A TRADITIONAL LEISURE - NARGILE

Nargile, also known as hookah or sisha, is a waterpipe used smoke tobacco which generally has been flavored and sweetened. The tradition of smoking flavoured molasses through waterpipes goes back many centuries. It’s said that they were originally invented in India. At first nargile was a simple structure made with a hollowed out coconut base and a straw. It was later introduced to Persian Kingdom. When the waterpipe arrived in Ottoman lands, it became very popular amongst members of the upper class and intellectuals. It continued to be a symbol of power and wealth for a long time. Smoking with the sultan was considered the highest honor.

Nargile became so popular that coffeehouses began to offer both coffee and waterpipes to customers. It became a very important part of coffeehouse culture. Ottoman coffehouses were cosmopolitan places and they served as sources of local information and gossip in the city. This is why both coffeehouses and nargile were seen as dangerous by the Ottoman Palace from time to time. Sultan Murad IV banned smoking on pain of death for 14 years. Sultan Abdul Hamid II, one of the most enthusiastic nargile smokers of the royal family, on the other hand used these information centers for his own benefit. He had many spies who spent their time in coffee shops in order to learn everything that was happening in the city.

Nargile lost its popularity after World War II, when people started to smoke cigarettes. Smoking nargile demanded a lot of time, on the other hand cigarettes were a perfect commodity to serve as replacement. It was an age of busy and competitive people, people who were always on the run. Cıgarettes were a more practical way to smoke. You don’t lose so much of your time when you smoke a cigarette. Smoking nargile demands an afternoon, with turkish coffee or tea, and an intellectual talk with good companions. Nargile is good to accompany calm, relaxed moments. You have time to think. You have time to talk with your friends. It’s all about entertainment and enjoying your time.

The nargile pipe consists of four pieces which are the Ağızlık (mouthpiece), Lüle (the top of the nargile), Marpuç (the tube), and Gövde (the body of the pipe). Gövde were generally manufactured in Beykoz. They were decorated with floral motifs and became unique examples of Turkish handcraft. Nowadays, it’s very diffucult to find a nargile pipe with the same high quality that was standard in the past. They are usually produced with poor quality materials, and there is less craftsmanship because all nargile pipes are usually mass-produced.

The tobacco is placed atop the tobacco-filled head, often separated by aluminum foil. The hose and mouthpiece through which the user inhales, is connected to the bowl that is half-filled with water. You should use mostly cold water and some ice. You can also add some flavored fruit powder into the glass. When the smoker inhales, the smoke passes through the waterpipe body, bubbles through the water in the bowl and is then carried to the smoker through the hose. Don’t puff strongly. Smoke gently. You should not suck too long or too frequently. Lay the hose on the table, don’t hand it to the next user. The other person will pick it up when he/she is ready.  Never light anyone else’s cigarettes on the nargile fire because this disturbs the rhythm of the burning charcoal.

Nargile has become popular again recently. You can find nargile cafes everywhere in Istanbul. The thing is only a few of them provide good quality nargile and offer the right kind of atmosphere in which you can chat comfortably with your friends. Tophane, Çemberlitaş and Kadıköy are popular spots for smoking nargile. If you have your own, you can also find many nice spots along the seaside in Anadolukavağı or the Golden Horn which are perfect for smoking nargile and comfortably enjoying your time.

Oludeniz Paragliding in Fethiye

There is one of the highest commercial take-off sites in the world – Babadag Mountain located near the Oludeniz beach and and Hisaronu. If you wonder how high is Babadag Mountain then we need to notice that the Babadag Mountain paragliding heght is about 6500 ft (1960 m).Breathtaking panorama and stable weather conditions make launch site for tandem paragliding from Babadag Oludeniz Mountain the best in Europe for tandem Oludeniz paragliding in Turkey.During the Babadag paragliding Oludeniz flight you will experience exciting 360 degrees turns, wingovers and even thermal flows that may extend the descent. Contrary to popular belief Oludeniz paragliding in Fethiye does not imply Oludeniz mountain jump from the cliff but the several steps run to take off to the sky. Landing on the Oludeniz beach is as easy as taking off from Babadag Mountain - no rapid decline but just gentle touch down. All pilots are professionals with years of mount Babadag paragliding (parascending) experience so the tandem flight with the pilot is completely safe. You are insured from the moment you get on the transport truck that will take you to the launch site to landing on the Olu Deniz beach.

Enjoy breathtaking tandem Oludeniz paragliding Turkey flight with an experienced pilot. Fly along one of the most beautiful beaches in Turkey - Olu Deniz. Total airborne time is 30-40 minutes. During the Fethiye paragliding in Oludeniz Turkey you will have enough time to enjoy bird’s-eye views of stunning famous Blue Lagoon and gently land on the Oludeniz beach. Absolutely no experience is required to fly in tandem with pilot, all is under the control of professional and experienced pilot. Children under 6years and adults with heart disease and weighing more than 95 kg are not allowed to fly. Each passenger is given a helmet and flight suit. To ensure complete safety our specialists are monitoring changes in the weather and wind direction twice - before transportation to the takeoff point and straight before takeoff. Transportation to the launch site takes about 60 minutes through villages of Hisaronu and Ovacik. 

MONASTRY OF THE THEOTOKOS PAMMAKARISTOS ( FETHIYE MOSQUE)

The main part of this acient church is from 12 th of century, but the funerary chapel was constructed in the 14th of century by Maria Doukania,who was the Empress of the Despotate of Epirus. The monastery housed the tomb of her husband,Micheal Galabas,a former general and high court official.

The mosaic decorations, which date from 1320, and the marble revetments are certainly worth seeing.But most impressive of all are the busts of craggy,bearded monks clustered in the corners. The bust and the cornices are inscribed with a lengthy poem honoring the husband,choirs praying to the soul of the deceased Micheal.

After the Ottoman conquest in 1453,the church was first used as the headquarters of the Greek Orthodox Partiarchate before it was converted into Fethiye Mosque in 1590.In the early years of the Turkish Republic,the mosque was turned into a museum.

THE CHURCH OF SERGIUS AND BACCHUS( KÜCÜK AYASOFYA - LITTLE HAGIA SOPHIA MOSQUE)

A predecessor to the Hagia Sophia,this church represents one of Byzantium's most innovative architectural creations. One of the oldest religious sites in the city, during the Ottoman period it was known as the little Hagia Sophia.

Byzantine Emperor Justinian( r.527-65) was among the saints' devotees. According to legend,when Justinian was a young man, he was condemned to death for plotting against Emperor Anastasius. But Sergius and Bacchus appeared to the emperor in a dream,convincing him to release Justinian. After they were martyred in Syria,Justinian wanted to make this a creation for their souls.

Sultan Beyazit later converted this monastery to a bedesten ( a covered market) and an education center of Islamic art. Today, it is also famous site housing local artists' ateliers.

Bodrum Museum of Underwater Archaeology

The Underwater Archaeology Museum, is one of Bodrum’s most popular tourist venues, and is known as the only underwater museum in Europe.

The Bodrum Museum of Underwater Archaeology, which received a special commendation in 1995 as a European Museum of the Year, was established in the Bodrum Castle in 1964. Initially, the restoration of the castle was the priority; later, exhibition halls were created in the available space.

The museum exhibits several collections of ancient artifacts including relics retrieved from local shipwrecks, divided over 14 exhibition departments in the museum. Many of the items found in the museums can be touched, felled and read about by visiting tourists. It’s visited by more then 300,000 visitors a year,Each shipwreck found in the museum takes it’s name from the area that they were found, the items that these ships were carrying can be seen in the display cabinets. Amongst the attractions in the Uluburun ship, which is the world’s oldest surviving sunken ship, dating back 3,500 years.Although the castle is under the auspices of the Turkish Ministry of Culture, all the museum exhibitions are overseen by the Institute of Nautical Archaeology, an American non-profit organization with bases both in Bodrum and Texas, United States of America.

LA WINES - WINE TASTING

Turkey’s largest single parcel vineyard in a land of 1.168.000 m2 was established at Torbali- Izmir. They started to produce wines in 2004 from the grapes and began to be grown in organic viticulture methods in order to preserve the original as well as fruity characters. 

Experts reviewed the territorial and climatic characteristics of vineyards and as a result of soil and climate analyzes conducted, saplings supplied from Europe were shipped to Lucien Arkas Vineyards by special air-conditioned trucks. Then, they decided to plant high quality wine making grapes such as Tempranillo, Chenin Blanc, Viognier, Marselan, Ugni Blanc (Trebbiano) , Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Chardonnay and Bornova Misketi at LA Vineyards. These are the types of grapes which were thought to perfectly match the soil and conditions of Aegean and some of them were never cultivated in Turkey. At Lucien Arkas Vineyards, vines are wrapped by wire based on a cultivation system called “High trellis' to ensure that they grow upward. This provides plenty of air circulation and sunlight required for healthy growth of grapes. Also, we prune and cut the vines before harvesting and reduce the amount of bunches of grapes per vines based on “low productivity, high quality'' principle. In this way, aromatic character of grapes is strengthened. 

Awarded Wines: 

-LA Consensus Shiraz & Cabernet Sauvignon & Merlot ,2009

-LA Organic Mon Rêve Chardonnay-Chenin Blanc, 2010 & 2012

-LA Mon Reve Tempranillo, 2010

THEOTOKOS KYRIOTISSA ( MOTHER OF GOD OUR LADY) CHURCH (KALENDERHANE MOSQUE)

This church was previously known as Christ Akatalepsos Church. But in 1966 during renovation,two frescoes of the Mother of God, Kyriotissa with inscriptions were found.

This is the fourth building on the site : A roman bath ( which was close to the aqqueduct)was the first use,replaced in the late 6 th century by a small basilica. A second church was added to the south side in the 7 th century. The present church was erected in its place reusing the main apse and parts of the outer narthex.During the Roman occupation after 1204,it probably served as a Dominican monastry and was decorated with one of the oldest known fresco cycles about the life of St. Francis of Assisi.

Charming villages of the Aegean 2 : Bozcaada

     "God created Tenedos so people could lead longer lives" said Heredotus. Bozcaada really is an extraordinary heaven with its streets adorned with oleander, begonia and honeysuckle. It features local wines, historical fortress, clean sea and warm - hearted people... 

 
  Bozcaada's Greek  and Turkish traditions have greatly influenced the island's culture.  Throug the island's longtime  Greek residents moved away, Bozcaada's Greek district still retains its original street plan and traditional Greek homes.  The Turkish district has a completely diffrent look and feel with beautiful mosques, narrow streets, fountains and hammams.

   Once you get to Bozcaada, all you may want to do is eat some divine local food, swirl some Turkish wine or rakı and relax on the beach or in a white - washed chair

    

   

    The island’s town center is divided into Greek and Turkish sections, referring to the groups who originally built the districts. You’ll see a mosque and Ottoman architecture on one side and an old church with a tall clock tower and white-washed houses like you find in Greece on the other side. 

  Bozcaada is known for its Turkish wines, so you can sample the likes of Talay, Corvus and Çamlıbağ in the city center.

 

   Try some of the amazing local food! The island's gastronomy reflects the culinary traditions of 500 years of Turkish - Greek cohabitation. 

  Çayır Plajı, Ayazma, Akvaryum and Tuzburnu Plajı, are also good places to take a dip in the crystalline water. 

If you find yourself in Turkey and you’re craving a taste of island life, make time for Bozcaada...

Charming villages of the Aegean 1 : Şirince

    When a group of room feeling the harsh living conditions of the City of Ephesus climbed the mountains, they discovered Şirince, a secret heaven. To keep its beauty a secret, they called this heavenly place "Çirkince"( Ugly). People from diffrent cultures and beliefs lived in peace and understanding here for centuries under the shadows of century - old trees. With plenty of valleys, waterfalls, vineyards and bird chirping, the village offers a fairy tale- like vacation to those who love peace and silence. Don't leave here without tasting the homemade fruit wine... 

Highlights of the Sirince:

• Tasting the homemade fruit wine 
• Visiting St Johns church which is being restored
• Tasting olives and olive oil and buying hand made olive oil soap
• Visiting the restored Orthodox church with fountain and statue of the Virgin Mary
• Shopping in the  market street 

A Tower, Two Mosques and a love story

Mihrimah was the beloved daughter of Sultan Süleyman the Magnificent and the only sister to his five sons from his beloved Hürrem Sultan. Her name  is Mihrimah which means the "sun and moon" in Farsi.

When Mihrimah is seventeen,a good age to get married in those years,there are two lovers of hers. One of them is Rüstem Pasha(the governer of Diyarbakir) and the other one is Sinan the Architect,the head architect of palace.

The padisah weds Rüstem Pasha and Mihrimah as Sinan is 50 and already married but it is clear that Sinan is deeply in love with Mihrimah Sultan.Though he isn’t able to achieve his dream, he wanted to reflect his feelings to his art.

Sinan was commissioned to design the  Mihrimah Sultan Mosque near the Bosphorus in Uskadar in 1548. The design mimics the silhouette of a woman in a skirt. After Rustem Pasa died, Sinan designed a new mosque without palace approval. He built the Mihrimah Sultan Mosque on the highest hill of Istanbul in Edirnekapi (1565).

‘Mihrimah’ means the ‘sun and moon’ and so Sinan designed the Uskadar mosque with less windows, symbolizing the moon. The Edirnekapi mosque has many windows signifying the sun. The Edirnekapi mosque also has one minaret to symbolize Sinan's loneliness and longing for one woman.

The love story suggests that on 21 March (Spring Equinox and Mihrimah's birthday), the sun will set over the single minaret in Edirnekapi and the moon will rise over the mosque in Uskadar.

 You can see both mosques from the Galata Tower. For hopeless romantics, the story is a great excuse to climb the medieval tower during a springtime sunset.

WINTER IS COMING !

   Winter is coming so we thought it would be nice to introduce some of flavours you might come across in Istanbul during the year's coldest months. These tastes are so much a part of Turkish culture that they don't just fill our stomach, but also shape our winter experience too. Below our some of favourites..

   Sahlep is special local drink containing gluten and made from grinding the dried tubers of the orchid,milk and sugar.After boiling,all the ingridients together, it is served with cinnamon powder and drinked as scalding hot. Traditionally it has the reputation here for curing digestive problems and gum disease as well as increasing resistance against coughs and colds.

   Another common drink as well is called ''Boza'' a fermented beverage made of maize,sugar,water and cinnamon powder while serving it. Boza is one of those very traditional drinks and it is typically sold in winter although it is not a hot drink It is associated with cold days because it has warming effect. If you want to taste those drinks,Vefa Bozacisi since its foundation 1876,is still the best adress in Istanbul.

HALİÇ - KNOWN AS GOLDEN HORN BY WESTERN PEOPLE

The Golden Horn geographically separates the historic center of Istanbul from the rest of the city, and forms a natural, sheltered harbor that has historically protected Greek,Roman, Byzantine, Ottoman and other maritime trade ships for thousands of years. While the reference to a "horn" is understood to refer to the inlet's general shape, the significance of the designation "golden" is more obscure, with historians believing it to refer to either the riches brought into the city through the bustling historic harbor located along its shores, or to romantic artistic interpretations of the rich yellow light blazing upon the estuary's waters as the sun sets over the city. Its Greek and English names mean the same, while its Turkish name, Haliç, simply means "estuary", and is derived from the Arabic word Khaleej meaning ''gulf''.

There are many myths about Golden Horn told from generations to generations. One of the most famous is about Keroessa, heroine of the foundational myth of Byzantium. According to the historian Hesychius of Miletus,[3] as Io, changed into a heifer and being chased by a gadfly on behalf of the jealous Hera, was passing through Thrace, she gave birth to a girl, Keroessa, on the banks of the Golden Horn, by the altar of the nymph Semestra. Keroessa was reared by Semestra and grew up surpassing other local maidens in beauty. She had intercourse with Poseidon and in due course gave birth to a son, whom she named Byzas. He became the founder of Byzantium and named the Golden Horn after his mother.

According to one of the 14th century excursionists Ibn Battuta, Golden Horn was like a forest of boats, from galleons to small fishing boats, It was vast and was blocking the view and also people live in European side called people live in Asia side ‘blind people’ as they always ignored the importance of the Golden Horn.

Turkish Breakfast is always a good idea!

                                                                                                                                                               
How about starting your day with an amazing Turkish breakfast?

Turkish breakfast is both a meal and an event. In any case, it’s an unmissable experience on any trip to Istanbul.

A classic Turkish breakfast, better known as 'kahvaltı' consists of fresh cheeses like feta,  black and green olives, fresh-baked white bread, black and/or green olives, fruit preserves, honey, kaymak, mihlama, börek, fried egg with sucuk,sliced tomatoes and/or cucumbers, jam  and plenty of brewed black tea served in Turkish tea glasses.

Highlights of Turkish Breakfast: 

1- Fried eggs with sucuk -  A Turkish breakfast favorite is sucuk cooked on a pan mostly with eggs (sucuklu yumurta). Sucuk is dried sausage made of ground beef with garlic and a variety of spices like red pepper, cumin and sumac. It may be somewhat spicy and fatty, but it sure is awfully delicious.

2- Simit -  Simit  is a circular bread with a hole in the center, covered with sesame seeds. You can buy simit at bakeries across Turkey, as well as from street sellers in the mornings.   

3- Börek -  Börek is a dish made with yufka, a dough much like phyllo pastry. Inside the layers of yufka you'll find a display of Turkish creativity: from minced meat to eggplant, cheese to potatoes, börek comes with various fillings each designed to give you a different experience. 

4- Mıhlama - A quintessential Black Sea dish made with butter, corn flour and cheese; can be eaten any meal of the day...

5- Bal/ Kaymak - There is nothing more decadent than a bite of bal kaymak (honey and cream). Kaymak is clotted cream, scraped off the top of fresh milk and refrigerated. Because nothing here is ever done half-heartedly, Turks spread kaymak on a slice of bread - and on top of that, a layer of honey.

6-
Olives (zeytin) -  Black zeytin range from small, luscious oil-cured to rather dry, too-salty ones. Green olives are flavorful but tart, sometimes bitter, and rarely stuffed with pimiento.

7-  Menemen - Turkish style scrambled eggs with tomatoes, cheese and sliced green peppers..

Akide Candy

      During the reign of the Ottoman Empire sugar acquired a new identity and became known as akide candy. "Akide" means a confession of faith and stands for trust, loyalty and solidarity. Every three months, a meal was served to the Janissaries in the palace garden when their remuneration was distributed. If the Janissaries were satisfied with their food and payment, they would present akide candy to high court officials as a symbol of loyalty to the Sultan... 

       A number of factors contributed to the characteristics of akide candy making its quality unique. The raw materials used and the mastery with which it was prepared ensured its high standard. Honey was added to enhance its flavour and the ingredients such as fruits and nuts where sourced from specialised regions, harvested at their peak and blended expertly depending on which type of candy was being produced.

      To make akide candy, sugar syrup containing 35-40% water is boiled in copper cauldrons over a wood fire to attain the correct temperature and consistency. The flavours are added to the sugar syrup while it cools. The malleable candy is then shaped into the desired form...

 You should try them at Ali Muhiddin Hacı Bekir, Şekerci Cafer Erol, or Üç Yıldız Şekerlemecisi in Istanbul... 

PIRI REIS

Did you know?

   Piri Reis’s last creation was a second world map, which included more detail than his first. This map included, for example, an increased number of ports, raising the number on the map from 130 to 210. Unfortunately, only a 1/4 of this map survives today.

PİRİ REİS

A GREAT SEAFARER,
A LEARNED CARTOGRAPHER... AND A SCOUNDREL!

   Piri Reis is a well known Ottoman-Turkish admiral, geographer and cartographer from the 16th century who lived between 1470 and 1553. Setting out to sea at an early age under his uncle’s command, he lived for a while as a pirate in the Mediterranean. After a call for help from the Ottoman sultan, he decided to assist the Ottoman Navy, fighting side by side with them in famous victories. Tragically, he lost his uncle in a sea accident, leading to his decision to exile himself for two years, during which time he gave himself over to learning and to research of naval knowledge. This led to perhaps his greatest victory: what is today the oldest scientific world map, created as a result of research and study of many historical writings from different countries and from different centuries. His drawing contained numerous details of the west coasts of Africa and Europe and the east coasts of America and the Atlantic Ocean, as well as, amazingly, mountains in the Antarctic. In fact, how Piri Reis created some of the map’s stunning detail and accuracy remains a mystery to this day. This milestone of maps, colorfully painted on parchment, now proudly lays claim to being the oldest map of the world. Unfortunately, only about 1/6 of the map remains in existence, housed in the great Ottoman bastion, Topkapı Palace. The map was finished in 1513—fitting then that UNESCO chose 2013, the 500th anniversary, to commemorate the Piri Reis Map. Not content merely with mapmaking, Piri Reis created his Kitabi Bahriye (Book of Navigation), which he dedicated to the peoples of the Mediterranean, demonstrating his great sense of humanity and understanding that skin color, language, and beliefs do not, or at least should not, separate peoples of the world.

Piri Reis would eventually lose his life thanks to the Governor of Egypt. Reis’s refusal to obey certain rules resulted in him being beheaded in Cairo. Perhaps today we can view his demise as a ‘romantic’ end to such a colorful and productive life. But what is undeniable is that Piri Reis’s creations stand as beacons of knowledge from his era. 

GOLDEN DREAMS SERDAR KOÇHİSARLI

  After 30 years in jewel crafting business, Mr. Serdar KOCHISARLI has decided to give up serial production after a long time of expertise and to follow his dreams. He started to design his own jewellery productions in his small studio in Sultanahmet – the Old City of Istanbul.

  Any object around him may be an inspiration source for him; a dramatic voice of a violin or happy sings of nightingales... His hands give life to gold and he treats his products like his babies. When you ask him about his “babies”, you can see his eyes shine with joy and you understand that jewellery is much more than just a profes- sion for him. He is a kind of storyteller; the only difference is that he uses gold, silver and gems instead of words...

  Mr. KOCHISARLI produces very special items for next generations and make his “babies” live forever...

Did you know?

  Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent, a famous Ottoman Sultan from 16th century, is well-known as a brave, intelligent, even-handed leader but on the other hand, he was also a very skilful jewelcrafter... 

Ghosts of the Bosphorus

MEMORIES OF A CITY...

    The Bosphorus, replete with a magical beauty in its water, and the mesmerizing architecture of its houses, pavilions, and splendid palaces along the shorelines. Jason and the Argonauts sped through here, the Golden Fleece stowed, fleeing Phineus, the King of Thrace, resisting the temptation of the Harpies.Where the mouth of the Bosphorus meets the Black Sea was known as the Symplegad, meaning ‘Clashing Rocks,’ which crushed everything that passed between them. Stories of these rocks are numerous, but there is one heart-aching love story, about which rumors continue to this day.

   In the 19th century, Sadullah was paşa (right-hand man) to Sultan Abdülaziz. But Sadullah Paşa and friends supported the claim of would-be sultan Murad V, helping to exile the sitting ruler. Murad, though, found himself unable to deal with the pressures of royal life, losing his mental balance so that his brother, Abdulhamit, became Sultan Abdulhamit II. The new sultan did not trust Sadullah, and exiled both him and his friends. Sadullah lived first in Berlin before moving to Vienna. There, while his wife was waiting for him in Istanbul, he had a forbidden affair with a maid. When the maid announced that she was pregnant, Sadullah, torn, fell into a deep depression and ended up committing suicide. Yet, the story doesn’t end there...

   Sadullah’s wife, Necibe, waited for her husband for more than fourteen years during his exile. Sadullah had told her that pink was ‘her’ color, and when she received news of his death she ignored the truth, continuing to wear only pink and continuing her wait for him. In time, she lost her mind, but still no one could stop her from wearing pink, and only pink, as she waited for her lost husband. Since her death, some say a lady in pink appears in the house at night, walking slowly from one room to another...

    The story of the Sadullah Paşa family is full of sadness. Even today, their yalı (a house next to the sea) is empty as a result of the story and its reputation for bringing bad luck to subsequent owners—all of whom either had accidents or suffered bankruptcy while living in or after leaving this now famous yalı.

   Today the yalı stands aloof in Çengelköy with its rose madder color. And who knows, maybe you will see the lady in pink during your Bosphorus cruise...

Simit / Ayran - King of the Street Foods

Simit is a type of bagel that has a magical power that everyone love it; from rich business men to broke students. Traditionally it is standard bread-dough shaped as a circle, boiled in hot water with a little pekmez (Grape molasses) for a few seconds and then covered with sesames and finally fried in stone owens. It smells great, a taste of heaven... You can have your simit without anything or you can dip it into your hot tea... But perfect the combination of the simit is with Ayran...

Ayran is very traditional drink made of yogurt, cold water and little bit of salt (if you like). In Anatolia, for good ayran, generally sour yogurt is used and a yogurt + water combination is put in a wooden churn and then depending on the region, shakes or beats them all together and is then drunk cold. It is always preferred along with meals, especially hot ones...

In Turkey, eating simit along with drinking Ayran can be counted as local meal mostly as lunch. It is delicious, nutritional, healthy, cheap and easy to reach. Unfortunately, not all street-sellers simits’ are as tasty as stone-oven ones but during your stay, you should taste it as it is warm, crunchy. Professional simit lovers like it a little burned.

Museum of Innocence

Masterpiece of Orhan PAMUK

I did not realize that was the best moment of my life...


Memories are the sole shelter when we feel sad or bad. Especially from youth which always mist over our eyes because of our pure and naive thoughts and feelings... Now think about a book; written by Orhan PAMUK (Nobel Award winner) who listened the story from the main character and collected all the materials which had been the subjects of the book and exhibits them in the house where one of the main characters has really lived...

This novel is generally a read twice novel; first before visiting the Museum and then after your visit. Seeing all those remnants of pure and innocent love will force you to read the book again, questioning if this love could be possible, so pure and so naïve... Mr. Pamuk lets you to understand the dynamics of the fragile land which has blended with many suffers, happiness and fights... In the melancholic mist of the country, he found the way to connect the hearts from the past to the present... They lived, he wrote and we still admire...

If you are looking for a meaningful gift for your lover, this book will be the best option to attract him or her...

Sahmaran DEADLY BEAUTY...

Maran refers to being part human and part snake. Snakes are common in legend for being mysterious creatures, and are connected to many stories and beliefs. South-eastern Turkey is full of such legends. One legend tells that Sahmaran was the sultan of the Maran. Though the original legend tells of him being a man, a more commonly known and romantic version tells that Sahmaran was actually female.

Once upon a time, a shepherd accidently fell in a cave full of snakes. Afraid for his life, he heard a soft voice calling to him. “Do not be afraid...” it said, and the snakes proceeded to move aside and open a path for him to follow. At the end of the path, he found a beautiful woman sitting on a throne covered with jewels, and from her waist down she was a snake...

On account of a prophecy foretelling that this man would cause her death should he leave, she had to find a way to keep him in her cave. Inviting him to stay with her, she fell in love with the willing shepherd, and would tell him many tales as a way of filling his loneliness. But still the shepherd began to miss life outside, and miss his mother, so one day he asked Sahmaran that he might spend a day outside the cave, promising to return and never to tell a soul of her and the palace in the cave. Sahmaran, though, knew full well what would happen if she were to let him go...

Meanwhile, the king of the land had fallen incurably ill. Only the flesh of Sahmaran could heal him, it was said. An evil witch told the king to force all the people to go to the hamam (Turkish baths), there to disrobe, because it was said that part of the body of whoever had seen Sahmaran would be covered with snake scales. When the shepherd returned to his village, he was taken captive by soldiers and brought to the hamam. Forcing him to take off his clothes, they found snake scales on his back.

They took him to the palace and threw him into the dungeons to compel him to tell them the whereabouts of Sahmaran... After several days of suffering, the shepherd finally told them that he could bring Sahmaran to them, and so they released him.

The shepherd went back to the cave and told Sahmaran that if she wanted, he could show her his village. Sahmaran looked into the eyes of her lover, and even though she saw the truth in them, she accepted his invitation. Together they left the cave and traveled to the village. In the hamam, the soldiers attacked her. But with one simple move, she defeated them, declaring that should anyone dare to approach her, she would kill them with the snakes on her head. Only the shepherd could kill her, she told them. “Cut my body into three pieces,” she said. “Whoever takes a bite from my snake scales will gain the secrets of the world; whoever eats my body will be rid of all illnesses; but whoever takes a bite from my head will die instantly.”

The shepherd turned on his lover, killing her. The witch forced to him take a bite of the head, while she took a bite of the scales, and the king a bite of the flesh. The king was healed, as foretold, but the witch got her comeuppance and died, while the shepherd was not affected at all. Even as Sahmaran passed away, she took care of her love...

Today, Sahmaran has a well-known form: a part-snake / part-human body with six snakes for legs. She wears a crown adorned with ram horns, and generally in the background is a big rose. A common belief is that paintings of Sahmaran protect houses from fire. Even today, Sahmaran paintings can be seen in Eastern Turkey, especially as part of a girl’s dowry.