Search Results for: Ottoman Empire

Skiing in the Morning, Swimming in the Afternoon

Have you ever tried to fit four seasons in a day before? Our country has rare places where you can live in four different seasons, all in a single day. How about sipping hot tea on a hill with white snow in the morning and enjoying the skiing, and then walking around on the beach and swimming in the afternoon? …

Life of Sinan the Architect

Sinan (1488-1588) is one of the greatest building artists in the world and lived during the most powerful period of the Ottoman Empire. His many works have lasted through today. He was very famous throughout all of the Ottoman Empire, officially serving as chief architect at the time a role that meant he was technically the architect of the state. …

Once Upon a Time We were Neighbors with China

The relationship between the Turks and the Chinese dates back to the early period of our histories. These two races have fought many times and have also engaged in commercial and cultural interactions. As the Turks became stronger and more powerful in the world after a certain period so the Turks began to put the pressure on the Chinese. China …

The Gates of Istanbul

Protecting what is precious is the most important and meaningful task of a gate. The gates behind the walls protected cities of the past, just like gates protect our homes today. Thus, the gates of Istanbul, which witnessed important events in history, are now valued as historical monuments. The gates in the cities are evidence of how valuable the cities …

300 Spartans’ Victory and Obelisk in Hippodrome

Sultanahmet Square (Sultanahmet Meydanı) had been the center of three different emperor periods. Sultanahmet Square’s name was “Hippodrome” (Hipodrom) during the Byzantine and Roman Empires and it was called “Horse Square” (At Meydanı) during the Ottoman Empire. In this region, the most magnificent structures, like Serpentine Column, and Obelisk, were built by these empires thanks to this feature. Hippodrome was …

Motivating the Army with Music: Mehterân

Mehterân (in Ottoman Turkish) is the first and only band in the world that ever motivated the army with music. A look at history shows us that the band, which consisted of percussion and woodwind instruments, was called “Tuğ” in the Huns period and later that changed to “Mehter” after Fatih. The band existed to announce the voice to the …

Kırşehir City Guide: Kırşehir City Guide

Kırşehir is located in the center of Anatolia. Having a history dating back to the time of the Hittites, the city became an important settlement during the time of Emperor Justinian I and was one of the spiritual bases of the Ottoman Empire, hosting the Ahi organization in the 13th century. Kırşehir is surrounded by Kırıkkale, Yozgat, Ankara, Nevşehir and …

Cittaslow Towns of Turkey: Cittaslow Towns of Turkey

Cittaslow, which first appeared in the Italian capital of Rome in 1986, means “slow city” with a broader meaning that includes untouched nature, away from the noise, distant from the metropolitan life, and reminiscent of a resort. Thus, there is no traffic problem, and the crowds and the noise is far away. Cittaslow towns for our country are almost heaven. …

Bilecik City Guide: Bilecik City Guide

Located in the southern part of the Marmara Region, Bilecik is a charming and beautiful Anatolian city. Having witnessed the founding period of the Ottoman Empire, the city was home to a civilization dating back to ancient times. For this reason, Bilecik, which has many important historic buildings, is adjacent to Sakarya in the north, Bursa in the west, Bolu …