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Egypt and Greece can both claim a sphinx
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- Published on Monday, 14 January 2013 16:03
- Written by Jim Willard
If you see one sphinx, you've seen 'em all, right? Maybe not. Most folks are somewhat familiar with the Egyptian Sphinx, by photograph or personal viewing. It's a creature with a man's head and a lion's body shown in a recumbent position.
Turkey: A Transformation from Emigration to Immigration
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- Published on Saturday, 10 November 2012 16:19
- Written by Kemal Kirisci
Traditionally, Turkey has been known as a country of emigration. Starting from the early 1960s and well into the 1970s, large numbers of Turkish nationals migrated to western European countries, particularly West Germany. This emigration continued into recent times through family reunification schemes and the asylum track.
Bosnia - best MTB adventure destination in 2012
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- Published on Thursday, 12 January 2012 22:25
- Written by BC & Agencies
Bosnia and Herzegovina is proclaimed for best mountain biking (MTB) adventure destination in 2012 by the prominent magazine National Geographic. This award is well deserved, but little known in foreign cycling circles.
Albanian Tourism Project Puts Beds in Bunkers
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- Published on Saturday, 15 September 2012 14:25
- Written by Julia Stanek
The Balkan country of Albania has hundreds of thousands of disused communist-era bunkers and a booming tourist industry. Now a joint German-Albanian project has put the two things together -- and is converting a bunker into a backpacker hostel.
In the coastal town of Tale, about 50 kilometers (30 miles) from the Albanian capital of Tirana, 10 German and 10 Albanian university students are at work on a unique tourism project. They're converting a former bunker into a hostel that will provide space for up to eight people.
Kitabs, the unique phenomenon of the Belarusian language
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- Published on Sunday, 23 October 2011 14:10
- Written by Niesciarovich, from the "Encyclopedia of the Belarusian language"
Kitabs are books written in Belarusian language using Arabic script. They were written mostly in the 16th century by the Tatars who lived in Belarus, in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, since 14-15th centuries and have gradually forgotten their native language. In order to preserve their religion they had to translate Koran and other sacred Islamic books into Belarusian language, but preserving the Arabic script.
Kitabs contain Oriental legends, fables, adventure stories, description of rituals, the so called Meradj- (a poem about Muhammed ascending to heaven), narratives for youth about moral and ethical behavior (respect for parents, guests, beggars, orphans, neighbors, etc.), fortune telling on Koran letters, interpretation of dreams. Apart from kitabs there were also other related books: tefsirs (Koran with line-by-line commentary in Belarusian and Polish), tejvijs (the rules of Koran reading), hamails (special prayer books).
Albania's surprising side
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- Published on Sunday, 02 September 2012 14:21
- Written by Edward Reeve
Superb Roman ruins, glorious scenery, good food and ridiculously low prices – Edward Reeve finds much to admire in the former communist state.
This is odd. I'm sitting in a bar in Tirana, Albania, and there's not a gangster in sight. What there is is a 20ft-long counter packed with an array of enticing meats, a friendly man who grills them on request, and beer at 70p a glass. Everyone speaks English, and everyone is unfailingly nice. Could it be that there's a mismatch between Albania's reputation for – how to put this politely? – unconventional economic activity, and the modern-day reality? After a week travelling the country with my mother, without so much of a whiff of trouble or a gangster's cheap cologne, I'd say the answer is a resounding yes.
3 Million Visitors Flock to Albania this Year
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- Published on Monday, 10 October 2011 17:31
- Written by BC-Stuff
The number of people visiting Albania in the first eight months of this year has doubled since 2008. The country welcome 3 million tourists between January and August of 2011, as the Balkans continue to attract foreign interest.
The tourism growth has been a constant drive for the Albanian economy, with a 16 per cent increase in tourists this year than 2010. Approximately 300,000 more people visited the country, a jump largely attributed by the Ministry of Tourism to an improved infrastructure and quality of service.
Istanbul’s historic Grand Bazaar to undergo major restoration in 2013
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- Published on Friday, 25 May 2012 15:22
- Written by Sevgi Korkut, Tuba Çetinkaya
Restoration of Istanbul's famous historic Grand Bazaar (Kapali Çarsi) will begin in the early months of 2013 and cost the municipality TL 200 million, the Fatih district mayor has said.
Speaking at a press conference on Wednesday, Fatih Municipality Mayor Mustafa Demir said they plan to restore 3,600 shops in the Grand Bazaar, 38 old shops and 66 streets around the bazaar.
Bosnia and Herzegovina: Europe’s undiscovered Eden
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- Published on Thursday, 22 September 2011 02:39
- Written by Mohamed El Hebeishy
Years of war had smudged Bosnia and Herzegovina, a no-go zone. Now that the war is long over, however, the county is welcoming tourists with open arms. Aiming to discover what Bosnia and Herzegovina has got to offer, I took off on a country tour away from its splendid capital, Sarajevo.
Qatar Airways arrives in Croatia linking Zagreb to Budapest and Doha
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- Published on Saturday, 28 April 2012 20:23
- Written by Umm Amina
Qatar Airways will begin service to Croatia starting 9 May, with daily flights to Zagreb.
The blur of centuries in Montenegro
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- Published on Monday, 19 September 2011 13:14
- Written by BC-Stuff
Lunching in the old town at Kotor, we overhear a crusty salt of the sea regaling his companions about "sailing into Kos harbour in 1967".
I fail to catch what happened on Kos back then, but we distinctly hear the man's wife inquire of the waiter, "Why the dickens, with all those mountains, would Montenegro experience water shortages?"
The water supply has indeed been cut, a common occurrence along this coast in summer, but the waiter is flummoxed. An uncomfortable silence ensues before the woman resorts to speculation. "I expect it's the pipes," she sniffs.
