Istanbul Live
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Topkapı Palace gardens which offer the prettiest green of spring will be hosting Pastoral Concerts, befitting to this beautiful season. World-renowned young violinist–Sayaka Shoji is the guest of the first concert which will take place on Saturday May 26 at 20:00. She will be accompanied by one of the best chamber orchestras: Sofia Soloists. The program includes Vivaldi’s Four Seasons and a selection of most popular classical music pieces. Das Kleine Konzert, one of the best Baroque ensembles of Eurepe will perform on May 29 and 30 at 20.00. . Along with their concerts they are also famous for their production of more than 60 CDs. The Orchestra has a rich program including the works of the greatest Baroque music masters ranging from Telemann to Vivaldi, from Haendel to Johann Christoph Friedrich Bach. Tickets can be purchased through Biletix.
Evcil Fest, the largest and the most enjoyable Pet Festival of Turkey will take place at Ataköy Airport Outlet Center on May 26-27, 2012. Animal lovers, animal-friendly companies, animal trainers and volunteers will come together. Activities for the benefit of stray animals, re-homing dogs and cats, contests, several gifts, shows of K9 – search and rescue dogs, training seminars, talks with shelter volunteer celebrities, discounted and promotional pet products, game areas for adults, mini concerts and several surprises are among the facilities of the festival.
Lucky Luke, the legendary lonesome cowboy of the Wild West created by Morris and Goscinny turns the Yapı Kredi Kültür Merkezi building into a Lucky Luke style town until June 17. Lucky Luke (Red Kit to Turkish readers), along with Adventures of Tintin and Asterix is one of the most popular comic-series books in Europe and in Turkey. Other characters from the comic strip including Jolly Jumper (Düldül to Turkish readers), Calamity Jane, Billy the Kid and Rin Tin Tin are also on display. The exhibition is curated by Didier Pasamonik and an illustration of Lucky Luke in front of Istanbul silhouette was drawn specifically for the exhibition by Achdé, the French artist who took on the Lucky Luke legacy after Morris’s death. Visiting hours: Weekends: 10:00-19:00, Saturday: 10:00-18:00, Sunday: 13:00-18:00
The second edition of Istanbulles – International Comics Festival of Istanbul will take place on May 22-27, 2012. Morris’s Lucky Luke exhibition at Yapı Kredi Kültür Merkezi is the major exhibition of this year’s festival . In addition, works by Turkish, Belgian, French and Flemish comics artists will be showcased. Events for professionals and public panels are also part of Istanbulles. For detailed information please click.
İş Sanat is closing the season of 2011-2012 with Aeternum, the haunting brand new project of the “Princes of Flamenco”, Los Vivancos. Los Vivancos consists of seven brothers who had always danced together since their childhood. With their dynamism, masterful technique and harmony they make their audiences experience unforgettable moments of pleasure. Los Vivancos will be at İş Sanat on Friday, May 25 at 20:00 with their thrilling show Aeternum. . Tickets can be purchased through Biletix.
The Çırağan Palace Kempinski Art Gallery is hosting the first retrospective of Belkıs Balpınar, who is a pioneer of art branch called “artkilim”. Balpınar’s kilims are combinations of traditional handmade kilims and felts with modern designs and shapes. Her works were on display at nearly 30 solo and mixed exhibitions both in Turkey and abroad. The exhibition will remain open until May 22, 2012 and can be visited every day.
Mickey Mouse and his band of friends, will perform with the stars from The Little Mermaid, Aladdin and Disney/Pixar’s Toy Story in the musical extravaganza Disney Live! Mickey’s Music Festival. Disney hits are remixed to the hottest sounds of today featuring hip hop, pop, swing, reggae, rock, country and much more! The shows will take place at Trump Towers Mall between April 23 and May 27, 2012. Tickets can be purchased through Biletix.
The May/June 2012 issue of The Guide Istanbul is available at major newsstands, and selected bookstores throughout Turkey. To read the Publisher’s note please click.
The winter schedules of IDO Sea Busses and Şehir Hatları (Citylines) Ferries, which provide 85% of sea transportation in Istanbul are effective as of September 19, 2011. Please check the new timetable of IDO and Citylines.
The Blind Photographers Project is inviting you to live an unforgettable experience on Saturdays: Dinner in Pitch Black. – Total Darkness. A special meal by Sardunya catering will be served by blind waiters, and blind musicians will take stage. And dancing in the dark. For more information please check the website. For the English video of Blind Photographers Project please click.
Serdar-ı Ekrem Sokak 16D, Galata-Beyoğlu
Tel: (212) 252 5 61
Istanbul “The Ultimate Guide”: Saffet Emre Tonguç and Pat Yale decided to write the most comprehensive and most up-to-date Istanbul Guide in 2007 and the adventure took 3 years to be completed. Tonguç and Yale toured 15.600 kilometers in Istanbul. 60 photographers contributed to the photos Tonguç and Yale took. The book is composed of 650 pages and 3000 photos, illustrations, maps, engravings, miniatures and historical photos. In addition to historical and tourist areas the duo visited nearly 2000 places including restaurant, cafes, bar, shop, hotel, hostel, night club and hamam and share their views with the readers. The book is written both in English and Turkish and can be purchased in selected bookstores.
Depom - Turgut Özal Caddesi 110, İkitelli
Tel: (212) 549 00 84 e-mail: info(at)depom.org
Mrs. Claudia Turgut has been writing a cooking blog based on all the fresh produce that you can get in the markets in Turkey. You can follow her blog for delicious recipes with a Turkish touch.
The largest ceramic panel in the world displays Istanbul’s most famous landmarks at Kabataş Cultural Center. The panel, embellishing a wall in front of the Kabataş Cultural Center on Çırağan Street is 85 meters long and 5 meters high. The panel was completed in five months and displays drawings of 13 architectural masterpieces of İstanbul, including the Maiden's Tower, the Galata Tower, Topkapı Palace, and the Blue Mosque.
Istanbul Şehir Hatları (Citylines) launched two new ferry routes running parallel to the coasts of both sides of the Bosphorus. The residents are expected to choose these routes in order to avoid traffic jams and for a more comfortable trip. The ferries will run on weekdays. Please check the winter timetable of Şehir Hatları (Citylines) for the scheduled routes of Kabataş-Sarıyer and Üsküdar-Anadoluhisarı-Kanlıca-Paşabahçe-Beykoz.
Tünel (Tunnel) is the easiest way to get from Karaköy to Beyoğlu, instead of climbing the steep streets. The timetable for Tünel (Tunnel) has changed. It is open everyday on 07:00-22:45 (Sundays 07:30-22:45)
Şişli Municipality Science Center continues to attract the attention of children to science with the recently established Yeşil Istasyon (Green Station).
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.
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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