Ramadan in Alanya, Turkey
June 11, 2017
January 01, 2020
Visit to Turkey, Istanbul
Istanbul is a major city in Turkey that straddles Europe and Asia across the Bosphorus Strait. Its Old City reflects cultural influences of the many empires that once ruled here.
In the Sultanahmet district, the open-air, Roman-era Hippodrome was for centuries the site of chariot races, and Egyptian obelisks also remain.
The iconic Byzantine Hagia Sophia features a soaring 6th-century dome and rare Christian mosaics.
The Ottoman-era Sultan Ahmet Mosque (Blue Mosque) was named for its blue interior tiles. Circa-1460 Topkapı Palace, home to Ottoman sultans until the 19th century, contains royal artefacts and rooms that once comprised a large harem.
Nearby is the Spice Market and rambling Grand Bazaar. Spanning the Golden Horn estuary, atmospheric Galata Bridge is a popular fishing spot and leads to the city’s modern heart. The Galata area is known for its medieval tower and upmarket boutiques. Beyoğlu's stylish bars lie south of Taksim Square. The city's eastern, Asian side encompasses residential areas and waterfront districts such as Kadiköy.
Barbaros street named after Admiral Hayreddin Barbarossa
He began his naval career as a Barbary pirate, alongside his brothers, raiding Christian coastal villages and seizing ships across the Mediterranean. Khair-ed-Din, also known as Hayreddin Barbarossa, was so successful as a corsair that he managed to become the ruler of Algiers, and then the chief admiral of the Ottoman Turkish navy under Suleiman the Magnificent. Barbarossa started life as a simple potter's son, and rose to lasting piratical fame.
Did the Ottomans discover America?
After conducting a carbon test to check the time of the Perry Reese map, which preceded the time of the Spanish kingdom's full emergence, NASA launched its satellites to photograph the Earth's oval, making sure that the map of the team and their leader Perry Reese is identical to the images taken from space. The result is the absolute geometrical congruence with plants in those lands!
Over 35M passengers travelled through Turkish airports
More than 35.5 million air travellers went through Turkey's airports in the first three months of the year, according to new official statistics.
The number of passengers on international flights fell seven percent year-on-year to almost 12.5 million in the first quarter, according to statistics released by General Directorate of State Airports Authority.
In the same period, the number of passengers taking domestic flights in Turkey fell 0.3 percent compared to the first quarter of last year.
The number of passengers taking international and domestic flights in Turkey dropped three percent in the first three months of the year from the same period last year.
In March, the total number of domestic passengers was over 8.2 million while the number of international passengers totalled almost 5 million.
Turkish airports served nearly 385,734 planes in January-March 2017, a drop of 1.1 percent from the same period last year, including the number of overflights.
The amount of air cargo in the first five months of the year rose 3.8 percent to some 640,686 tonnes.
Influencers to promote Turkey to 66M followers via social media
Content creators, bloggers and social media Influencers to promote Turkey to 66M followers via social media, who guide the travel choices of millions of people all around the world with their photos, videos and texts will come together at INFLOW Travel Summit 2017 to be held in Istanbul and Antalya.
The new trend "influencer marketing" has also affected travel habits. As consumers in the digital age first check out the experiences and ideas of other users through a number of social media channels, including blogs, before buying a product or service.
Turkey has launched an "influencer" campaign for promotion.
Some 150 foreign influencers with access to 66 million followers around the world through social media platforms have been invited to Turkey.
Turkey plans to recruit doctors, nurses from Gulf
April 13, 2017
Turkey plans to recruit doctors, nurses from Gulf
Turkey plans to recruit doctors, nurses from the Gulf countries, Health Ministry Undersecretary Eyüp Gümüş announced yesterday.
"Doctors and nurses from the Gulf states will be allowed to work here [at city hospitals]," Gümüş told the fourth joint meeting of the Gulf Cooperation Council-Turkey Health Working Group in Ankara.
"A part of the newly-built city hospitals is reserved for foreign patients. Doctors and nurses with foreign language skills will work here," he said.
Turkey's city hospitals, also known as city hospital complex, offer a modern healthcare environment with a diverse array of high-quality facilities, including five-star hotel accommodations.
Gümüş said Turkey and the Gulf states should boost cooperation in the health tourism sector.
Around 80,000 experts out of 120,000 doctors have been providing healthcare services across Turkey, he said, adding that 8,000 of them were highly experienced.
The country's first city hospital became operational in the southern city of Mersin in early February following a grand inauguration ceremony that saw the attendance of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Prime Minister Binali Yıldırım.
The Mersin city hospital is one of the largest healthcare complexes in Turkey, with 1,294 beds to serve 10,000 patients per day.
Gümüş said Turkey witnessed several significant reforms in the health sector in the past 15 years, under the governments of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party).
He said the government will announce the second phase of its health reforms in the coming months, adding Turkey would also produce medicine through joint ventures with overseas companies.
Alanya has one of the Turkey's historic castles
Located in Antalya, one of the oldest castles in Turkey, Alanya Castle was built in the 13th century under orders from the Seljuk Sultanate of Rum after the conquest of the city in 1220 by Alaeddin Keykubad I.
The empire's specific architectural design included castle walls, a citadel – known as the inner castle – a red tower, a dockyard and an arsenal. Constructed on the ancient remains of earlier Byzantine and Roman castles, the castle was built after the conquest in three years, according to archaeological findings.
The castle served as the palace of the sultan and is located at an altitude of 250 meters above sea level, overlooking the Mediterranean on a rocky peninsula which is protected from three sides. The castle was later used for defensive purposes by the ancient Ottomans and dozens of villas were built inside of the castle walls during the 19th century.
Today, the castle is an open-air museum. Visitors who purchase tickets can visit the seaside section of the castle while the side of the castle facing the inlet is open to the general public. Anyone who visits the touristy city of Antalya should visit the Alanya Castle and get a taste of Turkey's ancient history.
The Spring in Mahmutlar, Alanya, Turkey
Spring is officially upon us and after the cold winter months, the new variety of ripening fruits and vegetables are welcomed. There are a number of particularly favoured items that are less familiar to the foreign eye that pops up in Turkey's farmer's markets and produces stalls that one may need an introduction to.
As you may have noticed, Turkey is for the most part extremely faithful to seasonal produce and fruits and it is only been in recent years that other more exotic hard to find produce is now on offer.
Therefore, Turkish cuisine is very much centred around the seasons and when fruits and vegetables are at their best. In the spring months, there is a whole new range of fruits, greens and vegetables that take over the table in Turkey, many of which may be lesser known by the farmer's market layman.
While visiting one of Turkey's countless farmers' markets is definitely one of the most rewarding activities to embark on in this country, it can also be overwhelming, therefore here is a preview of what you may find out there on the stalls this spring...
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