4th tulip festival in Istanbul

© Eni Turkeshi Photography

One of the things i miss more of Istanbul is also the lovely tulip festival organised each april in Istanbul.
This year was the 4th time but i wasn`t present :(
Actually the photo of this post is shot last year .

The tulip festival is getting each year bigger and more magnificient with more tulips everywhere the city (the number of tulips raised to 16 million this year !! ) and different activities , such as `tulip photography contest and exhibition ` , organized by the municipality.

The main place of this festival is the beautiful Emirgan Park (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emirgan_Park).

for more cool photos and infos you might visit this page :
http://istanbulstreets.wordpress.com/category/tulip-festival/

also you might check from here my old posts regarding last festivals:

http://albtranslator.blogspot.com/2008/04/serish-me-tulipanet-ne-stamboll.html
http://albtranslator.blogspot.com/2007/04/back-again-with-tulips.html
http://albtranslator.blogspot.com/2007/03/istanbul-city-of-3-million-tulips.html

Yedigöller a.k.a Seven Lakes

 photo © Eni Turkeshi Photography

Yedigöller a.k.a Seven Lakes is a National Turkish Park close to Bolu district, found at the Black Sea Area.As a friend of mine told, something similar to our famous Seven Lakes of Lura (http://images.google.com/images?source=ig&hl=tr&rlz=1G1GGLQ_TRXX258&=&q=Lura%20lakes&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&tab=wi) .
I've never been in Lura ,but i definitely loved Yedigöller.We went there 2 weeks ago with my turkish photographer friends.

It takes s.t like 5,5 hours from Istanbul.Especially when you are very close to Yedigöller, your lungs start to get bigger and bigger from the amazing fresh air and your eyes start dazzling in front of the lovely colorful ,high trees and the mist surrounding the mountains.

 

Yedigöller as the name tells, consists of 7 lakes mixed with each other.This lakes pass from the south to the north of Yedigöller.The names of the lakes are :Sazlıgöl, İncegöl, Küçükgöl, Deringöl, Büyükgöl, Kurugöl ve Seringöl, which translated into english would be:Reed Lake,Thin Lake,Small Lake,Deep Lake,Big Lake,Dry Lake & Fresh Lake.
Yedigöller is a beautiful place with stunning waterfalls,lovely roads,which makes the atmosphere enchaunting.
It's told that Yedigöller has 238 different plant types.The mushrooms are the loveliest according to me.And the trees are just giant.You feel yourself surrounded by an enormous green sea :)




And as you may get from the pictures, fall is the very best time to visit this place.Because especially in fall you can experience the whole tones ,colors in an expressionist style.See the lakes taking various nuances because of different trees and leaves reflection .And you can feel the magic of feeling like lost in a misty , magic forrest.
Highy recommended!

for more photos from my friends click here:
http://www.flickr.com/groups/fotografca_biz/discuss/72157607358712543/

The pilgrim - from the turkish group Replikas

The Pilgrim lyrics:

I'm pilgrim in this world
I became a vagrant because of your love
I traveled in many countries
just because of you
Many bottles overturned in honor of your love
I remained soaked under the rain of love
I kept thinking of you all time all alone

I can't do it without you
I can't live without you
This rain of love
doesn't bring you to me


I became a vagrant
When I first listened to this song, I was so impressed of this heartwarming, naive song and of the video shot in the same style.It was very popular many years ago and I can say that this is the song i love best from this group.You may find the words a bit arabesque, but believe me it looks and feels very much different in turkish.Don't know why but i find this one very close to us albanians as well.What do you albos think?
Hopeall of you will enjoy it.

Some infos on the group:

Replikas is a post-rock, experimental rock band from Istanbul, Turkey.

Their debut album, Köledoyuran was released in 2000 and the band set its place in Turkish rock scene with their unique sound which combines western and eastern music. Their second album, Dadaruhi followed in 2002. Apart from these albums, Replikas had several soudtrack attempts for Turkish movies.

With their unique sound, Replikas was recognized by some foreign record companies. After getting signed to Doublemoon record label, their third studio album, Avaz was released in 2005. The album was produced by Wharton Tiers, a world-known producer who also worked with bands like Sonic Youth, a great influence on Replikas' work.

Replikas' members being big fans of Sonic Youth, the band opened for Sonic Youth on their first Turkish concert in May 2005.

Repilkas provided the soundtrack for the film İki Genç Kız. The band was also featured in Fatih Akın's 2005 documentary on the Istanbul music scene, Crossing the Bridge: The Sound of Istanbul, performing the song "Şahar Dağı." (info from wikipedia)

Other news from the press: The group is recording their new album , which is said to be launched this September.They are recording it out of studio , to get the best of acoustic sounds.After prolonged researches in Turkey,the band has decided to use the old half open air jail of Gokceada .

for more infos- www.replikas.com

Ka paqe nen ullinj !

 

Ndonjehere titullin e fotos e gjej perpara se ta realizoj foton ose me mire titulli eshte ai qe me shtyn te bej ate foto.Sepse nuk behet fjale vetem per nje titull , por per nje kontekts te tere apo per nje element qe me shtyn te bej kete fotografi.Keto mund te them se jane nje nga llojet e fotografive qe me emocionojne me shume teksa i realizoj.

Sepse me kujtojne shume gjera , me bejne te mendoj dhe te rimendoj nje element qe me ka bere perhere pershtypje dhe ta rivesh kete element mbase me nje ide te re ,te fresket apo thjesht ta paraqes sipas kendit tim te shikimit.

Kete fotografi e shkrepa ne Kapadokja, ne Muzeumin e hapur te Goremese (keshtu quhej vendi pasi eshte nje panorame gjigande me shtepite karakteristike te Kapadokjas te krijuara vite me pare ne saje te shume fenomeneve natyrore).

Filmi :)i drejtuar nga Giusepe de Santis , me rregjizor fotografie nga Piero Poratlupi me teknika te veçanta tipike te rregjizoreve te mirenjohur ruse si Dovzhenko and Eisenstein eshte nje historia e nje hakmarrjeje e stolisur me elemente tragjike.

Ndersa une teksa isha duke ndjekur tere qejf mrekulline aq habitshem leshuar fare bollshem perpara syte e mi, e ndjeva shume fort eren e paqes dhe qetesise te me frynte mbi tere qenien time ndaj e pashe te udhes ti vija kesaj fotoje kete emer..Po juve si ju duket? :)

Nje eksperience interesante...

 

Berberet apo parukieret siç quhen sot kane qene nje nga profesionet dhe postet me te rendesishme gjate kohes se perandorise osmane.
Te ishe berber asokohe ishte diçka me potence.Berberi qe si menaxheri i tere puneve te lagjes ; perveç punes se tij bente dhe detyren e synetçiut , ishte dentist , pastronte dhe mjekonte plaget ,pra ishte dhe mjeku i pergjithshem i vendit ku jetonte.
Ishte e veshtire asokohe te ishe berber.Sipas gojedhenave Sultani i asaj kohe kishte nxjerre nje liber me pershkrimet e rregullave te rrepta qe berberet duhet ti permbaheshin.Te tilla si psh: Nuk do jete me i vogel se 30 vjeç,duhet te jete i martuar, nuk duhet te marre alkol dhe duhet te fale 5 vaktet e namazit.Kadiu i qytetit duhet ti kontrollonte keta nje here ne 15 dite.


Dhe me e rendesishmja:Nuk duhet te jete nevrik!! Perpara se te pranohej si berber , keta njerez kalonin nga disa sprova shume nervagricese:)
Tashti kur e sheh me vemendje ,thua qe ata se kane pasur hiç keq.Jo per gje por ja dorezon koken tjetrit , jo shaka;)Ne ditet e sotme , berberet (megjithese tashme as nuk quhen me keshtu , por parrukiere ose frengçe -kuafore ne turqisht te pakten) nuk e kane me ate shkelqimin dhe madheshtine e diteve te dikurshme.Kundermon gjitheandej ere spa-je , metrosekualiteti dhe teknologjie estetike ;) Une per vedi nuk eshte se ankohem shume ,se nuk e kam provuar ndonjehere berberin e meshkujve, por mendoj se meshkujt edhe ja ndjejne mungesen.
Sado qe nuk do te mundem ta provoj ndonjehere , se paku pata rastin ta vizitoj dhe te fotografoj nje berber nostalgjik te Stambollit duke punuar:)



Ishte vertet 1 eksperience e veçante.Isha duke ecur rrugeve te Stambollit me , mikun tim turist ,dhe tek tuk po kullosja syte per te spikatur nje parukeri per te.
I qeme afruar shume Grand Bazaarit qe gjendet midis zones se Beyazit-Eminonu ne Stamboll,ku diku aty mes Çemberlitashit , ngazellehem kur shikoj mbi nje mur antik,mbi disa shkronja nostalgjike fjalen :Berber ;)
Ikim sakaq.Berberi dhe miku i tij na presin me temenara te medha.Keto jane gjera normale ne Stamboll,çdokush qe ja ben hizmetin punes, sidomos me turistat do ta bente ; por prape seç kishte nje natyre tjeter ne kete sajdisje kete here,nje lloj perqendrimi te habitshem , nje fokusim sederli , dhe nje mikpritje babaxhane.
Eshte shume i vogel ky dyqan,nuk i kalon 10m² dhe eshte i tejmbushur me arturina kujtimesh e shenimesh ,si dhe mjetet e punes se tij ,po ashtu dhe produktet e tjera.Shumica marka te vjetra kremrash,kolonjash,shamposh..Mbase ka diçka te qellimte ketu se doemos çdo gje duhet te jete autentike dhe te te krijoje ndjesi nostalgjike.
E megjithate kjo eshte nderthurur kaq bukur dhe jo-rendomshem saqe nuk vihet re aspak.Berberi ishte fjalepak e megjithate nuk harronte ti buzeqeshte me dashamiresi klientit te tij , dhe te luante mjeshterisht si nje vizore shume e sakte thiken e tij.Me pas vinte masazhi me kolonja freskuese dhe riperteritese .
Ne sfond degjoheshin turbull , por bindshem tinguj te nje kenge te vjeter turke..Nuk e di por me dukej vetja pakez si ne film,mbase dhe nga sekuencat e shumta qe kapja vazhdimisht ne foto duke perfituar dhe nga forca shprehese e reflekseve te pasqyrave te shumta.
Me ne fund pas nje trajtimi te fundit , berberi perkulet para klientit dhe i thote "te shkuara" ..Po po te shkuara sikur te kishte kaluar nga ndonje gje stresante;)
Sigurisht qe kjo nuk vjen nga perkujdesja false , por nga forca e zakonit,atij zakoni qe tere zanatllinjte e vjeter e kane ne shpirt dhe e "derdhin" tere shkujdesje..
U ndame prej berberit me ndjesi shume te veçanta dhe krejtesisht "te trajtuar" shpirterisht.
Nese ju bie rasti te vizitoni nje berber te ketille ne Stamboll mos e humbisni ju them.Kemi te tere nevoje te perjetojme eksperienca te tilla unike!

per me shume rreth berbereve dhe historise se tyre :http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barber

Salt Lake - A virgin beauty

The Salt Lake is one of my most favourite places in Turkey.It's located between the Ankara,Nigde & Konya cities and with its 7414.40 km² area is one of the biggest lakes of Turkey.
The lake's area and depth of water has had an enormous 60% reduce the last 18 years.
All of this because of the global warming.It's said that this lake will be totally run dry and dissipate in a short period such as 7 years:(
Because of its wide area and the increasing water surface during the winter , this lake has become a great nest for many different bird types such as flamingos etc...Other bird types living there are :(Glareola prantincola), (Tadorna tadorna), (Tadorna ferruginea), (Anas crecca), (Recurvirostra avocetta), (Burhinus oedicnemus) , (Larus sp.)
This lake is the biggest salt supplyer to the country.

What I love of this lake , is the amazing picturesque view it has.It's maybe because of its wide,shallow,whitish area that it looks always so different,weird,magic,scary sometimes and so very artistic.
I think it was before 8 years ago when I firstly saw this lake.It was winter time and it was all surrounded by snow..It looked a bit scary and you always had the feeling you were lost in this white,frozen world.
I remember seeing a lone tree in the middle of the lake .It was a view I'll could never forget.Like the symbol of stubbornness and vulnerability at the same time!!
This year I coudn't visit it so close , but could shot some photos of it from far away .The second picture doens't belong to the Lake but is very close to it and is located in the opposite site.
We were travelling to Cappadocia and the bus had to stop at the station close to the lake so I had the chance to re-experience this fabulous atmosphere.
It was 6.30 a.m and everything was so quiet and peaceful .The only sound you could hear ,was that of the fresh wind, caressing your face..You could maybe perceive it even from the photos..It was quite surreal..

for more infos on the lake click here:http://www.allaboutturkey.com/tuzlake.htm

I'll be back with more travel writings guys..cheers