Most visitors to İstanbul quickly hear about the great 16th-century Ottoman architect Sinan, particularly if they visit the Süleymaniye, Sokollu Mehmed Paşa or Rüstem Paşa mosques or the Çemberlitaş Hamam, where they will hear him spoken of in tones of reverence as befits the master behind so many of the city’s landmark buildings.
İstanbul and the baroque - the bountiful Balyans
The Oldest Map of America
From "The Oldest Map of America," by Professor Dr. Afet Inan. Ankara, 1954, pp. 28-34.
I. There is a kind of red dye called vakami, that you do not observe at first, because it is at a distance . . . the mountains contain rich ores. . . . There some of the sheep have silken wool.
II. This country is inhabited. The entire population goes naked.
Edirne, The Second Capital of Ottoman Empire
HISTORY OF THE CITY
The Odrys
Near the city of Ainos archaeologists have excavated a settlement belonging to one of the oldest known neolithic cultures in the Balkans. Their pottery and the defensive wall around the settlement are typical of contemporary Anatolian cultures, so these people are thought to have been a colony from Anatolia.
Muslims asked to vacation in Turkey to offset the Israeli tourist boycott
Muslims are being encouraged to vacation in Turkey this summer to offset the estimated $ 400 million loss caused by Israelis boycotting the country as relations between the countries deteriorate.
A number of Muslim scholars and leaders issued a statement on June 17 praising Turkey’s position regarding Israel and welcoming Ankara’s efforts to “lift the siege on Gaza and the Palestinian people.” It called on Arabs and Muslims to show support for Turkey by boosting economic ties.
Ulcinj as a perfect tourist spot
The town of Ulcinj is in the far south of the Montenegrin coast. With its natural charms, Ulcinj is perfect for tourism. The longest sandy beach on the Adriatic (the Big Beach is 13 km long) - Ada Bojana, the splendid river island with more magnificent sandy beaches, the unique cove Valdanos with numerous old olive trees in the background, the reconstructed old town within Ulcinj (rich in interesting restaurants, cafs, galleries and hotels) and many other interesting sites make Ulcinj a unique place, attractive for many tourists. Ulcinj is a town that you definitely have to see. For more visit: http://www.visit-ulcinj.com/Secret shrine shared by Bektashi Sufi Sect and Christians
Up 240 steps, behind a padlocked wooden door, is a shrine holy to both Christian and Bektashi Sufi believers.
It is not well known. Wary of flocks of tourists, the people in Makedonski Brod, in south-western Macedonia, have kept its existence a well-guarded secret for years.
The aged building, marked only by a cross from outside, is decorated within by Christian icons, and portraits of both Jesus Christ and Sufi saints.
Montenegro - Wild Beauty
With its mountainous geography and turbulent history Montenegro is a microcosm of the Balkans. Throughout its history Montenegro was known in Europe for its fierce tribes and blood feuds. For centuries, it has been the meeting point and battleground of Muslim (Ottoman) and Catholic (Venetian and Austrian) empires. In recent years, however, Montenegro has surprised those who expected it to be torn apart by internal conflict.
Introduction to Minoan Crete
Four thousand years ago, a civilization was born. There is little to prove that they existed outside of mythical tales and the findings of archeology. Who were these brilliantly artistic people who reveled in luxury and gaiety? What legacy have they left behind for our modern civilization? This will be my subject for the next set of articles on ancient Greece.
Archeologists have not found a name for the civilization that began about the year 2500 BC
Alexander The Great Was Albanian?
The ancient warrior king Alexander the Great, was neither Greek nor Macedonian but Albanian, the author Nijazi Muhamedi said at the launch of his book 'Albanian Macedonia', this week.
Calling the controversial state funded Macedonian Encyclopaedia released by the Macedonian Academy of Arts and Sciences, MANU, a “failure” and an “unfortunate
Page 1 of 4
In a short book of four chapters (170 pages including an appendix), Richard Bulliet presents a compelling vision for what he calls an Islamo-Christian Civilization. Bulliet—professor of history at Columbia University, former director of The Middle East Institute, and executive secretary of the Middle East Studies Association—seeks to transcend the all too common ways of seeing and talking about the relationship between the Islamic and Western worlds.
