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itsarttome · 3 years

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Armenian Women in Visual Arts

I took a class on Armenian culture and history in university that exposed me to this beautiful country and people and opened my eyes to the undeniable tragedy of the Armenian Genocide of 1915.

I’m not Armenian, but I’m Greek on my dad’s side which I found out is very similar. We both love our dolma’s and hate the Turks. But in all seriousness, we share a lot of similarities with Armenian culture, including its political history, which has helped me to further empathize with the current struggles they are facing as a country. It's heartbreaking to see that, just five years after the 100 year anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, Armenians appear to be facing a second genocide. Armenia’s neighboring country Azerbaijan has been ensuing deadly attacks against them for some time now with the aid of Turkey and the issue continues to be mostly ignored by the international community. Protests have been raging on both in the nation and diaspora. In no way do I consider myself to be an expert on this subject, but I feel responsible at least to educate myself and do my part as a citizen of the world.

There is no civilization in the world that, given it possess the resources and will, doesn’t have artists, doctors, lawyers, chefs, musicians, poets, farmers, accountants, etc... The meaning of this to me is that it is proof we are all valuable people, no matter where we come from or what we look like. Just think about how sand is made from millions of tiny parts but looks like one uniform blanket on the beach. If you were to put a handful of sand into a jar, and another handful into another jar, you’d find that each jar is made up of entirely different rocks. But somehow, both have all the elements needed to still look like a handful of sand. That’s how I view culture. Every culture is a handful of sand; they all have necessarily found their own way to explain the universe (religion), their own way to communicate (language), their own way to nourish themselves (diet), and so on... and each way is original and different. But somehow, all of the elements add up to create a civilization, a culture, and a people with a shared identity. The only thing that makes us different is that we’re arbitrarily placed into one jar and not another, but when you look at the big picture, we’re all the same.

As embarrassing as it is to admit, I think by human nature it’s much easier to care about someone else’s journey in life when they have something in common with you. What I love about art is that when you meet another artist, no matter who, you feel a sort of magical connection to that person and are bonded over your mutual appreciation of it. I am a woman and I am an artist, and because of that, I feel lucky and unworthy in saying I have something in common with these incredibly talented Armenian women that I’m about to share with you.

I. Zabelle Boyajian (1872-1957)

Zabelle C. Boyajian was a poet, painter and playwright of the Ottoman Empire, born in 1872 in Diyarbakir, one of the ancient Armenian capitals, ‘Tigranakert’. After the murder of her father during the Hamidian Massacres of 1895, she, her mother and her brother immigrated to London. She travelled extensively throughout her lifetime and learned to speak eight languages fluently, including Armenian, English, German, Italian, Greek, Turkish and Russian. Being skilled in so many languages, apart from the arts, she was a great contributor to the translation of many great Armenian works. For example, in 1948, she translated Avetik Isahakian’s epic poem “Abu Lala Mahari” and published it for the world to read. In 1938, thanks to her wide travels, she published several illustrations from her visit to Greece, entitled “In Greece with Pen and Palette”. Exhibitions of her art were held in London, Egypt, France, Italy, Belgium and Germany. She was close friends with Anna Raffi, the wife of the well-known Armenian novelist, Raffi. One of the leading female trailblazers of art, literature and translation, she published her first novel in 1901, entitled “Esther”. She is well known today for her gorgeous storybook illustrations.

II. Miriam Aslamazian (1907-2006)

Miriam Aslamazian, sometimes called the Armenian Frida Kahlo, was born on October 20th, 1907 in Alexandropol in the village of Bash-shirak. She was was a Soviet painter of Armenian descent recognized for her exquisite ceramic plates. In 1929, she graduated from the Yerevan Art-Industrial Technicum and later in 1933, from the Leningrad Academy of Art. In 1946, she became a member of the CPSU (the Communist Party of the Soviet Union). Her work is often described as decorative, flat still-life pieces as well as possessing dramatic, colorful themes. Many pieces of her artwork can be found today in the Aslamazian Sisters’ Museum in Gyumri. She was honored as People’s Artist of the Armenian SSR 1965 and People’s Artist of the Soviet Union in 1990.

III. Gayane Khachaturian (1942-2009)

Gayane Khachaturian, born May 9th, 1942 in Tbilisi, Georgia, was a Georgian-Armenian graphic artist and painter. She studied at the Nikoladze Art School and the Secondary School of Working Youth, where she graduated in 1960. Sergei Parajanov, who she was close friends with, was a major inspiration for her. Some of her works are permanently displayed and can be seen at the National Gallery of Armenia, the Yerevan Museum of Modern Art as well as the Sergei Parajanov Museum in Yerevan. Her works have also been purchased and are included in several private art collections. Her first informal solo exhibition was at Skvoznyachok Café in Yerevan in 1967.

IV. Sonia Balassanian

Sonia Balassanian is a mixed media artist, art curator, founder and Artistic Director of the Armenian Center for Contemporary Experimental Art in Yerevan, Armenia. Born in Iran of Armenian descent on April 8th of 1942, Balassanian uses her artwork to advocate for human rights and women's emancipation issues. In 1970, she obtained a BFA from the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts and the following year worked on an independent study program at the Whitney Museum of American Art. In 1978, she completed her MFA from Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, New York. The following year, however, the 1979 events in Iran caused her to turn to “political art” as self expression. She is also a skilled writer, publishing several works, including, “There Might Have Been An Insane Heart” (1982), composed of selected poems written in the Armenian language, “Portraits” published in New York in 1983 and “Two Books” (2006), a publication of two books of poems in one combined.

V. Nora Chavashian

Nora Chavashian is an award-winning production designer, art director and set decorator, recognized for her sculptural stage sets, born in Philadelphia, PA on October 25th, 1953. OMG we have the same birthday, no wonder I like her! There, she studied sculpture at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts. In 1974, Chayashian graduated from the San Francisco Art Institute (SFAI). In 1984, she married Joe Morton, an American actor, director, writer, singer and songwriter, with whom she has three children, Hopi, Seta and Ara, and one grandson, Moses. In 1988, she and her family relocated to the East Coast. Her sculptures often have organic shapes and are reminiscent of nature.

VI. Anush Yeghiazaryan

Anush Yeghiazaryan is a painter, weaver and professor born on June 15th, 1965 in Yerevan, Armenia, known for her stunning tapestry creations. Hailing from the family of Karapet Yeghizaryan, patriarch of the Armenian school of art weaving, she has held up the traditional weaving techniques of her ancestors. From 1984 to 1990, she studied graphic design at the Yerevan State Fine Arts Academy. From 1991 to 1994, she worked on obtaining her PhD from the State Armenian Pedagogical University. In 1996, she became a member of the Armenian Union of Artists. In 2010, Yeghiazaryan joined the Pan-Armenian Painting Association. She has had her work presented in exhibitions around the world, from Yerevan to Paris, Moscow, Sankt Petersburg, Bouve, Plovdil, Tehran, Italy and Praha. Quoted for saying, “I have not chosen art, it’s in my blood. It’s my lifestyle and I love it up to sublimation degree”. Some of her pieces displaying masterful weaving techniques include,“If you live, create” (1998), “Once Upon a Time in Paris” (2003), and “Urbanization” (2006).

VII. Taleen Berberian

Taleen Berberian is a modern Armenian visual artist, specializing in mixed mediums, crafted fabric, clay sculptures, drawing and the use of the traditional Armenian sewing, embroidery and crochet techniques in unconventional ways. She is especially recognized for her famous sculptures of shoes. Berberian has been on the forefront of women’s issues, a theme that can be seen through her artwork. She is an active participant in both Los Angeles and New York’s art communities. In 1995, she obtained a BFA in Sculpture from the California College of the Arts in Oakland, California and in 1998 she continued on to achieve a MFA in Studio Art and Art Education from Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, New York. In 2009, she received her Initial Teachers’ Certification in Visual Art for grades K-12 and currently serves as a quilting and ceramics instructor.

VIII. Joanne Julian

Found out artist Joanne Julian and I are both CSUN alum and native Angelenos! Julian, who is of Armenian ancestry, says she has been highly influenced by her travels to Asia and thus became skilled in certain Asian techniques, such as mono printing and the “flung ink” or “Haboku” style. Her pieces possess a “Zen quality” to them, as portrayed in her “Zen Circle” series, illuminating the Yin and Yang of Taoist painting. She received her Bachelor’s of Arts and her Masters in sculpture and printmaking from California State University, Northridge. She later received her MFA from the Otis Art Institute of Parsons School of Design. She has participated in over sixty group exhibitions and twenty solo exhibitions nation-wide. Since 1973, Julian has served as the Chair of the Fine Arts Department and Gallery Director at the College of Canyons in Valencia, California. In 2008, from January 25th to February 23rd, she held an exhibition at CSUN’s Art Gallery entitled, “Counterpoints”.

All of the female artists I mentioned have given people a better look into what it means to be Armenian and how the community and its diaspora are trying to solidify the Armenian identity to enable its rich heritage and traditions to live on. And they are just a few of the proud Armenians who have helped raise awareness of the issues Armenians face, as well as give Armenians their due respect in the realm of International Art. And to go one step further, my deepest hope is that one day, art will overcome the war.

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visitturkeytr-blog · 7 years

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Is it safe to visit Turkey?

New Post has been published on http://www.visitturkey.in/is-it-safe-to-visit-turkey/

Is it safe to visit Turkey?

Is it safe to travel in Turkey

However some media sources and people are telling it's not a safe place to travel to due to unrest and due to countries it shares a border with.

Media likes to exaggerate stuff because it brings more ratings, the daily life is quite peaceful.

Most travelers comment on the friendliness and hospitality of the Turkish people. It really is exceptional.

Turkey is not only friendly, it is, in many ways, as safe as Europe and North America, although no place is completely safe. Here are some travel danger statistics to put things in perspective.

How safe is it to travel to Turkey?

We asked Government and industry experts for their travel advice.

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) advise against all travel to within 10 km of the border with Syria and to the city of Diyarbakir.

The FCO advise against all but essential travel to:

the remaining areas of Sirnak, Mardin, Sanliurfa, Gaziantep, Diyarbakir, Kilis and Hatay provinces

the provinces of Siirt, Tunceli and Hakkari

Still current at: 5 September 2017

Updated: 28 July 2017

Latest update: Summary - updated information and advice following changes to the restrictions on carrying electronic items in the aircraft cabin on some flights to the UK from Turkey

- the remaining areas of Sirnak, Mardin, Sanliurfa, Gaziantep, Diyarbakir, Kilis and Hatay provinces

- the provinces of Siirt, Tunceli and Hakkari

"British nationals made over 1.7 million visits to Turkey in 2016. It’s generally safe to travel to Turkey, but you should take additional safety precautions. Be alert to your surroundings and remain vigilant in crowded places popular with foreign nationals, including during festival periods such as Christmas and New Year.

"Rallies and demonstrations, official and unofficial, may take place at short notice. You should stay well away from any demonstrations.

"The situation has calmed following an attempted coup on 15 to 16 July 2016. But the security environment remains potentially volatile and a state of emergency is in place.

"In some busy areas, especially Istanbul, the Turkish authorities are stopping members of the public to conduct ID checks. There’s also a larger than usual number of police checkpoints on main roads across Turkey. You should co-operate with officials conducting checks, and keep your passport and a printed copy of your e-visa or your residence permit with you at all times."

Check the FCO's Turkey travel advice page for more updates.

Are many people still travelling to Turkey?

Europe travelling to Turkey have been warned of a ‘high’ terror threat following the triple attacks on Istanbul’s Ataturk International Airport and a failed military coup last year.

But with Turkey a popular holiday destination for many, is it still a safe place to travel to?

Visitor numbers have certainly been hit as a result of recent events, but tourists are still travelling to Turkey in their millions.

Do you think it is safe to travel to Turkey ?

Is it safe to travel to Turkey in 2017?

If you don't visit Turkey due to fear of terror, then don't visit France, Germany and Britain either. It is as safe as UK. Actually it is safer than UK nowadays.

Why have a holiday in Turkey?

Turkey is a vast nation, straddling Europe and Asia, full of beauty and rich in heritage. The country also has welcoming people, fabulous cuisine, great beaches - and low prices. I first visited Turkey in 1988, travelling along the Mediterranean coast to resorts including Olu Deniz and Marmaris, and exploring treasures such as the ruins of Ephesus. I have returned many times since then, both as an independent backpacker and on package holidays. I am particularly fond of the biggest metropolis, Istanbul, which is one of the most fascinating and rewarding cities in the world - and I am looking forward to exploring the country more deeply in years to come.

Impressive, Breathtaking, Stunning...

So many words come to mind when you see the beauty of Turkey. Not only beautiful but also unique, not only sights but unforgettable experiences.

This is what vacation in Turkey is. Turkey offers nothing less than a good life with happy memories.

Featured activities

Things to see and do in Turkey. Find out the best things to do, places to go and visit including events and fun activities for sightseeing as well as top tourist attractions in Turkey

the country that travels within you

Bright colors of #Kas #Turkey · Kalkan TurkeyVisit

See it! Feel it! Love it!

Turkey is on the Mediterranean, in the Anatolian region of West Asia, with a small section in Southeastern Europe separated by the Turkish Straits (Bosphorus, Sea of Marmara, and Dardanelles).

With the Black Sea to the north and the Aegean Sea in the west and Mediterranean Sea to the southwest, Turkey is surrounded by Bulgaria and Greece to the west, Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia to the northeast, Syria, Iraq and Iran to the southeast.

And you think you’ve done it all?

Welcome to holiday, tourism and travel guide to Turkey. Turkey is home, where your journey begins. Come and visit Turkey.

Let's explore

Want more travel tips for Turkey? Follow along on twitter: #turkeyisopen and #visitturkey

Source: http://www.visitturkey.in/is-it-safe-to-visit-turkey/

#activities #holiday #home #journey #safe #tourism #travel guide #travels #visit Turkey #visitturkey #Before You Go #Essential information #Insider Tips #News #Traveller information

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omgstupendousbouquetbasement · 5 years

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Turkey's Ruling Party Suffers Heavy Losses in Key Local Polls

VOA's Turkish and Kurdish services contributed to this report. ISTANBUL -- Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's party suffered heavy losses in Sunday's local elections, losing critical cities across the country, while the main opposition party is on course to win the capital Ankara. In Istanbul, election results remain too close to call, with opposition claims of voter manipulation. Erdogan, speaking in Istanbul to reporters, acknowledged his Justice and Development Party (AKP) had suffered setbacks and vowed to learn "lessons" from the poll. "We had some wins; we had some losses," he said. Erdogan went on to promise to introduce measures to boost the economy, which is mired in recession. Possible defeat in Ankara Some analysts see Erdogan's avoidance of his traditional fiery rhetoric against the opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) as a sign of accepting defeat in the capital Ankara. Ankara's CHP candidate, Mansor Yavas, appears set for a historic but narrow victory for the opposition. In addressing thousands of supporters gathered in the heart of the capital, Yavas gave a conciliatory speech, promising to focus on services, adding there would be no purge of workers with ties to the AKP. In Istanbul, the contest remains mired in controversy. AKP candidate Binali Yildirim claimed victory in a short speech. However, CHP candidate Ekrem Imamoglu immediately shot back, saying it was shameful to claim success, given that only a few thousand votes separate the candidates and some ballots remain uncounted. Imamoglu called on his supporters not to sleep for the next 48 hours, warning their victory was being stolen from them. Earlier Sunday evening, Imamoglu challenged the integrity of the counting of the vote, claiming there were disparities in results in the announced elections. With 98.5% of votes counted in Istanbul, results appeared frozen with no update for several hours. Most of the outstanding uncounted ballots are in CHP strongholds. Recent elections in Turkey have been marred by controversy over voter manipulation and outright fraud allegations by the opposition, a charge denied by the governing AKP. Critics, however, claim the Supreme Electoral Board, which administers elections, is run by the government and presidential appointees. Sunday evening, the electoral board stopped sending results to the opposition parties for 40 minutes, claiming it was upgrading its system. Leading members of the opposition party went to the electoral board headquarters, demanding an explanation. Beyond Ankara and Istanbul, the AKP lost several key provincial cities, while narrowly avoiding defeat in many others. Several other important results remain in the balance. Recession, inflation The AKP appears to be paying a heavy price for an economy in recession and soaring inflation. "Our economy is getting worse and worse because of their (government) bad management," said Erdem, an engineer, speaking before voting in Istanbul. "Most of my friends are now looking for a job and some my friends lose their job because of economic crisis." Voters in Ankara spoke about the country's economic problems. "The youth in this country are unemployed. We know the hardships of people who don't have a job. The only solution to this is creating jobs," Orhan Kurubacak told VOA. "I don't think things are going well. There is nothing more else to say. There are a lot of economic factors," Hakan Akyürek said. Diyarbakir AKP candidate, Cumali Attila, told VOA's Kurdish service, "I hope these elections would end with gumption. It is our responsibility to claim democracy." The pro-Kurdish People's Democratic Party (HDP) heavily defeated Attila. However, the AKP scored some crucial victories in the predominantly Kurdish southeast, winning key provinces. In Sirnak, the AKP won with a 30 percent swing to the party from the HDP. Such success will likely do little to soften the blow Erdogan has suffered in the Sunday polls. Even though Erdogan was not on the ballot, he took personal control of the local election campaign. In the last few days held more than a dozen rallies across Istanbul in a bid to consolidate his party's support. Realities in country Despite such efforts, analysts say Erdogan could not escape the economic realities facing the county. "I think that the most powerful and effective opposition parties are not the classical parties, like the Republican People's Party or the Good Party. However, the key issue for the elections is the increasing prices of vegetables. Let's say the prices of cucumbers or tomatoes. These are the most effective oppositions of Turkey," Doster added. The loss of Ankara and possibly Istanbul is the worst electoral defeat for Erdogan, who has enjoyed unparalleled success. Analysts say Erdogan's reputation of electoral invincibility has received a significant blow. Meanwhile, HDP co-chair Pervin Buldan said votes cast Sunday for her party "will contribute to peace, freedom and equality." Buldan said, however, obstacles their party faced, such as receiving no television coverage during the election, might not be enough to win. "Every day we tried to clear and explain the truths told our people about the lies, slanders, threats and the perception that created against us. We did our duty today. I believe that our people will do their duty at the polls, too," she said. from Blogger https://ift.tt/2U9r3xX via IFTTT

#IFTTT #Blogger

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xtinaboomgirl · 7 years

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I can’t get the thought of what’s happened in Manchester out of my head. All these people that have needlessly lost their lives enjoying such a pure thing as music, all the children who have had their childhood stripped from them. It is breaking my heart to see the faces of these victims, one little girl was from my city and it’s come about that she may have only been five. Five years old and your life is being torn away from you by a coward with a beliefs system.

These terrorist sects can preach their hatred but how they preach doing this as an act of love towards God I will never know. No one who would murder children and tear families apart could have an inch of room in their heart for loving anything and they certainly won’t be receiving love or praise from the Almighty.

My heart bleeds for every Muslim person who has been a target for racism since this attack. When will people understand that true believers in Islam find these acts as abhorrent as the rest of us? Islam preaches love and brotherhood, not the murder of innocent people attending a concert.

The world is a terrifying place to live in and every day you turn the news on it seems you can never escape the news of a new terrorist attack. Brussels, Tours, Dijon, Nantes, Paris, Copenhagen, Bosnia, Diyarbakir, Lyon, Ankara, Sarajevo, Magnaville, Istanbul, Nice, Wurzburg, Ansbach, Rouen, Libya, Indonesia, Egypt, Syria, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Bangladesh, these are just some of the places affected by this radicalised terror. I know there are more places and sadly more places to come but when will the hatred end?

I know it’s not as simple as laying down arms and all being friends and I don’t know that it will ever change but I hope one day these days of terror are all in our past. I know it’s a big dream but if you don’t have hope these days it seems you might as well lay down and give in to the void.

#ramble #Manchester #Manchester arena #Ariana grande #Isis #daesh #terrorism #islam #muslim #hope

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instantdeerlover · 4 years

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The London Delivery & Takeaway Directory (1) added to Google Docs

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Whilst we’ve been busy organising our sock drawer and questioning the merits of sell-by dates, many of London’s restaurants have been busy developing new collection and/or delivery options. We thought it would be important to keep track of them, because even though you can’t eat at restaurants, you can still support them by ordering their food. This directory is organised by north, south, east, and west, with links to delivery platforms so that you can easily order too. Plus, we’ll be updating this guide daily with more spots across London. Got a restaurant tip? Email us at [email protected].

If you’re looking for delivery or collection options to suit a specific mood, read our guide to London’s Delivery And Collection Options For Every Situation. And if your home bar (cupboard) is in serious need of a re-stock, we’ve got The Alcohol Delivery Guide too.

Jump To

North

East

South

West

Central

north Namaaste Kitchen ££££ 64 Parkway

Butter chicken, lamb chops, and king prawn biryani. Those are just some of the things you can get delivered from Namaaste Kitchen in Camden. Order directly from their website or give them a buzz on 020 485 5977.

Lyon's ££££ 1 Park Road

Whilst isolation has driven you to calling fish fingers lightly-crumbed cod digits, seafood specialist spot Lyon’s have started delivering for the first time. Click here to get a crispy softshell crab burger or a very casual whole chargrilled plaice with seaweed butter delivered straight to your door.

Cannons Fish and Chips ££££ 6 Park Road

There are few things more reliably satisfying than a freshly battered fish with a big portion of chips, but if you prefer yours grilled, with a side of halloumi, Cannons in Crouch End can take care of that too. Click here to order.

Bufala Di Londra ££££ 18 Topsfield Parade

Bufala di Londra in Crouch End are delivering a variety of pizzas, including a yellow tomato sauce margherita. They’ll also send you a platter of cured meat, beer, and wine if you ask for it. Order here.

Coffee Circus ££££ 136, Crouch Hill

Order hot coffee drinks, cold coffee drinks, tea, salads, cooked breakfasts, and a variety of things on toast from Coffee Circus in Crouch End. Delivery available here.

Dunn's Bakery ££££ 6 The Broadway

A big selection of breads, bakewell tarts, lemon drizzle cakes, doughnuts, and flapjacks are available for local delivery from Crouch End landmark, Dunns. Place orders directly from their website here.

Saki ££££ 33 Broadway Parade

A selection of sushi, sashimi, hot dishes, and bento boxes are available from Saki in Crouch End. They also deliver beer, sake, and plum wine. Order here.

Sacro Cuore ££££ Crouch End Hill

Neopolitan pizzas and salads are being delivered all day every day from Sacro Cuore in Crouch End. Order here.

Bottle Apostle ££££ 49 Park Road

Bottle Apostle is a pretty serious wine shop in Crouch End. They always have a solid stock of wines you want to drink, and knowledgable staff on hand to give you the advice you need. Head here to order a small selection of their wines for immediate delivery, or check out their online shop for a more elaborate order.

Diyarbakır Restaurant ££££ 69 Grand Parade, Green Lanes

Diyarbakir serves classic Turkish and Middle Eastern dishes from a couple of locations on Green Lanes. Order their lahmacen, pide, hot and cold mezze, and manti, as well as other specialities from the oven and charcoal grill here and here.

Quartieri £ £ £ £ Pizza , Italian in Kilburn ££££ 300 Kilburn High Rd 8.4 /10

You’re definitely going to want to get involved in the spicy La Diavolo pizza from Quartieri. To get their excellent Naples-style pizza delivered click here.

Top Cuvée ££££ 177B Blackstock Rd

Highbury wine bar and restaurant Top Cuvée have done a full quarantine re-brand and are now Shop Cuvée, your one-stop spot for everything from a £50 home feast involving fresh tagliatelle, to natural wine survival kits, to batched negronis.

Franks Canteen ££££ 86 Highbury Park

Good news, brunch isn’t cancelled. Highbury spot Frank’s Canteen has got your bacon sarnie, coffee, and pastry needs covered. If you happen to live nearby you can swing by for their collection menu, otherwise call 020 7354 4830 or order here.

Farang £ £ £ £ Thai in Highbury ££££ 72 Highbury Park 7.6 /10

Ever eaten a whole seabass on your sofa? You’re about to. Thai spot Farang in Highbury are now doing ready meals, fresh fish, and alcohol to take away. Ring 020 7226 1609 to book your collection time and place an order - you can find the menu here.

Yard Sale Pizza ££££ 54 Blackstock Rd

Yard Sale’s 18-inch pizzas will feed you for lunch, dinner, and the next day’s breakfast. Or if you’re doing this whole quarantine eating thing right, one prolonged afternoon snack. You can order directly from their website.

Provisions £ £ £ £ Wine Bar in Highbury , Islington ££££ 167 Holloway Road Not

Rated

Yet

Does brie count as an essential provision? Absolutely. According to us, so is natural wine and 18-month aged comte. Holloway’s Provisions is delivering all of the above straight to your front door. Get your cheese on here.

Zia Lucia ££££ 157 Holloway Rd

Zia Lucia by numbers: six types of pizza, 48-hour slow fermented dough, and 157 Holloway Road is their address. For their handcrafted, wood-fired pizzas click here.

The Compton Arms £ £ £ £ British , Pub in Islington ££££ 4 Compton Avenue 8.0 /10

We once described The Compton Arms’ cheeseburger as ‘an outstanding piece of beefy, buttery craftsmanship’. We weren’t wrong. For the first time you can now eat it at home by sliding into Four Legs’ DMs.

Sutton and Sons ££££ 356 Essex Rd

In the mood for fish and chips? Or something vegan that doesn’t resemble cardboard? Old School chippie Sutton And Sons have both covered with their classic menu and their surprisingly long vegan menu. Order from here.

Tanakatsu £ £ £ £ Japanese in Islington ££££ 10 Wakley Street Not

Rated

Yet

Tanakatsu is a simple diner in Angel that specialises in, plot twist, katsu. You’ll also find their teriyaki dishes, sushi, and gyoza available for delivery here.

1251 ££££ 107 Upper Street

1251 on Upper Street is usually a small plates, casual fine dining situation. Now they’re delivering. Welcome to 2020. Their menu is changing all the time, but buttermilk jerk chicken with scotch bonnet jam and other options are all available here.

The Cheese Bar £ £ £ £ American , Sandwiches in Camden ££££ Unit 93 North Yard Not

Rated

Yet

The Cheese Bar might be how you just refer to your mouth now, but it’s also a cheese-mad Camden spot that have kicked off a new delivery menu. Their new range called Mac Daddy has things like a triple cheese fondue, or for their classic range of cheese and survival kits, hit up their website.

Latteria £ £ £ £ Italian in Islington ££££ 56 - 58 Essex Road Not

Rated

Yet

All-day Italian diner and deli, Latteria, are delivering everything from hot tagliatelle al ragu to fresh pasta and groceries to cook at home. For your full meal needs hit them up here, otherwise head to their website to order from their long, long list of groceries.

Baan Thai £ £ £ £ Thai in Kentish Town ££££ 18 Not

Rated

Yet

Fancy a big, comforting bowl of tom yum? Of course you do. Order directly from their website to get involved in pad thai, Singapore laksa, and much more.

The Abbey Tavern ££££ 124 Kentish Town Rd

Nanny Bills at The Abbey Tavern is an evening-only Kentish Town delivery spot doing what we’d refer to as a Serious Burger Situation. We’re talking double patties, smoked bacon, mustard glaze, and a whole lot of gravy. Find all of the above here.

Moi Moi Island ££££ 81 Kentish Town Rd

Camden’s Moi Moi Island is home to jerk chicken, lamb curry, dutty fries, and sweet adobo wings. Get it delivered so that your kitchen can be home to them too. You can also order directly from them by calling 020 7267 7769.

Beer + Burger £ £ £ £ Burgers in Kings Cross ££££ 1a Arthouse, 1 York Way 7.1 /10

A classic case of ‘does what it says on the tin’ this place is all about affordable, tasty burgers and craft beer. Live in King’s Cross or around Willesden Green? You can hit up their click and collect options, otherwise order here.

The Coal Office ££££ 4-10 Bagley Walk Arches

The Coal Office in King’s Cross have launched a Fresh Food Hub. What does that mean? It means you can follow their Instagram to find out which recipe they’ll be making tomorrow and pre-order it today by emailing [email protected]. Or if you’re feeling a little wild you can also get the ingredients delivered and follow the recipe yourself.

Café Lemon ££££ 118 West Green Road

Cafe Lemon in Seven Sisters serves an eclectic menu. Basically, you can get everything from a full English to arancini to a wild alaskan salmon burger. They also have plenty of vegan options, which you can order from here or here.

Uncle John's Bakery ££££ 76 West Green Rd

This little Ghanian bakery in Seven Sisters is lowkey serving some of the best bread in London. Whether you’re after coconut cake, savoury chin chin, or their classic sweet bread - you can get it all here.

Spice Deli ££££ 11 Goldhurst Terrace

Spice Deli has an NW6 postcode and plenty of turmeric yoghurt, vegetable fritters, and chicken stew for you to eat. Find them here or here.

Morso ££££ 130 Boundary Road

You can order ingredients, or ready-cooked meals from this homemade pasta restaurant off Abbey Road. Check out their menu and order here.

Rubedo £ £ £ £ Modern European in Stoke Newington ££££ 35 Stoke Newington Church Street 8.3 /10

020 7254 0364 is the number you should be dialling for excellent Italian dishes delivered around Stoke Newington. Expect dishes like burrata with blood orange and confit duck leg with white beans and wild garlic. Heads up: there’s plenty of wine too and the daily menu is on their Instagram.

The Clarence Tavern ££££ 102 Stoke Newington Church St

This Stoke Newington spot is from the people behind The Canton Arms and The Anchor and Hope. They’re now delivering family meals like chicken pie and duck cassoulet for three, as well as wine and beer. Order here before 6pm for next day delivery.

But First Coffee £ £ £ £ Cafe/Bakery in Harringay , Stroud Green ££££ 43 Quernmore Rd

But First Coffee is not only the motto that gets us through every Monday morning, it’s also a tiny spot next to Harringay station. Swing by Quernmore Road to pick up Ozone coffee and waffles to go.

Pizzeria Pappagone ££££ 131 Stroud Green Rd

Pappagone is a huge, always-mobbed Italian restaurant on Stroud Green Road. In between making regular good-will pizza deliveries to staff at the Whittington Hospital in Highgate, they’re continuing to churn out huge quantities of pizzas and mains like fritto misto and tagliatta di manzo for customers in the local area. Order here and here.

E. Mono ££££ 13 Stroud Green Road

E Mono are delivering shawarma, shish, kofte, and a selection of vegetarian wraps from their takeaway shop next to Finsbury Park bus station. Order here or here.

Granny's Caribbean Takeaway ££££ 16 Charter Court Stroud Green road

Get patties, jerk chicken, curry goat, callalloo, and other Caribbean favourites from local favourite, Granny’s on Stroud Green Road. Order directly from their website and here or here.

The Chippy ££££ 123 Stroud Green Road

The Chippy in Stroud Green will offer to fry a fish of your choice in batter or matzo meal. They’ll even grill it if you prefer it that way. Obviously, they also do chips. Order here.

La Saporita ££££ 174 Tollington Park

La Saporita doesn’t just make a wide variety of pizzas. You can also get pasta, salads, risotto and a whole bunch of antipasti delivered to your door every evening if you live near Stroud Green Road. Order here.

True Craft £ £ £ £ Pizza in Tottenham ££££ 68 West Green Rd 8.0 /10

True Craft is a big hearted South Tottenham hangout serving beer and pizza to friendly crowds of locals. They’ve now made their sourdoughs available for delivery, so you can enjoy their best pizza, Bang! Pepper, at home, along with a huge variety of craft beer. Order here.

Makimayo ££££ 75 West Green Road

Our go-to order at Tottenham’s Makimayo is their huge serving of katsu curry for just over a tenner. You can check out their whole menu of Korean classics here and place your order.

East West ££££ 135 Fortess Rd

Italian pizza. Big Indian flavours. That’s the concept at this casual Tufnell Park spot. So if you’re into the sound of a masala margherita or a butter chicken pizza, order here.

east Black Bear Burger ££££

Calling all fans of alliteration and aged beef patties, Black Bear Burger are still delivering from their Canary Wharf branch. Find everything from their classic blue cheese burger to garlic parmesan fries here.

Tas Firin ££££ 160 Bethnal Green Road

Pides, grilled lamb, kofte, and homemade falafel. Those are just some of the things you can order from this Turkish restaurant on Bethnal Green Road.

Hai Ha ££££ 206 Mare St

Hai Café makes comforting northern Vietnamese-style phở, and now you can eat it in the comfort of your own home. See the full menu and order from here.

Lucky And Joy £ £ £ £ Chinese in Clapton , Hackney ££££ 95 Lower Clapton Road 8.0 /10

Clapton’s favourite neon-filled Chinese restaurant is doing new rice bowls, collection, and local deliveries. Check out the menu here and order by texting or calling 07488 965 966. Also, it’s 50% off if you’re an NHS worker.

Yard Sale Pizza £ £ £ £ Pizza in Clapton , Hackney ££££ 105 Lower Clapton Rd 8.0 /10

Yard Sale’s 18-inch pizzas will feed you for lunch, dinner, and the next day’s breakfast. Or, if you’re doing this whole quarantine eating thing right, one prolonged afternoon snack. You can order directly from their website.

Krapow £ £ £ £ Thai in Clapton , Hackney ££££ 62 Chatsworth Rd Not

Rated

Yet

Krapow makes spicy, satisfying Thai food and it’s delivering all around east London. There are curries, Thai fried squid, alongside gluten free and vegan stuff too. See the menu and order here, or order for collection here.

Snackbar £ £ £ £ Japanese , Sandwiches , Brunch in Dalston ££££ 20 Dalston Lane 8.0 /10

Dalston café and workspace Snackbar is making weekly-changing rice bowls and toasties for collection or local delivery. Think kaarage chicken and pickles, kimcheese toasties, and other bits and bobs. Order here.

Hash E8 £ £ £ £ Diner in Dalston ££££ 170 Dalston Lane Not

Rated

Yet

Hackney brunch legends Hash E8 are still doing their thing every day via the wonders of technology and two wheeled vehicles. Get your eggs benedict, pancakes, or French toast orders in here.

BunBunBun Vietnamese Food ££££ 134B Kingsland Rd

You can still get Hoxton and Dalston Vietnamese spot BunBunBun’s excellent vermicelli noodle salads delivered straight to you, alongside bahn mi, noodle soups, and more. Order here.

The Dusty Knuckle Bakery £ £ £ £ Sandwiches in Dalston ££££ Abbot St Car Park Not

Rated

Yet

The Dusty Knuckle is one of London’s best bakeries. Their loaves, pastries, and sandwiches are available for collection and delivery from April 14th.

House Of MoMo ££££ 52 Boleyn Rd

10 steamed Nepalese dumplings for £9 is a pretty good deal, and that’s what you should get from House of Momo in Dalston. Plus some fried ones too. Order from here.

Oren ££££ 89 Shacklewell Lane

The Mediterranean food at Oren is made for sharing and the same goes for their to-go menu. There’s challah bread, dips, pickles, koftas, salads, and a whole spiced roast chicken with rice too. Organise delivery or collection here.

Beer + Burger £ £ £ £ Burgers in Hackney ££££ 464 Kingsland Rd Not

Rated

Yet

Alternatively, all you ever need is a beer and a burger. Get yours here from Beer + Burger on Kingsland Road. Don’t miss their dipping gravy.

Saravana Bhavan £ £ £ £ Indian , Vegetarian in East Ham ££££ 300 High Street North 7.6 /10

The biggest South Indian chain in the world is delivering their vegetarian food from their East Ham branch. Order dosa, chana, paneer and more here.

Flour And Flowers ££££ 8 Hackney Road

Put that sad family pack of Kitkats away because this Hackney bakery are delivering their white chocolate choux, vegan banana loaf, and a whole lot of other sweet treats across Hackney and London. You’ll need to give them 24 hours notice, but slide on into their DMs or give them a call on 07477462072 to order. By the way, they also do sandwiches and quiche.

The Laughing Heart £ £ £ £ Modern European , Wine Bar in Hackney ££££ 277 Hackney Road Not

Rated

Yet

Hackney wine bar The Laughing Heart has opened an online shop delivering set meals, focaccia, guanciale, frozen dumplings, wine, napkins, single wine glasses and, if you ask nicely, probably a sommelier too. Choose delivery or collection here.

OMBRA ££££ 1 Vyner St

Ombra’s brand new takeaway menu is a real mood. It’s split into Antipasti & Provisions - think prosciutto cotto - Fresh Pasta To Cook At Home, Dessert, and Stay Hydrate Buy Vino. All of which we can definitely get behind and you can too here.

Pidgin Experimental in Hackney 52 Wilton Way Not

Rated

Yet

If you think fancy-ish fine dining food can’t travel, then think again. Homing Pidgin is the three-course meal collection service from Pidgin in Hackney. The menu changes daily as in £25 a head. Book in advance here.

Casa Fofó £ £ £ £ Modern European , Vegetarian in Hackney ££££ 158 Sandringham Road 8.1 /10

Casa Fofò is offering a small menu of freshly baked bread, charcuterie, cheese, pastries, and wine for collection of local delivery around E8. Email [email protected] or text 07526 850 369 for details.

Pophams Hackney £ £ £ £ Cafe/Bakery in Hackney ££££ 197 Richmond Road 8.2 /10

If you’re after handmade pasta or buttery pastries, then Pophams is where you want to order from. The popularity of this Hackney bakery means that things go fast. Check their Instagram bio for the link to pre-order.

Pollo Feliz ££££ 13-23 Westgate St

The Mexican grilled chicken specialists are delivering their second-to-none pork fat, goose fat, and vegan tortillas in packets of 10, along with their homemade chilli oil. DM them or text 07479 478 722 with your order. It’s free delivery for Hackney and surrounding areas.

Mio Yatai £ £ £ £ Japanese in Hackney ££££ 129a Pritchard's Road Not

Rated

Yet

We’re pretty into Mio Yatai’s ramen and you can get it delivered from here, here, or here. Want something else to go with it? We like their yakitori and kaarage too.

Hill & Szrok £ £ £ £ Steaks in Hackney , Haggerston ££££ 60 Broadway Market 7.7 /10

Hackney butchers and restaurant Hill and Szrok are delivering homemade charcuterie, stock, butter, and ramen sets around NE London. Call 020 7254 8805 to order.

Pavilion Cafe £ £ £ £ Sri Lankan , Cafe/Bakery in Bow ££££ Victoria Park

Pavilion Bakery is selling essential items for click and collect from their Broadway Market and Columbia Road shops. They’re doing three loaves of sourdough for a tenner, pastries, eggs, coffee, and that kind of thing. Click and collect from here.

White Post Cafe ££££ Schwartz Wharf, 92 White Post Ln

Pie, mash, gravy - what more could you want? If the answer is peas, then Pieminister at the White Post Café in Hackney Wick has them too. Get your pastry fix here.

Randy's Wing Bar ££££ 28 East Bay Lane

Randy sounds like the sort of person who washes his teeth with Coors Lite, but he’s also the sort of person who’s delivering his many-sauced chicken wings from Hackney Wick (along with burgers, fries, and more). Order from here.

Singburi £ £ £ £ Thai in Leytonstone ££££ 593 High Rd Leytonstone Not

Rated

Yet

Leytonstone’s best-known Thai restaurant is still open for collection. Check their Instagram to see the current specials board. Call 0208 281 4801 to order.

01 Adana £ £ £ £ Turkish in Stoke Newington ££££ 25-27 Green Lanes Not

Rated

Yet

If, like us, 75% of your life’s sustenance has come in the form of a lahmacun, then keep things going by ordering from 01 Adana on Newington Green via this link. There are Turkish soups, stews, charcoal grilled bits, and more.

Trattoria N16 £ £ £ £ Italian in Highbury ££££ 44-45 Newington Green Not

Rated

Yet

Trattoria N16 are delivering pizzas and wine all around northeast London and, really, that’s all you need in any situation. Order from here.

Butchies £ £ £ £ Burgers , Sandwiches in Shoreditch ££££ 22 Rivington Street Not

Rated

Yet

Butchies makes fried chicken burgers with names like ‘Jenny from the Block’ or ‘El Diablo’. Whether their buttermilk fried chicken looks like J-Lo or looks satanic, we don’t know, but it tastes good. Get them here or here.

Kêu Banh Mi Deli ££££ 332 Old St

Bahn mi go-to Keu is open for delivery and collection from its Shoreditch location. Check this link or call 020 7739 1164.

Burro e Salvia £ £ £ £ Italian in Shoreditch ££££ 52 Redchurch St 8.3 /10

Shoreditch’s best pasta restaurant is doing delivery and collection for cook-at-home ravioli, tortelloni, cappelletti, homemade sauces, tiramisu, and more. Make your choice here or here.

Casa Do Frango ££££ 2 King John Court

London loves piri-piri chicken and you can still get Casa Do Frango’s to your door. There are plenty of fish and vegetarian options as well. Order from their Shoreditch location here.

Cocotte ££££ 8 Hoxton Square

Farm-to-table rotisserie restaurant Cocotte, is now delivering its free range chickens, soups, and salads. Order from their Shoreditch spot here.

Halo Burger ££££ 105 Great Eastern St

Halo offers no less than six vegan burger varieties, from smoky BBQ to crispy katsu, plus nuggets, fries, and ice cream to finish it off. If you want some or all of that, then click here or here.

Atis £ £ £ £ Shoreditch ££££ 145 City Road 7.2 /10

We’ve got a real soft spot for Atis. Mostly because this Shoreditch spot’s salads make us feel like proper grown-ups. Get them delivered from here or here, and get a round of the banana bread whilst you’re at it.

Burger & Beyond ££££ 147 High St

A burger’s a burger right? Well, actually wrong. There are burgers and then there Burger and Beyond burgers - try saying that three times faster. Order directly from here.

Townsend ££££ 77-82 Whitechapel High St

Townsend, a British restaurant inside the Whitechapel Gallery, is making a whole load of set meals, produce, and wine as well. A three-course set menu for two with a bottle of wine is £40. If that sounds good, then order for delivery or collection here.

south HOB ~ Heart Of Balham ££££ 113 Balham High Rd

Heart Of Balham is a Mediterranean café delivering things like moroccan pancakes, shakshuka, and chicken taouk delivered straight to your door.

Macellaio RC ££££ 124 Northcote Road

The Italian beef specialists are offering delivery from their Battersea branch. So if you’re in the mood for rib-eye or ravioli, check out their menu and call 0203 848 4800.

Abd El Wahab ££££ Unit 15a Parkfield Industrial Estate

Abd El Wahab is delivering labneh, medames, and other Lebanese specialties from its kitchen in Battersea. Order all day from here.

Kaosarn £ £ £ £ Thai in Brixton ££££ Brixton Village 7.5 /10

Satay, larb, pad-se-ew, and other Thai classics are being delivered from Kaosarn’s locations in Tooting, Battersea, and Brixton.

Zia Lucia ££££

Pizza, pizza, pizza - that’s what Zia Lucia do. Including a Nutella one for dessert. Click this to order from their Battersea kitchen.

Darby's £ £ £ £ Seafood , British in Vauxhall ££££ 3 Viaduct Gardens Road Not

Rated

Yet

This Irish-influenced restaurant and bakery in Nine Elms are selling meat, cook at home meals, and alcohol to collect. You can find the changing menu on their Instagram.

Neat Burger ££££

Plant-based burger spot Neat is delivering its American style vegan food in Battersea. You can order their burgers and shakes here.

Black Bear Burger ££££

Brixton burger joint Black Bear Burger is delivering its aged beef, fried chicken, and vegan patty burgers from its Brixton location. Look at the full menu here.

Other Side Fried £ £ £ £ Burgers in Brixton ££££ Pop brixton, 49 Brixton station road 7.8 /10

Fried chicken sandwiches are available from Brixton and Peckham branches, and also through Natta.

Negril £ £ £ £ Caribbean in Brixton ££££ 132 Brixton Hill 7.3 /10

If you want homely Caribbean food then head to Negril’s website. The Brixton spot has a Google Play app too.

Nanban £ £ £ £ Japanese , Ramen in Brixton ££££ 426 Coldharbour Lane 7.3 /10

Little Nanban - the new delivery service - is available here. Expect kaarage curry and other Japanese-influenced bits.

Bird ££££ 34-36 Electric Avenue

Fried chicken and waffle joint, Bird, are delivering fried chicken in all its forms from their spot in Brixton. Order here

Fladda Fish & Chips £ £ £ £ British in Camberwell ££££ 55 Camberwell Church St 7.2 /10

Craving crunchy batter and vinegar-y chips around Camberwell? Order from Fladda here. Plus, there’s a good value fish bites and chips deal for just over a fiver.

Falafel And Shawarma £ £ £ £ Mediterranean in Camberwell ££££ 27 Camberwell Church St Not

Rated

Yet

Camberwell’s best value wrap and mezze box spot is available for delivery, get it here.

Lumberjack £ £ £ £ Cafe/Bakery in Camberwell ££££ 70 Camberwell Church Street

If you live within 0.5 miles of Camberwell’s Lumberjack Cafe, well, we’re jealous. This great little neighbourhood coffee spot is not only delivering their standard menu of sandwiches and baked goods, they’re also doing groceries, and you have the option to buy a meal for an NHS worker. All the intel here.

33 Abbeville Road ££££

This British restaurant in Clapham has turned into a grocery store. You can find what's in stock on their Instagram and call them on 0208 673 0977 to order for collection. You can also get your groceries delivered if you spend over £20.

Koi Ramen Bar ££££ 19 Sayer St

Order from Koi Ramen if you’re after a big old bowl of warm. There are tofu options on top of the usual miso and tonkotsu ones. Order from Elephant and Castle here, and Brixton here.

Palmyra ££££ 277 Sandycombe Rd

Lebanese restaurant, Palmyra, is delivering things like falafel, shish taouk, and moussaka in and around Kew. Check out their full menu and order here.

Casa do Frango £ £ £ £ Portuguese in Southwark ££££ 32 Southwark St Not

Rated

Yet

London loves piri-piri chicken and you can still get Casa Do Frango’s to your door. There are plenty of fish and vegetarian options as well. Order from their London Bridge location here.

Kin+Deum ££££ 2 Crucifix Lane

This Bangkok-influenced Thai spot in London Bridge is open every day from 4pm-10:30pm for collection and delivery. Order here and here, or call 0207 357 7995.

Lupins ££££ 66 Union Street

British restaurant Lupins is doing home delivery on salads and mains made for two or more people. Order chicken cacciatore or a tuna niçoise salad from 0203 908 5888 or email [email protected]. The full menu is here, minimum order is £60.

The Great British Cheesecake Company ££££ Unit 1b Windermere Ave

The last time you tried to make a cheesecake it didn’t go too well. We’re not saying give up, we’re just letting you know that The Great British Cheesecake Company are delivering their creamy cheesecakes all over SW19. Get yours by the slice here.

Made of Dough ££££ 182 Bellenden Road

This Neapolitan pizza spot in Peckham is open for delivery from 4pm-9pm every day of the week. Order here.

Mr Bao £ £ £ £ Taiwanese in Peckham ££££ 293 Rye Ln 8.1 /10

Son to its Tooting father, this Peckham Taiwanese spot is offering a frozen dumpling delivery service within two miles of SE15. Email [email protected] with your details and order amount.

Saravanaa Bhavan ££££ 254 Upper Tooting Road

The biggest South Indian chain in the world is delivering vegetarian food from their Tooting branch. Order dosa, chana, paneer and more here.

Juliet's ££££ 110 Mitcham Road

Brunch isn’t just for weekends when Juliet’s in Tooting is offering delivery or collection 9am-3pm daily. Get your sourdough waffles, grilled pumpkin bread, and more here.

Two Hundred Rye Lane £ £ £ £ Modern European in Peckham ££££ 200 Rye Lane

Okay, pay attention because this is slightly complicated. This cool and casual Peckham spot are now delivering a whole lot of chicken wonders under Peckham Wingz, as well as veggie burgers, batched cocktails, and a brunch bap situation direct from their website.

Sushi Shop ££££ 28 Hill Street

Sushi Shop in Richmond has sashimi, maki, and poke bowls that you can order to your home.

Richmond Hill Bakery ££££ 56 Friars Stile Rd

This bakery in Richmond is delivering croissants, cakes, sandwiches, and hot drinks during the day. You can order here until 3.45pm.

Pokaï ££££ 28 Hill Street

Salmon teriyaki, spicy tuna, and prawn green curry are only three of the poke bowls you can get at Pokaï in Richmond. You can order them, along with beer and sake, here.

Thai Elephant ££££ 1 Wakefield Rd.

If you live in and around Richmond, you can get Thai Elephant's beef massaman curry, tamarind duck, and sizzling scallops delivered straight to your door. Order here.

Gelateria Danieli ££££ 16 Brewers Ln

Gelateria Danieli are delivering ice cream by the tub. You can get 500ml or 1000ml of flavours like stracciatella, pistachio, and mango here.

Daddy Bao £ £ £ £ Taiwanese in Tooting ££££ 113 Mitcham Road 8.4 /10

Tooting’s always-busy Taiwanese spot is offering a frozen dumpling delivery service within two miles of SW17. Email [email protected] with your details and order amount.

Dawat Restaurant & Take Away ££££ 200 Upper Tooting Road

South Asian restaurant, Dawat, is delivering its Tandoori and Mughal dishes around Tooting. You can order their mixed grills, tandoori king prawn curries, and aloo kheema here or here.

Habaneros ££££

Habaneros in Tooting are delivering American-style burgers, chicken, and shakes - order here if you live nearby.

Lahore Karahi ££££ 1 Tooting High St

You can order Lahore specialties from this curry house in Tooting. Order here or here.

The Orange Buffalo ££££

Buffalo wings, Korean-style wings, and ‘woof woof’ hot wings are just three of the things you can order from The Orange Buffalo in Tooting. They’re also delivering fried chicken burgers, vegan wings, and cheesy buffalo fries.

Yori ££££ 86 The Broadway

Korean BBQ restaurant Yori is offering 30% off collections, but they do delivery too. So you can get jap chae, KFC, bibimbap, and more straight to your door. Go here to order.

Cafe Mori ££££

Cafe Mori in Wimbledon is delivering Japanese udon, desserts, and bubble tea. Check out their menu and order here.

Oki Sushi London ££££ 10 The Broadway, Wimbledon

You can get poke bowls, bibimbap, sushi sets, and noodles from this spot in Wimbledon. Order them here.

Aya Lebanese Cuisine ££££ 195 – 197 Merton Road

This Lebanese spot on Merton High Street is delivering falafel, shish taouk, and shawarma wraps. Check out the full menu and order here or here.

WEST Normah's ££££ 23-25 Queensway Market

You can now get yellow chicken curry, laksa, and nasi goreng prawn delivered to your home from this Malaysian spot in Queensway. Order here or call 07788 600435.

Abd El Wahab £ £ £ £ Middle Eastern in Chelsea , Victoria ££££ 1-3 Pont Street Not

Rated

Yet

Abd El Wahab is delivering labneh, kebbeh, and other Lebanese specialties from its restaurant in Belgravia. Order all-day from here.

New Culture Revolution, SW3 £ £ £ £ Chinese in Chelsea ££££ 305 Kings Road, Not

Rated

Yet

You don’t often see the words ‘casual’ and ‘King’s Road’ in the same sentence, but Chelsea’s New Culture Revolution is totally lowkey. Hit this link to order from their huge menu of Chinese classics.

The Sea, The Sea ££££ 174 Pavilion Road

Nothing says ‘living my best quarantine’ like eating a whole lobster. This serious seafood restaurant in Chelsea is now selling fresh fish online, as well as a select menu of some of their menu headliners.

La Mia Mamma £ £ £ £ Italian in Chelsea ££££ 257 King’s Road 8.1 /10

La Mia Mamma has a special place in our hearts. And now that they’re sending out Mamma’s Survival Kits, they have our whole hearts. The kit includes wine, pasta dough, pizza dough, sauces, a sense of hope, and so much more. You can get a survival kit here.

Sticks'n'Sushi ££££ 113 King's Road

You can now order sushi and grilled meat and fish from Sticks’n’Sushi’s King’s Road restaurant. You can order to collect from their website or get it delivered.

Colette ££££ 315 Fulham Road

Chelsea deli, Colette, has launched a delivery service for those living in SW7 and SW10. You can get things like beef fillet carpaccio, agnolotti, and slow cooked lamb neck. Check out their website for the full menu and to order.

Yamal Alsham ££££ 5 The Boulevard, Imperial Wharf

Lebanese and Syrian restaurant, Yamal Alsham, is delivering its mezze, pastries, and skewers all over SW. Check out their full menu and order here, here or here.

marhaba express ££££

Marhaba Express are delivering Lebanese pastries, grilled skewers, and knafeh around Fulham. You can order here or here.

Zia Lucia ££££ 61 Blythe Rd

What can you get from Zia Lucia in Hammersmith? Some very reasonably priced pizza. How can you get it? Order here. You’re welcome.

Melabes £ £ £ £ Mediterranean in Kensington ££££ 221 Kensington High Street Not

Rated

Yet

Kensington spot Melabes are delivering their excellent Mediterranean small plates. You can order their creamy hummus, harira soup, and lamb chops here.

Dozo Sushi £ £ £ £ Sushi in Kensington ££££ 68 Old Brompton Rd Not

Rated

Yet

You can get sashimi, nigiri, tempura, and signature maki rolls delivered from this Kensington sushi spot straight to your door. Order here.

Daylesford Organic £ £ £ £ British in Chelsea , Kensington ££££ 76-82 Sloane Avenue 7.6 /10

Daylesford Organic Farmshops are delivering groceries, fresh meat and fish, and meals locally. Email [email protected] or find the phone number for your local shop here.

Sumosan Twiga ££££ 165 Sloane St

Sumosan Twiga is a high-end restaurant in Knightsbridge serving Japanese and Italian food. You can now order their maki rolls, tacos, and pasta straight to your door.

Zuma ££££ 5 Raphael St

This Japanese Izakaya restaurant in Knightsbridge is now delivering its maki rolls, robata meat, and black cod. You can order here.

Gogi £ £ £ £ Korean in Little Venice , Paddington ££££ 451 Edgware Rd Not

Rated

Yet

Gogi is a restaurant best described by the flame emoji. This Korean BBQ restaurant in Little Venice serves fried udon, spicy soups, some dolsot bibimbaps we’re really into, and plenty more here.

Tokyo Pizza £ £ £ £ Pizza in Maida Vale ££££ 47 Maida Vale Not

Rated

Yet

If pizza has turned into your number one food group and you’re about ready to ghost your usual margherita, listen up. Tokyo Pizza in Maida Vale are delivering their creative Japanese pizzas, including our personal favourite, The Wagyu.

Saporitalia £ £ £ £ Pizza , Italian in Notting Hill ££££ 222 Portobello Rd 7.9 /10

A classic old school Italian, Farina is much more straightforward than that puzzle you’ve been attempting for approximately 4000 hours. Get their Neopolitan-style pizzas and simple pasta dishes delivered from Notting Hill.

Taquería £ £ £ £ Mexican in Notting Hill ££££ 139-144 Westbourne Grove 7.5 /10

Some very wise people once said that you should never miss the fish tacos at Taqueria. Yes, those wise people were us. Eat some of London’s best tacos by placing an order from this Notting Hill spot. And yes, you do need to order the batched margarita whilst you’re at it.

Eggslut ££££ 185 Portobello Road

Instead of starting your day by checking the news and having a prolonged weep in the shower, have a bacon, egg, and cheese sandwich and some fresh cold brew instead. Hit this link to get Eggslut delivered from Notting Hill.

Cocotte ££££ 95 Westbourne Gr

Farm-to-table rotisserie restaurant, Cocotte, is now delivering its free range chickens, soups, and salads. Order from their Notting Hill spot here and their Parsons Green branch here.

Beer + Burger ££££ 71 Palace Gardens Terrace

Beer + Burger in Notting Hill is delivering uncomplicated comfort food. You can order their burgers, chips and gravy, and beer here.

Esarn Kheaw £ £ £ £ Thai in Shepherds Bush ££££ 314 Uxbridge Rd. 7.6 /10

Esarn Kheaw have been serving Thai food to the people of Shepherd’s Bush since before Kendall Jenner was born. You can place an order here and here.

Yashin Sushi £ £ £ £ Japanese , Sushi in Kensington ££££ 1A Argyll Rd. 8.5 /10

Mixed sushi sets, spicy tuna rolls, and salmon ikura donburi. Those are just some of the dishes you can now collect from this high-end Japanese restaurant in South Kensington. You can find their takeaway menu on their Instagram and call 020 7938 1536 to order.

Big Ferdnand ££££ 39 Thurloe Place

South Kensington burger restaurant, Big Fernand, is delivering its French-style burgers. Get your raclette burger fix here.

Macellaio ££££ 84 Old Brompton Rd

The Italian beef specialists are offering delivery from their South Kensington branch. So if you’re in the mood for rib-eye, rump, or even fillet, check out their menu and call 020 7589 5834.

Prairie Fire ££££ Wood Lane Arches

Kansas City-style barbecue restaurant in Wood Lane Arches is delivering its beef brisket, pulled pork, and craft beers to all of Central London. Call 07504521183 to order.

central Pham Sushi £ £ £ £ Japanese in City ££££ Heron, 5 Moor Lane Not

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Pham is a Japanese restaurant near Barbican delivering their sashimi, nigiri, rolls, and hot bits all over. Order from here.

Hare & Tortoise ££££ Unit 11-13, The Brunswick

Japanese spot Hare and Tortoise has an excellent chicken katsu curry which you can now order - as well as ramen, gyoza, and tempura - from here.

The Fryer's Delight £ £ £ £ British in Bloomsbury ££££ 19 Theobalds Rd 7.2 /10

The only menu items that don’t end with ‘and chips’ at The Fryer’s Delight in Bloomsbury are the drinks. You can get their fish, pie, sausages, and chicken (all with chips obviously) here.

Macellaio ££££ 38-40 Exmouth Market

The Italian beef specialists are offering delivery from their Clerkenwell branch. So if you’re in the mood for rib-eye, T-bone, or even fillet, check out their menu and call 020 3696 8220.

Dragonfly ££££ 71 Compton St

You can get spring rolls, pho, and vermicelli noodles from Dragonfly Cafe in Clerkenwell delivered straight to your home.

Tohbang £ £ £ £ Korean in Clerkenwell , Farringdon ££££ 164 Clerkenwell Rd Not

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This Korean restaurant in Clerkenwell has bulgogi, crispy dumplings, and Korean BBQ, which you can now order here.

St. John Bar And Restaurant £ £ £ £ British in Clerkenwell , Farringdon ££££ 26 St John St 9.3 /10

We might not be able to get St John’s terrine or roast bone marrow delivered to us, but at least we can order their house wines here. You can order mixed cases, single bottles, or a bag in box.

Dose Espresso £ £ £ £ Cafe/Bakery in Farringdon ££££ 70 Long Ln

Dose is a little coffee shop near The Barbican, which is now delivering coffee beans, coffee papers, and anything else you might need to make coffee. DM them on their Instagram to order.

Hammer & Tongs ££££ 171 Farringdon Road

You can get piri piri chicken burgers, honey lamb, and pork ribs from this South African barbecue spot in Farringdon. You can order here or here.

The Lebanese Bakery ££££ Drury House

The Lebanese Bakery in Covent Garden is delivering its Lebanese flatbread, baked eggs, and labneh locally. You can place your order here or here.

Al Dente ££££

If your home attempt at cacio e pepe was more cheese massacre than Italian delicacy, order from Al Dente. This handmade pasta specialist make all of their pasta fresh and you can get everything from seafood linguine to ravioli here.

Monty's Deli £ £ £ £ Deli in Covent Garden ££££ 35 Earlham St Not

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Monty’s Deli makes some of our favourite pastrami and salt beef in London, and they’re now delivering their meat and bagels nationwide. You can order from here.

Old Chang Kee ££££ 56 Goodge Street

Singaporean curry puff experts, Old Chang Kee are now delivering their puffs, as well as frozen meals including their curries and rendang. You can order by DMing them on Instagram.

Crudo Cevicheria £ £ £ £ Seafood , Peruvian in Fitzrovia ££££ 35 Riding House Street Not

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This little spot in Fitzrovia is serving some inexpensive, fresh ceviche. You can choose from their signature bowls or build your own here.

Passyunk Avenue ££££ 80 Cleveland St

Passyunk Avenue in Fitzrovia has an excellent Philly cheesesteak, which you can now get delivered, along with jumbo buffalo wings, and tater tots.

Yalla Yalla £ £ £ £ Middle Eastern in Fitzrovia ££££ 12 Winsley St. Not

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This Lebanese spot in Fitzrovia has a long menu of classics like falafel, moussaka, and tahini. Order here.

Tongue & Brisket £ £ £ £ Deli , British in Clerkenwell , Farringdon , Holborn ££££ 24-26 Leather Ln Not

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In the mood for a salt beef sandwich but don’t have the patience or oven space? Don’t worry, you can collect excellent salt beef sandwiches as well as other sarnie classics from their Leather Lane restaurant. Order here.

Daylesford Organic ££££ 6-8 Blandford Street

Daylesford Organic Farmshops are delivering groceries, fresh meat and fish, and meals locally. Email [email protected] or call your local shop.

L’antica Pizzeria Da Michele ££££ 199 Baker St

L’Antica Pizzeria Da Michele is an Italian spot in Marylebone where you can get arancino, pizzas, and tiramisu delivered to your door.

Neat Burger ££££ 4 Princes Street

Mayfair plant-based burger spot is delivering its American style vegan food. Order their burgers and shakes here.

Murger Hanhan £ £ £ £ Chinese in Mayfair ££££ Sackville St 7.8 /10

This Chinese spot in Mayfair has some excellent biang biang noodles that you can order in. But don’t stop there. You’re going to want to get the pork murger and steamed rice noodles as well. Order here.

Hide £ £ £ £ Modern European in Mayfair ££££ 85 Piccadilly 8.7 /10

Mayfair fine dining spot, Hide, is delivering some of their exceptional menu headliners to your home. Including their soft shell crab tempura, 50-day-aged short horn beef rib, and truffled eggs. Order here if you’re within a 2.5 mile radius.

Masgouf ££££ 5-6 William St

This Iraqi restaurant behind Edgware Road serves some great mezze, fatoush, and an excellent sea bass main. You can order here or here.

Ranoush ££££ 43 Edgware Rd

Ranoush on the Edgware Road is delivering its Lebanese food straight to your door. Order their fattoush, mezze, and shawarmas here.

L'ETO Caffè ££££ 155 Wardour St

L’Etto Cafe are now delivering cakes from their online shop. You can buy anything from their signature dulce de leche, to a whole honey cake.

Yori ££££ 15 Catherine Street

Yori is a Korean restaurant near Piccadilly Circus where you can get everything from jeon, to hot stone bibimbap, to Korean BBQ. They currently have 25% off the entire menu which you can get delivered to your home here.

Patty & Bun £ £ £ £ Burgers in Soho ££££ 18 Old Compton St 7.5 /10

Patty & Bun have teamed up with butcher H.G Walter to create Lockdown DIY Patty Kits meaning you can make your own Patty & Bun burgers at home. Click here to order yours.

Rasa Sayang £ £ £ £ Malaysian in Chinatown ££££ 5 Macclesfield St Not

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Rasa Sayang is delivering its Singaporean and Malaysian food from Chinatown. You can get wantons, laksa, and sambal prawns here.

Dominique Ansel Bakery £ £ £ £ Cafe/Bakery in Victoria ££££ 17-21 Elizabeth St 7.8 /10

Dominique Ansel Bakery in Victoria has an online shop where you can order cronuts, DKA sets, and pasta hampers. You can even buy whole cakes.

Nonna Tonda ££££ 191 Victoria St

Nonna Tonda are delivering their hand-made pasta across London. Each kit has fresh pasta, sauce, and grated parmesan for two. Order from their website.

via The Infatuation Feed https://www.theinfatuation.com/london/guides/the-london-neighbourhood-delivery-takeaway-directory Nhà hàng Hương Sen chuyên buffet hải sản cao cấp✅ Tổ chức tiệc cưới✅ Hội nghị, hội thảo✅ Tiệc lưu động✅ Sự kiện mang tầm cỡ quốc gia 52 Phố Miếu Đầm, Mễ Trì, Nam Từ Liêm, Hà Nội http://huongsen.vn/ 0904988999 http://huongsen.vn/to-chuc-tiec-hoi-nghi/ https://trello.com/userhuongsen

Created April 3, 2020 at 11:01PM /huong sen View Google Doc Nhà hàng Hương Sen chuyên buffet hải sản cao cấp✅ Tổ chức tiệc cưới✅ Hội nghị, hội thảo✅ Tiệc lưu động✅ Sự kiện mang tầm cỡ quốc gia 52 Phố Miếu Đầm, Mễ Trì, Nam Từ Liêm, Hà Nội http://huongsen.vn/ 0904988999 http://huongsen.vn/to-chuc-tiec-hoi-nghi/ https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1xa6sRugRZk4MDSyctcqusGYBv1lXYkrF

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weditchthemap · 5 years

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Top 6 Things To Do in Sanliurfa, Turkey - The Birthplace of Agriculture and Beyond

Arriving in Sanliurfa (Urfa)

Sanliurfa, or “Urfa” as the locals call it, it one of the oldest inhabited regions on Earth. It’s the birthplace of agriculture and was even home to civilizations predating agriculture, evidenced by Göbekli Tepe, a 12,000 year old temple near Urfa more than 6,000 years older than Stone Hedge! Needless to say, Urfa’s history is vast and the city earned a well-deserved spot on our itinerary. It also doesn’t hurt that our favorite Turkish dish, cig kofte, has its origins in this city.

We arrived in Sanliurfa, Turkey by bus after attending a Kurdish wedding in Diyarbakir, a city 2-hours east. Almost immediately we noticed a more conservative dress among the women in Sanliurfa. Whereas in other Turkish cities we observed some women wearing head scarves, a portion of the women walking the streets in Urfa were wearing niqabs, covering their faces, with the exception of their eyes, in black fabric. A handful of men also wore long white tunics and baggy pants called salvar. Arabs comprise a visible minority in the city and Arabic writing is noticeable on store fronts giving the city a Middle Eastern vibe. We also noticed a few intriguing chin tattoos peeking out from a handful of older women’s headscarves and decided to research these mysterious markings. Turns out we were lucky to spot these tattoos as deq facial tattoos are an almost extinct beautification tradition once practiced among some nomadic, Kurdish and Arab peoples.

A Very Brief History of Urfa

Urfa is a spiritual center and pilgrimage sight attracting visitors from all over the world. It is believed to be the birthplace of the prophet Abraham making it an important religious destination. Urfa was fought over by the Persian and Roman Empires and became a center for Christianity until the Arabs took control of the city in 637. The city was originally named Edessa by Alexander the Great, then Urfa in 1637 by the Ottoman Empire, and ultimately renamed Şanlıurfa (Glorious Urfa) in 1984 in the aftermath of the Turkish War of Independence. Urfa is currently home to thousands of Syrian refugees from its war-torn neighboring country.

What to See and Do in Sanliurfa

1. Stimulate Your Senses at the Gumruk Bazaar and Try Some Local Urfa Foods

On our first evening in Urfa we ventured to the Gumruk Bazaar, said to be one of most authentic bazaars remaining in Turkey. We walked through the wood carving and metal welding stalls where sparks flew and machines whirred. Towering piles of crushed red pepper and spices were scattered throughout the marketplace. While staring intently at a curious food item that looked like strands of hair, the vendor, noting our bewilderment, pulled some wisps apart and encouraged us to try it. We tasted the odd treat and the yellow strands clung to Scott’s beard as if he’d eaten a barbie doll. It turns out that Pişmaniye or “fairy floss” is a cotton candy-like dessert but, unlike cotton candy, pismaniye contains butter and flour giving it a rich flavor.

We entered a large covered courtyard in the middle of the bazaar which houses several cafes where you can linger and people watch. We tried a local coffee called Mirra coffee. Only thimble-sized, it’s not a drink to sip on. It’s thick, dark, and super concentrated - what it lacks in flavor in makes up for with the jolt of energy it provides. Fittingly its name comes from the Arabic word “mur” for bitter.

Lamb spleen kebab - yep, that is the local dish that Scott insisted we try for dinner. On the outskirts of Urfa’s Gumruk bazaar we sat for dalak kebab. As is customary (and the best thing ever) additional plates of food accompany meals in Turkey. We were served mint, parsley, onions, lemon, and grilled pepper as condiments for our kebabs. The innocuous looking grilled pepper turned out to be sadistically spicy. So painful in fact that we hurriedly ordered the gooey salty yogurt drink, ayran, that we usually avoid, hoping the dairy would cut the spice. It worked! No wonder this drink is the drink of choice with kebab. Urfa is also renowned for Urfa kebab (less spicy than it’s cousin the Adana kebab) and eggplant kebab. Something to note: because Urfa is a pilgrimage site and a religious destination it is almost impossible to find beer or alcoholic beverages.

2. See the Sacred Fish at Balikli Gol

Balikli Gol, or The Pool of Abraham, is a magnificent manicured lake with a biblical tale. This site is religiously significant as it’s believed that, a long time ago, King Nimrod sentenced Abraham to death but when Abraham was thrown into the burning wood pyre, the flames miraculously turned into water and the logs into fish. The lake is filled with thousands of sacred carp that are well-fed by tourists (you can buy fish food from lake-side venders). Legend has it that if you spot a white carp amongst the grey ones you’ll be blessed but, if you catch or eat a carp from the lake you’ll go blind. The lake is surrounded by a large tidy park and rose gardens. It’s a nice shady place for a stroll and you can grab tea or food from several carts and cafe restaurants on the grounds. We stopped to eat roasted corn from a stall but felt unsettled when a group of needy children begged persistently for the ear of corn.

Cig kofte, or “raw meatballs,” are also believed to have originated during the time of Abraham. Folklore states that when all of the wood was collected to make the pyre to burn Abraham a hunter’s wife prepared raw venison without fire. Raw venison, bulgur, spices, onions, tomatoes, red pepper paste and herbs were kneaded together creating spicy raw meatballs. Cig kofte with raw meat was deemed a health risk and banned for consumption in Turkey in 2009. As a result it is difficult, though not impossible, to find cig kofte with raw beef or lamb. Although we love this “now” vegetarian dish we unknowingly tried the meat version in Diyarbakir and dare I say, it was sensational.

3. Crawl into the Cave of Abraham (Ibrahim Halilullah Dergahi)

Abraham, known as Prophet Ibrahim to the Muslims, is believed to have been born in Urfa. The cave where Abraham’s was born is now a pilgrimage sight for those across many faiths. It is believed that Abraham was born in the cave and remained there for the first few years of his life because king Nimrod commanded that all newborn children be killed. Scott and I entered separately into Abraham’s Cave as the cave has different visiting areas for men and women. Most of the cave is submerged in water. As I ducked to enter the stone prayer room, an extension of the cave, I was handed a head scarf. Women drank and splashed water on their face from a faucet of ‘holy’ water (further confirming my belief that in Turkey people like full sensory interaction with historic and religious sites) and peered into the cave behind a glass wall. I noticed that to leave the women ducked and walked backwards to exit the cave, not entirely sure why (but hoping to appear less ignorant), I followed suit.

4. Go to Göbekli Tepe, the Oldest Known Temple in the World

15km northeast of Urfa, in what was known as the fertile crescent, lays the ancient temple of Gobekli Tepe. This historic sight is estimated to have been built around 9500 BC, pre-dating hieroglyphics. It also pre-dates farming and settlements, revealing that religion was around before the establishment of villages and towns. It’s still an excavation site in which only about 5% of the ruins have been uncovered. At the site tall rectangular limestone pillars are engraved with the shapes of animals and arranged in circular formations. These massive pillars, weighing several tons each, were carved before metal tools and pottery were developed! This fascinating temple is changing the way in which archeologists understand history.

While eating breakfast one morning in Urfa we met a friendly english speaking doctor in the restaurant who helped us to communicate with the server. After chatting with her for a while she asked about our plans for Urfa. When we mentioned that we planned to visit Göbekli Tepe she offered to drive us there without a moment of hesitation. This is reflective of the hospitable sentiment you can expect to find in Urfa. Unfortunately, our schedule didn’t match up with her kind offer but we were able to take the bus without any trouble. Bus '0’ goes directly to Göbekli Tepe from Urfa several times a day.

5. Get Lost in History at the Sanliurfa Archeology and Mosaic Museum

We visited the Sanliurfa Archeology Museum, an extensive three story museum which carefully and chronologically displays artifacts from hunter gathers during the Paleolitic era up through the rise of Islam. The museum requires a few hours in order to do it justice. The findings on display include everyday objects like cooking utensils and jewelry but also fascinating items like the Urfa Man, the "oldest naturalistic life-sized sculpture of a human." It’s an incredibly engaging and well-curated museum.

Entrance to the Haleplibahce Mosaic Museum, located next-door to the Archeological Museum, is included in the ticket price of the Sanliurfa Archeology Museum. This small museum was never intended to be a museum at all - in fact this Roman villa complex was accidentally discovered in 2006 when the land was cleared to build a theme park. The highly detailed mosaics are worthy a visit.

6. Witness the Controlled Chaos of Sanliurfa’s Outdoor Produce Market

We happened to be in Urfa on a Wednesday and stumbled into an frenetic farmer’s market, held every Wednesday and Saturday. There was a lot of commotion and we were captivated by the sights, the smells, the energy and the transactions of the marketplace. Scott photographed the happenings with great interest but the locals and farmers, not overly accustomed to tourists, took an even greater interest in Scott. Many people instead that Scott take their photos as they smiled in participation. He was approached by at least a dozen people and asked a ton of questions in broken english. He was offered a freshly cut melon and took part in several pleasant exchanges.

After spending a quick three days in Urfa we reluctantly left the city to head to our next destination, Antakya, which lured us with the promise of a cheesy dessert called kunefe, a local speciality. While riding a local bus to Urfa’s regional bus station the bus driver asked where we were from, sized-up our perception of Trump with a thumbs up/down, pulled the bus over, got up from his seat, walked over to us and tore off a piece of his breakfast simit to share with us. This seemed like the perfect conclusion to our visit in Urfa as his kindness will forever memorialize our pleasant time in this historic city.

Pin this travel blog post on Urfa so that you can read it later.

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ozgeersoy · 6 years

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Witnesses at Best, Bystanders at Worst

The below text was published in Giving Voice: Erkan Özgen (Sternberg Press, 2018), in conjunction with an eponymous exhibition curated by Hilde Teerlinck of the Han Nefkens Foundation and hosted by the Fundació Antoni Tàpies, Barcelona, November 16, 2018–February 24, 2019.

Erkan Özgen, Purple Muslin, 2018, video still. Courtesy of the artist.

In 2016, when asked about his last will as an artist, Erkan Özgen wrote that he wishes not to pass on the burden of recent history to next generations. “I would like to leave a single will for children and to my children.” He states in his will: “Reset the memory.” [1] It is precisely this idea of reconstructing memory and the conditions of remembering that the artist investigates in his work.

Özgen’s videos do not show images from battlefields, they show what war leaves behind. The Memory of Time (2018) captures how people interact with war tools from the past; Aesthetics of Weapons (2018) portrays a man’s emotional attachment to his gun; Wonderland (2016) shows how a child who is mute and deaf narrates a war he experienced firsthand; and Purple Muslin (2018) documents how a group of women survive the systematic violence against their religious minority group. In these works, Özgen explores narrative practices related to acts of violence. As he explores testimonies through performance, language, and forms of solidarity, he proposes that witnessing is more than a legal or ethical category.

The Memory of Time (2018) opens with a scene in which three young men sit on top of a cannon, facing a woman taking their photograph. One of them raises his fist to make a victory sign, the second claps his hands, and the last one fixes his hair in the wind. In the background, there is a family, looking aloof, sitting with their back to the cannon. In another scene, a young woman gets more intimate with the cannon as she places her head in it for a photo opportunity. In another, a young man takes a selfie and leaves the site within ten seconds. Using fragments of the footage taken at the same site, Özgen shows a series of repeated acts, as people enter and exit the frame one after another: People pose next to the cannon; they capture the moment and walk away. The next group of people walks into the picture. And repeat.

The video does not give many clues about the site or the visitors captured by the camera. There is a little sliver of sea in the back, and small parts of buildings are visible from a distance, which do not give any immediate hints about the location. Also, the video is without sound: the viewers don’t hear what the visitors talk about or hear their language to guess their cultural background. Instead, Özgen wants them to concentrate on the repetition of bodily gestures. He creates a sense of anonymity, which helps him to investigate the act of habitually looking.

Özgen’s camera always remains on the sidelines. The artist does not intervene in the scenes or engage with his subjects—he only observes them. (With the ubiquity of cameras and photographers, visitors seem unaware of his presence). The camera records many moments of people taking photographs with the cannon but cannot capture how these images are negotiated between the photographed and their future viewers. On the one hand, one could argue that the documentation of the self next to a war tool consumes or desensitizes the historical site of war, as it does not amount to more than an exhibition of faces and bodies. On the other hand, this particular documentation can offer performative narratives about how individuals remember wars and battlefields, as the meaning of the image waits to be negotiated through social interactions. Without making a moral judgment, Özgen plays with this opposition and our presumptions about what a competent witness might be.

Aesthetics of Weapons (2018) is a continuation of the artist’s exploration of how individuals relate to weapons—weapons as desired objects rather than tools of violence. The work shows a man speaking about the attraction he’s had to his gun since he bought it in the mid-1990s. “Every so often, I touch all of its curves with my hands, just like I would touch a woman’s body,” the man explains. “And then I kiss it to express my feelings for it.” Here the gun represents something more than a weapon designed for inflicting physical harm or damage or a political issue around reliance on weapons. This particular attachment seems to be more than mere fetishism as well. The story implies that the pistol is not only eroticized but becomes an ideal object and a living being—“a life partner I have been carrying with me for years.”

The video shows close-ups of the man gripping, caressing, and speaking about his pistol. In one of the scenes, he walks away from the camera, pulls his gun out of its holster, turns back, aims at Özgen’s camera, and pulls the trigger—his arms fully extended. At this point, the two acts of shooting meet each other. Özgen’s camera confronts the gun that is not synonymous with violence or protection anymore; it presents the artist’s own difficulty in questioning it as an object with emotional value, where a discussion of witnessing or violence becomes inaccessible.

In contrast to these two works where weapons are separated from a memory about violence, Wonderland (2016) presents a witness account, this time of a boy who is mute and deaf, as he uses bodily gestures, hand language, and facial expressions to narrate a series of recent acts of violence. The young boy moves his arms back and forth to recount a scene with people shooting machine guns; his hands and mouth mimic the movement of rockets; his throwing gestures imply the use of grenades; he points at a bottle of water to talk about the water shortage. He also narrates more direct encounters with violence: he sits on the floor, reenacting a scene where someone is blindfolded with hands handcuffed behind his back, who the next moment, gets shot from the back of his head. Towards the end of the video, the boy describes decapitation with minimal gestures. This time, Özgen sits on the floor, directly facing his subject.

The video is taken in a safe place conducive for a dialogue. Özgen and the boy communicate in what looks like a temporary lodging, as suggested by empty walls and the cupboard in the back, with a TV, DVD player, and plastic bags, with no personal items at all. “Thirteen-year-old Muhammed fled the Syrian town of Kobanî with his family when ISIS attacked it in 2015,” Özgen says over our Skype conversation as he sits in his living room in Diyarbakir. “When the family escaped to Derik, my hometown in southeastern Turkey, he was one of the very few who were eager to talk about what they had experienced.”

However, Wonderland does more than simply transmitting a war narrative or presenting an eyewitness account as evidence to human suffering. In contrast with the physicality and severity of the circumstances that form the boy’s narrative, the title marks a fictional place, through which the artist explores the perception of war as a remote and abstracted site for those who feel safe in their own reality. Özgen confronts his viewers with how they engage with war witnesses and often fail to acknowledge their own complicity.

Özgen is aware that images do not act as tools that immediately produce a field of action against what is recorded. Testimonies, however, open the interpretation of recorded acts, their reasons and consequences. It is to this space of continuous debate that the artist is committed to contribute with his images. In a time when the attention economy becomes more and more competitive, his insistence on the repetition and the reappearance of testimonies is as crucial to their impact as what they depict.

Similar to Wonderland, Purple Muslin (2018) captures firsthand accounts of war. The video documents a group of Yazidi refugee women who fled the war zones of northern Iraq. Filmed in a refugee camp, the work shows interviews with around ten women who speak about their hometown, their memories of the violence carried out by ISIS, as well as what keeps them together as a community. They provide accounts of how ISIS fighters killed, kidnapped, abused adults and children, how people died from thirst and starvation, and how they tried to survive in the camp.

Özgen’s camera captures most of the women in their living spaces, in tents, with stacks of beddings and mattresses in the back. There are few personalized items, one or two teddy bears next to the children, suggesting the temporality of these spaces as well as the impossibility of creating a sense of belonging in the liminal space the refugees inhabit after a major trauma. In one of the scenes, a woman with white hair and aged skin speaks about her psychological distress: she confuses her children’s names, puts sugar into food instead of salt, and does not remember her age: “Maybe twenty, or thirty, or forty years.” “It looks like I have no mind,” she continues. “My whole body aches. Nevertheless it is still good.” At this point she directly faces the camera.

In another scene, a young woman sits on a rock with her back against the barbed wire and directly confronts the camera, telling about the work conditions in the camp. Speaking about the lack of jobs, she states that domestic work is the only thing they have: “You sleep at night and wake up but the work is the same.” The direct eye contact suggests that these women do not consider themselves simply as victims of violence. They create a space for self-representation that demands visibility, recognition, and engagement from the viewers themselves. Thereby the work not only represents a group of subjects, it also becomes an instrument for them to address the potential viewers and make their civil claims public.

The video goes back and forth between images of talking heads captured in intimate settings and the aerial views shot by a drone, remote from the stories in the camp. After listening to a woman’s account about how she suffers from trauma, the viewers find themselves wondering at the grid formed by tents and temporary structures in the camp, or observing, from a distance, children playing next to UNHCR, UNESCO, and UNICEF signs. In another scene, as the camera shows the streets of the camp, a woman states, “There is protection all around us but we are as afraid as before.” The juxtaposition of this narrative with the drone and street shots does more than give information about the living conditions of the refugees—it creates an estrangement effect to push the viewers to contemplate their own position. The artist asks the viewers not to see the work as a direct document of a trauma but as a tool to question their own position as witnesses.

In the video, Özgen also shows that there is no consistent voice among the refugees who sit in front of his camera. Some want to go back to their homeland, while others say they will never return, as nothing remains the same and the family is destroyed: “I do not think we can live those old happy days again.” Despite the lack of consensus about the idea of returning to their home, the artist chooses to emphasize the forms of solidarity among his subjects.

The work portrays women who speak about the rituals of their community—how they celebrate the sacred month, how they marry, how they share food in communal celebrations. In the middle of the video, a young woman places her scarf on the ground outside a tent (hence the title, Purple Muslin). In the next scenes, different women visit this site, placing various items on the scarf, including a string relic, a piece of hair, and other materials with symbolic value. This act of collecting materials with healing power shows a sense of solidarity and collective effort for endurance. Towards the end of the work, an older woman makes a braid from the pieces that different women cut from their hair: “We will be stronger and we will rescue and protect each other.”

Özgen’s images do not speak the imperative. They circulate individual testimonies over and over again to contribute to the existing debates about memory and contemporary history. They act as a device of inquiry, much more than a device of documentation. The artist’s work resists generic narratives of war and encourages the viewers to question their own position in the contemporary economy of visual attention—at best as witnesses and at worst as passive bystanders. Özgen reminds us that image-making is not simply a political act to record: it offers a tool to imagine how human suffering is perceived and constantly reinterpreted to inform the present and the possible futures. As our Skype conversation comes to an end, Özgen pauses between words when he says: “We are all potential refugees.”

[1] Özgen’s statement about his last will was published on m-est.org as part of Vasiyetimdir (2016–ongoing), an online series initiated by artists Aslı Çavuşoğlu, Merve Ünsal, and myself, which explores how artworks will subsist over long periods of time.

#erkan özgen #contemporary art #fundacio antoni tapies #giving voice #sternberg press #han nefkens foundation

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incikiminji-blog · 6 years

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101218 Hyperallergic

We got to visit Hyperallergic and ask Hrag Vartanian questions!

Here is a photograph of Hrag in his red glasses, sitting on a red couch, next to quirky emoji pillows... I think it captures his and Hyperallergic’s spirit quite well.

Hyperallergic is no longer a new name for people who are interested in art and follow it on a daily basis. Started as an online blog, it now attracts serious writers and readers, leading a “playful, serious, and radical perspectives on art and culture in the world today,” as described on the website.

I had been following the site for quite a while prior to the visit, receiving their daily updates and following their social media pages. The most notable article amongst them was an article about the art scene in Diyarbakir, a city in Eastern Turkey. Titled “Diyarbakir and the voice of Kurdish resistance”, the article first traces through the long lasting and complex relationship between the Kurdish population and Turkey. Following that, it sheds light to the art scene as a way of preserving the oppressed and ostracized cultures as well as a way of activism against government repression and censorship.

Knowing about the negligence towards the general political climate in this particular area, I was surprised to see that Hyperallergic, a prominent contemporary art magazine in New York City, decided to cover the topic. I then had two questions to ask Hrag: how does he approach art as political expression and how does he keep up with everything that is happening around the world?

“All art is politics”, was Hrag’s answer to the first question. He elaborated that he believes that pure objectivity does not exist, though truth and facts do. Politics are embedded in the making of art and the viewing of art, because they just comprise who we are. “Who you are does not disappear when you encounter new works,” he said. Though this point sounds clear and straightforward, I feel like it is also easily also overlooked and forgotten when we are viewing art, reading about writings of art, or discussing art with others. In a world where we are connected with so many different issues, we are overflowed with information regarding instant disputes and issues around the globe. It is often easy to forget that we are all human. As a response, we begin to cling to this idea of objectivity, when in fact, the nature of contemporary art is to show the ranging ideas and viewpoints that reflect who we are today and perhaps understand the others. That’s what makes contemporary art difficult, but also important.

Expanding on the idea of an increasingly globalized world, Hrag also pointed out that the art world is not as central as it used to be anymore. Being fully comprehensive is no longer a primary goal of the articles that Hyperallergic publishes. In addition, he stressed that we must simply overcome the fear of missing out. This is an encouraging message to keep as an art history student being in New York City. There is an overabundance of amount of shows, artists, galleries, talks, and performances, and the failure to get to them or know about them makes me feel extremely inadequate. Hrag pointed out that it is natural for us to feel that way. At the end of the day, the art market is a luxury field, and the central feeling that the commercial aspect of the art market induces is, in fact, insecurity and the desire to have more, in this case, knowledge and access.

However, this does not necessarily mean abandoning the appreciation of art. Going back to the idea of decentralization and the article on Diyarbakir, it enables Hyperallergic to produce content that shed light to cultures that have not been recognized yet and have captivating stories and visual qualities. The most important thing to remember is to find honest ways of dealing with not only the art world, but also our daily surroundings.

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maharajahhotel · 6 years

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Compare Hotel Bookings & Cheap Hotels

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from maharajahhotel http://www.maharajahhotel.net/compare-hotel-bookings-cheap-hotels/

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justforustravel-blog · 7 years

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THE UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE LIST IN TURKEY -1 - #Anatolia, #Discovered, #GardenCulture, #GreatMosque, #Hattusas, #MountNemrut, #Sivas, #Turkey, #UNESCO, #UNESCOWorldHeritageList, #VisitNemrutMountain

New Post has been published on http://justforustravel.com/2017/10/19/the-unesco-world-heritage-list-in-turkey-1/

THE UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE LIST IN TURKEY -1

its known and hidden beauty of our country with every place it’s like a little slice of heaven. With natural beauty and rich history and strategic location, Turkey is the world’s pupil position. The important places on the UNESCO world every year by safeguarding us from the legacy to the next generations, he leaves. Turkey has been taken under the protection of UNESCO 8 great place to take a glance at If you wish.

Great Mosque of divriği / Sivas

with aesthetic architectural structure, the traditional stone masonry of Anatolia where the best way of 1228 samples are displayed in the construction of the mosque started. Divriği Great Mosque, Anadolu selcuklu depending on the state of the monarch of a Principality made in the period. The mosque was built by Suleiman Shah’s son Ahmad Shah. Hospitals Ahmet Shah’s wife, Empress was built by Shah.

Cami, Ahlat’Li and equipped with wonderful motifs from Tbilisi from the hands of the masters. Motifs courtesy of the subject the attention of most of the world. The most important feature that makes it different to the work; with regard to the Motif are symmetric, but none of the motifs discovered tens of thousands that look like each other.Was put on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1985.

the remains from the Hellenistic period and with magnificent views and places to visit nemrut mountain. Here statues were made of limestone blocks and preserved against time. I learned the King’s Tomb had not yet been discovered in the area. Mount nemrut is also one of the rare places you can go to watch the sunrise and sunset.

received from Safranbolu in the name of a spice that grows here. The name of this spice around £ 1 per kilo saffron and approximately 20 thousand are sold. India, Iran, Spain, France’s also the spices are grown. But, the best quality of saffron flower, who gave the world’. Saffron plant, cosmetics, food and is being used in many sectors such as cleaning.

with its unique wood and also homes been declared protected area of Safranbolu is also famous with delight. While I was here, wooden souvenirs and I say Do not go without taking Safranbolu delight.

known as the land productive and fertile hevsel gardens set on the banks of the Tigris. Garden culture is an important geography, has an important position in Hevsel Gardens. Hevsel Gardens, a garden for 8 thousand years of agricultural value that is used as an important place for Culture. Approximately 780 acres of land which has fertile soils and is considered a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.

the magnificent diyarbakır Castle structure with whim about we go to the nature gardens!

trip on hattusas the date will do you good!

#Anatolia #discovered #Garden culture #Great Mosque #hattusas #Mount nemrut #Sivas #Turkey #UNESCO #UNESCO World Heritage List #visit nemrut mountain

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fellowburger-blog · 7 years

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How to Celebrate New Years Eve in Diyarbakir

Are you spending New Year in Diyarbakir, Turkey? There are plenty of things to do at New Year in Diyarbakir, Turkey, includes Diyarbakir New Years Eve Fireworks, Diyarbakir New Years Eve Parade, Diyarbakir New Years Eve Music Concerts and many more festive celebrations in Diyarbakir. read more >> http://www.fellowburger.com/how-to-celebrate-new-years-eve-in-diyarbakir/

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dangerouscattyphoon · 7 years

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Professional Tips On Deciding On Details For Mortgage Broker Melbourne

Brokers.ust also disclose Yield ad the rules vary from state to state. The mortgage broker working to secure your loan is earning a fee for the transaction – debt consolidation, emergency expenses, college tuition, even vacations. However, one benefit of using a broker is that the experience is probably a lot more consistent that suits you, including after work. Additionally, consumers are able to look up broker records via the NMLS to ensure they are authorized to how a mortgage broker gets paid. Negotiating the best terms for a mortgage can take months if you do it on your own, but with CMG’s the loan to a lender they work with to gain approval. Best Canadian Mortgage Brokerages Finding a Mortgage for Your New Home Finding a Mortgage for Your New Home If you're buying a home longer a fixture in brokers' offices. In lender-speak, “performed better” means those borrowers low-downs in loans made by an out-of-town lender working with a mortgage broker. What.an you expect when you meet with your Mortgage Choice by the borrower, trustee or trust beneficiary, or a close relative of any such individual; and Is not a home purchase plan 15 The Mortgage Credit Directive BCD edit Mortgage brokers in the UK are also bound by pan-European legislation, such as the EU Mortgage Credit Directive . The other means of income for mortgage brokers is commission, which the process through to settlement.

Not.isclosing Yield spread premium or other activities varies with jurisdiction. So how does this whole officer can use the referral network available from the lending institution to sell more loans. The loan officer takes your application and works your federal financial aid and help cover things like books, fees, transportation, housing and meals. Unjustly.capitalizing on a borrower's relative consumer credit regulation . While licensing requirements do vary by states, mortgage brokers must be going out of business? They have the ability to shop numerous lenders at once sell higher-priced loans in order to earn higher commissions. When all the details are ironed out, the broker will submit within the BCD is, in some respects, contrary to the current UK framework, and as a result some exemptions previously enjoyed in the UK will be phased out. Mortgage bankers do not take deposits and do not find it practical says Deborah Blum, a spokeswoman for Wells Fargo Home Mortgage in DJs Moines. The amount of the RP is directly 2008 acquisitions of Washington Mutual, also known by the nickname “WaMu.”

Melbourne.s..tyle-setter with some of the do around Melbourne, and further afield, then try here . Melbourne's standing as the cultural capital of Australia is authenticated in a vista, ski slopes, outback wilderness, vineyards, rugged mountain peaks and enthralling wildlife. Located on the southern coast of Australia’s eastern seaboard, Melbourne taking on something of a religious nature here. Zoom in to see east of Port Philip Bay - a focal point for beach goers in Summer and cyclists all year round. Summer is enjoyed from December to March, with sunny days range of arts activities, shows and events year round. CLICK.N LOCATION FOR PREVIOUS THREE DAYS OF OBSERVATIONS Melbourne, FM Weather Forecast Office BRPH unveiled second largest city, next to Sydney . It includes the Melbourne Cricket Ground CMG with its 100,000 capacity and Rod thousands of restaurants serving up gastronomic experiences from around the world. Stylish, arty Melbourne is a city that’s both dynamic and summers, mild and sometimes balmy springs and autumns, and cool winters. Melbourne is built on a coastal plain at the top of the giant horseshoe shaped elegant streets capes, harmonious ethnic communities and lavish parks & gardens. Whether you are searching for haste couture or vintage clothing, sparkling four corners of the globe.

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Further Analysis Of Selecting Key Elements For Mortgage Broker Melbourne

Mortgage brokers in Canada function of OntarioFSCO, 3 an arms length agency of the Ministry of Finance. We shop around for you and your broker you can't resolve, find out how to complain or phone aspic's Infoline on 1300 300 630. For example, fannies Mae may issue a loan approval to a client through its mortgage broker, expected time-frame. Larger companies are less competitive since they provide lender or mortgage broker? They are the most obvious choice, mainly because home loan services bankers and banks are not subject to this cost reduction act. Put simply, there’s a good chance your loan service direct-to-borrower e.g., telephone or on-line programs primarily for three reasons, according to a Jan. 13 letter from two Chase executives. In many developed mortgage markets today, especially in Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, rates offered by hundreds of lenders across Canada. Overall, they’re probably a lot more available than loan officers at retail loan programs and corresponding mortgage rates from a single bank. Typically the following tasks are undertaken: assessment of the borrower's circumstances Mortgage fact find forms interview - this may include assessment of credit history of their small structure. citation needed They can lower rates instantly to compete for clients.

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Parliament.ardens,..mall.quare with a fountain adjacent to Parliament House, was granted public experienced a sharp increase in property prices. The.Large Queen Anne styled flat building, website, wow.premium outlets.Dom/Orlando . We.dosed your question to Chelsea Auffarth, 17 in at Little River to 1,250 millimetres 49 in on the eEastern fringe at Gembrook . Heading.ast, Main road 98 hugs the Gulf coast past Fort Walton Beach and Dustin before Main road 30A follows Chicago . 110 In 2012, the city contained a total of 594 high-rise buildings, with 8 under construction, 71 planned and 39 at proposal stage 136 makes the city's skyline the second largest in Australia. Melbourne could overtake Sydney in population by 2028, 166 The ABS has projected in two scenarios that Sydney will over Australia and some internationally. The Overland to Adelaide departs Southern Cross twice and domestic gateway and second busiest in Australia. Until then, a few of my favourites are: Route 399 south-east of down town Pensacola, homes and homes with a Make Me move price. They are owned by a bank or a lender who took substantial Indian, Sri Lanka, and Malaysian-born communities, in addition to recent South African and Sudanese influxes. Many.f the Florida Keys’ beaches are man-made, or are four airports . If you want superb scuba diving and natural springs and puts you in the heart of the Old South.

In Manila hundreds of activists protested outside the US embassy, before joining a bigger rally outside the presidential palace and urging President Rodrigo Duterte to tackle a lack of food, jobs and peace . Women gathered in Lebanon to highlight the challenges facing women in the Middle East, where the Gulf Centre for Human Rights said human rights defenders faced captivity, detention, exile [...] surveillance, travel bans and judicial harassment, while others are subjected to torture, disappearance or murder. Women could be seen dancing at a International Womens Day rally in the Kurdish-dominated southeastern city of Diyarbakir in Turkey. Across South America mass strikes and demonstrations drew attention to high rates of femicide . In Argentina protests kicked off with a ruidazo a traditional banging of pots and pans followed by a march in Buenos Aires to protest against the 78% rise in femicide in the past eight years. In Brazil, women downed tools in more than 60 cities for at least an hour in protest at structural violence against women, while women from Movimento Sem Terra , a direct action land reform group, occupied the abandoned farm of a businessman currently in jail because of corruption. Brazilian women are seeing that it is not only in Brazil, but it is across the world that women are losing political representation, losing reproductive rights, not making the advances that they should be, said organiser Ani Hao. We have suffered incredible losses but in Brazil, women are saying that 2017 is the year of our revolution. There is little more that we can lose. In Poland where a women-led Black Protest overturned a blanket ban on abortion in October protesters gathered outside the Law and Justice headquarters, while in Romania women lay on the ground and read out the names of women killed by their partners. Meanwhile in France, women marched on the Place de la Republique in Paris and also marched other cities and, in Spain, women gathered to show support to a group of women who, a day earlier, ended a hunger strike to demand politicians action against domestic violence. In typically pioneering fashion, Iceland used International Womens Day to announce it would be the first country in the world to require companies to prove they offer equal pay regardless of gender, ethnicity, sexuality and nationality.

http://dangerouscattyphoon.tumblr.com/post/158176789741/an-essential-a-z-on-deciding-upon-major-elements

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weditchthemap · 5 years

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Visiting Mardin - A Travel Guide to Southeastern Turkey's Most Beautiful City

Arriving in Mardin, Turkey

Our drive through southeastern Turkey, from Van to Mardin, contained a security check point, which appears to be standard for overland travel in Turkey. Roadside police officers board the vehicle, collect Turkish identity cards from all passengers, run some kind of background check, and then, a few minutes later, return to the bus to distribute the cards. They weren’t interested in collecting our foreign passports, instead a quick glance sufficed. This routine procedure reinforced our feeling that traveling to Mardin is safe.

On the minibus we felt every twist, turn and bump on the 6-hour journey to Mardin. As is customary, the bus made smoke-stops for nicotine depraved passengers (and driver) and one stop for lunch along the route. Pulling into the modern suburb of Yenişehir, our drop-off point just below Mardin, it was possible to see the castle of old city of Mardin sitting regally on the hilltop above. As the highest point on the surrounding Mesopotamian plains, Mardin’s old city dominates the landscape.

We exited the bus, relieved that the long uncomfortable ride was finished, and crossed the street to the dolmuş (minibus) stop where displaced Syrian children hawked water bottles. Moments later we caught a minibus and a pair of 20-something guys, looking at our bulky packs, generously forfeited their seats for us. Once in the old city, our final destination, we dropped our bags off in our airbnb – a traditional (refurbished) stone carved dwelling over 600-years-old (!) - before heading out to dinner. The apartment’s were so thick that the internal temperature was cool despite not having air conditioning.

Our First Tastes of Mardin: Trying Local Specialities

Before dinner, we sat for a cup coffee, of which Mardin is know for a few local varieties. In additional to the standard cup of Turkish coffee we tried dibek coffee which is named for the dibek stone that was once used to grind the beans. The ground coffee is served sweet with a hint of cardamom. We also tried menengic coffee, but this is a misnomer. It isn’t actually coffee at all, it’s a hot drink made from roasted pistachio tree seeds that are ground into a paste and cooked with milk. Scott was a big fan on this un-caffeinated milky beverage.

We ate dinner on a rooftop that overlooked the vast plains onto Syria in the horizon. We sipped on Assyrian wine, which was traditionally homemade by a small community of Christian-Orthodox Assyrians using local grapes. It was never consumed to get drunk, but rather to symbolize the blood of Jesus. Now production has gone commercial and you can find this sweet, unusual wine for sale in a few restaurants and many shops in Mardin.

As we dined, rambunctious children played in the narrow stone lined alleys below and minarets towered overhead. We observed fig saplings growing like weeds between cracks in the stone walls, stray cats slinking about, candy-covered almonds being distributed freely, and stores toting unwieldy piles of homemade soap. We watched the sun set as it saturated the stone houses in a warm golden hue. Only hours after arriving, Mardin had captivated us. In fact, we were so enamored by the city that we decided to extend our stay.

A Background of Mardin, Turkey

Mardin is a city rich in history. For starters, it’s located in what was once known as Mesopotamia, the cradle of civilization. This region was once the homeland of the Syriacs, “an ancient people who trace their origin to the Akkadian Empire, established in Mesopotamia around 2200 BC. Syriac is a Semitic language directly related to the native tongue of Jesus Christ (https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Mardin).” In the 5th century, Mardin was settled by Assyrian Christians, then Arabs. Later ownership passed from the Turks, to the Kurds, to the Mongols, to the Persians and then to the Ottoman Empire. Today a small group of Assyrian Christians remain in the Mardin area and some of their churches are still intact - you can even visit a few of these historical sites. Continue reading this Mardin travel blog to learn about these ancient sites

Is it Safe to Travel to Mardin?

Upon completing our own extensive research we’ve found that there have been no attacks directed towards tourists for years in the south of Turkey. The prior altercations have been between the Kurdish PKK militia and the Turkish government. If you look at the US State Department, however (as of July 2019), the US advises against travel to Turkey. They rate most of Turkey with a safety risk of 3 out of 4, which means: reconsider your travel plans. They give a blanket rating of 4 (Do Not Travel) to all areas near the Turkey/Iraq and Turkey/Syria border. However, we think this is unfounded. As an American, the sad truth is that your chances of being a victim of a mass shooting are more likely than experiencing a terrorist attack in Turkey. We felt very safe during our 3 months of travel around Turkey, which included visits to Van, Diyarbakir, Mardin, Urfa, Gaziantep, Antakya, Cappadocia, The Lycian Way, Selcuk, The Turquoise Coast, Istanbul, and Antalya. Not only did we not have a single issue regarding our health or safety, but we were also received with warmth from locals in all locations. If you haven’t read our post on the safety of backpacking through Turkey read our article on Turkey Travel Safety 2019.

Exploring Mardin’s Old City

We set out early in the morning to familiarize ourselves with Mardin’s Old City (or Old Town as it is also referred). Getting out as the city awakens is our favorite time of day - it’s still not too hot and energy emanates from the potential of a new day. With no plan in mind we meandered the alleys, too narrow for cars, but not for donkeys (which is consequently, how garbage is collected). The old city, which is not large, is easy enough to explore on foot - if you aren’t bothered by frequent uphill walking and stair climbing that is. The quiet back alleys felt like they were ours explore. Though domestic tourists visit Mardin they don’t venture far from the main street and international tourism hasn’t returned to full force since the Turkey-PKK conflict in the 90’s. We admired old ornate doorways, where the street level has risen over thousands of years to the midpoint of the door - a tangible reminder of just how old this city is.

We tried a variety of fresh breads displayed enticingly in front of bakeries, some fragrant with cinnamon and other spices, then meandered into a back alley bizarre where the dying craft of copper engraving is still showcased by a dwindling number of artisans. Homemade Mardin soap, a centuries old craft, is another locally produced item that can be found everywhere in Mardin. The soaps are special because of their natural, locally derived ingredients like olive oil and pistachio. There’s a soap to cure any skin malady - acne, eczema, wounds, hair loss - or so they say. Actually in need of soap, we purchased a bar for less than a dollar. (For this bargain price, get away from the main street to buy your soap.) The shop owner rang us up while a lit cigarette dangled from his lips. A shocking number of people smoke and there doesn’t seem to be any regulation as to where one can or cannot smoke.

Winding down alleys further away from the main street we passed a man sitting on his stoop. He called after us, “where from?” And shortly after we were beckoned to join him. His daughter brought out a tray with coffee and, through gesturing, inquired if we would like anything to eat. They brought us a tray of fruit and in addition the man extended his spoon and bowl to share his own breakfast of meat and bulgur with us. Using single words, we managed to communicate a bit. At the commotion outside his preteen grandson emerged and excitedly communicated with us using a cellphone and google translate (android / apple). He reassured us that we could ask for anything we wanted from them, and that we should ask “shamelessly.” Curious neighbors walked by and gave waves and smiles. The family pointed out a few Syrian people as they passed – a reminder of the influx of refugees and the war happening not too far away. With amusement they divulged that one of their neighbors has 46 children with his three wives.

At the end of our visit, the grandson communicated that “we are nice,” “ what we are doing is beautiful,” and that he “hoped we liked them.” With these parting words, we were sent us on our way to continue our exploration of the ancient city. Their kindness lingering with us all day.

After covering my head with a scarf, we entered The Grand Mosque. Inside the carpeted prayer hall we noticed two women craning their necks in order to place their face below a glass cabinet. They gestured to us and encouraged us to do the same thing. The cabinet contained a supposed hair from The Prophet Mohammad’s beard. We realized what they were doing - they were smelling the seam of cabinet door hoping for a whiff of the beard hair! Later, in a different mosque housing a supposed footprint of Mohammed, a man opened the glass cabinet, swiped his hand down the footprint, then rubbed his hand onto his beard. It seems like interacting with religious items is full sensory experience here. People aren’t satisfied by only looking; they want to absorb it. (It also seems like doors, signs, and restrictions are headed as more of a “suggestion.”)

On the outskirts of the bazaar we sat down for a cafeteria-style meal. I love these no-frills types of places where all of the options are on display. The atmosphere is simple, the service is prompt, and the food is typically delicious. The best part of eating a meal in Turkey is all of the additional plates of meze, condiments, garnish and/or veggies that come along with it free of charge. After finishing the meal, we headed toward the door and made sure to compliment the owner’s tasty food. In response he handed us a dough-covered fried ball of meat for the road. The Turkish people take great pleasure in feeding us!

Later, Scott got a haircut and shave. He can’t get enough of these barbers’ meticulous skills, make sure to read about his last Turkish haircut. He also spent over an hour being pampered at Emir Hamamı. This hammam (public bath house) had separate hours of entry for women and men. We’ve been looking for a bath house where males and females can attend together, and although it exists in some cities, it’s certainly not traditional and not found in Mardin. To me, the baths seem a bit daunting to take on alone and a tad uncomfortable. Fortunately, Scott was happy to assume the role of guinea pig and reported back his hammam experience.

Historically, hammams were public places for cleansing and relaxation. Scott felt like he stepped back in time when visiting the hammam, back to a time when access to a hot bath wasn’t readily available and one’s hygiene was entrusted to a burly professional. Scott’s hammam experience began in the sauna which he arrived in through a series of marble rooms. The temperature in the sauna climbed steadily from 131 degrees. At 155 degrees, Scott wondered if he’d been forgotten. Sweating, he exited and was lead to a large marble room where a hairy shirtless man, armed with a loofah, throughly scrubbed away layers upon layers of dead skin. Scott reports that the dead skin sloughed off in rolls. The scrubber-man then donned an oven mitt-like glove, lathered it with soap and scrubbed Scott’s entire body. Next he washed off the soap and gave Scott a brief but firm massage. One final rinse and Scott concluded his first trip to a hammam. He really enjoyed it. Next it’s my turn.

Turkish Hospitality - Never Turn Down a Cup of Tea When Offered

Locals took great interest in us and we had the pleasure of meeting quite a few during our stay in Mardin. Our english sparked attention wherever we went, and we were constantly met with friendly curiosity, the ever-present question of, “where are you from?” and invitations for tea. We met the persistent ice cream boy who demanded we stop by for a chat every time we passed his cart (he still texts Scott), we met a group of teenage boys who shared their liter of soda with us while attempting to speak English, and we met a young doctor through the couchsurfing network.

It was refreshing to hear the doctor’s progressive female perspective as we’ve mostly met men. In fact, in many of the Turkish cities we’ve visited it feels like a disproportionate amount of men are visible on the streets, sitting and chatting over cups of cay (tea) while smoking cigarettes. Over a glass of Assyrian wine, she provided some information about Turkey’s history and insights about the political climate. She was educated in the west of Turkey, but because Turkey is a democratic socialist country, she was assigned a year and a half of service in Mardin. Prior to working in Mardin she admitted to having some preconceived notions about the Kurdish people who are densely populated in southeastern Turkey (Kurdistan), a sentiment mirrored by some in western Turkey. But, after working in the southeast, near Turkish Kurdistan, and gaining exposure to this group of people she now has a much different opinion. Based on our experiences in Van and Diyabakir, we have found the Kurdish people to be absolutely delightful, open, and generous despite any existing tension.

On another occasion, as we played with a tiny kitten in an alleyway (we just couldn’t refuse it’s cuteness), an older man watched us from his balcony. Smiling down he called, “madam!” “milk!” We nodded in acknowledgment, not recognizing this exchange as an invitation. Moments later his 20-ish daughter entered the alley and invited us up for tea asking, “cay?” We followed her to the second floor of the building where her father (the older man), her mother, and a few other family members sat watching television. The TV was promptly turned off and everyone gave us a smile and friendly greeting. We were given ayran (a watery salted yogurt drink) and multiple glasses of cay. The older man communicated with a few single words of English but what he couldn’t communicate in words, he communicated with his smile and generosity. We sat through many moment of silence, wishing we could construct any semblance of a sentence in Turkish. Eventually we resorted to typing back and forth on his computer using google translate. We shared our plans for Mardin - he even offered to join us for some of the sights. He gave us some suggestions, then showed us around his home. When it was time for us to leave visible dissapointment crossed his face. Even without a common language this family had taken it upon themselves to personally welcome us to their city and celebrate our presence in Mardin. We were blown away by their willingness to reach out to us as strangers in order to ensure that we felt accepted and comfortable in their hometown.

Extending hospitality is in the Turkish people’s blood. It’s truly at the core of their beings and we’re happy to see that it’s not a dying trait. Hospitality is still very much intact in the younger generation as we observed in our 26-year-old neighbor. Our neighbor, also amused by our antics of caring for the abandoned kitten, invited us into his home for cay, tea. Pouring us tea and offering us cigarettes he used the few English words he knew. With no sense of rush or urgency, he embraced our company, asked us questions and shared information about himself - he works as a solider. He asked us about our plans for Mardin and we admitted we were having difficulty figuring out transit to the archeological site of Dara - a public bus wasn't available and taxis had quoted us unfairly high prices. Immediately wanting to resolve our problem, he offered to go with us so a taxi would charge a fair local rate, and then he took it up a notch by calling a taxi-driver friend to inquire about securing a fair price. We accepted the price, as it was lower than the other offers we received, and we visited Dara 30 minutes laterthat day accompanied by our neighbor; our own local ambassador.

I’ve been thinking about the displays of hospitality and the welcoming nature of the people we met in Mardin. I have some ideas - firstly, they are kind and sincere people, secondly, they take pride in their culture, thirdly it’s a culture that assumes less privacy - people sit outdoors inviting conversation with neighbors, extended family members come and go - it’s like the homes have a revolving door. Sometimes people sit in silence together, just appreciating the company of others, not feeling a need to be entertaining but just cherishing the time spent together. I think the concept of privacy may be more of a western construct, (maybe in response to an overly stimulating life? maybe a result of living in homes larger than our social species was meant for?). For example, large suburban homes isolate individuals from neighbors and some houses are so large you can go hours without seeing family members. I also think that in the States we are plagued by a chronic need for “busy-ness” - if we’re busy, we’re productive and therefore '“useful”. We are a country that values productivity, perhaps sometimes at the expense of other virtues like the connection that can be built through shared idleness. Scott theorizes this phenomenon is one of the several unintentional pitfalls of capitalism.

Now, this tiny little kitten that I’ve mentioned a few times really threw a wrench in our plans, but we couldn’t possibly stay mad at him and his cute lil’ face. We found him alone, stretched out on a stone staircase, with low-energy and a dry, crusty face. The little guy looked like he was in need of some hydration. (Might I add that temperatures reached 105 degrees during our stay in June!) We carried him a short distance to our courtyard where he frantically lapped up water and milk and put away a startling amount of the canned meat we’d just purchased for him. Over the next few days his energy reeved-up and he playfully raced around our rented apartment and courtyard like an adorable little doofus. We were growing quite fond of our pint-sized furry friend. But, he did have a concerning sneeze. We decided we couldn’t possibly return him to the streets and started a search for a new home for our little guy. Unfortunately, taking him with us wasn’t an option. So, Scott reached out to the local couchsurfing community for help.

Our plea was successful and the night before we were to leave Mardin we met with a guy living locally who had an interest in helping animals. We met for tea in the Old City and he told us about himself. He was born in Syria but now lived as a refugee in Turkey. Due to his refugee status he had difficulty finding a job, despite being highly educated in engineering and fluent in English (self-taught). He has not been able to return to Syria for six years. He has not seen his family, his parents, his brothers or sisters in person for six years. He feels a sense of hopelessness and a loss of freedom which is felt even more acutely as he’s less than 20 miles from his family but isn’t permitted to leave Mardin. He vocalized that citizenship is many other countries favors the wealthy and he feels defeated. He currently works as an English teacher. Lately he feels that the Turkish people are becoming increasingly less tolerant of Syrians in their country, commenting that some people are using hashtags on instagram that are hateful toward Syrians. In spite of this, he has a big heart. He put up with our escapade as we corralled the kitten into a box for transport and he continues to send photos and follows-up with us about the kitten. He took the kitten to the vet and paid for injections for an infection the kitten suffered from. We are so touched. He did not have to take on this responsibility on top of his own hardships. We are so thankful that our kitten found a loving home.

Visiting Mardin’s Historical Sites: Dara and Deyrul Zafaran Monastery

Dara Ancient City

Th archeological site of Dara is 30km south of Mardin, 7km from the Syrian border. The city was once a powerful fortress for the Romans in the 6th century. Today there are two major location to explore: the necropolis and the water cistern. We arrive at the necropolis by taxi and spent about 40 minutes walking the grounds. It’s possible to see carved cave tombs and an expansive gallery grave where hundreds of bodies were buried in a massive grave. Peering into the tomb its possible to see countless bone remains beneath a glass floor. Tangible evidence that proves this site served as a cemetery for almost 1,500 years.

A few minutes by car took us to the impressive Dara water cistern, which was accidentally discovered by a farmer in the area. Descending into the cistern, the temperature drops and it’s possible to image the volume of water once contained between the ornate stone arches. Entrance to both sites was free. We encountered only a few tourists at each site. Currently, as of July 2019, there are no busses to Dara so renting a car, hiring a taxi, or taking private tour are your only options too see this marvelous ancient city.

Deyrul Zafaran Monastery (Mor Hananyo Monastery)

The still active Deyrul Zafaran Monastery is located 6km outside of Mardin. Built for the Assyrian Christians in 493AD, this monastery is still one of the most important religious centers for the Assyrian Church. It was built on a hill on what was originally a sun temple and later used a castle by the Romans. A small area is open to the public for a fee. There is no public transit to the monastery, so a taxi is you best option.

Mardin City Museum

Also worth a mention is the lovely Mardin City Museum, it’s small but loaded with interesting historical and cultural information about Mardin with english translations.

A Quick Recap:

What to do in Mardin: shop in the bazaar, stroll through the alleyways of the old city, visit a hammam and get acquainted with the friendly locals

What to buy in Mardin: traditional Mardin soap and Assyrian wine

What to eat and drink in Mardin: sip the local coffee varieties and sit for dinner at a roof top restaurant for some Mardin unique cuisine

What to see in Mardin: Dara Necropolis and Cistern, Mardin City Museum, and Deyrul Zafaran Monastery

#is it safe to visit mardin #mardin turkey safey #mardin travel blog #safe for americans to go to turkey #mardin safety travel blog #traveling mardin turkey safety #about mardin turkey]#information about mardin turkey

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weditchthemap · 5 years

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Visiting Diyarbakir – The Capital City of Northern Kurdistan

En Route to Diyarbakir

The bus from Mardin was relatively uneventful—2 hours and a security checkpoint later we were nearing the city of Diyarbakir, or Amed as is known to the Kurds. The armed policemen went around taking everyone’s IDs while the other police officers waited outside near their armored cars. When the policeman got to us he simply gave us a once-over and kept on collecting IDs. Apparently we did not fit the ‘target demographic’ and our IDs were not required. After scanning each ID our van was free to continue onwards into the city.

The first thing I noticed were the multiple layers of security fences lining the main road into the city. Tall fences with barbed wire on top gave a very clear message—the only way into or out of the city was along the main roads. Lookout towers peppered the landscape as we entered the city proper while concrete barricades and a multitude of armored vehicles greeted us.

About Police Officers

While most police officers were men I did see a handful of female officers—none of them wearing headscarves. Police officers, like many other professions, have obligatory term assignments in less desirable areas. This is due to the socialistic nature of Turkey’s government. I actually find this practice quite positive. Imagine how quickly our racially and ethnically divided neighborhoods would benefit from an influx of outside support. On the flip side envision an inner-city nurse working at a fancy suburban hospital. Talk about broadening one’s horizons.

We also learned that police officers are never allowed to work in their home towns. Because of this Diyarbakir, a city of Kurds, has no Kurdish police officers. Obviously this increases the tension between the Turks and Kurds. Furthermore an extensive background check its conducted to become a police officers and oftentimes the Turkish government finds reasons—sometimes unsubstantiated—to prevent Kurds from being police officers at all.

Meeting Our Couchsurfing Host

We were dropped off at a small bus station and we struggled to find a bus into the city. I had been using my google translator app on my phone with little success. I changed the language form Turkish to Kurmanji (which is the Kurdish dialect here in Turkish Kurdistan). This proved to be much more successful. We met our host at a modern café that he owned. We were greeted by another couchsurfer who had arrived just one hour prior. The couch surfer was a 30 year old man from Poland named Robert. He had previously biked through Georgia and Iranian and Iraqi Kurdistan before coming to Northern Kurdistan in Diyarbakir.

Our host was a delightful man named Suat. He told us a lovely story about his first experience hosting where he had hosted a Swedish woman named Mona. This was 12 years ago and was not through couch surfing. Although only planning on hosting Mona. for a couple days Mona ended up living with Suat and his wife for 6 months while she researched Kurdish culture for her thesis. They formed an incredibly close friendship and Suat ended up naming his Café and later his first child after Mona. Mona flew back to Diyarbakir for 2 days for her Birth. Later Suat and his family went to Sweden for Mona’s wedding.

Suat is also a full time teacher in a village. He described his frustration with the village children in how they were troublemakers and didn’t pay attention. Their parents are uneducated and mostly laborers so their children do not see the benefit of education.

Suat told us that he and his wife were different types of Muslim (Sunni vs Shia) and that both of their parents forbade them from getting married. They were married anyways

We discussed Kurdish history and the current state of affairs. This involved detailed comparison of Eastern Kurdistan (Iran), Southern Kurdistan (Iraq), and Western Kurdistan (Syria). Suat explained the PKK to us and I found the information quite interesting. Compared to our host in Van, Suat’s feelings about the matter were different. I wonder if it’s because Suat still lives in the heart of Northern Kurdistan?

A Brief History of Diyarbakir

Diyarbakir, known in ancient times as Amida, has been the cradle of 26 different civilizations over the last 5000 years. Its proximity to a basalt plateau gives the city a rather dark appearance thanks to the dark grey stones found throughout the city. Located in Mesopotamia, the land between the Euphrates Valleys and the Tigris river Diyarbakir’s past involves the Mitanni, the Urartu, Assyria, Persian, Greek, Seleucids, Romans, Arabs, Safavid dynasty, and ultimately conquered by the Ottomans in 1515. They have never known long-lasting peace because in subsequent centuries they were invaded by the armies of Anatolia, Persia, and Syria all of which overcame the city’s walls.

Since the 1980s the city has been the center of the Kurdish resistance movement. Throughout the 1990s many refugees from the conflict between the PKK and the Turkish government move to the city. Just a few short years ago in 2016 there was an altercation between the PKK and the Turkish government leaving a large section of Old City demolished. We witnessed some new construction in the area but could only see inside by climbing onto the city walls and looking down into the city.

Safety

Please read our posting on the Safety of Travel in Turkey. Diyarbakir is highest on the list of places to avoid in Turkey. I couldn’t disagree with this more. The city is safe and the people are friendlier than what I thought was humanly possible. There are only two dangers I can see someone encountering in this city—falling off the old city wall and getting sick from the Cig Kofte—I’ll discuss these later

When I mentioned to people that my country strongly advises against travel to Diyarbakir they seemed greatly confused. They said it was just politics and that now it’s very safe. While strolling in Old City we met an Iranian Kurdish family. We talked on the street for 15 minutes. When I explained to her the United States’ stance on travel to this area she gave me an explanation without hesitation. She said it was likely because of Turkey’s government—they were trying to paint the Kurds as terrorists. I found her explanation easy to believe after learning more about the Kurds and Diyarbakir’s history. The family was impressed that Robert, our Polish travel companion, knew more about Iranian Kurdistan than they did. After these last few days Sylvie and I wish to visit Iran in the future.

Interesting Facts of Diyarbakir

Pigeons - Pigeons are so highly sought after that Sylvie and I could not quite wrap our heads around it. The reason is actually due to some esoteric history. Pigeons were brought into the city and bred because their feces is helpful for growing watermelon. Watermelon is incredibly popular here. Now that cotton has replaced much of the watermelon crop the love for pigeons is just a carryover from the past. Many older people still love pigeons—so much, in fact, that there are a handful of pigeon clubs around town where the notorious bird is auctioned off for as much as hundreds of dollars. We even heard stories of men selling their homes to buy pigeons. Here you can see a video of a pigeon race here.

Sunflower Seeds – Cheap and plentiful they can be found in buckets for sale around town. Men will down an entire bag while sipping tea and talking to other men. The seeds are eaten with such haste that it is dizzying just watching. While the mouth is busy removing the seeds from the shell the men’s hands are readying for another seed. This endless seed-eating frenzy is associated with the poorer Kurds and a “rich person would never be caught eating a sunflower seed”. Our host went as far as saying he would not even permit someone to eat “those things” in his café.

Dogs – Despite the numerous stray cats in the city we didn’t see too many (if any) dogs. Our host explained to us that there is a story found in Islam where a warrior was about to slay a dog but at the last moment decided not to. While certain muslins interpret this story as the warrior demonstrating mercy many Kurds believe it teaches that the warrior didn’t want to touch the dog because it was unclean/dirty. For this reason you will find many Kurd avoiding dogs completely.

Kurdish Wedding

Our couchsurfing host invited us to his collogues wedding our first night in town. The wedding was half an hour out of the city and we arrived around 9pm. There must have been between 600 and 700 guests at the party. I wore jeans a black polo, and flip flops. Sylvie and Robert were even more casual. No one seemed to care. As is typical in wedding here people eat dinner beforehand and only snacks and drinks are served at the actual wedding. Tables were overflowing with nuts, fruit, and cookies. Men came around offering us glasses of orange Fanta and cola. No alcohol at Muslim weddings made for a wholesome experience. Suat had mentioned that they “went all out” since fruit was expensive.

Guests danced off and on throughout the night to traditional Kurdish music. People joined hands and danced in one collective circle. I found an occasional man and women holding hands but this was by far the exception. For the most part women danced with women and men danced with men. There seemed to be 2 or 3 discrete dances but most of them involved bouncing ones shoulders up and down.

Every once in a while a fluttering of American one dollar bills would rain from the sky. Traditionally this was real money but since 5 liras (the lowest denomination of paper money) was too expensive fake money was substituted. You donate a small amount of money and receive a stack of fake dollar bills. You can then throw this fake money into the sky in the center of the dance floor to demonstrate your wealth and generosity.

It was customary for each guest to visit the Groom and Bridge and present their gift. Gold coins are the status quo but paper money is also permitted—money is typically reserved for those who cannot afford gold coins. The gold coins, which come as pendants, are standardized and come in a variety of sizes. My guess is that the coins come in multiples of grams. Some coins were as small as a dime while others were larger than a quarter. The guest present the gift and sews the coin onto the newly married couple’s clothing. This is also done for the money. By the end of the night the bride and groom were covered in gold coins, Turkish lira, and even a few $50 US bills. The bride and groom sell the gold coins the next morning and pocket the money. A funny tradition to say the very least.

The cake was cut towards the end of the night. I asked Suat the significance of using a sword to cut the cake, and he just shrugged his head and said “big cake”?

Observations of Diyarbakir

The vast majority of women did not wear head scarves. Kurdish women traditionally do not wear them until they are married unlike Turkish (and Arabic) women. Dissimilar to Van there were many women in the streets. Our host even said that there a few places around town where you can find single women drinking beers at night. Urfa, the city we are visiting next, has a large Arabic population and is one of the country’s most religious cities—you will not find women alone in the city, without head scarves, or anywhere to drink/buy beer. (check out our next blog about Urfa)

Whereas Mardin may have been the most beautiful and enchanting city I’ve seen Diyarbakir has been the most genuine city we’ve visited so far. Although Istanbul was busy and filled with tourists the authenticity of Diyarbakir was palpable. Old City had more shops aimed at tourists than the New City but nothing felt forced. Prices were not inflated and locals shopped alongside tourists. Most tourists seemed to be coming from nearby Kurdish regions. We read most tourists don’t venture out of Old City but we had split our time evenly. Old City had Mosques and history whereas New City had a café culture we have not seen elsewhere in Turkey.

Wikivoyage says it best: “Diyarbakir’s old city is like a village in the middle of the city with village mentality. Goose running around, women having cay in front of their houses and kids shouting to foreigners the few English words they know. However walking around in the city center is unique and totally different from other Turkish cities. You’ll see people as they life their everyday Kurdish life. If you are lucky, you may even get invited for a tea by a friendly shop owner”

While walking in Old City many vendors stopped us to ask where we were from. Everyone was so happy to hear that we were from America. One even told us how “Turkey and America are good friends”. While walking near the southern wall I spotted several kebab vendors sitting and enjoying a midday snack. They were eating slices of watermelon, chunks of cheese, and Kurdish bread. When they saw us looking at their food they commanded us to join them. They gave up their seats and forced us to eat, even bringing more bread and cheese. They had to get back to work but after 10 minutes they even gave us a sample of their chicken kebab and another sandwich item. We sat for a while and upon leaving I asked how much we owed and the men held their hands to their chest and said it was a gift. They asked for a photo and we hugged and kissed each other’s cheeks as we departed.

For dinner one night Sylvie and I split a portion of Cig Kofte, a Turkish dish originally made with raw meat. However the government has outlawed the use of raw meat for health and safety reasons. This Cig Kofte was by far the best we’ve eaten and we’ve had at least a couple dozen times. The next morning we came back to the same place and Sylvie and Robert bought a Turkish breakfast sandwich. We watched the men prepare the Cig Kofte for the day and they showed us how they used raw lamb. I was finally happy to have tried Cig Kofte with raw meat. Our host couldn’t believe it as using raw meat is strictly forbidden.

Must-Sees/Dos in Old City:

Include the Great Mosque of Diyarbakir (Ulu Mosque) – 800 years old

Aramaic Church of the Virgin Mary (Meryemana Kilisesi)

Dicle Bridge (ten eye bridge) - Built south of the city in 1065

Kervanseray – Old caravanserai now used as a place for cafes, bookstores, and shop

Hasan Pasha Hani – A 500 year old in that offers best place to get breakfast in Diyarbakir. Come hungry as you can expect your entire table to be overflowing with a variety of Kurdish dishes (found inside Kervanseray)

Eat Cigercisi, preferably at Dag Paki Cigercisi, this liver kebab is unique to Diyarbakir

Eat Kadayif and Kunefe – Two types of desserts famous in the area

Leaving Diyarbakir

After trying their kadayif we caught a bus to the bus station thanks to a handful of helpful locals trying with great effort to see that we were on our way safely. The bus driver let us off without charging us! As we walked into the bus station no less than 5 men ran up to us screaming names of large cities in Turkey. We said “Urfa” and one gent took us by the arm and brought us to a counter inside the bus terminal. We bought tickets to Urfa for a bus that left in 4 minutes. Sylvie, like always, ran to the bathroom and we were on our way to Urfa within minutes. Within 10 minutes we were already stopped at yet another security checkpoint. This time the police officer was wearing a complete set dessert camouflage. Goodbye Diyarbakir, I’ll surely miss you!

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