Posts about Istanbul
Information on Istanbul from the staff of Context Travel.
I’ve always found that one of the best things you can do before you travel is learn a bit more about the sites you will be visiting. And yes, guidebooks are one thing, but there are many educational resources out there to help you probe a bit deeper before you step foot on site or that can be valuable resources upon returning home, should something you have seen sparked your imagination.
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Posted by Jessica | This post has 3 comments
November 10th, 2009 under Art, Culture, Florence, History, Istanbul, London, Naples, New York, Paris, Philadelphia, Rome, Venice.
Urban spelunkers have recently uncovered a variety of new finds deep in the underground tunnels beneath the Hagia Sofia, the local newspaper Hurriyet reports. At Context we’re particularly excited about this, given our programs in urban speleology in Naples and Rome. Here in Istanbul, we’re anxious to see where the current explorations take scholarship and what new information is revealed about the Hagia Sofia.
So far, the most exciting finds are two stone tunnels, just under a meter in height, which extend in the direction of Topkapi. Hurriyet reports that they could, quite possibly, have been constructed by Theodosius II in the 5th century as a way of moving between buildings without being in public.
Over the next few months, docents leading our Hagia Sofia Seminar will incorporate the current findings into their discussions and explore, with curious participants, the possible ramifications.
Hagia Sofia Seminar, every Thursday at 10 am.
Posted by Paul Bennett | This post has no comments
September 23rd, 2009 under Archaeology, Context Travel, Istanbul.
We’re happy that National Geographic and Ashoka’s Changemakers selected Context as a finalist for their annual geotourism award. As one of 10 selected out of 611 entrants, it’s a pretty exclusive club.
Now comes the hard part. We need people to vote for us over at Ashoka’s Changemakers. (Registration is required.)
Here are four reasons why you should vote for us:
1. Our focus on cities takes sustainable tourism out of the rainforest. (Not that there’s anything wrong with rainforests, but when was the last time you heard someone talk about ecotourism saving cities?)
2. Our three-prong approach balances environmental action with cultural preservation. So, we’re looking at the whole picture.
3. The projects we undertake are innovative and having a measurable effect.
4. Our travel scholarship for inner-city youth is an entirely new concept in sustainable tourism that opens up life-changing vistas for the recipient and expanding the benefits of tourism to a wider audience.
Of course, after you read the post at National Geographic you may create your own list of reasons.
Posted by Paul Bennett | This post has no comments
July 19th, 2009 under Context Foundation, Context Travel, Florence, Istanbul, London, Naples, New York, Paris, Philadelphia, Rome, Venice.
I shared a Turkish coffee today with Ali Turkelli, director of marketing at the Marmara Hotel in Taksim Square, Istanbul, and he clued me in to a couple of details about my favorite drink.
Firstly, you are served water and some kind of sweet (Turkish delight, usually) with your coffee in Istanbul for a reason. “There’s a specific process,” said Ali, “taking care to explain the ritual to a neophyte.” We begin with the water, which we drink to cleanse our palettes entirely. Then, with our senses purified, comes the coffee—sweet or bitter—which is savored lovingly. Then, when finished, but not before, the sweet.
Of course, as an American, I’ve always bumbled this, nibbling the delight, sipping the coffee, hydrating myself afterward… But the Turkish process is much more lyrical and special. Only now, with a little tutoring, do I finally understand the calculated gastronomic effect of doing it properly.
Ali, recently engaged, also told me that coffee, which Turks introduced to Europe in a failed 17th century invasion that was derailed in Vienna, plays an integral role in the courting of couples. Traditionally, a groom’s family pays a visit to that of the bride’s in Turkish society to announce their son’s intentions (or their intentions for him). The bride’s family, in order to test the young man, will put salt into his coffee. If he flinches or refuses to drink they’ll send him away. If he drinks it with gusto then it proves his staying power, symbolically, through the thick and thin of matrimony.
Ali drank it all. Bravo and congratulations.
Posted by Paul Bennett | This post has 2 comments
July 16th, 2009 under City Life, Context Travel, Culture, Food and Wine, Istanbul.
Last week after class I hopped a ferry with some friends from Kabataş to Kadıköy. Our destination was Çiya Sofrası, a place that had been recommend to me by friends, colleagues, and fellow food bloggers, and is invariably named as one of the best restaurants in the city. Considering that Changa, Mikla, Lokanta, and other high-end hot-spots are also on this list, I was expecting Çiya to be a much more formal affair than it is. I was pleasantly surprised to find an simple cafeteria offering around 20 hot dishes and a variety of salads and pickled vegetables to a varied clientele. Read more »
Posted by Katie Parla | This post has no comments
March 17th, 2009 under Food and Wine, Istanbul.
Although Context doesn’t book hotels we field questions every day from our clients about places to stay in each city where we operate. I sat down with Claire Karaz, an art historian and docent in Istanbul, the other day and asked her to recommend a couple of hotels in the city for our clients, across price ranges, and in strategic locations. Here’s what she came up with (sprinkled with a few observations and first hand experiences from some of our clients):
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Posted by Paul Bennett | This post has 7 comments
February 10th, 2009 under Accommodation, Context Travel, Istanbul.
We’re excited about the current show at the Istanbul Modern, “In Praise of Shadows,” which very uniquely charts a course between traditional Turkish (and Greek) culture and cutting edge international art. The show focuses on the tradition, in this part of the Mediterranean, of shadow plays, popular at the turn of the century and grounded in folk art. But true to its mission as the main voice of modern and contemporary art in the city, the museum has commissioned either contemporary artists to interpret, replay, and develop the aesthetics and central themes of shadow theater through video, drawing, and other media.
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Posted by Paul Bennett | This post has one comment
January 29th, 2009 under Art, Istanbul, Museums and Monuments, Music, Theater, and Dance.
Again this year, Context will make an appearance at the New York Times Travel Show (Feb 6-8). Although at times the atmosphere can be trying (it’s a trade show in a convention hall, afterall; and we are certainly more at home in the Marais or along the docks in Kadikoy…) we find it’s a great forum for crossing paths with former clients and catching up on their travel plans.
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Posted by Paul Bennett | This post has no comments
January 22nd, 2009 under Context Travel, Docent Profiles, Food and Wine, Istanbul, London, Naples, New York, Paris, Rome, Special Events, Venice.
We are excited to announce the launch of the Context Trips Program—10 thematic multi-day itineraries that draw on our network of nearly 200 scholars in Europe’s cultural capitals to provide unique, stimulating, and sustainable alternatives to large group travel. Our trips are much different than a normal packaged tour. Instead of a single guide leading the group, we pass you from specialist to specialist depending on the topic, which makes this a much more in-depth experience. We also limit group size to no more than eight people, which allows us to go at the pace of the group and adhere to sustainable travel principles. Read more »
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December 2nd, 2008 under Context Travel, Florence, Istanbul, Naples, Paris, Rome, Venice.
Gezi Cafe is one of the best spots for a coffee and pastry in the crowded, bustling Taksim area. Since I often stay at this end of Istiklal Street, which is convenient for transport throughout the city, it’s become a kind of haven for me. Famous for their chocolate cakes, on a recent visit a friend had an amazing creme brulee topped with raspberry ice cream.
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Posted by Paul Bennett | This post has one comment
November 15th, 2008 under Food and Wine, Istanbul.
