Istanbul. The Intersection of Epochs, Religions, and Cultures

Styles and epochs, traditions and destinies, past, present, and future intricately and unpredictably intertwine in this city, like the pattern on the carpets of its mosques. Just as a few centuries ago, tea is drunk from glass cups and mackerel is grilled at the docks. In the flow of traffic, vendors maneuver, carrying wooden trays of goods on their heads. People mix in a colorful and multifaceted stream, spreading through the streets like blood through veins. This is the noisy breath of Istanbul, its unevenly beating pulse, its ragged rhythm, and unquenchable inner fire - alive and hot. If its stones could speak, they would tell hundreds of legends about love and hatred, friendship and betrayal, glory and shame. In this mighty bustling city, bubbling like a cauldron of çorba - Turkish soup, one wants to savor every minute, squint from the Bosphorus wind - and believe that all roads lead... to Istanbul. Maria Kicha - PhD, teacher, author of the book "Mecca. Biography of a Mysterious City". She speaks Turkish, Armenian, English, Italian, Arabic, and Hebrew. For many years she has traveled around the Middle East and neighboring regions, studying local history and culture. She has been to Turkey, Egypt, Morocco, Tunisia, Algeria, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Palestine, Israel, the UAE, Bahrain, Qatar, Oman, Azerbaijan, and Iran multiple times. She runs a public page about the culture and history of the Middle East "The First Middle Eastern", followed by over 35,000 people.
«Styles and epochs, traditions and destinies, past, present, and future intricately intertwine in this city, like the pattern on the carpets of its mosques. Just as a few centuries ago, tea is drunk from glass cups and mackerel is grilled at the docks. Vendors carry wooden trays of goods on their heads. People mix in a colorful and multifaceted stream, spreading through the streets like blood through veins. This is the noisy breath of Istanbul, its unevenly beating pulse, its ragged rhythm, and unquenchable inner fire - alive and hot». Maria Kicha - PhD, teacher, she speaks Turkish, Armenian, English, Italian, Arabic, and Hebrew. For many years she has traveled around the Middle East and neighboring regions, studying local history and culture. She has been to Turkey, Egypt, Morocco, Tunisia, Algeria, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Palestine, Israel, the UAE, Bahrain, Qatar, Oman, Azerbaijan, and Iran multiple times. She runs a public page about the culture and history of the Middle East, followed by over 35,000 people.