Shells could be regarded as a symbol of longevity since they survive for millions of years as fossils. At the same time certain mollusk shells, principally the pearl oyster but also many other species are the source of pearls and mother of pearl, the iridescent inner layer below the horny exterior. The large shells of […]
HASEKI HURREM SULTAN
Western sources refer to Haseki Hurrem Sultan variously as Roxelana, Rosa, Rosanne, Rossa, Ruziac or La Rossa. She is generally believed to have been enslaved during raids by the Crimean Turks on Ukraine and Galicia during the reign of Yavuz Sultan Selim and presented to the Ottoman Palace. The Life of Haseki Hurrem Sultan Of […]
BEST TURKEY TRAVELER AWARD 2015
Starting from the year of 2015, Travel Atelier recognizes one of its guests who has remarkably gone above and beyond the usual style of travel by naming him or her ‘’The Best Traveler of the year.’’ Though we had worthy number nominees in this season, apparently we had one couple from Australia seemed to be […]
MUSTAFA KEMAL ATATURK
Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the founder of the Turkish Republic and its first President, stands as a towering figure of the 20th Century. Among the great leaders of history, few have achieved so much in such a short period, transformed the life of a nation as decisively, and given such profound inspiration to the world as […]
WHIRLING DERVISHES CEREMONY & CULTURE IN TURKEY
Islamic mysticism seeks awareness of god in manner being, and hence the various mystic sects of tarikats of whirling dervishes or Sufis in Turkey and other countries have generally been characterized by open-mindedness, vision, exuberance, and lot of the arts, particularly music and poetry. Their tendency to relegate doctrine and the outer forms of worship […]
HALAS 71 THE ONLY SHIP THAT WITNESSED THE GALLIPOLI BATTLES
M/S Halas 71 is today the only ship in working order which witnessed the Gallipoli Battles… Carrying the traces of a hundred years of history, it is expected to serve tourism for long years to come. Let’s take a glance at the remarkable historical events that the ship witnessed during its journey from Scotland to Istanbul: […]
WHO IS RUMI
Jalāl ad-Dīn Muhammad Rūmī also known as Jalāl ad-Dīn Muhammad Balkhī, Mawlānā (“our master”), Mevlânâ, Mevlevî (“my master”), and more popularly simply as Rūmī (1207 – 17 December 1273), was a 13th-century Persian poet, jurist, Islamic scholar, theologian, and Sufi mystic. Rumi’s influence transcends national borders and ethnic divisions: Iranians, Tajiks, Turks, Greeks, Pashtuns, other […]
TURKISH COFFEE IS IN UNESCO
Turkish Coffee (Turkish: Turk Kahvesi) is now included in the list of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Turks by UNESCO. The issue was decided at the UNESCO committee’s session in Baku on 5th December 2013. Around 800 delegates from 116 countries took part in the sitting, which included the discussions on 38 proposals and the proposal for including […]
THE MONASTERY OF ALACAHAN (ALAHAN)
The Alacahan (Alahan) Monastery is one of the most important monuments of the Christian period in Anatolia. It lies a little before Mut on the Karaman-Silifke highway and is situated on a terrace excavated from the side of the mountain. Alahan commands a magnificent view of the plain and would appear to have been approached […]