Body Worlds exhibition

Body Worlds, a strange exhibition of "dead real human bodies", will be on display in Istanbul between June 11th - December 17th, 2010. The site for this exhibition will be Antrepo 3, near Istanbul Modern museum at Salipazari pier.

The bodies are preserved using a tecnique called Plastination and the show goes on since many years especially in North America.

Sultanahmet Square closed to traffic

Sultanahmet Square in Istanbul, the old city center, is closed to all vehicle traffic as of 7th of June 2010. Now, the old center is a pedestrian-only area.

Istanbul is one of the "Top 29 Cities for Men To Live In"

AskMen, a famous lifestyle site for men, unveiled its annual "Top 29 Cities To Live In". Based upon a variety of international sources and insider experience from AskMen contributors from around the world, the Top 29 provides a current snapshot of the best cities for men, with New York, Melbourne and Tokyo rounding out the top three. For the first time this year, Istanbul has made the 2010’s list as #20.

The most livable cities for men, in order, are:

1. New York
2. Melbourne
3. Tokyo
4. Madrid
5. London
6. Cape Town
7. Miami
8. Buenos Aires
9. Sydney
10. San Francisco
11. Paris
12. Los Angeles
13. Hong Kong
14. Tel Aviv
15. Barcelona
16. Sao Paulo
17. Berlin
18. Lisbon
19. Beirut
20. ISTANBUL
21. Shanghai
22. Montreal
23. Amsterdam
24. Chicago
25. Toronto
26. Kyoto
27. Bogota
28. Rome
29. Las Vegas

Burak

Ice Museum in Istanbul

First Ice Museum of Turkey will be opened in Istanbul on April 23rd, 2010. The "Magic Ice" museum is located inside the Forum Istanbul shopping mall in Bayrampasa district near the Bus Station (Otogar), next to the Turquazoo Aquarium. The museum is built by the Norwegians and is planned to be opened on the Children's Day national holiday on April 23rd. The entrance for adults will cost 20 TL (about 10 euros) and 15 Lira for children.

The indoor museum will stay open all year round and the temperature inside will be constantly around minus 5 degrees Celcius (about 23 Fahrenheit) so at the entrance you'll be given special coats.

Grand Bazaar open on Easter Sunday, April 4th

The Grand bazaar will be open on Sunday on 4th of April 2010, due to the heavy tourists arrival in Istanbul for the Easter holidays.

Istanbul Tulip Festival

The 5th edition of the International Istanbul Tulip Festival organized by the Metropolitan Municipality of Istanbul will be celebrated between April 2nd-18th, 2010.

As usual, Emirgan Park will be the heart of this festival but you can see millions of tulips blooming all around Istanbul during that time; in squares, in public parks, or in any green space. This is the most colorful festival in Istanbul.

Istanbul: one of the "World's sexiest cities"

The English newspaper The Sunday Times Travel Magazine has published a list of a dozen of must-see cities around the world and they named them as "The World's Sexiest Cities", Istanbul being one of them. Here are the 12 "exotic" cities: Istanbul, Rome, London, Paris, New York, St Petersburg, Havana, Bath, Berlin, Seville, Tangier, Stockholm.

"48 hours in Istanbul" by the Reuters

The international news agency Reuters has published their new "Travel Postcard: 48 hours in ??? " series dedicated to Istanbul this time. The news agency recommended Istanbul for its treasures and its glorious past. Here is their suggestions for travelers who'll visit Istanbul in 48 hours:

FRIDAY
18.00: Go up to Galata Tower to enjoy the sunset on the Golden Horn.
19.00: Walk on Istiklal pedestrian street.
20.00: Dinner at 360 restaurant on the roof of Misir Apartment.
22.30: Party at Babylon, Nardiss Jazz Club or Jazz Stop at Beyoglu.

SATURDAY
09.00: Visit the historic peninsula and the Blue Mosque (Sultanahmet mosque).
10.00: Visit the ancient Hippodrome and then the Hagia Sophia museum.
11.30: Visit Topkapı Palace and Gulhane Park nextdoor.
13.00: Go to Eminonu to taste the fish & bread.
14.30: Visit the Underground Cistern (Yerebatan) where the James Bond Movie "From Russia with love" was shot.
16.00: Go to the Grand Bazaar.
20.00: Dinner at the Maiden's Tower (Kiz Kulesi) on the Bosphorus.

SUNDAY
09.00: Visit Dolmabahce Palace.
11.00: Visit Istanbul Modern museum.
14.00: Visit Suleymaniye Mosque (Burak's comment on this: it's still closed for restorations but will re-open soon until this summer) and eat beans "kurufasulye" at Kanaat restaurant nearby.
16.00: Relax at Cagaloglu Hammam.

The full article can be read at Reuters website.

Kremlin's treasures at Topkapi palace

Treasures from Moscow's Kremlin Palace will be on display at the Topkapi Palace in Istanbul between March 12th and June 7th, 2010, as a part of "Istanbul European Capital of Culture of 2010" activities. The exhibition includes works of art from the 16th and 17th centuries.

2010 Istanbul European Culture Capital

In 2010, Istanbul is the European Capital of Culture together with Pecz in Hungary and Ruhr in Germany. This is an important title given by the European Union for a period of one calendar year during which the chosen city is given a chance to show its cultural life and cultural development to the rest of the world.

During 2010, many artists and cultural groups, both local and international, will be visiting Istanbul at various stages for cultural showscases, events, displays, exhibitions, concerts, arts, and so on.