Anzac Day, April 25, is the day when patriotic Australians and New Zealanders make a pilgrimage to Gallipoli to commemorate the soldiers who fought for their country in World War I as well as in other armed conflicts. Not only does it serve as a reminder of the tragedies of war, but the beauty of the surrounding scenery and the beach makes it worth the trip.The … [Read more...]
What (Not) to Do In a Mosque
Visiting a mosque should be on your Istanbul sightseeing list. Muslims must follow certain rules inside the mosques. But even as a non-Muslim, you are expected to respect some rules during your visit. Here is an overview of the mosque etiquette.Closed During Prayer Time During the prayer hours/periods you are not allowed to be inside the mosque. But in between two … [Read more...]
Sugar Feast or Şeker Bayramı – the End of Ramadan
The Sugar Feast (Şeker Bayramı or Eid ul-Fitr) is the three day festival following Ramadan. Eid ul-Fitr is the Arabic name of this religious holiday. Eid meaning "festivity" and Fitr meaning "original nature." It refers to the restoration of one's best human composition and the celebration of the end of the thirty days of fasting during Ramadan.Bayram is the term used … [Read more...]
250 Useful Turkish Words and Expressions for Tourists
Knowing a few basic Turkish words and expressions will not only please locals, it will also come in handy during your stay. Turks will try their best to help you, but not all Turks speak English -- and that's an understatement. Most restaurants have menus in both Turkish and English, but especially in snack bars the translations may be far from perfect.This list of 250 … [Read more...]
Turkish Language and Pronunciation Rules (for Tourists)
Turkish is a phonetic language. This basically means that it is spoken the way it is written, and vica versa. To accomplish that, in 1928 Atatürk introduced a phonetic variant of the Latin alphabet. The letters Q, W and X were removed and 7 new, rather exotic looking characters were introduced: ç, ğ, ş, ö, ü and ı (undotted i). As a result, the Turkish alphabet consists of 29 … [Read more...]