Thread: Pictures from Istanbul

So, after another week in Istanbul that - at least in my boyfriend's memory - was all about eating desserts, here are the pictures.
http://www.8ung.at/simone/album/reis.../istanbul.html

I have a little problem with my webserver at the moment, so not all pictures were uploaded properly. Will fix that.
And I will also add some more pictures once I get them from my boyfriend.

Yes, that Emma is our Bhuzzer from Sweden! (who already changed her hair color back to brown)
And yes, I got my interview with Asena! She was so friendly and uncomplicated - and speaks quite good German ..g.:

MEISSOUN

Look, pictures!

Cool pics from the future (June 2007) ..g.:

But how it is that when everyone else is in Istanbul there is always sunshine but when I am there it is raining, snowing or something there in between.

Where your interview of Asena will be published? It would be nice to read (and of course she speaks quite good German as she spent most of her childhood there )

BTW how was Elcin as a dancer? She is so beautiful and has really pretty costumes but YouTube clips of her have not yet been very convincing.

Wrong time of the year?

I was there for 3 times in february and it was always cold and wet or even snowing (that bad that everything had closed and all flights got canceled!), I guess next time I'll try to get there in spring or early summer.

We were there for 8 days and the weather was
- cool but sunny
- HOT and sunny
- warm but rainy

And wind, wind, wind....

I am preparing the interview for German magazine Bastet first. Then I will translate it into English for a British magazine - I just don't remember which one ,r:; someone here on Bhuz asked me if she could have it. Please ask me again! (or else I will just go through the old messages)

I liked Elcin - I also filmed her last year and have picked up some of her movements.
None of the dancers were downright bad. They all danced very fast - and Özlem spent half of the time showing off her belly piercing, but she was fun.
And why do they have to serve the meat when Asena is dancing? It was cold on our plate when she was through with the show because we were so busy watching her!

Emma told me that the whole show was much classier than what she had seen in Orient House the week before, and that's also what I thought last year. So go to Kervansaray. It's more expensive, but worth it. Asena dances there every weekday.

MEISSOUN

Nice photos, Meissoun. How amazing Istanbul is.

Turkish dancers - how thin they are.

Emma looks great...I don't think I've seen her without a head wrap before - such a beautiful face.

And no, that's not another wig I put on my boyfriend's head ..l;,
He decided that it was time for dreadlocks... Soon he will turn into a Tribal Fusion dancer or something! .w.:

Some people in the bazaar were calling him "Hey, Bob Marley!" but I prefer "Medusa" ..g.:

And just in case you want more pictures, here's last year's trip again with exclusive hamam photos:
http://www.8ung.at/simone/album/reis.../istanbul.html

MEISSOUN

meissoun: thanks for sharing. The photos of Turkey and the dancers are great.

Awesome! Thanks for posting. I have been wanting to go to Istanbul for so long!

Oh my word! Is that lady in green dancing entirely lying down? How did she get up gracefully??? Enquiring minds want to know :-)

really pretty shots. And the shopping oh my ! I would love to be young again and able to travel like that. Very lucky you are.

Aw many thanks Dani!,r:;
I lose my hair from time to time so I use 3/4 wigs,clipin extensions and just cut down my own-short hair actually hide bald spots better and a half wig looks better than ratty permanent extensions.

About the trip:

I loved Istanbul and will definitely return.
Anyone will love it too if they enjoy going to Balkan,North Africa or the ME.

The city has enough historic sights,clubs,shops and events to keep a visitor busy until exhaustion.
Exotic elements like fresh juice,the "inshallah" factor and sinister military police PLUS "just like home" cash machines,taxameters and timetables!
All signs written after the 1920:s(and price tags) are in the Latin alphabet,so it´s easier for a westerner to find your way,read menus or go to a beauty salon.

About the music:

Beautiful and interesting live music is everywhere.
Much of the music played,both classical and pop,are in even Arabic rythms but with Turkish lyrics(so even Cairo-centric girls will feel at home:Ahappy: )
Rock bands and gypsy orchestras may play at the same venues;the music scene is very diverse.

Great movie tip:http://www.crossingthebridge.de/
See the trailer on the website...this movie made me cave in and get there!

About the dancing:
I think Kay Taylor pretty much said it in her interview with Leila for the GS:

"I would say Turkish dance is more gypsy or gymnast based. The girls use far more floor work and are more overtly sexy.
I find it more showy – it has a feel of its own which I find very different to Egyptian dance. I find Egyptian dance is more sensual than sexual. Both are skillful but the Turkish style relies on more razamataz whereas the Egyptian style relies on the technical skill and interpretation of the individual.
Saying this, I am not an expert on Turkish dance but this is the feel I get.
I love the Turkish folk dance from the different regions – but that is completely different."

:Awink: It does not "rock my boat" when a pretty young girl in a bellydance costume wiggle it with unidentifiable movements to a rai song,so...the only two bellydancer or "oryantal danzös" I truly enjoyed seeing was Hale Sultan and Reyhan(last years winner of "Oryantal Star".Reyhan danced Roman style at the celebration of Hidrellez festivities.)
http://www.hidrellez.org/english.asp

(Of course I sat in clubs and returants and waited for a dancer like Eva Cernik or Artemis Mourat to sweep in-but that didn´t happen...so American Turkish dancers are way more worth watching to me than the average Turkish dancer I saw.)


As Hale understands references to popular bellydancers from both yesterday and today,trains hard and travels around the word,(often holds workshops and performs in Asia+works on contract for Toroz in the ME)I would not say she represents what you are likely to see on stage in Turkey.
I took a workshop with her and she squeezed in two choreos;one to a pop hit by an Armenian singer and one to "Rakkas"(Bellydancer)by Sezen Aksu.
She speaks excellent English.

http://www.halesultan.net/index.html

There are many,many styles of amazing folk dances,and the troupes I saw were all very professional and well rehearsed with beautiful costumes.

I went there with Ülkü Holago of Raqs el Hawanem and Helene "Shehrazat" Skaugen.
Both Ülkü and Helene speaks Turkish and were wonderful to have at my side,here are some links:
http://www.hawanem.nu/bilder.html Unfortunately no English page,but a nice gallery!
http://helene.no/ (click on the "english" button to read more about Helene.)

The group "Divas of Bellydance"in which Helene is a member:http://divasofbellydance.com/en-index.html

Merhaba Emma!

Thanks for your additions and the links! I will give them to my student who plans to go to Istanbul for classes.

Hope to see you in October...

MEISSOUN

Great pics, any video of the dancers??
Yes, I'm greedy

I filmed the dancers last year but decided that I shouldn't publish the videos without their permission - after all I wouldn't be very pleased to see any amateur video of ME on Youtube without my OK.
So you will have to do with the pictures...

MEISSOUN

I think I will be in Norway in *both* October and February.
btw:Now both me and Johan have quit smoking...again..,r:;

hugs Emma

Great photos and great info - Meissoun and Emma-Bessa. Thanks for sharing.

I was in Istanbul last July and it's an amazing city pulsing with energy. I can't wait to go back. I also went to Kervensaray last year and saw Asena, Elcin (and Ozlem I think). I really loved Asena.

I think the skyline with all the domes and minarets and the Bosphorous make Istanbul the most romantic city on earth (but maybe that's just cos I met my love there ... ;)