Ručno pravljen turski nakit/ Handcrafted regional Turkish jewelry

Postoji nekoliko regija u Turskoj koje su poznate po ručno izradjenom nakitu, a svaka regija ima svoju tradicionalnu tehniku koju koristi. Samim tim je nakit znatno drugačiji u svakoj oblasti.
 

Luka na Crnom moru, pod nazivom Trabzon, poznata je takodje po ručno pravljenom nakitu specijalnom Kazazije tehnikom. Nakit se izdradjuje tako što se na svilenu podlogu redjaju srebrne žice, koje su veoma  mekane, bele ili crne boje u zavisnosti od toga da li je srebro oksidiralo ili ne. Tako se prave mindjuše, narukvice, prstenje I medaljoni, odnosno privesci. Ovaj nakit je daleko poznat u Turskoj I često ga turisti kupuju na poklon. 

 

 Midijat je grad na jugo-istoku Turske, gde se nakit izradjuje specijalnom Telkari tehnikom. Za izradu se koristi 925 srebro, tačnije malo tvrdja verzija srebra pomešana sa bakrom, a proizvodi su specifični po velikom broju detalja. Nakit je idealan za leto, naročito za one tamnije puti, jer je izrazito bele boje zbog poliranja. 

Kutahja je regija izuzetno poznata po porcelanu, koji se pre svega koristi za izradu posudja. Medjutim, od porcelana se pravi I nakit, veoma živopisnih boja, iscrtan raznoraznim detaljima, a često I tradicionalnim turskim simbolima. 

 

Nakit od kamena sličnog uglju izradjuje se u Istočnoj Anadoliji, tačnije u Erzurumu. Naima, ta vrsta kamena je nastala od drveta koje  je fosilizovano, a da bi se napravio nakit potrebno je, pre svega, kamen ispolirati, da bi se potom srebrni detalji iscrtali na površini. Nakit je veoma elegantan I odličan je u kombinaciji sa crnim haljinama I košuljama. 

 

Čanakale je provincija koja se nalazi na zapadu Turske I poznat je po farmama peril I nakitu od sedefa. To je ujedno I najbliži grad epske Troje. Većina nakita izradjenog od sedefa potiče od čoveka koje je restaurirao poznatu džamiju Sulejmanije. Sedef se koristio za izradu nameštaja, tačnije detalja na otomanskom nameštaju. 

 

I naravno, ukoliko posećujete Tursku, ne zaboravite da kupite čuveni Nazar ili Zlo oko, koje će vas čuvati od nesreće, kletvi I zle sudbine. Amajlija nikada nije na odmet :-)

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There are a few regions of Turkey famous for the handcrafted jewelry and every region has its own traditional technique, so the jewelry is quite different depending on the city of origin.  

 

The port on the Black Sea called Trabzon is famous for its handcrafted jewelry with the special Kazaziye technique. They have a silk thread and then they put silver wires on it, that are actually very soft and can be white or black if they already oxidized . That’s the way they make earrings, bracelets, rings and pendants. This Trabzon jewelry is famous in Turkey and tourists like to buy it for presents. 

 

Midyat is a town south-east of Turkey where they make jewelry using special Telkari technique. They use 925 silver, actually a bit harder version of silver mixed with copper. The products are so delicate thanks to quite a number of details on them. The pieces are perfect for the summer, especially for tanned people, because they are polished and shinny.

 

Kutahya is a region well known for its porcelain, used mainly for making kitchen plates and pots. But, some artists also make pendants, earrings and ring of this famous material. Porcelain jewelry is hand painted with a lot of details mostly with Turkish symbols.

 

In Erzurum in Eastern Anatolia they make the jewelry with jet stone. That stone was actually once a wood and after million years of pressure it became a stone, and artists polish it to make it available for jewelry pieces. After that they draw silver details on it. These are very light elegant pieces, and matches perfectly with black dresses and white shirts.

 

 

Canakkale is a province on the west of Turkey, well known for pearl farms and sedef. It’s actually the closest city to Troya. Most pieces are designed by a man who restored the famous Suleymaniye Mosque. Sedef was actually used for making Ottoman furniture or more precisely for details.

 

And ofc, if you decide to visit Turkey, don’t forget to buy Nazar or Evil Eye. That detail is gonna protect you from bad destiny and evil :-)
Enjoy your journey life lovers and world travelers,

Love, Ana <3

Nedelja je vreme za plažu! / Beach Sundays :-)

Od kako su počele letnje vrućine u Istanbulu, odlučila sam da obidjem nekoliko plaža u okolini. Nažalost, sve su poprilično udaljene I ukoliko nemate kola, pravi je izazov uskladiti prevoz do plaže, naročito vikendom. 

 

Prva plaža koju sam posetila bila je Bostanci beach koja se nalazi na jugu azijske strane Istanbula. Vikendom je plaža krcata, nažalost nije lepo uredjen ulaz u vodu jer je stenovita, mada je voda bila prozirna, naročito u jutarnjim časovima. Ima samo par ležaljki i zaista ni po čemu nije posebna, osim što je divan pogled na pučinu i čamce koji su tu usidreni. Ali, ukoliko nemate želju da putujete dugo do plaže i želite neku jeftinu opciju, Bostanci može da bude pravi izbor. 

 

U okolini se nalazi mala luka, tako da je takodje moguće doći brodom iz evropskog dela Istanbula. Šetalište je veoma uredjeno i čisto sa puno sportskih terena i sadržaja namenjenih najmladjima. Za malo starije su tu promocije raznih proizvoda, takmičenja pasa, a kej je idealan za trčanje i vožnju bicikla. 

 

Narednog vikenda sam otišla na Prinčevska ostrva, tačnije na prvo ostrvo koje se zove Kınalıada I moram priznati da mi se veoma dopalo. Ostrvo je minijaturno I izgradjeno je kao vikend naselje za stanovnike Istanbula. Kuće su zaista predivne, naročito one I prvom redu pored mora. Stranaca gotovo da nema na ovom ostrvu, mada su susedna ostrva poprilično popularna medju turistima. 

 

Plaža je dugačka I stenovita, tačnije to ni nije plaža  već su ležaljke postavljene na betonu, stenovit je samo prilaz kupalištu. U svakom slučaju, nije skupo, tamo možete da provedete prijatan vikend. Centar ostrva je mali, ali zanimljiv, sa nekoliko restorana I kafića I, naravno, voćnom pijacom.

 

Ono što se meni nikako nije dopalo jeste brod koji prevozi turiste sa Kabatasa. Brodovi su ogromni, ali su prepuni, tako da ljudi sede po podu, po stepenicama I vožnja je sve osim prijatna. Takodje, u pitanju su zatvoreni brodovi, što naravno, znatno otežava disanje J Postoje I brzi Ido prodovi (Hvala Bogu), vožnja je skuplja (oko 7TL), ali je naravno, vožnja prijatnija, osim činjenice da ne idu baš tako često. 

 

I treća SREĆA je bila Suma beach na Crnom moru, sa evropske strane. Plaža je u najmanju ruku kao u romantičnim filmovima: sitan zlatan mekan pesak, veoma čista, ako izuzmemo nekoliko pasa lutalica :-) divna usluga i udobne ležaljke. 

 

Nažalost, plaža je preskupa, čak 6 puta skuplja od prve i druge plaže koju sam posetila. Pogled je zaista neverovatan i idealna je za resetovanje, ukoliko želite da vidite samo plavo more i nebo. Takodje, posetioci su isključivo mladi ljudi (uglavnom u hipi fazonu) s tim što nema previše gužve, samim tim ni buke. Pravi mali raj na Crnom moru. 

 

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Knowing the fact that it's insanely hot in Istanbul, I decided to visit some beaches in Istanbul and search for the right one where I can actually go every weekend. Unfortunately, they are all pretty far from the center and if you don't have a car, it's quite chalenging to find shuttle to the beach, especially during weekend.

 

Very first beach that i have visited was Bostanci beach located on the south of Asian side of Istanbul. It's quite packed on the weekends and unfortunatelly the entrance is not very nice, it's full of rocks so it's pretty hard to swim there. Though, the water is amazing in the morning. There are just a few sunbeds and there's really not anything special there, except the view on the small boats there. If you don't feel like having a ling trip to the beach and you want cheaper option Bostanci can be the right choice.

 

There is very small port in the neighbourhood, so it's possible to go to the European part of Istanbul by boat. The path near the water is nice and tidy with a lot of sport yards and playgrounds for kids. They had a lot of promotions there, dog competitions and it's perfect place for rollerblading and bikes.

 

The next weekend I went to Princes Islands, actually to the first island called Kınalıada and I have to admit that it’s quite nice there. It’s like a mini island made for people from Istanbul that want to spend weekend there. There are a lot of wonderful houses there, especially right next to the sea.

 

 The beach is quite long, the entrance to the water is full of rocks, so I didn’t see that many people swimming there. Anyway, it’s not very expensive, so you can spend relaxing weekend there. And center is small, with some restaurants and coffee shops next to the port, and fruit market ofc.

 

I was really disappointed by the boat that we took from Kabatas. Boats are quite big, but so packed that people are actually sitting on the floor, on the stairs, and it was closed roof boat so I couldn’t breathe there. Luckily, we found out the fast Ido boats that are more expensive (7TL approximately) but they don’t go that often.

And i find myself quite lucky to have opportunity to visit Suma beach. It's located on the Black sea, on European side of Istanbul. It's like the beach from the movies: golden soft yellow sand, very clean, nice service and comfy sunbeads. 

 

Unfortunately, it's way to expensive, 6 times more expensive than the first beach. It's the best place for chillaxing, especially on weekends, because all you can see is blue sky and sea. The visitors are only young people, but it's not crowded, so there's definitely not much noise there. It's a small heaven on earth!! 

 

Enjoy your journey lifelovers and world travellers,

Love, Ana <3

Žičarom do Pierre Lotija/Gondola lift to Pierre Loti

Eyup je opština u Istanbulu koja se proteže od Zlatnog roga do Crnog mora. Eyup zapravo izgleda kao selo unutar grada, gotovo svi stanovnici su Muslimani, veoma religiozni i tradicionalni, dok žene mahom nose hidžab ili su potpuno pokrivene. 

 

U samom centru Eyupa smeštena je velelepna džamija, jedna od najlepših u Istanbulu, Eyup Sultan džamija. Oko džamije nalaze se fontane, groblje i gomila prodavnica, načičkanih po uskim prolazima. Većina ulica zapravo izgleda kao pijaca sa tezgama, a tu možete naći i restorane sa turskim specijalitetima i naravno daleko poznatim turskim doručkom. 

 

Ja sam se našla u Eyupu baš kada su dečaci bili obrezivani, pa su dolazili u džamiju obučeni kao sultani, što je naravno mom obilasku Eyupa dalo posebnu draž. 

 

Iznad Eyupa, na brdu , nalazi se prelep vidikovac i malo naselje, Pierre Loti koje je naziv dobilo po Julienu Viaudu, francuskom piscu i oficiru koji je upravo tamo pisao o svom boravku u Istanbulu. Vidikovac je veoma popularan medju turistima, što naravno, pronalazak mesta u restoranu Pierre Loti čini nemogućim. Do vrha brda se stiže ili žičarom, na koju sam ja čekala sat vremena i košta samo 2TL ili pešice, kroz groblje, a stiže se za 10-15 minuta.

 

Ukoliko odlučite da lutate ulicama Pierre Lotija, imaćete priliku da vidite male kuće, divne restorane sa živopisnim pogledom na Zlatni rog, da probate sladoled koji se umače u mrvice, kao i spiralni prženi krompir na štapiću. Nažalost, ono što je meni pokvarilo ceo doživljaj je činjenica da ste vi zapravo na groblju, ili, ako ništa drugo, tik uz tursko groblje, što turistima očigledno ne smeta. 

I naravno, ukoliko budete išli žičarom, ne zaboravite da se slikate nekoliko desetina puta, jer je okolina zaista neverovatna.

 

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Eyup is municipality in Istanbul located between Golden Horn and Black Sea. Eyup actually looks like a village inside the city, most of the inhabitants are very traditional and religious Muslims and all women wear hijab.

In the center of Eyup you can find amazing mosque, one of the most beautiful in the whole city, called Eyup Sultan Mosque. Around the mosque there are numerous fountains, cemetery and quite a number of shops in the small streets. Most of the streets look like small markets, but you can also find traditional Turkish restaurants that serve Turkish specialties and famous Turkish breakfast.

 

 I actually went to Eyup on Sunday when boys were circumcised, so they were all going to mosque dressed like sultans, which was great to see.

 

Pierre Loti is located on the hill above Eyup, named after Julien Viaud, French poet and officer who wrote his majour works there, during his stay in Istanbul. Pierre Loti is very popular among tourists, which means that it's quite impossible to find free table with a view up there. You can climb on foot to Pierre Loti, through creepy cemetery, and you're gonna need 10-15 minutes to get on the top, but you can also reach it with gondola lift (cable car) that costs only 2TL and I had to wait more than one hour to get on it.

If you decide to explore the streets of Pierre Loti, you can see small houses, cute restaurants with breathtaking view, you can taste their unusual ice-cream that you have to dip into the crumbs or spiral fried potato on a stick. Unfortunately, the thing that is ruining the impression is the fact that you are constantly on a cemetery or at least very close to it.

Little reminder: If you take the gondola lift do not forget to take dozens and dozens of pictures, it's such a nice view.

  

Enjoy your journey lifelovers and world travellers, 

Love, Ana <3

Na vrhu Istanbula / On the top of Istanbul

Kula Sapphire je ne samo hotel, shopping mall, ekološka rezidencija već I najviša zgrada Istanbula koja ima visinu 261m. Iako me shopping mall nije baš oduševio, pogled sa krova ove zgrade je definitivno nešto što ću zauvek pamtiti. Na samom vrhu se nalazi restoran, a na krovu turska zastava, koja je ujedno I najpopularnije mesto za slikanje.

Ako želite da se vinete u nebo, moraćete prvo da dodjete do poslednjeg sprata šoping mola, a odatle hvatate lift za 54.sprat. Da, 54!! Osim krovova većine zgrada u Istanbulu I biznis distrikta pod nazivom Levent, u  daljini možete da vidite I Bosforski most, a ako budete imali sreće da dodjete predveće u Sapphire, imaćete priliku da vidite kako se pale svetla I kako most menja boje. Ja sam prisustvovala I zalasku sunca I pogled je savršen!

Na krovu možete I da odete na 4D vožnju Istanbulom, koja je veoma uzbudljiva. Traje kratko, ali za to vreme zapravo vidite sve najpopularnije turističke znamenitosti I to udobno smešteni u fotelju koja leti. Cena je oko 30TL I za ulazak I za vožnju, a postoji i mogućnost doplate za organizovanu posetu muzeju. 

Odlazak na najvišu zgradu Istanbula je ono što nikako ne smete da propustite, jer je definitivno nešto što ćete pamtiti ceo život.

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Sapphire Tower is more than hotel, shopping mall and residence, it’s actually the highest building of Istanbul, 261m high. Although I wasn’t very impressed with the shopping mall, the view from the rooftop if definitely sth that I’ll remember till the end of my life. There is a restaurant on the top of this skyscraper, but on the roof you see big Turkish flag where all the visitors are taking pics.

      If you want to enjoy your view between the clouds, you can actually reach the last floor of shopping mall and then take elevator to 54^th floor. Yes, 54^th!! You can actually see roofs of the most buildings in Istanbul, business district called Levent and further is Bosphorus bridge.
 

If you are lucky enough to visit Sapphire in the late afternoon, you can see the streets light turning on and how the bridge changes colors. I was there during sunset and I have to say that the view is just ridiculously perfect!! It looks like photoshopped.

       On the rooftop, you can also go on exciting 4D ride through Istanbul. It doesn’t last very long, but during the ride you can actually see the most popular touristic destinations in you comfy armchair that flies. The price is around 30TL for entrance and ride, but there is also possibility to visit the museum.

Visiting Sapphire Tower is a MUST, you just can’t miss that, because that’s how you make memories.

Enjoy your journey lifelovers and world travellers,
Love, Ana <3