SEB-I ARUS - AN EXTRAORDINARY WEDDING

Mausoleum of Mevlana in Konya

Hz. Mevlana Celaleddin-i Rumi was a great Anatolian mystic, poet and the father of the Mevlevi Order. He is known as Hz. Mevlana in the East and as Rumi in the West. According to Mevlana's teachings, human beings are born twice, once of their mothers and the second time of their own bodies but the real birth is the second, spiritual birth. He passed away on 17th of  December in 1273, every year in 17th of December, great ceremonies are held in Konya city to remember his legacy and his reunion with his love, God. That’s why his death day is called “Seb-i Arus”, meaning “Wedding Night”, defining the unity of two souls.

Mevlana has achieved to abolish any discrimination and gathered everyone under one roof... Neither religions nor the ethnicity had any importance in his house and his messages to the world always carried the gentle breeze of peace, relaxing & soothing. His famous words are  “Come, come, whoever you are. Wanderer, worshiper, lover of leaving. It doesn't matter. Ours is not a caravan of despair. come, even if you have broken your vows a thousand times. Come, yet again , come , come.”

Those who live this celebration every year and also those experiencing it for the first time, were given at least a taste of the beauties and wonders of loving God, of wanting to be with God eternally.

Also should be noted, Sema is part of the inspiration of Mevlana Celaleddin-i Rumi as well as of Turkish custom, history, beliefs and culture. It is what we do as a form of remembrance of God.

MEMORIES OF AN ANCIENT CITY - ISTANBUL ARCHAEOLOGICAL MUSEUMS

Istanbul Archaeological Museums was the first institution in Turkey to be organized and arranged as a museum. Housing various artifacts from civilizations from different and distinct periods of history, Istanbul Archaeological Museums counts as one of the ten most important world-class museums. Besides the institution’s spectacular collections, the architectural features of its buildings and its garden are also of historical and natural importance. The museums are housed in three buildings;

The Ancient Orient Museum 

Lions of the Ishtar Gate

The Ancient Orient Museum is home to pre-Islamic Arabian art, the Egypt Collection, the Mesopotamia Collection, the Anatolia Collection, the Urartu Collection, and Cuneiform documents—all arranged according to region. The Arabian Peninsula, Egyptian, Mesopotamian, and Anatolian cultures are presented in historical order. Most of the artifacts were discovered during archaeological excavations carried out between the late 19th century and the World War I, and were brought to Istanbul, the capital of the Ottoman Empire, then ruler of those countries and regions. The Ancient Orient Museum boasts unique artifacts, such as the stele of Akkadian King Naram-Suen, the Treaty of Kadesh, and the Ishtar Gate. The museum also safeguards a tablet archive containing 75,000 cuneiform documents. 

The Archaeological Museum 

Alexander Sarcophagus

On the ground floor of the Archaeological Museum rest sculptures from ancient ages up to the Roman era, together with world-famous, unique artifacts, such as the Alexander Sarcophagus and the Sarcophagus of Crying Women. The ground floor also hosts the “Children’s Museum” exhibition. The “Surrounding Cultures of Istanbul” section, which was opened in the cellar of the new building, features artifacts from various ages found in excavations from nearby archaeological sites and tumuli. It includes the Thrace-Bithynia and the Byzantium sub-sections.The “Istanbul through the Ages” collection is exhibited on the first floor of the new building, the “Anatolia and Troy through the Ages” collection on the second floor, and the “Surrounding Cultures of Anatolia: Artifacts from Syria, Palestine and Cyprus” collection on the third floor. All are presented in chronological order. 

The Tiled Kiosk Museum

The Tiled Kiosk Museum

The Tiled Kiosk Museum’s collections consist of around 2,000 artifacts belonging to the Seljuk and Ottoman eras, dating from the 11th to the 20th centuries. These artifacts include those from before the museum was incorporated under the umbrella of Istanbul Archaeological Museums and those acquired through excavations, purchases, donations, and confiscations.

A GLIMPSE OF OLD FASHION - SAFRANBOLU

Ottoman Palaces, great mosques, fountains, madrasahs ... Those are generally well-known Ottoman urban architecture highlights but what about the village towns and countryside? Safranbolu is a very great example of traditional Ottoman town life with its 1125 houses listed in Unesco World Heritage Sites. Each house is constructed with a great respect to other houses view and privacy. House plans similarity is caused by their daily usage; for example kitchens and food storage are located on the first floor. In the past, the barn was also in the first floor to reach the animals easily and use their heat to warm up the houses as well. When you climb up to second floor, there is a common area for general use or welcoming guests. This section called “hayat” means life and totally matchs its meaning. The whole area is surrounded with rooms. Attic is used as cellar and also storage for some winter foods to keep them dry. 

Today, some of those houses are converted into hotel complex to let the visitors feel the atmosphere. Handmade cushions, embroidery canvases are primary decoration items. While you are staying in those types of old buildings or mansions, you should listen to the sounds of the houses. Every house has its own language with their cracking sounds of dilations and has a lot to tell. That cosy houses and the life that they depict will just give you a feeling of nostalgia as well as make you happy with delicious local foods prepared in a traditional way of cooking. 

ABOUT US

Established in 1998, Matiana Travel is a part of the tourism corporation, INDIGO GROUP OF COMPANIES, owner of Museum Hotel — the first luxury cave hotel founded in Cappadocia, originally started as a personal project and investment of Mr. Omer TOSUN, a well-known textile and antique expert and one of the leading tourism investors in Turkey. As a native of this amazing region and after being involved in the tourism industry for 38 years, he decided to share his experience and to spread the appeal of Cappadocia and Turkey. He is also the Honorary Consul of Brazil in the Cappadocia region. Matiana Travel’s head office is located in ISTANBUL, with a branch office in CAPPADOCIA, providing the best travel guidance and programs that ensure 100% satisfaction through high-quality service and tailor-made itineraries. As a tradition of warm hospitality of Turkey, all guests are welcomed personally upon their arrival to ensure their first steps in Turkey are the beginning of a dream. Our team is internationally diverse, dynamic, curious and always seeking out ‘the new and the unique.’ We are used to considering each request as a fresh experience for each guest. None of our tour programs resemble each other since we create unique and personalized itineraries according to guest needs, interests, and their ideal travel experiences. We take out the drudgery of planning luxury trips. From deluxe transportation to hotel bookings, from event organization to tailor-made programs, let us suggest the ideal holiday experience for you. And we’ll make it hassle free by arranging all your travel requirements from home, with the added confidence of dealing directly with a Turkish and well-known company. Added to that, you’ll know you’re dealing with a socially responsible organization. We attach particular importance to the concept of ‘responsible luxury tourism,’ which minimizes or removes environmental impacts as a result of tourism.