Uploads from Erman Akdogan, with geodata

Hz. Sultan Mosque

nobody@flickr.com (Erman Akdogan) — Wed, 06 Mar 2013 03:51:17 -0800

Kazakhstan has opened one of the largest mosques in Central Asia to commemorate the 14th anniversary of the Kazakh capital’s switch to Astana. The mosque, called Hazret-i Sultan, is big enough to take 5,000 worshippers and stands on a 27 acre site, roughly the size of 18 football pitches.
“This celebration is a celebration for all Kazakh people. I congratulate you on opening Kazakhstan’s biggest mosque,” said Kazakh president Nursultan Nazarbayev when he opened the mosque.

Astana Mosque

nobody@flickr.com (Erman Akdogan) — Sat, 07 Jul 2012 23:26:44 -0700

Erman Akdogan posted a photo:

The Nur-Astana Mosque is located in the city of Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan. It is the largest mosque of Kazakhstan and the biggest mosque in Central Asia. The 40-meter height symbolizes the age of the Prophet Muhammad of when he received the revelations, and the height of the minarets are 63 meters, the age Muhammad was when he died.

Colors of Boats

nobody@flickr.com (Erman Akdogan) — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 14:32:23 -0700

Erman Akdogan posted a photo:

Window Shopping

nobody@flickr.com (Erman Akdogan) — Wed, 25 May 2011 13:49:00 -0700

Erman Akdogan posted a photo:

Kaş (pronounced 'Kash') is a small fishing, diving, yachting and tourist town, and a district of Antalya Province of Turkey. As a tourist town it is unspoiled.

The town of Kaş has a hellenistic theatre and many other places of historical interest; and it has spots of natural beauty, including excellent beaches, and a number of interesting caves, some of them underwater.

The mountains behind the coast offer countless places for trekking, climbing and canyoning.

The ruins of the antique cities of Komba (in the village of Gömbe), Nisa, Kandyba, Phellos, Istlada, Apollonia, Isinda and Kyaenai.

A popular excursion from Kaş is Kekova island in the neighbouring district of Demre. Here in the magnificent bays you will see a surprising variety of wrecks of ancient ships and ancient cities sunk under the sea by earthquakes over the centuries. The sea is so perfectly clear that the details of city buildings such as staircases or columns can be seen from the boat.

The area is ideal for sea kayaking. In December 2006 Kaş was added to the specially protected Kekova marine area in order to preserve its rich biodiversity.

Kalkan Wedding

nobody@flickr.com (Erman Akdogan) — Tue, 24 May 2011 03:49:23 -0700

Erman Akdogan posted a photo:

Kaputaş Serenity

nobody@flickr.com (Erman Akdogan) — Tue, 24 May 2011 03:49:06 -0700

Erman Akdogan posted a photo:

Kaputaş Beach is a long beach between Kaş and Kalkan in southwestern Turkey. It is situated at a distance of 20 km from Kaş and 7 from Kalkan, at a point where an extremely narrow valley towered by steep cliffs and forests joins the sea shore in the cove of the same name as the beach (Kaputaş). The beach is quite popular among visitors to the region due to its untouched natural beauty commanded by a view from the heights traversed by Kaş-Kalkan road.

The beach is reached by stairs descending from the road and is guarded by the municipality of Kalkan. It is a favorite stopover for yachts along the Blue Cruise, although the open sea, and sometimes also the cove itself, can be quite unstable and wavy. The sea gets deep rather close to the beach in Kaputaş.

English Things

nobody@flickr.com (Erman Akdogan) — Wed, 09 Feb 2011 07:15:57 -0800

Erman Akdogan posted a photo:

Tower of London is a historic fortress in central London, England, on the north bank of the River Thames. The tower's primary function was a fortress, a royal palace, and a prison (particularly for high status and royal prisoners, such as the Princes in the Tower, the future Queen Elizabeth I and Rudolph Hess). Since 1303, it is also home of the Crown Jewels of the United Kingdom.

At least six Ravens are kept at the Tower, at all times, in accordance with the belief that if they be absent the kingdom will fall. To be on the safe side ten ravens (6 on duty and 4 young spares) are actually housed at the Tower of London at the expense of the British government. A Yeoman Warder, or Beefeater, has the specific role of Ravenmaster at the Tower and takes care of their feeding and well being. The Ravenmaster builds this relationship with the ravens as he takes the fledglings into his home and hand rears them over a period of about six weeks. Ravens live up to an average of 25 years, but have been known to reach the age of 45 years. To prevent the birds from flying away one of their wings is clipped by the Ravenmaster. This does not hurt or harm the raven in any way. Clipping their wing unbalances their flight ensuring that they don't stray too far from the Tower. Ravens are members of the crow family, Corvus, and are eaters of carrion and live mainly on dead flesh. It was said that Charles II ordered their removal following complaints from John Flamsteed, the Royal Astronomer. However, they were not removed because Charles was then told of the legend that if the ravens ever leave the Tower of London, the White Tower, the monarchy, and the entire kingdom would fall. Charles, following the time of the English Civil War, superstition or not, was not prepared to take the chance, and instead had the observatory moved to Greenwich.

The big flag is added post-processing.

Hai

nobody@flickr.com (Erman Akdogan) — Tue, 28 Dec 2010 06:26:37 -0800

Erman Akdogan posted a photo:

Kyoto Japan.

Full-fledged geisha in Kyoto are called geiko. This term is also commonly used in the region to distinguish geisha practiced in traditional arts from prostitutes who have co-opted the name and attire of geisha. Prostitutes wear the bow of their sash, or obi, in front of their kimono, but geisha wear their obi at the back. True geisha, who do not engage in sexual activity, usually had the luxury of a professional aide to help them in the difficult process of dressing; their clothing is made up of several layers of kimono and undergarments, and an obi is more than a simple band of cloth. Dressing could take over an hour, even with professional help. Prostitutes, however, had to take off their obi several times a day, so theirs were far less complex, and tied at the front for ease of removal and replacement.

Apprentice geisha are called maiko. This word is made of the kanji 舞 (mai) meaning "dancing" and 子 (ko) meaning "child". It is the maiko, with her white make-up and elaborate kimono and hairstyle, that has become the stereotype of a "geisha" to westerners, rather than the true geisha.

Tokyo geisha generally do not follow the ritualized Kyoto maiko apprentice process. On average, Tokyo geisha tend to be older than their Kyoto counterparts, many holding formal degrees from university.

Forms of Matter

nobody@flickr.com (Erman Akdogan) — Tue, 14 Dec 2010 08:12:31 -0800

Erman Akdogan posted a photo:

Souvenirs, Cappadocia Turkey.

Cappadocia name was traditionally used in Christian sources throughout history and is still widely used as a concept to define a region of exceptional natural wonders, in particular characterized by fairy chimneys and a unique historical and cultural heritage. Cappadocia contains several underground cities, and many cave cities largely used by early Christians as hiding places before they became an accepted religion.

Decision Tree

nobody@flickr.com (Erman Akdogan) — Sun, 01 Aug 2010 12:49:18 -0700

Erman Akdogan posted a photo:

Sabancı Museum, Istanbul. Bosphorus behind.

Oxford Pathway

nobody@flickr.com (Erman Akdogan) — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 12:34:01 -0700

Erman Akdogan posted a photo:

Oxford University

Queen's Guard and Royal Raven

nobody@flickr.com (Erman Akdogan) — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 11:59:14 -0700

Erman Akdogan posted a photo:

Order of the Garter

nobody@flickr.com (Erman Akdogan) — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 11:16:46 -0700

Erman Akdogan posted a photo:

Windsor Castle, in Windsor in the English county of Berkshire, is the largest inhabited castle in the world and, dating back to the time of William the Conqueror, is the oldest in continuous occupation. Together with Buckingham Palace in London and Holyrood Palace in Edinburgh, it is one of the principal official residences of the British monarch. Queen Elizabeth II spends many weekends of the year at the castle, using it for both state and private entertaining. Eton College is located within about half a mile of the castle, across the River Thames.,

St. George's chapel on the castle grounds has a vast room with a ceiling decorated with the coats of arms of past and present members of the Order of the Garter.

Mandatory Shot

nobody@flickr.com (Erman Akdogan) — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 14:49:39 -0800

Erman Akdogan posted a photo:

The Thames was closed to boats and traffic on Tower Bridge was halted while a helicopter flew close to the river to film part of the 2010 Sherlock Holmes movie.

Sunken City

nobody@flickr.com (Erman Akdogan) — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 12:32:56 -0700

Erman Akdogan posted a photo:

The ancient Lycian sunken city of Simena is often referred to as Kekova-Simena. The city is a charming mix of ancient, medieval and modern history making it interesting as well as beautiful. In ancient times Simena was a small fishing village and was later an outpost of the Knights of Rhodes (formerly of St. John).

Wonderland

nobody@flickr.com (Erman Akdogan) — Sat, 27 Nov 2010 07:22:19 -0800

Erman Akdogan posted a photo:

The Hundertwasser-Krawinahaus, formerly known as the HundertwasserHaus Wien is an apartment house in Vienna, Austria, designed by Austrian artist Friedensreich Hundertwasser and Joseph Krawina. This expressionist landmark of Vienna is located in the Landstraße district on the corner of Kegelgasse and Löwengasse. The building changed its name in 2010 as a result of a copyright case brought forward and won by Krawina.

The house was built between 1983 and 1986 by architects Univ.-Prof. Joseph Krawina and Peter Pelikan. It features undulating floors ("an uneven floor is a divine melody to the feet"), a roof covered with earth and grass, and large trees growing from inside the rooms, with limbs extending from windows. Hundertwasser took no payment for the design of the house, declaring that it was worth it, to prevent something ugly from going up in its place.
Within the house there are 52 apartments, four offices, 16 private terraces and three communal terraces, and a total of 250 trees and bushes. The Hundertwasser House is one of Vienna's most visited buildings and has become part of Austria's cultural heritage.

Istanbul Rockets

nobody@flickr.com (Erman Akdogan) — Thu, 04 Nov 2010 07:27:00 -0700

Erman Akdogan posted a photo:

The Sultan Ahmed Mosque (Turkish: Sultanahmet Camii) is a historical mosque in Istanbul, the largest city in Turkey and the capital of the Ottoman Empire (from 1453 to 1923). The mosque is popularly known as the Blue Mosque for the blue tiles adorning the walls of its interior. It is one of the most impressive monuments in the world.

The mosque was to be built on the site of the palace of the Byzantine emperors, facing the Hagia Sophia (at that time the most venerated mosque in Istanbul) and the hippodrome, a site of great symbolic significance.

It is one of the two mosques in Turkey that has six minarets. When the number of minarets was revealed, the Sultan was criticized for being presumptuous, since this was, at the time, the same number as at the mosque of the Ka'aba in Mecca. He overcame this problem by ordering for a seventh minaret to be built at the Mecca mosque.

Pope Benedict XVI visited the Sultan Ahmed Mosque on 30 November 2006 during his visit to Turkey. It marks only the second papal visit in history to a Muslim place of worship. During his tour, the pontiff turned towards Mecca in a gesture of Muslim prayer and conducted "Silent Prayer." Having removed his shoes, the Pope paused for a full two minutes, eyes closed in prayer, standing side-by-side with the Mufti of Istanbul and the Imam of the Blue Mosque.

Nice Ice

nobody@flickr.com (Erman Akdogan) — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 10:17:49 -0700

Erman Akdogan posted a photo:

Somerset House is on the south side of the Strand in central London, England, overlooking the River Thames, just east of Waterloo Bridge. The central block of the Neoclassical building, the outstanding project of the architect Sir William Chambers, dates from 1776–96.

During summer months 55 fountains dance in the courtyard, and in winter it houses an ice rink. Somerset House also hosts open-air concerts and films, contemporary art and design exhibitions, family workshops and free guided tours of spaces usually hidden to visitors.

Some scenes from the new Guy Ritchie movie, Sherlock Holmes, starring Jude Law & Robert Downey Jr. were shot here.

Panoramic Istanbul

nobody@flickr.com (Erman Akdogan) — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 01:02:35 -0700

Erman Akdogan posted a photo:

Istanbul Skyline taken from Maiden's Tower (Leandros Tower):

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 prophetised that she would be stung to death by a venomous snake's bite 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 amongst the fruits bites the young princess and she dies in her father's arms, just as the oracle had predicted. Hence the name Maiden's Tower.

The older name Leander's Tower comes from another story about a maiden: the ancient Greek myth of Hero and Leander. Hero was a priestess of Aphrodite who lived in a tower at Sestos, at the edge of the Hellespont (Dardanelles). Leander (Leandros), a young man from Abydos on the other side of the strait, fell in love with her and would swim every night across the Hellespont to be with her. Hero would light a lamp every night at the top of her tower to guide his way.

Succumbing to Leander's soft words, and to his argument that Aphrodite, as goddess of love, would scorn the worship of a virgin, Hero allowed him to make love to her. This routine lasted through the warm summer. But one stormy winter night, the waves tossed Leander in the sea and the breezes blew out Hero's light, and Leander lost his way, and was drowned. Hero threw herself from the tower in grief and died as well. The name Maiden's Tower might also have its origins in this ancient story.

South of South Beach

nobody@flickr.com (Erman Akdogan) — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 11:18:28 -0700

Erman Akdogan posted a photo:

South Beach, Miami

South Beach has an active club and bar scene. It is host to more than 150 clubs and other venues, most of which close at 5 am. The television program, "UberGuide", recently profiled South Beach, naming B.E.D. nightclub as one of the top ten legendary bars in the world.

South Beach is one of the world's foremost locations for fashion shoots, making the Miami area the model shoot capital of the United States. Ocean Drive is the most popular place for shoots, but back streets are often used as well.