Australian expat, creator and sociologist Lisa Morrow has just lately launched a brand new guidebook on among the most charming but lesser-known locations of curiosity in Istanbul. From mosques to church buildings, doll museums and extra, Morrow’s new guidebook, “Istanbul 50 Unsung Places” affords in-depth information of fifty lesser-known websites damaged down by totally different districts within the metropolis. Each website comprises private instructions and directions on methods to go to and why. I had the possibility to meet up with Lisa to speak about her new ebook on Istanbul launched this summer time.
Morrow has been in Türkiye for over 20 years and whereas she now lives on the Asian facet of Istanbul, she has lived in a number of cities within the nation from the central Anatolian province of Nevşehir to the Mediterranean coastal metropolis of Antalya and has been writing about her experiences in books and worldwide publications for the final decade. “Istanbul 50 Unsung Places” is her first guidebook and happened by way of her fascination with the historical past, social life, non secular customs and private tales to be present in much less well-known websites across the metropolis. This eclectic information celebrates the wealthy cultural heritage of Istanbul, combining historical past, little-known details, transport data, instructions and helpful ideas.
The guidebook is the fruits of thorough analysis and area journeys to 50 locations all through the town which can be for probably the most half missed. Morrow particulars how precisely to get to the locations, which embody locations reminiscent of mosques, tombs and museums. Of the 50 unsung locations, 24 are on the European facet, whereas 26 are on the Asian facet.
“The names of sights are listed in Turkish because I know outside tourist areas not as many people speak English,” Morrow defined, including that “the index is in English.” Available on-line in book and paperback kind and shortly to be out there in bookshops in Istanbul, Morrow foresees folks taking a screenshot or printing out the pages for the locations they wish to see and taking it together with them because the highway map for his or her journey.
“The guide includes descriptions of transport hubs in Kadıköy, Üsküdar, Taksim and Eminönü. The idea is you know what you want to see and how to get there, so you can enjoy the moment rather than constantly having to check your phone for directions. I also know not all tourists have Wi-Fi while they’re here, so readers can screenshot a walking route in advance.”
As for a way the ebook happened, Morrow says: “I’ve spent years going to less visited places in Istanbul, all by public transport. People were always interested when I talked about what I’d seen and learned, both Turks and internationals, so I decided to put together a guide. I really want people to experience the Istanbul I live in, a place where tradition and modernity combine to create a unique and distinct atmosphere I call the ‘everyday extraordinary.”
Undiscovered locations
Morrow takes her readers to locations you received’t discover in guides like Lonely Planet, however as you will note they’re every equally charming in their very own proper, reminiscent of Zühtü Paşa Mosque close to Kızıltoprak. Built in 1883-34, it comprises the most important variety of examples of Kufic writings of any mosque in Istanbul. Kūfic is a sort of handwritten Islamic script, believed to have first been used to report quotes from the Quran within the early Islamic middle of Kufah, Iraq, and this mosque has the scripture masking its partitions and dome.
Morrow additionally takes her readers to the Yeraltı Mosque in Karaköy, which because the title suggests is hidden underground.
Another website is the Şakirin Mosque in a cemetery in Üsküdar, close to Kadıköy, which was designed by a girl. Morrow additionally results in Marmara University’s Theology Faculty Mosque and Culture Centre in Altunizade and describes the improbable fractal dome housed inside a post-modern constructing that additionally comprises a library and a restaurant.
Morrow visits the Aya Efimia Rum Ortodoks Kilisesi in Kadıköy, a Greek Orthodox church named after Saint Euphemia who died in A.D. 303. Her tumultuous life is described at size within the ebook. Morrow additionally takes her reader alongside walks in Validebağ Grove, situated close to Altunizade, a 354,000-square-meter (3.81 million-square-foot) tree-filled grove that after belonged to a sultan’s mom.
Some of the tales behind the websites are simply fascinating, reminiscent of how the Haydarpaşa Train Station was constructed by German architects to accommodate the tomb of Şeyh Haydar Buhari. I additionally didn’t know that there was a museum, referred to as the Üsküdar Hanım Sultanlar Museum, dedicated to exhibiting handmade dolls wearing miniature actual copies of outfits worn by the sultana and sultans of the Ottoman Empire. The guidebook additionally comprises cultural gems reminiscent of mosque etiquette, answering any of the questions that might pop into your thoughts. This is why whether or not you’re accustomed to the town or not, studying “Istanbul 50 Unsung Places” is a treasure.
Morrow has written plenty of books on her observations in Türkiye and is the creator of the favored weblog on all issues Istanbul-related and past entitled “Inside Out in Istanbul.” Having lived in Türkiye for practically 20 years, she has been providing private insights and sharing her tried-and-tested experiences in her entertaining vernacular with readers for many years.
Some of her books embody “Istanbul Dreams: Waiting for the Tulips to Bloom,” which is her memoir about transferring to Türkiye for good in 2010 when she purchased an residence and needed to take care of relocating and paperwork. There can be “Inside Out In Istanbul: Making Sense of the City” and “Longing for Istanbul: The Words I Haven’t Said Yet,” in addition to “Exploring Turkish Landscapes: Crossing Inner Boundaries,” which has additionally been translated into Turkish as “Türkiyeyi Keşfederek Sınırlarını Aşarken.” In addition, Morrow has created an audio tour of a stroll in Kadıköy referred to as “Stepping Back Through Chalcedon.”
Source: www.dailysabah.com
