Especially when the weather gets warmer, it becomes more and more difficult to do sports in the gym. Istanbulites want to enjoy the sea, forests and fresh air at this time. But there are also places where you can do sports. Here, we round up 10 running routes in Istanbul.
Yeniköy – Rumeli Hisarı
For a run with the Bosphorus view
Yıldız Park Grove
For those who don’t want to get too far from the city centre to run
Belgrad Forest- Neşet Suyu Park
For those who like to feel fresh air with forest atmosphere
Belgrad Forest- Ayvat Track
For those who like both forest and lake views
Alman Deresi Walking Track
For those who dream open-air gym
Maltepe Athletics Track
For those who are more professional runners
Üsküdar – Harem Coastal path
Where the sea and the history are together
Bakırköy – Zeytinburnu
Easy to reach, a seaside running route
Balat Coast
On the one hand old Istanbul, on the other the sea
Validebağ Grove
The second largest green area of the Anatolian Side
There are many beautiful and historical hamams in Istanbul, and it is very difficult to make a decision between them. But we tried to make a list for you and chose the top 7 hamams of Istanbul. Here is our list:
Cağaloğlu Hamamı
Cağaloğlu Hamamı is located in Sultanahmet near Hagia Sophia and the Yerebatan Sarnıcı. It’s always first choice for the visitors but his popularity is not only coming from its central location. It’s on the list of New York Times’ “1900 Places to See Before You Die” and possible to see it in famous movies such as Indiana Jones.
Ayasofya Hürrem Sultan Hamamı
Ayasofya Hürrem Sultan Hamamı is a great example of classical Ottoman bath. It was active bath until 1910 when it was closed for decades. It was used to house the convicts during times when the nearby Sultanahmet Prison was full. Then it became a storage place for paper and oil. It was restored for the first time in 1957 and then it started to house a carpet store till 2007. It has returned its original usage after it experienced a major restoration. Although it was built as classical Ottoman bath, the sections for men and women constructed on the same axis as mirror images of each other.
Çemberlitaş Hamamı
Çemberlitaş Hamamı is located next to Çemberlitaş Column which is known as oldest structure of the city. Çemberlitaş Hamamı was established by Nurbanu Valide Sultan, wife of Selim II and mother of Sultan Murad III, in order to generate income to support Valide-i Atik Charity Complex. The construction date was 1584 and its designer was architect Sinan who was greatest architect of all. It is also called the Rose Turkish Bath.
Galatasaray Hamamı
According to a rumours, Sultan Bayezid II was having a walk in the forest after he had hunting party. Bayezid sees a little cabin in the middle of beautiful garden. He wanted to meet with Gül Baba (Father of Roses) who was famous dervish and poet at that time and owner of the beautiful garden. Sultan Bayezid II asked him, if he had any wishes. Gül Baba requested a külliye which is a complex of communal facilities surrounding a mosque to be build. His wish was accepted and the külliye was built in 1481. The tomb of Gül Baba still resides in the gardens of Galatasaray Lycee. Galatasaray Hamamı was used by only the students of Galatasaray at the beginning, and when the palace lost its education feature, it started to serve to public in 1834.
Süleymaniye Hamamı
Süleymaniye Hamamı is one of most popular Turkish Bath of the city. It was built part of Süleymaniye complex which consists of Süleymaniye Mosque, madrasah, hospital, lunatic asylum, infirmary tombs, market and primary school. Süleymaniye Hamamı incorporate the art and genius of architect Sinan same like other parts of complex.
Acemoğlu Hamamı
Acemoğlu means conscripted boys who are brought up for the janissaries. The bath was built as a part of military post where those conscripted boys study to be a janissary. Its original name was Acemi Oğlanlar. Acemoğlu Hamamı is known as one of the oldest bath of the city.
Çinili Hamam
Çinili Hamam was built in 1640 as a part of complex which has also a mosque, library and police office. The complex was built by order of Mahpeyker Kösem Sultan who was the wife of Sultan Ahmed I. Kösem Sultan gained unprecedented influence in political decision-making which made her most powerful woman during 17th century. Çinili Hamam is very embossed and modest one. It is still works as a Turkish Bath where you can feel the Turkish Bath traditions. Although the original tiles in the bath had been stolen, the owners sticked to its original concept and they used blue tiles while they were restorating the bath.
Today, we might call him a “slacker” in terms of his early years. He at least qualified as a kind of vagabond. And in some ways, Millennials should love the guy. He was 22 years old. He cared about social justice, he thought being a lawyer would be unbelievably dull, and he was fascinated by other cultures. Only it was 1839.
After he arrived in Istanbul, he wrote home to a favourite aunt, “With this place, I am much delighted. It even exceeds any description I have seen. The imagination could not picture a site more beautiful as that occupied by Constantinople. In the hands of any other European power it would have been the strongest city in the world; in the hands of the Turks, it has become the most picturesque.”
He couldn’t know it yet, but forty years later, he would be one of the most important foreigners living there.
(c) Government Art Collection; Supplied by The Public Catalogue Foundation
His name was Henry Layard, and he was far ahead of his time. And chances are, you’ve never heard of him. But people should know his name because of all that he witnessed and accomplished. And because the issues that concerned him, the things that moved him to passionately write and speak out, are still with us.
I know, because I’ve been fascinated with Layard for 20 years and am now—at last—finishing up a biography of him.
Remember the Assyrian ruins that ISIS destroyed in Mosul and Hatra a couple of years ago or so? Layard is the one who originally discovered them. Some of the big winged lions and bulls he found are in the British Museum and the MOMA of New York. Oh, and by the way, before you assume he was another tomb raider of the colonial powers, he didn’t steal anything—he actually got permission from the Ottoman authorities to excavate them. And if that doesn’t impress you, consider this: he found a major ancient palace on the very first day he started digging.
Remember Putin’s blatant grab of the Crimea? Henry Layard went to observe the battles of the Crimean War and warned everyone about the Russians trying to take the region. He saw the disastrous Charge of the Light Brigade and told Britons they ought to help the Turks and stop letting aristocratic nitwits with no experience run the military.
When the Indian Mutiny broke out in 1857, Layard wrote friends that “We never get the Indian story” and promptly went off to India to investigate. He came home and gave speeches, saying Indians should have a say in running their own affairs.
And even before all that, before he even reached Istanbul, he was doing more and seeing more than any ambitious, scruffy backpacker with a Daily Planet guide could hope to accomplish today.
Layard grew up in a middle class home with parents who loved to entertain artists and writers. Benjamin Disraeli, back when he was still a novelist and not yet a politician, used to come over to the Layard house. So it was a bit of a shock when Henry was shoved towards law at an uncle’s practice in London—which only prompted the bored young man to wander the streets instead of hitting the books and start hanging out with Polish revolutionaries. The family worried. What are we going to do about Henry? Someone got the bright idea of sending him off to Ceylon (modern Sri Lanka), where he could start a practice as a barrister. Henry gave in.
Henry Layard in Bakhtiari costume (recorded in Constantinople 1848)
Only his travel companion, a business guy who was ten years older than him, didn’t want to go by sea (which is certainly impractical, given the Channel and the Indian Ocean have to be confronted sooner or later). So they worked out an overland route.
Their long, circuitous tour gave Henry Layard plenty of chances to wander off on his own. He was one of the first Westerners to see the amazing ruins of Petra in Jordan. He befriended a clan of the Bakhtiari, at the time a wild tribe of horse-riding nomads and bandits in Isfahan, Persia, and he ended up having adventures with them like vignettes out of an Indiana Jones film. He offered intelligence to a British officer, because these were the days of the so-called “Great Game” with Britain and Russia jockeying for power over Afghanistan.
By the time this 22-year-old arrived in Istanbul in 1839, he was a seasoned traveller who knew a lot about the regional peoples, about who could cause trouble, and what was at stake in terms of trade and geography.
Great. But in the fine tradition of the British establishment, the powers that be were too stupid to offer him a paying job. Instead, they gave him the Victorian equivalent of an “internship”—letting him twist for years over whether he’d ever get a paying gig. The ambassador gave him occasional funds out of his own pocket.
It was in Istanbul that Layard pitched the scheme that would change his life. He wanted to go dig up Nineveh. He did, and he found amazing sculptures and bas-reliefs. He wrote a Victorian bestseller and become one of the most well known figures in archaeology. But he should be remembered for far more, especially by Turkish history buffs.
During his excavation work, Layard got to know and appreciate the culture of the Yezidis, and thanks to his lobbying efforts, the British ambassador back in Istanbul, Stratford Canning, intervened with the Sublime Porte to end—at least temporarily—their ongoing persecution. The Yezidis in the Mosul region considered Layard a hero.
The Crimean War isn’t taught in Western schools anymore, and few British—let alone North Americans—will know that Britain fought on Turkey’s side against Russia. For most Brits, it was difficult at first to understand why they should come to the defence of “Muslim Orientals” (to use the bizarre and erroneous syntax of the time) against “Christian Europeans.” It was only when Russia began its brutal attacks that the natural English hatred of a bully reasserted itself.
Back then, just as today, there was a fair amount of Muslim-bashing, and one backbencher asked Layard in the House of Commons if a Christian in Turkey could be a Kadi, a Muslim judge, or a magistrate. Layard shot back that he might as well ask whether a Muslim could become Archbishop of Canterbury, and under the reforms of the Tanzimat, Christian Greeks, Armenians or even Jews could hold office “with a liberality not even known in this country…”
Years later, when Layard was Britain’s ambassador to Turkey and living in Istanbul, he recognised how Russia still looked with hungry eyes on the Ottoman holdings of Bulgaria, Montenegro and other spots in Eastern Europe. During the Russo-Turkish War of 1877-1878, Disraeli was prime minister and sympathetic to the Turks, but he dithered and bowed to pressure to keep Britain neutral.
The Russians were especially bloodthirsty and vindictive in the conflict, prompting even Queen Victoria to lose her composure in letters: “Oh, if the Queen were a man, she would like to go and give the Russians, whose word one cannot believe, such a beating!”
It was Layard who pushed for Britain’s military attaché in Istanbul to help Turkish army engineers shore up the fortifications at Gallipoli. The irony is that when British soldiers came to fight the Turks at Gallipoli in World War One, they were hopelessly beaten back by these brilliant upgrades.
There were massacres on both sides of the war in 1877-1878, but the Russians openly threatened to pillage and lay waste to Istanbul as they demanded an armistice—even while they kept scooping up more territory, getting ever closer to the capital.
Layard and his wife saw a refugee crisis that could easily compare with today’s. Tens of thousands poured in each day. “As the trains arrive at the stations, the bodies of men, women and children frozen to death, or who have succumbed to illness are dragged out of the wagons,” he wrote in a dispatch. “Even the tops of the closed carriages are occupied by the women and children who in some instances, numbed by the cold, roll off and are killed.”
Layard arranged to get a large building near the railway station under his control, and he took in at least 1,500 more refugees. He took money out of his own embassy’s accounts to open soup kitchens on the railway between Istanbul and Adrianople. His wife made clothes for the needy.
Turkish forces were in disarray, the Sublime Porte couldn’t make up its mind, and even though Britain was supposed to be neutral, Layard managed to finally get London to send the Royal Fleet into the Bosphorus (the age-old reliable excuse was that it was “protecting” British expatriates).
This was when Layard executed a master-stroke. He haggled and bought four ironclad ships from the Turks to add to the Royal Fleet flexing its muscles. And it worked. The Russians squawked, but didn’t dare engage the British Navy. It’s reasonable to give Layard a fair amount of credit for saving Istanbul.
There is much, much more to Layard’s incredible story. How he whisked a Marshal of Spain out of Madrid in a daring rescue. How he was friends with Dickens and admired by “reporter,” Karl Marx, who was writing at the time for a New York newspaper. How in his seventies, he returned to London to help a friend in a sensational libel suit—over archaeology. But a good portion of his legacy is in Beyoğlu and Therapia. With luck, maybe interest will grow in him again, and the man who gave the world such astonishing sculptures will get his own in one of its great capitals.
Learn modern Turkish and you will be able to communicate with
80 million inhabitants of Turkey,
a few million people indigenous to Northern Cyprus, Bulgaria, Romania and other parts of the Balkans and Central Asia;
a few million members of recently founded Turkish communities in Australia, Belgium, Britain, Germany, Holland and other western countries.
You will also be able to get by in Turkish with over 100 million speakers of closely related Turkic languages.
Features of Turkish
We have some good news and some bad news for you. The bad news is all related to the fact that Turkish is simply different from western European languages. Let’s look at the bad news first:
Turkish uses “vowel harmony” — a feature unknown to English speakers.
Where English uses a separate word, Turkish often adds an ending to an existing word.
The word order appears odd.
Turkish vocabulary is mostly unrelated to western languages.
The good news is more important. It tells you that once you adjust to the fact that Turkish does things differently, it is a very regular and logical language:
Nouns do not have different genders — you do not have to remember whether a thing is masculine or feminine like you do in French or German.
Turkish grammar is very regular — learn a rule, and there are usually no exceptions.
Once you know a little vocabulary and a few rules about vocabulary building, then guessing at the meanings of new words is a piece of cake.
The way in which Turkish works is absolutely fascinating. The more you know, the more you are surprised by its simplicity.
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Since the breakout of the civil war in Syria in March 2011, 465.000 civilians have lost their lives, more than a million got injured, and over 12 million people, accounting for half of the country’s pre-war population, fled their homes as Al Jazeera reports. Casualties of the civil war have affected not only Syria but its neighbours as well. And Turkey is one of the primary countries carrying the burden of the Syrian civil war.
As we are through the seventh year of the civil war, official numbers released by the immigration office of Turkish government indicate that Turkey currently hosts 256.971 refugees in twenty-six temporary refuge centres located in ten Turkish cities close to the Syrian border. Outside these centres, there are over 2.5 million Syrians registered by the immigration office who receive health, education and food aid.
Almost one in five of 2.5 million Syrians in Turkey, about half a million of them, are living in Istanbul. Some Syrians have succeeded to start businesses, mostly restaurants. For instance, Fatih district of Istanbul is abundant in Syrian restaurants, and a lot of them have been met with approval. Yet many of them are struggling to make a living and either panhandle or work at temporary jobs illegally.
One of those many Syrians is a fourteen-year-old boy with an unknown name. He tells his story on 140Journos’ series titled “Now, Here:”
[su_quote]My father was working, and I was studying. Life used to be beautiful. Since we came here, my father hasn’t been well. So, I must work. I would now be studying if I were in Syria. Still, life is beautiful here. My father had a textile business, but it fell through. We would not be able to make a living if I didn’t study. A person needs a little bit of money. When we fled our country due to the war, there were guns. When we went home, there were dead people inside. When we entered the place, some man instantly took us. He left us at a silent place in Bursa. We worked there for a month. Since my uncle was here [in Istanbul], we came here later. Thanks to them, my life is beautiful. But I must work. My father is handicapped. Yet, life is beautiful. I wake up early in the morning. It is difficult for me because I must go to work. I don’t want to get up at all, but I get up at 8 a.m. Then I go to work. Some people over there yell at me. One regular workday of mine is very difficult. In the evening I come home, have a shower, spend some fun time with my family and go to bed. I work until half-past eight or nine. Even when I do something slightly wrong at work, they start yelling. They are never silent.[/su_quote]
Just like this little man not utterly happy with his life in Turkey, many in Turkey also feel disturbed regarding the existence of Syrian refugees in the country. As more and more of them came to Istanbul over the course of the civil war, there sparkled a debate among local residents. Most people have argued that existence of this many Syrians in Istanbul without any firm state control has caused discrepancies in the city. A couple of such discrepancies are as follows:
In a dispute between Syrians and Turks in Mehmet Akif Neighbourhood, people took to streets to attack the Syrians in the area. (Milliyet, September 14th, 2017).
In Istanbul, Başakşehir, there erupted a serious fight between Turks and Syrian refugees in Ziya Gökalp neighbourhood. The Syrians in the neighbourhood had to run away from the district. Some people gathered in the district square to protest the government policy on Syrians (Habertempo, June 13th, 2014).
One can easily get access to dozens of such news through a simple Google search. They range from murder to rape, from robbery to kidnapping. However, the problematic part about most of the news circulating online regarding Syrians in Turkey is their credibility. Indeed, quite a few of such news are simply fake and are published for attracting more viewers. For instance, teyit.org, a Turkish website dedicated to verifying the online news, has published a report of thirteen popular and false news stories:
Most of these stories are centred around the government aid Syrians have been getting. The Internet is actually full of false news claiming that Turkish government has been granting a wide range of rights to Syrians that are not granted to even Turkish citizens. For example, it has been claimed that Syrians in Turkey can get into whatever university they want without any examination. Or, that Syrians in Turkey are being paid a certain amount of wage that is higher than minimum wage in Turkey.
Syria refugees are aided by a few organizations in Turkey like the Red Crescent, AFAD (Disaster and Emergency Aid Agency), and Ministry of Family and Social Policies. Nonetheless, the claimed amount of aid is nowhere near the actual amount of aid Syrians have been getting.
Contrary to those who are not pleased with the Syrians in Istanbul, some, mostly conservative, argue that it is no less than a duty for Turkey to help ‘its Syrian brothers.’ However, the reason behind Turkey keeping this many Syrians within its border does not seem so much to be out of religious brotherhood. The current, much-debated President of Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, once threatened the UN to ‘open the doors’ and let the Syrians in Turkey move towards Europe if sufficient funds, namely €3 billion, were not granted. Accordingly, it would not come as a surprise that Erdogan has been keeping Syrians as a leverage against Europe. And more importantly, Syrians might become the game-changers of the next presidential elections if enough of them are given citizenships, which Erdogan said he has been thinking about.
Syrians in Turkey are described in different ways by different groups. For some, they are fat and happy; some others think they are just poor Muslims trying to survive. And apparently, a few people think they are pawns in chess.
Yet, there is one thing true for sure: with the Syrian civil war far from an end, and Syrians in Istanbul growing in population, more turmoil and discrepancies await Istanbul.
Every city has an underside, and Istanbul, the city of desires, has always been rocked by an epidemic of gang violence. Anyone who says otherwise doesn’t know about Istanbul’s longstanding legacy with organised crime which has changed and evolved over the years.
Here, the most dangerous ten mobsters of Istanbul:
Hiristo Anastadiyadis
10 – Hiristo AnastadiyaDis
Given the fact that the life of Hiristo Anastadiyadis was adapted into three Turkish movies, he is one of the most interesting criminals in the history of Istanbul. He is also considered as the first serial killer of the Ottoman Empire. According to the Ottoman documents, he was born in 1898 in Istanbul to a Greek family, but it is said that his father left the family for Athens later. With his older brother Koço, who had long been involved crime, Hiristo began his crime career by stealing people’s money in tramways and in the whorehouse that his mother was owned in Peremeci Street in Beyoğlu. After a while, Hiristo founded his own gang together with some other famous bullies, and he soon began shaking down the areas of Beyoğlu, particularly the areas of Tatavla (Kurtuluş), Dolapdere and Galata. He got the attention of police in 1918 when he murdered pudding shop owner Recep Usta on Boğazkesen Street, cutting his throat and stealing all his money before escaping, but eventually, he and his men were arrested, receiving 15 years sculling punishment. However, Hiristo escaped to Greece with his lover, Eftimya, who was said to be responsible for bringing the death to Hiristo. Eftimya returned to Istanbul after a while, which made Hiristo very angry, and he followed her to Istanbul. One night, while he was hiding in a house in Istanbul, Eftimya’s father went to police and informed them about Hiristo’s location. During the gun battle, Hiristo was killed by a policeman named Muharrem Alkor, who was the father of famous contemporary Turkish actress Selda Alkor (1943-present) – Hiristo said to be responsible for 21 murders, 13 were policemen among all.
Solak Ligor
9 – Solak LIgor
One of the most wanted men of his time, Solak Ligor cuts a frightening figure. In a gun battle because of the continuing blood vengeance between his family and its rival, Ligor, in his childhood time, became mutilated on his right arm. Despite the dangers, his family continued to live in the city of Konya for some more time, but eventually, his tailor father Todori decided to move to Istanbul. Ligor was not able to do his father’s work due to the injury on his right arm, and so he thought of starting off a crime career in the big city. He had already learnt how to use the knife very fast with his left arm. He tried his skill for the first time on a Jewish man living in the Balat neighbourhood, and many other crimes followed this murder. His amazing use of his left hand gave him the nickname ‘left-handed’ (solak), and Solak Ligor established his rule from Unkapanı to Eyüp. For at least four years, he was the most fearsome in his area on the Golden Horn, but a love affair with a prostitute is said to be the reason of the end of his life story. It is said that his lover convinced Ligor to join a former gang, and in 1921 Ligor was busted by foreign spies (sort of James Bonds) in Istanbul, while he was distributing counterfeit British money to the market. Nobody heard anything about him since then.
Kürt İdris
8 – İdrİs Özbİr aka Kürt İdrİs
Born in Kars in 1937 to a Kurdish father and Greek mother, İdris Özbir was one of the top members of Istanbul crime family, and among all the mob leaders he was one of the most respected without the doubt. Probably some people would remember his interesting statement that as follows; ‘these Turkish people who called Mustafa Kemal, İsmet Pasha and Kenan Evren as ‘father’ calls me as a ‘father’ too’ – İdris Özbir received his ‘Kurd’ nickname in Istanbul because he couldn’t speak Turkish when he arrived in the city. After the 12 September 1980 military coup d’état, he was accused of trafficking heroin and was asked for 10 years in prison. Charges of narcotics trafficking continued to dog Kurd İdris as he was taken into custody after his brother-in-law Eftim Veriopolos tried to sell heroin to police in the city of Elazığ. In the world of organised crime in Istanbul, it is rare for a high-profile boss to remain out of jail for a long period of time, but interestingly Kurd İdris, one of the most notorious crooks of all time, served just eight months behind bars. In 2012, İdris died in his house in Sarıyer in Istanbul. Today, he is most remembered for taking famous singers İbrahim Tatlıses and Bülent Ersoy under his wings, and it is also known that he was the great friend of Yılmaz Güney, Kurdish film director, most known his political stance, which was, of course, left.
Dündar Kılıç
7 – Dündar Kılıç
Known as leftist ‘father’, Dündar Kılıç was born in 1935 in a village outside of Trabzon. Like many ‘Laz’ families of the region, his family also moved to the capital city of Ankara, where Kılıç first time entered crime world, getting a gun in his hand at the age of 10. In the 1960s he was already known as one of Ankara’s leading criminals, but what brought him the fame was the murder of Kurd Cemali, a crime which he long denied any responsibility, but it was this event which forced him to leave Ankara for Istanbul. In this new city, Kılıç established a lifelong friendship with another mafia leader with deeper roots in Istanbul, İdris Özbir, Kılıç’s first partner in gambling trade in Istanbul. In a time, Kılıç came to be known as the ‘good godfather’, professedly because he would only have his people to collect money from those who were already involved in illegal deals. Kılıç was arrested as part of a large-scale joint operation against organised crime by Turkey’s National Intelligence Operation in 1984. By the request of Semra Özal, the wife of Turgut Özal, who ruled Turkey in the 1980s as a prime minister, and as a President between 1989 and 1993, Dündar Kılıç became the referee for the issue between Selim Edes and Engin Civan – known as Civangate Scandal – which led him pit against Alaattin Çakıcı. Çakıcı himself was a mafia leader and husband of his daughter. In 1995, his daughter was shot dead by the men of Alaattin Çakıcı, but Kılıç never attempted to take a revenge. It is rumoured that it was, in fact, an honour killing jointly ordered by Kılıç and Çakıcı. Dündar Kılıç died in Istanbul in 1999.
Nuri Ergin
6 – Nurİ Ergİn
The son of a mob leader who came from Erzurum to Istanbul in the 1950s, Nuri Ergin was born in one of the most violent neighbourhoods of Istanbul, Karagümrük, which gives its name to the gang that he founded with his younger brother Vedat Ergin; Karagümrük Gang, one of the most powerful criminal organisations in the history of Istanbul. After torturing and killing oceans of people, bombing many places of his rivals, Nuri Ergin took the attention of the media by the murder of Mustafa Duyar, a member of Revolutionary People’s Liberation Front (DHKP\C), who was accused of murdering a member of one of Turkey’s richest families, Özdemir Sabancı. In his quest for power and wealth, Nuri Ergin also clashed with other gangsters, including Alaattin Çakıcı. The conflict between them went beyond one can imagine; he and his brother forced about 200 inmates at Uşak prison in western Turkey to stage a three-day riot, during which Ergin tortured and killed five men of Alaattin Çakıcı, and he later had a bargaining with the state officials telling them that ‘send me to Bilecik, so my brother will release 26 hostages free.’ – Indeed, he was sent to Bilecik prison and the hostages were released. In 1998, Nuri Ergin appeared on news once again, in which he was said to be responsible for torturing Can Kuzu, who blackmailed Sibel Can, one of the most successful singers of Turkey, and according to the police reports Sibel Can literally asked for help via phone. Most recently, Nuri Ergin was sentenced to 39 years imprisonment, and his legacy is now being carried on by his son, Anıl Ergin, who also was arrested in Edirne in 2015.
Osman Cevahiroğlu (Oflu Osman)
5 – Osman Cevahİroğlu aka Oflu Osman
Three brothers from Of, one of the famous districts of Trabzon city, Hasan, Osman and Ismail were mob leaders, known for brute force, violence, and wealthy. Oflu Osman has become most famous among them for a reason; he highly invested money in construction and tourism sector. His older brother Oflu Hasan was one of the most famous mob leaders in the 1960s, thanks to the reputation he had gained during the gang war between Laz and Arab mobsters. However, he did not want to continue his criminal career and left his heritage to his brother Osman, who had already involved in the crime world of Istanbul. Oflu Osman began his career as a mobster by collecting money from those who were involved in prostitution business: among them the most famous Matild Manukyan, Pamuk Enver, Kesik Ali, Kasımpaşalı Muzaffer. Meanwhile, he also set up several gamble houses in Istanbul, and in a while he began to be known as ‘father of fathers’, who built a legendary mafia model, turning the petty criminal activity into a smoothly operating enterprise that turned serious profits. In his funeral in the Fatih Mosque in Istanbul, the visitors included politicians such as the President Erdoğan, singers such as İbrahim Tatlıses, Adnan Şenses, Metin Şentürk, Mustafa Topaloğlu, actors and actress such as Oya Aydoğan, Nuri Sesigüzel, Süheyl, Behzat and Nejat Uygur, and businessmen Sadan Kalkavan, Ergün Gürsoy, to name a few. His nephew Kurban Yazoğlu replaced Oflu Osman and carries on his uncle’s legacy.
Hasan Heybetli
4 – Hasan Heybetlİ
Hasan Heybetli is the son of ‘Arap Hüso’ (Hüseyin Heybetli), one of Küçükpazar’s famous gangsters in the 60s and 70s. Arap Hüso died in 1979, leaving behind a great legacy for his son, Hasan, who is widely considered the last of the old-style mobster in Turkey. In the way of his father, Hasan Heybetli was only 14 years old, when he ordered his two 12-years-old ‘men’ to back-stab a 14-years-old boy. But that was just the beginning of a long, dark career. By the 1980s, Hasan Heybetli was one of the regular fixtures in the black-market mafia; he was guilty of any number of sins, from gambling and arm dealing with bribery and narcotics trafficking to robbery and murder. But Hasan Heybetli didn’t become famous because of his crime portfolio. He was rather coming to known as a romantic gangster due to his love affairs with Muazzez Abacı, one of Turkey’s most famous singer in the Turkish Classical Music genre, who has been active since 1973. It is said that Hasan Heybetli sent Muazzez Abacı 24 red roses every other time when she performed at the bars. And again, one night, the street which Abacı’s windows looked at was decorated with red roses, and when Abacı saw it, she decided not to resist to such a romantic man; Abacı and Heybetli married in 1980, and again 1989, each of which proved short-lived. In the 1990s he completely withdraws into his shell and began a new life in the United States. In 2011, he was sentenced to 25 years imprisonment, due to his relationship with the murder of businessman Fatih Edremit in a resident in Şişli neighbourhood.
Kürşat Yılmaz
3 – Kürşat Yılmaz
Kürşat Yılmaz is Turkish mob boss who has strong relations with the ultra-nationalist ‘Grey Wolves’. He began his crime career with printing counterfeit lottery tickets, but what made him famous in Turkey was the murder of Osman Ayanoğlu, Turkish drug lord. Kürşat Yılmaz ordered his most trusted man Yavuz Kaşıkcı to kill Osman Ayanoğlu, and in the night, that turned from 1991 into 1992 Osman Ayanoğlu was shot to death in Istanbul’s famous Çakır Gazino where he was with his family for the new year eve celebration. Next year, his name involved in the murder of Kayhan Güvelioğlu, and he was sentenced to 19 years imprisonment, but while he was being transferred from prison to hospital in 1994, he succeeded to escape from security forces. He got busted for two times more, but with the help of invisible hands, he was able to escape from prison in 1997, and again in 1998. He was arrested in Bulgaria in July 1998, and extradited to Turkey in April 1999. He was also found guilty of arranging the 1995 murder of former Kuşadası Mayor Lütfi Suyolcu. His statement in one of his trials is never-forgotten; ‘I did not kill anyone for money. I have at least 4 trillion. Why shall I kill someone for a few billion?’ One of the interesting events which was proof of his power took place on 14 February 1997; a former policeman Dursun Iri kidnapped the daughter of Kürşat Yılmaz, Ülkü Gümgüm, and only a few days later the event took place, two brothers of Dursun İri were found dead in their hometown.
Sedat Peker
2 – Sedat Peker
Known as the ‘godfather’ who fights against drugs, Sedat Peker is the most famous mob leader in Turkey nowadays; not because of the crimes he has committed, but surprisingly because of his political views that are based on Pan-Turkism and his recent statements that are a party to President Erdoğan. In 2016, Sedat Peker said in a well-attended speech that the academics who signed the petition for peace in Southern Turkey will be massacred; “We will let your blood stream and we will take a shower in your blood.” But the fact is that his relationship with politicians is not a new thing; curing one of his trials, Peker made remarks that were never cleared up; “an older member of parliament sent me an SMS which said I shouldn’t behave too arrogantly. I would like to tell you everything because if I don’t it could come to pass that I commit suicide under suspicious circumstances.” Just to remember, Sedat Peker made name for himself with the murder of the drug smuggler Abdullah Topçu in 1997. Following this event, he fled to Romania, but brought back to Turkey in 1998, and was put in prison for less than nine months. In 2005, Peker was arrested during ‘Operation Butterfly’, and sentenced to 14 years and five months, because of leading a criminal organisation, robbery, forgery, and two counts of false imprisonment. He got out of prison in 2014, and since then he has been living in Istanbul.
Alaattin Çakıcı
1 – Alaattİn Çakıcı
You cannot have a list of mobsters without mentioning the man who sticks in the minds of most Turkish people: Alaattin Çakıcı. He is, without doubt, Turkey’s most notorious mafia leader. He is the former member of the ultra-nationalist organisation Grey Wolves, and his strong relationship with the country’s intelligence service is known by everybody. It is well-known that the law enforcement couldn’t have touched him for many years, thanks to the protection he received from several high-profile politicians. It is known that Çakıcı joined the ultra-nationalist groups in Şişli neighbourhood during his youth time, and according to the claims, he joined the MIT (National Intelligence Organisation) in May 1987 as the manager of the security department. Çakıcı is said to be responsible for 41 political murders and his name was on the assassination list of Marxist-Leninist Dev-Sol in the 1990s. At the end of the 1990s, he was finally wanted by the state in connection with extortion, illegal property deals and the murders of several people, including his ex-wife Uğur Kılıç. He was captured in France and imprisoned in Turkey. His capture revealed his connections to high-level politicians; the publication of taped conversations between Çakıcı and a construction magnate – Korkmaz Yiğit – ultimately led to the fall of the Turkish Prime Minister Prime Mesut Yılmaz in 1998. Çakıcı was convicted of ordering an armed attack in 2000 that injured 15 people at a cafe owned by a rival gang and sentenced to 14 years, nine months and 20 days. Nowadays, he takes media attention by his political statements; he often criticises President Erdoğan, to whom he wrote a letter, and said that he was not able to bring Fethullah Gülen to Turkey, but able to bring death to him in the United States.
“What literature needs most to tell and investigate today are humanity’s basic fears: the fear of being left outside, and the fear of counting for nothing, and the feelings of worthlessness that come with such fears; the collective humiliations, vulnerabilities, slights, grievances, sensitivities, and imagined insults, and the nationalist boasts and inflation that are their next of kin … Whenever I am confronted by such sentiments, and by the irrational, overstated language in which they are usually expressed, I know they touch on a darkness inside me. We have often witnessed peoples, societies and nations outside the Western world–and I can identify with them easily–succumbing to fears that sometimes lead them to commit stupidities, all because of their fears of humiliation and their sensitivities. I also know that in the West–a world with which I can identify with the same ease–nations and peoples taking an excessive pride in their wealth, and in their having brought us the Renaissance, the Enlightenment, and Modernism, have, from time to time, succumbed to a self-satisfaction that is almost as stupid“.[1]
Ferit Orhan Pamuk is not only the first Turkish writer, but also the first Turkish citizen to receive the Nobel Prize for Literature in 2006. He was born in Istanbul, in 1952, where he grew up in an upper-class family, which gave him the opportunity to be educated at Robert College, an independent private American high school. After college, Pamuk studied architecture at the Istanbul Technical University, but he left the architecture school to become a writer, and graduated from the Institute of Journalism at the University of Istanbul in 1976. He began to contour his occupation as a full-time writer in 1974, when he described himself as ”a Cultural Muslim who associates the historical and cultural identification with the religion while not believing in a personal connection to God”[2].
Pamuk has been successful among critics since his early novels (”Cevdet Bey and His Sons” – 1982), receiving distinctions both in Turkey and abroad. His commercial success has arrived with ”The Black Book” – 1990, which has become one of the most popular and controversial novels of Turkish literature. Between Pamuk’s literary style and that of Haruki Murakami for example, another famous writer, there are many similarities – both of them write about the clash of Western civilisation with that of their native country. Pamuk explores the conflict between West and East, manifested in art and society, by dilution or loss of identity (pregnant in ”My Name is Red” – 1998) and ”Snow” – 2002, his only political novel). Pamuk won a number of critical prizes for his early work and after that, at the beginning of the 1990s, he started experimenting with postmodern techniques in his novels, a change from the strict naturalism of his early works. Pamuk’s books are characterised by a confusion or loss of identity brought on in part by the conflict between Western and Eastern values or between tradition and modernism/secularism. They are often disturbing or unsettling, but include complex plots and characters. His works are also redolent with discussion of and fascination with the creative arts, such as literature and painting, some of his youthful passions. On 1 March 1982, Pamuk married Aylin Türegün, a historian. From 1985 to 1988, while his wife was a graduate student at Columbia University, Pamuk assumed the position of visiting scholar there, using the time to conduct research and write his novel The Black Book .He and his wife had a daughter named Rüya (born 1991), whose name means “dream” in Turkish. In 2001, they were divorced. Since then, Pamuk had other two relationships with Booker prize winner of Indian origin, Kiran Desai (2010-2012), and with Aslı Akyavaş from 2013, who is still his current girlfriend. Orhan Pamuk’s name became also known in a different way than the literary one. In 2005, in an interview for a Swiss publication, the writer stated, in an attempt to promote the freedom of expression, that “thirty thousand Kurds were killed here and a million Armenians. And almost nobody dares to mention that. So I do.”, referring to the genocide committed by the Ottoman Empire in the early 1900s. Because of this statement, he was sued by an ultra-nationalist lawyer, Kemal Kerinçsiz, for defaming the Turkish armed forces. The international reaction has been strong, from the European Union and Amnesty International, to writers like Saramago, Marquez and Updike, and the allegations have finally been withdrawn. On 12 October 2006, the Swedish Academy announced that he had been awarded the 2006 Nobel Prize in Literature. In its citation, the Academy said: “In the quest for the melancholic soul of his native city, [Pamuk] has discovered new symbols for the clash and interlacing of cultures.”[3] Before winning the Nobel Prize, in April 2015, Orhan Pamuk gave an interview to the reporter Ãngel Gurrãa-Quintana for the magazine ”the Paris Review”, in which he explained how he managed to penetrate the international literary market with his novels. Two of his answers are also relevant in predicting the further success that he had:
Interviewer: You’ve generally received a positive response to your books in Europe and the United States. What is your critical reception in Turkey? Pamuk: The good years are over now. When I was publishing my first books, the previous generation of authors was fading away, so I was welcomed because I was a new author. Interviewer: When you say the previous generation, whom do you have in mind? Pamuk: The authors who felt a social responsibility, authors who felt that literature serves morality and politics. They were flat realists, not experimental. Like authors in so many poor countries, they wasted their talent on trying to serve their nation. I did not want to be like them, because even in my youth I had enjoyed Faulkner, Virginia Woolf, Proust—I had never aspired to the social-realist model of Steinbeck and Gorky. The literature produced in the sixties and seventies was becoming outmoded, so I was welcomed as an author of the new generation.
After the mid-nineties, when my books began to sell in amounts that no one in Turkey had ever dreamed of, my honeymoon years with the Turkish press and intellectuals were over. From then on, critical reception was mostly a reaction to the publicity and sales, rather than the content of my books. Now, unfortunately, I am notorious for my political comments—most of which are picked up from international interviews and shamelessly manipulated by some Turkish nationalist journalists to make me look more radical and politically foolish than I really am.”[4]
For Orhan Pamuk, writing represents both passion and career. He always says that he is happy only in the presence of the paper and the writing tools, and considers that he is only halfway through his career as a writer.
[1] Orhan Pamuk’s ”My Father’s Suitcase” Nobel Lecture held on 7 December 2006 at the Swedish Academy, Stockholm and translated from Turkish by Maureen Freely.
It is good for all of us that BBC opens up its vast archive of video and audio; its collection has been in the process of being digitised, and uploaded onto the BBC Archives website, which is said to be the largest broadcasting archive in the world, with over 12 million items.
Thanks to this decision, we are now able to see images from old Istanbul, as BBC sometimes releases material about the city. The last one among them have just been published today, which is simply fascinating, as it shows us Istanbul’s mesmerising look in 1975. The previous one, which was published a few days ago, was a five-minutes long video, that was shot in 1958 for a documentary series “Hellenic Cruise” and mainly focus on the old quarter, with its oriental-fantasy skyline of domes and minarets, which glitter invitingly. You are also able to see the historical buildings in detail, the Hagia Sophia, Blue Mosque, Valens Aqueduct, Rumelian Fortress, the walls of Constantinople are among them.
Home to one of the most beautiful seas in the world, Istanbul boasts quite a few mansions along Bosphorus. Some of these mansions harbour interesting stories from the past; others create a marvellous scenery for us to behold. We have compiled ten of them for you in this piece.
The Haunted Mansion
Yusuf Ziya Pasha Mansion / The Haunted Mansion
Rumour has it that Yusuf Ziya Pasha, aide-de-camp for a pasha of higher rank, intended to build this mansion for two purposes: to impress the young woman he loved, and put her in a place where she would be out of another people’s sight. The building of the mansion started in 1910; however, it halted in 1914 due to the First World War breaking out.
Unable to cope with the consequences of the war, Yusuf Ziya Pasha decided to leave Istanbul for Egypt, taking his young and beautiful woman with him. He was hoping to lead a happy life away from the worries the war had brought about. Yet, he was abandoned by the young woman since he was not able to provide her with a life as luxurious and magnificent as in Istanbul.
As the building of the mansion was left unfinished, creating a gothic imagery, over time it came to be called “The Haunted Mansion” by the people of İstanbul. By 2002 the mansion was fully built by the company that rented it.
Deli Fuad Pasha Mansion
Deli Fuad Pasha Mansion
This mansion originally belonged to Sheriff Hussein of Mecca, who revolted against the Ottomans during the First World War with a dream of founding a Middle East Empire. Thus, he collaborated with the English, namely Lawrence of Arabia. Yet his endeavour failed terribly, and he passed away in Cyprus when in exile.
The mansion is named after its fourth owner, Deli Fuad Pasha. Fuad Pasha was titled “Deli” (meaning mad) because of his extremely courageous acts in battlefield. Deli Fuad Pasha was punished by Abdul Hamid II as he had been opposing him in political issues. Fehim Pasha played quite an active role in this punishment, which is rumoured to be because they both had been in love with the same woman. Deli Fuad Pasha spent six years in Damascus in exile, and he bought the mansion from Sheriff Hussein upon his return to İstanbul.
In his final years, Fuad Pasha literally went mad, somehow fearing that he would get killed. He passed away in 1931, aged 96. A serious fire broke out in the mansion in 2013 and damaged some parts of the mansion.
Doctor Hulusi Behçet Mansion
Doctor Hulusi Behçet Mansion
Formerly knowns as “Çaycı İstepan Mansion,” the mansion was named after Hulusi Behçet when he bought it. Hulusi Behçet is a globally-acknowledged doctor; he found Behçet’s disease, which is a kind of skin disease.
Mediha Sultan Mansion
Mediha Sultan Mansion
This mansion was built by Mustafa Reşit Pasha in 1830, who was a stateman identified with Tanzimat Reforms Era as he announced the reforms one by one in Gülhane Park. In order to pay some of his debts, Mustafa Reşit Pasha sold the mansion to the palace, yet his son married Fatma Sultan, the daughter of Sultan Abdulmejid I, and started residing in the mansion. Upon the death of Fatma Sultan, her sister Mediha Sultan moved in to the mansion and the place was named after her.
The importance of this mansion stems from the fact that Damat Ferid Pasha was living in this mansion when, during the War of Independence, he allied with invader countries and tried to prevent national struggle.
The mansion became a state asset as the Republic of Turkey was founded. At the moment haremlik (the portion reserved only for women) is used as a hospital; selamlık (the portion reserved only for men) is used by Istanbul University as a social facility centre.
Recaizade Mahmut Ekrem Mansion
Recaizade Mahmut Ekrem Mansion
Recaizade Mahmut Ekrem is an author significant not only for Tanzimat Era of Ottomans but for Turkish literature overall. He became known thanks to his book titled “Araba Sevdası.” He grew up in this mansion and witnessed his marriage with the daughter of his uncle.
The mansion was used as a corn oil factory in 1950s. In 1988, the factory was closed, and the mansion was restored. Today it is used by Haydar Akın family.
Afif Pasha Mansion
Afif Pasha Mansion
This mansion is the second most expensive in Bosphorus.
Afif Pasha was among the generals of Sultan Abdul Hamid II. He had Alexander Vallaury, one eminent architect of the time, build the mansion in 1890s.
The very first Turkish TV series, Aşk-ı Memnu was also shot in this mansion. At the moment it belongs to Suzan Sabancı.
Tansu Çiller Mansion
Tansu Çiller Mansion
This mansion was a place which Mustafa Kemal Atatürk frequently dropped by while visiting Istanbul. Tansu Çiller, who worked as the prime minister of Turkey, bought the mansion in 1981 and it was then named after her.
Şehzade Burhanettin Efendi Mansion
Şehzade Burhanettin Efendi Mansion
This mansion is the most expensive mansion in Bosphorus with a price of $150 million. It has a for-winter mansion behind it.
It was built by the son of Abdul Hamid II, Şehzade Burhanettin Efendi. He was a nice painter and played piano quite well. He passed away in the USA in 1949.
Said Halim Pasha Mansion
Said Halim Pasha Mansion
Said Halim pasha was an Islamist educated on social sciences. He became an influential figure in the making of islamist discourse in Turkey. He was harshly advocating against Western culture.
The alliance agreement signed on August 2, 1994, which caused Ottomans to enter the First World War, was penned in this building.
Huber Mansion
Huber Mansion
Used now as the presidency palace, Huber Mansion symbolized German-Ottoman alliance that developed in the First World War. The owner of this mansion, August Huber, was the Ottoman representative for German gun company Mauser.
It is not known who built the mansion. What is known is that August Huber bought the mansion in 1890 from an Armenian family. In 1985, then-president Kenan Evren publicized the mansion and turned it into a presidency palace.
Turkey and Russia are a like a couple, fighting and making peace time and again. An example of such scenario is the recent 10 month crisis following the shooting down of a Russian jet by Turkey which later on they reconciled. Being neighbours, these countries have developed many common traits although plenty of differences still remain. Taken in another context, it can be said to be attracting.
I am one of the many Russians living in Istanbul and this article is generated from some of my personal experiences. I have elaborated 7 facts about Turkey and Russia that reveal the differences between these communities.
People in Turkey are nice
Gloomy faces of Russians have become a byword. Russians in the streets look tense and suspicious as though expecting to collide with an enemy, the presumption is it could be you. All this however changes when they come into contact with someone they know since a familiar person cannot be an enemy. Russians will only smile to a person they are familiar with or they like. A person’s attitude is clear right from the beginning, which is an advantage of the Russian ambience of sincere gloom.
The Turks on the other hand are much nicer, always looking relaxed and friendly. When a person smiles to you, be sure it is sincere. In Turkey, especially in Istanbul, it is very impolite to behave otherwise. The problem with this however is that one is not genuinely smiling because he/she likes you. The reason behind could actually be very far from this, and most probably you may even never know why. The confusion comes when you are Russian although the Turks are never confused at all. They do not know what other people really think of them and they don’t care because people will always be polite, so why bother.
Women’s status in society
Turkey and Russia have a lot in common when it comes to women’s status in society, as both societies have witnessed a high rate of domestic violence. Men are considered to be the rulers while the women are left behind to suffer the results of this gender discrimination. The governments’ policies are vigilant when it comes to family values. In 2007, the Russian government spearheaded a special program to facilitate families with two or more children. Turkey unlike its Russian counterparts does not pay but recently, the Turkish President stated that having three children is a duty of every Muslim. Actually, this is where the similarity ends.
Russia remains a patriarchal society while Turkey is a hidden matriarchate. Women therefore meet different attitudes to which they choose different types of behaviour as a response.
Women at Work
Many Turkish woman are housewives with enormous duties at home making it hard for them to work. Occasionally, they do not find the need to work since their needs will be met by the husband. At times their not working is owed to the husband’s failure to consent, something that is quite normal in this society. Despite the fact that Turkish women are silent while in public, everybody knows who the boss at home is.
On the other hand, Russian women are born with the genetic impression of working. They believe that they have to work because their mothers worked, their grandmothers also worked hence forth they do not want to break the chain. They do not believe in delegating their work to men since men are considered to be untrustworthy. This is not really a stereotype but a life experience.
Attitude towards women
Women in Turkey are treated with respect as every woman is considered a potential mother which is very valuable. It is hard to state facts proving this but from the general attitude during the everyday experiences, one can understand. An example can be in a stranger giving up his seat for a woman with kids on a metro. Where there is an empty seat in public transport, standing men will usually offer this seat to a female before taking it. In cases of rape, the police is generally willing to protect the victim where the incidence is reported. The abuser can be seriously injured or even killed in prison due to such acts.
Russian men are always proudly lamenting how beautiful the Russian women are, but when it comes to occupying that empty seat on public transport, the men will gladly occupy it. Reason being, they are both equal before the law hence no need for the exception. In case a woman reports a sexual crime against her, most people are quick to blame or even humiliate her with the police being first in line.
Attitude towards children
The Turks are crazy when it comes to children. Once I was standing in line at the airport patiently waiting for my turn to cross the Turkish border. A woman with a baby was going through the checks before me. The lady police office was very nice and charming towards her, making small talk with her and the baby. This was really nice to watch but when my turn came, I smiled warmly to the officer who gave me back an icy look.
You can imagine, if a strict officer could melt on seeing a child, what would be the reaction from other people. If you are a baby or child in Turkey, you will get as much attention as possible and people will always adore you. It is no wonder that kids in Turkey are often very spoiled.
Russian women who became mothers while living in Turkey are going crazy over this attitude as it is an opposite reaction in the Russian culture. The attitude towards children is not friendly at all as people get annoyed or angry towards children in Russia. Sometimes they simply choose to ignore the shouting “little monsters”. A lot of women complain about strangers giving them advice on how to raise their children, while others believe it is totally normal to interfere in another’s relations on matters like teaching young women how to behave. No one is happy in such a situation but you don’t have to forget, Russians are gloomy. There are enemies everywhere, be prepared to meet and enemy since you are a child.
Crowds and Public Transport
Crowds are an inseparable part of big cities especially during the rush hours. This is never fun in Turkey. In Istanbul, people will do their best not to touch or hit you by accident in a crowd. In Russia, people are less careful and more aggressive especially in the smaller cities. Often times I got my feet hurt while using public transport, sometimes my shoes were desperately dirty following incidences of being stepped on. On my lucky days, I would also get pushed. These adventures give Russians a feeling of unity. Russian people usually do not know their neighbours so they make up for this lack of social connection in the busses.
The government services in Turkey are faster and punishments are severe. Where one does not abide by the rules, you are most likely to get punished for the crime. Where as in Russia, when one commits an offence, you can either be punished as per the law or reach an agreement and evade the punishment. As a result of this, nobody really cares about the rules but about finding the right people. With the right people around, laws do not work. Of course Turkey is not corruption free, but it is not as rampant as in Russia.
Some places are worthy of merit as touristic or residential areas, but some others are mesmerisingly special. Istanbul boosts hundreds of years of history, touching millions of people’s lives daily. Why do oceans of people decide to live here, you may ask.
For starters, it is the only city in the world that spreads across the Asian and European continents. These two continents are separated by the Bosphorus which links the Black sea and the Marmara sea. Istanbul was one of the most important trading port cities of the medieval world. In brief, the city was considered the region’s sole ruler owing to its geopolitical location.
If we travel back in the time, we can see that Istanbul has been the capital of four empires for more than sixteen centuries. Archaeological findings demonstrate the city’s past endurance of prehistoric ages as one of the oldest places in the world. It was first inaugurated in 324 AD as the new capital of the Roman Empire by Emperor Constantine the Great with a population of about forty thousand at that time. Following the division of the Roman empire into two, the Eastern side of the Empire turned into Byzantine while the Western side collapsed. The city’s population had now grown ten times higher to about four hundred thousand people. The city was later on plundered by the Crusaders who established the Latin Empire. This led to a decline in population to about one hundred fifty thousand people. The Ottoman conquest of Constantinople in 1453 was a turning point in the city’s rise.
Despite the fact that Istanbul is no longer a capital, it remains the centre of Turkey in terms of industry, tourism, trade, transportation, education, culture and art. Because of its level of development, Istanbul is always the first choice for Turkish people when it comes to settling. this dates back to the early 1960s when mass migrations were notable from rural Anatolia to Istanbul thus causing a major contrast in the city’s population. A city that had housed about one million people in the 1950s was now home to around two million people at the end of the 1970s. The city’s population kept on gradually increasing over the years, for example in 1990, a population of about 6.5 million increased to 12.5 million in 2009 and later on 14 million in 2014. Today Istanbul is said to be home to more than 16 million people.
When one first arrives in Istanbul, he/she wonders how crowded and noisy the city is. This is however not of utmost importance. Just like during new encounters, prejudgement is not advisable and this goes for new places and cities too. Always strive to know both sides of the coin before making any major decisions because Istanbul is quite captivating through its many wonders. Take a deep breathe of the sea, walk along the Galata bridge while gazing at the fishermen and sunny clear sky. At that moment, you would rather not be anywhere else in the world. A delicious savoury taste of fish in bread awaits at the end of the Eminönü bridge. Experience a taste of paradise by taking a tour of the Bosphorus and don’t forget to take some bagels for the seagulls. The next step should be a visit to the Kanlıca quarter which is famous for its yoghurt. Here, the yoghurt is generally eaten with caster sugar while enjoying the Bosphorus view. By looking at the sea, you may crave some sea food. The Beyoğlu fish bazaar offers a range of them including tasty stuffed mussels. In the case that one is not fully content, he/she can supplement these with the famous meatballs at Sirkeci. A visit to Ortaköy will give you the taste of one of the most famous street foods in Istanbul, Kumpir (a baked potato filled with various side dishes). As an escape from the hectic city, Sarıyer is where blue meets green. One can enjoy some of the most delicious börek in Istanbul over the cool breeze from the Bosphorus. The well-known Boza of Vefa in the Fatih district is a worthy experience too especially on a cold winter night.
However, food is not the only attraction of this city. Nonetheless, while trying to find these delicious foods and drinks, one will definitely be surprised by the many beauties of Istanbul detailed in books by Nazim Hikmet, Bedri Rahmi or Orhan Pamuk. If you read them, you will understand, but the feeling only comes after a visit of these places. The trip starts with travelling through history in Çukurcuma in Beyoğlu where Orhan Pamuk’s museum of Innocence stands. The haunted mansion on the Bosphorus will take you through to Yusuf Ziya’s time during the weekdays and to a contemporary art scene in Istanbul during the weekends. A bit weird right? Board a ferry to the Prince’s Islands to see the short story master Sait Faik’s home, this is very exciting for those who have read his stories about Istanbul. The story is quite vivid and completes one’s views of Istanbul just like a puzzle.
Satisfied with the history and art fascination, time to look at modern Istanbul. A daily part of life is trying to have fun for example through music to relieve from life’s tensions. Istanbul is a sleepless city that offers a hub of both fun and entertaining places, especially in the Beyoğlu district which is the centre of nightlife in Istanbul. The city is also notable for hosting the most prestigious concerts and festivals in Turkey. Not only is it famous for music festivals like the Istanbul Jazz Festival or the Istanbul music Festival, it also hosts international festivals such as Istanbul Biennial, Istanbul Film Festival, Istanbul Theatre Festival and the Istanbul Coffee Festival among others.
All in all, Istanbul is a fascinating city to live in. Not only because the ticket price for travelling from Europe to Asia is less than two Euros, but the city’s energy and dynamism coupled with the colourful daily life makes one fall in love with Istanbul. Upon living in Istanbul, its becomes extremely hard to live in another city. A case in point, you may find the other city to be either too small or boring as compared to Istanbul. You will definitely find so many reasons to come back to Istanbul like life in that other city is too slow, tiring or even too empty. Which is why you may wonder why Istanbul is so crowded upon coming to this beautiful haven. Napoleon summed it up in the following words “If earth were a single state, Istanbul would be its capital.”
I remember it very well: a black man is on the stage, playing mellow tunes that invoke deep thoughts. People are dancing without following a strict set of rules. At such a moment the Selecta approaches me and asks, “What fun is dancing on your own?” He continues by saying, “Hey man, reggae is the sound of the world in harmony with love and light. Love people, dance with them.” To be honest, I still love dancing alone, especially in the crowd, but almost 7 years ago, that’s how I met and came to love reggae music in Spain.
After years, I can definitely say this: reggae helps you to find the right way in life. It inspires, creates happiness with its positive vibes, and raises the spiritual consciousness. Reggae music promotes respect and freedom, something today’s human beings don’t always understand. It acts to unify people. I’m actually trying to explain for nothing as the best words about reggae are by Kevin O’Brien and Wayne Chen: “Bob Marley was honoured by Zimbabwe’s 1980 Independence celebration because his music had given inspiration to freedom fighters. Chinese students used the Wailers’ “Get Up Stand Up” as their marching song in the 1989 Tienanmen Square demonstrations. In the Nicaraguan civil war Marley’s music was popular with both the “Contras” and “Sandanistas” who were fighting oppression. When the Berlin Wall fell, people stood at the fallen rubble and sang, “Three little birds,” for hours.”
It was Bob Marley who took reggae from the Kingston ghettos and made it into a worldwide cultural and musical phenomenon. It was spreading in the 1970s, a time of political violence between rightists and leftists in Turkey. Thousands of people were simultaneously being killed on the streets while Bob Marley was promoting love and peace to the world.
While violence continued in the country, reggae couldn’t enter the Turkish people’s life as it had in many countries. However, this changed in the 80s when a Sudanese man arrived to Istanbul to continue his academic education. His name was Osman Osman, and he is now considered the first reggae promoter in Istanbul. Together with the Pozitif Life crew, Turkey’s leading concert and festival company, Osman Osman opened Pupa Bar, a space where Istanbul’s reggae-friendly alternative masses could gather.
In the 70s, while British reggae was taking off, a young guy from Istanbul named Mehmet Sait Benhisavi (Ras Memo) came to Britain for his education. There, he was invited to lose himself in the feel of Rastafarian culture, and he loved it very much. When he returned to his city, he acted as a reggae ambassador, introducing this music to the people of Istanbul. In 1996, he began hosting his music program “High Times”, one of the longest running radio programs in the country, on Açık Radyo FM 94.9. He also began to play music at Pupa Bar. Later on, he became the favourite Selecta in Istanbul, keeping the crowd dancing to reggae at several important events organised by Pozitif at Babylon, Turkey’s leading live music venue.
Ras Memo
As Ras Memo is one of the first names that come to mind when mentioning reggae in Turkey, I asked him how the reggae events in the old days differed from today’s events. His reply was not optimistic. “What I can’t quite comprehend is that even though Reggae is getting more popular across the world, it seems to be the opposite in Turkey. Reggae events used to be crowded in the 90s maybe because of Pozitif’s collaboration with the British Council and their personal efforts plus the Babylon. These days Pozitif might have their enthusiasm for the Reggae a little dampened or Reggae might have been pushed to the side-lines because of other music styles becoming more profitable. Organisations other than Pozitif/Babylon don’t come up the commercial expectations either and we’ve seen the latest example of this with Michael Rose.”
Osman Osman’s Pupa Bar was only the beginning of the story. He made the wise decision to move the reggae bar from Ortaköy to Taksim, the centre of nightlife in Istanbul. He also gave the bar a new name: Riddim. The reggae bar may not have lasted for long, but it is still considered his most successful project. He continued his reggae promotion and influence in Istanbul by opening a number of different bars. However, everything that has a beginning has an end; the pied piper of Istanbul’s reggae scene eventually tired of the nightlife and decided to move to Canada for his family. Since then, his legacy lived on through his fellows such as Ras Memo, Mahi, Da-Frogg Eyez, King Seroman, Selecta Firuzaga, Lady Kadijah and Selecta Genjah.
Of course, Osman Osman didn’t leave the city without a trace. His last work, Nayah bar, has been the only home for Rastafarians since it was opened in 2004. It also provided a home to Istanbul’s reggae bands and Selectas who needed a home base to cause reggae explosion. SATTAS Reggae Band is the most famous of these bands. Founded by Orçun Sünear and Derya Eke in 2005, they have been performing live in some of the most popular festivals and clubs, sharing stages with a network of world-famous reggae musicians. They took the place of Osman Osman as the promoters of reggae music to a multicultural fan base in Istanbul.
It is safe to say that the success of SATTAS reggae band is the high-water mark of reggae’s visibility in the country, paving the way for other musicians. In the last 10 years there has been an explosion of live bands. Unfortunately, none of them have achieved great success like SATTAS yet. There is simply no outlet to promote reggae music and leading music promoters want little to do with home-grown reggae. However, these bands are greatly welcomed by Istanbul’s reggae lovers. The local reggae scene keeps growing and there will always be a loyal reggae fan base in the city.
What keeps reggae music going in the city is definitely the people who are bonded with reggae music at heart. Among the most influential is the Beton Orman crew; they have been creating spaces that allow reggae, dub, and ska to breathe in the midst of concrete faces of the city since 2008. They organize festivals, concerts, and DJ performances as well as announcing news about reggae in Turkey on their website.
King Seroman
King Seroman is a member of Beton Orman. A Selecta in Istanbul since the 90s, he has witnessed reggae’s history in Turkey. When I asked him about the music’s future in the city, he gave a poetic answer: “Time will tell. What I have to tell you is that music can both heal and open a lot wounds. When you feel trapped, like you have nowhere to run, music suddenly becomes the force that pushes you to move. When you feel alone, isolated, music reminds you that you’re, in fact, not alone. You feel stronger with the people you’re dancing with, like a feast that feeds us both. Reggae has always been like the common house of the underground. It has several natural bonds with other types of music that comes from the streets such as punk, ska, hip hop or dub. We need to connect with the music of the streets and create a field of self-expression for every oppressed person out there. There are gypsy sounds, Ankara songs, Kurdish songs and Anatolian tunes on the streets. The bigger the dancing crowd, the bigger our fight becomes. We can call our music Reggae only after we make the music a bridge between two opposing sides, a vessel for communication, for Reggae is a perfect way of exposing the system. And these days there seems to be a lot work for Reggae as there are many things to expose. Right now we have to make sharper tunes, lyrics and dance figures to create real Reggae. We can give everyone catchy choruses. Choruses which will accompany them when they cry and when they laugh, which will help them stand up straight when they feel vulnerable and powerless. And as for the future of Reggae, only time will tell.”
On the fourth centenary of his death in 1616, myths and facts still intertwine along the ambiguous life of Miguel de Cervantes, considered a pioneer of the modern novel in European literature.
Miguel de Cervantes
The celebrated author of Don Quixote of La Mancha (originally Don Quijote de la Mancha in present-day Spanish) has been also linked to one of Istanbul’s mosques, Kılıç Ali Paşa Mosque, situated in the Tophane district. The Turkish researcher Rasih Nuri İleri (1920-2014) claimed to have found the name of Cervantes among the slaves that worked in the construction of the mosque from 1578 to 1580, under the orders of Mimar Sinan, the great architect of the period[1]. This theory, never supported by any academic publication, was later spread by several Turkish media sources[2][3].
A carnival-like atmosphere will arise in Istanbul with the coming of Ramadan, the Islamic holy month. Turks call this blessed month “the sultan of months”, and it begins on May 27th this year. Devout Muslims are required to fast from sunrise until sunset. In Istanbul, the fast began today at 3.36 a.m. local time and will end at 8.33 p.m. local time. In other words, Muslims in Istanbul will be fasting for around 17 hours each day.
Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic Lunar calendar and it is known as the month of fasting. As one of the 5 pillars of Islam, Ramadan is a month for Muslims to exercise self-control, purify the mind, body, and spirit, and to bring faithful closeness to Allah (God). During the fast Muslims abstain from food, drink, smoking, sexual contact as well as swearing or speaking ill of others. Refusal to do so will result in the fast being inadmissible.
Fasting begins at dawn coinciding with the first call to prayer and ends at dusk during the fourth call to prayer. During this time all the minarets of Istanbul will be glowing green to signify the time to break your fast. Individuals who are not required to fast during Ramadan include: travellers, children who haven’t reached puberty, the elderly and people that are chronically, mentally or physically ill as well as women who are menstruating, pregnant, breast-feeding or have recently had a baby.
“The sultan of months” creates a unique atmosphere in Istanbul. The normal routines and rhythms of life in this enormous city change profoundly because Ramadan changes people’s eating habits, working practices and praying schedules. You’ll be surprised to see a city of 18 million people turn into a ghost town during iftar (the time to break your fast). However, soon after sunset the city gets back into full swing and is filled with a carnival-like atmosphere that includes entertainment, music, laughter, joy and it usually runs late into the night.
Following the obligatory night prayer known as Isha, pious residents of Istanbul usually fill mosques all over the city to perform “Tarawih” prayers. Tarawih prayers are an extra set of prayers specific to the month of Ramadan. According to the practices of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), these prayers are performed every night during the holy month of Ramadan and are meant to fulfil the complete recitation of the holy Quran, which was known to be revealed in its totality during this blessed month. Although Tarawih prayers are not compulsory, many devout followers perform them anyway.
The historic Blue Mosque and the Eyüp Sultan Mosque are the two most symbolic spaces for these prayers during Ramadan in Istanbul. The mosque’s squares also host exhibitions and fairs that include: marbling art, glass art, calligraphy, rose pudding and baklava during the holy month. You can also witness street festivals and displays such as clown and shadow puppet shows for locals and children.
As camaraderie and gracious hospitality become foremost qualities of Ramadan in İstanbul, all local municipalities will organize iftar meals to serve thousands of people free meals to break their fasts with. It is mostly for the poor and disadvantaged individuals, but it can also be for those who would like to eat together with their Muslim brothers and sisters.
Dating back to traditions during the Ottoman era, throughout this holy month Ramadan drummers will once again be in the streets of Istanbul with traditional Ottoman outfits such as fez hats to wake people up before dawn so that they have enough time to eat a large meal before the day-long fast.
Bakeries all across the city are also ready for a special Ramadan tradition – “pide”, a special type of bread popular during the month of Ramadan. This bread is a must for iftar and pre-dawn meals. Also, the head of the Turkish Bakers Federation, Halil İbrahim Balcı, stated that the pide’s price will remain the same as the previous year 6 Turkish Lira for a kilogram.
This year the holy month of Ramadan ends on Saturday, June 24th. Ramadan is followed immediately by Ramadan Feast also known as Şeker Bayramı (Candy Festival), which is an important religious holiday celebrated by Muslims worldwide that marks the end of Ramadan. Outside of Turkey this worldwide celebrated holiday is known by another name, Eid al-Fitr (festival of breaking of the fast). Celebrations however remain the same and during this holiday families and friends gather together and celebrate with sweets amongst other things. Thus creating the carnival-like atmosphere once again.
The Gothic architecture is a style of architecture that flourished in Europe during the high and late medieval period. It evolved from Romanesque architecture and was succeeded by Renaissance architecture. Originating in 12th-century France and lasting into the 16th century, Gothic architecture was known during the period as Opus Francigenum (“French work”) with the term Gothic first appearing during the latter part of the Renaissance. Neo-Gothic architecture, on the other hand, also referred as Gothic Revival, is an architectural movement that began in the late 1740s in England. Its popularity grew rapidly in the early 19th century, when increasingly serious and learned admirers of neo-Gothic styles sought to revive medieval Gothic architecture, in contrast to the neoclassical styles prevalent at the time. Gothic Revival draws features from the original Gothic style, including decorative patterns, finials, scalloping, lancet windows, hood mouldings, and label stops.
In parallel to the ascendancy of neo-Gothic styles in 19th-century England, interest spread rapidly to the continent of Europe, in Australia, Sierra Leone, South Africa and to the Americas; indeed the number of Gothic Revival and Carpenter Gothic structures built in the 19th and 20th centuries may exceed the number of authentic Gothic structures that had been built previously. Though the number of new Gothic Revival buildings declined sharply after the 1930s, they continue to be built.
The city of Istanbul, although it is perceived as being Eastern oriented, from a cultural point of view, is an important part of the extended phenomena of Gothic and Neo-Gothic architecture, coming under the same umbrella as the developed Western capitals in Europe: London, Paris, Prague, Rome and Brussels. The architecture of Istanbul describes a large mixture of structures which reflect the many influences that have made an indelible mark in all districts of the city. The main stages of architectural development, the city went through, are the following:
Early Ottoman period (1300-1453)
Bursa period (1299-1437)
Classical period (1437-1703)
Modernization period (1703-1730)
Tulip period (1703-1757)
Baroque period (1757-1808)
Empire period (1808-1876)
Late period or The National Architectural Renaissance (1876-1922)
In three of the periods mentioned above were built the most important pieces of Gothic and Neo-Gothic architecture in Istanbul, specifically: The Early Ottoman period, the Modernization period, and the Late period. The three monuments that are still preserved and open to visitors in Istanbul are, in chronological order: The Arab Mosque (1325), St. Anthony of Padua Church (originally built in 1725) and Yıldız Hamidiye Mosque (between1884 and1886). A relevant remark is the fact that the Gothic and Neo-Gothic styles in Istanbul did not manifest in the same time as their European counterparts. The latter developed earlier, the difference between the two regions differing from a few decades up until over four centuries. This loss of synchronism was caused by the Ottoman architectural style which was prevalent in the aforementioned historical phases.
I. Arab Mosque (Gothic Style)
Arab Mosque is a mosque in the Karaköy quarter of Istanbul. The building was originally a Roman Catholic church erected in 1325 by the friars of the Dominican Order, near or above an earlier chapel dedicated to Saint Paul. Although the structure was altered during the Ottoman period, it is the only example of medieval religious Gothic Architecture remaining in Istanbul.
The church was converted into a mosque by the Ottomans between 1475 and 1478, during the reign of Sultan Mehmed II, and became known as the Galata Mosque. It was later given by Sultan Bayezid II to Muslim Arab refugees from Al-Andalus who escaped the Spanish Inquisition in 1492 and settled in the Galata neighbourhood of Istanbul (hence its current name, Arab Mosque.)
Erected according to the model of the Italian mendicant order churches of that period, the church had a three-nave rectangular base, with squared-off eastern end and a square sanctuary which is covered by ribbed groin vaults. The Gothic-style portal, lancet windows and the prominent bell tower (which has been transformed into a minaret by the addition of a conical roof) distinguished the building from the Byzantine churches in the city. On the other side, the technique used for the brickwork was local, and alternated small courses of bricks and ashlar.
The flat wooden roof and rather pretty wooden galleries date from the restoration in 1913-1919. On this occasion, the height of the building was lowered, and many Genoese headstones were found. During the same restorations, rests of paintings were also discovered near the Mihrab, but were covered again. In the passage under the belfry, mouldings are still visible, as well as fragments of stones with armorial bearings which were once placed along the wall. On the north side of the building there is a large and attractive courtyard with a şadırvan.
Today, Arab Mosque is the largest mosque on the Galata side of the Golden Horn. It is one of the most interesting mosques in the city due to its early Italian Gothic architectural style and church belfry, which has practically remained unaltered even after being converted into a minaret.
II. Church of St. Anthony of Padua (Neo-Gothic Style)
St. Anthony of Padua Church, alternatively known as the Sant’Antonio di Padova Church, or locally as Sent Antuan, is a basilica and the largest church of the Roman Catholic Church in Istanbul. It is located at İstiklal Avenue No. 171 in the Beyoğlu district.
Along with the Cathedral of the Holy Spirit (1846) in the Harbiye district, St. Louis of the French (1581) and Santa Maria Draperis in Beyoğlu, Sts. Peter and Paul (1841) in Galata, Assumption Church in the Moda quarter of Kadıköy, St. Stephen in Yeşilköy and Bakırköy Church in Bakırköy, St. Anthony of Padua is one of the most important Catholic churches in Istanbul, and among them has the largest community following its Masses.
The original St. Anthony of Padua Church was built in 1725 by the local Italian community of Istanbul, but was later demolished and replaced with the current building which was constructed on the same location. The current St. Anthony of Padua, along with its adjacent buildings (known as the St. Antoine Apartmanları) on İstiklal Avenue, was built between 1906 and 1912 in the Venetian Neo-Gothic style, and was likewise edifice by the local Italian community of the city, mostly of Genoese and Venetian descent, who amounted to 40,000 people at the turn of the 20th century. The building was designed by the Istanbulite Levantine architect Giulio Mongeri, who also designed many other important buildings in Istanbul and Ankara; such as the Maçka Palas in Nişantaşı and the Neo-Byzantine style Karaköy Palas bank building in Karaköy (Galata), Istanbul; as well as the first headquarters of Türkiye İş Bankası in Ankara.
The church is considered a minor basilica, and is run by Italian priests. Saturday Mass is in Italian and begins at 19:00, Sunday Mass is 9:30 in Polish, 10:00 in English and 17:00 in Turkish, and Tuesday Mass is in Turkish and begins at 11:00. Weekday Masses are in English at 8:00.
Together with the churches of St. Mary Draperis, also on İstiklal Caddesi, and of SS. Peter and Paul in Galata, it was one of the three Levantine parishes in Beyoğlu.
Pope John XXIII preached in this church for 10 years, when he was the Vatican’s ambassador to Turkey before being elected as pope. He is known in Turkey with the nickname “The Turkish Pope” because of his fluent Turkish and his often expressed love for Turkey and the city of Istanbul.
III. Yıldız Hamidiye Mosque(Neo-Gothic Style)
The Yıldız Hamidiye Mosque also called the Yıldız Mosque , is an Ottoman imperial mosque located in Yıldız neighbourhood of Beşiktaş district in Istanbul, Turkey, on the way to Yıldız Palace. The mosque was commissioned by the Ottoman sultan Abdul Hamid II, and constructed between 1884 and 1886. The mosque was built on a rectangular plan and has one minaret. The architecture of the mosque is a combination of Neo-Gothic style and classical Ottoman motifs. A bronze colonnade erected by Abdul Hamid II in Marjeh Square of Damascus, Syria bears a replica statue of the Yıldız Mosque on top.
On 21 July 1905, members of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation attempted to assassinate Abdul Hamid II by placing a horse carriage bomb in front of the mosque, an event known as the Yıldız assassination attempt. Although the bomb failed to kill the sultan due to an unforeseen delay, it killed 26 others and wounded 58 more. The attempt was in response to the pogroms and massacres against Armenians and other minorities of the Ottoman Empire carried out by Abdul Hamid II’s government, the Hamidian massacres.
Aside from the Gothic and Neo-Gothic styles, the architecture inside the city proper contains buildings, statues, and functional constructions which came also from Byzantine, Genoese, Ottoman, and modern Turkish sources. The city has many architecturally significant entities. Throughout its long history, Istanbul has acquired reputation for being a cultural and ethnic melting pot. As a result, there are many historical mosques, churches, synagogues, palaces, castles and towers to visit in the city.
It all started with the Dutch Government thwarting the landing permission of the plane carrying Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu, Minister of Foreign Affairs for Turkey, planning to run a series of referendum rallies in Europe. In the aftermath of the incident, Çavuşoğlu tweeted, “One can rest assured that we will respond to those who took this step,” and the issue gradually turned into a political row between Turkish and Dutch governments as Fatma Betül Sayan Kaya, Minister of Family and Social Policies, took to Turkish consulate building in Holland and was barred by Dutch policemen from getting near the building.
During the course of political row between the two countries, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, the President of Turkey, called the Dutch government, “remnants of Nazis” and Fatma Betül Sayan Kaya deemed the decisions by Dutch officials “undemocratic.”
While Kaya had to return to Turkey, Turks in Holland and İstanbul started a series of demonstrations to protest Dutch government. The area where Turkish consulate is located was filled with Turks waving flags and yelling patriotic slogans while Holland’s Consulate building in İstanbul, Taksim, suffered the rage of thousands on Saturday evening.
Early in Sunday morning, one member of a small group that gathered in front of the Holland’s Consulate building gate in İstanbul managed to get over to the other side despite precautions by the police. He took down the Dutch flag and raised a Turkish flag in its place amid “Allahu Akbar” cries.
Anadolu Agency, a news agency owned by Turkish government, said the flag was taken down by someone inside the building, and no trespassing was in question. However, the video showing the lowering of the flag has cast doubts upon this statement.
Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte claimed that “Turkish government has done all it can to tangle up the issue,” and that he has “fallen in the midst of a wrong movie.”
It is yet to be seen how the conflict will come to an end as Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs declared on its website that Dutch ambassador for Turkey, who is outside of Turkey at the moment on a regular leave, has been asked to postpone his coming to Turkey. Moreover, rector of Maltepe University in İstanbul, Şahin Karasar, has stated in Twitter that Erasmus alliances with universities in Holland are being cancelled.
To speak honestly, no one can deny the fact that football is a big, maybe the greatest part of the daily life in Turkey. The famous quote of Bill Shankly – “Some people think football is a matter of life and death. I do not like that attitude. I can assure them it is much more serious than that” – has the capability of explaining how serious the football topic is for Turkish. If Turkey is mentioned in any subject, Istanbul also ought to be. Istanbul is the capital of Turkish Football both socio-economically and historically. It is because Istanbul is the city of the “Three Bigs of Turkey” which are Fenerbahçe, Galatasaray and Beşiktaş. The Three Bigs have been the giants of Turkish Football since the earliest days of 20th century. These three bigs have been worthy of their names as they should be, and have added globally known superstars of football to their squad. Here are the top twenty football superstars played in Istanbul.
Alexsandro (Alex) de Souza
1- Alexsandro (Alex) de Souza
Alexsandro de Souza, simply known as Alex, is a Brazilian former football player and former captain of Brazilian National Team and Fenerbahçe. He respectively performed in Coritiba, Palmeiras, Parma, Flamengo, Cruzeiro, and Fenerbahçe. His Istanbul adventure began in 2004 when Cruzeiro sold him to Fenerbahçe for 5 Million Euros. His mind-blowing career statistics explains why he became a legend of Fenerbahçe. He found the net 172 times and assisted 139 times in 344 games during his Fenerbahçe career, between the years 2004 and 2012. He won 3 league championships; 1 Turkish Cup and 2 Turkish Super Cups with Fenerbahçe. In 2012, a fan-funded statue of him put up in Kadıköy Yoğurtçu Park when he was officially playing for Fenerbahçe. This incident exactly explains how important Alex is for Fenerbahçe Supporters. Upon a rift with coach, Alex’s contract was terminated in October of 2012. Upon the termination of his contract, he said; “Today, Fenerbahçe just lost a football player, but gained a great supporter. “
Ariel Ortega
2- Ariel Ortega
Ariel Ortega is an Argentinean superstar whose Istanbul days started once he signed a 4-year contract with Fenerbahçe. He became one of the most beloved football players in the history of Fenerbahçe from his first days in Istanbul. He scored against Galatasaray, so he became “a real Fenerbahçe player”. According to Fenerbahçe fans, if a football player of Fenerbahçe scores against Galatasaray, he becomes “a real Fenerbahçe Player” in the eyes of Fenerbahçe fans. Ariel Ortega earned this title on 6th October 2002 in a legendary league match at Fenerbahçe Şükrü Saraçoğlu Stadium where Galatasaray was literally destroyed by Fenerbahçe. Ariel Ortega scored one of the six goals of Fenerbahçe. Although he was a real Fenerbahçe player in the eyes of Fenerbahçe fans, he didn’t come back to his duty in Istanbul from Argentina where he spends his mid-term break of 2002-2003 Season. After Ortega’s return failed, Fenerbahçe passed his file to FIFA in April of 2003. UEFA decided to ban Ortega from playing football for 1 year, and make him pay 11 Million USD to Fenerbahçe.
Cevad Prekazi
3- Cevad Prekazi
For a Galatasaray fan, Cevad Prekazi can only be described with one word; Legend. His Galatasaray career started in 1985 and ended in 1991. Before Galatasaray, he played football in the Astro Pitch league of United States. After a six-month adventure of Astro Pitch league, he ended up with a signed contract with Galatasaray. After a while, he became famous among Turkish football fans with his strong left foot and long-distance shoots. His deathless free kick goal from 37meter distance against Monaco was jogged to Galatasaray fans’ memory. He won 2 league championships with Galatasaray. In his Galatasaray career, he scored 40 times in 185 matches.
Cláudio Taffarel
4- Cláudio Taffarel
Cláudio Taffarel is a former Brazilian goalkeeper. Taffarel’s Istanbul days began in 1998 after he transferred to Galatasaray from the Brazilian team Atletico Mineiro. He brought in numerous victories with Galatasaray including 1 UEFA Cup, 1 UEFA Super Cup, 2 League Championships and 2 Turkish Cups. He was chosen as the man of the match in the 2000 UEFA Cup Final as he didn’t concede a goal for 120 minutes. Nowadays, he is the goalkeeper coach of both Galatasaray, since 2011, and Brazilian National Team, since 2014.
Didier Drogba
5- Didier Drogba
Didier Drogba is an Ivorian striker who plays for Montreal Impact of Canadian Major League. He is a globally known soccer player due to his Chelsea career that includes 104 goals in 254 games. Moreover, he is one of the best foreign strikers played in Turkey. His Istanbul days started upon his transfer to Galatasaray on 28 January 2013. He signed a-one-and-a-half-year contract with Galatasaray. In his first season with Galatasaray, 2012-2013 Season, he scored 6 goals in 17 games. This season, Galatasaray won the title of league championship. In his second and last season, he scored 14 goals in 36 games. However, his 10 goals in league matches couldn’t help Galatasaray to become the champion. In 2013-2014 Season, Galatasaray lost championship to its rival Fenerbahçe and ranked number two. After the expiration of his contract he left Galatasaray in 2014. His physical strength, ability in air, free kick ability and the ability of retaining possession of the ball stuck in the minds of Turkish soccer lovers.
Frank de Boer
6- Frank de Boer
Frank de Boer is a Dutch former football player, defender, and currently the manager of Italian team Internazionale. He briefly transferred to Galatasaray from Barcelona in 2003. In his one and only season with Galatasaray, he could not perform well and met the expectations. He scored 1 time in 15 games. He spent most of his time in bench during the second half of the season. Galatasaray completed the league at the 6th rank and gave rein the championship to its archrival Fenerbahçe. While he was welcomed by thousands of Galatasaray fans in airport, he sent off to his country quiet and retiring.
Franck Ribéry
7- Franck Ribéry
Franck Ribéry is a true superstar of football in recent history. His Galatasaray times started on 1st January of 2005 when he transferred to Istanbul’s team for 2.5Million euros. However, today’s superstars couldn’t show a great performance in their Istanbul adventure. In the 2005-2006 season of Turkish Super League, he found the net only once in 14 games during his Galatasaray times. Due to the poor financial condition of Galatasaray, he costlessly transferred to Marseille on 1st July of 2005. In the minds of Galatasaray fans, Franck Ribéry has remained as a mediocre transfer for Galatasaray. However, his performance dramatically curved upwards after his Galatasaray times. He won Champions League with his team Bayern Munich in 2013. He have been playing for Bayern Munich since 2007.
Gheorghe Hagi
8- Gheorghe Hagi
Hagi is a Romanian former football player, and a soccer coach in our days. He was considered as one of the best attacking midfielders of Europe during 80s and 90s. Also, he is considered as the best Romanian football player of all the time. Therefore, he nicknamed “The Maradona of the Carpathians”. He also called “Commandante (The General) “by Galatasaray fans. He had the distinct honor of playing in both Barcelona and Real Madrid who are two of the greatest football teams of all time. In 1996, at 31, he signed for Galatasaray. After his joining, Galatasaray almost won all the trophies it competes in. During his Galatasaray career, he scored 73 times in 192 games, and won league championships for 4-year in a row from 1996 to 2000. Moreover, he won 2 Turkish Cups, 2 Turkish Super Cups, 1 UEFA Cup (1999-2000) and 1 UEFA Super Cup (2000). Hagi was cheered up by Galatasaray fans with a classic chant “I love you Hagi” since his arrival at Istanbul. His retirement in 2001 was not the end of his Istanbul adventure. In 2004 and in 2010, he became the coach of Galatasaray two times. However, he couldn’t be as successful as his football career on his career as coach in Galatasaray. Nevertheless, he remained as one of the most successful and loved people in Galatasaray community.
Gheorghe Popescu
9- Gheorghe Popescu
Gheorghe Popescu is a Romanian retired defender. His Galatasaray times began in 1997 after he left Barcelona. In his Galatasaray Career, he won three league championships in a row, 1997-1998, 1998-1999, and 1999-2000, 2 Turkish Cups in a row, 1998-1999, and 1999-2000, 1 UEFA Cup in 1999-2000 and 1 UEFA Super Cup in 1999-2000 Season. He scored 6 times in his 111-game Turkish Super League career. He was a true legend of Galatasaray when he left Turkey in 2001.
Guti Hernández
10- Guti Hernández
The name Guti Hernández carries a lot of weight in the eyes of Real Madrid fans. He served the Spanish team for a quarter-century. After his 24-year service to Real Madrid, he left 60 goals in 425 games behind. In 2010, he made a deal with Beşiktaş and found himself in Turkey, a country whose people are sickly in love with football. Beşiktaş fans greet him with open arms and great expectations. The transfer had a broad repercussion on press and social media. However, Guti’s 7 goals in 23 league games in 2010-2011 Season didn’t satisfy the expectations of Beşiktaş fans and the administration of the football club. In the next season, the superstar was released by the club on November of 2011.
Harry Kewell
11- Harry Kewell
Harry Kewell is an Australian retired football player and currently a coach. His Istanbul adventure began upon his transfer from Liverpool to Galatasaray with a two-year contract in 2008. He was quite famous among Galatasaray fans, so he nicknamed as Harry the Wizard, inspired from Harry Potter, and the Wizard of Oz by Galatasaray fans. His transfer to Galatasaray encounters a downturn in the history of Galatasaray. In three seasons that he played with Galatasaray, the team just won a Turkish Cup in 2008. In this 3 year-period, Galatasaray gave rein the championships to Fenerbahçe, Beşiktaş and Bursaspor. Despite the poor performance of the team, Kewell individually showed a great performance in his Galatasaray Career. He scored 22 times in his 66 games during his three seasons.
John Carew
12- John Carew
John Carew’s Istanbul adventure started in 2004 after he transferred to Beşiktaş from Rome where he plays as a rental player of Valencia. After his transfer to Beşiktaş, he became the most beloved foreign of Beşiktaş Squad in 2004-2005 Season. Although he scored 13 times in 24 games, he faced heavy criticism by the media. Despite the Beşiktaş fans’ deep love for John Carew, the administration of Beşiktaş decided to sell him to Lyon for 8 Million euros. Still, he is legendary in the eyes of Beşiktaş fans.
Mário Jardel
13- Mário Jardel
Mário Jardel is a Brazilian retired soccer player. He is literally a legend in the eyes of Galatasaray fans. Before the 2000-2001 Season, he was sold to Galatasaray from Porto. Galatasaray was the winner of UEFA Cup in 2000, and the community was in doubt whether Jardel is going to adapt the team or not. He showed that there won’t be an issue concerning adaptation by scoring five times in his debut game. In 2000 UEFA Super Cup, Galatasaray was challenging with Real Madrid in Monaco. In the first half of the game, Mario Jardel found the net in a penalty kick. In response to the goal of Galatasaray, Real Madrid gained a penalty kick in the second half of the game and Raul converted the penalty kick into goal. As the score was made even, extra time was played. In the extra time, Mário Jardel scored again and paved the way going to the trophy. That’s why he became a legend of Galatasaray. After winning the UEFA Super Cup, in his first and only season with Galatasaray, Mário Jardel’s performance got down to a fine art and he scored 22 times in 24 games. Before the beginning of 2001-2002 Season, he transferred back to Portugal. He left behind an unbelievable statistics and millions of Galatasaray fans who sickly love him.
Nicolas Anelka
14- Nicolas Anelka
Anelka is a French former soccer player. He came to Istanbul upon he signed a contract with Fenerbahçe in January 2005. Fenerbahçe paid £ 7 Million for the transfer of Nicolas Anelka. The transfer had a broad repercussion in both written and visual media. He scored 4 times in 14 league games in 2004-2005 Season. Especially in the second half of the season, Fenerbahçe showed a great performance with the participation of Anelka and became the league champion. In 2005-2006 Season, he scored 10 goals in 25 games. That performance was not sufficient for Fenerbahçe to become the champion, and the team finished the league at the second rank. In August 2016, Anelka sold to Bolton Wanderers for a £ 8 Million transfer fee. He left behind a big disappointment in the eyes of Fenerbahçe fans as he couldn’t perform well with Fenerbahçe like he did with Manchester City.
Pascal Nouma
15- Pascal Nouma
Pascal Nouma is not just a football star, he is also a public figure in the eyes of Turkish people. His Turkey adventure started in 2000 when he signed for Beşiktaş. In his first season, he scored 18 times in 24 games. Besides his great performance in Beşiktaş, his behaviors made him one of the most beloved foreign football player in Turkish Football Community. After his first season in Beşiktaş, he transferred to Marseille. After he spend a year in France, he came back to the fold. 20 April 2003 was a turning point of his football career. On that day, he put his hands down his short, a gesture known as “Tombala Çekmek” which literally means drawing a number from pouch in a Turkish play game, as a goal celebration after he scored against Fenerbahçe in Beşiktaş İnönü Stadium. After this gesture, Beşiktaş was forced to cancel Nouma’s contract. Still, the cancellation of his contract didn’t diminish Beşiktaş fans’ love for him. Beside Beşiktaş fans, he has a great number of fans at all levels of society. After his jubilee, he attended to a famous TV Show; Survivor in 2012. In this show, he fought with Nihat Doğan who was another competitor. After the fight, he disqualified from Survivor. Still, he is a well-known and beloved celebrity of Turkey despite his bizarre behaviors. In an interview, he claimed to be a Turk and stated that Turkey was his homeland.
Pierre van Hooijdonk
16- Pierre van Hooijdonk
Van Hooijdonk is retired Dutch striker who played for Turkish giant Fenerbahçe between the years 2003 and 2005. Once he signed for the Turkish giant in the beginning of 2003-2004 Football Season, he found himself in Istanbul, playing for one of the two biggest football communities; Fenerbahçe, the other one is Galatasaray. In his first year with Fenerbahçe, he showed an amazing performance and adaptation with his teammates and carried the team to the League Championship. In that season, he found the net 24 times and ranked as 2nd top scorer. The 2003-2004 Turkish Super League Championship was the first league championship of his career. When the time showed 2004-2005 Football Season, he again showed an impressive performance and scored 8 times during the league schedule. With the big efforts of Fenerbahçe’s super trio, Pierre van Hooijdonk, Alex de Souza and Mert Nobre, the team made history and again became the champion. After that season, Pierre left Fenerbahçe and signed for his former club NAC Breda. Although he spent just two seasons with Fenerbahçe, he became one of the most beloved soccer players of Fenerbahçe. Fans nicknamed him as “Aziz Pierre” which literally means Saint Pierre. So to speak, he became a legend of Fenerbahçe. No Fenerbahçe fan can forget his rocket-like long-range shoots, free kicks and bellicosity.
Roberto Carlos
17- Roberto Carlos
Roberto Carlos is a Brazilian retired soccer player. He is considered one of the best left backs of all time. He can easily be remembered with his free kick goal from 35-meter distance against France in the opening match of Tournoi de France in 1997. Lately, the type of goals like he scored against France are termed as a “banana shot” by soccer lovers. After a 11-year service for Real Madrid, he signed a two-year contract with one year optional for Fenerbahçe, which was the league champion of 2006-2007 Turkish Football Season, in 2007 when he was 34. In his first match with Fenerbahçe, he played against Beşiktaş in the Final of Turkish Super Cup, and he paved the way for the cup. He scored his first goal of Fenerbahçe Career against Sivasspor from a diving header. Interestingly, he coached to Sivasspor, which he found the net for the first time in his Fenerbahçe Career, during 2013-2014 Season. In 2007, he left Fenerbahçe as his contract expired. He left 10 goals in 103 matches and those who love him behind in Turkey. However, leaving Fenerbahçe was not the end of his Turkey Adventure. He coached to Sivasspor, 2013-2014, and Akhisar Belediyespor, 2014-2015.
18- Robin van Persie
Robin van Persie, simply known as RVP, is a globally known Dutch striker. After an 11-years England adventure filled with 144 goals in 280 league games, he became an Istanbul Resident on 14th July of 2015 after he joined the Fenerbahçe Squad. He signed a three-year contract with Fenerbahçe for a 3.8 Million British pound fee. Although he found the net 16 times in 31 league matches in his first season with Fenerbahçe, he couldn’t meet the expectations of Fenerbahçe fans. By the decision of Vitor Pereira, former coach of Fenerbahçe, he spent most of his time on the bench during the 2015-2016 Football Season. As Vitor Pereira was replaced with Dutch Coach Dick Advocaat, Fenerbahçe fans are pretty optimistic about his future performance in the 2016-2017 Season.
Toni Schumacher
19- Toni Schumacher
Harald Anton Schumacher, commonly known as Toni Schumacher, is a former German goalkeeper. His first and the last abroad adventure was about to start when he signed a 2-year contract with Fenerbahçe. He became an irreplaceable member of the starting eleven in his first year in Istanbul. He didn’t concede any goal in 14 games of the whole league marathon and he kept the goal of the Fenerbahçe team in the whole league competitions by playing 90 minutes in every match. Therefore, he led his team to the championships in the 1988-1989 season. In this season, Fenerbahçe became the second among the least goal-conceding teams. His great performance in 1988-1989 season made him a legend in Fenerbahçe. He got Hepatitis B in his second year in Fenerbahçe, and took a break from football. After his comeback, he couldn’t perform as adequately in the 1990-1991 season. In the June of 1991, he decided to retire from football with a jubilee match in Inönü Stadium against Atletico Madrid. Afterwards, he decided to make his jubilee in another match against Bayern München in Izmir Stadium where Fenerbahçe defeated Bayern München by 3-2. After his jubilee, he intervally played in Bayern München, in 1991-1992 Season, and in Borussia Dortmund, in the 1995-1996 Season.
Wesley Sneijder
20- Wesley Sneijder
Wesley Sneijder is a Dutch midfielder who currently plays for Turkish team Galatasaray. He transferred to Galatasaray in 2013 for a fee of 7.5 Million Euros from Internazionale. Since his first hours in Istanbul, he greatly being welcomed by Galatasaray fans, and he is staying the course to become a legend of Galatasaray. In his first season, 2012-2013 Season, he won the league championship with Galatasaray by scoring 3 goals in 15 games. In his second year, 2013-2014 Season, he showed a great performance with Galatasaray form by scoring 12 times in 28 games. However, Galatasaray lost the league championship to Fenerbahçe that destroyed its archrival Galatasaray in home but got destroyed in away. In 2014-2015 Season, Galatasaray won the league trophy as a result of impressive performance of Sneijder who scored 10 times in 31 games. In 2015-2016 Season, Galatasaray couldn’t perform well and complete the league at 6th rank. In this season, Sneijder did not perform well too; he scored 5 times in 25 games. Galatasaray extended the duration of Sneijder’s contract for three years on 3 October 2015. Since his arrival, Sneijder have been a very efficient midfielder of Galatasaray against its archrival Fenerbahçe. He scored 3 times against Fenerbahçe in league matches, which is completely sufficient for a Galatasaray player to be called as a legend, or a true Galatasaray Player, since he scored against Fenerbahçe.
Political unrest in Turkey ridded every one of their emotions and turned them into a bunch of angry people. However, hope has re-emerged through the story of a puppy stuck in a well for eleven days. He has at last been saved, alive and well.
The puppy fell down into the borehole in Beykoz, İstanbul two weeks ago. The seventy-meter-deep and thirty-centimetres-in-diameter well made it quite difficult for rescue teams to reach him. Three different teams; namely firefighters, AFAD (Disaster and Emergency Association) and TKK (Coal Association of Turkey) have been employing different methods, but all efforts had so far proved insufficient for the rescue operation.
Finally, teams came up with the idea of creating an apparatus by merging water pipes with a steel rope passing through. This apparatus enabled the puppy to be pulled up safely.
On being rescued, the puppy was taken to the animal hospital in Fatih where he was checked. His vet said, “Though he has been in that well for eleven days, he is fine in terms of health, and he has his appetite. He will go to his permanent residence from here, where I hope we will be visiting him.”
Vedat Zor, one of the firefighters who worked in the rescue operation, said, “This was a team work. We worked together with other teams in coordination. We have been working for eleven days while listening to, understanding and not being rude to one another.”
It appears that the puppy fell down when the snow was heavy, and bags that piled into the well after his fall made it more difficult for him to be noticed at the bottom of the well.
Animal lovers in the scene, whose number had increased greatly as days went by, were overjoyed when the operation ultimately became a success. As the progress of the rescue operation was followed closely by a vast number of people on social media, the rescue of the puppy has shown that people can come together and have mutual aspirations even at such tense times as the one the country is going through.
The puppy was fostered by Beykoz Firefighters Community and named “Kuyu,” which means “well” in Turkish.
