The Bosphorus, the link between Europe and Asia

23 November 2012 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General, Union for the Mediterranean Reading Time:  7 minutes

Bosphorus seen from the Bosphorus University © Mehmet Ergun

Bosphorus seen from the Bosphorus University © Mehmet Ergun

The Bosphorus or Bosporus, also known as the Istanbul Strait, is a strait that forms part of the boundary between Europe and Asia. The Bosphorus, the Sea of Marmara, and the Dardanelles strait to the southwest together form the Turkish Straits. The world’s narrowest strait used for international navigation, the Bosphorus connects the Black Sea with the Sea of Marmara, which is connected by the Dardanelles to the Aegean Sea, and thereby to the Mediterranean Sea.   read more…

Theme Week Istanbul – The gateway between Europe and Asia

13 January 2012 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General, European Union, Bon voyage, European Capital of Culture, Theme Weeks, UNESCO World Heritage, Union for the Mediterranean Reading Time:  7 minutes

Aerial view over historical Sultanahmet and Galata district © www.Istanbulpark.de

Aerial view over historical Sultanahmet and Galata district © www.Istanbulpark.de

Istanbul, historically known as Byzantium and Constantinople, is the largest city of Turkey. Istanbul metropolitan province (municipality) had 14.4 million people living in it, which is 18% of Turkey’s population and the 2nd largest metropolitan area in Europe (including the Asian side of the city) after London and Moscow. The city in its administrative limits had 8.8 million residents counted in the latest Turkish census from 2000. Istanbul is a megacity, as well as the cultural, economic, and financial centre of Turkey. It is located on the Bosphorus Strait and encompasses the natural harbour known as the Golden Horn, in the northwest of the country. It extends both on the European (Thrace) and on the Asian (Anatolia) sides of the Bosphorus, and is thereby the only metropolis in the world that is situated on two continents. Istanbul is a designated alpha world city.   read more…

Overview Theme Weeks

27 December 2011 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General, Bon voyage, Theme Weeks Reading Time:  20 minutes

Theme Weeks (Latest addition: February 2024) In irregular intervals we publish Theme Weeks about cities, regions, and countries. Here you can find the complete list.   read more…

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Country overview

9 November 2011 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General Reading Time:  5 minutes

In addition to the regular search function, a country overview is available here. Click on the country name to see all currently available blog entries.   read more…

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Naomi Campbell’s eco house in Turkey has the shape of the Eye of Horus

1 October 2011 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General, House of the Month, Union for the Mediterranean Reading Time:  4 minutes

© Luis de Garrido

© Luis de Garrido

Architect Luis de Garrido has designed a glass domed house is completely energy and water self-sufficient and features an amazing indoor landscaped terrace. Everything about this concept house is a dream: its comfortable microclimate, its constant flow of air, light and heat when necessary, its superior landscaping, and of course the fact that it was built on the Isla Playa de Cleopatra in Turkey (notice the Egyptian theme.)   read more…

The Mediterranean Sea

19 August 2011 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General, Union for the Mediterranean Reading Time:  8 minutes

Ships near Blue Lagoon - Malta © larrylurex

Ships near Blue Lagoon – Malta © larrylurex

The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean surrounded by the Mediterranean region and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Anatolia and Europe, on the south by North Africa, and on the east by the Levant. The sea is technically a part of the Atlantic Ocean, although it is usually identified as a completely separate body of water.   read more…

Theme Week Turkey – Ankara: doner kebab, good wine and Angora

11 August 2011 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General, Union for the Mediterranean Reading Time:  11 minutes

Turkish Parliament © T.C. Büyük Millet Meclisi

Turkish Parliament © T.C. Büyük Millet Meclisi

Ankara is the capital of Turkey and the country’s second largest city after Istanbul. The city has a mean elevation of 938 metres (3,077 ft), and as of 2008 the city had a population of 4,500,000. Ankara also serves as the capital of Ankara Province. As with many ancient cities, Ankara has gone by several names over the ages. It has been identified with the Hittite cult center Ankuwaš, although this remains a matter of debate. In classical antiquity and during the medieval period, the city was known as Ánkyra (Ἄγκυρα, “anchor”) in Greek and Ancyra in Latin; the Galatian Celtic name was probably a similar variant. Following its annexation by the Seljuq Turks in 1073, the city became known in many European languages as Angora, a usage which continued until its official renaming to “Ankara” under the Turkish Postal Service Law of 1930. Another proposed theory show that the original name of the city might be taken over from the Ankara River of Asia by the invading Seljuk Turks.   read more…

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