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Exotic sights, scents & sounds reign in this fascinating city where Europe & Asia meet. Istanbul has served as a capital for 3 mighty empires which have all left their marks behind converting this metropolis into a mind boggling open air museum. It is Istanbul's endless variety & diversity that fascinates the visitor. The museums, churches, palaces, mosques, bazaars, scenery, the people & vibe make Istanbul 'the city of past, present & future'. Reclining on the European shore of the Bosphorus at sunset contemplating the red evening light reflected through the windows of the Asian shore you may suddenly & profoundly understand why so many centuries ago the settlers chose to build on this remarkable site... |
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Events & Festivals |
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International Istanbul Film Festival Where: various venues When: Apr Tel & website: 0212 334 0700 / www.iksv.org An annual highlight, eagerly anticipated for the glamour factor of visiting movie stars. Be warned: this is the city's most popular cultural jamboree & tickets sell out in advance. Orthodox Easter Where: (Orthodox Patriarchate Building), Sadrazam Ali Pasa Caddesi 35, Fener When: Apr - May Tel: 0212 531 9674 The city's last remaining Greek residents– as well as hundreds of pilgrims from Greece - flock to Easter Sunday mass in the venerable Patriarchate in Fener on the Golden Horn. In a church illuminated by hundreds of candles, the aura of ancient ritual is powerful enough to move even the most ardent of atheists. International Istanbul Puppet Festival Where: Akkarga Sokak 22, Elmadag When: 2nd week of May Tel: 0212 232 0224 Puppet, marionette & shadow theatre was big in Ottoman times, but is rarely performed today. This festival is an opportunity to witness this almost forgotten art, with around a dozen shows by Turkish & international companies at the Kenter Theatre & various other venues. Most plays are silent & suitable for children & adults. Conquest Week Celebrations Where: various venues When: late May Tel & website: 0212 449 4000 / www.ibb.gov.tr A lively celebration of the Turkish conquest of Constantinople (29 May, 1453), featuring exhibitions of traditional Turkish arts & parades by the 'Ottoman' Mehter band, plus concerts, conferences, lectures, screenings, fireworks & some rabble-rousing by the nationalist & Islamist parties. International Istanbul Theatre Festival Where: various venues When: May - June (even years only) Tel & website: 0212 334 0700/334 0777 / www.iksv.org One of the few opportunities to see international theatre in Istanbul. In the past, big draws have included the likes of Robert Wilson, Pina Bausch, the Berliner Ensemble, the Piccolo Teatro di Milano & Britain's Royal Shakespeare Company. The programme also features a selection of the year's best Turkish plays. Most performances are held at city theatres including the Ataturk Cultural Centre, the Kenter Theatre & the Aksanat Cultural Centre. A few events take place at more unusual venues, such as the Rumeli Hisari fortress on the Bosphorus. International Istanbul Music Festival Where: various venues When: June - July Tel & website: 0212 334 0700/334 0736 / www.iksv.org Inaugurated in 1973 on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the republic, the IMF is the most prestigious event on the city's cultural calendar. It comprises about 30 performances of orchestra & chamber music, dance & ballet. Big hitters at past festivals have included Kiri Te Kanawa, Philip Glass, the Michael Nyman Ensemble, Cecilia Bartoli & the Kronos Quartet. It's worth attending just to get a rare peek inside Haghia Irene church, normally closed to the public. Rock 'n' Coke Where: Hezarfen Airfield When: July Tel & website: 0212 334 0100 / www.pozitif-ist.com / www.rockncoke.com Since it began in 2003, Rock 'n' Coke has become Istanbul's biggest (late) summer opportunity to stand in a beer queue with 50,000 of your closest friends. Since then, 50 Cent has headlined, along with Iggy & the Stooges, while Muse & Placebo shared top billing back in 2006. DJs run the second stage. Echo & the Bunnymen, the Dead Kennedys, the Cure & NYC's Gogol Bordello have also played at Turkey's largest open-air festival. International Istanbul Jazz Festival Where: various venues When: July Tel & website: 0212 334 0700/334 0708 / www.iksv.org This two-week festival pushes the boundaries of what defines modern jazz. Keith Jarrett, Wynton Marsalis & Dizzy Gillespie have all performed in the 4,000-seat Harbiye open-air theatre, as have less likely musicians like Bjork, Nick Cave, Lou Reed & Patti Smith. Consistently the best programme of any Turkish music festival. Traditional Istanbul Acikhava (Open-Air) Concerts Where: Harbiye Cemil Topuzlu, Acikhava Tiyatrosu When: mid July - early Aug Tel & website: 0212 257 6200 / www.mostproduction.com Launched in the mid 1980s, this season of open-air concerts in Harbiye is worth checking out. The line-up mixes mainstream names from Turkish pop, rock & folk with a variety of alternative genres. It's a good opportunity to see the more innovative end of the local music scene. Past performers include the Mercan Dede Fusion Project, with its blend of Turkish folk, trance & whirling Dervishes, alongside Balkan stars such as Goran Bregovic. Electronica Festival Istanbul Where: Burc Beach When: mid July - late Aug Tel & website: 0212 283 5050 / www.futuregeneration.net Since 2004, the EFI has been bringing a heavyweight roster of DJs to Burc Beach on the Black Sea, over 10,000 fans follow. Stars of recent years have included three of the best DJs in the world, Sasha & John Digweed & Armin Van Buuren. International Istanbul Biennial Where: various venues When: Sept - Nov (odd yrs only) Tel & website: 0212 334 0700, 334 0763 / www.iksv.org Alternating with the Istanbul Theatre Festival, every other year more than 50 artists from around 50 countries exhibit works on a theme set by a guest curator. Expect to find paintings, installations, screenings, walkabouts, films, panel discussions, lectures & daily guided tours (in English). Akbank Jazz Festival Where: various venues When: Oct Tel & website: 0212 334 0100 / www.pozitif-ist.com Unlike July's international jamboree, this festival is less about big names & more about jazz. Some ten bands perform every day over a two-week period, with jam sessions at venues including Babylon & Nardis. Max Roach, the Art Ensemble of Chicago, Archie Shepp & Cecil Taylor have all participated in recent years. In addition to great music, there are film screenings & workshops. Istanbul Arts Fair Where: Tuyap Centre, E5 Hwy (Karayolu), Gurpınar Jcn, Kavsagı, Beylikduzu When: Oct/Nov Tel & website: 0212 886 6843 / www.tuyap.com.tr Recently relocated from its city centre home to the less accessible Tuyap Centre near the airport, this vast, week-long sales fair has retained its massive appeal. Some 50 Istanbul galleries plus a handful of international art dealers come to offload paintings, sculpture & ceramics on an increasingly receptive local market. Don't let the remote location put you off: free shuttle services depart from AKM on Taksim Square, Ataturk airport, the Bakirkoy ferry stop & the Esenler bus terminal. International 1001 Documentary Film Festival Where: various venues When: Nov Tel & website: 0212 249 2317 / www.bsb.org.tr Refreshingly, this one-week festival run by the Association of Documentary Film Makers (BSB) does not focus on any particular issue. As well as unusual factual films, there are panel discussions, master classes & Q&A sessions. Screenings are mostly in Beyoglu. Admission is free. Ataturk Commemorations Where: all over Istanbul When: 10 Nov Every 10 November at 9.05am, the death of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk is commemorated with a minute's silence. Sirens howl mournfully & the Bosphorus ferries sound their foghorns, while buses, cars, & people everywhere come to a sudden standstill. The experience is both moving & eerie – a testament to the great leader's lasting grip on the Turkish public's imagination. Istanbul Book Fair Where: Tuyap Centre, E5 Hwy (Karayolu), Gurpınar Jcn, Kavsagı, Beylikduzu When: Nov Tel & website: 0212 886 6843 / www.tuyap.com.tr Over 200 of Turkey's publishing houses, as well as several publishers from abroad, gather for ten days in the city to trade their wares. Leading writers, academics & intellectuals participate in non-stop conferences & round-table discussions. Attendees get discounts on new publications. Free shuttle services run from AKM on Taksim Square, Ataturk airport, the Bakirkoy ferry stop & Esenler bus terminal. Istanbul International Short Film Festival Where: various venues When: Nov Tel & website: 0212 252 5700 / www.istanbulfilmfestival.com A long-running event masterminded by short film aficionado Hilmi Etikan, this week-long festival is based at various cultural centres in Beyoglu & the Istanbul Modern. The programme includes short fiction, experimental fare & animation from all over the world. All films have English subtitles & all screenings are free. Efes Pilsen Blues Festival Where: Lutfu Kırdar Convention Centre, Harbiye When: Nov - Dec Tel & website: 0212 334 0100/www.pozitif-ist.com This hugely popular festival, running since 1990, is a showcase for new talent, with three bands performing every night. This doesn't stop the occasional star (such as Bobby Rush or Long John Hunter) from showing up. International Meeting of Cinema & History Film Festival Where: various venues When: mid Dec Tel & website: 0212 244 5251 / www.tursak.org.tr One of a string of festivals run by TÜRSAK (the foundation for cinema & audiovisual culture), this is a showcase for over 50 features & documentaries from around the world with a political or human rights dimension. Most screenings are held around Beyoglu & at the TURSAK cinema in Levent. Admission fees are nominal. IF AFM Independent Film Festival (IF AFM Bagımsız Filmler Festivali) Where: AFM Fitas When: Feb Tel & website: 0212 251 2020 / www.ifistanbul.com Launched in 2002, this slick, hugely popular event is run by the cinema chain AFM. The programming is distinctly right-on, with strands dedicated to digital, political, & gay/lesbian cinema, plus hardcore sex & violence. Try to book tickets in advance, either online or at the AFM Fitas cinema, where all screenings are held. Public holidays Turkey's five secular public holidays last one day each. Banks, offices & post offices are closed, but many shops stay open & public transport runs as usual. Religious holidays are different. They last three or four days; if these happen to be midweek, the government often extends the holiday to cover the whole working week. The city shuts down as Istanbul residents flock to the country. Coaches & flights are jammed, so book ahead if your travel plans coincide. Ramazan Observance of Ramazan, the Islamic month of fasting, is widespread. Many Turks abstain from food, drink & cigarettes between sunrise & sunset. This has little impact on visitors, as most bars & restaurants remain open, but it's bad form to flaunt your non-participation by smoking or eating in the street, especially in religious districts, such as Fatih & Uskudar. Here, Ramazan nights are the busiest of the year. At sundown, eateries are packed with large groups breaking their fast together with iftar ('breakfast'). Sultanahmet Square turns into an extravaganza of food & music at twilight - a revival of an old Ottoman tradition. The end of Ramazan is marked by the three day seker Bayrami, or 'Sugar Holiday', when sweets are traditionally given to friends & family. Feast of the Sacrifice The main event in the Islamic calendar is Kurban Bayrami (the Feast of the Sacrifice), which marks Abraham's near-sacrifice of Isaac. While Isaac escaped the knife, the local livestock aren't so lucky. Traditionally, families buy a kurban, which could be a sheep, bull, goat or camel, which they sacrifice on the first or second day of the feast. The meat is shared with relatives, neighbours & the poor. There are now stricter regulations on slaughtering sites & methods, which has reduced the bloodbath effect, but the faint-hearted are advised to keep away from mosques around this time. While every effort & care has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information contained in this guide, before you go out of your way, we strongly advise you to phone ahead & check the particulars. |
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Turkey
Attractions |
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Divanyolu Caddesi No:34 Sultanahmet - Istanbul /
TURKEY 34122 |
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Association of Turkish Travel Agencies TURSAB Member No: A1855 |
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