Maiden's Tower

The Maiden's Tower (Turkish: Kız Kulesi), also known in the ancient Greek and medieval Byzantine periods as Leander's Tower (Tower of Leandros), sits on a small islet located at the southern entrance of Bosphorus strait 200 m (220 yd) off the coast of Uskudar in Istanbul.

There are many legends about the construction of the tower and its location. According to the most popular Turkish legend, a sultan had a much beloved daughter. One day, an oracle prophesied that she would be killed by a venomous snake on her 18th birthday. The sultan, in an effort to thwart his daughter's early demise by placing her away from land so as to keep her away from any snakes, had the tower built in the middle of the Bosphorus to protect his daughter until her 18th birthday. The princess was placed in the tower, where she was frequently visited only by her father.

On the 18th birthday of the princess, the sultan brought her a basket of exotic sumptouous fruits as a birthday gift, delighted that he was able to prevent the prophecy. Upon reaching into the basket, however, an asp that had been hiding among the fruit bit the young princess and she died in her father's arms, just as the oracle had predicted. Hence the nameMaiden's Tower.

Antalya..

Welcome back to my blog :)

          If you are planning to visit Turkey, firstly you should start from Istanbul especially in summer. After exhausting trip in Istanbul, it is time to go to Antalya where you can enjoy both sun and sea. That's why I said that you should come in summer.

              I would like to start with an interesting detail that Antalya and Austin are sister cities. The sister city project will include cultural, economic and educational exchange programs.
                 Antalya is a city on the Mediterranean coast of southwestern Turkey. It is the fourth most visited city in the world in 2010. 9.25 million tourist visited Antalya in 2010. Antalya attracts millions of people with its beautiful nature and historical riches. Now called the "Turkish Riviera" due to its archaeological and natural beauties. Antalya is the place where sea, sun, history and nature constitute a perfect harmony and which also includes the most beautiful and clearest coast along the Medditerranean. It is really a heavenly place where the summer season is about 8-9 months long.

Now, you have two reasons to visit Turkey :)

Istanbul...More than you can imagine...

          Have you ever wondered what makes a city beautiful? History, architecture, sea, weather, people ext.? My conception of a beautiful city is one in which the beauty of nature is combined with great architecture . And also, absolutely I can't imagine a city without sea. Everything should blend harmoniously with their natural environment . You can find everything which I want to describe in my hometown.

        

          I would like to introduce to you my hometown which is called Istanbul. Istanbul hugs every people from every nationality or religion. Almost 14 million of people live in it but thousands of years 24 hours of a day Istanbul stays alive! It has been home to many different civilizations and nations over the centuries. Istanbul is the largest city in Turkey and 5^th largest in the world, also making it the largest metropolitan city in Europe. Istanbul is also a mega city, as well as the cultural, economic, and financial center of Turkey. Most of the people believe that Istanbul is the capital of Turkey, but it is a wrong belief. It is located on the Bosphorus. Istanbul extends both on the European and on the Asian (Anatolia) sides of the Bosphorus. The only metropolis in the world that is situated on two continents. If this information amazed you or if you don't believe, just google it :)

           
              Istanbul has many historical places,such as palaces which are left from many years before, museums, historical and famous mosques, churches, synagogues, Maiden's Tower (Turkish: Kız Kulesi), and many places I can not remember now. Of course, the most loved places is the Bosphorus. Every people who live in Istanbul fall in love with it. Person who is sad go there to relax, person who wants to make surprise to his girlfriend/boyfriend go there, person who wants to fish always go there, as a result if you have seen it once, you will never forget it. In addition, a few islands are located near Istanbul. It only takes thirty minutes by steamship from center. If you want to go away from crowded of the city, these islands are the best places to go. There are no motor vehicles in islands. You can rent bicycle or phaeton to view around. And also, you can go there with your family or friends to have a picnic and to swim. Moreover, Taksim is the most visited place in Istanbul. In the day time, you can do shopping, take a walk during the closed ahead road(1 mile long), eat or drink something, and spend time with your friends. In the evenings, pubs and discos open until day light, so you can have fun as you want.
          
            When I leave from Istanbul, I always miss there; however, sometimes I want to get away while living in Istanbul because it has really awful traffic, and it is really crowded city. Sometimes, I want to be alone while walking, but in Istanbul it is not possible. In spite of everything, I never give up my love to Istanbul wherever I am.
          
               As a result, I have visited nine cities, such as Rome, Paris, Prague, Barcelona, Wien, Budapest, Bratislava, Amsterdam, and Austin until this time. You should visit all these cities, but if you have only one choice, I really recommend visit to Istanbul. I know everybody believe the most beautiful city is theirs, however if you see it once, you will never regret it. It is not an effective way to introduce a city by words. By the way, my major is tourism. I felt myself as a tourist guide :) You can ask me why you should visit to Istanbul. I will not explain any more. Just feel what the pictures telling you.


Postscript: If you don't know what I mean by the Bosphorus, you can see it below.

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The Bosphorus or Bosporus (Turkish: Boğaziçi), also known as the Istanbul Strait (Turkish: İstanbul Boğazı), is a strait that forms part of the boundary between Europe and Asia.