Constantinople --> Istanbul

From the NYTimes

I chose to put it here just because I bumped onto it.

Mind you, I dont mean to start a strange discussion or anything. I am sure its very usefull for all to know, as a travel and historical fact.

Here's the link http://www.nytimes.com/learning/general/on....html?th&emc=th

But you must become a subscriber (its free of charge)

i guess the fenerbahce fans
are pretty stupid not knowing there own history.
"istanbul since 1453" banner....what morons.

They mean the date when Constantinople 'fell' to the Turks and the end of the already shrinked Byzantine Empire

Still no need to call them names

Please keep this discussion safe

Guys don't worry! This discussion is kept safe by the SWAT team of the cyberspace police!!!

Hey never mind Fenerbahce fans,

Doesnt anyone want to wisit ''Constantinapoli - Istanbul''
Questions about hotels, places to eat, to drink, swimming?......

I take it you live there Haydar?

I wouldn't mind going there some day, visit the Agia Sofia etc ...

haven't ever been to Turkey yet though.

Yes, I live there Genome,
I know about it very well too...

If I ever visited I would be interested in transportation to and from Tuzla, Gemlik and Erdek.

Tuzla where i have worked for a while at the shipyard...on the east border of istanbul...What is interesting for Tuzla?

Haydar,

Tuzla is the ancestral home of my family and my late father's birthplace. On my grandfather's passport, when he left Turkey, was inscribed: Name - Yovan, Other names - Tuzlali.
My great-grandfather was mayor (corbaci) of the town in the 1890s and its richest inhabitant.
I could not visit Istanbul without stopping there.

Its very interesting to hear these things Irlandos. I have born in Pendik (Pandikian its ex name) where is very close to Tuzla and Tuzla was a part of the Pendik till 1996 i have read about the old people of these places but i think majority was Armenian for Pendik and also Tuzla where was a part of Pendik, till now there is an Armanian church (not in use and nearly fall down). I know after the exchange the population with grecee many Greek left there now many Turks-Kurds-Bosnian moved there too...
Tuzla still has a small coast town soul its far away of the crowded, and noisy of istanbul...I regulary visit Tuzla coast to eat kofte because the restaurants are very nice, Tuzla is one of the biggest Manufactoring area for Ship industry with its big Shipyards...
To reach it its the best way to get bus from Kadikoy to Tuzla (130 or 130A) and also there is a train from Kadikoy to Tuzla...

This post has been edited by haydar on Jun 15 2008, 06:54 PM

Many thanks for that information, haydar!

What would be the best way to get to Gemlik from Istanbul? Any worthwhile sites to visit there?

http://www.ido.com.tr/en/index.cfm

intercity> ''Yenikapi-Gemlik''

(Yenikapi is intercity port of Istanbul in European side...)

For Erdek i think its the best to get ferry
intercity> ''Yenikapı-Bandırma'' then to get the bus from there to Erdek...

http://img376.imageshack.us/img376/2538/harita1mn.gif

You should go. Amazing city, arent you a european based member too? Getting there is fairly easy these days Id imagine from Northern Europe with all the discount airlines going to Istanbul .... Id say Turkey is a great destination for Greeks to see another view of the country and have a good time.

I just dont reccomend wasting your time wtih:
Canakkale (Troy)
Kusadasi (Ephessus ruins definitley, Kusadasi no)

I really loved the Fener area....amazing peice of historical area, quiet, near the Patriarch, buildings with Greek writing going back into the 1800's, its a UNESCO world heritage site too, its really old neighborhood.



Haydar:

One day, I will go again maybe in the next few years....I have been, enjoyed it, but I know I could be seeing it better,I mostly saw tourist areas and Taksim. Though I did go to Inonu for BJK game too....

I still dont know good nightlife outside Taksim, best restraurants etc....next time I will ask you... Hopefully this year I will go back to Istanbul if not other part of Turkey...

This post has been edited by drakos13 on Aug 17 2008, 10:35 AM

You should go. Amazing city, arent you a european based member too?

Yes, based in Belgium.

I'ld love to see some of the more quiet (not filled with tourists) places...


We should organize a trip with Phantis members ! ! !

Canakkale is in Thrace on the Kalipoli peninsula. Troy is close to Adramytio/Edremit in Asia Minor. They are not the same.

"Canakkale icinde aynali carsi..."

any excuse to go back.....I will take that for sure.


I think areas like Fener are mostly Greek tourists to be honest, partic the Patriarchate - but if you walk around the area there were pretty much no tourists, I thought I was lost in time or something.....

Greek tourists are everywhere in that city...Turks even know some Greek from them...I dont think the Turks mind us so much there.

Canakkale is in Thrace on the Kalipoli peninsula. Troy is close to Adramytio/Edremit in Asia Minor. They are not the same.

"Canakkale icinde aynali carsi..."

I know they are not the same, but it is the nearest major town to Troy and thats why people actually stop there. Point is, I recommend against it, bad experience and not worth the time your spending in a country where there is so much to see and do.

Besides isnt Canakkale on both Europe and Asia Minor??? That was kind of the impression I got, because I took a boat to get there...

"There is some type bazaar inside Canakkale??? " thats all i can make out lol

This post has been edited by drakos13 on Aug 17 2008, 01:58 PM

You arrange the trip i would be free guide for phantis...But i m working so it could be for weekend anyway i have experiences with greeks my girl friends is a Greek so we traveled together with Greeks i know what Greeks would like:)
To travel

1) Fener and Islands(Chalki and other prince islands)
2) To stop to drink frappe and eat ''midye'' or ''Kokoretci''
3) To go to listen live turkish music and to watch people dancing (specially belly dance)
4) To travel ancient villages which is empty after population exchange (such as tenedos-imbroz-kayakoy(klemissos))
5) And ''Ephesus'', ''Virgin Marry' home'' this kind of holly ancient cities...
6) To be lazy to sleep mornings to travel nights...

Meanwhile my advise to travel chep to Istanbul by bus or train

1) Metro Tourism bus everyday from Theselloniki-Cons. around 40euros. 10-12 hours
2) Train Thesselloniki-Cons. everyday evening with bed (i advise this, its very comfortable but slow) around 45 Euros (filia express) 12-14 hours
3) The bus from OSE-Varan-Ulusoy Athens-Cons. everyday 7 o'cloc from Larissa train station around 50 Euros. 16-18 hours
4) Ferries ''Kos-Bodrum'', ''??-Kusadası'',''Rhodos-Datca-Marmaris'',''Kastellorizo-Kaş'' and more...(its tiring if you wanna past to Turkey directly) 25 min-2,5 hours

But if u want to find the cheapest way i havent tried but there are taxies to ''Edirde-Keşan'' from Alexandrapoli-Xanti-Komotini they are very cheap because villagers use this way i heard its only 10-15 euros per person and from Keşan-Edirne u can find bus to Istanbul 15-20 euros maybe cheaper...

Also there is second way u ll get a train from Athens and u ll change at the border to pass Turkey (at least 20 hours) its very cheap too but if u are not crazy and looking for adventure i dont advise these 2 ways...

I m planning to search next time when i m coming to Athens to go by bus untill Alexandrapoli then change to plane for Athens and at the total it will be 5 hours...

Canakkale is in Thrace on the Kalipoli peninsula. Troy is close to Adramytio/Edremit in Asia Minor. They are not the same.

"Canakkale icinde aynali carsi..."

I know they are not the same, but it is the nearest major town to Troy and thats why people actually stop there. Point is, I recommend against it, bad experience and not worth the time your spending in a country where there is so much to see and do.

Besides isnt Canakkale on both Europe and Asia Minor??? That was kind of the impression I got, because I took a boat to get there...

"There is some type bazaar inside Canakkale??? " thats all i can make out lol

Canakkale is a nice city but for Greeks its not very interesting because u have very beautiful islands&coast&nature in Grecee, Troy is not very interesting place u can find an ancient city but not very beautiful, and a fake wooden troy horse e.t.c Assos between Canakkale and Symirna (u have to follow Ezine-Izmir way from Canakkale if u rented a car) is very beautiful u can find more things there actually Assos and Troy is close to eachother. Then u can get ferry to Tenedos-Imbroz from Geyikli port (Canakkale)

Canakkale is very importand for Turks because 250.000 Ottoman Turks died on 1918 there to block English- French-Australian-New Zelland armies there and its a symbol for Turkish Republic Freedom...On the Gallipoli penninsula there is a natural park u can feel the war and u can smell how bad event it's. It could be interesting to travel because the tranches are still there the guns the cemeteries e.t.c inside the forest. There is a cheep good butic hotel ''hotel aqua eceabat'' at the port of Gallipoli port to pass Canakkale...

''Canakkale still has a aynali carsı inside'' it is a song which mothers singed for their children when they send to army their children in 1918...

You guys have frappe in Turkey now???

Everything to me sounds good ... If I ever have questions, I know who to ask


Tesekkurler for all the information, are you a tour guide Haydar ?


One day, I seriously hope to go back to Istanbul

Seriously then ... next summer ... let's do it with a bunch of Phantis members !

Parakalo Drakos,

i m not a proffesionel guide but i have spent my 2 years to go to Grecee on cheapest ways:), and i have tried every time different directions.

Yes we have frappe in Turkey, you can hear its name as frappe, frappechino,cold coffie, coffie with ice cream but we have even if its not often, but its only in some good cafes. Some cafes sell it as Cold Greek Coffie:) Also you can find Mocha Ice or different forms of Cafe Latte e.t.c, Greeks have to be carefull because after 10 years u could hear its name as ''Turkish Frappe'')

I will be in Athens for 9 days next week and i m asking advice for 4-5 days excursion, close region ( island or a silience town except Aegina ) to Athens?

is it logical to go to Crete for 5 days? and is it possible to swim at this season without getting cold?

Yes its definitly possible to Swim this time of year it wont be that cold yet esp in Crete is more south. The weather is still pretty good in Athens of what I hear - although it did rain last week a little bit it should be fine.


For short excursions, Aegina would be one, but I take it you have been already.

There is Hydra - which is a very small island, no cars, with a very nice town and scenery and a fortress.....It was a big naval resistance island in the Greek Revolution...pretty harbor, but not very much to do, you can hike maybe a bit around, but its a 1-day thing is best, to come back and its farily close with the boat like 1 hour I think...Its a very common day-trip excursion from Athens.


Crete, I have never been, I hear its amazing, food, landscape, culture, history and small villages...Crete is amazing place in my eyes, I have never been. 5 days should be very nice and relaxing! Problem is its very big, and Id have no idea what part to stay on...

If you are looking for an island, to be quiet and relaxed there are quite a few, maybe others can help out? I have seen pictures of Mylos, which looks beautiful, but some people said it was boring....


As for nice quiet town on mainland...Near Athens I think is tough...but I will look for you ( I dont usually go outside Athens unless it for much further