BEYOĞLU ‘S STREETCAR NAMED “TRAMWAY”

Tramway" is a 2006 film by a relatively young and promising Turkish film director, Olgun Arun, as his first limited budget film. It runs for 83 long minutes which turns into a torture-chamber"Tramway" is a 2006 film by a relatively young and promising Turkish film director, Olgun Arun, as his first limited budget film. It runs for 83 long minutes which turns into a torture-chamber.

The displays of violence are widespread within the coach, not to say fashionable, although universally condemned. Action, and more action, tension and torture as a method are generally considered as a sure way to successBeyoglu's nostalgic red tram of our childhood and teens in the 50's turns into a scene of torture by one misfit tram hijacker, overplayed in the film by Firat Tanis, as a near madman.

The film contains good shots of night scenes well lit of Beyoglu and the beloved red tram, now an item of curiosity. To witness the hijacking of the tram may seem far-fetched, although it is shocking to begin with. It is incredible that while the tram runs, hijacked, from Taksim to Tunel and back, nobody in his sane mind iBeyoglu, day or night, notices that something is wrong. This is where the unreality becomes unconvincing

The misfit son of a film theatre owner in Beyoglu is violently beaten by his father for failure to do his job properly. This opening scene of blood and savagery beyond proportion, unconvincing, heralded the rest of the unfolding of the filmAs if a hypnotic sleepwalker in Istiklal Caddesi, the hijacker-to-be is out to prove his manhood and brute prowess by hijacking the red tram.
The streetcar, about 100 years old has a 2 dozen seating capacity in one coach, apart from standing passengers, for its 10 minute 1 kilometer run, which is usually packed. But such a crowd in such a small space is too much for a film director to handle, and it is reduced to seated passengers onlyThe passengers are a cross section of "Istanbullu" a passive and submissive lot against the hyperactive hijacker and his huge collaborator.

The passengers never dare to put their act together, or individually, against the sickly-looking hijacker. He has a sympathizer and helper as a bodyguard, a gorilla of a man who was also, if I remember correctly, persecuted by his father It is difficult to maintain the tempo of violence in a cramped place such as a tram. But the director succeeds by letting his players feel and express their best in their individual outbursts. The message of the director is that people are on their own with few exceptions and never react in cooperation against evil or terror. The misfits' or the terrorists' hijack is only successful because of such a background.
The jubilant football crowd waving Turkish flags after a match is an impressive shot, but certainly superfluous with a "Mehter" military band accompaniment. It seemed for a moment to be a way to free the captives, but quite mistakenly as the director missed this opportunity
Humanity in the face of terror does exist in the scene when the misfit hijacker frees an elderly lady who has had enough of her ordeal and cries out that "I must go." The hijacker points his gun indiscriminately and fires to kill one of his captives who is trying to bring sense to his madness
Director Arun has a few Fellini-esque characters of interest among his characters, for which he should be applauded. One oversight was the railings at the entrance of the tramcar which were locked from the inside stopping the captives from freeing themselves turned out to be open from the outside when the football crowd circle the coach. Fellini once said "for those who catch these minor details, they deserve it."
This first film by director Olgun Arun, in spite of its failings, is full of promise for a good director, however
mistaken in its violence. This film has unfortunately never yet been screened in cinema theatres

BEWITCHING TURKEY…

This winter will be my last in Ankara, Turkey. My time spent here is so imprinted with fond memories, the kaleidoscope of images so fresh in my mind, that I am compelled to put my thoughts down in writing. I remember the day we arrived in Ankara. It was September, and the plane's windows showed a bleak and arid brown landscape, gently undulating hills interspersed with patches of green poplar trees.

As we alighted from the aircraft, my eager eyes darted to and fro, gathering my first impressions. Something told me I was going to love my stay here, as it somehow reminded me a wee bit of Srinagar, the capital of Kashmir in India, where I belonged. It's now been over three years, and I have loved every moment of my stay here. The warmth and hospitality of Turkish people has overwhelmed me, and the helpful and friendly nature of the people, be it in the towns or the villages, all contributed to making my stay here so memorable.

Customs and the traditions in Turkey are akin to some in India. Of course, language was a problem to some extent, but not much, as there are 3,000-plus words common to those of the Urdu language, one of the official languages of India, and I soon picked up enough to get by.
  We did manage to travel quite extensively in Turkey. Istanbul was mind-blowingly beautiful, one of the most charming cities I have ever seen. It is vibrant, bustling and dynamic, charming in its history-steeped atmosphere, and yet throbbing with modernity.
 Ankara, a dull place according to the Istanbulites, but an ideal place to live in, clean, organized and with a certain beauty, I spent maybe one of the best three years of my life here. I visited Izmir, another beautiful city by the sea, and I will never forget the quaint picturesque charm of the Mediterranean towns of Bodrum and the touristy charms of Antalya, Kemer, Alanya and Side. The white houses spilling over with purple bougainvillea and located by the turquoise sea, made me want to take up my paint brushes and try to capture one of the amazing sunsets.
  I especially remember the drive from Bursa to Izmir, how beautiful it was, and made all the more enjoyable by eating loads of freshly picked cherries and peaches being sold by the locals on the roadside. There was no need to eat anything else, and we feasted on the amazing fresh fruit the entire journey.Mother Mary's home in Ephesus, too, stays in my memory; a green peaceful and welcoming abode for the beautiful ancient relics of the Roman civilization.

Çannakale, with its atmosphere steeped in history, made me almost feel the passion and the desperation of the Turkish people fighting valiantly for their freedom. One can feel the vibrations of sacrifice in the very soil, steeped with the blood of brave soldiers who gave their life for their motherland, a sacrifice so big, for freedom so dear. Kemal Ataturk's beautiful words, inscribed on the memorial, never fail to make my eyes fill up and my heart overflow with emotion.Every weekend with just the two of us, we managed to dash off and explore the quaint villages of Bey Pazarı, Saffranbolu and Khizilchihamam, which were close to Ankara.

The seaside village of Amasra is an ideal weekend resort to escape the pressures of daily life. Fresh and delicious fish in the many seaside restaurants cooked to perfection was a must have here. Turkey was slowly and surely worming its way into my heart forever.  Belonging to a hot country like India, I may mention here that it was also my first adult experience of experiencing snow and its beauty. Of course Kashmir, too, has snow, but I was a child, and I don't really remember it so clearly. It snowed in the month of November when we first arrived, and I was enchanted to see the landscape of Ankara turn a pristine white and the spruce and pine and juniper trees wear a mantle of blindingly white snow through which shone the red berries of the juniper trees.

 Cappadokia is awesome, a natural heritage sight. And even though I have been there six times with various visitors and guests I never seem to tire of it. It has a different beauty in summer, and an awesome majesty in the winter months, when the beautiful land formations are covered in snow.  I have loved visiting the excellent thermal resorts, and have derived health benefits from the properties of the medicinal waters. The experience of bathing in hot thermal water in the snowy months is something to remember. Your head in the icy air, and your body immersed in 40-degree hot water, is simply exhilarating.
 The taste of hot tea with a freshly baked simit, or the variety or salads and meze, or the awesome sweets, or the amazing taste of the kebabs, köftes and fish: Turkey's culinary delights don't end. I can write pages more on the beauty of Turkey but I want to sum it all up in the one city that represents so well the beauty of this great country, the jewel in the crown: Istanbul.
 
*NOTE: Mrs Arti Chopra is the wife of an Indian Diplomat posted in Ankara. They have two children. During her stay in Turkey, Mrs. Chopra has written more than one hundred poems published on the internet

TURKEY TO BE PROMOTED ON MOBILE PHONES OF TOURISTS

Mudo Garage Sale starts with 80 percent discountThe traditional Mudo Garage Sale started once again on Sept. 28 in seven Mudo Outlet Stores in Istanbul, Ankara and İzmir. Mudo previously organized nine more Garage Sales but the sales were delayed for the last two and a half years because it was not as profitable as before , said İlkhan Yılmaz, Mudo deputy director. “Because of global warming, last year we could not sell most of our winter clothes. Moreover, the number of our stores around Turkey increased and now we have more items sold with up to 80 percent discount,” he added. , said İlkhan Yılmaz, Mudo deputy director. “Because of global warming, last year we could not sell most of our winter clothes. Moreover, the number of our stores around Turkey increased and now we have more items sold with up to 80 percent discount,” he added.

A SALE LESS ORDINARY
Stepping into the Maslak Garage Store of Mudo you will be surprised that despite the big crowd the place is not crammed one can become surprised thanks to the additional cashiers and floorwalkers employed by the company.

Yılmaz said that they put their past experience of sales to good use and also drew conclusions from the problems of other companies' discount sales. “We are expecting 1 million people to visit our stores and so we increased the number of our personnel. For instance, 35 cash desks will be open instead of 10, and our stores will remain open until midnight.”
 
Mudo is expecting around YTL 5 million turnout from the sales that are going to continue until Oct. 7. The stores are the following: Maslak Garage, Olivium, Bahariye, Mecidiyeköy and Ambarlı Outlets in Istanbul, Selway in İzmir and Optimum in Ankara.

TAV’S FIRST YEAR JOY

İzmir Adman Menderes Airport International Terminal by TAV Airports Holding celebrated its first year of service Sept. 9. General Manager Ömer Vanlı, in an iftar dinner organized in the Hilton Hotel, said the airport had exceeded expectations in its first year.

 Vanlı stated that, compared with numbers from the previous year, the number of passengers increased 7 percent while the number of planes increased 14 percent. He said that the international terminal, which won approval with its quality service and modern facilities, served 1.7 million passengers and 15,000 planes as of Oct. 1.

The terminal cost 174 million euros. While last year 50 airlines had flights to 87 points from İzmir, today there are 69 airlines and 109 flight destinations. Vanlı stated that TAV, carrying its experience and success in airport administration to İzmir, had new projects to increase the direct and scheduled flights from İzmir to international destinations.

He stated that they had recently gone to the Routes Fair, which is one of the most important activities of aeronautics in Stockholm, to promote İzmir Adnan Menderes Airport. Vanlı also said that they would also participate in many fair organizations with Destination İzmir.
He indicated that İzmir Adnan Menderes Airport, with an annual passenger capacity of five million, had important contributions to make to İzmir's tourism potential. He also noted that they aimed to make the present airport work with full capacity by 2015. “Being a global airport administration company, we will increase the tourism potential of Yzmir with our background and experience,” said Vanlı.

BODRUM IS TO DRINK SEA WATER

Some 11 municipalities, all members of the Bodrum Peninsula Municipalities Union, gathered to solve the region's chronic problems. Speaking in the meeting, Bodrum Mayor and Union President Mazlum Ağan stated that Bodrum will have to drink water from the sea unless necessary precautions are taken.
 Apart from the mayors, managers from the municipal department of technical services and development also participated in the meeting. Ağan stated that they should make immediate attempts to put projects into use to solve problems that have not been solved for the last 30 years before the next tourism season. He said that they would get in touch with State Water Affairs, and the Ministries of Culture and Tourism, Transportation and Energy.

 Ağan also asserted that they had finally come to the final stage in the nationalization process of the 75 acres of land in Dereköy chosen for the establishment of a solid waste treatment center. “It is impossible to solve Bodrum's main problems with the Union or the municipalities alone. Our district that contributes millions of dollars of foreign exchange to tourism needs support for projects like animal shelters, solid waste treatment centers, energy transfer wires and water,“ said Ağan. He stated that they had concluded Bodrum will provide its water supply from the sea.

IZMIR JEWS LOBBYING FOR SOLUTION TO OWNERSHIP ISSUE

The Jewish community of İzmir is planning to restore İzmir's historical synagogues built in the beginning of the 16th century and open them to tourists. The community, which has 12 synagogues in İzmir, seven of which are open to religious practice, is waiting for the results of law suits they filed to determine the ownership of the synagogues. İzmir Jewish Community Chairman Jak Kaya says there are 10 synagogues, historical mosques and churches in an area of 1 kilometer on the Havra Street in Kemeraltı district.  “This street is the meeting point of three religions. Projects relating to religious tourism can be carried out there. Some synagogues are open to public use but most of them are ruined. We are planning to turn the historical Hevra Synagogue, which needs restoration, into Turkish Jewish Friendship Museum. Objects belonging to Jewish life, historical old testaments and documents will be on display in this museum.”
  Jews want to establish a foundation Kaya says they want to make the historical scholar house a restaurant with the support of the İzmir Trade Chamber. “If old synagogues, which are national heritages, are restored and open to visitors, thousands of tourists will come to İzmir. But the problem of ownership is a handicap for us. We don't have legal ownership of the synagogues. But historical documents and living witnesses prove that they belong to our community. We are waiting for the suits that we filed against the Ministry of the Treasury to result,” he said. Stating that the Jewish community should establish a foundation for the possession of their properties, Kaya says “In accordance with a law made in 1936, the minorities must declare their properties. Within the framework of declarations, properties were turned into foundations. But İzmir's Jewish community did not declare their properties in this period. That is why their properties in İzmir were not turned into foundations. On the basis of the European Union Harmonization Law, we applied to the Directorate General of Foundations. We told them that we had all requirements of a foundation. But we got negative answer and then

applied to the Ankara Administrative Court. If we win, the İzmir Jewish community will have juristic personality.”Kaya says that the Jews, who escaped from Spain and Portugal nearly 500 years ago and settled in İzmir, do not have other historical places but synagogues and cemeteries. “We have a small cemetery in Bornova. We have restored the graves of religious scholars who are buried in an area of 30,000 square meters in Gürçeşme. But it not possible to restore 10,000 graves. On the other hand, our cemeteries are always destroyed; they are used as pasturage for livestock. We placed guards, put up walls but we cannot prevent attacks. We applied to the municipality. Now we are expecting the İzmir Greater Municipality to close the cemeteries with fence of barbed wire.” Kaya says İzmir's Jewish community consists of 1,800 people who have an executive committee and an association. Immigration from İzmir to abroad began in the beginning of the 20the century. “Young generations go to Istanbul or abroad for education. While the community's population decreases, average age increases. We love İzmir and are happy with living in this city.” Kaya notes that their community is doing its best for İzmir to win the bid for EXPO 2015, and says they can open their historical places to Jews all over the world and draw more tourists to İzmir.

RICH BY DESIGN

Even though Halil Işıkoğlu has amassed marks, franks, dollars and sterling in the millions, he leads a modest life working in the Grand Bazaar where he has run his small shop for decades. He is a collector of foreign currencies from 200 countries and the author of two books on the science of currency, numismatics. The Ottoman coins belonging to the periods of the last six Ottoman sultans and coins of 62 British and French colonies are among many in the collection that worth a fortune. Işıkoğlu says there was a limited number of coins minted for colonies, so they are of great value.

Not a fan of the Turkish currency design, he says that international collectors are not interested in Turkish money. “Design is important for money,” Işıkoğlu says. He prefers money with a thematic and aesthetic look. Since it is regarded as a tool for trade, the design of money is often treated as less than a priority.  Turkey should immediately put plastic coins into circulation, he urges. The cost of plastic coins is higher than that of paper, but the rate of wear and tear is low. Unlike banknotes, plastic currencies are washable. About 42 countries are using plastic coins now, says the collector; a lot of expense could be saved with this, even the cost of workers in the Central Bank Mint could be minimized.
  
COINS MARKING THE LAST CENTURY OF THE OTTOMANS
 Since the foundation of the Republic of Turkey, Turkish currency has gone through eight issues. Işıkoğlu said all of them, except for the first and fifth, were minted in abundance due to inflation and therefore their worth is low. First and fifth-issue coins or banknotes from the Republic period are presumed to be part of the Eczacıbaşı collection and of the collection belonging to famous Turkish singer, the late Zeki Müren.
Işıkoğlu's collection has coins and banknotes from the last six Ottoman sultans, Abdülmecid, Abdülaziz, V. Murat, II. Abdülhamit, Sultan Reşat and Vahdettin. These pieces are the most attractive items in both design and quality. A legal permit is required to own a collection of older Ottoman money. Işıkoğlu can easily ascertain if a “mecidiye”, the coin of the Ottoman era, is fake or original. A mecidiye is 24 grams, he adds, but the coin could weigh less because of wear and tear; it could weigh 0.1 or 0.01 percent less. A fake mecidiye is heavier. The biggest problem with preserving coins is oxidation, which is only prevented through a process of vacuuming.
Britain and France minted money for 62 colonies. For an island with the population of 3,000-5,000, the lower quantity makes the collection is valuable. The French banknote made of brass and paper during the colonial era is a work of art, says numismatist Işıkoğlu, adding that these pieces are made of 40 percent brass. Turkish customers usually prefer Ottoman coins or banknotes, but foreigners are interested in currencies from all over the world.
  
A TINY STORE COVEED IN MONEY
 Işıkoğlu began collecting money when he was six. He took his first step as a collector by purchasing old coins with his allowance. The first piece in his collection is an old German mark. Intrigued by European coins early in life, Işıkoğlu developed an interest in paper money later. Though a miserably poor student by his own admission, he put all of his money into obtaining currencies of 200 countries.
Never traveling outside Turkey, Işıkoğlu bought books and learned English. He is interested in the political and economic states of the countries with currencies he collects. Işıkoğlu follows economic developments closely. His published books are “Ottoman Coins Minted in Egypt” and “Ottoman Coins of the Last Six Sultans Minted in Istanbul”.

Işıkoğlu has never considered selling his collection no matter how broke he is. In a four-by-four meter store located in the Kapalıçarşı (Grand Bazaar) in Istanbul, Işıkoğlu earns his living from his hobby, buying and selling currencies. In “Işıkoğlu Numizmatik,” banknotes and coins occupy every display surface and showcase.

EU-FUNDED PROJECT INTRODUCES MALATYA APRICOTS TO WORLD

Malatya, the ''apricot capital'' of Turkey is, of course, famous for its apricots. Soon they will be introduced to the world thanks to a European Union funded project initiated by two graduate students through which books, CDs and brochures promoting Malatya's apricot orchards will be sent to Europe, Africa, Asia, Australia and America.

Speaking at a press conference held in Malatya last week, Yusuf Vural, the man behind this venture said the project was a joint effort between himself and his friend Ruziye Tali upon the request of the Malatya governor Halil Ibrahim Dasoz.
“Promoting Malatya Apricot as a Brand” came to life as a result of a 68,000 euros financial fund by the EU, Vural said, “Our project aimed to promote the famous Malatya apricots both in Europe and around the world, providing information on its benefits, types, production, and by-products. We want to expand the existing market abroad. We thus prepared a promotional Web site, a film, a booklet, CDs and brochures in six different languages.”
The prepared materials will be sent to 310 different places in Europe, 20  in Australia, 20 countries in Africa, 30 countries in Asia as well as 220 addresses in 10 countries in North America and 20 countries in South America. The Chamber of commerce, industrial associations, export associations and agriculture-related universities in 126 countries will also receive the materials. The project is expected to be finalized within 12 months with the support of the Malatya Apricot Foundation and the Malatya Chamber of Commerce.  

ABOUT MALATYA APRICOT
 While apricots are grown in many countries, a very special variety is grown in the Malatya region, the ''apricot capital'' of Turkey. in About 50 percent of fresh apricot production and 95 percent of dried apricot production in Turkey, the world's leading apricot producer, is provided from Malatya.  After having been brought from its homeland in Turkestan in Central Asia and Western China, it reached its most delicious and sophisticated form in the fertile soil of Malatya, nourished from the alluvial soil of tributaries of  Mesopotamia.  Overall, about 10-15 % of the worldwide crop of fresh apricots, and about 65-80 % of the worldwide production of dried apricots belong to Malatya. Malatya apricots are often sun-dried by family-run orchards following traditional methods, and collected and shipped throughout the world.

KOREAN ARTISTS TO PERFORM IN ITANBUL AND ANKARA

A series of dance and theater-related activities have been scheduled both in South Korea and Turkey, including Ankara and Istanbul to mark the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Turkey and South Korea.  State Theaters General Director Lemi Bilgin and South Korean Ambassador Chang Yeob Kim held a press conference last week to promote the events. Both Bilgin and Kim emphasized the importance of culture in developing mutual relations between Turkey and South Korea.
In recognition of the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Turkey and South Korea, the Korean National Dance Troupe will perform the dance show “Korean Dream” in Istanbul on Oct. 15 at the Istanbul Atatürk Culture Center as well as in Ankara on Oct. 18 at the Çayyolu Theater.   “I hope that the activities will help the two countries' people get to know each other more closely,” said Kim. “Turkey and Korea have deep historical ties and same roots. The dance performance to be held by the Korean artists in Turkey reflects Korean culture. The performance actually revealed a common culture coming from our ancestors in this respect,” he said.

Bilgin said culture was the most effective and easy means of developing diplomatic relations between the two countries and that the “Korean Dream” incorporated both theater and dance, an important element in Korean culture. “The Korean National Dance Troupe is a well-appreciated dance group worldwide. I hope that the Turkish audiences will also like it,” said Bilgin. The 38-member troupe consists of the most talented dancers in Korea and has so far displayed over 600 performances in 60 countries, promoting Korean culture to the world. The State Theaters meanwhile will perform Oscar Wilde's play “Salome” in Seoul on Oct. 10-11.    

FIRST MONEY IN HUMAN HISTORY WORTH 200,000 EUROS

The first coin to be minted in Ephesus during ancient times was set to go on auction in Munich's “Gorny & Mosch” Art Gallery Monday. But after daily newspaper Hürriyet published an article that the coins, which were minted in 625- 600 B.C. in Ephesus were stolen, the office of the public prosecutor in Munich began an investigation.

Bidding for the ancient coins was going to start at 200,000 euros although the coins have a priceless history. The coins have a figure of a deer on it. Above the figure of the deer there is a name “Phanes.” It is the name of the person who minted the coins. Besides the deer symbolizes the “nobility badge” of Phanes. According to some historians the deer symbolizes the wealth and power of Phanes.

There are nine samples of the coin in Gorny & Mosch Art Gallery's catalog. It is considered the first example of money in the history of the world. There were 533 other gold coins at the auction and some of them belong to the Seljuk Empire and Ottoman Empire. The coins are worth around 150-250 euros each. Turkish Culture and Tourism Ministry instructed all museums to recheck their inventories because it is a crime to smuggle the coins out of Turkey.

SUREYYA PASA BUILDING REBORN AS OPERA HALL

The Süreyya Paşa building constructed in 1924 in Istanbul's Asian district of Kadıköy on Bahariye Avenue by parliamentarian Süreyya İlmen (a.k.a. Süreyya Pasha) – who was inspired by opera halls in Europe – which has always served as a movie theater, will start functioning as an opera hall after 80 years.
 Kadıköy Mayor Selami Öztürk said that following suggestions to use the building as an opera venue, they started talks with the Darüşşafaka Association, to whom İlmen had donated the building, and added that the Kadıköy Municipality rented the building for 49 years and started restoration in 2006. Öztürk said architects and engineers were involved in the two-year long restoration process, and every detail had been restored to its original shape.

OPERA BUILDINGS ARE FEW IN TURKEY

Öztürk said the number of opera buildings is very low in Turkey and that opera and ballet performances took place in a few buildings in Ankara and the Atatürk Culture Center in Istanbul. “Süreyya Opera will be the first opera hall on the Anatolian side. I believe that it will make great contribution to contemporary Kadıköy and Istanbul, which is preparing to become European capital of culture in 2010,” he said.
 Saying that the Istanbul State Opera and Ballet and the Istanbul State Theater had requested to use the building, Öztürk said they presented it to the Istanbul State Opera and Ballet to use. He said the Opera and Ballet would perform in the 565-person capacity Süreyya for three to four days a week. “This is a great opportunity for us. National and international musicals and plays will be performed here,” he said.
  Öztürk said there was a 500-person ballroom on the top floor of Süreyya, and added, “this hall is multifunctional. Balls can be organized and painting exhibitions can be held. Bahariye Avenue will also be reorganized to deserve such a building. Art lovers who, have never come to Kadıköy, will come. Many hotels are under construction in Kadıköy. People will come to watch opera, stay in these hotels and shop. In this way they will contribute to domestic tourism and art.”   Öztürk said Süreyya Opera will open on the night of Oct. 27 with Ahmet Adnan Saygun's “Yunus Emre Oratorio” and the performance will be repeated on the second day.

SAMPLING ISTANBUL ‘S LATEST SHOPPING
Turkey has never seen the likes of İstinyePark and in fact, few other countries have: The building rises from the ground like a delectable mushroom waiting to be picked and savored and the architects used their experience and creativity to produce a shopping center that one might have expected to see in southern California or Florida.
 Just imagine a shopping center stretching 270,000 square meters, 87,000 square meters of which are shops selling everything you could possibly need or want. Restaurants, 12 cinemas, 41 brand names that are not to be found anywhere else in Turkey, 147 dress designer shops and approximately 300 stores, many of them brand names, have opened.  There is a residential area as part of the entire complex but that is for another day. Although almost all of the apartments have been sold, there is still time to buy one.
 Transportation to İstinyePark is quite easy with regular bus service, the nearby metro and plenty of parking spaces. The shopping center is located above the village of İstinye which was known in ancient times. Here Jason of the Argonauts built a temple where the Greek Orthodox Mikhailaion Church was to be constructed later. As it is located on a bay that offers excellent anchorage, the village became a fishing center. In addition, it was well known for its fish and fruit orchards on the hills. Long centuries afterwards in the modern era, it became a playground for the wealthy and well-connected who built summer homes along the shore while the wooded slopes above continue to keep the upper ridge on the European side of the Bosporus green.
The architect firm that won the design project was the Development Design Group, Inc., a group headquartered in Baltimore, Maryland and the recipient of more than 75 awards for their experience and creative work. The group is famous for its shopping centers, hotel and resort facilities, retail and entertainment concepts, town and leisure centers, office and residential designs and so forth. Ömerler Architects were the local company hired to realize the project with Ömer Somer the architect and Sarper Ünlü the project manager. Ömerler has significant experience in building shopping centers and housing projects.
  If the Development Design Group can be said to have a motto, it would be that it works for the best use of a property. In this case, the property belongs to Doğuş Holding and the Orjin Group financed the project. It finally and officially opened this past month. It is estimated that the project cost 250 million dollars. Doğuş Holding is one of Turkey's three largest holding groups and its interests lie in finance, automotives, construction, tourism and media. Founded in 1951, the company now has revenue that is well into the billions of dollars. The Orjin Group is a leading manufacturer and exporter of leather goods.

ENJOYING ISTINYE PARK

First impressions are of a shopping center unlike any other. The central dome and the lighting are unique for Turkey and the space given over to the “shopping street” allows one to easily move around. Except this wasn't true during the period leading up to the Ramadan holiday. The shopping center was filled with clearly well-to-do customers, most likely from the surrounding area where many wealthy people live. That doesn't mean that less well-to-do people can't afford a look in. And having everything under one roof cuts down on the amount of time one has to spend going from place to place.

A visitor could spend the whole day there eating at one of the more than 40 restaurants that serve local and international cuisine. If looking for jeans from Armani or shoes from Gucci, then İstinyePark is the place to go. You could also take advantage of the Hillside City Club, a spa and an indoor and outdoor pool. You can also stop by a three-dimensional film theater, or even one of the 11 other cinema salons.

Walking in the front entrance, visitors find clothing, cosmetics and many more items. There is one floor above the main level and two below. Take the escalator up and you find yourself in “Nişantaşı” where you'll find such famous names as Café Armani and Vakko. Go down one flight from the main floor and you'll find yourself on a shopping corridor. Go down a second flight and there you'll find the Malatya Pazar with its fish sellers, fruit and vegetable sellers and the like under the open sky while electronic goods are sold in the covered portion.

If one can draw a comparison with other shopping centers in Istanbul, then it is the open areas and the covered spaces. None of the others have such alternate spaces, just as none of the other shopping centers can boast so many world famous brand names.   So try İstinyePark next time!

KOÇ TO RECEIVE THE HADRIAN AWARD

An award promoting the protection of world heritage arts and architecture, the Hadrian Award went to Rahmi M. Koç, Semahat Arsel and the Koç family this year. The Koç family is one of the big industrial conglomerates in Turkey. The World Monuments Fund (WMF) presents the award every year and they prefer to give it to international leaders.

Koç will receive the award on Friday in New York. The Hadrian Award was given to Carlo De Benedetti, David Rockefeller, His Highness The Aga Khan, Lord Rothschild, Prince Charles, Paul Mellon before. The World Monument Fund is a nonprofit organization, has been aiming to preserve historic architecture and sites around the world since 1965 and works in 80 different countries.  The World Monument Fund has its headquarters in New York City, and offices in London, Madrid, Paris and Lisbon.

DADASKOY ,LAND OF THE RISING REUNION

The people of Dadaşköy in Erzurum province, 900 kilometers east of the capital Ankara, are very happy these days after hearing the news that members of a one million strong clan in Japan believe their ancestors came from the region and are expected to visit the area. The children of Dadaşköy, who tried to make their eyes look slanty, say they are always happy to host their Japanese guests.
A professor at Erzurum Atatürk University's Kazım Karabekir Education Faculty, Yavuz Konca, who is also a professional tour guide, said discussions on the details of the location of Kan, from where Oomoto clan in Japan believe their ancestors came from, began in the spring of 2000.
According to the clan, their founder Onisaburo Deguchi had a dream about Kan and its location. Deguchi lived in the 17th century. Konca said the senior clan members had asked him if there was a place called Kan or Man in the region. He explained to the clan members that the present Dadaşköy was called Kan in the past.
 “According to the dream, this place was situated near a mountain and had a river passing through it. There were a lot of similarities between Kan in the dream and Dadaşköy. The same people came in 2003 and asked me to go to Japan to brief other clan members. I went to Japan in 2004 and told them about the 6000-year history of Erzurum,” Konca said.
Konca said the traditional garments of Dadaşköy and the Oomoto clan were very similar. “The practice of arranged marriages when babies are born is popular both in Dadaşköy and among the clan,” he said. Konca said both groups eat sitting on the floor, take off their shoes before going into their homes and place their quilts in special cupboards. “The belief of this clan is very important for Erzurum's tourism. We need to promote the region more in Japan. If we do, tens of thousands of Japanese will come here very year,” he said.
  
DADASKOY PREPARES FOR LONG-LOST RELATIVES :
Dadaşköy's Mayor Güven Gülüm from the Justice and Development Party (AKP) said he was in regular contact with the current clan leader Kurenai Deguchi by e-mail and had invited her to the region. “We expect hundreds of clan members to come for the 2011 Universiade Winter Games. The clan members, most of whom live in Kyoto, and Konca are working to ensure the two cities are declared sister cities. Japanese can come here and investigate the his toric artifacts left behind by their ancestors,” he said.

The mayor also said they will repair two old houses suitable to the Japanese lifestyle to provide accommodation for any visitors. “Our region that is believed to be holy by the clan will get a boost,” he said. In Dadaşköy, the elderly say there might be some truth to the beliefs of the clan, while the youth are positive in terms of tourism income.

SPAS JOIN THE TURKISH BATH IN THE LAND OF HAMAM

With the summer season evaporating into crisp fall air and busy schedules in full throttle, the idea of getting away to relax may feel as far away as the moon. The centuries-old tradition of the Turkish bath joins forces with the newest trends in spa treatments to provide a remedy for urbanites suffering from the stress of the 21st century: deep relaxation and pampering for mind, body and soul in the center of Istanbul.
 “Visiting a spa should not be a luxury,” says Lara Otru, marketing manager of Istanbul's Ritz-Carlton. She explains that spas are all about pampering and have become a needed accessory for busy lifestyles.  “When you just see it as a luxury, you can always forego it when you're busy.” The the Ritz-Carlton's Ottoman inspired spa, Laveda, is one of the city's many new spa destinations trying to keep up with the demands of both travelers and locals. In fact, Otru says the customers' elaborate preferences that have raised the quality of spas around Turkey.
 “Travelers are quite elaborate. When you think of spas you think of women having facials, but times have changed. Especially the international guests and businessmen, who have traveled a lot and been everywhere,” says Otru. “The epitome of spas is the Far East and [travelers] know it and have experienced them. They are demanding and you always have to have trained professionals and keep up with the trends.” 
  
HAMAM STILL A TOP CHOICE
But by no means have Eastern methods or luxury specialized treatments sidelined Turkey's illustrious hamam. At Les Ottomans, a luxurious boutique hotel that opened in Kuruçeşme in June of 2006 – already voted 10th best hotel in the world by Japanese Vogue Magazine and listed among the best new luxury hotels on Conde Nast Traveller's “2007 Hot List'' – the Caudalie Vinotherapie Spa managers say the Turkish hamam is still visitors' top choice of treatment.
“The most requested treatment is the Turkish traditional hamam bath,” said Lenka Ilgaz, spa manager of Les Ottomans. The treatment at her spa, which uses products exclusively by French cosmetics producer Caudalie Vinotherapi, includes the traditional scrub and full foam massage as well as Merlot Friction (a "mint butter" scrub that shapes and tones) and an ice flakes polish.
“The hamam ritual is preferred by local customers as well because they are used to it and for the foreigners it's extraordinary. They want to receive something they don't have in their country,” she said. Les Ottomans therapists recommend a 30-minute hamam scrub before any oil treatment (massage) because it opens pores and removes dead skin cells.
But Les Ottomans is not the only spa with a Turkish hamam. The Ritz Carlton, the Hyatt Regency as well as others have traditional hamams in their spa facilities to combine with other methods and treatments.  Turkey has a spa experience that no other country can duplicate and has been doing it the same way for centuries. Many visitors and tourists put it on their “must-do list”. Umit Kara, a spa consultant who has been in the business in Turkey since 1998 working with top-name spas and resorts, says this is one of the greatest assets of Turkey in the international spa market. “In Turkey we have the traditional hamam and the best thing we can do is hamam,” says Kara. He explains however that Turkish spas are often just trying to copy Asian ones.
 “You can find all [Asian] treatments in Turkey, but I think it's better to get a Balinese massage from a Balinese therapist... in Turkey therapists don't have this kind of education,” he says. At the LifeCo, a wellness center with a day spa in Kuruçeşme opening a 1,250 square meter spa in Akatlar next month, the TDN found Balinese massage therapists. Other spas around town also have foreigners who specialize in spa management or certain methodologies on staff.
  
FINDING HEALING HANDS
 Ergül Ünal, spa manager of Hyatt's newly remodeled Gaia, says that the secret to any good spa is not the luxury, but the people who work there. She welcomes her guests and with her therapists she guides them through the process of relaxation and healing.   “You don't have to invest millions of dollars for a spa, but invest in a good therapist. It is her hands at the end of the day that will make the difference,” says Ünal.
Trained in Australia she says that spa work is one of the biggest service industries in the world and that Asians do it best. “Whatever they do they bring service to it.” The key to a good spa lies in the philosophy of healing. “As a therapist you are treating people spiritually, physically and mentally. It's balancing people's body to feel better and stress-free. This is the mission for a therapist: For you to give you need to have it in you.” She recommends finding a spa with therapists whose hands are trustworthy. 

CHOOSING A THERAPY
The range of therapies and packages available at the spas in town is overwhelming, and enough to please any taste or need. Most offer annual club memberships, so that regulars can enjoy the benefits of the services at reduced prices year round.  Spa managers who spoke to the TDN, pointed out that there are two kinds of beauty: inner and outer. The two have to go hand in hand in order for any treatment to be effective. This means that going to the spa should be incorporated into a healthy lifestyle that includes a balanced and nutritious diet and a workout plan.
Before you choose a spa, whether it is just for one treatment or a membership, you can visit some and get a tour of the facilities and get a menu of their offerings. Most will also email you a list of services they provide, while spa managers are always available to chat on the phone about personal needs or answer questions.  Apart from the services, each one carries exclusively specialized skin-care products and combining them to create unique treatments. The Ritz Carlton's Laveda uses Sodashi products – among others– and has a whole line of treatments based on the product line. One of the pampering treatments at Laveda is a line of body wraps using coffee or chocolate for example. The Hyatt Regency uses L'Occitane and other specialized products.
For first-time spa goers we recommend choosing one of the discounted packages offered at most establishments. These allow you to experience two or three treatments over a 2.5-3 hour period, and to become familiar with the spa's offerings and therapists. At the Hyatt's we recommend any of the Gaia journeys. The Gaia Hydrate treatment lasts three hours and includes a Turkish Hamam body scrub, a Mediterranean Aromasoul Massage (a ritual based on fluid relaxing strokes along the curves of the body) and a deep hydration facial..At Les Ottomans and the Ritz-Carlton couples can escape together in private treatment rooms with Jacuzzis, while enjoying packages for two.
  
A BOOMING INDUSTRY
 This November alone two spas will re-open their doors in Istanbul. The LifeCo, a holistic healthy living spa, will be opening in Akatlar, while the Swisshotel will complete its renovations, to join the host of spa centers sprouting up around Istanbul.   “Especially in Istanbul there are a lot of new projects concerning spas,” says Kara. “All these fitness centers are putting in small or big spas because the clients are asking for them.”

SANITAS PER AQUAM :HEALING THROUGH WATER
With roots and a history in Turkey from thermal springs to the Turkish bath, the industry has exploded in the last few years, he says. Ilgaz of Les Ottomans says that the medical healing part of the industry is the focus mostly in resort towns and cities along the Aegean coast. Denizli, for example, two hours east of Izmir, is famous for its thermal springs. Some believe that spa is a “backronym” (an acronym in hindsight) for Sanitas Per Aquam, Latin for healing through water.
“It is true that that the spa business is booming in Turkey, and especially in Antalya. The new resort hotels always include a spa whether it is small or big,” says Kara. “In Istanbul, Izmir and Ankara they are also growing. But most of the spas in Turkey are not run like a real spa (that uses the natural healing elements of mineral waters) they are like massage and beauty centers.”
Kara, a purist in his approach, says people need to become better informed about the services provided in spas and the difference, say, between a good massage and a bad massage. He agrees however that the spa boom, is just an indication of how great Turkey's demand and potential as a destination is and how the industry is rushing to fulfill it. “People in Turkey are hungry for good spas,” he said and stressed that more education for Turks in the Spa service industry is necessary.
“We have guests who choose to come to our hotel because we have a fully equipped spa,” says the Ritz-Carlton's Otru. “They have a fitness program they have to follow… We have to provide what they need and they have expectations so we have to keep up with them and even go beyond their expectations.” She explains that this means keeping in stock the best natural products and maintaining a range in terms of treatments while keeping up with trends. I really believe in the future of the spa industry. It will be considered a necessity,” says Otru.  “And we have it. We have the spa tradition in Turkey. All we have to do is elaborate on it.”

FIRST TIME TREATMENT FOR A SPA NOVICE
Turn off your cell phone, forget about work, center your mind, take deep breaths and get ready to float into another world for a few hours in the heart of Istanbul. Who said that you have to go to the Far East to rejuvenate your body and spirit? From the sea of choices in Istanbul, I chose the Hyatt Regency's newly remodeled Gaia spa a five-minute walk from Taksim and from my home. The idea of escaping in my own neighborhood was exciting.
Having lived in Turkey for four years, I was no stranger to the Hamam experience. For my assignment, however, to have a full spa experience, I decided to stay away from the Turkish experience and get a taste instead of a package that was more specialized, and let's say “exotic”.   
    
   

I was welcomed by the spa manager who gave me a tour of the facilities that really prove that less is more. In the women's section of the spa, I was given my locker key and instructions on how to maximize the next three hours in the spa. Gaia provided me with slippers, a bathrobe, a Peştemal (which can be used as a wrap or towel) for the sauna and steam room, and disposable underwear.
 It's best to arrive 30 minutes before your treatment session and to enter the frame of mind needed for deep relaxation. Ünal suggests sitting in the steam room and then in the sauna for five minutes each, for two warm up sessions before treatment. Both of the rooms in the Hyatt are infused with menthol to help relax the muscles, open up the pores and facilitate deep breathing.
But I found that one thing would prevent me from full relaxation: my mind, which kept racing back to work. During this time the biggest challenge is to discipline your mind and let go of anxieties, worries and to-do lists to fully enjoy the spa experience. As the sauna/steam sessions came to a close, I finally started to unwind.
After 20 minutes of steam, sauna and a tall glass of water, I moved into the relaxation room in my bathrobe. There, on a recliner I rested and prepared for deep relaxation. The trickling fountain, discreet soothing music, changing chromotherapy – color therapy – lights on the ceiling and the warm orange tea engaged, as intended, each of my five senses.  After two cups of tea, my therapist, Pınar, guided me to my treatment room, with its own shower, where I would camp out for the next three hours. Pınar left the room while I settled onto the massage table face down.
My Gaia Embrace package was customized and started with a Bindi exfoliation – lavender pieces in almond oil are crushed on your body while it is massaged, removing the dead skin cells, revealing vitality and restoring calm as the lavender scent is released. About five minutes into my first treatment, while transfixed on the flower below my table and taking deep breaths as Ünal had instructed, I felt a deep release and found myself fighting back tears. Ünal later told me that this is a common reaction during massages.

The Bindi exfoliation lasted 45 minutes. Of course you don't have to talk to your therapist, but if you are enjoying the treatment and a moan or grunt escapes your lips, it will be welcomed as a sign that your therapist's hands are working magic. My session included a one-hour Indian Aromasoul massage that opens up lymphatic glands, and ended with a forty-five minute hydration facial, during which I dozed off. The verdict? I don't know why no one told me about the glory of spa treatments before. I'm spreading the word and booking my next one as soon as I can spare the cash and three hours.

TULIP BAHCESEHIR TO BE BUILT BY KEN YOUNG

The first Turkish construction investment firm with foreign partners to win a state tender has come up with a compromise for well-to-do urban dwellers seeking a little oxygen with their cosmopolitan comforts: shared green spaces nestled into the building. Tulip Real Estate was established in 2006, is comprised of four partners: two Dutch, one English and one Turkish. The Dutch are represented by Panagro and Van Herk Groep Holland, the English by CGR Construction (MENA) and the Turkish by Özgür İnşaat Sanayi A.Ş.
According to Atalay Kocatepe, member of the executive board of Tulip Real Estate, the project comprised of 12 buildings each with 16 stories will be based on a 117,000 square meter property. He says that Ken Yeang, who designed the building's innovative garden terraces and rooftops, will guide the Tulip Bahçeşehir project in Ispartakule. “We had to come up with a different concept and therefore, decided to conduct a project agreement with Ken Yeang,” he says.
Kocatepe says that according to Yeang, the rooftops count as living space and that buildings have not four but five fronts. He says that the roof gardens and green spaces between apartment stories will be shared spaces for the residents. The Tulip Bahçeşehir project will include a swimming pool, a sports facility and an ice skating rink. “Apartments will be available in various sizes like 112-150 square meter apartments with one living room and one bedroom, 150-180 square meter apartments with two bedrooms and one living room, 180-300 square meter apartments with three or four bedrooms and one living room,” he says. He says garden and roof duplex prices per square meter will be $1500-$2000.

NOAH’S ARK REPLICA BUILT IN HONG KONG

A group of people living in Hong Kong, China, who believe that Noah's Ark came to rest on Mount Ararat (Ağrı) in eastern Turkey have started building wooden a replica of the ark that will be used as a museum. Ağrı Culture and Tourism director, Muhsin Bulut, said the group dug up a tufa stone from a cave at an altitude of 4,000 meters on Mount Ararat during a research project. Bulut said that the remains of a tree were found in the tufa stone examined at the University of Hong Kong, and added that this discovery supports their belief that Noah's Ark came to rest on Mount Ararat. As a result, the team decided to build a replica of Noah's Ark in Hong Kong, said Bulut: “That is why the group has organized a symposium titled ‘Noah's Ark on the Mount Ararat' in Hong Kong and I attended this symposium, too.”

Construction of the replica is already underway. “The wooden replica is planned to be completed in February 2008. It will be used as a museum. The same replica will also be built in Doğubayazit district of Ağrı,” said Bulut.  Bulut said a committee from Hong Kong would come to the region in two months in order to determine a place to build the replica. He added the replica is expected to improve faith tourism in Ağrı and contribute significantly to the economy of both the region and the country.

THY RECEIVES AWARD FROM WAEA

Turkish Airlines (THY) was ranked 2nd runner up in inflight entertainment (IFE) at the 19th Annual Avion Awards presented by the Word Airline Entertainment Association (WAEA).In a statement THY said the company was ranked the 2nd runner up in the "Best in Region/Europe" category for excellence in IFE. THY was ranked 2nd runner up behind the winner of the category, British Airways, and the 1st runner up, Swiss International Airlines. According to a press release issued on the WAEA website, "the winners were selected by more than 36,000 world wide airline passengers surveyed by SKYTRAX --an airline passenger opinion studies company-- about their inflight entertainment experiences

MEDITERRANEAN’S LARGEST MALL TO OPEN

The Mediterranean basin's largest shopping mall, Forum Mersin, is to open on Oct. 29 in the southern Turkish city of Mersin In a statement released by the Dutch-Turkish joint company that built the mall, Multi Türkmall, the mall exhibits elements of Mediterranean architecture and occupies 66,000 square meters of land. The mall has three covered and two open floors.

There will be 200 stores, including Migros, Koçtaş, Media Markt, eight movie theaters, restaurants and entertainment centers and a 2,000-car parking lot. Multi Turkmall CEO Levent Eyüpoğlu said they were very glad to introduce the Mediter-ranean's largest mall, which also expects to attract people from Syria. He said the mall will create 2,500 jobs and contribute to the region's tourism and trade

GIRESUN ISLAND TO BE PUT ON TOURIST MAP

Projects will be initiated to put Giresun Island, which is a small island in the southeastern part of the Black Sea and has good tourism potential, on the tourist map, Giresun Governor Mustafa Taşkesen said. Turkish tourism has not managed to make use of Giresun Island, the only island where life survives in the eastern Black Sea, Taşkesen told the Anatolia news agency. He said the island has great tourism value in the region, and added, “we will initiate projects to make this island a tourist destination
He noted that the first project was the restoration of historic artifacts on the island, and said, “the island that has been declared as an archaeological site has a monastery, an observation tower, an oven, huge wine casks and historic remains of a city wall. They have been waiting for restoration for many years. These historic and cultural values should survive to be able to put the island on the tourist map. We are holding talks with relevant organizations and restoration work will start soon on the island.”

GIRESUN ISLAND TO INCREASE VALUE OF TURKISH TOURISM
Taşkesen emphasized the natural beauty of the island and said, “after the completion of restoration work, we will solve the problem of water and electricity on the island. Transportation is a very important problem, too. We will build a port or a cable car to solve it. This is a high-cost project and talks are still continuing. When all these are completed, we believe that Giresun Island will be the rising star of Turkish tourism.” Taşkesen added that the island was also a natural breeding ground for sea birds particularly cormorants and seagulls.

TARSUS PREPARES FOR SAINT PAUL YEAR

Pope Benedict has declared 2008 the year of Saint Paul and so preparations gained speed in Mersin's Tarsus district, Saint Paul's birthplace, and an area recognized as a place of pilgrimage by the Vatican.
Tarsus District Administrator Abdulhamit Erguvan said 2008 was an important year for the city to gain recognition around the world and was happy that Pope Benedict would mention Tarsus as the birthplace of Saint Paul in his speeches during ceremonies. He said many tourists would participate in the activities that will be held throughout the year. “You cannot make such a an effective promotion even if you spend $100 million. There is no well-arranged hotel in the city for tourists to accommodate. That is why activities will not bring high economic yield. Our goal is to make tourists pleased and invest in the future of the city,” he said. 

Tarsus Trade and Industry Chamber Chairman Mehmet Karagözlü said despite Tarsus having an ancient structure, the lack of basic facilities caused problems. He also mentioned the lack of hotels in the city and said: “The plans include opening some old Tarsus houses which have been restored, as boutique hotels, but we have not started working yet. We seek support from the Ministry of Culture and Tourism. The year of Saint Paul year is a very good opportunity for us and our main goal is to create a good image.”

IZMIR TO PROMOTE TURKEY TOURISM

Tour operators, agencies and guides from all over the world will meet in İzmir at “Travel Turkey Fair İzmir” to be held from Dec. 13-16.    The fair will be held at the İzmir Fair Area with the cooperation of İzmir Fair Services, Culture and Art Affairs Trade Inc. (İZFAŞ),Turkish Association of Travel Agents (TÜRSAB) and German company Hannover Messe. The fair is being held to promote Turkey's historic places, tourist attractions and cultural texture. Saying that İzmir has started to become a brand, İZFAŞ general manager, Doğan İşleyen, said it will keep growing via Travel Turkey.
İşleyen said professionals from many branches of the tourism sector will hold conferences and panels within the scope of the fair's activity programs. Saying that the fair's partner country will be Greece, İşleyen said the theme is “culture tourism.”“Our partners TÜRSAB and Hannover Messe have conducted promotion studies in Syria, Egypt, Tunisia, Morocco, Croatia, Greece and Jordan. There is also a large contribution from Malaysia and the Maldives as well as Greece and Syria. Companies from Switzerland, Egypt, Jordan, Morocco and Tunisia are going to come to İzmir.

I believe that the contribution will grow in October,” said İşleyen. İşleyen also said Greece will present unique examples from its cuisine. “We will serve unique tastes from Aegean cuisine as well. We will have small promotions for international guests that will remind them of us,” he said. He added the guest tour operators, agency managers and owners and tourist guides will be taken to Kemeraltı where the synagogues, churches and mosques are located alongside each other. The activity program also includes visits to Agora, Smyrna excavations, Kadifekale, İzmir Archaeology Museum and İzmir Ethnography Museum. The ancient city of Ephesus, the House of Virgin Mary, Kuşadası and Bergama will also be visited. “The guests that we will host here can also prove very helpful for İzmir's EXPO 2015 candidacy bid,” said İşleyen. 

RUMI IN LONDON

London played host to a Rumi event within the framework of what has been declared by the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) as the ''2007 Year of Mevlana.''  On the night of the opening ceremony, Oct. 6, there was a video screening on Turkey. Following a brief keynote speech by Professor Mahmud Erol Kılıç, whirling dervishes put on a performance. An exhibition about Rumi was launched and photos from an exhibition in Istanbul's Hagia Sophia, which were displayed from July to August, were put on display for visitors. The exhibition, "Mevlana and Mevlevilik," will visit other cities as well.
The Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism supported the event.   Turkey's Ambassador to London Yiğit Alpogan and his wife, Undersecretary Atılay Ersan from the Embassy and Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus' Representative to London Dilek Yavuz Yanık were among the guests.   The events will later head to Spain, Chili, Singapore, Indonesia, Switzerland, Germany and Syria.

During the night, bags full of Rumi souvenirs were handed out to guests. Among CD's, pencils, notebooks and booklets, there was a book titled “Fundamentals of Rumi's Thought,” written by Fethullah Gülen. The book was published in New Jersey.  A conference on Rumi was held Nov. 6 in the Cadogan Hall in Chelsea. The hall, designed by well known architect Robert Fellowes Chisholm as a Christian Science Church is characterized by its Byzantine architecture and hosts many concerts.  

TURKEY TO BE PROMOTED ON GERMAN TELEVISION

German travel agency “Mein-Reisespezialist” will promote Turkey and Turkish hotels on German television stations with three-minute advertisement videos. Europe-Turkey Tourism Business Council Chairman Hüseyin Baraner said 46 million people will watch the advertisements that will air on local TV stations in different provinces of the country. He said Turkey will earn a very important promotion opportunity thanks to those advertisements.
 Baraner said in the first program shot in Antalya, Miss Germany Daniela Dornröse and well-known German announcer Julia Josten will be onscreen, and added, “it will be aired on all local TV stations in Germany. Videos on Turkey will increase tourism sales and have a positive impact on Turkey's image in Germany,” Baraner said. Saying that Turkey's promotion will turn into a visual feast, Baraner added, “it will be the biggest Turkey campaign that has been carried out so far.” He said they expected high demand for visiting Turkey in Germany during

 The following German TV stations will air videos on Turkey:   Hamburg 1, Rhein-Main-TV, Funkhaus Freiburg, Saar TV, WM.tv, Antenne West, Center TV Düsseldorf, TV Potsdam, Schwerin TV, SBK (Brandenburg), Dresden Fernsehen, K28 (Thüringen), MDF 1 Magdeburg, Plus TV Erfurt, Plus TV Sömmerda, Punkt-um-Fernsehen (Sachsen-Anhalt), RBW Sachsen-Anhalt, TV Halle, salon.Tv (POS-Fernsehen), iMusic TV, Zeff TV, Vogtland TV, Uecker Randow TV, Ruppiner Medien, Bad Berka TV, tv.plus Ostthüringen, Greifswald TV, TechniTipp TV, München 2, RTL München Live, München TV, TV Oberfranken, Oberpfalz TV, Donau TV, TRP 1 (Passau), TV Augsburg, RF Oberbayern, TVA Regensburg, RF Landshut, Franken TV, RNF plus, Sonneberger RF (Thüringen), Werra TV (Thüringen), TV Südthüringen, Regionalfernsehen Harz, Leipzig Fernsehen, Television Zwickau, NEC TV, Rhein Erft TV (Trier/Eifel) and Shift TV (Internetsender).

OC TOURISM TO OPEN CITY HOTELS

After having sold Austrian club holiday provider Magic Life to Europe's leading travel group TUI, President of OC Tourism Services Inc., Oğuz Serim, has withdrawn from mass tourism and is expanding his ventures in the city hotel business sector by taking over Sudi Özkan's Princess Hotel in Maslak three months ago and running it under the brand name Sheraton. He has opened his second city hotel in Kayseri.
Serim said his goal is not to create a brand name. “There are many hotel chains in the world serving as city hotels. It is more advantageous to work with these chains rather than create a new brand. We worked for 16 years to make Magic Life a brand. But I don't want to work for brand or mass tourism from now on,” he said. Following the hotel in Kayseri, Serim plans to open hotels in Anatolian cities and Eastern Bloc countries that have high economic potential.

CAPPADOCIA REGION TO ATTRACT TOURISTS WITH GOLFING FACILITIES

An investment of $40 million will be made to promote golf tourism in Nevşehir's Çat district. Çat Mayor Kamil Duru said all preliminary work regarding the project had been completed, the Anatolia news agency reported.   Noting that the region will become a center of attraction for foreign tourists when the project is completed, he said, “the accommodation duration (of tourists) will expand to four nights with the project.
Foreign tourists who are interested in golf may spend around $1,000 a day. As the Cappadocia region, unfortunately we can't address elite tourists from foreign countries with the existing facilities. The golf sector will contribute to the economy of the whole region and further promote the area to the world.”

He said golf facilities will cover an area of 3,500,000 square meters in which a 534-bed capacity five-star hotel will be built, creating employment for a minimum of 105 people. The hotel is scheduled for completion in 36 months with an investment of $40 million.   “As the municipality we are doing our best for the realization of the project, which is pretty important for the future of our district and region,” said Duru.

MOVENPICK HOTEL ISTANBUL VOTED TURKEY’S LEADING BUSINESS HOTEL

The prestigious World Travel Award was presented to the Mövenpick Hotel Istanbul in Newcastle on Oct. 9, 2007. It is one of the most sought after awards of its kind in the travel and hospitality industry. More than 160,000 travel experts from around the world voted the Swiss international hotel group's flagship hotel in Istanbul as Turkey's leading business hotel
 “This award is a great honor for us, and for the team as a whole it is an acknowledgement of their constant strive for excellence to continually improve and respond to our discerning business travelers' wishes,” said Frank Reichenbach, General Manager of Mövenpick Hotel Istanbul and Regional Manager for Turkey. “And of course the World Travel Awards is also an incentive and motivation for all of us to keep on providing up-to-date business services at the highest levels. Our new Mövenpick Resort Bodrum and Mövenpick Hotel İzmir will follow our example,” he added.
The Mövenpick Hotel Istanbul, which is ideally located in Istanbul's 4th Levent business district, offers guests first-class service. The 249 rooms and suites with their contemporary design are totally adapted to the needs of business travelers: Extra-large desks, Internet access and spacious safes with plenty of space for laptops provide a modern working environment on a floor area of at least 35 square meters, which is also ideal for relaxing and unwinding. The boutique business hotel can also meet every wish with regard to conferences, conventions and banquets, with multifunctional premises and state-of-the-art technical facilities.
 Guests can relax at the hotel's own Health Club that has a fitness center, sauna, whirlpool, indoor pool and massage facilities. Culinary excellence is served at the Restaurant AzzuR, which has become a trendsetter in the vibrant metropolis of Istanbul and has already received a number of awards for its modern Turkish cuising, local ingredients, techniques and combinations in a creative and contemporary manner. Snacks and drinks are available at the BarAdoX and the ever popular Skyline Lounge.

TURKISH HOTELS AMONG THE BEST IN THE WORLD

 Two Turkish hotels have been listed among the world's 10 best hotels, chosen by TUI, the world's largest tour operator. TUI Turkey Product and Contracts Director Melih Yetiş said the world's 100 best hotels were chosen every year through a poll that TUI sends to its millions of customers all over the world. He said alongside the world's 100 best hotels, the world's 10 best hotels are also chosen, and added, “there are two hotels from Antalya among the world's 10 best hotels. They are the Delphin Deluxe Resort and Barut Hotel Lara Resort Spa & Suites. This is a very big success. None of the hotels in our neighboring country Greece, which is one of our considerable rivals in the Mediterranean basin, is among the world's 10 best hotels.”

Yetiş said the customers of TUI had also chosen the world's “most environment-friendly hotel” and said, “Iberotel Sarıgerme Park Hotel was chosen the world's most environment-friendly hotel. It shows the importance that German tourists attach to Turkish hotels.”
 The world's 10 best hotels:
 Seaside Grand Hotel Residencia Gran Canaria (Spain), Villa Chiquita Mallorca (Spain), Delphin Deluxe Resort (Turkey), Hotel Albergaria Dias Madeira (Portugal), Hotel Villa Heine Harz (Austria), Hotel Finca Son Trobat Mallorca (Spain), Travel Charme Hotel Kurhaus Binz Ostsee (Germany), Hotel Lanka Princess (Sri Lanka), Hotel La Residencia des Cascades (Egypt), Barut Hotel Lara Resort Spa & Suites (Turkey).
Turkish hotels that are listed among the world's 100 best hotels are; Barut Hotel Lara Resort Spa & Suites, Barut Hotel & Apartments Cennet, Hotel Melas Resort, Hotel Sunrise Queen Amara Beach, Golden Coast, Cornelia Deluxe, Robinson Club Nobilis, Delphin Deluxe, Delphin Palace, Sheraton Voyager Antalya, Hillside Beach Club and İberotel Sarıgerme Park.

CEYLAN’S NO 1715 :THE BEST SUITE IN TURKEY

The global tourism industry has announced the recipients of the World Travel Awards for 2007, the most prestigious award in the trade. Suite No.1715 at the Ceylan InterContinental Istanbul was voted the “Best Suite in Turkey.”   Nearly 4,000 travel agents around the world cast their votes for these awards.   About 110,000 travel agencies and 167,000 travel professionals were contacted to vote for the best in the sector. The World Travel Awards are “the Oscars of the travel industry,” according to the Wall Street Journal. The award ceremony took place Oct. 9, 2007 and the event's media partner BBC World broadcast the results. Internationally renowned publications such as The Guardian, Time Out, Conde Nast, and Breaking Travel News also published the results of the World Travel Awards.

RUSSIAN TOURISTS CREATE HOPE

Russia, which has had a notable share in the increase of tourism in Turkey, has stirred up optimism in Turkey's tourism sector. In 2008, approximately 3 million people will apply for a passport for the first time in Russia, according to official channels. The number of people acquiring new passports is parallel to the increase in the country's per capita income. Accordingly, Turkish tour operators in Russia have accelerated their promotional activities, expecting to draw at least 1 million new Russians passport holders next year.
In 2007, the Russian Federation and the countries in Commonwealth of Independent States have been among the important markets for Turkey, said Mediterranean Hoteliers' Union Chairman Osman Ayık. In the first eight months of 2007, some 1.37 million tourists came to Turkey from Russia. This figure will exceed 2 million by the end of the year, Ayık said.

MEVLANA MUSEUM EXPECTS RECORD NUMBER OF TOURISTS
Around 1,250,000 visitors has visited the Mevlana Museum in Konya, hometown of the great 13th century Turkish philosopher and poet Mevlana Jelaladdin Rumi, since the beginning of 2007, designated “The Year of Mevlana” by United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).  Speaking to the Anatolia news agency, Naci Bakırcı, Deputy Director of the museum, said there was a 25 percent in the number of tourists since the beginning of 2007 when compared to the last year's figures, which indicated just over a million visitors. 
The museum attracted 1,389,502 domestic and international visitors in 2004 while 1,392,710 in 2005 and 1,267,065 in 2006, according to the information given by Bakırcı, who said although the holiday season ended, the number of tourists wasn't less than 4,000 a day. “The declaration of ‘The Year of Mevlana' has led to a drastic increase in the number of foreign tourists in particular,” he said, adding that they expected the number of tourists to reach 1,750,000 by the end of the year. “Our museum will then reach its record for number of visitors,” he noted.

TRABZON MONASTERY TO BECOME CONTEMPORARY ART CENTER  (FEATURE)

Excavations that have been carried out for one year at the 14th centruy Kızlar (Girls) Monastery in Trabzon's Boztepe neighborhood have ended. According to Trabzon Mayor Volkan Canalıoğlu the municipality has prepared a project to turn the monastery into a contemporary art center. Canalıoğlu said the excavations in the monastery had been carried out collectively with the municipality and Trabzon Museum Directorate.
“We have previously cleaned and opened the monastery to tourism. We have a project to turn it to a contemporary art center. That is why we had to start excavations. With the completion of the excavations, we plan to put this project into effect. Our goal is to highlight that Trabzon is a city of history and art,” he said.Trabzon Museum Director archaeologist Nilgün Yılmazer Salihoğlu said the excavations had started in the graveyard, known as the grave of Metropolit Konstantinos.

GAZIANTEP CASTLE RESTORATION TO BE COMPLETE WITHIN A YEAR  

Restoration works and excavations in and around Gaziantep castle, one of the most well built castles in Turkey located in the center of a historical city, have unearthed two graves, catapults of different size, pots belonging to different eras and terracotta pipes. The excavations have been going on for over 50 years but cannot be completed said the Gaziantep provincial administration.
 The restoration works will continue with a master project of the administration. The General Secretary of the Gaziantep provincial administration, Abdulkadir Demir, told Anatolia News Agency that after this month's bid the restoration will be over in a year and added that the castle will be turned into an open air museum. “The castle is the symbol of the city and we are happy to carry and protect this to the future generations. We are the ones who will finish restora

TURKEY TO CELEBRATE RUMI’S BIRTDAY WITH A GIANT SEMA PERFORMANCE
The Ministry of Culture and Tourism together with Konya's directorate of culture, governor and residents will hold festivities Sept. 30 to celebrate the 800th birthday of famous Anatolian philosopher Mevlana Celaleddin Rumi, tourism and culture Minister Ertuğrul Günay said yesterday.
  Rumi, the 13th century has been commemorated around Turkey and the world with various activities and performances since the beginning of this year which has been declared by the United Nations Educatinal, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) as the ''Year of Mevlana.''
“If UNESCO dedicates a second year to peace advocate Rumi, who had always promoted tolerance and empathy, we might think of this as a message. Our world needs the philosophy of Rumi so we will support this by doing our best to promote tolerance and peace,” Günay said.
“The celebrations to be held on Sept. 30 in Konya will be the greatest of the those done until now around the world. Really new techniques will be used,” he said, adding the celebration will be broadcasted live in eight different countries from 48 different cameras said Demir.
In the commemoration activities, 300 whirling dervishes from international and national Mevlevi (followers of Rumi) Associations will perform Sema performances, which is a religious performance of Melevis, and which is performed by the whirling dervishes. “This will be the first time that 300 dervishes will perform Sema at the same time,” Günay said.

 He also explained that around Turkey, apart from the giant Sema show in Konya, there will be other Sema performances concurrently with the main show. These synchronous performances will be displayed from 33 screens in the stadium in Konya, where the main performance and celebrations will take place.
 For the first time, a cloud show will be presented during the Sema performance and one of the whirling dervishes will start flying up, as if he is reaching his God. This is a symbolic display of the Mevlevi belief that dervishes are a part of God and at some point their souls return to God.
 To prepare the commemoration activities, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism works with celebrities, Günay said. “Respected composer Orhan Şallıel has done a special, precious work and a birth hymn will be performed by a symphony orchestra that consists of 80 musicians,” the minister said. Famous pop group MFÖ members Mazhar Akanson, Fuat Güner and Özkan Uğur and classical music singer Ahmet Özhan will be the soloists of the concert. The celebrations will end with light shows and Koran prayers.

PAUL MEANS TARSUS MEANS TURKEY MEANS …WHAT?

2008 will be the Year of Saint Paul, thanks to the Vatican. The Turkish Daily News reported this on Aug. 24 and followed up on Oct. 1, along with the rush in Paul's birthplace of Tarsus on Turkey's Mediterranean coast near Mersin to convert old houses into hotels for the expected increase in faith-tourists and other visitors.  On April 10 the TDN carried a well-researched article by Alparslan Akkuş on Tarsus, its current life, history, shrines associated with Paul, and conflicts there involving resident foreign Christians, recent settlements of Kurdish and Alevi Turks, and local nationalists accusing the Christians of proselytizing and stirring up sedition among the new arrivals. Paul would feel right at home.
 He was in his day a factor and a victim in the sometimes fatal struggles among Roman rulers, their Jewish clients in and around Jerusalem (Jesus being crucified there about 30-33 C.E.), and Jesus-adepts, with Paul in the middle of it all.  According to tradition (no scripture text includes it), Paul was himself crucified in Rome under Nero about 64 C.E. and buried there under what later became the Church of St. Paul Outside the Walls.

PAUL WITHOUT POLEMICS ?
  Can we discuss Paul of Tarsus without engaging in polemics for or against Christianity or taking sides on splits within Christianity? Probably not. But I intend to try. Nor do I mean to treat Paul merely as a figure of historical interest (which he assuredly is), neutral as to who he was to himself and might mean to us today. Indeed I claim him as an extraordinary human being, fully a man of his age and culture yet transcending in his daring vision and practice the worst ambiguities of his Jewish situation, its Roman overlords, and yes, even the fissures within the fledgling Jesus movement, in which Paul was such a controversial participant.
 Paul's greatness is his insistence that in the new communities of love (Greek agape: the healing, forgiving joining of those who have been estranged) there is absolute equality of women and men, of servants and masters, and of one-God worshipers and all others. That was revolutionary then, and it is revolutionary now.  I do not mean Paul was a modern liberal, a present-day feminist, an abolitionist, or an ecumenical inter-faith activist. Such concepts would be incomprehensible to him, or to any other person in the ancient world. But in his own terms and limits he overturned some of the most destructive injustices of his day.
  He had been overturned, first, himself from being a persecutor of his fellow Jews who were receiving the spirit of Jesus into their lives to being a spiritual warrior for that way. Imagine that Osama bin Laden, say, should undergo a dramatic 180-degree turn-around, from being an instigator of violence against perceived enemies of Islam to being a heroic reconciler of Muslims, Jews, Christians, and others – pooling his resources and programs with those of, say, George Soros, to redeem the world through humanitarianism. Something like that is what Paul lived through in his different milieu.
  
PAUL BURIED UNDER MANY LAYERS
 Everything about Paul is arguable – life, death, authorship of his letters, theology, significance in the history and convolutions of Christianity. He recognizes and praises women as apostles -- and as prophets, teachers and spiritual leaders.  Paul seems to count as apostles those whose spiritually transformed lives were initiated by special vocational appearances of the crucified-risen Christ, first in Jerusalem and Galilee, then later, in Paul's case, on the famous road to Damascus, where Jesus revealed himself in a vision and challenged Paul to desist from battling him and his flock and to proclaim his way to the Gentiles (some of whom were already attached to monotheism and Jewish synagogue gatherings, becoming Paul's natural audience).
 Half the letters ascribed to Paul are pseudo-Pauline, not forgeries but like the literary convention of Jewish writers of the intertestamental period, associating their works with a famous figure in Hebrew history or scripture. But these soften or contradict Paul's most egalitarian and inclusory stands, as does the later Acts of the Apostles, in which Paul is a chief ‘actor' but presented as less threatening to the Roman authorities after the Jewish revolt of the late 60s

PAUL COMING TO LIGHT
  Such discoveries belong to modern critical and historical (but often faith-motivated) scholarship – as daring in its premises and results as Paul's ransacking of Hebrew themes. The heroism of some modern Protestant and Roman Catholic scholars is virtually unparalleled in the history of religions. One of the most original, enlightening, and enlivening books is “In Search of Paul” by John Dominic Crossan and Jonathan L. Reed (HarperSanFrancisco, 2004, 447pp.), a joint archeological and textual investigation.
 Paul did not write theological treatises but letters to new groups of Jesus-followers that he had helped to found or meant to visit on his way to Spain – to span from east to west the Roman world with the Good News to and about the whole world. They faced urgent problems both internal and external; to them Paul is comforter, chastiser, polemicist, pastor, pleader, arbitrator, spiritual explorer and poet. Under the Jesus explosion he draws out paradoxical new meanings of covenant, Abraham, sacrifice, Adam, Christ, God, Son of God, Kingdom of God, law, faith, spirit. Many of his terms exactly parallel and countermand the titles of Julius Caesar and of Octavian Augustus and the eclectic imperial theology and cult that the latter inaugurated and promulgated throughout the empire.
 A newly found Temple of Augustus was excavated in Turkey at Pompeiopolis in the summer of 2007. (Before Pompey it was Soli, where Alexander chided the people for their execrable Greek, hence our word solecism; it is near Tarsus.)  A most imposing and important temple is in Ankara, abutting the Hacı Bayram mosque, for on its walls are inscribed both in Latin and in Greek the full text of Augustus' political autobiography, the “Res Gestae Divi Augusti: The Acts of the Divine Augustus.” Paul labored there and wrote to the Galatians in and around there. They had existential and fateful choices to make.

 Is there any way we can confront Paul's challenge without wrangling about religion or lack of it? Some may find his Christ-drenched categories speak to them; others, be put off or baffled by them. Can we identify in our own life and times those structures and habits that pass for sensible or normal but in fact thwart many human lives? And can we oppose these snares with a fresh draft on the depths and creative possibilities of our being?  For something like this is what the man of Tarsus in Cilicia set afire in the breadth of Anatolia and beyond in the later decades of three new world order of the Julio-Claudians. Can we be as rigorous and self-reappraising as he was? If we can, there is no year that will not be the Year of Paul.