Friday, August 15, 2014

GOLDEN DREAMS SERDAR KOÇHİSARLI



  After 30 years in jewel crafting business, Mr. Serdar KOCHISARLI has decided to give up serial production after a long time of expertise and to follow his dreams. He started to design his own jewellery productions in his small studio in Sultanahmet – the Old City of Istanbul.

  Any object around him may be an inspiration source for him; a dramatic voice of a violin or happy sings of nightingales... His hands give life to gold and he treats his products like his babies. When you ask him about his “babies”, you can see his eyes shine with joy and you understand that jewellery is much more than just a profes- sion for him. He is a kind of storyteller; the only difference is that he uses gold, silver and gems instead of words...


  Mr. KOCHISARLI produces very special items for next generations and make his “babies” live forever...

Did you know?

  Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent, a famous Ottoman Sultan from 16th century, is well-known as a brave, intelligent, even-handed leader but on the other hand, he was also a very skilful jewelcrafter... 

Saturday, July 19, 2014

Ghosts of the Bosphorus





MEMORIES OF A CITY...



    The Bosphorus, replete with a magical beauty in its water, and the mesmerizing architecture of its houses, pavilions, and splendid palaces along the shorelines. Jason and the Argonauts sped through here, the Golden Fleece stowed, fleeing Phineus, the King of Thrace, resisting the temptation of the Harpies.Where the mouth of the Bosphorus meets the Black Sea was known as the Symplegad, meaning ‘Clashing Rocks,’ which crushed everything that passed between them. Stories of these rocks are numerous, but there is one heart-aching love story, about which rumors continue to this day.

   In the 19th century, Sadullah was paşa (right-hand man) to Sultan Abdülaziz. But Sadullah Paşa and friends supported the claim of would-be sultan Murad V, helping to exile the sitting ruler. Murad, though, found himself unable to deal with the pressures of royal life, losing his mental balance so that his brother, Abdulhamit, became Sultan Abdulhamit II. The new sultan did not trust Sadullah, and exiled both him and his friends. Sadullah lived first in Berlin before moving to Vienna. There, while his wife was waiting for him in Istanbul, he had a forbidden affair with a maid. When the maid announced that she was pregnant, Sadullah, torn, fell into a deep depression and ended up committing suicide. Yet, the story doesn’t end there...


   Sadullah’s wife, Necibe, waited for her husband for more than fourteen years during his exile. Sadullah had told her that pink was ‘her’ color, and when she received news of his death she ignored the truth, continuing to wear only pink and continuing her wait for him. In time, she lost her mind, but still no one could stop her from wearing pink, and only pink, as she waited for her lost husband. Since her death, some say a lady in pink appears in the house at night, walking slowly from one room to another...

    The story of the Sadullah Paşa family is full of sadness. Even today, their yalı (a house next to the sea) is empty as a result of the story and its reputation for bringing bad luck to subsequent owners—all of whom either had accidents or suffered bankruptcy while living in or after leaving this now famous yalı.

   Today the yalı stands aloof in Çengelköy with its rose madder color. And who knows, maybe you will see the lady in pink during your Bosphorus cruise...

Sunday, June 15, 2014

Simit / Ayran - King of the Street Foods





Simit is a type of bagel that has a magical power that everyone love it; from rich business men to broke students. Traditionally it is standard bread-dough shaped as a circle, boiled in hot water with a little pekmez (Grape molasses) for a few seconds and then covered with sesames and finally fried in stone owens. It smells great, a taste of heaven... You can have your simit without anything or you can dip it into your hot tea... But perfect the combination of the simit is with Ayran...




Ayran is very traditional drink made of yogurt, cold water and little bit of salt (if you like). In Anatolia, for good ayran, generally sour yogurt is used and a yogurt + water combination is put in a wooden churn and then depending on the region, shakes or beats them all together and is then drunk cold. It is always preferred along with meals, especially hot ones...
In Turkey, eating simit along with drinking Ayran can be counted as local meal mostly as lunch. It is delicious, nutritional, healthy, cheap and easy to reach. Unfortunately, not all street-sellers simits’ are as tasty as stone-oven ones but during your stay, you should taste it as it is warm, crunchy. Professional simit lovers like it a little burned.



Friday, May 16, 2014

Museum of Innocence

Masterpiece of Orhan PAMUK



I did not realize that was the best moment of my life...
Memories are the sole shelter when we feel sad or bad. Especially from youth which always mist over our eyes because of our pure and naive thoughts and feelings... Now think about a book; written by Orhan PAMUK (Nobel Award winner) who listened the story from the main character and collected all the materials which had been the subjects of the book and exhibits them in the house where one of the main characters has really lived...

This novel is generally a read twice novel; first before visiting the Museum and then after your visit. Seeing all those remnants of pure and innocent love will force you to read the book again, questioning if this love could be possible, so pure and so naïve... Mr. Pamuk lets you to understand the dynamics of the fragile land which has blended with many suffers, happiness and fights... In the melancholic mist of the country, he found the way to connect the hearts from the past to the present... They lived, he wrote and we still admire...
If you are looking for a meaningful gift for your lover, this book will be the best option to attract him or her...

Saturday, April 5, 2014

Sahmaran DEADLY BEAUTY...

Maran refers to being part human and part snake. Snakes are common in legend for being mysterious creatures, and are connected to many stories and beliefs. South-eastern Turkey is full of such legends. One legend tells that Sahmaran was the sultan of the Maran. Though the original legend tells of him being a man, a more commonly known and romantic version tells that Sahmaran was actually female.


Once upon a time, a shepherd accidently fell in a cave full of snakes. Afraid for his life, he heard a soft voice calling to him. “Do not be afraid...” it said, and the snakes proceeded to move aside and open a path for him to follow. At the end of the path, he found a beautiful woman sitting on a throne covered with jewels, and from her waist down she was a snake...
On account of a prophecy foretelling that this man would cause her death should he leave, she had to find a way to keep him in her cave. Inviting him to stay with her, she fell in love with the willing shepherd, and would tell him many tales as a way of filling his loneliness. But still the shepherd began to miss life outside, and miss his mother, so one day he asked Sahmaran that he might spend a day outside the cave, promising to return and never to tell a soul of her and the palace in the cave. Sahmaran, though, knew full well what would happen if she were to let him go...
Meanwhile, the king of the land had fallen incurably ill. Only the flesh of Sahmaran could heal him, it was said. An evil witch told the king to force all the people to go to the hamam (Turkish baths), there to disrobe, because it was said that part of the body of whoever had seen Sahmaran would be covered with snake scales. When the shepherd returned to his village, he was taken captive by soldiers and brought to the hamam. Forcing him to take off his clothes, they found snake scales on his back.
They took him to the palace and threw him into the dungeons to compel him to tell them the whereabouts of Sahmaran... After several days of suffering, the shepherd finally told them that he could bring Sahmaran to them, and so they released him.
The shepherd went back to the cave and told Sahmaran that if she wanted, he could show her his village. Sahmaran looked into the eyes of her lover, and even though she saw the truth in them, she accepted his invitation. Together they left the cave and traveled to the village. In the hamam, the soldiers attacked her. But with one simple move, she defeated them, declaring that should anyone dare to approach her, she would kill them with the snakes on her head. Only the shepherd could kill her, she told them. “Cut my body into three pieces,” she said. “Whoever takes a bite from my snake scales will gain the secrets of the world; whoever eats my body will be rid of all illnesses; but whoever takes a bite from my head will die instantly.”
The shepherd turned on his lover, killing her. The witch forced to him take a bite of the head, while she took a bite of the scales, and the king a bite of the flesh. The king was healed, as foretold, but the witch got her comeuppance and died, while the shepherd was not affected at all. Even as Sahmaran passed away, she took care of her love...
Today, Sahmaran has a well-known form: a part-snake / part-human body with six snakes for legs. She wears a crown adorned with ram horns, and generally in the background is a big rose. A common belief is that paintings of Sahmaran protect houses from fire. Even today, Sahmaran paintings can be seen in Eastern Turkey, especially as part of a girl’s dowry. 


Friday, March 14, 2014

REWRITE THE HISTORY

GÖBEKLI TEPE



In 1963, an old Turkish farmer in Sanliurfa found accidentally a precisely carved stone in his farm and took it away to Sanliurfa Museum but he had no idea which consequences he would cause. After a process of research and excavation, today some parts of Gobekli Tepe Temple have been unveiled. Its history traces back to 10th Millennium BC which means that it’s 12 thousand years old. That makes Gobekli Tepe the oldest human-made temple in the world. Plan of the temple is similar to the Stonehenge. However, not only its immense dimensions but the side-by-side existence of multiple pillar shrines makes the location unique. Today the temple is acknowledged worlwide as the biggest antique temple in the world.


Hypotheses about it are unlimited and the most logical one seems as the one of an excavator Klaus Schmidt as is: “First came the temple, then the city.” Hunter-gatherer or a settled commu- nity, whoever built this temple must have had a great sense of art and skill. Animal or floral carv- ings and their plastic values are very significant. However, their belief system is not very clear yet. Shamanism seems the most logical system considering ornaments in it but there is no evidence about it. Pictograms are unreadable and the meanings of animal reliefs are unknown. Deers, insects, spiders and wolfs... They keep their silence for centuries; excavation may bring us closer to their meaning or take us thousands mile away... The only truth is that the biggest antique sanctuary Gobekli Tepe has more to show and each day we will learn more of it. We are certain you will also discover your own truths about this old spiritual place by visiting and feeling it...


Note from Matiana Travel Advisors:

Göbekli Tepe is the most attractive destination of Matiana Travel’s archaeology and history of religions themed tours. If you like to visit mystical places where the people chased the higher beings & holy energies, we invite you to contact our travel advisors for more information and guidance.

Monday, February 10, 2014

ÜÇ YILDIZ CANDY

 THE HOME OF DELICACIES, WHERE YOU CAN TASTE THE SWEETNESS OF LIFE...

Mr. Ahmet Fikri Dörtler, the founder of Üç Yıldız Şekerleme, relocated to Istanbul from Inebolu soon after the Turkish War of Independence. As his family was involved in candy making, Mr. Dörtler began working at a candy shop. Not long afterwards, in 1926, he, his brother, and a close friend established Üç Yıldız Şekerleme.

Years later, two of Mr. Dörtler’s three children, Fahri and Feridun, happily agreed to carry on the family business. Unfortunately, Fahri died at a young age, so the business passed down to Feridun, who had graduated from the well-known Galatasaray High School.

Üç Yıldız Şekerleme continues to manufacture a range of candies, such as lokum (‘Turkish delight’), jams and marmalades, akide şekeri (hard candy), beyaz tatlı (white candy), and badem ezmesi (marzipan). Foreign and domestic customers alike, as well as five-star hotels and recognized restaurants, form the portfolio of Üç Yıldız Şekerleme, one of Turkey’s most irresistible and traditional candy makers and sellers.


Did you know?

the title ”Üç Yıldız Şekerleme” their shop “Three Stars Candy” taken from the close bond between the three men.