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The Hamam
The hamam, or Turkish bath, in all of its simplicity and humble origins, has earned itself the caché of glamour, sophistication and hedonistic self-indulgence.
The Turkish bath is essentially an open steam room with a heated marble platform at the center. The usually octagonal structure is lined with marble basins and often adorned with ornate copper fixtures, and there are attendants to introduce you to a hint of what living in the harem might have been like. A trip to a hamam may, if you so desire, include a washing, scrubbing, exfoliating and massage (often like a clumsy rubdown), and no matter how sore your knees are at the end of a typical hour, your skin is guaranteed to be fresh, bright and squeaky clean, all for the moderately inflated price of about 25 YTL (unless you're availing yourself of the more luxurious 5 star hotel hamam).
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Whirling Dervishes
For anyone interested in spirituality, mysticism and sacred rituals, the Sufi rite of the sema, more colloquially known as the Whirling Dervishes, will be a certain inspiration. The sema is a spiritual dance performed by the Sufi sect of Islam established by Mevlana Celaleddin Rumi in the 13th century. For the Sufi mystic, the act of revolving brings one closer to God.
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Eyüp
According to Turkish and Islamic tradition, Mehmet I (The Conqueror) uncovered the bones of Eyup el Ensari - Mohammad's friend and standard bearer who accompanied the Prophet here on battle - on the shores of the Bosphorus. His remains are buried on site of the mosque complex, an 18th century construction replacing the earlier one destroyed by an earthquake.
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The Mehter Band
The Mehter Band and the Military Museum. When the Ottoman army marched off to battle, the imposing Mehter Band marched at the fore, stirring the fervor of the soldiers while terrorizing the enemy with pounding percussion, pipes and woodwinds. In peacetime, the music represented the majesty and power of the Sultanate. The Mehter Band has been reconstituted and recreated, in full regalia, with daily, half hour performances in the auditorium of the Military Museum. The English-language show begins at 3pm, repeating at 3:30 with Turkish. Allow some extra time for the museum itself, as the history of the Ottoman Empire (and of Turkey) is inextricably bound to its military prowess.
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The Bosphorous Cruise
A scenic and historic boat trip up the Bosphorus, criss-crossing between Europe and Asia, is usually on everyone's list of things to do in Istanbul. But then people realize that the trip can take up an entire, precious day. As a result, one of Istanbul's most satisfying and archetypal experiences inevitably falls by the wayside. It doesn't have to be this way.
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