The beautiful terraced gardens behind Beylerbeyi Palace used to be known as the Gardens of the Cross because of a cross erected here by Constantine the Great. From Byzantine times onwards, numerous magnificent buildings were constructed here, enhancing the beauty of nature with that of architecture. The sun shone brightly and a gentle breeze was […]
Topkapi Palace was the splendid home of the Ottoman sultans for 400 years, built by Mehmed II the Conqueror (1451-1481), and from 1478 onwards used both as an imperial residence and the seat of government. Events at Topkapi Palace determined the destiny of the most far-flung parts of the empire. Here decisions to go to […]
Turkish Alparslan (“Courageous Lion”), the original name ‘Adud Al-Dawla Abu Shuja’ Muhammad Ibn Da’ud Chaghribeg, the second sultan of the Seljuq Turks (1063-72), who inherited the Seljuq territories of Khorasan and western Iran and went on to conquer Georgia, Armenia, and much of Asia Minor (won from the Byzantines). Who is Alp Arslan? His personality, […]
The Turkish Bath or Hamam is an atmospheric world all its own in the midst of the modern bustling city. Everyone who sets foot in here surrenders to the water in a voluntary form of captivity, for the process of purification of not just the body but also the soul. Upon entering the door you […]
In the northern foothills of Mount Uludag, 15 km from Bursa, is the picturesque village of Cumalikizik. Set amongst chestnut and fig trees, the village is famous for its Ottoman period rural architecture. The village was originally established under the endowment of the second Ottoman Sultan Orhan Gazi (1324 – 1360), and settled by Turks […]
A sound echoing in the streets reminds us of cold winter nights in our childhood. With their familiar call of ‘Boza!’ street sellers carrying large metal jugs walk Istanbul’s streets in the evenings, bringing a delicious traditional drink to our doors. Sadly, masters and sellers are becoming rare today. It is a cold drink made […]
By name Mehmed Fatih (Turkish: Fatih Sultan Mehmet – English: Mehmed the Conqueror) (b. March 30, 1432, Adrianople, Thrace, Ottoman Empire- D. May 3, 1481, Hunkarcayiri, near Maltepe, near Constantinople), Ottoman sultan from 1444 to 1446 and from 1451 to 1481. A great military leader, he captured Constantinople and conquered the territories in Anatolia and […]
His Life Evliya Celebi was born on the 25th of February 1611 in Istanbul. He says he slipped out of every difficulty in his adventurous life with ease because of the goodwill of the seventy friends of his father who had been at their home on the night of his birth. His father, Mehmet Aga […]
