Istanbul Live

Worldwide famous Australian pianist David Helfgott, whose life inspired the Oscar-winning film “Shine,” will be in İstanbul once more. The living legend Helfgott will perform Rahmaninov’s concerto for piano no. 3 at Aya Irini Museum-Sultanahmet and at Lütfi Kırdar Convention Hall-Harbiye  on Tuesday April 6 and Thursday April 8 respectively. Istanbul State Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Naci Özgüç, will accompany the virtuoso. The tickets can be purchased through Biletix. 

The March/April 2010 issue of The Guide Istanbul is available at major newsstands, and selected bookstores throughout Turkey . To read the Publisher’s note please click.

The 29th International Istanbul Film Festival, organized by the Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts (Istanbul Kültür Sanat Vakfı - IKSV) and sponsored by Akbank will be held between April 3 and 18, 2009.

Dragon Boat Festival is scheduled among the international races of International Dragonboat Federation and will take place at Haliç (Golden Horn) on May 29-30, 2010.

“Contemporary Figurative Art from U.S.A.” exhibition will take place at Casa Dell’Arte Gallery, Istiklal Caddesi Mısır Apartmanı,  between March 5 and 27, 2010. The exhibition  will feature a variety of American artists and artwork that haven’t previously been exhibited in Turkey and it be realized through partnerships with two major figurative art galleries in New York (Forum Gallery and Cavalier Gallery) and  art pieces from special collections in Turkey. The exhibition not only brings together important representatives of Contemporary American Figurative Art but also makes it possible for the new works of prominent artists such as Steven Assael, Alan Feltus, Max Ginsburg, Jeffrey Gold, Susan Hauptman to be seen in Istanbul.

Famous Spanish artist Picasso’s outstanding collection of engravings “Suite Vollard”,  which is one of the most important engraving series of the first half of the 20th century will be on display at Pera Museum between February 16 and April 18, 2010. The second exhibition Pera Museum, is hosting is “Hippodrome/Atmeydanı: Scenes of Istanbul’s History” (Hipodrom/Atmeydanı: Istanbul’un Tarih Sahnesi) exhibition which takes the visitors on a tour to one of the major monuments of Byzantine and Ottoman periods.

Time Within Us (Içimizdeki Zaman) and From Traditional to Contemporary (Gelenekten Çağdaşa) are the temporary exhibitions of 2010 taking place at  Istanbul Museum of Modern Art.

Tünel (Tunnel) is the easiest way to get from Karaköy to Beyoğlu, instead of climbing the steep streets. The timetable for Tünel (Tunnel)has recently changed. It is open everyday on 07:00-22:45 (Sundays 07:30-22:45)

2010 Formula 1 Turkey Grand Prix will take place in Istanbul between May 28, 29  and 30. The most successful driver in motor racing history Michael Schumacher, returns to race with Mercedes in Formula 1 after retiring in 2006. The teams and drivers are:
Hamilton and Button - McLauren
Schumacher and Rosberg - Mercedes GP
Massa and Alonso - Ferrari
Vettel and Webber - Red-Bull
Tickets are on sale through Biletix and early buyers will have a special discount until February 28, 2010. For ticket price please click.

Sakıp Sabancı Museum (SSM), Emirgan, with the contribution of Sabancı Holding, is hosting an exhibition titled “Venice and Istanbul during the Ottoman Period: Love, by any other name” until March 20, 2010.

U2, the legendary rock band, will perform in Turkey for the first time, as part of its 360° Tour. U2 will be on stage at Istanbul Atatürk Stadium on September 6, 2010 as part  of the Istanbul 2010 European Capital Culture events. The concert is organized by LiveNation in  collaboration with IKSV (Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts) and Pozitif. The tickets can be purchased through Biletix.

Rezan Has Museum at Kadir Has University Cibali campus will be hosting “The Centennial Tale of Turkish Painting II” exhibition until April 30, 2010.

Borusan Istanbul Philharmonic Orchestra –BIFO-, one of the most prestigious orchestras in Turkey, opened 2009-2010 concert season in October.

"Istanbul Recitals" an exceptional occasion for classical music lovers restarted in October 2009.

IDO ferries, which provide 85% of sea transportation in Istanbul  announced the winter schedule, is effective as of September 23 . Please visit for the new timetable.

Yüksel Arslan, among the most creative artists of the 20th century, opens his first retrospective exhibition at Santralistanbul, Eyüp with the sponsorship of Granati Bank. The exhibition is between September 13, 2009 and March 21, 2010. Levent Yılmaz is the curator of this distinguished event. “A Retrospective” exhibition includes more than 500 works of Arslan selected from local and foreign collections. Photos, documents and texts will accompany the works to assist explaining the factors formulating the artist’s world of conception, dream and painting.

Rezan Has Museum, Cibali brings together "The Silent Witnesses" of past civilizations and the present day. The process of civilization of mankind that began approximately ten thousand years ago, with their daily life, beliefs, social and commercial relations, struggles against nature and even the wherewithal they developed to resist death, are all on display.

Istanbul’s first public stationary planetarium “Discovery Sphere” has been opened at the Rahmi M. Koç Museum on the grounds of Lengerhane.

Akbank Chamber Orchestra, conducted by Cem Mansur performs at Cemal Reşit Rey Cultural Center and Caddebostan Cultural Center and accompanies a different soloist each month.

Do you enjoy singing? Do you like classical music? Then you can join Istanbul European Choir it is open to everyone and the season begins in September. Singers in the choir are from different nationalities and professions.

The use of tobacco products in public places was partially banned in May 2008, based on the changes made to the law that regulates tobacco and the consumption of tobacco products. As of July 19, 2009 smoking ban was widened including restaurants, bars, cafes, village coffeehouses and nargile (water pipe) cafes. Smoking is also prohibited under umbrellas installed in gardens, it is allowed only when four sides of an area are open and the sky is visible. Smoking is not banned in prisons, nursing and rehabilitation centers for seniors, mental hospitals, hotels, and on the decks of ships sailing overseas as long as  specific  areas are assigned for smoking. In addition smoking at open-air sports centers such as stadiums and open-air theaters is not banned if there are “smoking rooms” reserved for smokers. The establishments that violate the law will pay a fine between 560 and 5600 TL. Smokers violating the law will be fined 69 TL.

Readings for Expats
Birdsong and Flame: a book of poetry about Istanbul and Turkey.  This has been written by James Andrew who has taught at Darussafaka Lisesi and Uskudar American Academy in Istanbul. It deals with a period of about four years when he was living and working in Istanbul.  The poems he wrote at that time have been grouped loosely into a sort of diary in poetry.   The themes are the city of Istanbul and his reaction to it; teaching in Istanbul;   visits to Antalya, Cappadocia, and Ephesus; the last big earthquake in Istanbul; partings and meetings; various cats he has known in Turkey; and his reactions on his return to his home in Scotland: Balnakeil in the far north west of the country.  Various bookshops in Istanbul have information on how to acquire the book if you wish to order it from them:  Robinson Crusoe, Homer Kitabevi, and Pandora’s Box on the Istiklal Caddesi in Taksim;  the Greenhouse Cafe in Kadikoy; Remzi Kitabevi in Akmerkez.  

Tales from the Expat Harem: Foreign Women in Modern Turkey, a nonfiction anthology edited by Anastasia M. Ashman and Jennifer Eaton Gökmen, debuted at the opening meeting of the IWI this week in a special pre-sales event. Excited expatriates kept the book's editors and a number of fellow contributors busy dedicating and autographing throughout the morning. Published by Dogan Kitap, the English version of Expat Harem is now available in Turkey's bookstores together with the Turkish edition. Already garnering interest locally, Expat Harem's Turkish edition (entitled Türkçe Sevmek: Türkiye'de Yaşayan Yabancı Kadınların Gözüyle Türkler) is framed by a powerfully sentimental foreword penned by Turkey's foremost female author Elif Şafak.

“Osman's Dream. The Story of the Ottoman Empire, 1300-1923” is the latest book of Caroline Finkel. It is a narrative history of the Ottoman Empire from its earliest beginnings to its final destruction on the battlefields of the First World War. “Osman's Dream” is aimed at the general reader, and is now available from reputable bookstores in Turkey.

Hughette Eyüboğlu who is among the first foreign brides in Turkey, published her memories in Turkish last year and attracted attention. The English and French versions of the said book “Living Under the Shadow of Two Cultures” and “Du Clocher au Minaret” respectively are at the bookstores as of June.
 

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