Search Results for: mus

Unkapanı and Istanbul’s Record Sellers Bazaar: The Rise and Fall of a Music Hub

Technology is rapidly evolving in the present day; even the concept of tape reminiscent of ancient times is unknown to today’s youth. For this reason, we need to explain what a long play record is to today’s youngsters who do not even know the tape in order to tell where the name of Unkapanı Plakçılar Çarşısı (Unkapanı Bazaar of Music …

Istanbul Museums and Modern Arts

Modern art was born by an urge to show the painter’s depth of imagination and firstborn of that philosophy. The trend was later integrated beyond paintings to other social spaces, with the aim of destroying traditional artistic confines. Historical, political, and social events play a major role in the formation of modern art, where the painter actually expresses his feelings …

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 …

Safranbolu: A Living Museum of Ottoman Architecture and Culture: Safranbolu: A Living Museum of Ottoman Architecture and Culture

Safranbolu is a typical and preserved Ottoman town in the northwestern part of Turkey. With its cobbled streets, narrow passes and centuries-old houses, the town is a popular destination for tourists in Karabük. It had been on the trade route between Black Sea and big cities like Constantinople in 17th. Century. Accumulating enough wealth, local traders built beautiful mansions, not …

Muş City Guide: Muş City Guide

Located in the Eastern Anatolia Region of our country, Muş is a very historic city. The Urartians were the first to establish civilization in the history of Muş back in the 2000s BC. Later, Assyrians, Scythians, Medes, Persians, and Macedonians acquired Muş. The city, which was pursued by the Romans for a period of time, later became one of the …

Gümüşhane City Guide: Gümüşhane City Guide

Gümüşhane acts as a bridge with East, South, and Central Anatolia. The city, located on the Silk Road, was named as land (hane) of silver (gümüş) at the time of the Romans, and its name remained as Gümüşhane. The Assyrians, Persians, Medes, Urartu, Macedonians, Pontus, and Romans ruled in these lands. It also served as an important city during the …

Rami Library: From Istanbul’s Historic Barracks to a Modern Knowledge Campus

Located in Eyüpsultan, Istanbul, Rami Library was redesigned as a library in 2023, transforming into a massive center of knowledge. Spanning 220,000 square meters, it features a 36,000-square-meter indoor area, a 1,000-square-meter artificial pond, walking and cycling paths, and lush greenery. With over two million books, Rami Library not only caters to knowledge seekers but also provides a serene environment …

An Architect Who Was Not an Architect: Nail Çakırhan

Nail Çakırhan was born in 1910 in the Ula district of Muğla, Turkey. His father traced their lineage back twelve generations through gravestones and discovered that their roots extended to Arabia. Çakırhan believed that his ancestors may have descended from Janissaries who passed through Ula during Suleiman the Magnificent’s 1522 Rhodes campaign and decided to settle in the area. When …

The Famous Water Springs of Istanbul

The Importance of Water in Istanbul’s Urban History Water is one of the primary indicators of whether a place has evolved into a proper city. Throughout history, settlements have typically formed near water sources. Though Istanbul lacks significant rivers, its unique geography necessitated innovative solutions to water supply. For centuries, water was brought to the city via aqueducts from as …

The Secret of Piri Reis Map

One of the most brilliant figures in Ottoman maritime history, Piri Reis was not only a captain but also an explorer, scholar, and cartographer who helped shape the world. His works are timeless legacies that carry the nautical knowledge of the 16th century into the present, reflecting the spirit of the Age of Discovery. Even today, maritime historians, cartographers, and …