Istanbul memories and the city is an autobiographic memoir written by a Turkish novelist ferit orhan pamuk and translated by Maureen freely. The memoir tells us about Istanbul, culture and melancholy of pamuk. And this memoir is mostly about Bosphorus and the past of Istanbul and also the home place of orhan pamuk. From the childhood orhan pamuk was attracted towards literature that is why he mentioned many writers and poets names like Yahya Kemal, Ekrem Moçu etc. in his book. He also included his school life adventure and how he found interest in painting. And most of all he tells readers about Bosphorus and how the culture was changing. Bosphorus was fishing village for Greek for centuries but in eighteen century when ottoman worthies began building their summer homes mostly around Goksu Kucuksu Bebek Kandilli Rumelihisari and Kanlica there arose an ottoman culture that looked Istanbul to the exclusive of the rest of the world. River is an important factor for the development of the city. River is the easiest way to provide water in huge amount at any time. Bosphorus was the river which was very deep and wide so the chances of it drying up were very less. In the memoir pamuk wrote many things about Bosphorus and culture. The style of writing is melancholic that means pamuk tells the readers about his feelings and memories. My understanding about the memoir is that people of Istanbul are the reason for getting influenced by the western culture. the another main reason for change in culture is Bosphorus because it is a rich source of unlimited water for the city. For any place to improve faster, river is a very efficient source. At that time steamboats were used for transportation so business starts because of Bosphorus. To expan...
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... rest of the world. Bosphorus is a deep and dark river which gives a look of sea. Pamuk’s childhood was passed in Istanbul so he frequently visited the bosphorus. Pamuk expressed in the memoir that whenever he felt sad, bosphorus comforted him. Bosporus was the main source of water for Istanbul. For developing a city, river is the one of the main criteria which is important. In any city river plays an important role because it provides water to the city, most of the industries use river water to cool down their machines. If bosphorus never would have existed then may be Istanbul wouldn’t have been developed as it is now. Is the westerns were searching for place where they can install industries to produce goods. Bosphorus attracted western people and with them there culture.
Bosphorus was the path for other cultures to connect and understand the Istanbul's culture.
The essay has made me realise to preserve the environment and not use the environment for my own purposes. Along with that, the author does a great job in describing the places that he visits during this story which is very helpful in getting the interest of the audience. The author is using some of the view he is seeing to show the audience. Such as “Here, two bison, their bodies ……….. how long it must have taken.”
The Greek side elucidates the historical meaning of the libation. The Old Indic side of the watershed reveals the beginning of the religious significance.
all the details of the city that often fly over the heads of most and recreates
Blij has clearly put this book into historical significance by mentioning the idea of geography and how it plays a role in societies all over the world. However, the five themes of culture regions, cultural diffusion, cultural interaction, cultural ecology, and cultural landscapes are all clearly defined within a specific context to a particular nation. Through reading this intriguing piece of literature I received the underlying notion that Blij firmly believes that landscapes of the world realm are not going to change. De Blij worldview of regions, diffusion, interaction, ecology, and landscapes has allowed him to simultaneously link issues together from the United States all the way to Southeast Asia.
The development of cities is essential in the development of a civilization. Egypt’s cities began close to the Nile River. The Nile ran directly through the land and was the main attraction to settlers. It flooded every year, and in doing so, it fertilized the ground and allowed the growth
While taking the class of Early Modern European History there was two states that really stuck out and peaked my interest the most. They were the Ottoman Empire and Early Modern Europe. If you compare and contrast both the Ottoman Empire and Early Modern Europe during the 16th Century through the 18th Century, you will see that there are a number of similarities as well as differences when you look at the expansion of the states. You will also see many of these contrasts as well when you look in terms of each states military and commerce. Although the Ottoman Empire existed before the 16th century and continued to exist past the 18th century and in great decline until the early 20th century, when looking at the state as a whole the time period of 1500’s through the 1700’s is a period of growth and strength. It is perhaps even known as a golden era for the state, when taking in to comparison the Early Modern Europeans where the same time period marks a change in how society thought and how people were treated.
...’s book accomplishes a lot in its timid three hundred pages, it lacks more examples of modern architecture and historical landmarks such as the ones discussed above. Also, the lack of chronological order is a new approach, but it might not appeal to all readers.
Islam has been a dominant force throughout Turkish history. During the Ottoman Empire, Islam ruled every part of the theocratic state, but after the demise of the empire, Turkey's rulers led the country away from political Islam. The modern Turkish state has a strictly secular government, and Islam has been relegated to the personal sphere. Although Turkey has experienced a rise in fundamentalism in the past twenty years, the separation of church and state has remained relatively intact. Even with this increase of fundamentalist Islam, the wide majority of Muslims in Turkey are moderate and tolerant. They have adapted to modern life and value Islam for its moral and spiritual messages. Islam is a guide for right living and ethical conduct rather than a political system. Turkey constantly struggles to balance Islamic life with a secular government. Although the government wants to maintain a strict separation between religion and politics, it cannot ignore the power and influence that Islam has in the lives of the Turkish people.
In Marjane Satrapi’s Persepolis and in Ishmael Beah’s A Long Way Gone, both authors commentate on the romanticism of violence that is often associated with war. Because of this, the authors are able to dispel misconceptions surrounding war. Furthermore, the memoirs allow the authors reflect upon their own experiences of war during their childhoods, as well as examine how cultural shifts perpetuated by both war and the increased influence of western culture that took place within their cultures shaped who they became. Through their memoirs, the authors portray the reality of war and violence through cultural experiences.
Thanksgiving, traditionally, is a time of gathering families together to express our gratitude for one another over a large roasted turkey. According to the Huffington Post, one fifth of the total 235 million turkeys eaten in the United States are consumed on Thanksgiving Day (1). There are a number of different theories on how the turkey got its name. Some people say that Columbus thought that the land he discovered was connected to India which was known for having large flocks of peacocks. When he saw these strange large birds he thought they were related to the peacock family so he named them Tuka, which means peacock in the language of India (2). Others say that the name came from Native American’s calling them Firkee, which was later adapted to Turkey (2). Another theory is that the birds did not come directly from the New World to England. Instead, they came via merchant ships from the eastern Mediterranean Sea which were called ‘Turkey Merchants’ because a lot of the area was a part of the Turkish Empire at the time. Purchasers of the birds back home in England thought the fowl came from the area so they called them ‘turkey birds’ and soon after just ‘turkeys’ (2).
All civilizations come to an end. However, throughout history a few have stood out. Civilizations that withstood the test of time. Revolutionary societies that changed the whole world. Some of these changes are still around today, and that is a testament if nothing else. With all great societies, however will come weaknesses. No civilization has lasted forever. It may take one thousand years, or even longer, but if a society cannot admit its weaknesses and fix them, it will crumble. Such is the story with the Ottoman Empire. Their Empire began in the year 1300 and would last all the way to the first World War. The Ottomans were no exception to the rule though. Their society, for all its might and intellect, could not see their way was also
There was also a great city in Mali called Timbuktu. It was very important because it was a center for trade and it aided the Muslim art and culture which helped to spread Islam.
the past and the present; history and historical figures, etc., and where everything is interrelated to each other (Norman and White). Other Colours is considered as the biggest assemblage of Pamuk's first nonfiction writings (Iyer). It contextualizes his memories, his unexpected flight from Istanbul, and the past lives. He outspokenly speaks against his own country for censoring freedom of speech, and abuse of human rights (Such outspokenness later led Pamuk to be arrested and put into trial for a short time) (Iyer). But above all his criticisms, Pamuk shows a profound love and deep respect for his beloved Istanbul. However, since he finds difficulty due to limitation in freedom of expression or different political and social view, Pamuk have shown himself as a person who escapes reality into the playfulness and imagined space. The dimension of his escaping the reality can be seen in the text contextualizing innocence and
The history of turkey is a very long and detailed one. Turkey was originally settled by groups of farmers probably thousands of years ago. Today, historians call these people the Hittites. During their time, the Hittites were ruled by kings, and had their high officials buried in shaft tombs. Shortly after the Hittites moved in, Indo-Europeans moved into the area, and formed the kingdom of the Hittites, with the capital being Hattusa. The kingdom survived for hundreds of years. However environmental changes, migrations of new people, and a weak government ended the kingdom. After the downfall of the Hittite kingdom, Assyrians and Persians conquered the land and settled the kingdom of Lydia. But, this kingdom didn’t last long, as Alexander the Great conquered the Persians in the battle of Issus in 333 BC. to claim the land. In 63 BC., Roman general Pompey conquered the land and it became part of the massive Roman Empire. In 330 AD., Constantine, the emperor of the Roman Empire moved the Empire's capitol from Rome, to the city of Byzantium in modern day Turkey. Byzantium had its name changed to Constantinople when Constantine converted to Christianity. The Roman Empire split in 395 AD., and the Byzantine Empire continued to rule the land. During the early 1000's, the Seljuk Turks became one of the first Islamic peoples to rule in modern Turkey. The Seljuk Turks began to replace the area's Greek language and Christian religion with the Turkish language and the Islamic religion. The Seljuk ...
The city of Istanbul was originally known as Constantinople back in the time of the Byzantine Empire Days. Then, in 1453, Constantinople became part of Ottoman Empire and over the years, the name of the city was changed to Istanbul. Since both empires occupied Istanbul at one point, its leaders brought over many rich and diverse cultures, ideas, and many architectural designs. This beautiful city is separated by the Bosphorus Strait which is the main waterway connecting the Black Sea to the Sea of Marmara, that separates Europe from Asia.