Oh, I see! moments
Travel Cultures Language

A Whirlwind of Whirling

by Meredith Mullins on May 21, 2019

Two whirling dervishes dancing in Istanbul;s Sufi Sema ceremony. (Image © Meredith Mullins)

Visions of dervishes dancing in my head
© Meredith Mullins

The Travel Adventures of an Istanbul Dervish Groupie

I have always been drawn to exotic corners of the world. Travel adventures at the crossroads of cultures. Layers of the past interwoven with the changing rhythms of the present. The magical and mysterious places of trade-route caravans and Scheherazade-like storytelling.

Always on the list was Istanbul. I had been to Turkey many times. I had seen incredible riches, such as the strangely beheaded statues of Nemrut Dagi in the east, the ancient Greco-Roman ruins in seaside villages of the south coast, and the moonscapes of Cappadocia.

Rendezvous à la Turk

by Joyce McGreevy on August 27, 2018

A young Turkish American girl celebrates her heritage at the Turkish Arts and Culture Festival in Monterey, California. (Image © Joyce McGreevy)

Derya Bolgün, age 10, welcomes you to the Turkish Arts and Culture Festival
in Monterey, California. 
© Joyce McGreevy

A Cultural Festival Calls Forth Memories

You won’t need sugar in your fincan kahve (cup of coffee) this morning. Şekerpare, a delicate cookie made with semolina, almonds, and love, delivers the sweetness. So, inhale the rich aroma and galvanize your senses with robust brew.  If you closed your eyes, you could be in Istanbul.

But you’re at a Turkish cultural festival in Monterey, California.

Pastries like Sekerpare and irmik helvasa connect Turkish Arts and Culture Festival in Monterey, California to the author’s memories of Istanbul. (Images © Joyce McGreevy/ Ceren Abi)

Is baklava Turkish or Greek? Depends on whom you ask. Şekerpare (center) and irmik helvasa (right)
reflect culinary traditions of Turkey’s Ottoman Empire.
© Joyce McGreevy (L)/ Ceren Abi (R)

The Street Cats of Istanbul

by Joyce McGreevy on February 29, 2016

A cat sleeps on an awning in Nine Lives: Cats in Istanbul (Kedi), a film documentary that reflects a creative effort to preserve Turkish tradition and this aspect of Turkey's cultural heritage. (Image © Termite Films)

Wherever you go in Istanbul, you see cats. A new documentary explores the
charms and challenges of their urban habitat.
© Termite Films

How a Cat Kit and a Movie Keep Cultural Heritage Alive

They greet you from doorways, welcome you to parks. If you are kind, they may join you for a stroll. Others watch shyly from rooftops and balconies.

Still others enjoy people watching from the windows of businesses they have adopted.

A cat in a hat shop in Istanbul captures the city's concern for stray cats and reflects the desire to preserve Turkish tradition and this aspect of Turkey's cultural heritage. (Image © Joyce McGreevy)

The Cat in the Hat (Shop): Some street cats find homes in
Istanbul’s commercial districts. Not all are so lucky.
© Joyce McGreevy

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