Located in the Topkapi Palace grounds, in the first courtyard behind the Hagia Sophia, the Byzantine church of Aya Irini features classical music concerts and art exhibitions year round during important festivals such as the Istanbul International Music Festival in June and July. It is said that Aya Irini has the be acoustics in the world so a concert ... Read More »
Nowhere else does art, culture, music, food and history meld in the same way it does in Istanbul. In Music + Travel we discuss Istanbul’s impact on classical music and in Film + Travel: Europe, we talk about all the great films made in the city such as Midnight Express, Topkapi and two Bond features. But what do you do ... Read More »
When Istanbul was announced as the 2010 European Capital of Culture, we were excited, but we weren’t exactly surprised. After all, we included the city in two of our guides–Film+Travel Europe and Music+Travel Worldwide. There’s a reason the city is so full of culture–spanning the Bosphorus, it has one foot in Europe and the other firmly rooted in Asia. ... Read More »
In our guide to Music+Travel Worldwide, Alexandra Ivanoff introduces celebrated conductor Cem Mansur. He’s led the Istanbul State Opera and the Akbank Chamber Orchestra in Istanbul, and he’s performed all over the world, including at such venerable venues as the Royal Albert Hall. But, as it turns out, music is not his only talent. te’s also a whiz in the ... Read More »
Our chat with Alexandra Ivanoff got Istanbul on our minds today. So we picked up Museyon’s Film+Travel guide to Europe for a little inspiration. Now we’re headed back to the Turkish capital in search of a little mystery — ‘Murder on the Orient Express‘ style. Sidney Lumet’s 1974 take on Agatha Christie’s thriller places Sean Connery onboard the luxurious ... Read More »
It’s time to check in with Alexandra Ivanoff, our guide to Istanbul’s thriving classical music scene. Not only is Alexandra an accomplished performer in opera, musical theater, film and jazz with degrees from the Eastman School of Music and Yale University, she’s also a contributor to major mags like Time Out Istanbul and Andante. As if that weren’t enough, she’s ... Read More »
Bridging Europe and Asia, Istanbul represents everything from the glamour of the Orient Express to the chaos of the Grand Bazaar, with a lot of history and mythology in between. See why the seductive city is a favorite of the James Bond series with your Museyon Guide Pelin Turgut. About Your Guide: Pelin Turgut writes about Turkey for a variety ... Read More »
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