(Translated by https://www.hiragana.jp/)
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November 29, 2014
 
 
 
 
 
 
Visiting sacred Cave of Hira
We stand at the foothills of Jabal an-Nour, the site of the Cave of Hira. We are preparing for a 45-minute uphill climb. There are already many people climbing this mountain. Jabal an-Nour is not easy to climb, as it is a very steep mountain. Wondering how long it will last, we begin our ascent.
11 August 2014 /SAIM ORHAN, MECCA
Gülhane: A park for all seasons
High up above the point where the Sea of Marmara meets the Bosporus and the Golden Horn, enthusiastic tea drinkers sit around samovars on tables lined up to catch a magnificent view that was once the preserve of the sultans. This is Setüstü Çay Bahçesi (Top Terrace Tea Garden), a corner of İstanbul’s wonderful Gülhane Park that goes remarkably unvisited except by the locals.
4 August 2014 /,
Medina City of Prophet
All the larger boulevards and streets opening onto Medina's Masjid an Nabawi, (The Mosque of the Prophet) carry the names of the "sahabe," or the companions of the Prophet Muhammad, such as Uthman bin Afwan and "Sayyid al-Shuhada" (Chief of the Martyrs) Hamza.
28 July 2014 /SAIM ORHAN, İSTANBUL
The 10 best castles in Turkey
Flick through brochures offering holidays to Turkey and the impression you’ll get is of a country perfect for sunbathing, a country where you can float over the azure sea in a graceful wooden yacht, a country dotted with the ruins of countless ancient civilizations. What you don’t very often get, however, is any idea that this is also a country that is littered with the remains of battered castles, castles that bear silent witness to Anatolia’s often turbulent past.
21 July 2014 /,
Symphony in black and white: The stripy mosques of Diyarbakır
Right in the center of Old Diyarbakır, there stands a magnificent building that goes far less commented on than it deserves. The reasons are not hard to find. In the first place, the troubles of the last 20 years mean that travelers to southeastern Turkey have been fewer than they might have been otherwise. At the same time this is a building that seems to go out of its way to keep a low profile.
14 July 2014 /,
Awesome Aphrodisias
The small photography gallery in Aphrodisias (Afrodisias) houses an extraordinary black-and-white image. Two bearded middle-aged men in flat caps are sitting cross-legged on a bench beneath a plane tree enjoying a smoke and a chat in the quiet of their village. Look more closely, however, and you will see that this is no ordinary bench. Instead, it has armrests carved in the shape of dolphins and footrests in the shape of lions’ feet. It is, in other words, a Roman bench. Yet the men sitting on it on that sunny day were doing so in 1958, when the great photographer Ara Güler had come to visit the village of Geyre, then squatting amid the remains of ancient Aphrodisias.
7 July 2014 /PAT YALE, TURKEY
The road from Van to Hakkari
If you’re heading south along the main road from Van to Hakkari, Çavuştepe makes the most obvious first  stopping point. It was here that the Urartian ruler Sarduri II (r. 764-735 B.C.) established a fortress a mere 16 kilometers south of the capital, in Tushpa (modern Van), on the road to Iran, parts of which then formed part of the Urartian kingdom
30 June 2014 /PAT YALE, VAN
The attractions of Pertek
Pertek is a magnificent area located along Keban Dam between Elazığ and Tunceli. It attracts a great deal of attention for its unique geography and Pertek Castle. 
17 May 2014 /KÜRŞAT BAYHAN , ISTANBUL
California Malibu beaches and San Diego
San Diego is a beautiful city located on the ocean two hours south of Los Angeles. From the hilltops, we can see a magnificent view of San Diego, a city of 1.3 million people. With its orderly and well-designed downtown, San Diego is one of the most beautiful cities in the US
20 February 2014 /SAIM ORHAN, CALIFORNIA
One of the oldest and greatest cities in South America: Asuncion
The Paraguayan capital of Asuncion was founded in 1537, and is Paraguay's largest and most developed city. It has a population of around 2 million, and is one of the oldest cities in all of South America. Colonising Spaniards spread from Asuncion throughout the continent.
4 January 2014 /SAIM ORHAN, ASUNCION
The Burundi countryside, and the famous Lake Tanganyika
Burundi is covered in green, a feature that becomes clear as we travel by road outside the capital city. As we drive, we pass the shores of Lake Tanganyika. After a short time, we can no longer tolerate just looking at the beautiful shores and thus stop the car and get out
21 December 2013 /,
LOS ANGELES: Entertainment capital of the world
Los Angeles is called the capital of the entertainment world by many. The Universal Studios Hollywood theme park is one of the most attractive points of interest for tourists coming to see the city and all that it has to offer.
14 December 2013 /SAIM ORHAN, LOS ANGELES
Traveling through Naples and Pompeii
It was early morning, and we were on the road to Naples. The sun was slowly rising during our trip along the toll roads of Italy. The tolls are quite high, and it takes two and a half hours to reach Rome from Naples.
7 December 2013 /SAIM ORHAN, NAPLES
Nepal: A country living in 2070
Kathmandu is quite famous for its woodwork. In fact, the name Kathmandu comes from the word ‘Kasthamandap’, which itself means a carved wooden home. We see lots of carved wooden objects and, on another table, some real fossils for sale
30 November 2013 /SAIM ORHAN, KATHMANDU
Canada and the magnificent Niagara Falls
The Canadian Falls are also known as Horseshoe Falls. The view here is magnificent. We see lots of boats moving around in the water below us. The people on the boats are there to get the chance to see and feel the power of the falling water up close, and the tourist boats do their best to approach the mouth of these falls
23 November 2013 /SAIM ORHAN, TORONTO
AZERBAIJAN: Turkey's brother nation
Many modern buildings have been built in the city, including Heydar Aliyev Center, Baku Crystal Hall and the Baku Ateshgah (Fire Temple). Both day and night are beautiful in the city and the buildings are illuminated when it is dark. Also, gas is pretty cheap; for this reason, it is possible to see many luxury cars
26 October 2013 /SAIM ORHAN,
Travelling through the rural Democratic Republic of the Congo
People often think of drums when they think of Africa, and unsurprisingly, the DRC has its own set of unique songs and local dances, with its own distinctive drumming styles. Much of the joy, pain and tears of the African people are reflected in these songs. These are lands with a very particular kind of rhythm and melody in their music
12 October 2013 /SAIM ORHAN,
The colorful city of Al-Ayn, an oasis on the border between the UAE and Oman
The city’s name, Al-Ayn, is rooted in the Arabic word ‘ayn’, which means ‘eye’, and was given to the city because it is an important local water source, or ‘eye’ of water. Interestingly, hot water wells up from underground in Al-Ayn.
5 October 2013 /SAIM ORHAN,
New York: The city that never sleeps
We arrive in Manhattan’s Time Square. This is not only the most famous city square in New York, but really in all of the US. Times Square is surrounded by skyscrapers and is never lacking in tourists, no matter the season. In the evenings in particular, this square turns into a sound and light show
30 September 2013 /SAIM ORHAN, NEW YORK
A tour of Ireland and its capital, Dublin
We arrive at Grafton Street, the most famous of Dublin’s thoroughfares. It is closed to traffic and has the highest rents of any street in Europe. On weekends, it is overflowing with people and is also host to a great many different events. Street musicians are ubiquitous here, seemingly competing with one another to show off their talents.
23 September 2013 /SAİM ORHAN, DUBLIN
Montenegro and Ottoman traces
We arrive in the city of Ulcinj. It is a beautiful Balkan city. The Sailor's Mosque in the city was constructed by the Ottomans. It was demolished in 1931 and then rebuilt from 2008 to 2012. Once founded on the coast to offer services to sailors, today it attracts both local and foreign tourists with its elegant architecture
20 August 2013 /SAIM ORHAN,
The unusual country of Bhutan
Every region in Bhutan has its own fortress, and they were all built during the mid-1700s. These days, the buildings are used by city administration. In 1910, the king of Bhutan managed to gather the entire country under one flag
13 August 2013 /SAIM ORHAN,
A river that combines and unifies countries
One thing that those visiting Victoria Falls must certainly not neglect doing is taking a boat tour on the Zambezi River. When you go on such a tour at sunset, all the various beauties of nature embrace you and the sight is unforgettable. You are likely to see wildlife like crocodiles, hippos, elephants and gazelles during your tour
30 July 2013 /MEHMET ALİ POYRAZ , ISTANBUL
Mecca: mother of cities
Mecca is referred to in the Quran as the Mother of Cities (Umm al-Qura) and is cited in a number of verses. This city of serenity spreads out from the Kaaba. Mecca is a city where life revolves around prayer times. It is a city focused on prayer that also hosts the Kaaba and Masjid al-Haram at its centre
22 July 2013 /SAIM ORHAN, MECCA
11th-century Georgian church waiting to be saved
Both the exterior and interior parts of Oshki Church need extensive and urgent restoration. The front yard of the church is currently being used as a car park by the villagers while children use the inside as a playground. World Monuments Watch put the church on the list of sites to watch in 2012
15 July 2013 /WEEKLY ZAMAN, ISTANBUL
The lost people of Cappadocia
Some months ago in this column I described the sad fate of St Hieron, Göreme's very own patron saint, who was martyred for his faith during Emperor Diocletian's persecution of the Christians in the late third century. A reader responded: What happened to the Christians? At one time there were so many of them in Cappadocia. Where did they all go?
15 July 2013 /PAT YALE*,
A sightseer’s guide to Bodrum
“God placed the great diversity of shells on Earth so that mankind, in admiring their beauty, would more fully appreciate his sublime glory.”
15 July 2013 /PAT YALE, BODRUM
A green and clean African country: Rwanda
Kigali, with a population of almost 2 million, is the largest city in Rwanda, with an average elevation of 1,700 metres. Kigali is a very clean city. Those found littering the streets or walking in the city with bare feet are fined.
8 July 2013 /SAIM ORHAN,
Medina: The city of Prophet Muhammad
We have been hit by a strong sandstorm in Medina which has lasted our entire stay in Saudi Arabia. The cloud of dust has been so thick and heavy that we haven't been able to see much of anything. Even the huge Mount Uhud cannot be seen due to the cloud.
22 June 2013 /SAIM ORHAN, MEDINA
Latvia and its capital, Riga The Paris of the Baltics
Riga's old city is inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage list. It is one of the most popular places for tourists visiting the country. One of the oldest city squares here is Dome Square. We also see Latvian families taking rides on the canals in Riga
17 June 2013 /SAIM ORHAN, RIGA
Halal holidays: Where hijabis can let their hair down
In 70 per cent of cases, it is women who decide holiday destinations and many Muslim women relish the rare opportunity for uninhibited swimming and  sunbathing. In a welcome break from a stubbornly cold month of May in Britain, I tried out halal-style relaxation at the Bera Hotel Alanya, near Antalya, on Turkey’s south coast
8 June 2013 /ALLEGRA MOSTYN-OWEN, LONDON
The largest of the Baltic states: Lithuania
The old city of Vilnius draws many tourists; the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization has declared it the largest baroque city in Europe, a World Heritage Site. There are many Catholic as well as Orthodox churches throughout the city
1 June 2013 /SAIM ORHAN,
A world of canals and islands: Venice
When we finish our tour of the canal, we continue on foot, walking around the islands. Walking is the best way to get around Venice. As we take pictures we happen to see the Venice Marathon under way. There are around 7,000 people from all over the world here to run in this 42-kilometre race.
25 May 2013 /SAIM ORHAN, VENICE
Cuba: A land between the Caribbean Sea and Atlantic Ocean
Havana is the heart of politics, trade and economy. In short, it is Cuba’s everything. The capital has 15 separate district municipalities. There is no traffic in Havana. The low number of vehicles and wide highways seem to have saved local people from this problem.
17 May 2013 /SAIM ORHAN, HAVANA
Los Angeles, the star of California
We went to Beverly Hills, a very wealthy section of Los Angeles. There we passed by the homes of the rich and famous, and the prices are astounding. Next, we visited the famous Beverly Hills Hotel, a spot we are used to seeing in films.
11 May 2013 /SAIM ORHAN,
Ottomans living in the middle of Europe: Bosnia and Herzegovina
The muaddin of a mosque overlooking the market climbs up to the minaret to sing the afternoon call to prayer. In fact, five calls to prayer are recited from the minarets of the Careva, Bascarsijska and Begova mosques every day.
4 May 2013 /SAIM ORHAN, SARAJEVO
The oil and natural gas rich country of Qatar
Qatar has natural gas reserves of about 25.8 trillion cubic metres, accounting for approximately 15 per cent of world natural gas reserves. These reserves will last for about 200 years. The country first started to export natural gas in 1997, and today natural gas exports are the driving force of the country’s economic development
27 April 2013 /SAIM ORHAN, DOHA
An unusual country Lesotho
We cannot even imagine what we might see or who we might encounter in the country of Lesotho, a country about which we know nothing. We are filled with the excitement of knowing we are about to set foot in a completely unfamiliar country.
20 April 2013 /SAIM ORHAN,
Getting to know İstanbul Yedikule the ‘forgotten’ fortress
Virtually anywhere else in the world, an historic fortification as impressive as Yedikule Hisarı, the “Fortress of the Seven Towers,” would be a highly prized, much-visited site.
13 April 2013 /TERRY RICHARDSON, İSTANBUL
A small, young republic: Montenegro
We have left the capital city of Podgorica and are going towards the city of Pljevlja. We are taken aback by the natural beauty we witness along the way. The greenery is incredible, with trees rising behind the river. The mountains are covered in forests.
6 April 2013 /SAIM ORHAN, PODGORICA
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