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From the editors
Index
Dear readers, We are very excited to share our fifth issue with you on National Sovereignty and Children’s Day. Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the founder of the Turkish Republic, dedicated April 23 to the children in Turkey considering those children are the future of the country. In this issue we see the hardwork, skills and creativity of those children who have now become young adults.
The Interview, 3 Jehan Barbur a musician and a writer
A Closer Look at One Department, 11 Mineral Processing Engineering
In this fifth issue, one of our editors and two of our students, Aylin Adsalan and Hava Nur Yavaş interview well-known musician and writer Jehan Barbur. The second interview is done by Atakan Babacan with a member of the Mineral Processing Engineering Department at ITU. Aylin Adsalan also visits Dolmabahçe Palace where Atatürk died. There are also two city guides. Jindar Geleri, a new writer who is from Mardin, walks in the mysterious streets of her hometown. In addition, Eren Koç, an Erasmus student currently in Prague, writes about his impressions of this beautiful European city. Finally, following the previous issue’s game trend, Mert Menekşe and Sarper Doğa Öngen prepare a case for the game GO and interview the Istanbul Technical University GO Club. In brief, this issue will ignite your passions for travel, artistry and competition.
A Landmark, 15 Dolmabahçe Palace Mardin, 20 from the viewpoint of a resident
Prague, 24 impressions of an Erasmus student
The Case for GO, 28 a mind and strategy game
Happy Children’s Day the cover photo by İlknur Karaman
and happy reading.
İlknur Karaman
www.writing.itu.edu.tr
Meridith Paterson
writing@itu.edu.tr
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The Interview With Jehan Barbur
W
e waited for Jehan Barbur on a pleasant day at a trendy cafe in Cihangir. After a short wait, she arrived immediately emitting an aura of sweetness. Her graciousness reduced our excitement, and we began the interview.
You wanted to study at a conservatory. However, your father did not allow you to do this. Thus, you studied in another department. Was the reason why you didn’t go against your father's wish discouragement or love for him above everything else? Firstly, no matter that he was my father or not, an older person said to me, “I think you are wrong. I don’t want you to make your living by singing.” On the other hand, I had a desire for music. At first, I said to myself, “No, I will make music. I can’t do anything else.” I was moderately sure of what I’ve wanted since my childhood. However, when an older person having more life experience told me this kind of thing, I thought about it again. Of course, I respected and loved him. Moreover, he was my father. He was the one in beewriter ITU Writing Center Student Magazine
authority, and I didn’t want to hurt him. At that time, I couldn’t realize the reason why I did what he said. Was it respect or love? I didn’t know. I’m thinking now, and it was probably because I had an obligation to him. I did it because of fear of losing him. I did it because he was my father, and he had the authority. I studied in another department on a scholarship in order to make him happy. My winning a scholarship made him happy. He asked me, “Which department will you study?” I told him American Language and Literature. He laughed at me, and he said, “So, what will you be?” Nonetheless, he was pleased like every father. At least, it wasn’t conservatory. I defied him very much. I wrote a lot of letters. I called him and talked about it a lot. However, it wasn't possible to go to a conservatory. Then I thought that it wasn’t a loss. At least I would go to another city where I could develop my artistic abilities because there were no opportunities for me in Iskenderun. I mean there was no chance to work with a musician or an actor there. Accordingly, I did what my father wanted, went to university, and received a diploma. So, you started to be interested in music when you were little? Yes. Being interested in music, playing the piano or singing was like a hobby for me instead of a job. When I started to learn English as a preparatory student at university, I was very happy because I could learn English songs. It was for fun. I mean, it was like I must learn this song, this one, rather than how to sing a song well, or how to make music. It was really 3
fun. It seemed to me like therapy, so it wasn’t like focusing on music. When you were little, what did you want to be? I wanted to be an actress, but I became a musician. I played in the theater, too. However, I’m not an actress. It was an offer for a year. I think it is not an easy job. Even if you want to do them together, you cannot. You must quit one of them. Both of them take too much time. Nowadays, I occupy all my time with my second book and making a new album. At the same time, my concerts continue. I am a producer for Fırat Tanış’s new album. I can’t leave the studio, so I am so busy that I don’t have time for acting. In addition, one day, I want to have a child.
tried to love it. I tried to be successful, and I finished my university at grade three. Nevertheless, I have never done this job. However, I started to read books. I did not love reading books before I went to the university. Therefore, my department has encouraged me to read books.
Did you choose your school willingly? Did it make a contribution to your life? Of course, it contributed. If I had gone to a carpet making school, it would have contributed to my life because there is a contribution from university life. First of all, you live apart from your family, and it is a good adventure because you live in a different city. You stay with yourself. You meet, love and get to know men. You're going through adolescence to adulthood. I found a different environment because of living in Ankara, a big city and different from Iskenderun. If you want to listen to music, you can go to a concert in Ankara. I found theatre halls very magical. Hence, I did not have much interest in the department I studied in. However, I had one rule: always being successful. Even though I did not love my department, I beewriter ITU Writing Center Student Magazine
So, in the past, you didn’t like books? Exactly. The books used to seem to me like a horrible exam. Firstly, I would check how many pages it had. As an example, if it had five hundred pages, I would say, “I can’t read it. I must start with a thin book.” I began to like reading books later. When I studied in the American literature department, it was so hard for me because it wasn’t my mother tongue, and I had to analyze a poetry written in the distant past in a foreign language. A teacher would give me a reading 4
assignment. I would say, “It is okay”, but then another teacher would give me another book to be read, too. Four books a week, so it was impossible for me to read all of them. I would make a bargain with myself, “I will read forty pages today.”I would read as much as I needed, but not more than that. Thus, I was not in high spirits. However, I liked it over time.
The story of your arrival in Istanbul is well known. You came to Istanbul, and you tried to meet people in the sector. In other words, you wanted to be known in the sector. Then, you met Bülent Ortaçgil, and he wanted you to make an album. However, you didn’t want to. Why? It wasn’t that I didn't want to. He listened to my songs somehow. One of the musicians working with Bülent Ortaçgil for over twenty years and another one who is also my friend called me and said, “Bülent Ortaçgil wants to meet you”, which made me excited. However, I had realized the fact that there was a music market in Turkey, and I didn’t like it. I couldn’t see myself as a part of it. It can be priggish and a little snobbish, but when I released my first album, there wasn’t any other music style like mine as an album in those years, or rather six years ago. When I made the album, the companies didn’t want to beewriter ITU Writing Center Student Magazine
release this kind of album. It had to be popular music. Then, I think people who had already made this kind of music, but hadn’t released it yet and the companies showed courage to produce these kinds of albums. However, at that time, because the circumstances weren’t like that, I did not want to release an album. I couldn’t categorize my music considering the ones popular at that time. I mean, what was my music regarded as? Was it popular music? What was I making? It wasn’t jazz music, either. Thus, when Bülent Ortaçgil said to me, “You must make an album,” I answered no. I said, "I don’t want to make one, and I didn’t come here for it.” Then he said, “It is better. If you don’t have ambition, creating the album runs more easily because ambition restricts people. Because of your ambition, maybe you can’t do something that you want to do because you are afraid of failure." Actually, I didn’t care about it, either. Then, I met Ada Music, and it opened the door for me to make my own music. You said when you came to Istanbul in order to evolve yourself in music, one thing you held on to was your dream. It still is. Did you expect to be listened to so much? Yes, I did. Furthermore, actually, I thought it would take a long time. I never thought it would happen suddenly, and change my life as soon as the album came out. Moreover, I risked losing ten years of my life for it. Especially in the 2000s, when people have been consuming things so fast and giving up their commitments so
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easily, who was I? How should I address people, and make a statement that it would make me an important person. I’ve already given up on that. Beyond my creation, my opinion has always been to be happy with the people I am with, to have decent, moral, conscious and loyal friends around me, which would be enough for me. I must be a good person first, and my career comes next. I have trusted in myself because I have learned a lot from my family. However, I had some doubts about my musical future if I would be loved. I used to dream of that even if I didn’t achieve my goal, maybe I would share a table and have a chat with the people I admired.
Writing something and sharing it is thought to require courage. People firstly criticize their own writing, and are afraid beewriter ITU Writing Center Student Magazine
of writing like another writer. So, how did you realize your writing skill? Still I don’t know if I can write well. It will resemble someone anyway, it is inevitable. How many times can you discover the fire? We benefit from the fire and continue to use it. It is similar in writing as well in a way. Of course, I am affected by the books I read; however, I have a personal style of talking and writing. Maybe I write like a person whose article I’ve never read, but you may compare mine to her/his writing because you read it before. In other words, maybe people liken my narration to anyone else’s that I don’t know. I think writing doesn’t require courage, but it requires unhappiness. Unhappy people write. Unhappiness is not a bad thing here. I mean unhappiness is not hopelessness. It is to be unsatisfied with nothing, or not to like what you see. All of these compel you to write them in order to express your emotion. If I didn’t write, I would go crazy as Sait Faik Abasıyanık said. Writing is despair and need rather than courage. While some bare their souls by listening to other people, some draw a picture to relax. Some drink all day, and some are drug addicts. Some are nothing, so are suicidal. Consequently, everyone has different characteristics, and nobody is more important than others. The important thing is finding a way to express yourself. I don’t want to live in a world where one drunk and alcoholic is condemned for their actions because it is a way for this person to express himself or the inability to express himself. Writing is
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not something different. It is a way to express or silence yourself. All of your songs have different stories. Do all of them tell about a part of your life, or do you write stories of other people? Both of them. For instance, after reading a novel, you can ask the author, “Is it your life story?”, and he says to you, “It isn’t, but I wrote it.” Hence, not all of them are my story, but they are my creation. Eventually, they are my past, my subconscious, my desires and my wishes. We spend our life with a lot of people. Sometimes even a little thing I see in their lives makes me write a story. There is a remarkable song from a soundtrack in your last album. Did you write it being influenced by A Broken Love Story, the famous Turkish movie? No wonder! I wrote it for the movie. The music belongs to Cahit Berkay and my lyrics are entirely for the film. The song and video clip were my gifts to actors and actresses in the movie because these people are very valuable to me. I think it should be a song about the movie. The music on which lyrics could be written was already spectacular. Some music is really good, but you cannot write lyrics for it. Nevertheless, this music is composed for the lyrics to be written. I think this music was waiting for you... Was it? Or was I waiting for it? I do not know. I was on cloud nine when Cahit Berkay called me and wanted me to write lyrics. I wrote the lyrics for another beewriter ITU Writing Center Student Magazine
reason, but it was bestowed to my album. I did not watch the movie again while I was writing because I had already watched it so many times, and I remembered scenes from the movie very well. Thus, I wrote a story for it which was in my head, so it is my own view. Apparently, you have an admiration for the film because Ömer Kavur has several good films. Why did you choose this one? Because it is a broken love story! A love story. It can be subjective. Everyone finds different things in a film, but there are common denominators. In this film, it is a love story without a happy ending. Therefore, the film reminds you of your own unhappy endings. I love the film because the story takes place in a small town and I grew up in a small town, Iskenderun, too. When I grew up there, there was a town life in Iskenderun, despite its modernity. I watched it at an early age, and it filled me with nostalgia for my old town life. In addition, I loved its story. It is a broken love story which makes it a real love story. When we look at your life we can see a warrior fighting for her dreams. Although there are a lot of people studying at different departments, they have the ability for the other things like you. What do you want to say to them? Would you encourage them? Or course, I would. Primarily, they shouldn't need my words to encourage them. You have that courage. It is like if you have to pee. If you have to go, you cannot keep it inside.
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What will happen if we can’t uncover our hidden talent? You can. If you can’t uncover it today, you’ll uncover it ten days later, but be sure you will. It never dies inside you. Otherwise, it kills you. We all expect to be approved by everybody. Some go to a psychologist because of loneliness, and expect to be approved. We expect approval from our family, friends, and lover. I think you must express yourself in order to relax, but not to find approval. It is like masturbating. It’s private. Producing pleasure is not disgraceful or a thing done for being liked. Firstly, do it for yourself. Then people may like it or not. You learn not to care about it. However, of course, being read and knowing that your products are one of those produced are very important. Generally singers say that all of their songs have an equal value for them. They feel their songs are like their children. But I want you to make a choice. What is your favorite song? “Güzel Adam” in Sarı Album. Its story charms me because it is my story. Can we encounter a poem in your new album like the one in Sarı album? No. There is no poetry this time. I recorded a poem in Sarı because I would publish my book one year later. The poem became a bridge between the album and the book. I did not want to make a new album because I had made one almost every year. Therefore, I wanted to write a book and I did not make an album in 2013. beewriter ITU Writing Center Student Magazine
I announced it in this way; in addition, I wanted to record a poem.
So, can there be a cover song? There may be for the next album because we finished recording all the songs in the album, and this album includes new compositions, too. The next album may include a cover song that I love. However, I wanted to make four albums that all include only my own songs. I don’t think it is right for me to sing other singers’ songs because I am not a singer, and my desire is being a writer, and singing my own songs. For example, have you ever heard Bülent Ortaçgil singing another singer’s song? It is stability, and you go to his concert to listen to his own songs. If I live twenty more years and don’t lose my voice, I want to still sing my own songs. From time to time, I sing songs that share common features with my life and songs that I love. To illustrate, I sang “Aşk Bitti” for a film. In addition, it was a song of my childhood, and I could feel it. I sang Bülent Ortaçgil’s song because his writing style was similar to mine. When I had only one album, I had to sing others’ songs because I had to fill my program in my concerts, but now I have three albums and thirty two songs. Accordingly, singing others’ songs seems shameful to me. 8
What is the new album's name? Sizler Hiç Yokken and it tells about me at the age of 33/34. How do you decide which songs to make video clips for? I predict which song will attract people the most? For example, Gidersem is my first clip's song. I made a clip for Hangisi Sen because I want this song to be known. Are you the one choosing your costumes for your clips? Yes, it is the most problematic part of the job. I want to show something -such as I am not a melancholic singer by dressing the band- with my costume in clips. I choose costumes to say “we are both happy and sad. We have each feeling.” However, I get bored while choosing clothing. I’ve never been one of these kinds of women and I don’t go shopping because I hate it. For example, I can wear the same sweater a lot of times. Who did you listen to through your adolescence? I listened to anybody. I loved the voice of Selda Bağcan a lot. I listened to Jacques Brel and Charles Aznavour as well as Edip Akbayram, Barış Manço, Ezgi’nin Günlüğü and Bülent Ortaçgil. I was also a big fan of Michael Jackson. What is your favourite song? I can’t keep one song separate from the others because I can’t live with only one song. It depends on my mood. If I break up with my boy friend, I listen to a specific beewriter ITU Writing Center Student Magazine
song. If I have a row with someone, I listen to a different one. However, in general, I like “İki Keklik” very much that Erkan Oğur sang in his “Bir Ömürlük Misafir” album. I can’t give up this song because it takes my breath away. What are your favorite films? I like Reha Erdem's films such as "Times and Winds" and "Cosmos" so much. The film "Boats Out of Watermelon Rinds" directed by Ahmet Uluçay is very beautiful. I like "Motherland Hotel", "The Hidden Face", "Journey on the Clockhand" by Ömer Kavur and "Mine" that Türkan Şoray acted in. "Gramofon Avrat" by Yusuf Kurçenli. Of course, "A Broken Love Story". I also liked "The Butterfly's Dream" by Yılmaz Erdoğan so much. I like all Zeki Ökten and Yusuf Kurçenli's films, and Ömer Kavur's. A lot of his films. You talked about Motherland Hotel, so I guess you love Yusuf Atılgan, too. I love him. I really love him and his book the Loiterer... What is your favourite novel? It is hard to say. I can’t select one of them. I find something different in each book. I cannot name a favourite book, but I can say my favourite poet of all times is Edip Cansever. I love him so much, and I wish I had met him. He was a poet bringing objects to life. Whenever I read his poems, they broaden my horizons. The First New Movement and The Second New Movement are thought to have made poetry worse, but I think the poetry evolved in that period. It is not easy to 9
give life and character to an object. For instance, in a documentary, Cemal Süreya told about Orhan Veli Kanık “He makes poetry eat an apple.” There is no doubt that it is not easy to make poetry eat an apple. However, Edip is a little bit... I don’t know if it is an embarrassment or being a little man. I love him very much. How did you start to write a blog? I got bored writing to myself. I opened a blog but then I closed it because I published my book. I don’t have a blog anymore. What is your second book about? And when will it be published? The second book will be different. It is a book that requires hard work and I have been working on it since last summer. It is an interview book. Therefore, I'm doing interviews with people. Then I will deal with their transcripts and compilation. I do not want to tell the topic now. But it is really a hard topic, and it needs time to work on. Hopefully, it will be published in November.
things quickly and giving up on them easily. They should save something beyond money. They should read a lot and not forget what they have read. They should understand people and not judge them. Before judging, they must listen and try to understand people. They shouldn’t forget there are a lot of people other than them. They should throw away the concepts of differences in religion, language and race. They should be conscientious and loyal. If I had a child, I would teach him/her these things. They should be productive. It is enough to be a good person, too. They should know their limits. In addition, they should have a lot of fun. They should have a lot of things to tell their children. They should try everything. They should do what they want without hurting others and themselves very much. They shouldn’t have arguments about decency and morals with anybody.
What do you advise teenagers and university students to do? If everything works out with advice, they will realize that they didn't pass up on a lot of things. We are a very lucky generation. They should be more romantic and nostalgic. I think they must read a lot about romanticism and romanticism doesn’t mean emotionalism or lighting a candle. It means believing in something and going after it, struggling for your beliefs. I hate seeing people consuming beewriter ITU Writing Center Student Magazine
Aylin Adsalan Hava Nur Yavaş Photography by İlknur Karaman
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A Closer Look at One Department
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s an English Preparatory student and candidate of Mineral Processing Engineering at Istanbul Technical University, I will give you some information about my future department. To learn about the department, I interviewed Assoc. Prof. Dr. Murat Olgaç Kangal. Firstly, I will give you a little information about Mineral Processing Engineering. The Department of Mineral Processing Engineering, which was first established at Istanbul Technical University and started to accept students in the 2007-2008 academic year, is the first and only mineral processing engineering department in Turkey. In addition, it provides lectures on coal and mineral processing for students in the Mining Engineering Department and provides consultancy for graduate thesis of the Mineral Processing Engineering Department. In 2010, our university began 100 percent English instructed programs. In the 2010-2011 academic year, 25 students got accepted into the department with 30 percent English instruction and 25 students were accepted into the department 100 percent English instruction. At the end of Spring Semester in the 2010-2011 academic year, the department of Mineral Processing Engineering had its first 6 graduates. As of June 2013, 42 students had graduated from the department.
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After this general information, I want to present more specific information obtained interviewing Assoc. Prof. Dr. Murat Olgaç Kangal. What does Mineral Engineering mean?
Processing
Simply, Mineral Processing Engineering is a transition between Mine Engineering and Metallurgical and Materials Engineering. A mine engineer extracts minerals, a mineral processing engineer makes them workable and finally metallurgical and materials engineers process them. What does a Mineral Processing Engineer do? Rapid advances in materials science and preparation of raw materials are demanding features. Biomechanics, textiles, insulation, fiberglass optical purposes, advanced ceramics, and nanotechnology for the preparation of raw materials are some examples. In this context, the main working areas of Mineral Processing Engineering are:
Metallurgical Enrichment (Chromium, Copper, Lead, Zinc, etc.)
Available in Various Sectors of Industrial Minerals Product Development
Nuclear Materials (uranium, thorium, etc.) Production and Facility Design
Secure Storage of waste
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Recycling and Waste Development of Mineral Processing Technology
Land Reclamation Works
Cement Raw Materials Preparation and Milling
Garbage and Solid Waste Separation and Evaluation (wastefree Mineral Processing Technology Development)
colleagues spend so much time and effort, so this department is very important for all of us. Why are there so few Mineral Processing Engineering departments worldwide? Because it is a transition department, but it is everywhere including geology.
What is the position of Mineral Processing Engineering in the past, present and future? In the past it was a section, but now it is an important department. People have been learning more information about this department. Working areas of Mineral Processing Engineering are increasing day by day. Furthermore, it is just in ITU in Turkey. Hence, its importance is rising and in the future it will have a more important and valuable position in a lot of ways. What kind of a position can a Mineral Processing Engineer have in the sector? They can work in Mine Facilities and Ore Facilities as a Mineral Processing Engineer or Manager. Besides, they can establish their own business. Do you like your job as a Mineral Processing Engineering lecturer? Yes, absolutely. I love it. When I started to work in the department at ITU, I wanted to work at a laboratory. In Mine Engineering, I saw studies of minerals and I thought I found my future job. I and my beewriter ITU Writing Center Student Magazine
How is the relationship between students and teachers? We have a very cozy and friendly environment. Students can ask us anything that they want to learn. They can come to our offices and we always help them. Furthermore, they have important advantages because there are a lot of laboratory classes; therefore, we are always in contact with students. When we were college students, we didn’t have a chance to be close to our teachers. However, you are very lucky because you have lots of opportunities. You can reach whatever you want; you should just ask.
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What important work has been done since the establishment of the department of Mineral Processing Engineering? We organized research trips:
many
technical
Tata Zinc Mine Inspection Trips, India
American University of NevadaMackay School of Mines
The University of Utah
Henry Krumb School of Mines at Columbia University
Germany Technische Universität Berlin
Technische Universität Clausthal
RWTH-Aachen University
Montan University Leoben Austria (The University of Leoben)
University of Newcastle in Australia Tunrida Bulk Solids Institute
Bulgaria University of Mining and Geology "St. Ivan Rilski"
University of Annaba in Algeria, Algerie
Sweden, Luleå Technology
University of Baia Mare in Romania
Russia Moscow University
and
Technical
U.S. Pelp-Pudge Copper Mine Technical Inspection Trip to the U.S.
ERSEL Machine San. and Tic. A.Ş., Road Construction Aggregate Proc. And Aggregate Aytas
Istanbul management (Aggregate Production and Technology Course)
University
State
of
Mining
Yalıköy Şişecam Technical Tours (Flotation Courses).
Technical University of Ostrava in the Czech Republic
Koza Gold Operations Inc. Ovacik Bergama Facility Tours (Ore Preparation Facility Management and Economics Courses).
France Ecole Nationale Superieure des Mines de Paris (MINES Paris Tech.)
University Spain Universidad de Castilla-La Monch Politécnica de Madrid
Furthermore, we have a lot of international connections:
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
Nate Greece. Tech. University of Athens
We have also won some awards; Cansu Çelik, one of our students, became runnerup at the contest, "International Environmentalist Cities 2012". Moreover, there have been many dissertations and research papers published and some others still continue. Lastly, Mineral Processing Engineering is a very important department, and we are a new department. Thus, we have a lot of responsibility to our students, but I believe we will be more successful.
Atakan Babacan
Photos were taken from the following links: http://www.egitimekrani.com/?haber,25524 and http://www.cevher.itu.edu.tr/
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Dolmabahçe Palace
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ince my childhood, I have been interested in history, so it is my great pleasure to introduce this beautiful, historic venue. I hope you can feel the same pleasure while reading as I did while touring it. I prefer to go to Kabatas by hopping on a boat from Uskudar. Most tourists come to visit area because of its central location. As I enter the palace, I realize that I am going to begin a trip which has an independent beauty from time. This palace has a different style of architecture than the old palace (Topkapi Palace). It’s built under the influences of Baroque, Ottoman, Rococo and Neoclassical architecture. I am going to tell its' history and construction before I reference the interesting facts. Enjoy. Dolmabahce Palace is located on the Karakoy – Sariyer coastline between Besiktas and Kabatas. Before it was built, the area was a big bay in Bogazici and it was used by Ottoman Marines (Osmanlı Kaptan-I Deryası). The bay was used to beewriter ITU Writing Center Student Magazine
celebrate traditional sea festivals, but became a swamp over time.
The sea was filled in, in the 17th century. The imperial park was built for the sultans to relax in and enjoy themselves. By that time, many mansions were built and for a long time the land was called the Besiktas Coast Palace (Besiktas Sahilsarayi). The influence of western architecture rose during the 18th century. Turkish rococo appeared on the mansions that were built in the baroque style with western influence. Abdulmecit requested a palace different from the classical construction built before. He aimed to compete with western civilizations in terms of architectural beauty. He wanted to prove the Ottoman’s magnificence by building a palace. Thus, Dolmabahce Palace began to be built with the guidance of three headworkers Balyan Kalfa, Nikoğos Kalfa and Evanis Kalfa by Abdulmecit the 31stSultan of the Ottoman Empire in 1843. The construction was completed in 1856. The palace is divided into three parts; Mâbeyn-I Hümâyûn (Selâmlık), Muâyede
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Salonu (Tören Hümâyûn.
Salonu)
and
Harem-I
Harem-I Hümâyûn was where the sultan and his family lived, Mâbeyn-I Hümâyûn was used for political meetings and Muâyede Salonu, which is located between them, was where the sultan celebrated religious holidays with state officials and was used for ceremonies. There are three stories, including the basement, in the main building which is parallel to the sea. The other building, where the Harem apartments are located, has four stories including the attic. The structure is designed as a traditional Turkish house whereas it’s still influenced by western culture. This is a reflection of the empire’s aesthetic values which had changed during its' last years.
to enter the palace.
There are ducks in the gardens with a pool surrounded by beautiful flowers. Despite it being the weekend, there were mostly tourists rather than Turkish visitors. It’s only allowed for a certain number of visitors every day to enter in order to protect the palace from any kind of harm.
I am taking a lot of photos of the clock tower as I enter the palace. It welcomes all visitors with its splendor.
The Sultanate Door stands with its glory. In the past the Sultanate Door could only be used by sultans on special occasions, now it can only be used by the president beewriter ITU Writing Center Student Magazine
The palace can be seen by a guide. Tourists were let in while we were putting on our overshoes. Individual visitors wait a little bit longer to gather a group together before the tour. There is a guide for individual foreign visitors as well. Waiting for a while to get in is a bit frustrating, but, 16
of course, they can’t let everyone in all together. The first feature that took my attention was the symmetry which can be seen even on the ceilings. It makes the palace eccentric. Other than glasswork and crystals in the Selamlik, almost everywhere is decorated with gold leaf. We are using the crystal stairs on the way to Süfera Hall where envoys were accepted. The stairs were made later on with English crystal. Symmetry is dominant here in this tremendous hall. Even the two bearskins which are gifts from the Russian Czar, hang up right next to each other at the entrance of the hall. Symmetry is everywhere.
was the place where everyone could see the power of the Ottoman Empire. This hall is divided into two parts: İç Mabeyn and Dış Mabeyn. İç Mabeyn is where the sultan had his areas to relax, work, greet his visitors and use his bathhouse. All these areas are called Hünkar Dairesi. Dış Mabeyn is where he accepted his foreign visitors and met with ambassadors. It’s also called Süfera Hall. The main entrance of the palace is Medhal Hall which is located at the end of the stairs in Selamlik’s Imperial Park. The 2nd Language Convention which Ataturk made in 1934/36 occurred in this hall. The Selamlık Hünkar bathhouse is a perfect example of marble workmanship. It has a simple style. The Glass Mansion was the communication point for the sultan and the public. Halid Ziya Uşaklıgil described this area as an eye of the palace that watches the world, in his book 'Saray ve Ötesi' (Palace and Beyond). There is a music room in the palace which belonged to Halife Abdülmecit. There is another room which is soundproof, to have private conversations. Everything was thought of in detail.
The most important part of Dolmabahçe Palace is Mabeyn which is located on the first floor. The sultan used to administer government business in this hall. Here was the place where all the meetings with envoys and political meetings took place. This hall was very important for the first impression that was given to foreign civilizations and foreign politicians. This beewriter ITU Writing Center Student Magazine
We continue with Geziye Hatırlar Hall. This hall only started to be called Hatıralar Hall later on. In this salon, the gifts from different countries are on display. There are also portraits of some sultans and foreign kings. Sultan Abdülaziz's black and white photo is here as well. Muayede Hall is seen last. Because of its location, I would like to talk about it in the middle of my essay. To me, Muayede Hall
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was magnificent. The upper floor was designed as a balcony which separates the audience. No audience was allowed on the upper balcony where the sultan’s throne is. It’s both to respect the sultan and to protect him from a possible assassination. There are blue semicircle windows across from the throne. Those windows were for the women to watch the ceremonies from the Harem. Ambassadors and governors were showing their reverence to the sultan on holidays. The chandelier is the biggest in Turkey. It weighs 4.5 tons and looks splendid. It used to take a few days to warm up this hall. Boilers were used before the ceremonies and upper loopholes were released right before ceremonies to provide warm air circulation.
and it reminded Ataturk where he was from. Most of the time he used the blue room in the Harem and room number 71 which is located in between the blue and the pink room. The blue room was used for family get-togethers on holidays in Ottoman culture. In 1937, an elevator was built in this hall due to Atatürk’s sickness. This hall is the largest room in the Harem. When Atatürk was living here, this room was used as a place for education. There are entrances through Ataturk’s room and his bathroom from this room. His room and furniture are very modest. When he died, he only had his favorite painting ‘Four Seasons’, his clock which stopped at 09:05 and his thermometer as his private belongings in the whole palace.
Now we are in the area which used to be a pantry. A great collection of tea porcelain, personal items, coffee cups, cigar holders, combs, mirrors, and plates are on display. Let's move on to the Harem. The Harem is more homelike if we compare it to Selam’s grandness. We can see the paintings and mirrors here. I noticed the heaters here, but they are pretty much everywhere. The electrical and heat installation were beyond their time. The heater looks very nice in its own simple way. Halid Ziya Uşaklıgil, the head secretary (a famous Turkish author who is a relative of Latife Hanım) had his room here, but it’s not open for visitors. The parts Ataturk used are very limited. He preferred to use Muayede Hall and some rooms in the Harem area. He has his favorite painting in his room which is decorated simply. The painting was a gift from the ambassador beewriter ITU Writing Center Student Magazine
Dolmabahçe Palace is the largest monoblock building and palace in Turkey with its 285 rooms, 44 halls, 68 bathrooms and 6 bathhouses in a land area of 14.595 m 2. The palace is toured very quickly, but the guides are eager to tell everything. When they have people who ask questions, they are willing to give more information and 18
chat more about the palace at the end of the tour. You can’t see the Harem on the weekends. You can only see certain parts of it. The entrance fee is 40TL for adults and 20TL for students including the tour guide. It’s a National Palace that’s why they don’t accept the Museum Card. There is a souvenir shop at the exit that you have to see. I am sure you will find something that will catch your eye.
Aylin Adsalan
Some photos were taken from the following links: http://m2.milliyet.com.tr/News/Article?ID=1461753 http://tr.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dosya:Dolmabahce.jpg http://www.millisaraylar.gov.tr/portalmain/Palaces.aspx ?SarayId=10
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MARDİN "The only city that Timur couldn’t conquer when he occupied Anatolia was Mardin.’’
mountainside attracts attention and offers a unique picturesque view with its buildings which are made of stone. Mardin is like an open air museum on account of having wondrous architectural structures, stone houses and narrow streets which remind you of labyrinths. There is no doubt that you will want to take the time to stop when you travel these streets.
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f you ask me what Mardin is, I would say it is the most beautiful city in the world because of being my hometown and the only place in which I can feel free. Mardin is located in the southeast of Turkey between the Fırat and Dicle Rivers that are on the Mesopotamian Plain. Throughout history Mardin, which is known to be one of the oldest cities in Mesopotamia, also hosted various nations and civilizations as a witness of history. Moreover, now you can see that people from a large number of different cultures and religions such as Kurds, Assyrians, Armenians, Turks and Arabs are living in harmony in Mardin. Actually, Mardin was called by various names like ‘’Maride’’, ‘’Merde’’, ‘’Mardia’’, ‘’Merdu’’, ‘’Merdi’’, ‘’Merdu’’ and ‘’Maridin’’ by Romans, Persians, Byzantines, Assyrians and Arabs. The city which was built on the beewriter ITU Writing Center Student Magazine
Mardin has numerous historical places such as Mardin Castle, mosques, churches, madrasahs, and monasteries which contain historical art. Mardin Castle was built by Handani in the 10th century. The other name of this fortified castle is "Kartal Yuvası’’. The oldest mosque of Mardin, Ulu Mosque, was built in the Artuqid Period in the 12th century. Examples of the stonework in the mosque reflect the culture of Mardin and its history. Şehidiye 20
Mosque, Latifiye Mosque, Zairi Mosque and Zeynel Abidin Mosque are important examples of mosques. Zinciriye Madrasah was erected by Melik Necmettin Isa in 1385. Zinciriye Madrasah, which is a duplex, includes two yards and two domes; also, the tomb of Sultan Isa and many valuable inscriptions are there.
In fact, in the beginning the madrasah was used as a observatory. Due to this being the purpose before, the madrasah was built on high ground. Later, it was used as a museum for a while as well.
Kasımiye Madrasah is also similar to Zinciriye Madrasah in terms of being a duplex, but it has one yard. Construction of the Madrasah commenced in the Artuqid Period in the 13th century, but it was not completed until the end of the 15th century in the time of the Aqqoyunlu Sultan Kasim Ibn Cihangir.
If you visit this madrasah, you will see that interestingly the height of the doors is slightly higher than one meter. The reason of the door's height is said to be: ‘Let a student bow his head and show flawless respect when meeting his teacher.’ Hatuniye Madrasah also resembles Zinciriye and Kasımiye Madrasah structurally. In addition, the precincts and tombs of the madrasah have maintained their presence for many years. Thus, the Hatuniye Madrasah must be one of the places which you travel to. In my opinion, if you are in Mardin, visiting the Mardin Archeology Museum is an unmissable opportunity for a person who is interested in history and ready to see remarkable ancient artifacts. Previously, it was a patriarchate, but as a consequence of the restoration, it has been used as a museum which has fascinated its' visitors
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since 1995. Varied ceramics, stamps, vases and jewelry pieces are shown in the museum. Kırklar Church, which belongs to the Assyrian Auld Community, was constructed in the 5th century. Also, the church is used as a place of worship. The church glitters with its' examples of stonework in Mardin.
There is only one wide street that the cars can use in Old Mardin. In the other narrow streets which the cars cannot pass through, amazingly, garbage is collected by donkeys. The four meter walls encircle the stone houses which have passages between each other. These passages are called ‘’Abbana’’ by the local people.
Dolması and Küflü Yoğurt are offered. At the same time, Badem Şekeri, Mardin Leblebisi and diverse soaps are sold in the historical bazaars such as Tellallar Bazaar or Hasan Ayyar Bazaar. Furthermore, there are lots of significant places you can visit like Kazancılar Bazaar and Bakırcılar Bazaar.
Also, tourists cannot skip viewing the widespread traditional crafts like ‘’Telkari’’ based on Assyrian Traditions.
The Murat Cercis Residence, that was a house of a famous family ‘Tüfekçioğlu’, was converted to a place where traditional meals such as Irok, Immisiye, Kaburga beewriter ITU Writing Center Student Magazine
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Besides, Assyrian wine is very popular in Mardin. Another unforgettable place is Dayrulzafaran Monastery which is so important for Assyrians. Finally, I strongly believe one of the most beautiful places you can follow traces of the steps of humanity is Dara Ancient City Even though it is so ancient it, is still living. If you have a chance to visit there, you will see what I mean.
Jindar Geleri
Some photos were taken from https://twitter.com/MardinTanitim
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A Turkish Erasmus Student in Prague
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s you know, Prague is the capital city of the Czech Republic which has borders with Austria, Germany, Slovakia and Poland. That means it's a bridge in Middle Europe. Prague is the biggest city in the Czech Republic and the most crowded one with 1,900,000 citizens. Event hough the Czech Republic is in European Union, they are not a part of the Euro zone. The currency of the Czech Republic is the Koruna; one Turkish Lira is nearly equal to 9 Koruny.
This is all general knowledge, but I want to share my impressions and experiences with you. Before I arrived in Prague, I faced with a lot of diplomatic procedures. These procedures were stressful, but I passed through them. I arrived in Prague on February the 12th via two airplanes (one of them was from Istanbul to Kiev beewriter ITU Writing Center Student Magazine
and the other was from Kiev to Prague). When I arrived at the airport, my Erasmus buddy welcomed me (they have a system for foreign students to help them learn about the public transportation, city and everything about the culture with a Czech student who is chosen as a buddy). The public transportation is really different compared to Istanbul. They have lots of tram lines, three metro lines and bus lines. Also, the most important points about public transportations are night trams and buses. By the way, you are able to use some transportation options at night (this is very important for night life). You just have to buy tickets for a period of time like 15minutes, one hour, one day, three days and so on, and you just have to keep this ticket safe during that time. There are a lot of officers who suddenly check tickets, and if you don't have, tickets you have to pay 1000Kc (120TL). I was able to go out to discover city after I learned how to use this transportation system and settled into my dorm. The city has different architecture with old buildings, and there are a few new buildings. There is a lot of information to learn about the city's history because there were various rulers with different philosophies and cultures like German, Nazi, Bavarian, Jewish, Czechoslovakian, Austrian, Hungarian and Communist. This city and the citizens have been affected by the state system and cultures which is why you are able to find traces of each system and culture in the city's famous landmarks. One of the most touristic areas of Prague is Prague Castle. In the castle,
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you are able to see a gothic church which is a really attractive building.
Other famous landmarks Astronomical Clock,
Also, you are able to see the beauty of the city with the river running through it (like on postcards) if you go upstairs in the castle. Furthermore, the Charles Bridge is very important for the impressiveness of Prague.
are
the
the Dancing House,
Charles IV, who was the eleventh king of the Bohemian region, built a lot of important universities, churches, hospitals and the bridge.
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Petrin Tower (a copy of the Eiffel Tower)
I want to remind you that Prague was on the list of the European Capital of Culture for 2000. That means there are a lot of concert areas, museums, festivals and art galleries that you can visit and enjoy. I went to a concert at Meet Factory which includes some events and concerts of different types of musicians. Furthermore, Prague had a festival that included 15 pubs and clubs with different types of music. Additionally, if you just bought one festival ticket, you were able to go to these 15 places. The festival started at 17:00 and ended at 05:00. I have only touched on events and city architecture, but there is another part of this culture: 'food'. There are a lot of traditional foods, but I just want to write about 'Gulas' which is my favorite.
and the Zizkov TV Tower which was chosen as the 2nd ugliest building in the world in 2009.
That food includes beef with cream sauce and also dumplings. Another traditional food that I can suggest is duck which is served with sauce and dumplings. You can find a lot of restaurants which cook really delicious duck. If you need suggestions, I can suggest that you eat these traditional dishes near the old city center (Muzeum or Mustek Squares). Other traditional foods are Trdelnik which is a cylinder cake baked on coal
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able to visit this fabulous city to experience the different Czech traditions.
and Medovnik which is a honey-cake with several layers of cream. You can taste hot Trdelnik in Muzeum Square and you can find Medovnik in all the supermarkets. Eren Koรง
Some photos were taken from the following links: www.internationalteflacademy.com www.barryocarrollphotography.com pingallery.deviantart.com easybaked.net en.wikipedia.org
The national drink of the Czech Republic is definitely beer. Most of my friends said that beer prices in the Czech Republic are the cheapest in Europe, and I can say that all alcohol in the Czech Republic is cheaper than in Turkey. If you like liqueurs, I can suggest a traditional Czech liqueur which is called 'Becherovka'. Finally, I want to say that Prague is a very attractive city that has a lot of traditions and different cultures. I tried to share my experiences and my observations about this culture with you. I hope that you'll be
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GO
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Someone can capture a lot of stones in a single move.
n this issue, we wanted to talk about the game ‘GO’. Firstly, we will explain what GO is, and how GO is played. Then we will give you information about the historical background of GO. Finally, we have the interview with the Istanbul Technical University GO Club.
How is GO played? What is GO? GO which is played with 180 white and 180 black stones on the board consisting of 19 horizontal and 19 vertical lines- is a two-player strategy and mind game. The rules of GO are very basic; therefore, everybody can play this game. However, it is difficult to master because of the unlimited and complicated moves. The goal of the game is covering most of the space on the board using the fewest stones. Someone who wants to be the winner has to take more captives and to surround a larger area on the board. To capture stones, your stones must surround one of your opponent’s stones like it is shown in the picture.
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At the beginning of the game, the game board is empty, and the game is begun by the first move of the player who has black stones. Players place stones in turn on the board and move them through the intersections of the lines. Every player can place only one stone on the board in a move. Stones are equal; moreover, they can’t move when they are placed. However, if you capture a stone, you can get it from the board.
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To finish the game, the two players also have to say pass, or the player who feels he has lost has to escape from the game (in this game, it is honorable behavior to escape from the game).
100 years, but the most successful GO players are still in Asia. As a result, GO is such a popular mind game that it has been played for 2500 years in the world. This game is still being taught to new players; besides, it is continuing to spread all around the world. The Interview with the ITU GO Club What is Go?
History of GO GO is the oldest game in the world. It was first called wéiqí. This game was born in China. According to Chinese mythology, king Yao invented this game when he was trying to teach astronomy to his son. Besides, the first definite evidence written about this game appeared 2500 years ago. At that time this game was very popular among the public of the kingdom during the Tang Dynasty. At the same time, Kibi no Makibi who named the game GO took it to Japan in 735, and he called it GO. GO is more popular than wéiqí in the world because Japanese people gave more importance to spreading the game all over the world than Chinese people. It is also known that GO is an ancestor of chess. Besides, GO has been known by American people and European people for about beewriter ITU Writing Center Student Magazine
Go is one of the oldest games in the World that is able to maintain its originality. It is thought that it originated 4000 years ago. According to rumors, it was born while a Chinese Emperor was trying to teach his son astronomy. After the game spread in China, it moved to Japan and then went on to become a global game. Go is a very simple game, and it is one of the most important reasons why it has been played for so long. The game is played on a board which includes 19 vertical and 19 horizontal lines. Players put white and black stones on the intersection points in turn. Actually, they are the same value, but during the game their values are changing according to where the players put them on the table. We can also say that the game’s main purpose is surrounding a larger area by using the stones. Even though there are very few rules, we can mention some difficulties because of so many probabilities. This is also a nice feature that attracts people. Everybody can organise their own characteristics and viewpoints. It is said that people start to know each other by learning their Go style. 29
We should say that Go is the game of balance and harmony. A good player sees his own play like a very beautiful artwork. A bad move will not only cause a player to lose the game, but it also disrupts the beauty, harmony, creativity, mental flow and mental calmness. It ruins everything like a black stain on white paper because the player has not thought about his move. How Go affects people? Firstly, it directs a person to use his brain. It can do that with not only analytical framework but also aesthetic, so we can say that it does not improve your mentality only in a single way. It enables people to know themselves better because every move has some signs from the player’s personality. The most important point of the game is respect between players. Players never decrease the respect between each other because the game’s purpose is fighting on the game board. Sometimes when the game is extremely long, players need to be patient. The game also directs players to beat their fears. Especially in matches between 2 players who are at the same level in the game, risks need to be taken to beat the other player. Otherwise, the defeat might be inevitable. Although Go is in demand abroad, why not in Turkey? Go comes from the Far East. It is a cultural image, especially in China, Japan, and Korea, so it is widespread in these countries..In Europe and America, the game has also started to draw attention. beewriter ITU Writing Center Student Magazine
Go can be seen in the series and films, so the popularity of Go is increasing. However, Go is not so popular in Turkey like it is in America, Europe and the Far East. At least, people in Turkey have some information about the game such as that it is a strategy game. Are there any competitions about Go? Yes, there are. There are many competitions in the world. There will be25 tournaments in Turkey this year. The tournaments are really essential for players because the tournament matches are more serious than the normal matches. The more players take the game seriously, the more players improve themselves. Also, some traditional parties are organised by the crews which organise the tournaments at nights. They are really big opportunities for people to get to know each other. Are there any other interested in Go in Turkey?
universities
Go is in many universities because the target group of the game in Europe is also university students. Other than ITU, Middle East Technical University, Canakkale Onsekiz Mart University Ä°zmir High Instutue of Technology, Ege University, Dokuz Eylul University, Istanbul University, and Bogazici University are some Turkish schools that play Go. What are the activities of The Go club at ITU? We can divide the activities of the ITU GO Club into two. Firstly, we organize the ITU Go Tournament and Istanbul Universal Go 30
Tournament with the ISTANBUL GO PLAYERS ASSOCATION. In these tournaments, there are many participants coming from various cities, and the relationships between participants are very good. Secondly, there are some activities like picnics, weekly meetings and going to tournaments together out of the city to motivate members When does a person who wants to learn Go start to enjoy it? It depends on the people as people’s interest levels are really different. The more he wants to improve himself, the shorter the amount of time he needs to learn basic things. Generally, when the fundamentals of Go are learned, players start to enjoy playing it.
Mert Menekşe Sarper Doğa Öngen
References http://tr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Go http://mathclub.atilim.edu.tr/go.html
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Contact
website: www.writing.itu.edu.tr
email: writing@itu.edu.tr
twitter.com/writingitu
facebook.com/ituwritingcentre
4sq.com/18DCBcx
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