It has been reported in the papers (and through a contributor of Turcopedia) that the Turkish community in Austria was offended by a new Lego box. A model supposedly representing Jabba’s Palace, from the Star Wars collection, looks awkwardly similar to the Hagia Sofia museum in Istanbul.

From the Telegraph: “Jabba is the large slug-like creature who holds Han Solo captive in the film Return of the Jedi, and his palace is the setting for several crucial scenes, including using Princess Leia as his slave. Jabba’s domed home and accompanying watchtower bear, according to the statement, an unwanted resemblance to Istanbul’s great Hagia Sophia, and another mosque in Beirut.”

“A converted Christian basilica and famed for its massive domed roof, the Hagia Sofia is one of the most famous mosques in the world and served Istanbul’s Muslim community for over 500 years before becoming a museum in 1943. It is also regarded as one of the finest, and largest examples, of Byzantine architecture.”

And just as a bonus because we like it so much, here is the Cantina scene as well as the Adidas version including David Beckham, Daft Punk, Snoop Dogg, Franz Beckenbauer, Noel Gallagher and more..

Whether you like it or not, How I met Your Mother is a pretty popular show and Barney Stinson (Neil Patrick Harris) is the one that makes us laugh the most. In the season 5 (episode 17), Barney is confronted to an upcoming writer who just published a book entitled “ Of Course You’re Still Single, Take a Look at Yourself, You Dumb Slut “. Played by Jennifer Lopez, the writer promotes the power of saying “no” to men in order to get what she wants from them. On a TV show co-hosted by Robin Scherbatsky (Cobie Smulders), J-Lo is being offered coffee to which she says no to then see the guy coming back with a variety of coffees including the famous Turkish coffee which she chooses!

May 18, 1925

Nov 21, 1927

Jan 25, 1937

Here’s something you certainly don’t see everyday: footage of exiled Russian revolutionary Leon Trotsky speaking directly to a camera in 1932. At this time, Trotsky was living in Büyükada, an island off the coast of Istanbul where he spent four years, even if the film took place in Denmark.

Born in a Jewish family in Ukraine, Trotsky’s revolutionary activities got him in exile several times, first in Siberia then eventually banned from the USSR as a whole. Alongside Vladimir Lenin, he helped the Russian Revolution of 1917 and build the Red Army but ended up in a power struggle against Joseph Stalin who commissioned his assassination down in Mexico with an icepick!

“The end may justify the means, as long as there is something that justifies the end.”

“Learning carries within itself certain dangers because out of necessity one has to learn from one’s enemies.”

“Ideas that enter the mind under fire remain there securely and forever.”

Trotsky was deported from the Soviet Union in February 1929. His first station in exile was Büyükada. He was at risk from the many former White Army officers in the city, who had opposed the Bolshevik Revolution, but Trotsky’s European supporters volunteered to serve as bodyguards and assured his safety.

with Frida Kahlo in Mexico

The house on Buyukada – Istanbul – where Trotsky spent 4 years

Following a series of shows organised in London, NYC, Madrid or Berlin, Art Barter is finally hosting one in Istanbul!

Displaying works from emerging to established artists, the concept excludes monetary transaction and instead encourages the trade of goods and services for art. Curators Lauren Jones & Alix Janta-Polczynski established this platform a few years ago in London inspired by alternative ways of getting your hands on something. Bartering a belonging, a skill or a service you’d provide gives you a chance to acquire the works on display!

Previous Art Barters have seen artists exchange their works for 6 months of Italian lessons, 3 months of psychotherapy, 30 hours of reflexology, website design, a gallop on a white horse, gardening lessons, a poem for each month of a year and other creative offers ranging from a woman offering to bear the artist’s child to one promising a life time of cheese supply.

This edition of Art Barter is befittingly located at 5533 in the Istanbul Textile Traders’ Market (IMC) from 18 January at 15:00 until 26 January at 19:00.

The curators

A couple of years ago, following a decision from the Turkish football federation barring men from the games of teams punished for fan violence, a few matches were supposed to happen in dead silent empty stadium before someone came with the idea of allowing exclusively women and children under 12.

The first match was followed by 41,000 women  & kids during a game opposing Manispor to Fenerbahce ending up in a tie 1-1. Wearing the club’s colours, singing the club’s songs and loudly cheering their favourite players, it might have looked rather similar to a normal crowd but then it must have sound like a Justin Bieber concert all at the same time…

Maurice Pialat (1925-2003) is probably not a name a lot are familiar with. He grew up wanted to be a painter but eventually opted for film-making later in his life. Pialat was already 44 when he directed his first feature film L’Enfance Nue (The Naked Childhood), co produced by French New Wave director François Truffaud.

During the following 35 years, Pialat would only complete 10 major feature winning him the Golden Palm in Cannes (’87) for Sous le Soleil de Satan (Under Satan’s Sun) and directed Gérard Depardieu 3 times.

The surprise here is that Pialat has done a series of short movies around Istanbul and all in 1964. Called the “Chroniques Turques” for Como Films (Samy Halfin productions), there is a 12’ on the Golden Horn (La Corne d’Or), there is a 13’ entitled “Istanbul”, another one called “Maître Galip” (Master Galip), “Byzance”, “Pehlivan” and “Bosphore”. Here is Bosphore:

The Joker as Bezlegû

How would Superman, Tony Montana, The Joker, Han Solo & Chewbacca or any other of your favourite characters look like or be named if the world was Ottoman?

Ask Berk Senturk, a Turkish designer based in Paris from the information we gathered on Behance, has displayed there a very cool series of comic book or movie characters as if they were Ottoman!

Wonder Woman as Hârika Avret

Taxi Driver as Hammal

Superman as Faik-i Adem

Scarface as Cehre-i Mecrûh

Léon & Mathilda as Lemi & Mahmure

Han Solo & Chewbacca as Solo Han & Koca Oglan

Green Lantern as Fanus-u Ahdar

Gandalf & Frodo as Câdûger & Kasir

Blues Brothers as Mûsikisinas Biladerler

Batman as Sepbere-i Adem

Justice League as Fevc-ül Adâlet

Well, after a week away with family & friends, I come back to you with the very best wishes for the new year! Here is by the way a video showing even Santa was in town for some action…

A Greek map highlighting Tokat and Comana

“Veni, vidi, vici” These are the words of Julius Caesar everyone knows. “I came, I saw, I conquered” became kind of a slogan for Julius. A trivia question. Some words fully associated with him. It is clear to all it was after a battle, more precisely following a victory. But which one? Where?

Well, here is the story: In 49 BC, civil war broke out between Julius Caesar and Pompey. While the Romans were distracted by this, Pharnaces II of Pontus, son of Mithridates, decided to seize the opportunity and took revenge for his father. His attack on Zile was halted by Julius Caesar in a bloody battle called the Battle of Zela (47 BC). While Caesar’s army had great losses, Pharnaces’s army was completely destroyed in five hours. After this victory, Caesar sent his famous message to the Roman Senate: “Veni Vidi Vici”, meaning “I came, I saw, I conquered”. Caesar’s words were written on a cylindrical marble column and placed in the city castle.

Zile, also known as Zela, is a city and a district of Tokat Province, Turkey. Zile lies to the south of Amasya and the west of Tokat in north-central Turkey. The city has a long history, including being the site of the Battle of Zela…

Whether or not this was initiated as a media hoax, the tiny village of Sirince, in the Izmir region, attracted much attention over the past few days. With the imminent apocalypse to come, Sirince would be one of the two locations to survive the end of the Mayan calendar.

Rumors were even spread that Tom Cruise decided to join the “Doomsayers” attracting in the end more journalists than New Age survivalists.. Judgement Day prediction established Sirince, a village of less than 700 inhabitants as the safe haven. It is clear that the region itself has historically always been on the map:

- Sirince is located near the ancient city of Ephesus, which with a population of 250,000 in the 1st century BC made it one of the largest cities in the Mediterranean world.

- The Temple of Artemis, which was built in 550 BC, is one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.

- Sirince is also considered to be where the Virgin Mary, the mother of Jesus, ascended to heaven after spending the last years of her life in her home there. In addition to The House of the Virgin Mary, there is also the Basilica of St. John in Şirince, where he also spent the latter years of his life.

With the impending arrival of Tom Cruise, known for his strong connection with Scientology, Sirince has made worldwide news, garnering mentions in The New York Times, Bild and The Washington Post.