blue mosque

east meets west

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March 9th 2007
Istanbul appeared to us to be a modern, clean, efficient, largely western city, with some very eastern twists. I was impressed by the many head scarves I saw women wearing, and further struck by the lack of women on the streets and in teahouses after work and in evening. Where are all the women? became a refrain. Five times a day the city echoes with the call to prayer, and it almost seemed as ... read more

Middle East » Turkey » Marmara » Istanbul

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Modern Turkey was founded in 1923 from the Anatolian remnants of the defeated Ottoman Empire by national hero Mustafa KEMAL, who was later honored with the title Ataturk, or "Father of the Turks." Under his authoritarian leadership, the country adopt... ... read more