All About Istanbul

Madonna concert in Istanbul: June 7th, 2012

noreply@blogger.com (Burak Sansal) — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 09:09:00 +0000

Madonna, the Queen of pop, has announced plans for a 2012 World Tour. She is coming to Istanbul in June 7th to perform at the Turk Telekom Arena to more than 60,000 Turkish fans and music-lovers. The 53-year-old entertainer is still in good shape with her songs and loved very much in Turkey too.

Madonna’s last concert in Istanbul was in 1993.

Istanbul Music Festivel, June 2012

noreply@blogger.com (Burak Sansal) — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 14:37:00 +0000

40th edition of Istanbul Music Festival will be held at various venues between 31 May - 29 June, 2012, with the participation of more than 750 local and foreign artists such as Fazil Say, Helene Grimaud, Anne-Sophie Mutter, Milos, Gidon Kremer, and many others.

Istanbul Fashion Week 2012

noreply@blogger.com (Burak Sansal) — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 14:26:00 +0000

Istanbul Fashion Week will be on show between 8-11 February 2012, aiming to gain recognition for Turkish designers and brands in national and international tribunes and to make a contribution to Turkish economy while increasing the design power in the fashion industry.

400 years of Turkish-Dutch relations at Pera Museum

noreply@blogger.com (Burak Sansal) — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 12:59:00 +0000

Turkish-Dutch relations are on exhibit at the Pera Museum in Istanbul. Commemorating 400 years of cultural, diplomatic and trade relations between Turkey and the Netherlands, the Pera Museum is presenting an exhibition titled “Sultans, Merchants, Painters: The Early Years of Turkish-Dutch Relations.” The exhibition includes over 80 works comprised of oil paintings, watercolors, engravings and books, and will continue until April 1st, 2012.

New York Times article on Istanbul excavations

noreply@blogger.com (Burak Sansal) — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 21:52:00 +0000

The New York Times has published an article regarding the excavations and new findings at the Kucukcekmece Lake of Istanbul, revealing interesting facts and artifacts of this early settlement of ancient Constantinople.

You can read the full article at http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/24/science/istanbul-yields-a-treasure-trove-in-ancient-bathonea.html?_r=2&ref=science

Cihangir is one of the "Five best places in the world"

noreply@blogger.com (Burak Sansal) — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 23:10:00 +0000

The Guardian newspaper named the "Five best places to live in the world", and Istanbul's Cihangir neighbourhood is one of them.

You can read the full article at:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/money/2012/jan/20/five-best-places-to-live-in-world

New exhibitions at the Borusan Contemporary Art museum

noreply@blogger.com (Burak Sansal) — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 21:31:00 +0000

Borusan Contemporary Art museum, housed in the "Haunted Mansion" (Perili Kosk) in Rumelihisari neighbourhood along the Bosphorus in Istanbul, is housing the "River of History" exhibition by artist Kathleen Forde and also the "Segment #1A" exhibition by artist Dr. Necmi Sonmez until 15th of April 2012.

New Aquarium in Istanbul

noreply@blogger.com (Burak Sansal) — Mon, 27 Jun 2011 15:16:00 +0000

Istanbul is now hosting another aquarium as of June 2011, after the Turquazoo aquarium. The Istanbul Aquarium claims to be the largest thematic aquarium in the world !! It's located at Florya neighbourhood, near Ataturk airport.

According to the officials there will be about 1,500 species of fish and sea creatures inside its 64 water tanks, covering a huge area (there will be a big shopping mall too next year), with several 5D theaters (besides the 3D you will experience rain, water, fog etc for all your senses). So, this will be another attraction for all kids and adults.

Istanbul was the Top Place to Go in 2010

noreply@blogger.com (Burak Sansal) — Mon, 03 Jan 2011 10:21:00 +0000

According to New York Times Travel, a poll amongst its readers showed that Istanbul was the top place to go in 2010. This great city is highly recommend by many readers as the Top Destination.

Body Worlds exhibition

noreply@blogger.com (Burak Sansal) — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 09:44:00 +0000

Body Worlds, a strange exhibition of "dead real human bodies", will be on display in Istanbul between June 11th - December 17th, 2010. The site for this exhibition will be Antrepo 3, near Istanbul Modern museum at Salipazari pier.

The bodies are preserved using a tecnique called Plastination and the show goes on since many years especially in North America.

Sultanahmet Square closed to traffic

noreply@blogger.com (Burak Sansal) — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 09:41:00 +0000

Sultanahmet Square in Istanbul, the old city center, is closed to all vehicle traffic as of 7th of June 2010. Now, the old center is a pedestrian-only area.

Istanbul is one of the "Top 29 Cities for Men To Live In"

noreply@blogger.com (Burak Sansal) — Tue, 20 Apr 2010 14:48:00 +0000

AskMen, a famous lifestyle site for men, unveiled its annual "Top 29 Cities To Live In". Based upon a variety of international sources and insider experience from AskMen contributors from around the world, the Top 29 provides a current snapshot of the best cities for men, with New York, Melbourne and Tokyo rounding out the top three. For the first time this year, Istanbul has made the 2010’s list as #20.

The most livable cities for men, in order, are:

1. New York
2. Melbourne
3. Tokyo
4. Madrid
5. London
6. Cape Town
7. Miami
8. Buenos Aires
9. Sydney
10. San Francisco
11. Paris
12. Los Angeles
13. Hong Kong
14. Tel Aviv
15. Barcelona
16. Sao Paulo
17. Berlin
18. Lisbon
19. Beirut
20. ISTANBUL
21. Shanghai
22. Montreal
23. Amsterdam
24. Chicago
25. Toronto
26. Kyoto
27. Bogota
28. Rome
29. Las Vegas

Burak

Ice Museum in Istanbul

noreply@blogger.com (Burak Sansal) — Thu, 08 Apr 2010 15:41:00 +0000

First Ice Museum of Turkey will be opened in Istanbul on April 23rd, 2010. The "Magic Ice" museum is located inside the Forum Istanbul shopping mall in Bayrampasa district near the Bus Station (Otogar), next to the Turquazoo Aquarium. The museum is built by the Norwegians and is planned to be opened on the Children's Day national holiday on April 23rd. The entrance for adults will cost 20 TL (about 10 euros) and 15 Lira for children.

The indoor museum will stay open all year round and the temperature inside will be constantly around minus 5 degrees Celcius (about 23 Fahrenheit) so at the entrance you'll be given special coats.

Grand Bazaar open on Easter Sunday, April 4th

noreply@blogger.com (Burak Sansal) — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 10:34:00 +0000

The Grand bazaar will be open on Sunday on 4th of April 2010, due to the heavy tourists arrival in Istanbul for the Easter holidays.

Istanbul Tulip Festival

noreply@blogger.com (Burak Sansal) — Fri, 26 Mar 2010 10:25:00 +0000

The 5th edition of the International Istanbul Tulip Festival organized by the Metropolitan Municipality of Istanbul will be celebrated between April 2nd-18th, 2010.

As usual, Emirgan Park will be the heart of this festival but you can see millions of tulips blooming all around Istanbul during that time; in squares, in public parks, or in any green space. This is the most colorful festival in Istanbul.

Istanbul: one of the "World's sexiest cities"

noreply@blogger.com (Burak Sansal) — Sat, 20 Mar 2010 17:47:00 +0000

The English newspaper The Sunday Times Travel Magazine has published a list of a dozen of must-see cities around the world and they named them as "The World's Sexiest Cities", Istanbul being one of them. Here are the 12 "exotic" cities: Istanbul, Rome, London, Paris, New York, St Petersburg, Havana, Bath, Berlin, Seville, Tangier, Stockholm.

"48 hours in Istanbul" by the Reuters

noreply@blogger.com (Burak Sansal) — Sat, 20 Mar 2010 17:18:00 +0000

The international news agency Reuters has published their new "Travel Postcard: 48 hours in ??? " series dedicated to Istanbul this time. The news agency recommended Istanbul for its treasures and its glorious past. Here is their suggestions for travelers who'll visit Istanbul in 48 hours:

FRIDAY
18.00: Go up to Galata Tower to enjoy the sunset on the Golden Horn.
19.00: Walk on Istiklal pedestrian street.
20.00: Dinner at 360 restaurant on the roof of Misir Apartment.
22.30: Party at Babylon, Nardiss Jazz Club or Jazz Stop at Beyoglu.

SATURDAY
09.00: Visit the historic peninsula and the Blue Mosque (Sultanahmet mosque).
10.00: Visit the ancient Hippodrome and then the Hagia Sophia museum.
11.30: Visit Topkapı Palace and Gulhane Park nextdoor.
13.00: Go to Eminonu to taste the fish & bread.
14.30: Visit the Underground Cistern (Yerebatan) where the James Bond Movie "From Russia with love" was shot.
16.00: Go to the Grand Bazaar.
20.00: Dinner at the Maiden's Tower (Kiz Kulesi) on the Bosphorus.

SUNDAY
09.00: Visit Dolmabahce Palace.
11.00: Visit Istanbul Modern museum.
14.00: Visit Suleymaniye Mosque (Burak's comment on this: it's still closed for restorations but will re-open soon until this summer) and eat beans "kurufasulye" at Kanaat restaurant nearby.
16.00: Relax at Cagaloglu Hammam.

The full article can be read at Reuters website.

Kremlin's treasures at Topkapi palace

noreply@blogger.com (Burak Sansal) — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 19:58:00 +0000

Treasures from Moscow's Kremlin Palace will be on display at the Topkapi Palace in Istanbul between March 12th and June 7th, 2010, as a part of "Istanbul European Capital of Culture of 2010" activities. The exhibition includes works of art from the 16th and 17th centuries.

2010 Istanbul European Culture Capital

noreply@blogger.com (Burak Sansal) — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 13:56:00 +0000

In 2010, Istanbul is the European Capital of Culture together with Pecz in Hungary and Ruhr in Germany. This is an important title given by the European Union for a period of one calendar year during which the chosen city is given a chance to show its cultural life and cultural development to the rest of the world.

During 2010, many artists and cultural groups, both local and international, will be visiting Istanbul at various stages for cultural showscases, events, displays, exhibitions, concerts, arts, and so on.

New terminal at Sabiha Gokcen airport

noreply@blogger.com (Burak Sansal) — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 13:21:00 +0000

Sabiha Gokcen Airport (SAW), located on the Asian side of Istanbul, opened its new International Terminal complex on 31 October 2009, which will be operation starting from November 9th. It's said that the new terminal will multiply airport’s annual capacity to a 25 million passenger mark, and more international flights will land & depart from this airport.

The new terminal has a hotel, a big food court area and a big duty free shopping area at international standards.

U2 in Istanbul on September 6th, 2010

noreply@blogger.com (Burak Sansal) — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 09:34:00 +0000

Following the success of the 2009 tour, U2 have confirmed that the 360° Tour will continue in 2010.

European fans who missed out this year will have a new opportunity to experience the 360° Tour with stops confirmed in Germany, Denmark, Finland, Russia, Austria, Greece, Turkey, France, Brussels, Spain and Portugal.

The concert in Istanbul will be held on 6th of September 2010 at the Ataturk Olympic Stadium.

Single rate for taxis

noreply@blogger.com (Burak Sansal) — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 07:13:00 +0000

As of September 2009, taxis in Istanbul will adopt a single tariff, dropping the night tariff. From now on all taxis will use a single rate tariff.

Istanbul Biennial 12 Sep - 8 Nov 2009

noreply@blogger.com (Burak Sansal) — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 10:44:00 +0000

The 11th edition of International Istanbul Biennial will be held between 12 September - 8 November 2009 in Istanbul. It will be curated by What, How & for Whom (WHW), a non-profit organization for visual culture and curators’ collective based in Zagreb, Croatia.

The Biennial is one of the most important cultural events of Istanbul which is housed in several venues around the old and new city (such as the Underground Cistern, Hagia Irene and the imperial mint inside the Topkapi Palace, Taksim-Beyoglu etc).

This is an important cultural event, and in 2010 Istanbul will be the Cultural Capital of Europe, a huge cultural event in the continent.

Intercontinental Istanbul Marathon, 26 Oct

noreply@blogger.com (Burak Sansal) — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 09:37:00 +0000

30th edition of the Intercontinental Istanbul Eurasia Marathon will be run on two continents on 26 October 2008, Sunday. It starts from the Asian side of Istanbul, and ends on the European side of the city.

Besides the 42km marathon, there is also a 10km public run with the participation of hundreds of thousands of people.

Formula 1 Istanbul in 2009, 5-7 June

noreply@blogger.com (Burak Sansal) — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 09:30:00 +0000

In 2009 Istanbul Formula 1 race will be held between June 5-7 at Istanbul Park race circuit. This is one of the most popular motor sport events around the world.