Volume 7 Issue 28 - Tourism Special Issue by Turk of America

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JANUARY - FEBRUARY 2008 VOLUME:7 ISSUE:28 USA $5.99 TURKEY 5.99 YTL

THE BEST OF THE WORLDS

TURKEY IS A RAINBOW,

COME AND DISCOVER IT FOR YOURSELF ROAD OF

FAITH & BELIEF CAPPADOCIA

A WORLD OF CAVES

INCENTIVE AND CONGRESS TOURISM BOOSTS IN TURKEY

With The as Prepared This Issue W Of Help Generous EY,

OF TURK M THE REPUBLIC E AND TOURIS UR LT CU MINISTRY OF

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History Culture & People Turkey – Think of it as a 10,000 year old open-air museum that’s open 24 hours.

Welcomes You www.thy.com kapak_sayi_28.indd 2

1-800-874-8875

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Come Face To Face With History

Welcomes You www.thy.com

1-800-874-8875

www.goturkey.com

1- 877 FOR TURKEY

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INDEX Publisher : Turk of America, Inc. General Manager: Günes omer@turkofamerica.com Editor-in-Chief : Cemil Özyurt cemil@turkofamerica.com Creative Director : Serdar Sahin Page Design : Ugur Onur Urhan Editor : Patricia Russo, Nancy Öztürk. Editor of Photography : Ada Kösedag News Center : Ayse Önal Zamboglu,Ali Çinar, Ilknur Gurdal Fieldhouse, J. Eaton Gökmen, Melda Akasel, Elif Özmenek, Ayhan Kay. Support Team : Halim Özyurt, Demet Cabbar, Erol Isik Advising Committee : Ali Günertem, Egemen Bagis, Ferhan Geylan, Güney Adak, G. Lincoln McCurdy, Mahmut Topal, Mehmet Ali Özkan, Mehmet Çelebi. --------------------------------------------Main Office: Turk of America, Inc. 730 Fifth Avenue, The Crown Building Suite 916 New York, NY 10019 Tel: +1 (212) 659 7758 Fax: +1 (212) 659 7805 info@turkofamerica.com --------------------------------------------Representatives in the U.S.A : California (Los Angeles): Barbaros Tapan - btapan@turkofamerica.com Tel: +1 (213) 924 8027 Connecticut: Ali Çinar - acinar@turkofamerica.com Tel: +1 (203) 722 4339 Massachusetts: Mustafa Aykaç - maykac@turkofamerica.com Tel: +1 (857) 205 8318 Rochester, NY: Ersoy Yildiz - eyildiz@turkofamerica.com Tel: +1 (585) 266 1356 San Fransisco, CA: Ayse Önal Zamboglu aozamboglu@turkofamerica.com Tel: +1 (650) 938 1764 Texas: Neriman Yüce - nyuce@turkofamerica.com Tel: +1 (817) 283 0179 Netherlands: Yasin Yagci - yyagci@turkofamerica.com Tel: +31 (624) 66 92 23 Australia: Süheyl Yekenkurul syekenkurul@turkofamerica.com --------------------------------------------TURKEY General Coordinator : Nuri Özyurt nozyurt@turkofamerica.com Marketing & Sales Director : Ozge Alp turkiye@turkofamerica.com Subscription and Distribution: Nispetiye Cad. Peker Sok. Akyildiz Apt. No:26/5 1.Levent Istanbul, Tel:+ 90 212 282 37 11 Graphics: Yedi Renk Grafik ve Renk Ayr. Hiz. Tic. A.S. Nispetiye Caddesi Peker Sokak No:26/4 34788 1 Levent - Istanbul Telefon: + 90 (212) 282 59 44 Fax: + 90 (212) 282 46 20 E-Mail: info@7renk.com Print : Promat Basim Yayin San. ve Tic. A.S. Adile Nasit Bulvari 122. Sokak No:8 34513 Esenyurt - Istanbul Telefon: + 90 (212) 456 63 63-pbx Fax: + 90 (212) 456 63 73 E-Mail: info@promat.com.tr All articles in the magazine are translated by : Citlembik Ltd. Tel: +90 (212) 292 3032 www.citlembik.com.tr

“The world’s oldest and most deeply rooted civilizations were born here. Turkey is not only a country of immense natural beauty, but also sits upon an archaeological treasure unmatched by any other European country.”

Turk of America is a member of Independent Press Association.

ROAD OF FAITH & BELIEF Especially if you want to visit the holy places mentioned in the Old and New Testaments, though those Greek and Roman gods confront you almost everywhere with their well preserved temples and statues.

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WORLDS APART, TOGETHER IN TURKEY I’d been dating Musa for several months when he told me he was going back home to Turkey. I figured it was goodbye boyfriend, but he surprised me by phoning often. Two months into his absence, I was on a plane to Istanbul!

DANGERS OF TURKISH TRAVEL As a Californian clothing designer in my thirties, I’d traveled alone on business to at least 40 countries worldwide. When I announced that I intended to travel solo in Turkey in 1998, however, I was bombarded with warnings from concerned friends about the danger inherent in my plan.

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A WEIRD AMERICAN Like most Americans, I grew up hating futbol primarily because I didn’t understand it. However, I can point to one thing that changed my life and my perspective: travel.

CAPPADOCIA – A WORLD OF CAVES For more than a thousand years, local people hollowed their homes out of the rocks, creating complex networks of cave storerooms..

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SELCUK: AEGEAN HOT SPOTS Saint John the Evangelist, favorite of Jesus and the only disciple to attend his crucifixion, is buried on Ayasuluk Hill, according to several early Christian writers. Saint Paul lived in Ephesus for several years, converting enough followers to establish the Church of Ephesus.

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ISTANBUL’S MOST REVEALING MARKET Specialized markets abound in this ancient trading center. Known as the Spice or Egyptian Bazaar (Misir Çarsisi), the fragrant stone market boasts shops stocking a rainbow of traditional spices, medicinal herbs and confections.

SYMBOL OF TURKISH – JEWISH AMITY: THE ZULFARIS SYNAGOGUE

Istanbul where different faiths meet saw a new addition to its cultural heritage on 25 November 2001 when the Museum of Turkish Jews was opened.

The pictures on this issue are courtesy of The Republic of Turkey, Minestry of Culture and Tourism Cover photo by: Murat Ocal

TURKEY IS A RAINBOW, COME AND DISCOVER IT FOR YOURSELF

FINDING THE BEAT; THE NIGHTLIFE OF ISTANBUL The most affluent clubs are located along the Bosporus near Kurucesme, on the European side. Istanbul nightlife is truly a world of its own, and an experience worth a few sleepless nights.

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EDITOR Cemil Özyurt

cemil@turkofamerica.com

Country of Legends A

ccording to legend, the Sultan of the Kubadabad Dynasty in Anatolia was told by a fortune-teller that the Maiden he loved would die on her 18th birthday due to a snake bite. The Sultan, intending to protect the girl from snakes, had a tower built in the middle of the Bosporus Strait in Istanbul and safeguarded her there. The sultan built concrete pipes to provide milk and water for her. (According to the legend, it is still possible to find the remnants of these pipes.) Years went by and the sultan’s beloved daughter fell ill to a merciless illness. Doctors from the four corners of the country came to help. They cured the girl and many presents were sent from around the land, meant to celebrate her return to good health. An old woman sent her well-wishes with a basket of grapes; only the basket held a poisonous snake, which bit the Sultan’s girl before her eighteenth birthday, thereby killing her. The tower mentioned in this legend, today known as the Maiden Tower, is one of Istanbul’s most important symbols. ‘There was once a hermit who lived on Akdamar Island, located in the eastern Turkish city of Van. The hermit had a daughter name Tamara, whose beauty was renowned in all the land. A simple Muslim shepherd working in the surrounding villages fell in love with Tamara. Every night this young man would swim to the island in order to meet Tamara and she would likewise use a lantern to signal her location to her love. One stormy night her father, who had learned of the secret trysts, made a trip down to the shore with a lantern and moved from location to location, thereby exhausting the young man and causing him to drown in the lake. Before drowning, the young shepherd called out his beloved’s name one last time, “Ah Tamara.” The girl, having heard this final scream, threw herself into the water and drowned. The phrase “Ah Tamara” over time became “Ahtamar” and then “Akdamar,” as it is known

today.’ The Akdemir Church, it name inspired by the shepherd’s wail, is now being restored as a museum. The story of the “Seven Sleepers” cave in Ephesus was told in the Muslim holy book, the Quran, and in Christian legends, known as exempla. The story is as fascinating as the Maiden Tower and Akdamar Island stories. In this story seven Christian youths, members of early Christianity, rejected the animal sacrifice practiced at the time by the Emperor Decius. Fleeing his authority, they hid in a cave with their dogs. After a while, the youths fell asleep and upon awakening sent one of their own to buy bread in town. As the young man attempted to pay with money used 200 years earlier, the baker, thinking he had found a treasure, took the youth to the enlightened ones of the town. After recounting his story to the elders, they realized that the youths hadn’t slept one night, but rather 200 years. During this 200-year period, the Roman Empire had accepted Christianity as the official religion and was currently being ruled by Emperor Theodosius III. The story was accepted as proof of a resurrection and when these seven men died, they were buried in the cave and a large church was built in their names. The large, monumental church was discovered in the years 19271928 as a result of archaeological excavations. For hundreds of years people have wanted to be buried near this cave, which they consider to be holy. According to one Christian belief, Mary Magdalene is also buried here. It is said by some that Abraham, recognized as a prophet by Islam, Judaism, and Christianity, was born in Urfa, a city in southern Turkey. King Nemrut one night saw a signal in the stars that a man would wage war against him and his paganism. This man was the Prophet Abraham. As a result of this vision, King Nemrut gave the order for Abraham to be burned and a huge fire, large enough for the whole city to see, was lit. Abraham was then catapulted

from a platform that was erected between two pillars into the fiery pit. At that moment, however, the fire turned into a lake while the wood was transformed into fish. Since that day the area in Urfa called Balıklı (Fishy) Lake is considered to be holy ground. The small lake located next to Balıklı Lake is called “Ayn-Zeliha”, or Zeliha’s Eye, referring to Nemrut’s daughter Zeliha, who cried for Abraham and whose tears then turned into a lake. The Halil-ür Rahman Mosque, built by Salahaddin Eyyubi’s nephew Melik Esref in the year 1211 and located right next to Balıklı Lake, serves as an architecturally and aesthetically pleasing companion to the natural beauty of the lake. Troy, located in the region of Çanakkale, which ties the Marmara Sea and Aegean Sea together, was the setting for one of the biggest wars ever fought over a woman. The Trojan War was recounted in Homer’s famous epic, “The Illiad,” written in the 8th century B.C. According to the legend, the Spartan Queen Helen cheated on her husband King Menelaus with the handsome prince, Paris. They then escaped from what is now modern-day Greece across the sea to Troy, within the boundaries of Çanakkale. This insult committed against Menelaus was considered an insult against his brother Agamemnon as well. As the King of Mycenae, Agamemnon already held a great amount of power. To get Helen back from Troy and redeem his brother’s honor, he mobilized all the armies of Greece together in short while. All the armies of Anatolia then went to the aid of Troy. The armies from Greece got caught up in a merciless war, which went on for nearly ten years. Of course, after years of fighting, the soldiers were understandably exhausted and war-weary. Odysseus, already loved by Athena for his intelligence, came up with the idea of a large wooden horse. The horse was constructed and then the strongest soldiers climbed in the contraption. The Greek army

hid behind the island of Tenedos (Bozcaada) and the horse was left on the sandy beach. The other side accepted the horse as a gift from the gods. The Greeks then thought that they had won and that the war was over. The Trojans brought in the horse and joyfully celebrated. When it got dark the Greek army came to the city and sneaked in through the city walls that the previously hidden soldiers had opened for them. The archaeological excavations at Troy were initiated in 1871 by H. Schliemann. As a result of these digs, seven levels were unearthed, including one that is likely to be the city of the epic poem. Troy was declared a “Historical National Park” in 1996 and was added to UNESCO’s List of World Heritage Sites in 1998. When King Antioch decided to build a giant cemeterymonument complex surrounded by three tall statues during his reign 2000 years ago, the 30degree weather conditions and limited construction time did not stand in the way of his ambitions. Antioch’s architects and workers constructed and chiseled giant stone chunks into three large atriums or terraces facing east and west. Huge statues, reaching seven to eight meters high, were then built on these terraces. Antioch also commissioned a “Pantheon,” or a gallery for the gods, for himself and his close ones. He aimed to immortalize his kingdom as a nation of the gods on Nemrut’s hill in the name of the god Zeus. It will come as no big surprise that over the centuries the statues crumbled, some disappeared outright, while others were damaged to such an extent as to be unrecognizable. The statues of the gods’ heads are still there. For 2000 years they have been watching the meadows of Anatolia from the peaks of Nemrut Mountain. These historical remnants and enigmatic legends, scattered out to the far corners of Anatolia, await you on your journey to a world of splendor thousands of years old.

TURKOFAMERICA

Turkey is a Rainbow

Come and Discover it for Yourself “The world’s oldest and most deeply rooted civilizations were born here. Turkey is not only a country of immense natural beauty, but also sits upon an archaeological treasure unmatched by any other European country.”

uring 2007, 650,000 American tourists visited Turkey. This is the highest number ever recorded. In recent years, the number of tourists visiting Turkey has increased at a rate that is almost three times the world average, with 23.3 million people visiting Turkey in 2007. In 2006, there were 19 million, while in 2005, 21 million visited Turkey. The Culture and Tourism Ministry, which has established a 10 million dollar budget for the North American market in 2009, plans on bringing 1 million American tourists to Turkey by the end of the year. The Ministry is already promoting Turkey in 83 countries and the US market counts among the most important for Turkey’s tourism, according to Culture and Tourism Minister Ertugrul Günay, who talked with us about the ministry’s tourism plans, goals, and visions. Günay has called attention to the rainbow that is Anatolia and

its unique legacy of historical and cultural richness, and states: “Some of the oldest and most deep-rooted of all civilizations were born in these lands. Turkey is not only a land of immeasurable beauty, but at the same time sits on a trove of archaeological remnants unmatched in Europe. It’s possible to find pieces dating back 10,000 years. The Hittites, Urartus, Lydians, Lycians, and Phrygians were all civilizations that formed in these lands. Homer, Diogenes, and Achilles all lived here. Without a doubt, there is a huge cultural legacy resting here. There is a wealth of cultural heritage here to attract the interest of American tourists.” Günay states that the 10 million dollar budget put aside for the American market would undoubtedly increase if demand from the US were to increase. He also mentions that the importance of cruise tourism for Turkey has been steadily increasing and that the number of ships coming to Turkish ports

would undoubtedly increase in the future. Turkey is a shining beacon for tourism investors, according to Minister Günay, and among the Mediterranean countries Turkey presented the newest, most modern, and upto-date facilities of them all.

“ISTANBUL IS A WORLD CITY” One of Günay’s biggest dreams as minister is to endow Istanbul with its deserved status as a giant of world cities. Already having greeted 6 million visitors last year, Günay believes that one day in the not too distant future the city will host 16 million tourists in the span of one year. “It is a huge loss that 15 million tourists are not already visiting Istanbul today,” he says critically. “Istanbul will compete with cities such as New York, Paris, Vienna, and Rome and has the potential to surpass them Rome Roman culture, whereas Istanbul has Roman, Byzantine, and Ottoman influences. It has various cultures. Forget all the 17

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historical structures, the view of the city is enough to sell itself. If you take historical structures away from other cities, you’re not left with much. Istanbul, on the other hand, is a world capital.”

“THERE IS NO DIFFERENCE BETWEEN FOREIGN AND TURKISH INVESTORS” The ministry plays a coordinating role in actualizing tourism investments, and Günay points out that any facilitating efforts given to Turkish investors are likewise given to foreign investors. Turkey still provides foreign investors with property allotments, tax discounts, the possibility of employing foreign personnel, reduced costs for electricity and water, and other advantages.It appears as though in the near future the tourism hubs to be developed will be Izmir in the Aegean region and Mersin in the Eastern Mediterranean region. There are no problems with infrastructure in these areas. These areas are also rich as they blend historical legacy and environmental beauty. These areas are not only attractive for Turkish investors but also foreign ones as well.

“TROY: A SOURCE FRUSTRATION”

The ministry has shown some effort in utilizing the Hollywood film industry in order to promote Turkey. There is a docu-drama about the famous thinker Mevlana in the works. The 2004 film Troy, which starred Brad Pitt, Eric Bana, and Orlando Bloom, took place within the borders of the city of Çanakkale, in modern-day western Turkey, but, as Günay expresses with great disappointment, the film was actually shot in Malta. “A source of great sorrow to me was Troy not being filmed in Turkey. We lost a great opportunity. It was an event that took place on these lands and still has traces here. We are still excavating archaeological remnants at Troy. I really want a film to be shot here within the historical setting of Turkey to tell one of the many stories of this land,” he says. The tenyear Trojan War, recounted in famous historian Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey, started when Helen, wife of King Menelaus of Laconia, ran away with Paris, the prince of Troy, an act which enraged the King. The war ended after the King’s forces hid inside a large wooden horse presented as a gift and lay siege to Troy. It is possible to explore the area of Troy, where legend has it that Achilles w a s

“Turkey is a mosaic. It’s a place where colors mix. It’s a rainbow created by civilizations and stretches from east to west. I’m not only excited about this as the tourism minister but also as an individual who lives in this country. I had never ceased to be amazed when I previously traveled through Turkey and now this has become my duty. There is a lot to do. I can’t sleep. It’s a sweet type of excitement, the type one experiences when he or she finally re-unites with a loved one or attempts to convince someone of something with a passion.”

struck in the heel and the wooden horse was given. At the moment archaeological digs are ongoing.

to give all our support to all investors, whether Turkish or foreign,” he says.

HISTORY AND NATURE TAKE PRECEDENCE

Alongside Istanbul’s recently announced status as the 2010 European Cultural Capital, Izmir’s competition with Milan to host the world’s largest fair organization, EXPO 2015 (the results will be known in March), both have the potential to inject some dynamism into the Convention Tourism sector.

The minister’s goals for the tourism industry involve diversifying, thereby ensuring that Turkey’s various regions benefit from the riches brought by tourism and that travelers visit evenly throughout the 12month calendar year instead of just in summer. “We have learned from the mistakes made in the past. We want to transform our cities into well-known brands. Antalya and Istanbul are renowned brands by now. But why not add Cappadocia, Nemrut, and Mersin to that list?” he asks. He adds that he wants to protect the historical and natural environment and maintain high standards of quality. “That’s our red line. Within these conditions we are prepared

CONVENTION TOURISM

The Culture and Tourism Ministry, which have expressed great interest in convention tourism, is currently building a convention center in Kusadasi, located near Izmir. In addition, a convention center is also now under construction near Istanbul in the city of Bursa. By adding Bursa to Istanbul and constructing new facilities around Izmir, the Ministry hopes to attract more people by expanding and opinion leaders that participate in convention tourism greatly contribute to the promotion of the country.

Culture and Tourism Minister Ertugrul Günay

TURKOFAMERICA

When you encounter people of different religions praying together in the chapel dedicated to

photo by Necdet Kosedag

the Virgin Mary, you will forget all the enmities of today and yesterday.

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Road of Faith & Belief

Especially if you want to visit the holy places mentioned in the Old and New Testaments, though those Greek and Roman gods confront you almost everywhere.

journey through Anatolia might take you by surprise, because it means you will travel back in time thousands of years. You may wish to free yourself from all those gods, goddesses, sun discs, and idols.

as we raise our eyes up to the highest mountain in Anatolia, so it is even more difficult to visualize Noah’s Ark landing on its peak; however, if you have a strong belief, there is no need for other evidence.

Especially if you want to visit the holy places mentioned in the Old and New Testaments, though those Greek and Roman gods confront you almost everywhere with their well preserved temples and statues.

This mountain, Mount Ararat, has been waiting for you for seven thousand years. In the Old Testament story of Abraham, who lived in Harran, God commanded him to leave his country and to journey to the Promised Land.

If you like, let’s start with the Old Testament and travel slowly towards the New Testament, with a brief tour around the Christian holy places. Let’s not pay any attention to the distances between the villages, towns, and ruins, and as if watching a whirling dance performed by the Mevlevi dervishes (forgetting about Istanbul and Cappadocia), let’s visit everything left behind in the history of Christianity by the Byzantine Empire.

MOUNT ARARAT The narration in Genesis, in the Old Testament, of how God created the heavens, the earth, and Adam and Eve is widely known. As the number of humans increased, unfortunately, wickedness increased as well, to such an extent that God decided to destroy all the people except Noah and his family. God commanded Noah to build an ark made of gopher wood. Noah built the ship and brought aboard all his family and two each of every living thing on earth, and then awaited the great flood. Our first stop must be at Mount Ararat. It is hard to imagine the earth being flooded

Today when you reach Harran, where Abraham received the command, you will most probably get the feeling that time has somehow stopped. Just as you are thinking that these houses that resemble up-side down ant nests are only part of a film set, you slip away from this world, and suddenly cannot decide whether the crying baby you hear is Ishmael or Isaac.

ST. PAUL’S ROUTE When you arrive in the New Testament city of Antioch (Antakya), you step into the era of St. Peter and the other disciples who took shelter there as they escaped the cruelty and brutality of the Romans. These disciples recounted to the citizens of Antioch the story of Jesus, who sacrificed himself to purify the sins of humanity; so, Antiochians called Jesus “Christus,” meaning bathed in sacred oil, and called the disciples “Christian.” Thus, the name of a new religion was born in Antioch. “And Disciples were called Christians first in Antioch.” (Acts 11:26)

After a difficult journey through these steep mountains, he came to Egridir and rested beside this blue lake. As we pass these mountains we think of what St. Paul must have experienced throughout his journey. We feel ashamed to complain. After Egridir, St. Paul arrived in another Antioch, the capital city of Pisidia. Because many of the Jews who heard St. Paul were extremely antagonistic, he said; “It was necessary that the word of God should first have been spoken to you: but seeing ye put it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, we turn to the Gentiles.” (Acts 13:46). Thus Christianity addressed all humanity, not only the Jews. St. Paul then went to Iconium (Konya), Lystra and Derbe, and from Derbe he returned to Jerusalem.

again. He journeyed from East to West, and came to Ephesus, where he stayed for two years. When he wanted to preach publicly, 25,000 people gathered in the theater, but they came to shout him down. Today, Ephesus is one of the most outstanding antique ruins of the world. As you visit the many monuments, taka a seat in the cave (the seating area) of the theater, and there, see if it is possible to stop all the ancient chorus singing: “Great is Artemis of Ephesians!” Now we will leave St. Paul’s route and start climbing Mount Coressus, where it is believed the Virgin Mary and St. John took shelter. When you encounter people of different religions praying together in the chapel dedicated to the Virgin Mary, you will forget all the enmities of today and yesterday. Your belief in world peace will be strengthened. It’s possible to visit the Seven Churches of Revelation mentioned in the New Testament in or around Ephesus: Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Smyrna, Philadelphia, Laodicea and Ephesus.

“GREAT IS ARTEMIS OF THE EPHESIANS!”

Miletus could be the last stop of of a tour foll owing St. Paul’s route, but there are still so many other cities in Asia Minor that could be visited during another faith tour.

St. Paul’s second missionary journey started in Jerusalem

* Nur Öztürk is a professional tourist guide.

You first meet St. Paul in the New Testament, the book of the Bible called “The Acts of the Apostles.” He was a Jew born in Tarsus, a city in Cilicia. He is said to have stoned the believers of Jesus when he was young; however, when he witnessed miracles, he dedicated himself to this new belief. Now, we want to continue our trip in the footsteps of St. Paul, who traveled to many Anatolian

Hadrian Temple in Ephesus

photo by Murat Ocal

It is difficult to make a distinction among religions in Anatolia. Although they seem different, all at once they come together as in a poem by Mevlana, and like a star in endless space you are taken away to sacred places accompanied by whirling dervishes. This is the road of belief from the Old and New Testaments.

towns to spread Christianity. St. Paul first went to Antioch, and then passed to Cyprus. Then, after a dangerous sea voyage, he crossed over to Attaleia (Antalya), the mainland of Anatolia again. From Attaleia, St. Paul journeyed to Perge, then via the Valley of Aksu to the Taurus Mountains.

by Nur Öztürk*

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Istanbul Hosts “ASTA – International Destination EXPO 2010” “We hope to reach a record figure of 3000 participants for the “International Destination EXPO” in Istanbul.” By Ceylan Pirinçcioglu*

010 is a milestone year for Istanbul, as it will become the culture capital of Europe. In this important year, ASTAAmerican Society of Travel Agencies, the largest union of travel agencies of the world with over 20,000 members from 140 countries, will gather in Istanbul at the “2010 International Destination EXPO”. Turkey won this hosting bid due to the leadership of Asta’s Turkish Chapter’s and its active team work, and the valuable contributions of The Republic of Turkey Ministry of Culture and Tourism, TÜRSAB (Association of Turkish Travel Agencies), as well as the Turkish airlines. Minister of Culture and Tourism Ertugrul Günay expressed the importance of the

agents” with seminars and trips so they will be able to provide more information to travelers about the diversity of Turkey and what it offers, covering all twelve months of the: culture, golf, spas, sailing, incentives for conventions, skiing, F1,

programs around the country and nearby destinations for our delegates to discover Turkey AND BEYOND. We have also lined up a number of activities to introduce ID Expo 2010 Istanbul and Turkey in ASTA events, such as at the Lyon ID EXPO 08, the Orlando Trade Show 08, the Cape Town ID EXPO 09 and the Las Vegas Trade show 09. Mr. Ulusoy, the President of the Turkish Travel Agents Association, said that Istanbul is in high demand and a very busy city. You can not easily book the date you want when making reservations even two years in advance for big events. We look forward to accommodating the USA and International members of our American counterpart ASTA.

Ceylan Pirinçcioglu, ASTA Turkey President with Cheryl C. Hudak, ASTA President.

North American market and emphasized the value of the travel agents and travel writers in promoting a destination and extended an invitation to USA travel agents to come to Istanbul on this occasion. The ministry of Tourism will also collaborate with ASTA to create “Turkey specialist travel 24

other participatory events and more… We hope to reach a record figure of 3000 participants for the “International Destination EXPO” in Istanbul. The EXPO will add another dimension to the European Capital of Culture activities. We will also organize over 20

Turkey hosted 24 million tourists from all over the world in 2007, which is an increase of 15% over the past year. USA visitors reached 750,000, an increase of 25% over 2006. The target for Turkey is to reach 2.5 million US visitors annually by 2015.

* ASTA Turkey President

ABOUT ASTA American Society of Travel Agents, ASTA, the world’s largest travel trade association, commemorated its 75th anniversary in 2006. Since its founding on April 20, 1931 as the American Steamship and Tourist Agents Association, ASTA has remained true to the mission outlined by its founding members. ASTA’s 20,000plus members include travel agents and the companies whose products they sell such as tours, cruises, hotels, car rentals, etc. ASTA members are the leading advocate for travel agents, the travel industry and the traveling public. ASTA has been dedicated to travel agents and the traveling public for over 75 years. ASTA members continue to thrive as more and more travelers see the benefits of consulting an expert when making travel arrangements. ASTA’s progress enables ASTA and its members to stay focused on the needs of future customers.

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Worlds Apart, Together in Turkey The relics in Ephesus are said to rival some of Greeceâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most famous monuments. The city did not disappoint. The cobbled-stoned main street of the once-prosperous city was lined with stately homes and shops, with mosaics still visible on some walls. At the library, a two-story facade, statues of white marble stood out against the blue sky.

TURKOFAMERICA By Valerie Block*

photo by Murat Ocal

’ d been dating Musa for several months when he told me he was going back home to Turkey. I figured it was goodbye boyfriend, but he surprised me by phoning often. Two months into his absence, I was on a plane to Istanbul! Okay, we had our differences: Musa was a devout Muslim who’d come to New York to study English. I, a liberal Jewish New Yorker, worked full-time and was eight years older. Our relationship was doomed from the start. But he made me laugh. So, this thirty-something journalist decided to go for an adventure that summer of 1998. After all, I’d never been further from Manhattan than Western Europe. A trip to Turkey promised to be exotic and romantic. When I arrived at the airport, my handsome Turk was waiting to whisk me to the Istanbul, a patchwork of narrow cobblestone streets and crowded bazaars. He’d booked a hotel room near the famous Blue Mosque with its minarets piercing the sky. He didn’t take me to the home he shared with his mother, who expected Musa to woo, if not a cousin, at the very least, a Muslim. I tried to overlook such little details as we went sightseeing in the ancient city that straddles Europe and Asia with the dazzling blue Bosphorus dividing it. Exhausted from jet lag, I fell asleep easily that night. The following morning, at 5:30 a.m., I was jolted out of my slumber by Middle Eastern music. I wondered if a street party had started below our window. Musa laughed at my ignorance. This was the Muslim call to prayer, which I would hear five times a day. By my trip’s end, I slept right through the Mullahs. On my first full day in Istanbul, we visited the sites of the Sultanhamet, or old city, including the Topkapi Palace, where the sultans once lived with their many wives. We walked through rooms filled with jewel-encrusted swords, imperial garments and other artifacts of the Ottoman Empire. Outside, the city streets were crammed with people. Women wore long coats and head scarves despite the June heat. But they often walked arm in arm with girls wearing miniskirts and halter tops. The contrast between them seemed like a mirror to my relationship with Musa.

Valerie and Banu in her Bebek apartment.

AYVALIK Our plan was to hit the road early the next morning for a seaside vacation. Musa chose Ayvalik, a resort area more familiar to locals than tourists. The small fishing port on the Aegean Sea lies just south of the fabled city of Troy. To get there, we took advantage of the country’s fantastic bus system, which was cheap, convenient and comfortable. Ayvalik, with its whitewashed architecture and miles of olive groves, still resembles the Greek town it was until the Greeks were expelled after the war of 1922. We stayed at a beachfront bungalow where the beach was quiet, the water cold and a deep blue. We ate dinner at a café

on the bay in town, where we chose our fish whole and had it grilled. The following day, Musa brought breakfast to the room, a traditional spread of olives, cheese, honey, cucumber, bread and strong Turkish tea. We spent the morning relaxing and then explored the area, hiking up to Seytan Sofrasi, or the Devil’s table, a plateau that offered dramatic views of the area’s many coves and inlets, as well as the Greek isle of Lesbos. We dined that evening at our bungalow colony’s outdoor restaurant and were serenaded by a local folk music act. I was charmed by Ayvalik’s friendly residents, and relished my status as one of the few foreigners around.

VIRGIN MARY HOUSE From Ayvalik, we headed south along the coast, stopping at Bergama, one of Turkey’s many Greek ruins that boasted a small coliseum and sparse crowds. But a more impressive display of ancient civilization awaited us at Ephesus, our next destination. The relics in are said to rival some of Greece’s most famous monuments. The city did not disappoint. The cobbledstoned main street of the onceprosperous city was lined with stately homes and shops, with mosaics still visible on some walls. At the library, a two-story facade, statues of white marble stood out against the blue sky. Nearby, an ancient bathroom made for a fun photo opp. After scouring the ruins, we headed down the road to the Virgin Mary house, where the 27

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“ We booked a hotel room near the famous Blue Mosque with its minarets piercing the sky. “

mother of Christ is said to have spent her last days. As the sun set, we hailed a van to the resort town of Kusadasi, a crescent of white sand surrounded by midsized hotels, restaurants and shops, where we spent the night. Musa never introduced me to his mother, but I did meet other relatives during the trip, like his cousin Ali Riza, who lived in a tiny village near Kusadasi. The old man was thrilled to see Musa, and didn’t ask questions about our relationship. He spoke no English, but Musa translated. In the town… Well, hamlet, we picked up fresh lamb and vegetables to grill in Ali’s yard. And when I say fresh lamb, I mean, freshly killed and hanging in a dusty store window. Along the road, women in colorful head scarves worked in green fields, and men rode donkeys laden with produce. We never ventured further south to the Mediterranean, which remains a disappointment, but the more popular resort towns like Bodrum came with reputations of revelry that offended Musa’s 28

religious sensibilities. He reminded me often that he didn’t “drink, smoke or play cards.” While he was no saint, he didn’t care to be among so many sinners.

YALOVA: THE SITE OF AN OTTOMAN ERA SPA So, we agreed to turn back towards Istanbul and stop at Yalova, the site of an Ottoman era spa that had been a favorite of Kemal Ataturk, the founder of modern Turkey. I had heard about Turkish spas and was eager to spend time at one. The hot spring resort is now popular with Arab families and many women strolled the grounds in black hijab, with just their eyes peering out. The women’s indoor bath, however, was jammed with naked bodies, children and laughter. I found it fascinating to see these shrouded women come to life. I also enjoyed a relaxing massage for just a few dollars. Before leaving

the small city, we dropped in on Musa’s first cousins Fatma and Mehmet and their toddler son. Fatma was warm and welcoming and prepared a delicious lunch. In Turkey, it’s tradition to give guests a parting gift, so as we were leaving, Fatma handed me a pair of woolen socks she’d knitted herself. I snapped her photo in the doorway as she tried to adjust her headscarf, which had slipped to reveal some wisps of her hair. Two hours on a high speed ferry and we were back in Istanbul. This time around, we stayed with Banu, a friend of a friend from New York. I’d never met Banu, but we hit it off immediately. While Musa was a religious conservative, Banu greeted us at her two-bedroom apartment in the fashionable Bebek neighborhood with a cigarette in one hand and a glass of wine in the other. We could have been sisters. She arranged a small dinner and afterwards we went to listen to jazz at a crowded outdoor café. In the morning, Banu took me to a private club

floating in the middle of the Bosphorus where we swam in a giant pool and ordered cocktails. With Musa, I went to the main Bazaar in the old city, where he bargained and I bought – rugs, jewelry, clothing. For our last night, Musa picked Sehzade, a charming restaurant in a park near the city’s university. We sat under a tented canopy and ate köfte, or Turkish meatballs, while a band played traditional music. At the airport Musa promised to return to New York soon. He kept his promise, but after three years of battling our differences, Musa moved back to Turkey for good and I moved on. I’m married now, to a fellow Jewish New Yorker, but to my surprise, Musa still keeps in touch. I remain friends with Banu as well. Of all the things I brought back from Turkey from that trip, these are the souvenirs that mean the most to me. * Valerie Block is Deputy Managing Editor of Crain’s New York Business.

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Dangers of Turkish Travel ! Once a woman experiences Turkey’s warm people and embracing culture, it’s hard to go home again. By Catherine Salter Bayar *

s a Californian clothing designer in my thirties, I’d traveled alone on business to at least 40 countries worldwide. When I announced that I intended to travel solo in Turkey in 1998, however, I was bombarded with warnings from concerned friends about the danger inherent in my plan. I had been to Istanbul once before, and it had enthralled me. The city seemed to be San Francisco’s geographic twin with its proximity to the water, tall narrow wooden houses, precariously inclined streets, and modern bridges spanning windblown water. Opulent Ottoman palaces and mosques commanded the view, a sea of diverse faces bustled in colorful open air markets, and the ethereal call to prayer floated overhead while the beat of traffic pulsated on the streets. Visiting ancient landmarks, wandering narrow streets of the historic Sultanahmet neighborhood still nestled within crumbling Byzantine walls, I glimpsed the multitude of civilizations, the richness of cultures and the variety of people that had occupied this land bridging Europe and Asia. I felt compelled to return to Istanbul to explore both this former capital of empires, and the rest of Turkey which lay beyond in Anatolia, the peninsula of Asia Minor. So when I had the time to return to explore more of Turkey years later, I planned a month-long journey: arriving in Istanbul, but heading first to Konya, the origin of the Whirling Dervishes and burial place of Sufi poet Rumi, then farther south to the Mediterranean resort town of Antalya, and the nearby Taurus Mountains. There I would visit the legendary home of the Greek gods, a mountain once known as Olympus, before following the white cliffs of Pamukkale to the Aegean coast’s ancient Greco-Roman sites of Didyma, Ephesus, and Troy. Finally I’d travel though Bursa, center of the Ottoman Empire’s silk

production, leaving a week to reacquaint myself with Istanbul.

desire to see what Turkey was really like.

STRONG JUDGMENTS

After several weeks of solo travel, I discovered that the perils of visiting Turkey are indeed many, and entirely unavoidable. Whenever I hear a foreign woman planning a trip to Turkey by herself, I give her the benefit of my experience, by telling her these things:

This was the plan everyone objected to. None of these advisors had ever been to Turkey; the people who’d shared my business trips all longed to return. Misinformed friends who now urgently offered advice had seldom voiced concern about my trips alone to other countries; they’d only commented how lucky I was to explore all those “exotic” places. Turkey, however, evoked strong judgments. The prevailing opinion was that a woman of any age traveling alone to a Muslim country was asking for trouble. “You’ll have to wear a headscarf, and it’s best to cover yourself up entirely,” I was told repeatedly. “There are Islamic terrorists everywhere looking for Western hostages.” Or, “The Kurdish situation is likely to cause all sorts of problems” and “Who knows when they’ll set off another bomb at a major tourist site.” On and on the admonitions went, including warnings about the Turkish prison system. It seemed that everyone recalled the 1978 movie “Midnight Express”, the story of a young American male who was confined for years in a prison in Istanbul, suffering abuse from cruel guards and corrupt judges. Of course, my friends glossed over the fact that the jailed American was attempting to smuggle hashish, something that I was unlikely to try. I did plan to visit the prison though, since renovated to become a luxurious Four Seasons Hotel.

TIPS FOR FOREIGN WOMEN

The one concession I made to ease their worry was to dye my blond hair a deep auburn in an attempt to blend in, though I already knew that Turkish citizens varied in every color of hair, eyes and skin. Otherwise, I remained undaunted in my

Beware Of Excessive Care And Pampering: My initial experience with Turkish hospitality came the first night of my trip. Heading by rail to Konya after midnight, jetlagged into exhaustion, I boarded the wrong train. After the train started moving, the conductor came by and gesticulated to my ticket, then the platform outside. I understood from his agitated behavior that I had to get off the train. Suddenly, everyone in the car, men of all ages, gathered around us in boisterous discussion about what to do with me, or so I presumed since it was completely in Turkish. I realized with a shock that there were no other women in the train car. How could I have put myself in such a precarious situation within just a few hours of arriving? Dismal images crossed my mind while I watched the men, on guard to defend myself if any made a wrong move. After a harrowing half hour, the train slowed for the next stop, and the men motioned for me to go with the conductor. I gathered my bag and followed, exhaustion replaced with adrenaline-induced wariness. I needn’t have been so worried. Instead of doing something dire to the foolish foreign woman, the conductor made it his responsibility to escort me to the station manager, instructing him with great concern on his face to put me on the correct train when it arrived. In turn the elderly manager kindly ensured that I was fed and comfortable, doing a gallant job despite a total lack of English. We spent a hilarious hour going through my Turkish phrase book, attempting

to communicate details about his large family and my life in the U.S. A potentially dangerous situation led to an enjoyable conversation and short detour in my plans, but a favorable first impression. I wondered if a woman traveling solo would get that reception anywhere in America. Contrary to the suspicions of my countrymen, being a woman alone provoked a protective reaction among most Turkish citizens, as if I were an honorary daughter or sister to be looked after. Guard Against Gastronomic Exorbitance: Everywhere I went, I was offered copious amounts of Turkish tea, simple or elaborate meals with families whose homes I passed: stuffed grape leaves, vegetable casseroles, steaming rice pilav and green beans… Farmers would pick fruit off their trees to offer me as I walked by. Guarding my waistline became one of my biggest problems, because it was impossible to say no. Avoid Becoming Bankrupted By Baubles: As my friends had warned me, my wallet was frequently in danger. Not from pickpockets, mind you, but from me, charging the richlywoven carpets, intricate gold jewelry, hand painted ceramics, rustic copper kitchenware and fragrant spices. Persistent and witty shop touts immediately honed in on my weakness for kilims, carpets and handmade textiles, making it impossible for me resist a purchase. Every region of Turkey has distinct, age-old patterns and motifs decorating the textile handicrafts that women have been weaving for centuries. Each town became a minefield as I tried to avoid buying more; only the threat of overweight luggage charges was finally able to stop me. Prepare For Cordial Inquisitions: Always interested in engaging me, Turkish women were curious about my life, and how it differed from theirs. They would inquire about my marital status and whether I had children. Unlike in India, where the local

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women had warned me to stay in my hotel and not wander around, Turkish women wanted to trade family stories and were proud to show off their children and their homes. Everyone was full of questions for me and asked for details that in my own culture were deemed personal or even taboo. They started with “Where are you from?” as an icebreaker, but “How much do you make?” “What did your camera cost?” or even “Is that your natural hair color?” quickly followed. Seeing me as an honorary daughter meant that there were no formal boundaries between us that would make such questions inappropriate.

though the actual ‘pitfalls’ of Turkey proved more hazardous for me. I was so enamored of Turkish life that coming back to my “real” life was disappointing. The amiable human exchanges I had experienced had tainted my perspective to the point that I just had to return. Within seven months of my journey, I changed my entire life for the chance to live in Turkey. That was nine years ago and I’m still in Turkey today. Now I feel it’s my duty to warn fellow foreign women interested in Turkish travel of its dangers. I tell them: be prepared to say goodbye to your old life, where strangers on the street avoid your gaze, where getting to know your neighbors may take years, where you might spend a lifetime only talking to the people you already know, where television replaces human interaction. Because once a woman experiences Turkey’s warm people and embracing culture, it’s hard to go home again.

The Turks I met were interested to know what I thought of their country and their culture,

wanting to share opinions on everything from politics to religion. Conversation and social interaction, foundations of daily Turkish life, were the hallmarks of my travels, unlike my own American culture where too much time is spent alone in cars or avoiding strangers. Watch for Threats to Your Dignity And Reserve: I was the center of attention in many

situations. Not only was I forced to talk about myself, but Turkey roused other out-of-character behavior. Losing my inhibitions was one of them. In the Aegean town of Selçuk, I was invited to a Kurdish wedding one evening by a carpet seller I had befriended. Hundreds of people gathered in a huge open park in front of the bride’s home. The women were dressed in bright, glittery dresses, and the men were dancing to amplified folk music in long spiraling lines. I

was the only foreigner present, and the only woman not in a group of women. So I would not feel left out, someone grabbed my hand and put me a line of several women who had joined the men’s dance. Figuring out the steps while trying not to trip others and myself was only embarrassing for a moment, until the rhythm of the music, the motion of the dancers and their encouraging smiles made me forget myself. Resist Being Mesmerized Or Risk Your Life: By the end of my trip, the dangers I had been warned about in America seemed opposite to what I encountered,

DANGERS OF TURKISH TRAVEL ©2007 by Catherine Salter Bayar. It first appeared in TALES FROM THE EXPAT HAREM: Foreign Women in Modern Turkey, ©2005 by Anastasia M. Ashman and Jennifer Eaton Gökmen. Published in English in Turkey (Dogan Kitap, 2005) and North America (Seal Press, 2006), this nonfiction anthology by expatriate women from 5 nations spans the entire country and the last four decades as scholars, artists, missionaries, journalists, entrepreneurs and Peace Corps volunteers assimilate into Turkish friendship, neighborhood, wifehood, and motherhood. www.expatharem.com 33

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Turkish Tourism and Foreign Investments

Turkey is holding the treasures dating back to Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman Empires

Hasan Zöngür *

ur country, which over the course of 10,000 years has been the home of 13 great civilizations, is an open-air museum housing an amazing cultural heritage that has been distilled from the best of both Eastern and Western cultures. Our lands carry the accumulations of three great and important empires--Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman--with the almost fairy tale-like realities belonging to sultans, kings and emperors, to modern times. In Istanbul, the only city in the world that is built on two separate continents, you can travel from Asia to Europe in half an hour.. While visiting Ephesus, you can sit in the same theater that St. Paul prayed in and you can walk along the trails of the most civilized city in archaic times. As you travel to Cappadocia on the ancient Silk Road, you travel through a landscape dotted with Fairy Chimneys. This is a unique geography and gives the visitor a feeling that he or she is wandering on the surface of the moon. Here you can discover underground cities, homes built into volcanic soil, and ancient churches.. In Antalya, it is as if you can

hear the tale of the second Pergamum King, Aktalos: the King said to his raiders, “Go forth and find me heaven on earth.” The raiders heeded their king and they set forth on travels that ended when they arrived in Antalya, for upon seeing the magnificence there, they announced that they had finally found “heaven on earth.” In Antalya, derived from its ancient name “Attalia,” you too can experience one of the little corners of paradise.

ONE OF THE TEN TOURISM COUNTRIES In modern Turkey, in addition to its historical and its magnificent natural treasures, the investments that are being made in the tourism sector have guaranteed that Turkey is one of the top tourism countries in the world. Health, winter, eco, golf, leisure, cruise, conference-incentive, adventure and cultural tourism and the investments that are being made in all areas of the wide spectrum, makes Turkey a shooting star in tourism and offers great potential to its foreign guests. Today, with foreign tourist numbers at 23 million plus and with tourism revenues of more than 18 billion US dollars, Turkey is one of the top ten tourism countries in the world. There are many incentives in

place for the foreign investor who is interested in investing in the tourism field in Turkey. It is possible for companies with entirely foreign capital to invest in this country. The requirements for opening up a company have been lowered to a minimum level and all the measures and facilities are in place for investments to be actualized in the shortest amount of time possible. Allotments in tourist areas and centers determined by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism can be provided for foreign and domestic investors who would like to invest in the field of tourism property. Widespread incentive measures are in place for investments in hotels and vacation resorts, marinas, golf courses, and even in larger tourism centers. Tourist-oriented land allotments for investors are advertised in announcements not only in local press establishments but are also posted on the official website of the Ministry (www. kulturturizm.gov.tr) for public knowledge. In the instance that more than one investor is interested in a property, then through deliberation the property is allotted to the investor that provides the compensation agreement of the highest level of social and technical infrastructure. After fulfilling the obligations during

the preliminary authorization and definite allotment periods, the investor who has the property allotment can take on the right of construction on the property. The period of construction and the opening of the establishment for business will have to be done according to the time frame determined by the Ministry for the investor.For the foreign investor who would like to be a part of the dynamic Turkish tourism sector, Our Government provides many investment incentives with the aim that our country’s natural and historic treasures are open for the benefit of the whole world. I invite foreign investors to take advantage of these great opportunities. (For further information: Culture and Tourism MinistryInvestment and Enterprise Head Office, Address: Inönü Bulvarı No:5 Emek Ankara Türkiye Tel: (+90 312) 212 83 74 Fax: (+90 312) 212 83 97 yatirimisletme@kulturturizm. gov.tr

* Director of Turkish Culture and Tourist Office in New York

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A Weird Am 38

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merican

Like most Americans, I grew up hating futbol primarily because I didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t understand it. However, I can point to one thing that changed my life and my perspective: travel.

By Nathan Redd

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’ve been called a lot of things in my life, but “weird American” has probably taken the top spot in recent years. There are many reasons I’ve been called this, but my following the game of futbol (I refuse to call it “soccer”) is one of the major ones. Even more, my team isn’t an MLS team, the professional league here in America. Instead, my passion and devotion belongs to Turkish super club, Fenerbahce. When Americans (or anyone, for that matter) find out, I usually get a confused, befuddled look followed by “…why?!?” It all started for me a few years ago. Like most Americans, I grew up hating futbol primarily because I didn’t understand it. However, as I said, I can point to one thing that changed my life and my perspective: travel. After college, I began traveling internationally and in early 2005, my travels took me to Istanbul, Turkiye. I’ve often said that we overuse the phrase “it changed my life.” However, my first trip to Istanbul absolutely changed my life. I’ve traveled to some fantastic places in the last several years, including destinations considered the most beautiful on Earth. I have loved each place I’ve visited, but I fell in love with Turkiye immediately. It was surreal – I knew I was home within days of arriving. I knew that one day I would call Turkiye my home and I couldn’t wait. The scenery was beautiful and I was greatly impressed by the Blue Mosque and many of the wonderful sites in Istanbul. There was one thing, however, that made me fall in love with Turkiye more than anything else – the people. Sure, the Turks are gracious and wonderfully hospitable people, but my admiration for them went beyond the obvious. There was something special about the people that called this wonderful nation home.

WATCHING THE DERBY IN LOUISVILLE Ironically, after traveling a bit, I started realizing something. The rest of the world absolutely loved futbol; everyone but us Americans. I though if everyone else loved it, we must be missing out on something. Not long before my first trip to Turkiye, I started watching the game as I tried to figure out what I must be missing. I had a Turk friend here in Louisville who invited me to his apartment to watch The Derby – Fenerbahce vs. Galatasaray. He was a big 40

Nathan Redd comes to Istanbul all the way from Kentucky to watch Fenerbahce games.

Fenerbahce fan and he was eager to share his love for this team with me. I sat and watched the fans at Sukru Saracoglu cheer passionately for their team and I started to understand what I had been missing out on. The game was starting to make sense to me and the more I watched it, the more I loved it. By the time I made my first trip to Turkiye, I was starting to watch a bit more futbol and like most fans new to the game, I watched Manchester United, Chelsea, Real Madrid, Barcelona, and other world powers. I was watching arguably the best teams in the world, but I began to realize something – they weren’t Fenerbahce. Sure, they had incredible resources, amazing stadiums, and large fan bases around the world. But there was something missing – something that I only found when I watched Fenerbahce. The more futbol I watched, the more I realized there was something magical about this club. It seemed to me that they had everything those other big clubs had, but they had something even more impressive - the best fans in the world. There was something special about the Fenerli’s. Sure, those other clubs had passionate, devoted fans but Fener seemed like more than a futbol club to its fans. It was a religion; a sense of brotherhood linked its fans around the world. I knew that I was starting to love this team as I watched them more, and I desperately wanted to be a part of this brotherhood.

FANHOOD BECOMES PASSION After my first trip to Turkiye in 2005, I began following Fenerbahce more and more. It was difficult, as there aren’t exactly a lot of Turkish futbol games on TV in America. Even more, I didn’t speak a bit of Turkish other than “merhaba” and a few basic words. I started following the team online which

was even more difficult with the seven-hour time difference. However, my fanhood was becoming more of passion. For early kick-offs, I would get up at 7:00 in the morning to follow Fenerbahce scores online. My wife thought I was crazy, as I would sit in front of my computer clicking “refresh” every few minutes and screaming when I would see that Fener had scored. By following the team online and through the club’s website, I started learning some basic Turkish words. Although I was learning more, I was becoming increasingly frustrated by the lack of information on the club in English. By this time I knew that Fener was a big global club with fans around the world, which baffled me even more as to why there was so little news on the club in English. I became determined to try to do something about it. My love for Fenerbahce, combined with developing more friendships with Turkish people in my city and other fans online, allowed me to learn more Turkish. Finally, in July 2006, I decided that there must be at least someone else in the world that loved Fenerbahce but didn’t speak Turkish. I had read about people starting blogs and it seemed rather easy from what I heard, so I decided I would start a blog about Fenerbahce in English. I had learned a small amount of Turkish just from following Fenerbahce, and I knew it would help me down the road because I knew I would one day call Turkiye my home. Finally, in July 2006, I started Fenerbahce Worldwide. I covered news on the team, wrote recaps of games, even began writing editorials on the team’s performance. In May 2007, the Turkish media found out about the “weird American” who loved Fenerbahce and had this little blog. Hurriyet, Zaman, Fenerbahce TV, Fenerbahce Magazine, and many others began requesting interviews. Fenerbahce USA invited me

to New York to speak at their annual banquet. In October 2007, I went back to Turkiye to appear on Fenerbahce TV again and to do interviews and meetings with other sports organizations in Istanbul. I was honored by all of the attention, but I felt like it was part of my calling. I knew that if I could fall in love with this club, there would be others as well. Two years ago I began working on a Master’s degree in Sport Management, which is essentially the marketing and management of sports organizations. This turned into part of my mission – to get my Master’s degree and move to Turkiye to work for this club that I had fallen so deeply in love with. I’ll finish my degree later this year and my wife and I are planning to move to Turkiye, hopefully, next year. Meanwhile, the little blog has evolved into something much larger. I have three co-workers now, and we launched fenerbahceworldwide. org on January 28th. The new site will not only feature up-tothe-minute news on Fenerbahce in English, but also will feature sections in Turkish, Portuguese, and Spanish. We also have correspondents in Turkiye, USA, and Brasil on staff now. Although the blog evolved into something much larger than it started out as, it’s just the first step of our goal to take Fenerbahce to the world. However, the introduction of Fenerbahce is also just a beginning. Most people who have yet to visit Turkiye have an incorrect perception of this incredible nation. My goal has become not only to introduce this club I love so much to the world, but also to share this nation that I hope to call home with others. It started with a little blog, now evolving into a full website with employees and plans to launch new media ventures in the near future. My friends are finally starting to realize that I’m on to something with this Fenerbahce craze, but to most, I’m still just the “weird American.”

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Cappadocia, A World of Caves For more than a thousand years, local people hollowed their homes out of the rocks, creating complex networks of cave storerooms. tick a pin into the middle of a Smap of Turkey, and chances are that you will hit Cappadocia, that wild and wonderful part of the country where a combination of prehistoric volcanic activity and much more recent erosion have created a crazy, mixed-up landscape of soaring rock cones (‘fairy chimneys’) and deep gorges. Here it was that early medieval Christians hacked complete churches and monasteries out of the rock, decorating them with brilliantly-colored frescoes and equipping them with stone-cut columns, altars and domes. Here, too, other even more determined individuals tunneled right down into the soil to create entire underground ‘cities’ where they could take refuge from passing marauders. These days the best of the frescoed churches form the jewel in Cappadocia’s tourist crown, protected inside the Göreme Open Air Museum, where a rock-cut convent is surrounded by many smaller churches and chapels. Finest of all is the Karanlık (Dark) Church, painstakingly restored by UNESCO so that its colors shine

as brightly today as they did when first they were painted in the 11th century. On the walls and ceiling, it’s possible to make out all the most familiar stories of the life of Jesus, as well as images of Christian saints, some of them all but forgotten. Almost equally magnificent is the Tokalı (Buckle) Church which stands just across the road from the museum and features Bible stores painted in long strips along the ceiling as if in a comic book.

30 UNDERGROUND CITIES More than thirty underground cities have been uncovered and an increasing number are being opened to the public so that the non-claustrophobic can try to imagine what it would have been like in the days when people would have to live in their dank, dark rooms for weeks on end, stabling their animals on the upper levels while making their wine and cooking

their meals further down. For the time being, by far the most visited sites are at Derinkuyu and Kaymaklı. Derinkuyu was carved an astonishing nine layers deep into the ground, and is especially interesting because it contains the remains of what is thought to have been a mission school, complete with a huge and very uneven rock table running down the center. For more than a thousand years, local people hollowed their homes out of the rocks, creating complex networks of cave storerooms, stables and wineries, and then building stone facades in front of them. Even today many of these old cave-houses are still inhabited, their residents storing grapes and bread to see them through the

By Pat Yale

TURKOFAMERICA

harsh winter months in the rocky rooms hacked out at the rear. But one unfortunate side effect of ongoing erosion is that some of the cave houses have had to be evacuated for fear of rockfalls. When the three valleys that used to make up the old village of Zelve were emptied in the

1950s, they were turned into a museum where visitors can now have fun scrambling in and out of the rock houses, and inspecting the old churches and the mosque that used to serve the local population. The specific sites aside, Cappadocia is best known for its spectacular scenery, and especially for the dramatic and notoriously phallic-shaped ‘fairy chimney’ rock formations left behind by the wind and rain. What better way could there possibly be to appreciate them than from the basket of a hot-air balloon, floating silently over the valleys in the early hours of the morning? These days you have many choices when it comes to companies offering flights, but Kapadokya Balloons has been in business the longest and has a safety record second to none. Drifting gently downwards, the operator will bring the balloon so close to the trees that you can pluck an apricot from the branches. It’s a thrilling, unforgettable experience. Of course the weather can be a fickle thing, and although d a y s

are usually guaranteed to be hot right through from late May to late September, there are occasional glitches when strong winds write off the chance to go ballooning. Never fear, for there are plenty of other ways to appreciate the scenery. You can, for example, set off on foot, preferably with a guide to ensure you don’t get lost, to explore the many valleys that fan out from all the main settlements. Or you can hire a horse to see the scenery as it would have appeared to the first Europeans to penetrate the area in the early 18th century.

IHLARA VALLEY One of the finest places for walkers is the Ihlara Valley, on the western edge of Cappadocia, which has a stream running along the bottom of a vertically-sided gorge. Here you have a choice. Either you can sign up for a day trip, which will include a short walk through the part of the valley most pockmarked with ancient churches, or you can opt to do it yourself and walk the entire 10 miles from Ihlara village in the north to Selime in the south, stopping for lunch and a soak of your aching

feet in the riverside restaurants at Belisirma, midway through the gorge. And where should you stay while you’re doing all this? Well, for many years the tiny troglodyte settlement of Göreme was the main port of call for independent travelers, with more than sixty hotels and pensions, and plentiful restaurants to feed their guests. Recently, however, Göreme has moved upmarket and now boasts one of Cappadocia’s most luxurious hotels, the beautifully restored Anatolian Houses complex, as well as the versatile Kelebek Hotel and Pension, with rooms to suit most budgets. Over in Ürgüp a string of exquisite boutique hotels hide away in the secluded Esbelli Mahallesi, while smaller Uçhisar offers the gorgeous Maisons de Cappadoce (selfcatering apartments) and the Museum Hotel, with its infinity pool overlooking the glorious landscape. When it comes to finding somewhere to eat, the choices are simple: in Göreme the colorfully - decorated Alaturca Restaurant, in Uçhisar the stylish Elai, and in Ürgüp the inviting and centrally-located Sömine Restaurant.

THE PLACES Anatolian Houses: +90 (384) 271 2463 www.anatolianhouses.com Kelebek Hotel and Pension: +90 (384) 271 2531 www.kelebekhotel.com Esbelli Evi: +90 (384) 341 3395 www.esbelli.com.tr Maisons de Cappadoce: +90 (384) 219 2813 www.cappadoce.com Museum Hotel: +90 (384) 219 2220 www.museum-hotel.com Alaturca Restaurant: +90 (384) 271 2882 Elai: +90 (384) 219 3181 Sömine Restaurant: +90 (384) 341 8442 Argeus Tours: +90 (384) 341 4688, www.argeus.com.tr Kapadokya Balloons: +90 (384) 271 2442 www.kapadokyaballoons.com

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“Come Once, You’ll Definitely Love It!” “For an American, Turkey is an unimaginably diverse, magically surprising, and fascinating country. Many Americans who do visit the country ask themselves why they hadn’t come before, and after their trip is over, they begin to count the days to when they can return.”

he number of American tourists visiting Turkey in 2007 numbered 646,376. In 2006 the number had been lower at 532,419, thus indicating a 21.4 percent increase over the year. In 2005, 434,991 people had visited, an even lower number. The role played by travel agencies is an important aspect of Turkey’s growth in the

tourism sector. Today in Turkey there are 4,056 head agencies and 1,334 branches for a total number of 5,390 agencies. The American Society of Travel Agents’ General Congress, to be held in 2010, will take place Istanbul under the sponsorship of the Turkish Culture and Tourism Ministry, with 3,000 participants expected.

Under the banner of this occasion, American travel to Turkey is expected to accelerate. The President of Turkey’s Travel Agencies’ Union, Basaran Ulusoy, states that by getting to know Turkey better, American travel agencies will then naturally foster travel relations between the two countries which will positively affect tourist demand towards Turkey. Ulusoy sat down with TURKOFAMERICA to answer some of our questions: How important is the role of travel agencies in improving the Turkish tourism sector? When you compare the strength and effectiveness of TÜRSAB with other travel agency organizations in countries that compete with Turkey in the tourism industry, what sort of picture emerges? Travel agencies have always played a fundamental role in the development of Turkish tourism and always will. In order to work as a travel agency in Turkey, one must be a member of the Turkish Travel Agencies’ Union (TÜRSAB) and must obtain a license to practice from the Turkish Culture and Tourism Ministry. In Turkey today there are 4,056 centers and 1,334 branches of what is altogether 5,390 agencies. TÜRSAB is, without exception, the only professional union representing all travel agencies in Turkey.

In a country such as the US where only 5 percent of the population has a passport, what would you like to say to less well-traveled Americans in order to attract them to Turkey? How can the desire to spend 10-11 hours on a flight or days on a cruise be instilled in an American? Antioch's architects and workers constructed and chiseled giant stone chunks into three large atriums or terraces facing east and west. photo by Murat Ocal

To be honest, convincing an American who perhaps knows nothing about another country to board a plane for a 10-11 hour flight and come visit a new land may be a hard sell. However, I

Turkish Travel Agencies’ Union (TURSAB) President Basaran Ulusoy

think I would say the following: “For an American, Turkey is an unimaginably diverse, magically surprising, and fascinating country. Many Americans who do visit the country ask themselves why they hadn’t come before, and after their trip is over, they begin to count the days to when they can return.” If these statements made them curious, I would continue as follows: “Turkey is a historical mosaic of ancient civilizations, cultural riches, natural values, the old and new, tradition and modernity combined, impressive brotherhood, the colorful world metropolis of Istanbul, indigenous and international cuisine, cultural and artistic activities, a dazzling night life, and a destination tourists dream of. The fusion of Asia and Europe, the geographical point at which East and West meet, an imperial capital of three empires, namely the exotic and bewitching city of Istanbul, and the fascinating variety, strong values, and interests that this country offers cannot be found elsewhere. With the warmth of the people and their hospitality tourists will undoubtedly feel at home in Turkey. If you visit, you will undoubtedly soon return.”

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What is Turkey’s significance in the cruise travel sector?

or need to be developed in the coming years?

Cruise travel constitutes a large number of long-distance destinations in the tourism industry. Cruises increase interest in trips such as an Istanbul, Kusadası – Ephesus – Selçuk – Mother Mary’s House program. Without a doubt the American tourists who visit Turkey via cruise ships comprise a sizable percentage of the total tourists from the US.

Istanbul is becoming known in the meeting and convention tourism sector as a destination on a global scale due to its numerous successes in hosting important events. Sun, sea, and sand destinations are all attractive sites for potential holidays in Antalya and the Aegean Sea coast, in addition to the 4-5 star hotels that comprise nearly half of all hotels in the Mediterranean basin. Even golf tourism is being developed in Antalya, and that is proving to be quite attractive for many. The sea-sun-sand geared tourism is still the strongest type we have in Turkey. Nevertheless, the tourism development strategy that is currently being implemented in Turkey takes into account the overwhelming amount of diverse potential in the country and the best way to utilize this varied potential, namely by prioritizing special interests, nature, the ecology, and convention tourism. This strategy places importance on collecting a larger share from the higher income earners in the country and attracting tourists from distant markets, and of course the US, as key aspects of the basic goals.

On which type of tourist activities do American tourists in Turkey place the greatest importance? Travel, fun, and culture rank high on the list of activities in which American tourists in Turkey are interested. Motivating potential tourists in these areas and increasing interest in our country involve a couple of things, such as identifying targeted market segments, creating Turkey’s image as a tourist destination so that our country is correctly perceived abroad, and collecting better data on our tourists’ values and desires. What do you think about promoting Istanbul primarily as a brand? Istanbul is important in terms of zeroing in on a certain tourist segment by emphasizing its role as an alluring world capital, as a carrier of Turkey’s cultural history and riches, and for its strategic potential for religious tourism and special interest tourism. For example, Istanbul not only has the remnants of three empires, but also has the historically exotic Grand Bazaar, Europe’s most modern airport situated within a land of historical and original cultural riches, the most modern shopping centers, 5-star hotels nestled within the stunning panorama of Istanbul,

and a colorful nightlife; all these aspects of Istanbul must be emphasized. This is in addition to the three religious traditions that have co-existed for hundreds of years, an attractive feature for religious tourists, and other types of tourism as well, such as eco-tourism, botanical tours, cultural tourism, etc. These are all different types of tourism that could appeal to various types of travelers. In terms of the sharp decrease in American tourists after September 11th, what needs to be done in the coming years and what types of strategies should be implemented? How is TÜRSAB involved in these efforts? Although the September 11 crisis brought about a steep drop in American tourists visiting Turkey, since 2004 we have seen a rapid increase in those tourists. The numbers of American tourists visiting Turkey has shown a gradual increase. In the January – November time period of 2007, the number of American citizens who visited Turkey increased 21.95% from the year before and its number reached 628,881. However,

REASONS FOR AMERICAN TOURIST TRAVEL TO TURKEY (%) YEARS

Travel - Fun Culture Sports Family Meetings, Conf., Courses, Seminars Shopping Religion Trade / Business / Official Assignment Source : TUIK

2003

2005

38.00 5.30 0.15 4.81 8.70 0.70 5.10 7.50

41.00 9.20 1.80 9.80 5.60 0.20 0.60 17.70

upon examining the potential figures, we think that this number falls well short of what should be the numbers for Turkey’s tourism trade. For several years we engaged in attempts to bring the annual congress of the American Society of Travel Agents (ASTA) to Istanbul. The 2010 ASTA General Congress, expected to attract 3,000 participants, will take place in Istanbul under the patronage of the Turkish Culture and Tourism Ministry. We expect that this important event will help accelerate tourism from the US to Turkey. We think that by getting to know Turkey better, the American travel agencies will be positively affected and that that will affect demand for travel to Turkey. Today in the US, Las Vegas has established itself as a leader in convention tourism, Miami has its sun and sand, and North Carolina is a haven for those wanting to spend their vacation golfing. In order to create a differentiation within Turkey’s tourism sector, what specific concepts are being developed

As head of one of the Turkish tourism industry’s leading civil society organizations, do you have a message for American consumers that we can deliver? It would truly be a loss not to visit a country with such an amazing historical legacy, rich cultural values, warmth and hospitality, the new and old together, and the successful and fascinating mix of tradition and modernity. I advise our American friends to ask trusted American friends and close ones who have visited the country to give their testimony as to all that they will gain by visiting Turkey.

TOURISTS ARRIVING FROM THE USA 2000 – 2007 Years

Number Of Tourists

Change %

2007

646.376

21,40

2006

532.431

22,41

2005

434.982

49,43

2004

291.102

30,60

2003

222.918

-10,10

2002

247.837

-42,30

2001

430.000

-16,50

2000

515.000

30,40

Source: Tourism Ministry

TURKOFAMERICA

Trends in Turkish Tourism: Expat Tours First time visitors can savor Turkey as if they lived here, promise the American creators of Expat Harem Expeditions. By Elizabeth Gündogdu

ver dreamed of life abroad ? Being able to enjoy a country as a non-native, but with all the benefits of local knowledge? Imagine visiting old friends who’ve relocated to an exotic place. They’d take you to all their favorite places off the beaten track, and guide you through the major attractions knowing just what you’d most like to see and do. “This is how we live in Turkey, and how we entertain our visitors,” say the creators of a new brand in Turkish tourism, Anastasia M. Ashman and Jennifer Eaton Gökmen. The two women are American residents in Istanbul with a combined 18 years of experience in the country. They are also the editors of Tales from the Expat Harem, an internationally #1 bestselling anthology by foreign women about their lives in modern Turkey. “Now we’re offering our insider knowledge to travelers everywhere, allowing them to connect to the Turkey that we, our fellow expatriates, and all our Expat Harem writers have come to know and love!”

Expat Harem Expeditions By Karavan Travel Group The newly launched Expat Harem Expeditions are operated by a Levantine family with 300 years of expat experience in Turkey as well as 38 years in modern Turkish tourism. “These are uncommon outings designed by expatriate insiders,” explains Giancarlo Baltazzi, the vice president of Karavan Travel. “They understand the local culture, but since they still view the country from a foreigner’s perspective, they intuitively know what will appeal most to visitors. Our itineraries include authentic local shopping and entertainment, cultural activities and the best in Turkish cuisine, with an emphasis on the 50

Expat Harem style of cultural appreciation.” Expat Harem Expeditions also allows visitors who have already traveled to Turkey a more intimate experience of the country, offering new adventures and deeper access to its hospitable culture. With nine offices throughout Turkey, Karavan has been distinguished in destination management since 1969, though the pioneering and refined Venetian family’s roots in Turkish hospitality are much more extensive. In 1863 a Baltazzi ancestor organized the Ottoman Exhibition, the first international show in Istanbul, which created Turkey’s earliest tourism group movement. A later Baltazzi was commissioner for the Ottoman pavilion at the 1873 Vienna Universal Exhibition. In their Izmir home in the 19th century, the family hosted Sultans Abdul Mecid and Abdul Aziz, while in the 1990s current Karavan president Alex Baltazzi chaired the organizing committee of Turkey’s first International Tourist Fairs.

The Expat Harem Concept “Readers of Expat Harem have discovered you don’t need to feel like a shy newcomer, unfamiliar with the language and culture, when you can rely on your expat counterparts to unlock the secrets of the country,” says Expat Harem coeditor Anastasia Ashman, who hails from California. Recommended worldwide as one of the best books on Turkey by National Geographic Traveler and the Lonely Planet guidebook, as well as the New York Times Company’s overseas newspaper International Herald Tribune, the popular anthology is the literary inspiration for Expat Harem Expeditions. Spanning the entire country and the last four decades, the critically-acclaimed travelogue by 30 expatriates from five nations takes you on a journey to weddings and workplaces,

down cobbled Byzantine streets, into boisterous bazaars along the Silk Road and into marble Ottoman bathhouses. The book, which is being studied in at least 6 North American universities for its compelling views of Turkish life, positively reclaims the powerbase of foreign wisdom about Turkey, explains Michigan-born Expat Harem coeditor Jennifer Eaton Gökmen. “Most of the original occupants of the 15th century Sultans’ harem were foreign-born. Like them, we modern expats are part of Turkish culture, but will always have a foreigner’s appreciation of the land.”

Explore With Knowledge

Insider

The creators of Expat Harem Expeditions ask you to imagine

exploring the country like this: An evening of jazz on the Bosphorus…Brunch at a 17th century Ottoman hunting lodge… Traditional Turkish fortune telling from the grounds in your coffee cup in an atmospheric nargile water pipe café in Cappadocia… Cruising the Bosphorus in the regal luxury of the Sultan’s lowslung caique...Antique-hunting in the backstreets of Istanbul’s Bohemian quarter… Dancing at a local wedding party...Enjoying a classical concert in a Byzantine church... Toasting the Republic from historic taverns... Discovering a tiny jewel of a mosque up a hidden staircase… Luxuriating in Bursa’s 500-yearold marble hamams.... Starry nights at the smartest waterfront

TURKOFAMERICA

private museums to view works by Orientalist masters like Osman Hamdi, whose enigmatic Mihrab painting is a mystery that Eveline Zoutendijk must solve in her Expat Harem tale “The Painting or the Boy”. Or witness a sema whirling ceremony performed by Sufi “dervishes”, followers of the 13th century poet and mystic Mevlana Celaddin Rumi—the figure who inspired Kathleen Hamilton’s 1981 trip to Konya, recounted in her humorous tale of solo travel, “Hijacked”. Or be moved with emotion in Cappadocia, the land of fairy

chimneys, where Claire Uhr was nursed back to health by Turkish neighbors in her tearjerking tale, “Saved by Village Intelligence”. “In the pages of the book readers find, among many other expat truths about Turkey, that traditional Turkish hospitality is justifiably legendary,” says Ashman. Gökmen adds, “When you arrive on Turkish soil, you will experience it yourself. You’ve come to the land where ‘a guest is a gift from God’.”

nightspots in Istanbul... Navigating the nation’s bazaars with experts... “Expat Harem Expeditions are a premiere series, offering the international visitor a true taste of local Turkish history and culture, perfected by our Expat Harem team of experts,” explains Giancarlo Baltazzi. The tour operator also points out that even travelers who have visited Turkey before can see a new side of the country with these itineraries derived from the American creators’ own expat knowledge, and inspired by the stories in the anthology. “From the Black Sea to the Mediterranean, the rocky coastlines of the West to the mountains in East, these are niche tours designed to enchant both first-timers and repeat visitors by linking the sights with real stories of adventure and cultural understanding,” he says.

Live The True Tales For instance, travelers on an Expat Harem Expedition may visit one of Turkey’s newest

Contacts for Karavan Travel Group Tel: +90-212-247 50 44 / 66 Fax: +90-212-233 31 06 Email: carlo@karavantravel.com Web: www. karavantravel.com Web: www. expatharem.com Blog: www. expat-harem.blogspot.com

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Ali Günertem gunertem@turkofamerica.com

A Political

G a m e I

n my previous column I expressed my thoughts regarding the so-called Armenian Bill in the American Congress. I also shared my opinions on how an issue that is so historically central to Turkey was so easily manipulated by the internal politics of America.

The year 2008 will be an important year politically due to the US presidential election, to be held in November 2008. The platform is confusing for both parties. Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama for Democrats and John McCain for Republicans are likely to be the nominee now, and both candidates are largely talking about large-scale change. I hope that this change will prove beneficial for humanity and the world because the deep wounds left by the last eight years will not easily heal without a huge effort. Avoiding mention of the issue of foreign policy, I’m going to discuss the role that Turkish-Americans living the US may play during this period. The biggest difference between immigrants who have citizenship and those who hold green cards is the right to vote, which 52

green card holders do not have. Within the unknown numbers of Turks in the diaspora, Turkish-Americans are known to vote in larger numbers for the Republican Party, who have a better reputation in terms of relations with Turkey. Even though their ideologies may line up quite nicely with the Democratic Party, relations with Turkey sometimes becomes a more pertinent issue for Turkish-American voters. This mode of thinking has proven to be a tremendous setback for the Turkish diaspora. This group overwhelmingly gave their votes to Republicans over the years, whereas, in my opinion, most people should vote according to the domestic dynamics and what would be in their self-interest. Living in the US but voting based on Turkish interests is unnecessary and the wrong political game to play. This is what should be done: voting should be based on the various lifestyles, beliefs, and world-views of the citizenry. If it should happen that there are anti-Turkish sentiments

within that party, efforts should be made to convince party members otherwise. In the long-run, this political strategy is the best. In recent elections, there have been many Turkish-American voters drifting towards the Democratic Party and Bill Clinton is largely the reason why. If we examine this phenomenon closer, we see that there are many Turkish-Americans working for Democratic candidates, contributing to campaigns, and taking a more active role in the party’s inner dynamics. Even if these efforts are a bit slow in coming, within time the Democratic Party’s negative attitudes towards Turkey will change. If a candidate with close support from Turkish-Americans happens to make it to the White House, he or she will undoubtedly lend a more sympathetic ear to Turkish issues. That has been the longtime strategy of the anti-Turkish Greek and Armenian diaspora.The most important part of this strategy is to insert TurkishAmerican citizens into the political machinery. Bringing a Turkish American representative or senator to the Congress within the next 15 years should be the primary goal of the Turkish diaspora. The Turkish community took a big

step towards this eventual goal in 2007 with the forming of the organization “Turkish Coalition of America.” This organization is poised to come to the assistance of any Turkish-American living in the US and wishing to enter the world of politics. Knowledge and desire are the beginning of any political strategy but organizing and providing background strength lies in the realm of coalitions and teams. Turkish-Americans living in the US should rid themselves of institutional and petty personal squabbles, join forces with the TCA, and enter the American political realm. When it comes down to it, the future belongs to all of us and triumph can only be attained through unity and cooperation.

TURKOFAMERICA

What Can You Do in

Turkey ? Celebrate 2000 Years of the Apostole’s Life in Tarsus In June of last year, Pope Benedict XVI announced a special jubilee year dedicated to St Paul, saying the Church needs modern Christians who will imitate the apostle’s missionary energy and spirit of sacrifice. The Pauline Year will run from June 29, 2008, to June 29, 2009. St. Paul was born in Tarsus, in what is now Turkey, at the start of the Christian era, sometime between A.D. 7 and 10, according to church historians. After his conversion on the road to Damascus, he became one of the church’s foremost evangelizers, first among Jews, then among Gentiles. He was an early leader of the growing Christian churches around the Roman Empire, and the writings of St. Paul are the earliest existing Christian writings known to historians. St. Paul is attributed with the writing of 13 books in the Bible, 7 by himself and 6 by others in his name. For special Christian Tours Programs http://www. selectinternationaltours.com

Reserve Your Hotel for Istanbul Formula 1Grand Prix The 2008 Formula 1 Petrol Ofisi Turkish Grand Prix auto race

will be held in Istanbul from May 9th to 11th, at Istanbul Park in Tuzla/Kurtköy, 62 km (38 miles) southeast of Istanbul on the Asian side of the Bosphorus nearSabiha Gokcen Airport. This is the fourth formula 1 grand prix at the new race track. In past years a sell-out crowd of 125,000+ traveled to the new track to watch the grand prix practice trials, qualifying races, and grand prix race. Practice runs will take place on Friday and Saturday (May 9th and 10th), and the qualifying race on Saturday. The main event, the Grand Prix, takes place on Sunday, May 11th. Most Istanbul Hotels will be fully booked months in advance for the entire weekend. If you plan to see any Grand Prix, you’d do well reserve your room early! For all details: www.formula1-istanbul.com www.turkeytravelplaner.com

Read Turkey Through Turkish Eyes It was a smash hit as ‘Türkiye’de Görülmesi Gereken 101 Yer’, and now Saffet Emre Tonguç and Fatih Türkmenoglu’s bestselling guidebook has been translated into English as ‘101 Must-See Places in Turkey’. Written by two Turks who have worked as travel journalists, tour guides and television presenters, it offers a remarkable insiders’ look at what makes Turkey tick, homing in all the places a first-time visitor to the country would want to see – Istanbul, Çanakkale, Ephesus, Pamukkale and Cappadocia – while dropping just enough hints about the more off-thebeaten-track locations – Taraklı, Enez, Trilye and the Obruk Hanı – to make even repeat visitors want to buy a copy.

The book has meaty sections on the blue cruises that are such a popular way of exploring the Mediterrean coast; on Turkey’s lesser-known ski resorts; and on the beach clubs that attract the in crowd to the sands around Çesme. It’s particularly good, too, on the historical attractions of Old Istanbul and the trendy restaurants that have brought new life to Ankara. If you want to know how the Turks see their own country, then this is the guidebook for you. Türkiye’de Görülmesi Gereken 101 Yer/101 Must-See Places in Turkey by Saffet Emre Tonguç and Fatih Türkmenoglu are published by Boyut Publishing.

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The Pearl of the Aegean “Even Victor Hugo agrees with me - he described Izmir as “a princess with a beautiful necklace on her neck” by Ayse Onal Zamboglu

here are a couple of cities in every country with distinct characters. When you visit such a city, it tells a fairly different story than the rest. If you are planning to visit wonderful Turkey, Izmir will show you a different side of Turkish culture and heritage very well. Many refer to Izmir as the pearl of the Aegean. It’s located in the gulf of Izmir, by the Aegean Sea. The gulf itself is a big part of city’s identity. It separates the two large districts of Izmir; Konak (on the southern shore of the Gulf of Izmir) and Karsiyaka (on the northern shore of the Gulf of Izmir). Both districts take the gulf in between them quite seriously and believe having it in between makes them into two very different cities. For instance, both districts have their own their soccer clubs, they are eternal rivals and their games are referred as the 3rd biggest city derby of Turkey. Despite the rivalry, the people of the two districts do get along well. You see ferries going back and forth all day long from shore to shore in the gulf. Feeding the seagulls with gevrek (a specialty of Izmir, thinner and larger version of a sesame bagel) is customary as the ferry makes white bubbles in the sea. The people of Izmir are known to be laid back; they take the day

one step at a time. The busy work schedules don’t bother them as much; a walk along the Kordonboyu or Sahil bulvari is all it takes to keep them sane and serene. They know how to greet their visitors , too. They have plenty to show them, especially if it’s their first time in the city. As a proud born and raised Izmir’li, let me greet you and take you to some of the must see places in the city.

Konak Square The clock tower located in Konak Square is the city’s landmark. It was built in 1901 to commemorate the enthronement of Sultan Abdulhamit I. Everybody who has visited Izmir has a picture taken right in front of it; don’t forget to take yours. Try to make time to visit Asansör, the Elevator Tower, which was built in 1907 to provide easier access to the Halil Rifat Pasa neighborhood (compared to the 155-step stairway). The street in which the elevator tower is located has restored old town houses and a fine restaurant at the top of the Asansör with a beautiful panorama of the city and the sea. The Alsancak neighborhood offers a lot of choices for fine

Saint Polycarp Church is the oldest Christian church in Izmir which was built in 1625 with the permission of Sultan Suleyman of the Ottoman Empire and by the wish of King of France Louis 13th.

Among the nine metropolitan districts Izmir counts, Narlıdere became in recent years the fastest developing district.

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dining and shopping. You will see small streets made of cobblestone and many townhouses with distinct architecture in Alsancak; all of it will remind you of the Mediterranean. If you are into history, here are three must-see museums in Izmir. All are open daily except for Mondays: The Archaeological Museum in Konak offers more than 1500 sculptures and antiquities on display, many from the ancient city of Smyrna (the Greek name for Izmir) and surrounding sites dating back from the early ages till the end of the Byzantine Period. The Ethnographical Museum is right next to the Archaeological museum; there you will find folklife artifacts (e.g. carpets, and carpet weaving equipment, pottery, and bead making). The Atatürk Museum, which is located on Atatürk Avenue in Alsancak, was the mansion that Atatürk (the founder of the Republic of Turkey) stayed in when he visited Izmir. The building itself was built at the end of the 19th century and has the furniture and personal belongings of Atatürk on display.

Close To Historic Sites The Narlidere and Inciralti neighborhoods offer good dining options for seafood lovers. You can also take long walks along the coastline in Narlidere. Izmir has a lot of sightseeing and is very close to seaside towns with nice beaches and a lot of historical sites. Çesme, for

instance, is about a 45 minute drive from Izmir. It is one of the best places for windsurfing in Europe (Alaçati). There are many small bays with luxurious resorts (Ilica, Ayayorgi koyu) and secluded coves that let you enjoy the Aegean Sea whether you choose to swim and rest on the beach, or snorkel and scuba dive. Kusadasi is another town definitely worth a visit. It is 55 miles south of Izmir and close to historic sites such as the ancient city of Ephesus (a must see), the House of Virgin Mary, Didyma, Priene and Miletos. Kusadasi has many beaches with calm clear waters like Çesme. Both cities offer good shopping and dining options and a great nightlife.

Victor Hugo’s City It is impossible to do justice to what all of the small towns and historic sites mentioned above have to offer in this short article; they all deserve their own. They are a big part of why the locals of Izmir don’t take life too seriously – life is a lot easier for those who have a place to escape the busy metropolitan life just with a half hour drive. This might have very well been a quite biased article since Izmir is my beautiful, and very much missed hometown; but believe me, it’s hard to be unbiased if you spend a fair amount of time in this Mediterranean-flavored seaside city. Even Victor Hugo agrees with me - he described Izmir as “a princess with a beautiful necklace on her neck.” I hope you get to meet this princess.

The historical Kemeralti neighborhood in Konak district is the best known local shopping market in Izmir

Izmir is A Candidate for Hosting the World’s Biggest Exhibition One of the Aegean’s most attractive areas of habitation for millennia and home to countless civilizations, cultures and unmatched architectural wonders, Izmir is now a candidate for hosting the world’s biggest exhibition, EXPO, in 2015. Its rival in the selection, which will be made in March 2008, is Milan. EXPO, which runs for six months, is known as the world’s largest meeting place for culture, science, history and education. But perhaps its most outstanding characteristic is that it is not only products that are promoted to visitors through a variety of presentations but projects oriented towards ideas, scientific and technological advances, national cultures and the future of the world as it relates to the exhibition’s themes. Previous years EXPO’s were concentrated in Western Europe, North America and the Far East. Izmir is a candidate for the first EXPO to be held not only in Turkey but in all the neighboring countries. New Routes for a Better World and Health for All’ is the theme, reflecting the common problems, expectations and searches for solutions of all countries in the world regardless of their level of development. EXPO promises to contribute to these efforts in harmony with the United Nations Millennia Development Targets which are expected to be met in 2015. With its legacy of the Asklepion, the first medical center of antiquity founded in the name of the health god Asklepios in the 4th century B.C., its Agamemnon thermal baths, and Galen, one of the most important physicians of ancient times and the father of pharmacology, Izmir has been the at the heart of the science of medicine from then right up to today. What’s more, based on the theme of health for the first time in its history, EXPO is going to enable Izmir to sustain its historic mission. Mobilized for EXPO 2015, where some 40 million visitors are expected, Izmir is working to bring this giant event to Turkey somehow or other and looking forward to the selection in 2008. (Skylife)

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Beth Israel Synagogue was built in 1905 by Nisim Levi in the Karatas (Izmir) quarter where an important Jewish community lived at the beginning of the 20th Century.

The Most Misunderstood Nation

By Ayse Önal Zamboglu

have a part of this page to myself, there is a chance you started reading what I am writing right this second, and that’s making me nervous and happy at the same time. I don’t quite know where to start, blame it on the nervousness. If you had 750 words you could use to write something about your country, what would they be? Perhaps I shouldn’t be wasting them by sharing my inner conflicts on my writing process. Oh, well. I want you in from the beginning. To do justice to my article you have to know that I am nervous and why I am nervous. So, here it goes. I am nervous, because I want the words to come out just right. I don’t want this article to be one of those “my country is really beautiful, with so many places to see, filled with history, hospitality and lots of good food to eat” ones. Not that any of those statements are false; they are true as much as the earth revolves around the sun. But I want you to see a different part of me, a different part of my country. I want you

to understand why it hurts us inside to read story after story in the news, all based on the socalled facts about our country with no grain of truth in them.

been going on for quite some time. We have been fighting back but we Turks are not very much into long deliberations about the past.

We wonder why we are the most misunderstood nation in the world. We try hard to come up with answers, and ask a lot of questions. How come the Ottoman Empire does not get all the credit in the world for caring for its minorities, letting them live their religion, keep their identities, languages?

For instance, you don’t hear us go on and on about how unfair World War I was, we don’t cultivate hatred towards those countries who wanted to divide and share our country. Our fight for freedom was a true “Braveheart” story but very few know about it around the world. We neither market our heroism, nor our heart-breaking stories from those years of struggle.

Do the people really believe that one of the most powerful empires in the world history did not have the power to oppress the minorities, or could not get around to it during the 600 years it thrived? Isn’t it clear that it was a conscious choice made by the empire –a choice to respect people’s identities and not to force religion, or language on them? Why did my dear Polish friend believe that Turks were barbarians and truly brutal people up until she met a Turkish guy and fell in love? Neither nor I have the answer to this. Of course none of this is new to us. This negative campaign has

We believe everybody who has been wronged would behave that way, that’s way it should have been, that’s the way it was. For a nation which puts honor first, I can only say that we are really heart- broken by not being listened to - even when we talk with facts, people choose to give the credit to who talks louder (e.g. the socalled Armenian Genocide) I can think of a couple reasons behind this attitude. The first and the most obvious one is the religion factor. The second one is Western Eurocentrism; it is a fact that West sometimes chooses

what to believe and markets that usually by disregarding obvious historical facts. I would say we are learning to be more persistent these days. It was not because we did not care. We thought the truth would come out eventually in every conflict we faced. We did our best to host every visitor of Turkey like a guest of our own home, made friends abroad and hoped they would tell our stories for what they really are, and they actually did. That’s because they got to know us for who we really are. It is all about the dialogue and keeping an open mind about everything we know, especially with what the latest developments in technology did for globalization and means of communication worldwide. I truly hope that you will spend some time in Turkey, meet the wonderful people and see all the beautiful places you had a preview of with this issue of TURKOFAMERICA. You can be sure you will be greeted with a great, warm welcome!

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Istanbul: European Capital of Culture The Turkish city of Istanbul, the Hungarian city of Pécz and Germany’s Essen have been recommended as ‘European Capitals’ on April 2006.

hroughout history, then, Istanbul has been home to countless societies and cultures. Yet this “beautiful harmony”, which is embedded in the city’s foundations and entwined in the branches of its family tree, is not just a pleasant memento from a bygone era. Istanbul retains still its rich cosmopolitan character, sometimes concealing and sometimes revealing the evidence of its unrivalled physical and cultural legacy. The city is a living example of the much sought-after meeting of civilizations – something so desperately missing in the modern world that the search for it seems almost utopian. For more than two thousand years, as if inspired by Aristotle’s theory of the four elements, the city has captivated humankind’s attention. Once it was gold that people saw as the perfect blend of the four elements. Istanbul, which once ruled lands on three continents, throughout the ages has served as a magnet for migrants for whom its streets are paved with that proverbial gold. After all the traumas it has experienced since its foundation, symbolically guided by the four elements, Istanbul is now promising to revitalize the formula imprinted in its genes. In cultural and in artistic terms it will be worth its weight in

gold to the world as a European Capital of Culture. The Turkish city of Istanbul, the Hungarian city of Pécz and Germany’s Essen have been recommended as ‘European Capitals’ on April 2006 by a panel set up to assess the European Capitals of Culture 2010. Being seen as a crossroad in Europe and having interacted with European civilizations for centuries, Istanbul stressed the promotion of cultural contacts at European level, centering its project on the theme ‘Istanbul: City of the Four Elements’ – a bridge between Europe and the East. The fact that the Romanian city of Sibiu is next year’s European Capital of Culture, and that a city from a country that just started negotiations for EU accession will held the title in 2010 is seen by many as a demonstration of how much political this choice can be. The planned opening of museums such as the former church of Haghia Eirene, Gençlik Müzesi (Youth Museum), Santral Istanbul (Central Museum) and Istanbul Sehir Müzesi (Istanbul City Museum) in the run-up to 2010 will make a significant contribution to these efforts. Source: www.istanbul2010.org

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Selcuk: Aegean Hot Spot

by Catherine Salter Bayar*

Saint John the Evangelist, favorite of Jesus and the only disciple to attend his crucifixion, is buried on Ayasuluk Hill,according to several early Christian writers. Saint Paul lived in Ephesus for several years, converting enough followers to establish the Church of Ephesus.

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his historical valley on Turkey’s West Coast has more than its share of diverse cultural attractions – from centuries of wonders at Ephesus, a city founded by a mythical tribe of women warriors known as Amazons, embellished by King Croesus, liberated by Alexander the Great and nearly as important as Rome – to the tomb of Jesus’ favorite disciple and last home of the Virgin Mary, both sites of Christian pilgrimage, as well as a charming Ottoman village best known for its traditional pleasures of homemade wines and handmade lace. Nestled amid olive and pine tree-covered mountains, mandarin orange and peach groves, the roughly 12 squaremile Selçuk area’s vast offerings are completed by a wide sandy beach along the blue Aegean Sea. Named for the pre-Ottoman Turks and pronounced “Selchuk”, through millennia this region has been home to Hittites, Carians, Lydians, Persians, as well as Greeks, Romans, Byzantines and Turks. Visit the ruins of Ephesus, the best preserved Greco-Roman city in the Eastern Mediterranean, see the last standing column of the Temple of Artemis, one of the ancient Seven Wonders of the World, brandish replicas of gladiators’ weapons at the Selçuk Ephesus Museum, sip cold mountain spring water from the well at the Virgin Mary’s

chapel, and wander the stony lanes in the village of Sirince or the larger town of Selçuk to mix with the locals and experience how people live here now. Selçuk is inhabited by a pleasant mix of farmers and business people, tourists and travelers, and a growing expatriate community. The town is easily accessible by bus, train or car from Izmir’s airport 37 miles north, or from the port town of Kusadasi 12 miles south. All sites of interest are within walking distance from the town center or a short bus ride away. Stay in hospitable family-run hotels of antiquefilled, traditional-style stone, or modern accommodations with sweeping roof terrace views. Enjoy restaurants serving savory home-cooked Turkish food and a farmer’s market held every Saturday and abounding in fresh, locally grown produce. Tall stone Byzantine aqueducts bisect the town, supporting massive stork nests for the revered migratory birds. All of this is centered on cobbled walking streets, making Selçuk the perfect travel base and a peaceful respite from congested coastal towns.

AYASULUK HILL Today’s Selçuk surrounds Ayasuluk Hill, site of the first city of Ephesus, where artifacts dating to the Bronze Age of

6,000 BC have been uncovered. The city was founded for the second time in 1050 BC by the colonizing Athenian Prince Androklos. The ancient Temple of Artemis stood on the southwestern slope of Ayasuluk. The Greek Artemis, goddess of the moon, the hunt and fertility, and Anatolian mother goddess Kybele together became Artemis of Ephesus. Her multibreasted statues are in the Selcuk Ephesus Museum nearby, along with major archeological pieces excavated since World War II. The largest building in the ancient world, three times the size of the Parthenon in Athens, the Temple was dedicated in 550 BC. The last Lydian king, Croesus, of the expression “as rich as Croesus” fame, contributed to the temple and enlarged the city around it during his reign, until his defeat by Persian King Cyrus in 546 BC. The Temple served as both religious institution and marketplace, visited by pilgrims, tourists and merchants from the far reaches of the known world. Columns and marble plaques from the ruined Temple eventually became part of the Hagia Sophia in Istanbul, and decorative pieces can be seen at the British Museum. Saint John the Evangelist, favorite of Jesus and the only disciple to attend his crucifixion, with an important role in disseminating

Christianity, and thought by some to have written the Book of Revelation, is buried on Ayasuluk Hill, according to several early Christian writers. In the 6th century AD, Emperor Justinian built an enormous Basilica over an earlier 4th century church. Many of the stone walls, strikingly contrasted by horizontal rows of red brick, still stand, and from the terrace, there is a wonderful view of Selçuk, the Ephesian Plain and the Aegean, especially at sunset. Above the remains of the Basilica is the Byzantine Fortress of Ayasuluk, built in the 5th century for defense but closed to visitors. The Isa Bey Mosque, built in 1375 by the Anatolian Selçuk Turks from remnants of Ephesus and Basilica stone, is an asymmetrical mix of Selçuk and Ottoman architecture, with excellent carved decorations and a peaceful courtyard. Selçuk is also dotted with numerous stone mosques and tombs from the Selçuk period.

EPHESUS Ephesus became the Roman capital of Asia Minor in 129 BC, a metropolis second only to Rome in size and commerce. At its peak in the 1st and 2nd centuries AD, the city had a population of about 500,000 residents. Archaeologists say that the ruins visited today - baths,

Ephesus became the Roman capital of Asia Minor in 129 BC.

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fountains, temples, gymnasiums, a brothel, a public latrine and two large agoras, or market places - only comprise about 10% of the city’s remains and predict they will be excavating the site for centuries to come. Terraced courtyard houses once occupied by the wealthy, complete with intricate mosaic floors and frescoed walls, can also be visited. Nowhere other than Pompeii do today’s visitors have such an excellent chance to experience life in the ancient world. Ephesus is less than 2 miles from Selçuk, along a lovely plane tree-lined lane. In warmer months, the ruins are best viewed in early morning or late afternoon to avoid the crowds and lack of shade. The 25,000 capacity open-air theater built into Mt Panayir near the old harbor was used for dramas and gladiator competitions. In recent years, archeologists have discovered a gladiator graveyard, greatly adding to the knowledge of how these men actually fought and died. A popular exhibit at the Selçuk Ephesus Museum contains real wounded bones on view and reproduced weapons that can actually be held. The elegant Celsus Library, which 60

held 12,000 scrolls as well as the tomb for this consul and former governor, was built in 135 AD in Celsus’ honor by his son. The monumental white marble façade of the restored library is a prime example of a Roman public architecture. The massive steps leading to the library hold interesting evidence of a Jewish population in Ephesus, in the small carving of a menorah on one of the treads. Ephesus was an important center of the early Christian community. Saint Paul lived in the city for several years, converting enough followers to establish the Church of Ephesus. His Letters to the Ephesians and famous sermons in the theater were met with great resentment by the followers of Artemis and craftsmen who had accumulated great wealth making silver idols of the goddess. The Virgin Mary’s final home was in a serene pine forest high above Ephesus on the peak of Nightingale Mountain (Bulbul Dagi in Turkish), five miles southeast of Selçuk. Jesus entrusted her care to Saint John, so she came with him to Ephesus. The small stone house, now chapel, of Meryem Ana,

as she is known in Turkish, has been verified by the Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches as authentic, and is a place of pilgrimage today.

SIRINCE The Ottoman hillside village of Sirince, pronounced “Shir-injeh”, five miles east of Selçuk, means ‘lovely place’ in Turkish. It was originally populated by Christians from Ephesus escaping the collapse of the city. Monastery ruins in the hills date from the 11th century. Later, freed Greek slaves inhabited the village in the 15th century. By the early 20th century, the community of 20,000 contained nearly an even number of Greeks and Turks, with small Armenian and Jewish populations. Today, only about 200 whitewashed, tile-roofed houses remain, many having been restored in recent years, some with naïve decorative painting trimming window and door frames, and others with vibrantly colored interior walls and intricately carved woodwork. Two Greek Orthodox churches and an old stone schoolhouse, now a restaurant, can be visited.

Sirince is renowned for lace making, filled savory crepes called gozleme, and wine, made not only from grapes, but every fruit grown in the region – blackberries, peaches, melons, and black cherries, to name but a few.

FESTIVALS Throughout the year, Selçuk holds festivals celebrating local culture. In January, camel wrestling is held near the beach. It is a traditional and colorful competition involving large beasts decorated in the finest kilims and tassels, but no harm comes to the animals. May and September see art, music, dance and handicraft festivals, with additional food and wine festivals to start in the summer and fall of 2008, with the opening of a new agricultural museum in the town center. * Designer and writer Catherine Salter Bayar has happily called Selcuk home for the past 9 years. Contact her at ccsbayar@ gmail.com with comments and questions.

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Incentive and Congress Tourism boosts In Turkey By Müge Emirgil

urkey’s tourism sector has undergone an accelerated rate of growth in the past three decades. In a sharp rise from the annual 500,000 visitors at the end of the 1970s, 2007 saw 24 million tourists visit the country (12 million of whom came from EU member states). Presently Turkey is the 8th most popular tourism destination in the world and would like to attract 40 million tourists annually. The sector has been boosted in many areas, including the hotel industry and travel agencies. In 2007, Turkey’s tourism promotional budget was more than $100 million. For 2008, the budget will increase by 40%. Turkey is being advertised on billboards, buses, taxis and in TV commercials all around the world since Jan. 15, 2008. The share of Convention Tourism in Turkey, which is now 200 million dollars, only 2% of the 10 billion dollars of the total tourism revenue, is tending to increase considerably. Every year, Istanbul hosts 100,000 people who travel for Convention Tourism. Convention Tourism, which is an indispensable fact of the Industries and Regional Economies, is growing rapidly, especially in Turkey. At least 20 to 25 conventions are held in Turkey each year. These

numbers are expected to explode after 2008 and the following years. The World Tourism Organization (WTO) estimates that by 2020, the number of global tourists will reach 1.6 billion, while the worldwide income from tourism will total up to US$2 trillion. This same report estimates that Turkey will see 27 million tourists in the year 2020. However, based on the country’s existing performance, the tourism sector itself places that figure much higher, anticipating a target profit of US$ 22 billion. Included in this projection is the rise of ‘congress tourism’, which is set to become one of the key contributors to the country’s tourism income.

THE STRONGEST CANDIDATES Istanbul has hosted many important international fairs and congresses in recent years due to its specific location as a central spot both geographically and also culturally, functioning as a bridge between Asia and Europe. Therefore it is one of the most attractive cities for the professionals of congress tourism. Istanbul has successfully organized international conferences such as the United Nations

Habitat Conference, NATO Summit, AGIT Summit, International Union of Architects (IUA), Formula 1, the Eurovision Song Contest, CeBIT Informatics Fair, Autoshow, EMITT Tourism Fair, World Association of Newspapers (WAN), Forum Istanbul 2005, Turkish-German Businessmen Congress, TurkishArabic Business Forum, and thus has proved to the whole world that it has the necessary infrastructure and the technical hardware. Now the city is getting ready for the IRU 08 (International Road Union), 5th World Water Forum 09 and IMF 09 mega events. Istanbul unites its natural beauties with its historical and cultural heritage and a modern infrastructure, ascending in world rankings as an increasingly popular choice for the world’s leading international associations and meeting planners. Its historical and cultural heritage dating back to thousands of years, wonderful location on Bosphorus, beautiful and unique panoramic attractions, exciting leisure and cultural activities, incomparable Turkish cuisine, excellent hotels, resort and conference facilities, a perfect climate, and lesser cost are its great advantages compared to alternative destinations.

Istanbul also offers convenient transportation, with daily flights connecting the main cities of the United States of America, the Middle East, and Asia to Istanbul’s “Atatürk International Airport”, which has a passenger capacity of 20 million annually and offers transfer connection to Izmir, Antalya and Ankara and direct flights to other destinations. The charter airport “Sabiha Gökçen” is situated at the other end of the city. Quite assertive with its first class hotels, fairs, congress and meetings halls, such as the Congress Valley and Golden Horn Congress & Cultural Center, the city has the capacity to meet all the demands of the sector within world standards.

CONGRESS VALLEY The Istanbul Convention & Exhibition Center (ICEC) has everthing you need to organize memorable and successful congresses and exhibitions in the imperial city of Istanbul with a 2500-seat auditorium and the only place in Istanbul where 3,500 delegates can sit down together for a five-star gala dinner. ICEC offers you an outstanding combination of stateof-the-art facilities and superior service. ICEC and its new Rumeli Fair & Exhibition Hall,

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which hosted the International Telecommunications Union’s World Radiocommunications Conference 2000, are the centerpieces of a complete Conference Valley. Offering more than 6,000 guest rooms within easy walking distance of ICEC, including 6 fivestar hotels, the Conference Valley offers meeting planners unrivalled convenience and flexibility. The ICEC Complex was also designed to be flexible, and can accomodate events large and small, giving organizers the option of using the ICEC facility and the Rumeli Hall separately or together.

GOLDEN HORN CONGRESS & CULTURAL CENTER At the heart of the Golden Horn is a commanding and unique view of Istanbul, reflecting the justificability of Istanbul’s desire of being a cultural capital in the international arena. Sütlüce Cultural Center, which can easily meet the expectations of very large organizations with special needs, is also unique in terms of ease of transportation. Sütlüce Cultural Center is located in the midst of hotel regions such as Eminönü, Aksaray, Taksim, etc. and is conveniently situated for land, air and sea transportation. The facility, which has a helicopter and a car park with the capacity for 700 vehicles, and several halls with a total dimension of 157,000 square meters, has been designed for multi-purpose use. The Center consists of The Exhibition and Meeting Building. The Theater Building, the Concert and Congress Building, and Cinema Halls. The two main auditoriums have a capacity of 3200 and 1200 seats respectively.

6 MORE CONVENTION CENTERS IN ANATOLIA In addition to Istanbul with this great potential for congress tourism, a new convention center has been built in the resort town of Kusadası, a sweet coastal summer place in the province of Aydın on the Aegean coast of Turkey. The potential for congress tourism of many other regions in Anatolia will be revealed by the new convention centers that are under construction in the capital city of Turkey, Ankara, an important center with easy transport to great hotels and restaurants; the doorway to the Aegean region, Izmir with its palm trees and ancient ruins;

another coastal summer place, Antalya, an attractive place for visitors during the whole year with sun, beautiful sandy beaches and ancient historical places; the home town of Rumi, Konya; and the biggest city of the Southestern Turkey, Antep.

“BRIDGING DIVIDES FOR WATER” The fifth World Water Forum organized by World Water Council every three years and also known as the “Water Olympics”, will be held between the dates of March 16-22, 2009 by The Republic of Turkey, Ministry of Environment and Forest, Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality State Water Works and Istanbul Water and Sewerage Administration. This large gathering, to take place with the participation of 20,000 people, will be carried out by “Perl PCO”, a joint venture of VIP Tourism and Figür Tourism of Istanbul. Prof. Dr. Oktay Tabasaran, General Secretary of the 5th World Water Forum, stated that the World Water Forum is the most important international activity on water, emphasizing water-based problems and their ever increasing importance for human beings. The World Water Forum is a participation process open to everyone, which facilitates the influence of mutual discussions between multiple stakeholders on the formation of water policies on local, regional, national and international levels. It is expected that 15 Presidents, 200 ministers, and mayors of major cities will participate in these conferences. An aim for these conferences is to reach the “Istanbul Consensus” which is to be a joint declaration covering water and environmental issues. Almost 20 thousand experts, members of non governmental organizations and international institutions, representatives of governments, producers and consumers, ministers of environment and energy from 160 countries will come together in Istanbul, the city of “Water Civilization.” The determination of subject of the 5th World Water Forum as “Bridging Divides for Water” is based on Turkey’s strategic position between East and West, North and South, different water cultures, conceptual differences between developed and developing countries and the need to bring different initiatives

Prof. Dr. Oktay Tabasaran

relating to water implemented at various locations of the world. Previously organized in 1997 in Marrakech, in 2000 in The Hague, in 2003 in Kyoto and in 2006 in Mexico with over 20,000 participants, a high number of participants from 160 countries are expected for World Water Forum, to be organized in Istanbul at the Golden Horn Congress & Cultural Center in Sütlüce.

VIP TOURISM PLAYS A BIG PART The CEO of VIP Tourism, the leading Partner of The Pearl PCO, Mr. Ceylan Pirinccioglu, stated that VIP Tourism has encouraged the Turkish tourist industry to change its vision of congress tourism and to apply a new approach to this field, which holds an extremely large market share in many of the world’s major cities. VIP Tourism aims to edge into the competitive market of the world’s congress cities. The first large event VIP organized was the meeting of the International Association of Chambers of Commerce in 1969 at the Ataturk Cultural Center. The congress was attended by 1,250 people, which made it the largest conference hosted in the country’s history. Since then, VIP has successfully realized over 1,000 congresses. VIP has set its signature on one quarter of all the great congresses in Turkey in recent years. The company has also been involved in the organization of governmental congress projects, including for the Foreign Ministry, as well as in other fields such as medicine, science, industry, business, construction and sports. The company appeared as a partner of the Consortium during the Habitat II UN Conference of Human Settlements, which drew 20,000 attendants, as well as at the Organization of Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCEAGIT), the Chess Olympics, the Europe Urology Congress and the World Architecture Congress.

“We are actually seeing the results of the progress that we have made towards increasing our potential in Convention Tourism”, says Mr. Pirinccioglu, “The 5th World Water Forum is held triennially in different countries in the world. Topics such as energy, the environment, sewerage and technology will be covered at this gigantic event, which is also called the ‘Water Olympics.’ We will also be organizing the annual IMF meeting in 2009. We have accomplished taking charge of ASTA’s 2010 EXPO, where I will represent Turkey, with the support of TURSAB in the leadership of the Ministry of Tourism. We, as VIP Tourism, are also organizing the 2nd Carrier Fair, 31st IRU (International Road Transportation Union) World Congress, 17th Quality Congress, 16th National Human Management Congress, 4th Medical Aesthetic and Anti Aging Congress and the Dermatological Surgery Days.”

40YEARS EXPERIENCE VIP Tourism is a service company run by a team of experts operating with a permanent staff of 100 and an extra 500 temporary workers. VIP has taken a proactive consulting approach to the management of travel and MICE services and developed individual and institutional relations with many national and international organizations and associations. By striving for the very best in every client interaction, in every task, VIP worked hard for 40 years to define its motto “Adds value.” The company’s strength is in its proven track record of delivering superior service with world-class travel products and MICE services and is well recognized for setting new service standards in Turkey.

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Key Facts About Turkish Tourism G

reat geographical advantage - one quarter of the world’s population can be reached within four hours of flight time. Tourism is the fastest developing sector in Turkey. Average annual growth in the last decade is 8.2% in tourist arrivals and 11.5% in tourism receipts. In 2007, 23.3 million tourists visited Turkey. They spent 18.5 billion US$. The main market is the European Union countries with 50% of the market share, followed by Russia, Ukraine and other former Soviet countries (21%. In 2007, the USA has 2.8% of the market share with 646,000 arrivals. Tourism attracts 2 billon US$ in investment every year. With regard to investment, volume tourism is in Top 5 in the Turkish economy. In 2006 the share of tourism receipts in GNP was 4.2%. 5.5% of the total employment in Turkey is in the tourism sector. The World Tourism Organization ranks Turkey as the 9th largest tourism revenue earner in the world (2006). The average growth of Turkish tourism between 1996-2006 was much higer than the world average.

TOURISM STRATEGIES Incentive policies will continue to make cultural, winter, health, youth, thermal, yachting, golf, convention, and senior citizen tourism more attractive. Importance will be given to raising the quality and quantity of tourism infrastructure and superstructure. All kinds of transportation will be improved on both an international and national basis. The knowledge and skills of persons who directly and indirectly serve the tourism sector will be improved through training. Priority will be given to the protection of natural beauties and cultural treasures. Tourism activities and investments will be planned and carried out on the basis of environmental and cultural landscaping principles. Within this context, plans were completed to set up new tourism cities. 64

Tourism is the fastest developing sector in Turkey

GOVERNMENT INCENTIVES FOR TOURISM INVESTMENTS

NECESSARY INVESTMENTS FOR 2013 EXPECTATIONS

*Exemptions on taxes, customs duties etc. on imported items. *VAT exemption on local machinery and equipment. *Local taxes and some other fee exemptions from local authorities such as municipalities, counties, etc. *Land allocation on a 49 year lease basis (75 years in tourism cities) *Electricity and water consumption at the lowest available price (during investment and operation periods) *Taxes *corporate tax rate 20% *VAT on tourism 8% *income tax rates 15-35%

The number of beds at international standard should increase from 600 thousand to 1 million.

2013 EXPECTATIONS TYD has determined the priorities and expectations of Turkish tourism for the year 2013, when the current ongoing negotiations with the European Union will be finalized. Tourism share will increase from 2.5% to 3.5% of world tourism. 40 million arrivals, 40 billion dollars in receipts. The number of employees will increase from 1.2 million to 2 million.

The number of aircraft (Turkish civil aviation) will increase from 250 to 400. Marina mooring capacity at international standard will increase from 8 thousand to 20 thousand spots. The number of golf courses will increase from 18 to 40. An investment of 15 billion US$ is foreseen to be needed to realize these improvements.

TOURISM DEVELOPMENT REGIONS (TOURISM CITIES) *Plans completed to set up tourism cities consisting of accommodation establishments, convention centers, marinas, golf courses, shopping centers, etc. *Need for big investment. *Land allocation will be made to consortia on a 75 year lease base. *Priority will be given to consortia with foreign partners.

TURKISH TOURISM INVESTORS ASSOCIATION (TYD)

stablished in 1988 by the principal tourism investors in Turkey, Turkish Tourism Investors Association (TYD) is a private non-governmental initiative. From accommodation to yachting, tourism oriented transporting to tour operating, from shopping and entertainment centers to golf courses, TYD members represent 250 thousand beds in the accommodation sector, 25 thousand seats in air transporting, eight thousand spots in marina capacity. TYD also provides direct employment to 400,000 people. The total investment portfolio is around US$ 23 billion, representing 2/3 of the private investments in tourism in Turkey. One of the most fundamental goals of TYD is to extend tourism throughout the country by maintaining sustainable tourism while also protecting and preserving natural and cultural assets. Being in the most competitive sector, TYD members have constructed and are operating several touristic facilities not only in Turkey but also in various countries such as CIS, Central Europe, the Balkan region and the Middle East. One of TYD’s activities is to assist and achieve collaboration for foreign entrepreneurs with their local counterparts who are interested in tourism investment and management in Turkey or in third countries. In this context international cooperation is vital for TYD to be considered as a reference institution. In the international field, TYD is a board member of UNWTO (World Tourism Organization) Affiliate Members Board and UNWTO Business Council Board. Source: Turkish Investors Association

Tourism

ELEMENTS OF SUCCESS

*good balance between price and quality *high performance of Turkish tour operators abroad *charter flights of Turkish air carriers *expensive euro in recent years *all inclusive system

AVERAGE ANNUAL GROWTH RATES (1996-2006) Turkey World

Tourist Arrivals Tourism Receipts 8.2% 11% 3.5% 5.3%

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Center For Natural Medicinals

Known as the Spice or Egyptian Bazaar (Misir Çarsisi), the fragrant stone market boasts shops stocking a rainbow of traditional spices, medicinal herbs and confections. By Anastasia M. Ashman*

I’m bouncing along in a stream of shoppers at a neighborhood pazar, or weekly general street market. Tented for protection from the hot midday sun, this narrow Istanbul road in a residential district called Ulus is lined with merchandise that wasn’t here a few hours ago and will disappear in a few more: rows and rows of olives in plastic tubs, stands of feta cheese, and wooden carts packed with squash straight from the farm. The scent of freshly baked bread wafts on the same breezes that set cotton dresses swinging at a clothing stall, while a local pop star wails on tape about lost love, supported in heartbreak by a whirling arabesque backbeat. For a small fee, the young Turk trailing me with a basket slung over his shoulder will truck my purchases like a sherpa so I can 66

buy far more than I can carry. Clever, I think, this traveling grocery and sundry bazaar springs from an old line. Besides being imperial capital to Byzantine Roman and Ottoman rulers, Istanbul has long been a capital to traders, an ancient mercantile center at the crossroads of the world. Serving as the last stop on the Silk Road, a trading route carrying goods of India, China and Southeast Asia, the city distributed riches of the East to the Western world. When I began traveling to this city straddling the continents and cultures of Orient and Occident, I discovered each marketplace has its specialty. Where the fabled and sprawling covered Grand Bazaar is often the hardsell realm of tourist goods, springing up around mosques and main thoroughfares, other markets focus on a particular retail segment, exclusively dealing in wallpaper or barbeque sets, books or nuts.

SPICE BAZAAR More interesting shopping excursions, if not successful buying trips, have come from wandering Istanbul’s twisted streets, perusing the goods of individual vendors who crop up along the roadside. On the Galata Bridge, which spans the Golden

Horn estuary, connecting the old town center to what was once a Genoese trading concession, I spied an Anatolian grandmother in a headscarf spreading unlikely wares on a baby blue blanket: power tools. But the market area most intriguing to me centers on a 17th century stone building

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along the waterfront. I head there with an open mind and an empty belly. Known as the Spice or Egyptian Bazaar (Mısır Çarsısı), the fragrant stone market boasts shops stocking a rainbow of traditional spices, medicinal herbs and confections.

The Spice Bazaar, ('Mısır Çarşısı', Egyptian Bazaar) in Istanbul is one of the oldest bazaars in the city.

Workers mind piles of dried herbs, green henna dust and clumps of oozing honeycomb while patrons sniff and taste, point and shovel. Loaded down with jellied chunks of Turkish delight or lokum, dried apricots, pistachios, and fresh marshmallows, I make my way to the waterfront entrance of the market and turn right. There I search out the oddest items among the mundane in the Flower Market located behind the Spice Market. In a cramped passageway opening into a square, gardening supply vendors are joined by stalls catering to pet owners, workers tending mountains of animal chow, while hanging from the rafters, all manner of collars and restraints twist in the breeze. What beast requires this harness with spikes, I wonder, while satisfying myself that grass seeds feel as silky and cool as they look.

NATURAL MEDICINAL Before I lose myself in reverie I happen upon a most memorable man whose shop consists of a chair, on which he sits. At his feet are two containers. In one, rubber-covered, millet seedfilled objects are arranged in colorful rows. I recognize them as the squeezable stress-relieving toys popular with office workers in the 1980s. In the other crate, young half-pound bunny rabbits cower and bury themselves in a ball of fur. Children crowd around the rabbit box, reaching in and squealing with delight. If there weren’t so much competition, I might pick up a bunny. Instead I scrutinize the stoppered fivegallon jug half-filled with water at the man’s side. Inside it, writhing black leeches swim and climb. No one reaches in playfully and no one buys. Yet, the fearsome creatures must sell since the jar is heavy and the man would not lug it here if they didn’t. As they are used in traditional medicine, the sight itself of a

jar of leeches is not unusual, especially since the Spice Bazaar has historically been a center for natural medicinals. In fact, there are several bottles of aquatic blood-sucking worms for sale in this marketplace, simply sitting in the sun unattended. There must be no need to guard a vessel of carnivorous parasites. But these particular leeches are kept close, perhaps to provide the sitting man a uniformity of presentation. As I wander over

age-old cobblestones and pigeons take flight in my path, this one-man shop plays on my mind. Do his offerings reveal a brilliant diversification strategy? Are his products related in some way? If he were to add another line of goods, what would it be? This much seems clear: I have just visited the rare merchant who deals as easily and equally in the stress reducing and the blood sucking, the soft and bouncy and the slimy and flesh-crawling. And the merchant who can span the sale of these goods, whose customers have such divergent

needs, sits at the crossroads of the world. *An American based in Istanbul, Anastasia M. Ashman co-edited the #1 internationally bestselling nonfiction anthology Tales from the Expat Harem: Foreign Women in Modern Turkey. 67

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Symbol of Turkish - Jewish Amity: The Zulfaris Synagogue Istanbul where different faiths meet saw a new addition to its cultural heritage on 25 November 2001 when the Museum of Turkish Jews was opened.

photo by Izzet Kehribar By Naim Güleryüz

city straddling two continents, Asia and Europe, Istanbul is at the same time a bridge linking Eastern and Western cultures. It is the world’s only city where for five centuries people have worshipped in peace and harmony at mosques, synagogues and churches standing side by side. This remarkable city where different faiths meet saw a new addition to its cultural heritage on 25 November 2001 when the Museum of Turkish Jews was opened. The museum has been founded by the Quincentennial Foundation, whose objective is to commemorate the amicable relations between Turks and Jews which began in 1326 with the Ottoman conquest of Bursa - where there was already a thriving Jewish community, and were cemented when the Ottoman Turks offered a new homeland to the Sephardic Jews who preferred to leave their Spanish homeland rather than lose their religious freedom. The Zülfaris Synagogue, which stands on Perçemli Sokak in the Karaköy district of Istanbul, has been restored by the foundation and reopened as a museum.

In the courtyard in front of the synagogue is a sculpture by Nadia Arditti. Entitled The Soaring Flame, it is a monument in memory of the Jewish soldiers of Turkey who lost their lives defending their homeland in World War I and the War of Independence. I ascended the staircase which countless brides had walked up on the arms of their fathers and walked down on the arms of their husbands, and entered the main hall. Visitors learn how the Sephardic Jews were obliged to leave Spain after Ferdinand and Isabella issued the Expulsion Edict of 31 March 1492, how they dispersed to many countries and were offered a new home in the Ottoman Empire by Sultan Bayezid II (1481-1512). Exhibits include the warrant of exemption from tax granted to the Jews of Buda by Sultan Süleyman the Magnificent, and the historic Edirne Letter written by Rabbi Sarfati of Edirne, calling on the persecuted Jews of Europe to migrate to Ottoman Turkey. Turkish motifs on Judaic religious objects reflect the extent to which Jews became an integral part of Turkish society as a result of religious tolerance. Examples of these are on display alongside Torah scrolls. One panel tells the

story of the Chief Rabbinate in Turkey, and another illustrates the appointment warrant, seal and medal of Rav Moshe Ben Habib, Chief Rabbi of Bursa. The Ehal, which is the holiest section of the synagogue is symbolically marked by two Torah scrolls, one of which is unrolled. Although the Sephardim left all their valuables behind when they fled Spain, they brought with them their rich cultural heritage dating from the Andalusian golden age. The first printing press in Ottoman Turkey was established by David and Samuel ibn Nahmias in 1493, and the displays in the right wing of the main hall begin with a glass case and panel on this theme. Here we can see a copy of Midrash Teilim, a book printed in Istanbul in 1512. One section is devoted to the history of the Jewish press in Turkey, with examples of numerous different publications. Another contribution of the Jewish migrants to Ottoman culture was in the field of classical Turkish music, to which a glass case and panel are devoted. The exhibits go on to examine the contribution made by the Turkish Jews to Ottoman society, with documents and objects relating to several

celebrated Turkish Jews. Other panels focus on the numerous scholars who fled Nazi Germany and pursued their academic careers at Turkish universities, and the stories of Turkish diplomats who managed to save countless Jews from death in the concentration camps in the countries where they were serving during World War II. In the upper gallery reserved for women in the days when the synagogue was used for worship are exhibits relating to the 400th and 500th anniversary celebrations, Turkey’s Ashkenazi community and the Moris Sinasi Children’s Hospital in Manisa. Descending the staircase to the ground floor, you come to the Ethnographic Section, with reconstructions of scenes illustrating birth and circumcision, the trousseau and marriage. Here you can also see two marriage contracts, and a fascinating series of photographs of brides and grooms arranged in chronological order from the 1860s to the 1960s which carry visitors through a time tunnel. * Naim Güleryüz is a researcher and writer, and vice president of the Quincentennial Foundation.

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Istanbul’s Oldest Synagogue: Ahrida Situated in the historic center of Istanbul on the shores of the Golden Horn, Balat has been home to several peoples through the ages. By Büsra Ipekçi

ews, Greeks, Bulgarians, Armenians and Roma have all had a presence there and still inhabit the area in smaller numbers. Due to its formerly predominant Jewish population, Balat developed in a way that reflects Jewish architectural character. Today, however, it is a neighborhood populated largely with migrants from the poorer provinces of Turkey. Several fires have ravaged the district over the centuries and many of the places of worship there have undergone major restoration. Balat was once the Jewish quarter, housing thousands of Sephardic Jews after their expulsion from Spain. They were given refuge by the Ottoman Empire in 1492. Though it once had as many as 19 synagogues, today only two of importance remain: the Ahrida and Yanbol synagogues. Istanbul’s oldest synagogue, the Ahrida Synagogue -- also called Okhrida -- is said to take its name from the town of Okhrid in Macedonia, once the origin of many of Istanbul’s Jews. It is also considered among the most famous of Istanbul’s old synagogues. The synagogue is on Vodina Caddesi, often called Kürkçü Çesme Sokagi. The original building is thought to have been built in the early 1400s, but a disastrous fire in the 1600s was responsible for extensive damage. In 1694 the sultan issued a decree calling for its reconstruction. The work was done in the Ottoman Baroque style popular

at that time, as exemplified in its wooden dome. During extensive restoration carried out in 1926 and 1955, original ceiling decorations were discovered. Architect Hitsrev Tayla, in charge of the work, included many of these earlier details in the final plan so as to reflect the synagogue’s illustrious history. It also underwent renovation more recently in 1992. It is a thick-walled building composed mainly of brick and is believed to be built on the remains of separate buildings. A back door uncovered during the restoration may be proof of that, say historians. The synagogue was appropriated by Ottoman armed forces to station soldiers during World War I. The Talmud Torah (primary school), located behind the synagogue, was founded by the Amon family of Balat in 1877, but no longer has any students. The synagogue’s ocara -- a secure chamber for the safekeeping of community members’ belongings -- is located to the northwest of the synagogue. Ahrida’s significance also derives from its size, holding 350 people. It is the only synagogue currently open for regular service in the Balat neighborhood. There is also a midrash, a religious school similar to a madrasah, in the courtyard of the synagogue. In addition to its fascinating architecture, Ahrida’s furnishings, including a tevah (prayer tribunal) shaped like the bow of a ship, which is believed to represent Noah’s Ark, are also

among the synagogue’s striking features. The synagogue is still in use by the Jewish community. You can witness Hanukkah celebrations around December -- depending on the year, as the date is set in the Hebrew calendar -- at the synagogue.

QUICK FACTS - Istanbul’s Balat district is home to numerous houses of worship which are for the most part undiscovered. - Two synagogues of an original 19 remain, of which the Ahrida Synagogue -- also known as Okhrida -- is one. - This synagogue hosts 350 people and contains an exquisite tevah (ark). * Today’s Zaman\ 19.01.2008

Istanbul’s Holy Places Istanbul has been a melting pot for different races, cultures and religions since time immemorial. When you gaze at the European side from the sea, between the minarets rising to the sky don’t be surprised to see church domes. As the capital of several civilizations for centuries Istanbul naturally has also been the center of an assortment of religions. The historical Mosques of the city are the most beautiful structures of Muslim architecture. Greek Orthodox and Armenian Patriarchates are still active in town. You can also find Catholic, Orthodox, Protestant, Armenian and Syriac churches serving their communities in different districts. Moreover Bahais also have a representative in the city. Istanbul has many places where people of very different religions have lived side-by-side for centuries and continue to do so.

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A Thumbs-Up to Investors from the Real Estate Sector T

he stability that the Turkish economy has attained, the steps taken towards European Union membership, and the huge influx of Gulf capital have all pushed Turkey’s real estate sector into a dynamic position. There is a huge boom occurring right now in real estate, ranging from housing to industrial construction, and shopping center to hotel construction. According to Colliers International, an international real estate consulting firm, its evaluation of the market in a report entitled “2007 Turkey Real Estate Review” states that there are currently 30 various 5-star hotels either in the planning stages or under construction in the Istanbul real estate sector. In addition to the 43 shopping centers in Istanbul, there are 35 additional shopping centers under construction and 30 are in the planning phases. By the end of 2006, the combined square-meter area of closed shopping centers reached 2,165,698 m² and is expected to reach 4,180,347 m2 by 2008. The annual housing demand has reached 250,000 in Istanbul and there are currently 300 apartment complexes under construction.

OFFICE MARKET According to Colliers International, there has been a significant increase in office supply in the most preferred regions, such as Levent, Etiler, Taksim, Gayrettepe, Zincirlikuyu, and Kavacık, although demand for quality offices in these locations continues to increase. Demand for buildings in the city center will continue in the future and tenants generally prefer quality office space in a central location. This presents a strong opportunity for investors to redevelop areas, particularly in the business corridor between Zincirlikuyu 70

and Levent. Refurbishing or remodeling older and insufficient B and C class office buildings to a higher standard will be able to meet the increased demand for quality office space. The increase in demand for B class office buildings due to the lack of A class office stock in these locations

is highly indicative of potential investment opportunities within this segment.

RETAIL MARKET The Colliers International report indicated that the retail market is developing considerably in Istanbul. To date, there are currently 43 existing shopping centers, with an additional 35 centers under construction, and 30 retail centers in the project planning phase. Considering that over half of the gross leasable area (GLA) in Turkey exists in Istanbul, competition in the Istanbul market has increased significantly. In an effort to differentiate themselves from the existing competition, new centers have employed strategies such as diversification of shopmixes and brand introduction, coupled with strong project design to reinforce a particular concept. One strong example of a retail newcomer is Kanyon in Levent. Other new centers include the Maslak Power Center, Colony Outlet, D’silva, and Kaya Millenium in 2006.

INTERNATIONAL BRANDS IN ISTANBUL 2005 and 2006 saw an increase in the number of international brands present in the Istanbul market. Both Istanbul Cevahir and Kanyon were able to secure multiple tenants who had not previously operated in the Turkish market. Of particular interest is the advent of two new

department stores in Turkey, namely Harvey Nichols and Debenhams. These new stores have increased department store competition, which has been until now dominated by domestic brand Boyner, and international brand Marks & Spencer. It also indicates that there is strong growth potential for this sub-sector within the retail arena in Istanbul and elsewhere in Turkey.

HOTEL MARKET The market niche for Westernstyle four and five-star hotels continues to grow in Istanbul, particularly in strongly developed areas that are lacking this type of hotel infrastructure, such as the business districts on the Asian side of Istanbul. The five-star hotel market has grown progressively in the last decade, with the emergence of many international hotel chains in the Turkish market. These hotels are predominantly located on the European side of the city, in the tourism and business centers. One-third of the total number of hotels in Istanbul falls within the four and five-star class. This would lead some to believe that there is an overabundance of high quality hotels in the city; however, it is important to note that there are not many mid-tier hotels within the city, and foreign and business travelers generally prefer to stay with names that they recognize. There are many international hotel brands currently operating in Istanbul and elsewhere in Turkey. However, some of the five-star chains operating in Istanbul are either currently operating in more than one location or plan to do so in the near future. This is indicative of the strength of the five-star hotel market in this city, and we believe that there is space in the market for new chains to enter and operate here. This is proved further by the entrance of W Hotels, which will operate their first European outlet beginning in Istanbul in 2008. There is also significant

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room for new luxury brand presence within the fivestar hotel market, and many franchises are looking into developing and operating locations in Istanbul. There are a total of 30 planned and under-construction fivestar hotels entering the Istanbul market. It is unlikely that the introduction of these new hotels will be able to satisfy expected demand for five-star hotels in the city, which is expected to more than double in the next five to ten years.

THE NEW MODEL IN REAL ESTATE: THE TURKISH INVESTMENT FUND The dynamism of the Turkish real estate sector has also brought forth new financial models with it. The Turkish Investment Fund, which was formed by English-born Barry Kartal, based in England but active in the Istanbul real estate market, presents a new financial model for real estate projects. The Fund is now carrying out construction on two 45-million dollar projects in Kemerburgaz (in Istanbul) and BodrumMilas. They fund the projects completely with their own funds and then sell them. Kartal is attempting to move away from the previously

established model of “first sell, then construct” mentality. The Capital Courtyard project located in Kemerburgaz, the most popular suburban area of Istanbul, consists of 99 residential and 19 retail units built on 17,000 square meters. T.I.F. developed the 15 million dollar project with an international team of architects and structured the deal on a wholesale basis and plans a February 2009 opening. The 30 million dollar Labranda Park project consists of 24,000 m2 retail space and 1500 m2 of social facilities. The Project has been contracted and is at the finance stage.

ABOUT TIF Turkish Investment Fund is a U.K. registered Limited liability Partnership, which specializes in property investment and development. It holds LLP assets. TIF occasionally brokers mid-size investments for selected international investors. The company is also working towards its first capital market bond, for the construction of its larger scale developments. T.I.F. is looking to invest its funds in quality, high yielding projects, which are clean and unencumbered, with planning having been granted (Imar). Should your project fit into these criteria, our project team can explore options with you for the realization of your project.

CLASSIFICATION OF SHOPPING CENTERS

Shopping Center Location Opening Date GLA(m2) TRADITIONAL VERY LARGE Istanbul Cevahir Sisli 2005 107,000 Sub Total 107,000 LARGE CarrefourSA Kozyatagi 1996 47,250 CarrefourSA Ümraniye 2000 60,630 Galleria Ataköy 1988 42,974 M1 Tepe Kartal 2000 42,942 Maxi Shopping City Silivri 1998 45,000 Profilo M.köy 1998 40,600 Tepe Nautilus Kadiköy 2002 51,776 Sub Total 331,172 MEDIUM Akmerkez Etiler 1993 34,680 Beylicium Beylikdüzü 2005 22,000 Capitol Altunizade 1993 31,000 Carousel Bakirköy 1995 24,400 CarrefourSA Bayrampasa 2003 25,030 CarrefourSA Maltepe 2005 30,500 D’silva Büyükçekmece 2006 20,000 Kanyon Levent 2006 37,500 Metrocity Levent 2003 32,638 Migros Beylikdüzü 1997 33,000 Sub Total 290,748 SMALL Atirus Büyükçekmece 2005 12,000 Artium Ataköy 1989 11,232 Aquarium Bayrampasa 2005 10,500 Basak Ikitelli 2005 8,724 CarrefourSA Haramidere 2000 17,831 Flyinn Florya 2003 15,300 G-Mall Maçka 2003 4,228 Kaya Millenium Beylikdüzü 2006 15,000 Kule Çarsi Levent 2000 3,679 MKM Akatlar 2004 15,000 Mayadrom Etiler 1998 2,976 Maxi City Çengelköy 2003 13,500 Maxi Center Istinye 2003 11,000 Mesa Studio Plaza Kemerburgaz 2003 6,240 Ömür Plaza Bahçelievler 2005 10,000 Paradise Beylikdüzü 2005 9,838 Sunflower Esenkent 2005 6,000 Town Center Bakırköy 2003 13,400 Uptown Etiler 2003 6,500 Sub Total 192,948 SPECIALIZED RETAIL PARK Maslak Power Center Maslak 2006 42,000 Sub Total 42,000 FACTORY OUTLET CENTER Olivium Zeytinburnu 2000 33,995 Colony Sefaköy 2006 7,000 Sub Total 40,995 THEME ORIENTED CENTER 1000a Dekorasyon Merkezi Sisli 2003 8,500 Address Istanbul Okmeydanı 2005 5,800 Kadir Has Çocuk Dünyasi Bahçelievler 2003 17,500 Sub Total 31,800 TOTAL 1,036,663 Source: Colliers International Turkey

Turkish Investment Fund CEO Barry Kartal

SELECTED HOTEL PROJECTS

Name of Project Atik Pasa Four Seasons Bosphourus Hotel Maçka Hotel Diamond of Istanbul Mariott Asia By O Tell MNG Bentur Airport Hotel Büyük Tarabya Hotel Park Hyatt Crowne Plaza Istanbul Old City (old Merit Antique) W Istanbul Green Park Marriot Bomonti Hotel Convention * (by Tasyapı A.S.)

Location Besiktas Maçka Maslak Kozyatagı Kozyatagı Atatürk Int. Airport Tarabya Maçka Laleli Besiktas Pendik Bomonti Kosuyolu

Opening Date 2007 2008 * 2007 2007 * * * 2007 2007 2007 2009 2008

* not known yet Source: Colliers International Turkey

TURKOFAMERICA

Turkish Cuisine Primer

By Kathy Hamilton

Turkish food is diverse, varying widely from region to region. A fusion of flavors from Central Asia, Anatolia, the Middle East and the Balkans.

hen people think of Turkish cuisine, it is usually kebabs that immediately spring to mind. But that is just a small part of what is considered to be true Turkish cooking. Turkish food is diverse, varying widely from region to region. A fusion of flavors from Central Asia, Anatolia, the Middle East and the Balkans, the cuisine reached its peak in the kitchens of the Ottoman Empire. Palace cooks constantly vied to outdo each other and create unique dishes in order to curry favor with the royals, and thus kept their secret recipes tightly guarded from the prying eyes of jealous rivals. Today, however, Turkish chefs are eager to market their cookbooks, creating a new worldwide appreciation for this complex and diverse cuisine. Eating in Turkey is often looked upon as a chance to share a meal and catch up with the latest news from friends and family rather than simply a way to furnish needed nutrition. The evening meal, in particular, can easily last long into the night as course after course emerges from the kitchen to be consumed over leisurely conversation. A typical meal, whether at home or in a restaurant, will begin with appetizers, or mezes, to be nibbled on sparingly in order to whet the appetite for the entrees yet to come. Many restaurants

will bring trays of small meze dishes to the table for diners to select from. Hummus, cheeses, eggplant salad, artichoke hearts, and a mixture of yogurt, cucumbers and mint called cacık are all popular hors d’oeuvres. Also included in the meze selection will be vegetables cooked in olive oil, known as zeytinyaglı, and dolma, which are stuffed grape leaves, cabbage leaves and green peppers. When dining out, the meze dishes are often eaten while drinking raki, a strong, anise-flavored alcohol, that when mixed with water turns milky, giving rise to its popular name of “lion’s milk.” Börek is a thin pastry, either layered or wrapped with the fillings. Often eaten fresh for breakfast, they are also served as meze or as a snack when visiting friends. Börek can be fried, baked, boiled or cooked on a griddle on top of the stove. A versatile creation, there are many fillings, including spinach, cheese, finely minced meat, and potatoes. When made properly there should be no trace of excess oils present. Tradition once held that a young girl would not be allowed to marry until she could master making the perfect börek for her potential in-laws. Soup plays an important role in any Turkish meal. Many people will start their day with a hearty bowl of lentil or tomato soup

alongside the usual bread, jams, cheeses, olives and cucumbers that make up a typical Turkish breakfast. No lunch or dinner menu would be complete without a listing of the soups of the day. Depending on the season, the soups can be filling when made with legumes and vegetables, or light and refreshing when prepared from yogurt and mint. Soup is such an integral part of the Turkish food culture that it can be found on the lunchtime menus of schools across the country. Pilav is served with most every midday or evening meal. Generally this refers to rice, but can also include bulgur (cracked wheat) or vermicelli. Rice is another dish that is a source of pride for many wives. It is important that the rice not be sticky and that the grains should separate, with no grains adhering together. Usually served plain, there are some recipes that call for vegetables, nuts, raisins or even fish to be added. It is an art to prepare the rice just the right way, and many cooks have developed their personal tried and true methods over the years that they pass down to their own daughters. At one time the pilav course was considered to be a course in its own right, but it has now begun to appear as a side dish accompanying the entrée.

As stated before, most people think of kebabs when Turkish cuisine is mentioned. But the numbers and types of kebabs can be daunting. Chicken, beef or lamb can be used, depending on the type of kebab. The name of the dish refers to the region, city or ingredients used in that particular dish. Sometimes the difference is in seasonings used, as is the case with Urfa and Adana kebabs, with the difference in preparation being the utilizing of garlic instead of onions and different proportions of pepper. Shish kebab, the Anatolian meal now known throughout the world, is chunks of lamb threaded on skewers and grilled over a fire. The döner kebab is marinated lamb rolled on a vertical spit parallel to a grill. As the meat is cooked, it is sliced into thin portions and eaten as a sandwich in a roll, or placed on top of flat bread on a plate. This is the Turkish equivalent of fast food – often eaten at outdoor food stalls. The Iskender, or Bursa, kebab is similar to the döner, but the sliced meat is placed over pieces of flatbread, covered with tomato sauce and melted butter and served with fresh yogurt on the side. Kofte, Turkish meatballs, are also named to identify the region or origin and the variations are due

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Istanbul Restaurants

to the ingredients and method of preparation. Most recipes use meat, but there are vegetarian versions of kofte made with potatoes or lentils. Izmir kofte is made with minced meat and rice, which is then stewed in a tomato sauce which is thickened before serving.

However, in coastal regions there are restaurants ranging from the sleekest and newest hot spots to the local corner shop offering up the fish that are in season. Bluefish, mullet, mackerel, bonito and swordfish are just a few types that can be found in the markets.

A shish kebab style kofte is made by skewering the meatballs on a spit and grilling them. Ladies Thighs, or kadin budu, are large oval kofte that are dipped first in beaten eggs and then fried.

To finish off any meal, a dessert is required. Fresh fruit is served alongside pastries, most commonly baklava in one of its many forms. Some baklava is made with pistachios, some with walnuts and some are rolled while others are baked on large pans and cut into diamond shapes. In addition to baklava, there puddings including sütlac (rice pudding), tavuk gögsü (pudding with chicken breast) and asure (Noah’s pudding, made of grains, nuts and dried fruit).

In addition to the kebabs and koftes, Turkish cuisine has many rich stews and casseroles. Güveç is a popular type of casserole and can be made with only layered vegetables, or the vegetables can be combined with layers of meat. Some casseroles are topped with local cheeses while others are served in just the water it was cooked in, which is a perfect way to gently combine all the flavors. Turkey is a country surrounded on three sides by water, so it should come as no surprise that fish is an important part of the diet for many Turks. The price for fresh fish has risen over the years as the supply has decreased.

Wherever you eat in Turkey, whether in a posh restaurant, a corner kebab shop, or a private home, the food will be fresh and lovingly prepared. Turks take great pride in their heritage, and their food reflects the many different cultures that have come together to form their nation. As the Turks say: Afiyet olsun, or bon appetite.

Ottoman Cuisine Asitane Restaurant

Haci Baba

Many of the authentic dishes were served at the circumcision party in November 1539 for two sons of Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent.

This popular restaurant near Taksim Square has a glassedin terrace overlooking the courtyard of the Aya Triyada Greek Orthodox Church

Kariye Oteli Kariye Camii Sokak 18 Phone: 90-212-635-7997 www.asitanerestaurant.com

Istiklal Caddesi 49 Taksim Phone: 90-212-244-1886 www.hacibabarest.com

Kebabs Kösebasi

Main branch: Çamlik Sokak No:15 3 Levent Phone: 90-212-270-2433 www.kosebasi.com

Hamdi

Voted one of the world’s best restaurants by Conde Nast Traveler magazine, this chain has branches in Istanbul, Izmir, Ankara, Athens and Sao Paulo.

Overlooking the Spice Bazaar with views of the Golden Horn, the Bosphorus and the Asian side of the city, this is one of the best loved kebab restaurants in town.

Kalçin Sokak 17 Eminönü Phone: 90-212-528-0390 www.hamdirestorant.com

Fish Restaurants Balikçi Sabahattin

Seyit Hasan Koyu Sokak 1 Cankurtaran Phone: 90-212-458-1824 Situated in a restored Ottoman house, in nice weather patrons flock to the courtyard tables to enjoy a procession of appetizers and fish in season, followed by a dessert of fruit and sweets.

Kordon

Kuleli Cadddesi 51 Çengelköy Phone: 90-216-321-0473 www.lordonbalik.com Situated on the Asian shore of the Bosphorus, they offer a wide selection of fish in season with one of the most romantic views of the city. 73

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Finding the Beat; the Nightlife of Istanbul Istanbul nightlife is truly a world of its own, and an experience worth a few sleepless nights.

stanbul is a city where not only the view amazes. As day turns to night, many locals and visitors head out for a night on the town that in 2007 Newsweek called “the coolest in the world.” Istanbul goes to bed really late, and sometimes never sleeps at all. At the right place, you can lose yourself until the wee hours of the morning. Even a novice can find a harmonious place within the various vibrant clubs and bars ubiquitous throughout this historic city. The most affluent clubs are located along the Bosporus near Kurucesme, on the European side. Reina, (www.reina.com. tr) located on the Bosporus with a spectacular view of the bridge, opened in 2002 and is still going strong. Popular especially in the summer, Reina is multi-storied, with five or more different high end restaurants located inside. Vastly redecorated every year, Reina never looks the same two years in a row. This restaurant/ bar/club also can be accessed by boat, and what better way to make a grand entrance? Not many nightspots in America offer these options. The only drawback is that most of the people inside prefer people-watching to dancing.

However, given the celebrities and glitterati who play here, I find that people-watching is pretty fun to do at Reina. Not far from Reina is the Kurucesme arena, an outdoor concert venue on the Bosporus. Sting and Shakira are two of the biggest names to let their voices float over the water in this exceptional venue. Check www.biletix.com, (the Turkish Ticketmaster) for concert listings and ticket information, and try to catch a concert here if you can. The website also has an English option, so you can also see what’s playing in various venues throughout the city.

ORTAKOY Closer to the Bosporus Bridge is the district of Ortakoy, which recently emerged as a nightlife hotspot. This quaint, artistic neighborhood is perfect for a day or evening stroll, with many eccentric and interesting shops and cafes to check out. After hours, head to JC’s, a wonderful jazz club that should be taken advantage of. JC’s, (www.istanbuljazz. com) an Ortakoy favorite, has a fantastic jazz lineup, an open

By Katherine Belliel

and relaxing interior, and decent food. Entrance fees vary with each performer, but rest assured that whatever the price, JC’s is worth it. Things get wilder nearer the center of the city. Stop in at Cahide Cabaret (www. cahidecabaret.com), located in the Macka district of Istanbul, not far from Taksim Square. Cahide is famous for its lively staff and cabaret shows. The inside is colorfully vintage, and even the patrons add to the décor. Many people wear costumes here, and the place has a lively, energetic feel. The crowd is much more upbeat, and the experience is loads of fun. The best place to really feel the beat of Istanbul is undoubtedly Taksim Square. Taksim and adjacent Beyoglu have something for everyone. Located on the square near the Marmara Hotel is the Ataturk Kultur Merkezi (AKM) where you can almost always catch an opera, ballet, or orchestra concert for a very affordable price. Bustling Istiklal Avenue never sleeps, and as you walk down the crowded, pedestrian street, be prepared to be assailed by an eclectic symphony created

from the music of the various bars, clubs and cafes that line the street. Those who prefer wine should head to Pano and Viktor Levi (www.viktorlevi1914. com), two landmark Istanbul wine houses located near the Galatasaray High School and personal favorites of mine. These neighboring, historic establishments have standing wine bars on the first floor, and dinner seating in the basement and balcony levels. This is a perfect place to go to start your evening. The food is good, and the local wines delectable.

ROCK VENUES If you like variety, head to Asmalimescit Street for a fantastic dining experience. From raw to Mexican, almost every kind of restaurant can be found within this area. Babylon, a pioneer rock venue in an old warehouse, is located here, and worth checking out. Babylon (www. babylon.com.tr) features both Turkish and foreign performing artists; the slate varies from week to week. Taksim and Beyoglu have so many bars and clubs, and every

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Taksim and Beyoglu have so many bars and clubs, and every local has his or her favorite.

local has his or her favorite. These include Roxy, Yeni Melek, and Life Roof, to name a few. Venues are small, smoky, and crowded, with a live band and a DJ. Most places stay open until 4 or 5 a.m., so feel free to dance the night away as long as you wish. Cover charges are minimal, and usually include one free drink in the price. Turkish people love to dance and at first a foreigner may feel intimidated when watching how intricately they dance with their wrists, arms, and hips. Imitating it will earn you lots of points so don’t hesitate to try, and don’t be surprised if people nearby enthusiastically offer to teach you some moves.

Istanbul nightlife is truly a world of its own, and an experience worth a few sleepless nights. For those looking for a different scene from that presented in New York and Miami, Istanbul definitely has merit. Clubs that can be entered by boat, dining and dancing under bridges spanning two continents, smoking water pipes in the shadow of ruins are all characteristics that make Istanbul truly one of the “coolest cities in the world.”

Belly dancing is common in Turkey, and the Galata Tower (www.galatatower.net) has a wonderful program loved by tourists and Turks alike. Located at the top of the historic tower that overlooks the golden Horn, guests are treated to a scenic view mixed with sultry belly dance performances. Be prepared to be pulled up for impromptu lessons!

A FASIL NIGHT To experience traditional music, check out various places that offer ‘fasil’ music. Nevizade and the Cicek Pasaji in Beyoglu have street musicians who play and the crowd often dances as well. Usually performed at a meyhane, patrons sit at a large table for a long, relaxing dinner

accompanied by many hot and cold appetizers (meze) and raki, the anis-flavored alcoholic drink of Turkey. Fasil music is performed by at least four musicians playing the oud, the clarinet, fiddle, and the kanun, a zither-like instrument. One of the best places to experience fasil (although a bit pricey) is at Woks Ziyade Fasil (www.ziyadefasil. com) in Levent, a short taxi ride from Taksim Square. The musicians are fabulous, and the experience is wonderful. A fasil night is a truly Turkish experience, and shouldn’t be missed. As the night progresses, people at neighboring tables and complete strangers will be pulling you up to dance, and teaching you the words to many of the beloved songs. Many Turkish people love to top off the evening with a visit to a nargile café. These oldfashioned water pipes come in flavors ranging from apple to cappuccino, and have made a comeback in the past few years. The best place to smoke one is in Tophane, a district just a short tram ride away from Taksim. Here several cafes provide a haven from the hustle and bustle of Istiklal Avenue. Recline in a stuffed chair and smoke with friends while playing backgammon. Beginners should try the apple flavored nargile, washed down with sweet apple tea.

(Istanbul-aerial-tower) Belly dancing is common in Turkey, and the Galata Tower (www.galatatower.com) has a wonderful program loved by tourists and Turks a like.

WHEN GOING OUT. Although Istanbul is generally a safe city, please always exercise caution when going out at night. Traveling in groups is highly recommended. Women should never enter bars/clubs alone, and should travel with a male companion if possible. If you do encounter trouble, contact the police by calling 155. 75

TURKOFAMERICA Turkey’s First Wellness Center:

Güral Sapanca Wellness Park

Güral Sapanca Wellness Park has a capacity of 600 guests with 2 king-sized suites, 18 suites and 278 standard rooms, and an advantageous location, only a 45 minute drive from Istanbul.

ural Grup, which has been operating and adding value to the porcelain, ceramic and packaging industries since 1948 with companies like Kütahya Porselen, Kütahya Seramik and Kütahya Ambalaj, continues to expand its investments in the tourism industry. Grup’s latest hotel, Güral Sapanca Wellness Park, is expected to welcome its first guests in 2008. This new hotel investment in Sapanca will also create new

employment opportunities in the Sapanca region. The landscape architecture of the hotel, which is built around 90,000 m2 of green Sapanca forest, is being executed by Tema Association without damaging any trees and green life around the hotel construction site. Güral Sapanca Wellness Park has a capacity of 600 guests with 2 king-sized suites, 18 suites and 278 standard rooms. The long-missing tourism concept of “Wellness” in Turkey will be filled by Güral

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Sapanca Wellness Park. The health, nutrition, and spa center of Güral Sapanca Wellness Park will be operated by the famous and repected scientist Dr. Osman Müftüoglu. All the centers, such as health, nutrition, and spa, will be conducted under the concept of wellness. The guests will be able to get in shape while receiving the benefit of nutrition programs and maintaining their ideal weights. Besides these programs, there will be fitness, yoga, pilates and many more exercise programs in the hotel. In the wellness and spa centers of the hotel, there will be massage rooms, tai-chi, futon/shiatsu, hydro-therapy massages, Turkish baths, sauna, berasul cabins, aromatherapy and chromotherapy steam cabins, tepideria, snow fountains,

adventure showers and a wellness pool. Besides these amentities, there will also be facial and body care, cellulite and slimming cure centers for the hotel guests. Specially grown organic food will be served in the hotel’s restaurants and the guests will be able to shop for organic food in the hotel’s store. Güral Sapanca Wellness Park has many indoor and outdoor activitities. The main ones are: Hiking in Sapanca forest, trekking, indoor and outdoor pools, cycling, horse-back riding, ATV tours, paint-ball, outdoor volleyball, basketball and tennis courts, paddling and other lake sports and many more. There will also be a practice golf course for professional and amateur golf players. Güral Sapanca Wellness Park’s other suprise for its guest will be an ice

rink for ice skating lovers which will stay open for 365 days a year. There will also be lots of activities and fun stuff for kids at Güral Sapanca Wellness Park. Güral Sapanca Wellness Park will also answer the need for conference tourism in the area. With its advantageous location, only a 45 minute drive to Istanbul, a 20 minute drive to Izmit and a 15 minute drive to Adapazari, Güral Sapanca Wellness Park aims to be the conference and congress center for the businesses around this region. The hotel is getting

ready to host many sectoral, national and international conferences and congresses in its 11 meeting and conference rooms, with capacities ranging from 10 to 800 people. Güral Sapanca Wellness Park will reflect urbanism in a nature-friendly way with its architecture and comfort. Built near the beautiful Sapanca Lake surrounded by green forest, Güral Sapanca Wellness Park will add “beautiful, healthy and joyous” memories to all its guests with its environment, amentities and comfort.

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President Bush in Turkey with Ortakoy mosque in the Bosphours.

American former President Bill Clinton visited the ancient city of Ephesus with his wife Hillary Clinton and daughter Chelsea.

Mud baths are close to the junction of the Dalyan River and Kรถycegiz Lake, and host thousands of tourists both foreign and local every year. It is believed that the sulphur-rich mud baths cure rheumatic and dermatological diseases. Mud baths, also regarded as beauty baths have attracted celebrities such as Dustin Hoffman and Sting. Hoffman in Turkey with his wife.

Microsoft Corp. Chairman and the world's wealthiest man, Bill Gates, visited Istanbul in February 2006 and he met with Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Bill Ford, great-grandson of Henry Ford, was Istanbul last year.

Pamella Anderson and her friends in Istanbul

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Pope Benedict XVI (L) is welcomed by Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan (R) on his arrival at Ankaraâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s airport, 28 November 2006. (VINCENZO PINTO / AFP / GETTY)

A global financier and philanthropist, George Soros is the founder and chairman of the Open Society Institute, OSI. He was in Istanbul for a OSI meeting.

Academy Award-winner actor Kevin Costner, was in Istanbul with his rock band, Modern West, for a concert. Costner said that he had always wanted to come to Istanbul as his wife -- who visited the city when she was 19 years old - always spoke highly of the city. (10.29.2007)

1994 Nobel Memorial Prize winner in Economic Sciences, Mathematician Prof. John Nash came to Istanbul in 2003 with his wife Alycia. The couple took a tour with Sultanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Boat on Golden Horn. Prof. Nash was the subject of the Hollywood movie, A Beautiful Mind.

Rock star Sting in tradational Mevlevi custom when he was in Istanbul for his concert tour in June 2006.

Movie star Jean claude van Damme played Turkish comedy-drama, The Exam in 2006. 79

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Istanbul’s Top Tourist Sites Istanbul’s rich past spans thousands of years and numerous empires, creating a historic mosaic encompassing the city, as well as two continents. With so much to see and explore, it can be overwhelming for the first time visitor to try to decide which sites are ‘must-sees’ in order to have a sampling of Istanbul’s varied past. The top sites on any itinerary should include the following places. By Kathy Hamilton Aya Sofia (Hagia Sophia) This impressive monument to Christianity was erected during the reign of Emperor Justinian (532 - 537 A.D.), when the Byzantine Empire was at the height of its power. The surviving Byzantine mosaics date from the 6th-10th centuries. Converted to a mosque after the conquest of Constantinople, today the church is a museum. Address: Ayasofia Meydani, Sultanahmet. Blue Mosque (S. Ahmet Camii) Known for its interior of blue Iznik tiles, the Blue Mosque was built by imperial architect Mehmet Aga in 1609-1616. With over 250 windows in the structure, sunlight floods in, adding to the feeling of space within. Address: Sultanahmet Meydani, Sultanahmet. Topkapi Palace Mehmet II began construction of Topkapi Palace shortly after his conquest of Constantinople, and the original buildings were finished in 1465. The palace served as the seat of governance, as well as the sultan’s private living spaces, which included the famed harem. Opened as a museum in 1924, it features unparalleled collections of ceramics, imperial costumes, jewels, miniatures and manuscripts, armor, and religious relics. Address: Babıhümayun Cad., Sultanahmet. Grand Bazaar In addition to being literally filled to the roof with shops and goods, the Grand Bazaar also boasts restaurants, banks, a post office, a mosque and its own police station. The labyrinths of streets are packed with shops, the merchandise of which spills out into the pathways. Built by Mehmet II after his conquest of the city in 1453, the bazaar is, of course, the place where bargaining is de rigueur. Address: Çarsikapi Cad., Beyazıt. Basilica Cistern Built by the Emperor Justinian in 532, the cistern was constructed to supply water to the Great Palace, situated nearby on the Hippodrome. After the conquest of the city by the Ottomans, the cistern went unnoticed until it became apparent that people were lowering buckets through holes in their basements to collect water. Today visitors can explore it along walkways, accompanied by the sounds of dripping water and piped-in classical music. Address: 13 Yerebatan Cad., Sultanahmet.

Galata Tower Dominating the skyline, Galata Tower was built in 1348 as part of the Genoese fortifications. During Ottoman times it was used as a watch tower, and now the top two floors serve as a restaurant and night club. The panoramic view from the top of the tower includes the main historic sites, and on clear days, the Princes’ Islands are visible out in the Marmara Sea. Address: Büyük Hendel Sokak, Beyoglu. Chora Church (Kariye Camii) Covered with some of the finest Byzantine mosaics and frescoes in the world, the Church of St. Savior in Chora was built during the 11th century. The mosaics depict the genealogy of Christ, the life of the Virgin Mary, the Infancy of Christ and his ministry. The frescoes are thought to have been painted around 1320. Address: Kariye Camii Sokak, Edirnekapi. Spice Bazaar (Egyptian Bazaar) Once the pharmacy of the Ottoman Empire, the Spice Bazaar, also called the Egyptian Bazaar, is still an active spice market filled with herbs, spices, honeys, nuts, dried fruits and caviar. Outside of the bazaar, in the courtyard facing the imposing Yeni Mosque, is a thriving horticultural market. Address: Cami Meydani Sokak, Eminönü. Eyup Sultan Eyüp ranks after Mecca, Medina, and Jerusalem as a major pilgrimage point for Muslims, and is the resting place for Eyüp Ensari, the standardbearer of the Prophet Muhammed. Falling in battle during the Arab siege of Constantinople in 678 AD, he was buried outside the walls of the city. Leveled by earthquake in 1766, the current structure was built in 1800 by Selim III. Address: Camii Kebir Sokak, Eyüp. Dolmabaçhe Palace Built in 1856 by Sultan Abdul Mecit, the palace was designed by the Balyan family, a renowned Armenian family of architects. Entry to the palace is by guided tour only, with one tour including the state rooms and Ceremonial Hall. The second tour is of the harem, with the living quarters of the sultan and his family. Atatürk’s bedroom is preserved as it was at the time of his death on November 10, 1938. Address: Dolmabaçhe Cad., Besiktas.

Ten Most Overlooked Sites

After touring the major tourist sites, it is well worth the time to

visit these lesser known, but still important, venues to get a better understanding of Istanbul’s past and present. Since most of these are off the main tourist routes, they are much less crowded and offer a more relaxed atmosphere in which to explore on your own and escape from the tour busses clogging other parts of the city. Rüstem Pasa Mosque This small mosque, built in 1561, is a welcome respite from the frenetic pace of the Spice Bazaar. Designed by Ottoman master architect Sinan for Sultan Süleyman’s sonin-law and Grand Vizier, Rüstem Pasa, this mosque is known for its fantastic array of Iznik tiles. Address: Hasıcılar Cad., Eminönü. Princes’ Islands (Adalar) Just a 45-minute ferry ride from the city, the Princes’ Islands offer a welcome change of pace from urban life. Justin II was the first to build a palace on Büyükada in 569. During the Byzantine era, the Islands were home to many monasteries, where exiles were often sent. In the second half of the 19th century, the introduction of steamboats made access easier and as a result, wealthy families began to settle there. The easiest way to get there is by the ferries running from Sirkeci or Kabatas. Süleymaniye Mosque Dominating the Istanbul skyline, the Süleymaniye mosque complex, founded by Sultan Süleyman I, is master architect Sinan’s crowning monument for the city. Construction began in 1550 and took seven years to complete. The largest mosque in the city, the complex at one time included a soup kitchen, guest house, hospital, hamman, and college. The result of his efforts is a mosque that is breathtaking in size, and that has near perfect acoustics. Address: Sifhane Cad., Süleymaniye.

Mosaic Museum The 5th century Great Palace of the Byzantine emperors consisted of hundreds of rooms, many decorated with gold mosaics. The museum is situated on the site of the ancient palace, and the vast floor mosaic is thought to have been in the colonnade between the royal apartments and the imperial enclosure next to the Hippodrome. Address: Arasta Çarsisi, Sultanahmet. Archeological Museum Housing one of the world’s best collections of antiquities, the museum includes excellent displays of classical and pre-classical treasures. The building itself was constructed by Osman Hamdi Bey (1881-1910) to house his archeological finds, including sarcophagi from Sidon. The new four-story wing opened in 1991 and features exhibits on the history and archeology of Istanbul and surrounding areas, as well as a children’s museum. The Museum of the Ancient Orient features rare and priceless relics from Egyptian and Hittite cultures, as well as from Mesopotamia. The Ishtar Gate dates from 605-562 BC, during the rule of Nebuchadnezzar II in Babylon. Address: Osman Hamdi Bey Yokusu, Gülhane. Yildiz Park Originally a part of the grounds of the Çiragan Palace, the garden was later incorporated into the plans of Yildiz Palace, a collection of pavilions and villas built in the 19th and 20th centuries. Spread across the hillside above IlhamurYıldız Boulevard, the palace was at one time the principal residence of Sultan Abdul Hamit II (1876-1909). Address: Çiragan Cad., Besiktas.

Yedikule Yedikule, the Castle of Seven Towers, was never used as a royal residence, but rather, two of the towers housed foreign envoys who fell out of favor with Ottoman rulers. The original towers were built as part of the Theodosian walls in 390. The top of the walls offer one of the best views to be found in Istanbul. Address: Yedikule Meydani Sokak, Yedikule.

Sabanci Museum Since 1884, what is today Sabanci Museum has been both a private and royal residence. Opened as the Sabanci University Sakip Sabanci Museum in 2002, it now hosts world-class exhibitions in a stateof-the-art environment. The three ground floors have been preserved as they were when the Sabanci family resided there. The museum also boasts an impressive collection of rare manuscripts as well as an extensive collection of 19th and 20th century paintings. Address: Istinye Cad. No. 22, Emirgan.

Sadberk Hanım Museum In 1981, the Sadberk Hanım was the first private museum to open in Turkey. Consisting of two large wooden houses on the shores of the Bosphorus, the larger house, built in 1911, was the former summer house of the Koç family. The second building, the Sevgi Gönül Wing, dates from the 20th century. On display are ethnographical items from Turkey, including relics from the Neolithic periods through the Ottoman era. Address: Piyasa Cad. No. 27-29, Büyükdere.

Turkish and Islamic Art Museum The former residence of Ibrahim Pasa (1493-1536), Grand Vizier to Sultan Süleyman, the museum hosts a collection dating from the Omayyad Caliphate (661-750) to modern times. With detailed explanations in Turkish and English, each room concentrates on a particular era or region of the Islamic world. The ground floor features displays on the lifestyles of the different Turkic peoples. Address: Atmeydani Sokak, Sultanahmet.

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