columns, illuminating the city as if it were daytime. In more recent
times we have become accustomed to firework displays at large weddings
and commemmorative celebrations. But these are pale in comparison to
the illuminations of the past. In this article the richness of those
festivities will be displayed with the help of miniature paintings.
ISTANBUL: CITY OF LIGHT
First of all let us take a look at the lamplit spectacles. The
technique, still in use today, of stringing up lamps between the
mosque minarets in the month of Ramazan is known as mahya.
In the old times, not only were inscriptions written, but pictures
were also projected into the sky by such illuminations. Furthermore,
these were moving pictures. The illuminators referred to the pictures
of boats, ships and fish created by lamps, as `flying lamps'.
Sometimes a column was erected and a wheel set on top of it. The
pictures created by the hanging lamps on the wheel could be
manipulated to move both horizontally and vertically by means of
strings and pulleys.
Foreigners also used to hold festivities in Istanbul. For example, a
child was born to Louis XV, King of France in 1729 and in the first
month of the following year a celebration which lasted 3 days and 3
nights was held at the French Embassy. A battleship, complete with the
French royal coat of arms, was created in the Embassy gardens with
20,000 coloured glass lamps.
FOUNTAINS OF LIGHT IN ISTANBUL
Let us next look at the most important feature of any illuminations:
the fireworks. Fireworks first appeared in China and then later were
used as part of the décor in operas, especially in Italy. These were
known as the `Theatre of Flying Rockets' and started to be used in
Ottoman festivities of light.
The miniature paintings in this article originate from three sources.
Two of these sources record the festivity of legendary proportions
that took place in the Hippodrome in 1582 and lasted 52 days. This was
held to celebrate the circumcision of the future Mehmed III, son of
Murad III. These miniatures, which are in the Topkapi Palace,
illustrate the events day by day and are part of a manuscript
containing 427 miniatures.
The origin of the second miniature displaying the 1582 celebrations is
also to be found in Topkapi Palace as part of a manuscript containing
42 miniatures from the reign of Murad III.
The third source is from miniatures portraying the two week
celebration in 1720 for the circumcision of Sultan Ahmed III's four
sons and the wedding of his three daughters and nieces. There is also
an engraving belonging to the nineteenth century.
In this we can see the hillsides behind Dolmabahce lit by the
fireworks set off from two ships on the Bosphorous, celebrating the
8th anniversary of Sultan Abdulaziz's accession to the throne.
A `SEAL OF SULEYMAN'
As many as thirty names can be found in Ottoman Turkish texts to
describe fireworks with their different colours and shapes. Some of
them ascended to the sky in a straight line and then cascaded
downwards, whereas some of them stayed up in the sky. Others rose very
high and fell with a crashing sound, stars and tiny sparks scattering
across the sky. Another type of rocket, set in a circular disc,
sprayed fire in different directions as it revolved in the sky.
Some rockets were fired singly by
one person whereas some were attached to a frame and were lit
simultaneously. These frames were in the shape of pyramids, tents,
pavilions and castles.
Some of these were in the shape of a hexagon, a popular Ottoman
decorative design, known as the `Seal of Suleyman.' Some frames were
created by puppets representing people, animals and mythical
creatures. Rockets would be set inside them. These puppets which can
be seen in the miniatures illustrating the 1582 festivities are
interesting because they invalidate the idea that it was forbidden in
the Muslim world to make three-dimensional representations. The
puppets' costumes in the 1582 illuminations are of European and Jewish
style. There are also cockerels, a giant with horns and an angel
puppet. For a celebration in Edirne in 1675, a 'Noah's Ark' on six
wheels was created, 24.5 metres high and 7 metres wide. It looked as
if two dragons were pulling the Ark whereas in fact, it was being
pulled by forty people concealed in puppets. 13,000 rockets were fired
from the `Ark.'
As for the 1582 celebrations, a large mound of earth was
erected in the Hippodrome and puppets in the shape of goats, antilopes
and a flock of sheep were set on the top of it. There was also, a
flute-playing shepherd grazing his flock, caves, streams and grassy
pastures.
When the gunpowder-filled mound was set alight, all the puppets
exploded into the air with a tremendous noise and when the rockets
were fired pandemonium ensued and everything was destroyed.
The fireworks were mostly made by Venetians, Dutch, Maltese and
Portuguese who had converted to Islam and had risen to the rank of
`pasha.'
For example, Ali Pasha, organizer of many festivities, was in fact
Italian.
In summing up we can say that the festivities in Istanbul were a
star-studded spectacle of fire and light.
{20050226trh.txt}
x0x Turkish news for week ending 26 February 2005
[Best when viewed with the courier font.]
****************************************************************
This line is available for your commercial announcement!
****************************************************************
A service of the TURKISH RADIO HOUR, producer of:
TURKISH CULTURAL PROGRAM
Saturdays at 6:00 P.M.
KUSF FM 90.3, San Francisco
Also tune to
ORIENT EXPRESS
Tuesdays at 10:00 P.M.
KKUP FM 91.5, CUPERTINO
****************************************************************
Ahmet Toprak edited today's news. Your host today is Fuad Tokad
****************************************************************
For a subscription to the Internet edition of this news,
send a blank email to:
TurkC-L-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
****************************************************************
NEWS BRIEFS
Edited by Fuad Tokad
* Dr. Faruk Logoglu, Turkey's ambassador to the United States, has sent a
letter to the editor of the Wall Street Journal expressing his
disappointment over an article written by Robert Pollock and its depiction
of Turkish-U.S. relations.
Referring to his dissatisfaction with certain phrases used by Mr.
Pollock describing the atmosphere in Turkey as "Nazi-like," Dr. Logoglu
said in his letter that the article "went beyond bounds," the Anatolia
news agency said.
Turkey's Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has personally been
expending efforts to correctly reflect the state of Turkish-U.S. relations
to Turkish public opinion, he emphasized.
Mr. Pollock's article, titled "The Sick Man of Europe -- Again,"
described events and stories he heard during a recent trip accompanying
the U.S. undersecretary of defense for policy Douglas Feith to Ankara and
how the "special" 50-year relationship between the two NATO allies was
suffering as a result of "absurd examples of national paranoia on the part
of the Turks."
* A group of Iraqi Turkmen and Assyrians held a demonstration in front of
U.N. headquarters in New York to protest irregularities in the recently
held Iraqi elections, the Anatolia news agency said.
The group said Iraqi Kurds, particularly Massoud Barzani's Kurdistan
Democratic Party, had pressured Turkmens and Assyrians during the
elections, without elaborating on the details. Slogan-shouting
demonstrators called on both the United Nations and the U.S.
administration to be more sensitive to the rights of the Turkmens and
Assyrians in Iraq.
* Turkish Cypriot Prime Minister Mehmet Ali Talat's Republican Turkish
Party has emerged the main winner in Sunday's general election in the
Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, taking more than 44 percent of the
popular vote. The Republican Turkish Party won 44.4 percent of votes in
the ballot, giving it 25 deputies in the 50-seat parliament, one short of
an absolute majority.
Mr. Talat described his victory as an important success and immediately
reached out to Mr. Tassos Papadopoulos, the head of the Greek Cypriot
administration, seeking a resumption of talks aimed at reunifying the two
states on the island.
"This result shows the Turkish Cypriot people support the reunification
of Cyprus and Eoropean Union membership," Talat said.
The victory by the incumbent Prime Minister of the Turkish Republic of
Northern Cyprus was a clear sign of Turkish Cypriots desire to join the
European Union, according to a statement by the European Commission.
The Greek government, on the other hand, issued a cautious response to
the outcome of Sundays general election in the Turkish Republic of
Northern Cyprus, and urged the new Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus
government to adopt a more constructive position about a settlement in
Cyprus.
* In related news, addressing a meeting of parliamentary deputies from his
Justice and Development Party in Ankara Wednesday, following his return
from two days of meetings in Brussels with the leaders of NATO member
states and of the European Union, Turkey's Prime Minister Recep Tayyip
Erdogan said that Turkey was not obliged to recognize the Greek Cypriot
state.
* Another headline from the Turkish Daily News reads: Deputies dropping
like flies Republican Peoples Party deputy Mr. Livaneli and Justice and
Development Party deputy Mr. Eraslan resign from their respective parties
Both Republican People's Party deputy Zülfü Livaneli and Justice and
Development Party deputy Mehmet Eraslan quit their respective parties on
Thursday, with both the ruling and the chief opposition party seemingly
finding it hard to retain their deputies.
Mr. Livaneli, the first deputy to quit his party on Thursday, said the
people would never forgive those who did such a disservice to modern
Turkey's founder Mr. Mustafa Kemal Atatürk's party and accused the party
leadership of forming an oligarchy.
Mr. Eraslan, the third Justice and Development Party deputy to quit in
10 days, was more conciliatory and said he couldn't work within the
Justice and Development Party under present conditions but would continue
to support the government if he believed its policies benefited the
people.
* Turkey's health service is being inundated with complaints from patients
following the recent transfer of the State Social Insurance hospitals to
the Health Ministry.
Under a decision of the government that came into force on Sunday
Turkey's 370 hospitals came under the control of the Health Ministry, a
move designed to streamline health services.
Health Minister Recep Akdag, speaking to television station NTV, said
that it was to be expected that there would be minor problems in the first
month of the hand over. Akdag said that pharmacies that do not provide
medicine that they have in stock would be investigated and fined.
However, chaos and confusion is the order of the day in the State Social
Insurance hospitals, with lengthening queues of patients and a fall in
service provision.
* Unemployment in Turkey in the last quarter of 2004 rose to 10 percent,
according to figures released Thursday by the State Statistics Institute.
The rise, from 9.5 percent in the third quarter of last year, meant that
to 2.428 million people were out of work at the end of 2004. However, the
figure did represent a slight improvement on the unemployment rate at the
end of 2003, which stood at 10.3 percent.
According to the Institute, there were 21.9 million people in the
workforce at the end of last year, an increase of more than one million
from the third quarter of 2003.
Just over 25 percent of Turkish women were in the workforce in the final
quarter of 2004
* Ferry captains and crews have been sounding off the sirens of ferries
plying the waters of the Bosphorus in Istanbul in protest against plans to
send 500 of the company's 2,300 employees into retirement and transfer
another 138 to other duties within the Istanbul municipality.
However, officials have tried to clamp down on the protest, saying that
those found to be using the ferries' sirens without good cause could be
fined up to $200 for causing noise pollution.
The head of the Mariners Trade-Union said that his members would
continue the protest despite the threat of fines or disciplinary action.
* The Turkish Defense Industry Undersecretary has announced plans to merge
defense manufacturing companies that the Turkish Armed Forces holds a
major share in.
The scheme, which covers the firms ASELSAN, ROKETSAN, HAVELSAN, TAI and
TUSAS, is expected to create one on Turkeys largest corporations.
According to the Defense Industry's Undersecretariat, it is proposed
that the five companies would be merged in April. It is also expected that
Turkeys Land Force Commander, who is due to retire in the August, would be
brought to head up the new corporation.
ARTS AND CULTURE
* The Turkish daily Vatan reports the leaders the two major clans and 24
tribes in the Hakkari province of southeastern Turkey met to curb the
ballooning costs of overlavish clan weddings.
The clan leaders agreed to leave out loud music and lavish breakfasts,
suggested cheaper dinners, according to new money-saving ground rules for
weddings.
At the end of their meetings the clan leaders signed a 15-point
protocol. They are hoping that the $100,000 average cost of the wedding
will go down to $6600.
The daily Vatan reports the following highlights of the accord:
- Weddings will last one day instead of four;
- Only family and friends will be invited and not entire villages;
- The monetary value of all of the presents from the groom to the
bride will not cost more than 1,300 dollars;
- No more lavish breakfasts at the best man's house;
- Music will be played only between 9:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m., will
not be loud, and musicians will not be tipped;
- No more wedding dinners -- wedding lunches only.
One of the tribal leaders explained that the families made weddings into
competitions, and have been trying to outdo the other weddings, even if
the families could not afford it.
However, just before the rules went into effect, Vatan says Mr. Mustafa
Zeydan, a parliamentarian from the ruling Justice and Development Party,
managed to arrange a marriage for his son the old-fashioned way.
Presents to the bride and groom added up to 40 pounds of gold, and
$21,000 in cash.
The wedding lasted for three days and three nights. 15,000 people
attended the wedding. Meat of 40 cows and 70 sheep, 15,000 loafs of bread,
one ton each of rice, cucumbers and tomatoes, and 1000 pounds of peppers
were served.
* In the recent Ray Charles movie, Mr. Ahmet Ertegun, a Turkish record
magnate who co-founded the Atlantic Records, is prominently portrayed,
report the moviegoers.
The movie emphasizes that Mr. Ertegun's help and guidance was
influential in propelling Ray Charles to prominence.
Mr. Ertegun who lives in New York is now 82 years old. He is one of the
few non-musicians, who were inducted into the Rock-and-roll Hall Of Fame.
In addition to Ray Charles, Mr. Ertegun has been the mentor and friend
of many other musicians. The late Frank Zappa liked Mr. Ertegun so much
that he named one of his sons after him.
* Many call Turkey and open-air museum because of its thousands of ancient
archeological sites.
However some of the objects from these sites need protection in a
controlled environment. Among these objects are exquisite mosaics.
Turkish authorities have been storing mosaics recovered from ancient
sites in special storage buildings. Unfortunately, the Anatolian news
agency reports that, in many places due to lack of funds, displaying of
these mosaics is lagging behind.
For example the second-largest mosaics museum of the World is in the
southern Turkish city of Antakya, the largest being in Bardo, Tunisia. The
Antakya museum is able to display only 115 of its mosaics panes. Seventy
others are in storage.
The museum officials also point out that in some cases archeologists
know the existence of other mosaics but leave them buried underground due
to space constraints at the museums. "If," the museum officials say, "we
could display all of these mosaics, we would have the largest mosaics
museum in the World."
* The Turkish Daily News says that there is a new painter in town, to be
specific in the village of Izzettin in Kirikkale, in central Turkey.
Mr. Tevfik Derinyar, a 59-year-old farmer has devoted himself to
painting.
His story is remarkable in that in rural Turkey people are usually busy
trying to make a living on the land and don't have the time nor the
resources to delve into arts.
Mr. Derinyar says that he learned how to paint after watching painting
lessons on TV. He now has a room converted to a studio in his home.
Mr. Derinyar complains that painting supplies are too expensive but he
has found a solution: He uses interior painting brushes and interior
paints instead of oils, and calico instead of canvas.
He says he has painted some 500 paintings so far and that he can paint
to order a picture of anything that is asked for.
Mr. Derinyar has never sold any of his paintings. He gives his paintings
to friends, relatives and neighbors as gifts. Although he says he has
never displayed his work at an exhibition, he says he is waiting for
support and encouragement. He currently has some 100 paintings with themes
of nature and people.
* Agence France-Presse reports that a project to build a giant statue of a
whirling dervish on the island off the coast of Istanbul is causing
controversy.
Proponents say that it symbolizes the values of Turkey's largest city,
but the opponents say that it will be blot on the landscape.
The mayor of Istanbul, who is a member of the ruling Justice and
Development Party, wants the 361-foot statue. Along with the statue he is
proposing to build a mosque, a church and a synagogue at its base.
The Justice and Development Party has Islamic roots, which brings the
opposition of the secularists to the project. Some in opposition also
point out that the city of 12 million has much greater needs than a statue
that goes against its architectural aesthetics.
The dervishes are followers of Sufism, a mystical form of Islam that
preaches tolerance and a search for understanding. Those who whirl, like
planets around the sun, turn dance into a form of prayer.
EXCHANGE RATE for the U.S. dollar in New Turkish Liras: 1.3
WEATHER
High and Low Temperatures in Degrees F, Weather
Ankara, in central Turkey----------: 55/36 Rainy
Antalya, on the Mediterranean------: 63/50 Showers
Istanbul, in northwestern Turkey---: 61/45 Showers
Izmir, on the Aegean---------------: 63/50 Showers
Trabzon, on the Black Sea----------: 57/45 Partly Cloudy
Snow depths at skiing locations:
Erciyes, in Kayseri, Central Turkey 20 inches
Ilgaz, in Kastamonu, North Central Turkey 63 inches
Kartalkaya, in Bolu, Western Turkey 39 inches
Palandoken, in Erzurum, Eastern Turkey 31 inches
Saklikent, in Antalya, Southern Turkey 39 inches
Sarikamis, in Kars, Eastern Turkey 38 inches
Uludag, in Bursa, Western Turkey 78 inches
SPORTS
By Mark Nowak
* Turkish Soccer, Super League
Week 20 matches:
Gaziantepspor 0 - 1 Besiktas
Galatasaray 1 - 0 Sakaryaspor
Denizlispor 1 - 1 Ankaraspor
Istanbulspor 2 - 2 Konyaspor
Sebatspor 0 - 0 Ankaragucu
Malatyaspor 2 - 1 Diyarbakirspor
Gençlerbirligi 0 - 1 Trabzonspor
Samsunspor 0 - 1 Rizespor
Fenerbahçe 7 - 0 Kayserispor
Week 21 matches:
Rizespor - Istanbulspor
Diyarbakirspor - Gençlerbirligi
Ankaragucu - Malatyaspor
Samsunspor - Galatasaray
Fenerbahçe - Sebatspor
Besiktas - Sakaryaspor
Trabzonspor - Denizlispor
Ankaraspor - Gaziantepspor
Konyaspor - Kayserispor
Standings
1 Fenerbahce 53
2 Galatasaray 51
3 TrabzonSp. 49
4 Besiktas 38
5 DenizliSp. 34
6 RizeSp. 33
7 MalatyaSp. 31
8 GaziantepSp. 28
9 AnkaraSp. 26
10 KonyaSp. 25
11 DiyarbakirSp. 25
12 SamsunSp. 24
13 Gençlerbirligi 22
14 Ankaragucu 21
15 SakaryaSp. 18
16 IstanbulSp. 16
17 KayseriSp. 15
18 SebatSp. 10
* UEFA Cup - Round of 32
Fenerbahçe 0 -1 Zaragoza
Fenerbahçe 1 -2 Zaragoza
Zaragosa advances on 3-1 aggregate
* Turkish Basketball - Men
Team GP W L PF PA Pts
1 Efes Pilsen 17 15 2 1398 1157 32
2 Ülker 17 15 2 1360 1114 32
3 Beşiktaş 17 14 3 1391 1273 31
4 Fenerbahçe 17 12 5 1379 1291 29
5 Tuborg 17 10 7 1340 1313 27
6 Erdemir 17 8 9 1270 1366 25
7 P.Karşıyaka 17 7 10 1278 1306 24
8 Türk Telekom 17 8 9 1303 1314 24
9 Darüşşafaka 17 6 11 1259 1294 23
10 Banvit 17 5 12 1328 1370 22
11 İ.T.Ü 17 5 12 1318 1497 22
12 Galatasaray 17 5 12 1248 1361 22
13 Büyük Kolej 17 5 12 1170 1303 22
14 Tekelspor 17 4 13 1286 1376 21
* Turkish Basketball - Women
Team GP W L PF
PA Pts
1 Beşiktaş 17 15 2 1294 1162 32
2 Fenerbahçe 17 14 3 1263 1068 31
3 Erdemirspor 17 14 3 1433 1119 31
4 Ceyhan Bld. 17 13 4 1390 1202 30
5 Mersin Bld. 17 11 6 1422 1268 28
6 Migros 17 10 7 1179 1153 27
7 İÜSK 17 7 10 1293 1378 24
8 Çankaya Üniversitesi 17 6 11 1236 1222 23
9 Botaş 17 5 12 1177 1248 22
10 Galatasaray 17 3 14 1047 1243 20
11 Orimcam 17 2 15 1087 1472 19
12 Burhaniye Bld. 17 2 15 1176 1462 19
* FIBA Playoffs, 1st leg
Fenerbahce 83-71 Hapoel Tel-Aviv (1-0)
* Euroleague Basketball (ULEB)
Group D standings
1. Maccabe Tel Aviv 1-0
2. Montepas. 1-0
3. Cibona 0-1
4. Ulker 0-1
Group G standings
1. AEK 1-0
2. Efes Pilsen 1-0
3. Benetton 0-1
4. Prokom 0-1
* NBA Stats
Hedo Turkoglu Pts, Reb. Assts. Min.
Orlando 84 -108 Indiana 13 2 2 24
Mehmet Okur Pts, Reb. Assts. Min.
Utah 102 - 109 Boston 10 4 2 18
Utah 83 - 101 Dallas 6 2 2 16
ANNOUNCEMENTS
*** The Alaturka restaurant underwrote today's program,
where gourmet Turkish cooking is an art:
869 Geary St, (cross street Larkin)
in San Francisco
For reservations: (415) 345-1011
http://www.chowbaby.com/Alaturka/
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
{A$agidaki duyuru haberlerden SONRA yayinlanacak}
*** Turkish American Association of California has partially
underwritten today's program. TAAC is a non-profit
charitable organization established to promote better
understanding between Americans and Turks.
If you have any questions about Turks and Turkey,
give them a call: 1-415-646-0946
or e-mail them at taac@...http://www.taaca.org
*** Planning to go to Turkey? Take a look at our Web pages
that is full of articles and information furnished by
travelers like yourselves:
http://travel.to/sunholiday
*** Yayinlarimiz siz dinleyicilerimizin katkilari ile
surebilecektir. Studyomuza telefon acarak nasil katkida
bulunabileceginizi ogrenebilirsiniz.
Telefonumuz 415-751-KUSF
e-posta adresimiz: trh@...
A service of the TURKISH RADIO HOUR
On the airways since 1982.
*** For more music from Turkey and the Middle East tune to
International Cultural Program.
San Francisco World TV Channel 29
Sundays at 9-10 A.M.
Also can be viewed in other cities in California, Chicago,
New York, Russia, and Georgia.
Consult with 415-564-7778 timing and stations.
*** Tune in to the following broadcasts in the Bay Area:
- Every Saturday at 5 P.M. to the
Turkish Cultural Program on KUSF FM 90.3
- Every Tuesday at 10 P.M.
KKUP 91.5 to the Orient Express
- Tune in to KPFA FM 94.1 every Monday at 10 A.M. for
Music from Africa-Asia, hosted by Kutay Kugay.
- Mondays 7:00 - 10:00 P.M. 89.5 FM
International Program KBES
(Covers Stanislaus County all the way to Manteca),
Hosted by George Geevargis.
{20050226trh.txt}
[ See more at:
http://www.courture.co.uk/pages/level2/Chintamani.asphttp://www.selcukgurisik.com/http://www.galeriebesson.co.uk/siesbyemain.htmlhttp://www.culturalconnections.co.uk/Siesbye.htm }
x0x Reflections of Turkey in Design
By BENAN KAPUCU
Increasingly the West is turning to the East for inspiration, and
Istanbul is one of the focal points in this phenomenon. Meanwhile
Turkish designers, too, are seeking inspiration
in their own roots, a quest which is carrying them on an inner
journey, to the pure forms of the early Ottoman period, the Seljuk
view of buildings as images of the universe, the mystic essence of art
in Anatolia, and shamanist roots deep in Asia.
A dimension in which all times are interwoven appears in patterns and
forms. Zeynep Fadillioglu conveys her own `spirit of Istanbul' in her
interior designs, in which she takes a new look at the East-West
synthesis through the eyes of an art historian. In a house in Kuwait
she is inspired by Andalusian architecture; her own house combines
Armenian stone with Ottoman timber structures. She creates cultural
bridges in her designs.
The first aspect of her interiors which strikes the eye is the
simplicity typical of 15th and 16th century Ottoman design, and the
fusion of aubergine purple, pink, turquoise and other strong colours.
Spaces are partitioned by screens and curtains, reflecting
the play of the visible and invisible so integral to the East.
Tents and awnings deriving from nomadic culture create spaces, while
Ottoman divans invite self-indulgence.
In the restaurant that Zeynep Fadillioglu and her husband have opened
in London, the motif known as chintamani is the main theme of the
decor. This motif symbolised the sovereignty of the Ottomans over land
and two seas. Chintamani is a Sanskrit word meaning 'jewel of life' or
'the holy light of Buddha.' One of the elements with Ottoman overtones
in an otherwise modern interior is felt rugs with chintamani motifs by
Selcuk Gurisik on the walls, and tents and awnings.
Selcuk Gurisik is a designer who began by studying architecture at
Istanbul Technical University, and went on to take a combined course
in textile and fashion design at the Central Saint Martins College of
Art and Design in London. After working as an art director and
designing scenery and costumes, he diverged into the world of felt
after visiting the Felt Makers Market in the city of Afyon seventeen
years ago.
'The cultures which evolved in Anatolia form the links of a chain. If
we want to add another link to it, we must investigate our own roots
and create new aesthetic values inspired by these,' says Gurisik.
After serving an apprenticeship with the felt makers, he set about
spreading the word about felt, encouraging the appreciation that this
versatile and beautiful material deserves. Felt led him gradually into
an acquaintance with the primitive motifs of Central Asian nomadic
culture.
In 2001 he was appointed keeper of the collection of Contemporary
Anatolian Felts at the British Museum, and afterwards became curator
of an exhibition at Topkapi Palace of felts dating back to the 16th
century.
Selcuk Gurisik's own designs are evocative of Ottoman art, transmuting
colours, dimensions and composition, and uniting felt with silk and
fibre, or even with the Ottoman art of paper filigree.
Another Turkish designer, Gonul Paksoy, is inspired by the clothing of
the Sufi dervishes. She is a chemist who studied vegetable dyes for
her doctoral thesis.
She began dyeing raw silk, linen and cotton fabrics with
vegetable dyes, and transforming them into clothes, and in time
developed her own style. As a designer Gonul Paksoy is inspired by her
own roots, a process in which her large collection of art objects and
artefacts dating not only to Ottoman times, but to the ancient
civilisations of Anatolia plays a major part. Paksoy says, 'The
simplicity of dervish costumes is the source of the same simplicity in
my designs. This is a simplicity which few people seek, perhaps
because it is so hard to attain. ' She does not describe herself as a
fashion designer, but as someone endeavouring to create functional
works of art. Her timeless garments remote from considerations of
fashion are sometimes hung on walls like paintings, or displayed like
sculptures.
In Seljuk art infinity, eternity, and timelessness are themes
expressed in motifs and cosmic diagrams. These themes and the 'sacred
light' of the East are sources of inspiration for Deniz Tunc. She
trained in stage design, and after working as an art director and
industrial designer, began to design interiors with Zeynep
Fadillioglu.
'Ottoman, Seljuk motifs, or Japanese motifs may all appear
in my designs. I enjoy transforming them, rather than using them just
as they are. It is like writing new questions on old paper,' she
explains. In her lighting designs, she seeks to tell a visual story.
Alev Ebuzziya Siesbye is a Turkish ceramic artist whose emotional and
cultural heritage lies in her own roots. She has established a
reputation as an original designer, and her work has achieved a
universal character.
Amidst the thousand and one colours that she uses for her ceramics,
turquoise and blue, the colours of the Bosphorus, take precedence. She
creates her bowls by superimposing strips of clay to create bodies as
thin as egg shell, so delicate that they hover on the boundary between
existence and nonexistence.
'I am fascinated by things that never end, that continue ceaselessly.
I have no concept of time, perhaps because I believe in human love.
Because so long as human beings do not end, neither will time,' says
Alev Ebuzziya. Critics have described her designs as 'suspended
hovering in a hypnotic void.' Her ceramics are characterised by
diversity of colour and austere minimal forms. This paradox symbolises
the balance between two cultures in her work.
[See more at:
http://www.bursa.gov.tr/cumalikizik/images.htmhttp://makeashorterlink.com/?G53321E8A ]
x0x Cumalikizik
By EMEL CELEBI
The street was in pursuit of a mystical time, twisting and
turning, but not hurrying, for it was not pressed by time. The only
experience it had was of the sunrise, sunset and the blessings that
came with the seasons: raspberries, walnuts, strawberries, cherries
and citrus fruits. Especially when the raspberries ripen. In those
days the scent of raspberry jam and syrup overflows from the houses
into the street.
The street was at one with nature: the rain washed over its steep
stones; fresh grass grew by the walls of the houses, freezing spring
water flowed from its fountains. It was wide enough to make way for a
horse cart. However,
two people could hardly walk along
it side by side.
ONE OF THE SEVEN "KIZIK"
Today it seems as if time has stopped in Cumalikizik. The village is
set on the lower slopes of Mount Olympus, to the east of Bursa, 12
kilometres from the city centre.
The 700 years old village still reflects the Ottoman period with its
houses and narrow streets with no sidewalks. It is like a pathway to
another age.
There are still people living a traditional way of life in these
houses which symbolise a cultural heritage. Their touristic attraction
has been realised; the guest houses are open all year round. The
friendly villagers welcome you as soon as you arrive at the village at
their stands on the streets, selling homemade food, herbs, vegetables
and
fruits.
Cumalikizik is one of the seven villages founded by the Kiziks, an
Oguz Turkish clan. After a short time Ottoman rule was established,
and Bursa was captured. Today only Cumalikizik, HamamKizik, DereKizik,
DegirmenliKizik and FidyeKizik survive.
The villages that are only a stone's throw away from each other were
named after their particular characteristics. The one closest to the
river was called `DereKizik', the one which payed ransom `FidyeKizik'
and the one that received visitors from all the other villages to say
their prayers, was called `Cumalikizik'.
IT EVEN HAS ITS MUSEUMS
180 of the 270 houses in Cumalikizik, which in 1981 was declared a
conservation area to protect the architectural profile, are still
lived in. Restoration work is still being carried out on some of them.
The 300 year old Cumalikizik Mosque contains beautiful wood carvings.
The Turkish bath with its dome reflects the Ottoman architectural
style and the gravestones in the graveyard, which is no longer in use,
are witnesses to the Ottoman past. The remains of the church in the
Ihlamurcu region are exhibited at the Bursa Archaeological Museum. In
the Ethnographical Museum, you can see a deer's horn of extraordinary
proportions, that once lived on Mount Olympus and some artefacts used
in daily life.
A SECLUDED LIFESTYLE
The houses in Cumalikizik, just like in all the other Kizik villages,
are very close to each other.Families related to each other live in
houses which are connected to each other by narrow passageways.
In the old days, one could save one's life by going from one
house to another using those passageways. Generally, the houses have
two or three floors and they are designed in such a way that the
residents were protected from external dangers and family life could
be private. The big, walnut door stands like a boundary between the
street and the confidentiality of the inner world. It is a barrier
which is almost impossible for strangers to pass. The door handles
made of wrought iron are still in use today.
The latticed and bay windows, which allow for the intrusion of light,
are set at regular intervals in the upper storeys where the rooms and
halls are located. The latticed windows enabled women, who had very
little connection with life outside the home, to observe the daily
comings and goings.
ARCHITECTURE RECONCILED WITH NATURE
In the Cumalikizik houses, which have been designed without
ostentation, everything is functional and arranged in accordance with
the needs of family life, especially for the woman.
The hall is the common living area, used the most. It is
where you can sit, rest or work. Wedding ceremonies take place in this
area, and products from the fields, vineyards and orchards are sorted
and stored, again in this area. You can pass to the other sections of
the house; to the inner court where you can find the oven, in which
food like bread, pastries, and buns are baked and jams prepared; to
the hen coops; to the shed, depot and to the stairs. In Cumalikizik
you can find neither smooth streets drawn with rulers nor the symmetry
of modern cities, which overwhelm you with reinforced concrete
buildings. Culture has shaped the yellow, white, purple and blue
coloured houses in Cumalikizik, respecting the harmony of nature and
man, living side by side. The eaves projecting from the roof tops is a
small detail neglected today. The eaves protect the houses from being
damaged by rainwater and people walking along the street from getting
wet.
[See more at:
http://www.pbase.com/mcampbell/seturkeydogubayhttp://www.worldisround.com/articles/81969/photo46.html
[Click on "next" when you reach the above link to se more] ]
x0x Ishak Pasa Palace
By NEZAHAT TURKAN
Mount Ararat is a place of legend and a symbol of power and divinity.
Mountaineers long to ascend to its summit, despite the myth that those
who reach it are turned to stone. By night its magnificence grows, its
anger is terrible, it breathes as if alive. It gives refuge to lovers,
and passion is born here.
LANGUAGE OF STONE
The palace in whose dungeon Ahmet and Sofi were imprisoned, where
Gulbahar lay awake in despair, and where Mahmut Han stormed in anger:
Ishak Pasa Palace in Dogubeyazit.
Visitors to the palace today find only ruins. The roof has disappeared
entirely, and in the course of restoration work begun in 1962, the
facade's original character has been lost. Despite this, the elaborate
stone carving of the gateways and around the windows tells you
immediately that this is a special place, its stone decoration without
equal in Turkish Islamic art.
As you wander through the rooms of the palace you are beset
by a sense of dizziness, because the north, west and south facades are
perched on sheer cliffs that plunge away to the valley below. To the
north is a castle built by the Urartians, to the south and west the
ruins of the old town, cemeteries and an earlier palace. That is the
town of Old Beyazit, abandoned in 1938 because of its steep site, and
rebuilt in a new location at Sariova, next to the highway leading
eastwards into Iran.
So who was it who built the second-largest palace in the Ottoman
Empire after Topkapi?
ENVY OF THE SULTAN
Beyazit was a frontier city on the branch of the ancient Silk Road
leading from Tabriz to Trabzon on the Black Sea coast. Situated on the
border between Ottoman Turkey and Iran, Beyazit had enjoyed all the
wealth deriving from its position until the balance of power shifted
to the disadvantage of the Ottomans.
The palace was constructed by Ishak Pasa, son of the local
ruling family, the Cildirogullari, who controlled the region in the
18th century. He was appointed governor, but dismissed from this post
by Sultan Selim III (1789-1807) after an Iranian envoy sent to
Istanbul described his reception in ishak Pasa's palace. The
glittering splendour was enough to arouse the envy of any ruler. Upon
the death of Ishak Pasa, he was succeeded by his son Mahmut Han, the
cruel ruler of the Mount Ararat legend.
ABOVE THE CLOUDS
The palace is built on a high rock overlooking the old and new town
and Dogubeyazit plateau. It is surrounded by precipices on three
sides, and can only be approached from the east, where the steep road
leads up to the great portal. The palace consists of three sections,
the first group of buildings around the outer court being those that
have suffered the greatest damage. On the north side are the guard
rooms and beneath them the dungeons; to the west the second portal;
and to the south the stables and carriage house, of which
only the high outer wall now remains. Passing through the second
portal and a tunnel 12 metres long brings you to the inner courtyard,
on the north side of which is the mosque, medrese (college), council
chamber and private rooms; on the south side a three storey block
containing servants' quarters, granaries and stables; on the east side
guard rooms and the council gallery; and on the west side the third
portal leading into the harem. In the 19th century Charles Texier was
received in the council chamber here, and marvelled at the paintings
of landscapes with birds of a thousand colours on the ceilings, and
the patterned tiles on the walls.
THE PALACE HAREM
These private apartments are a labyrinth of many rooms. Here there is
a reception hall, kitchen, baths, and private chambers, all linked by
halls and passageways.
Mirrors that once stood in the rows of niches along the
walls have disappeared, but the poems and other decoration on the
walls, whose lower part is built of black limestone, and above of
yellow stone, suffice to give an idea of its original luxurious
splendour. While traditional Seljuk and Ottoman features dominate, the
columns and plinths are reminiscent of 18th century European
architecture, and the carving wanders unrestrained from the Seljuks to
Caucasia, and on to India; in a riot of trees of life, hung with
exotic flowers and heavenly fruits. These symbols of life and
abundance can be seen on the portals, on the paintings inside the
mosque dome, and on the tomb.
As the sun sets over the snow-capped summit of Ararat, crimson light
strikes the trees of life, and the legend seems to come to life.
I see Mahmut Han's grey horse, a long green tree of life on the felt
saddle pad, reined to the palace gate. Ahmet plays his flute as he
approaches the gate, and the story begins.
[ See the following links for more:
http://www.geocities.com/oonderer_2000/historic/d14.htmlhttp://www.columbia.edu/itc/religion/segal/v3201/img_oct22/urartu.jpghttp://www.starspring.com/ascender/urartu/helmet.gifhttp://www.aydingun.com/photo/fotogale/j11urartu.jpg ]
http://www.geocities.com/anadolu_muzesi/urartu/urartu.html ]
x0x In war and peace The Urartians
By NERMIN BAYCIN
Shalmaneser III, descendant of a race of kings, crossed the
formidable mountain barrier to reach the 'upper sea of the land of
Nairi,' where he washed his weapons in its waters. Before earth and
water were hidden beneath the winter snow, he prayed for new strength
in his spear and sword that had been blessed by the war gods. When he
returned to his homeland of Assyria, he had the story of his victories
and campaigns carved in stone. These inscriptions first heralded the
emergence of a new kingdom uniting the seminomadic tribes of the
mountainous northern lands that his ancestors had been raiding for
centuries.
ARCH ENEMIES: URARTIANS AND ASSYRIANS
King Shalmaneser of Assyria, who lived around 2850 years ago, speaks
of a land he called Nairi or Uruatri, which stretched from the shores
of the Caspian Sea to the Euphrates and encompassed the upper and
lower seas (Lake Van in Turkey and Lake Urmiye in northwest Iran). He
tells us the names of the first kings of the new Urartian kingdom,
Aramu and Sarduri I (840-830 BC).
The Urartians, who referred to themselves as Biainili, were
to create the greatest metal industry of all time, but were also
destined to be ceaselessly at war with their arch enemy Assyria, the
most powerful empire of Mesopotamia and the Near East. Even though
gaining a lasting foothold in this inhospitable mountain region seemed
impossible, the Assyrians never tired of pitting their armies against
the high peaks and fearsome passes of Urartu, counting themselves
fortunate if they managed to conquer even one of the fortresses built
on invincible rocky heights and carry off `bronze doors that shone
like gold' and bronze shields as hard as steel.
URARTIAN JEWELLERY
On the high plateaus guarded by high mountains, growing crops required
unceasing efforts on soil from which the snow reluctantly receded for
just a few months of the year. This was a region also subject to
violent earthquakes, but which on the other hand possessed enormous
deposits of metal ore, including iron, copper and silver.
The Urartians mastered their inhospitable natural
environment, and forged history's most splendid bronze and iron
kingdom. In the hands of their craftsmen metals were transformed into
strong weapons and tools, jewellery of dazzling beauty, and elegant
artefacts. Urartian smiths were skilled at tempering iron to create
steel, and shaping and decorating gold, brass, zinc and other metals.
Men, women and children all wore metal ornaments of many kinds
decorated with animals, plants, gods and goddesses. Necklaces,
earrings, pins, hair ornaments, breast ornaments and belts, the
variety was extraordinary. Above all the Urartians loved bracelets,
particularly those adorned with the lion of their principal deity
Haldi.
The scenes depicted on their shields, helmets and belts bring Urartian
life and legend to life in astounding detail, with battles, hunting
parties, religious ceremonies and castles. Then there are animals with
symbolic meanings in Urartian mythology, such as lions, bulls, goats,
birds, fish, scorpions, and fabulous creatures half-human and
half-animal.
Votive plaques that they offered to their temples or wore as
talismans attached to their clothing expressed the folk culture of the
ordinary people. Designs on more than two thousand small bronze
plaques found at Serbar Tepesi in the village of Giyimli (formerly
Hirkanis) southeast of the city of Van reflect their beliefs, fears,
desires, legends and social life, making them valuable historical
documents. On some of these plaques we see some human faces portrayed
full-face, indicating a new direction in art quite different from the
profile portrayals of the classical period.
THE WAR GOD HALDI
The fine detail which lends such power of expression and animation to
all these finds is striking evidence of the artistic and technical
mastery of Urartian craftsmen. They themselves believed that the
legendary beauty of their artefacts derived from the power of their
war god Haldi, who enabled them to victor over nature and their
enemies.
Castles with high towers, roads stretching to the farthest frontiers
of their land, and canals which carried life-giving
water to their arid soil were all created under his
guardianship. In gratitude they built splendid temples to him
throughout the country. These temples, unlike anything else in
Anatolia, had high towers, and their walls were decorated with the
heavy shields which were such an important medium for Urartian art.
Excavations at the fortress of Ayanis near Van have revealed
spectacular gifts presented to Haldi: hundreds of bronze and iron
spears, decorated helmets and shields with inscriptions. An Urartian
shield with a lion's head, as known from descriptions in Assyrian
documents, was discovered at Ayanis (673-72 BC). This was one of the
few Urartian fortresses to have escaped plunder or destruction over
the centuries.
The city of Mushashir was not so fortunate. King Sargon II of Assyria
sacked the temple here in the year 714, and the list of spoils is a
breathtaking tribute to the wealth of Urartu and the people's faith in
their god of war: `... six gold, twelve silver, and 25,212 bronze
of unworked copper...'
A CANAL WHICH HAS DEFIED TIME
Urartians began every undertaking with the name of Haldi, as we see in
King Menua's inscription for his great canal: 'Menua opened this canal
with the power of the god Haldi. Its name is the Menua Canal. Menua,
great king, king of the lands of Biainili, lord of the city of Tushpa.
Whosoever erases this writing, whosoever damages it, whosoever
storms and thunder]
gods destroy him and deprive him of the light of the sun!' These words
spoken by King Menua (810-785 BC) refer to the 50 km long canal, which
even today is regarded as a marvel of hydraulic engineering. This
irrigation canal which brought abundance to Van Plain, where the
Urartian capital of Tushpa is situated, is still in working order
after 2800 years!
No other people in the world, whether in antiquity or the modern age,
have constructed so many dams, reservoirs and canals as the Urartians.
As Prof. Dr. Oktay Belli, the director of Istanbul University Eurasian
Archeology Institute explains, so well did they understand the
geography of their rugged land that these works of engineering have
continued to function without interruption, despite earthquakes and
the passage of thousands of years. Their fortified cities like Tushpa,
Toprakkale and Cavustepe grafted skilfully onto the natural rock, and
their roads built over the mountains are further proof of the
remarkable engineering and construction skills of the Urartians.
At the end of the 7th century BC, the Urartians and their arch enemies
the Assyrians both faded from the stage of history.
The legendary hanging gardens which Menua constructed for his daughter
at Tariria have gone down in history not as his work, but instead
attributed to the Assyrian princess Shamran or Semiramis. The canal,
too, is remembered as the Shamran Canal.
[See more at:
http://www.ski.ru/imgs/map/uludag.jpghttp://www.yasayanbursa.com/arsiv/images/bursa/uludag.jpghttp://www.worldturkey.com/gallery/categories.php?cat_id=126
Wild plants in uludag: http://www.bursa.gov.tr/turizm/uludag/karakter/flora.asp
Lakes on Uludag: http://www.bursa.gov.tr/turizm/uludag/uludag%5Fgol/ ]
x0x Ice blue lakes on Mount Olympus
By Ali Ihsan Gokcen
Uludag is the first love of skiers. With its skiing slopes, hotels
with big fireplaces for winter and extensive pine forests stretching
as far as the eye can see, Uludag is a symbol of winter.
In the Classical Era, Uludag was known as `Bithynian Olympus' and
`Mount Olympus' and for centuries it has been noted for its variety of
natural beauties.
RAINBOW FLOWERS
Uludag, which is the transition point of the Black Sea and
Mediterranean climates is a virtual paradise on earth. There are 791
varieties of plants on Uludag, 104 of which do not grow anywhere else
in Turkey, and 28 of them cannot be seen anywhere else in the world.
The flowers of Uludag represent all the colours of the rainbow.
Crocuses, delicate snowdrops, lilies of the valley, poppies coyly
swaying in the wind, daisies the scent of which make you dizzy,
lavender that reminds you of past forgotten love affairs, anemones,
the flower of hopeless loves; all these turn Uludag into a brilliant
flower garden.
ICE BLUE LAKES
Rising to 2543 metres Karatepe summit, Uludag is the highest mountain
in Northwestern Anatolia. The six glacier lakes, of the kind that are
usually only thought to exist on very high mountains, are an
astounding sight.
These ice blue lakes, set in green velvet, lichen-covered pink and
white rocks and forget-me-not covered fields, are Kilimligol, Karagol,
Aynaligol, Buzlugol in the Maden district.
Buzlugol is covered with ice for most of the year.
Kilimligol and Aynaligol have springs so they are more suitable for
camping. At an altitude of 2330 metres, Kilimligol is named after the
brilliantly coloured flowers surrounding the area, changing it into a
carpet of a thousand patterns. You can see the reflection of the misty
blue sunlight at every time of day at Aynaligol.
Located at an altitude of 2270 metres high, Karagol is a deep lake 20
minutes walk away from Kilimligol.
The waters of these three lakes unite, branch into a gushing river and
flow on to the Bursa Plain.
SIGHTSEEING TIME
The Uludag lake district can be seen in one day if you set out from
the resort early in the morning.
However, the probability of spending the night should be considered
because you never know when the famous mist of Uludag will descend.
The best time to see the lake district is from the second half of May
to the third week of July. In this season, everywhere is carpeted with
flowers. With the sweet breeze blowing, the scent of violets fills
your nostrils. The sight of blue, red, yellow, and white flowers among
the rocks is a feast for your eyes.
You are surrounded by crocuses. When you get tired you take a break
and you see flowers on one side and shimmering lakes on the other.
You'll be amazed...
Offline 
Send Email
