Search Results for: museum

Pamukkale: Turkey’s Cotton Castle and Natural Wonder

Pamukkale is on the UNESCO World Heritage List and is an uncommon natural areas. Denizli‘s history refers to Pamukkale’s history. Denizli was established by the King of Syria II, Antiochustheos, between 261-245 BC . At that time, it was known as Loadikya, the name of King’s wife. In 1070, this city was recognized by the Turks. Over time, and after …

Exploring the 300 Spartans’ Victory and the Obelisk in Istanbul’s 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 …

Discovering Istanbul’s Seven Hills: A Historical and Architectural Tour

Istanbul has a history of about 3,000 years. Throughout history, this city has been known by different names: Byzantium, Constantinople, and Istanbul. In 638 BC, the King Byzas came to the Sarayburnu region. The migrating Greek colony had settled here. The founder of the city, Byzas, gave it the name Byzantium. During the time of the Roman Empire (324 AD), …

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 …

Ruins of Ephesus

The Ruins of Ephesus that have survived for hundreds of years will fascinate you with their peaceful, historical atmosphere. Ephesus is located in İzmir, in Turkey’s western region. Legend has it that İzmir was built by female warriors called “Amazons”. In the Hittite texts, it is referred as the capital city “Arpasa” of Arzawa. In the 12th and 11th centuries …

The Whirling Dervishes of Turkey: A Deep Dive into Mevleviyeh and Sufi Mysticism

Mevleviyeh started with Mevlânâ Celâleddin Rûmi during the Seljuk period. Later, Mevleviyeh spread from Anatolia all over the country during the Ottoman period. After the death of Mevlânâ Celâleddin Rûmi in 1273, his son Sultan Veled systematized his father’s thoughts and created semâ ceremonies. In fact, this has been regarded as a religious order and the name of the dervishes …

Istanbul City Guide: Istanbul City Guide

It is estimated that the settlement in Istanbul dates back to 3000 years with the recent excavations. The city was engraved in the memory of world history with the name of Constantinople during the prehistoric times and the period of foundation. The city was also home to the Eastern Roman Empire. Istanbul was raided many times throughout its history, and …

Hatay City Guide: Hatay City Guide

Established by Alexander the Great around 300 B.C, Hatay (Antakya) province belongs to Mediterranean Region. However, the city’s history has carried older elements than establishment period to our day. Hatay is surrounded by Adana, Osmaniye, Gaziantep, Kilis, and Syria and features a coast on the Mediterranean Sea. Having acted as a bridge between Mesopotamia and the eastern Mediterranean, Hatay was …