Have a trip, will go.

 This blog chronicles my travels across the world. Traveling is so enriching in so many ways. It pushes me out of my comfort zone, enables me to learn and experience new countries, cultures and people and makes me a better human.




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Turkiye 2013 - day 2 is Istanbul

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Our first full day in Istanbul was as memorable as the rest of them, with the added excitement of exploring the ancient and modern city for the first time. Istanbul is the only city in the world that spans two continents - Europe and Asia. We stayed in the old part, on the European side, south of the Golden Horn. It is a very interesting area, with some of the most famous historical places within walking distance. Today we saw one of the wonders of the world – Hagia Sophia . This immensely important structure was built in the 6 th century, by the Emperor Justinian, in the Byzantine style, and remained the largest cathedral in the world for close to thousand years. The link provides in-depth information about the incredibly rich history of this wonder. It is hard to fathom the enormity of the building, look for people standing next to columns to get some idea of the scale. Even though the cathedral was converted into a mosque in 1453 after the conquest of Constantinople by Sultan...
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Turkey - Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the ‘Father of Turkey'

Since this is a study abroad trip, I am writing several papers for credit. The first project is based on a very interesting book   Crescent and Star: Turkey Between Two Worlds  by Stephen Kinzer, the former Instanbul bureau chief for the New York Times, and consists of answers to four questions. 1.   On page 33, Kinzer refers to “(T)he cult of Atatürk, founder of the Turkish Republic and now a virtual deity.”  Who was Mustafa Kemal or Atatürk?  Briefly discuss three (3) significant political or social reforms that Atatürk implemented after the formation of the modern Turkish Republic in 1923.  Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the ‘Father of Turkey’, is revered as the brilliant person who set his country on the path toward modernization and democracy. His actions were as controversial as they were effective; in order to modernize and democratize the demoralized remains of the Ottoman Empire, Atatürk autocratically and imperiously instituted many radica...
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Turkey - the most secular Muslim country

Since this is a study abroad trip, I am writing several papers for credit. The first project is based on a very interesting book   Crescent and Star: Turkey Between Two Worlds  by Stephen Kinzer, the former Istanbul bureau chief for the New York Times, and consists of answers to four questions. 2.    In Chapter Three, entitled “Call to Prayer”, Kinzer refers to Turkey as the “most secular of Muslim countries”.  How did Atatürk deal with religion in the early stages of the Turkish republic?  What role does religion play in Turkish politics and society today? From his European travels and studies, Atatürk came to understand the role of religion as a negative force, to be separated from official workings of a state. Among the first significant Kemalist reforms was systematic dismantling of religion, the legacy of hundreds of years of the Islamic Ottoman Empire. Nothing was safe from Atatürk’s vision for his modern, educated, democratic Turkey. One...
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