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ONLY BE ISTANBULITE
Only-Be Istanbulite
Markets in Istanbul
Istanbul is the city of markets, amazing aromas and thousand of beautiful colors. To this we can add all its natural charm, provided by a rugged terrain, the Marmara sea and the Bosphorus strait on both sides of the city, plus a bit of uniqueness that comes from being the meeting point between two worlds: West and East, we have the best place on earth to tour. Although Istanbul is a city with many modern places, one of the pleasures of touring the city is going to explore the small and large markets. As we are sure that you will love them, we want to give you some tips on what can you find in each one of them. Sali Pazar is the largest and most traditional flea market Istanbul. This market opens every Tuesday on the Asian side of town, in Kadikoy. There you will be able to find everything you imagined and even the things you’ve never thought. There are wonderful decorative items for home, including carpets, kilims, pillows, precious cups for tea, clothes for men and women and hundreds of other products that you will be able to negotiate and get a great deal. On Wednesdays you can go and explore markets Yesilkoy and Fatih. Yesilkoy is located in Yesilkoy Cirpici and has 2,019 stalls that sell everything from clothes, electronics, precious ornaments and glass items. The good thing is that this market is sorted by type of product, so you won’t get confusing while visiting. To get there, you can take the commuter rail line to Yesilkoy. Some aspects to be taken into account to...
Of Montreal in Istanbul
The old Ottoman capital, bridge between Europe and Asia, which has charmed such illustrious travelers as Mata Hari, Agatha Christie, Ernest Hemingway and Greta Garbo, is now a cosmopolitan city, open and so receptive to any cultural event that there is always a major event held there. Attracting the most unique musicians on the contemporary scene, Of Montreal will perform a concert on the 9th of May at Babylon concert hall in Istanbul. Of Montreal International Tour The experienced (active for the past fifteen years) band Of Montreal, which in this occasion are in international tour with their latest album (the eleventh), “Paralytic Stalkcs” will come to Istanbul, after touring Europe from north to south with concerts in Helsinki, Oslo, Paris, London and Barcelona. Much has happened since the year 1997 when they released their debut album “Cherry Peel”. The group led by Kevin Barnes, has carved a niche in the international music market with their pop-rock rhythms mixed with psychedelic seventies. Much has been said of the particular rhythmic style of Of Montreal: some people say that there is reminiscent with the Beatles, as if the subjects of Liverpool were not burned into the meanings of the current population, there is influence of Prince (no doubt), and as you guessed, there are native rhythms of India and a million of other references. But that is what has the trans-modernity, without frontiers that we live in: that every cultural manifestation is a kaleidoscope of previous works. Well, in a musical reference of the city, Babylon concert hall, which hosts up to two concerts a day, on the 9th of...
Harlem Globetrotters in Istanbul
It Will be on May 5 at 6 pm in the Ülker Sports Arena, in the beautiful Barbaros Boulevard in Istanbul, when this particular basketball team, the Harlem Globetrotters, will give one of its famous exhibitions, halfway between sports, dance and comedy show. But who are these guys that form the Harlem Globetrotters? Well, first we should note that they are not from New York or Harlem. The team is based in Chicago. The name was changed to make it more attractive,hooking up with this peculiar American neighborhood so popularized by basketball and urban dance. And these two arts are part of the Harlem Globetrotters, a sports team that steps on the basketball court not to play (although it does) a game, but to amuse the audience with their bodily skills, friendliness and tricks with the ball. The Harlem Globetrotters are so well known in the U.S. that they have become almost an institution and all you have to do is to take a look at their official website with reviews of for example, the traditional visit to the White House every Holy Thursday, which also current president, Barack Obama, in the wake of some of his predecessors, likes to enjoy this unique basketball team. And speaking of the political flagship of the United States of America, it seems that serious vice president Henry Kissinger was pretty amused with the Harlem Globetrotters. We assume that somehow or another, during his travels abroad, he promoted the show. Whatever it was he did, as well as the late Pope John Paul II he earned a honorific membership. Istanbul´s game is part...
Patrick Wolf in Istanbul
Patrick Wolf There´s not a lot to say about this unique musician (for the conjunction of his adult ways, his exquisite music and his boyish face, since he´s only in his 20s) that hasn´t been said in forums of the Web 2.0. We´re facing one of the musical revelations of the 21st century and we have to go on this premise. Wolf´s songs, since the singer has gone through regulated studies with conservatory masters due to his chaotic child education, show not only a rebel spirit but also the child prodigy that still lives on inside him. The singer/songwriter, after the scare that he gave his fans on the social networks in 2007 saying that he was retiring, is back with a new album with a title which is as suggestive as it is revealing: ´Lupercalia´, bringing back the love of the wolf, the blood and the animal-human transformations that were announced in his first album, ´Lycanthropy´ (2003). ´Lupercalia´ And what importance does the name of his fifth album have? Well, quite a bit actually because it´s a reference to pagan festivals of adult life initiation. Allow me to explain it better. During the early centuries of the Roman Empire, every 15th of February, rites of passage were celebrated in which the young hunting victors, after smearing themselves with animal blood and with the consent of the priests of the temple, entered civil life as adults with fill rights, with all the prerogatives and duties that being an adult brought. In those festivals they sacrificed dogs (the same ones we can see on the album cover) and goats, and they prayed...
Fantasies and Sensuality in Istanbul
Eroticism is a human condition we all share. The stimuli we receive in everyday life can, of course, excite our senses and therefore be sexual, leading us to fantasies, desires, new experiences. When it comes to traveling, our sense of the erotic is intensified. Once apart from the hustle of daily life, we can recover some time and space to enjoy ourselves and seek pleasure. When it comes to exploring exotic cities, Istanbul is one of the cities where you can find many stimuli to ignite your sensuality and that of your partner. If on the one hand Istanbul is part of a significant Muslim tradition, its status as a bridge between Europe and Asia has allowed it some versatility in its cultural development and at the same time to be permeable to change. The older side of town boasts exotic mosques and ancient bazaars that will open your eyes with their diversity of forms and colors. A dinner by candlelight in the city center can be the start of a night of interesting adventures. After dinner you could take a walk along the Bosphorus, the strait that runs through Istanbul, where you can enjoy new views of the big city and discover lightly illuminated places, landscapes which appear to be imagined or from some unknown place. The lights on both sides of the strait are really beautiful after sunset. If you are looking for a place to dance and meet new people, including lots of sensuality and movement, the Cuba bar is for you. This bar celebrates the best of Cuban culture, with lots of salsa and tropical music and exquisite Latin drinks. With concerts and lots...
Contemporary Art Fair in Istanbul
It is curious that despite the economic crisis that spreads through Europe and around the world, art fairs continue to move and generate the curiosity of the general public. It´s like if suddenly, against all the world´s economic mirages, art tended to keep solid to counter arrest the economic downturns in Greece, Spain, Ireland, Italy etc. Where is the secret of this investment? The cities of the world, not necessarily capitals compete for access to infrastructure and production and foreign exchange for cultural promotion. Common cultural subjects in a city as a center of trade, knowledge and artistic production become possible and are consolidating their position within the European Art Union. Thus, emerging cities that were once somewhat peripheral such as Porto, Bilbao, Seville, or Istanbul among many others, are gradually positioned within the circuit of the art market and production by local artists thus they become known and begin to have an impact, because interest grows, and therefore buying and selling art becomes common. Galleries, museums, cultural centers, seminars and others consolidate this positioning. Fairs, of course, too. Thus, the International Contemporary Art Fair, Art Bosphorus, is presented as one of the most important art fairs of Istanbul, and there some of the leading names of Turkish art and the world can be found. According to the presentation of Art Bosphorus, its goal is to help promote art introducing new and different types of artwork, from paintings, sculptures, to ceramics, video and installations, among other forms of art representation. Its aim above all, is to spread knowledge to the masses and create a platform so this exhibition is...
International Film Festival in Istanbul
To visit Istanbul is a unique experience. The Turkish capital is one of the best places, at present, to understand about the dynamics of a completely post-modern city, where tradition and history interact with modernity and change in a harmonious and complementary way. Turkey has been since ancient times, the essential bridge between Europe and Asia. Hence, these lands had so many wars, empires like the Roman and Egyptian controlled the lands, leaving a relevant impression in both its architecture and customs in the Turkish culture. The current cultural scene in Istanbul is also vibrant, colorful and diverse. From concerts of all styles: jazz, electro, house, punk, rock, art galleries and museums, Istanbul also offers a lively nightlife, where you can dance, drink and party every day of the week. Definitely a city oriented in recent years towards international tourism, there are many reasons to travel to Istanbul at any time of year. It should be noted that Istanbul is a place where you can have a first approach to Muslim culture, which will take you to explore mosques, ancient temples and ancient buildings. As it is known, Muslim culture has been demonized from various angles during the past eleven years, even more after the Sept. 11 attacks in New York. However, Istanbul will show a different face in regard to the Muslim community. While some rules or customs related to family behavior are preserved in much of society, more and more young people are willing to risk for new ways of understanding family and society. Of course, to try to distinguish or call the Western or European influence...
Kebabs in Istanbul
Traveling to Istanbul is to travel in time. A city as diverse and large as this, offers many options to make your trip a constant daily journey. Cultural life in Istanbul is very intense, from its oldest side to its European one, you will have the opportunity to enjoy endless walks, beautiful views, ancient architecture and shopping areas filled with various products. Whatever you seek for, from musical instruments to typical household implements, you will find it all without a doubt in Istambul. Tourism effervescence in Istanbul is high, and similarly, the cosmopolitanism of its inhabitants. Certainly an international community where also the best of world cuisine meets at different venues. Of course, if you go to Istanbul you will not want to eat Chinese or Japanese dishes only. If you go to Istanbul there is no way not taste the delicious kebabs, here is a brief review of some great places to enjoy this delicacy. Antiocchia, has the best food in the area of ??Hatay, Antiocchia is a cozy and “cool”place you should not miss. Their kebabs are simple but delicious. Of course in addition to kebabs, be sure to try the tasty durums that are also offered. Durumzade, the specialty of this place as its name implies is definitely delicious durums, but be sure to try their kebabs after a party or have a drink in Istanbul. They are open all night waiting for international clients from all over the world. Zubeyir, a nice place with a beautiful terrace to enjoy your meals in the fresh and hot summers in Istanbul, Zubeyir is very close to the...
Fashion Week in Istanbul
Recently, the artist Jesse Rosten made a video for YouTube entitled “Photoshop by Adobe”, which he showed, in an ironically and sharp way, how this image editing software has the ability to alter and redesign feminine beauty. As it is known, much of the advertising and visual market is centered on the woman as a model to sell products of all kinds; clothing, beauty products, food, the list is endless. The video questions about the alleged problems of the search of beauty in the general Western system: slim, light eyes, white skin, patterns that are being repeated and have grown to as pillars of a generalized pattern of beauty. However, when a huge trillion-dollar market drills your head with an ideology of beauty, held on the effects of a computer publishing software, the question is: What´s going on? The truth is that with all these visual advertising tools, we are facing some sort of denaturation of the body itself and our approach to it. The body of the advertisement, the computer screen, the message for iphone, is but the digital invention of a study, with geographical and market statistics, designs a “perfect” woman for your product to be even more attractive. Style and fashion are at the center of this maelstrom of visual stimuli. From one side, the designer´s work continues to be risky, when they dress, in a completely original way, their models, integrate volume ideas and drawing into a fabric cut to fit into a body known in the selection of a body suitable for such clothing. Thus, from the performance of the walkways, new styles and...
