Now that was a party. The Freelys and Cornucopia celebrated the launch Stamboul Ghosts with a time-bomb of a cocktail…
By Maureen Freely | December 7, 2018
They were serious romantics, the adults who brought me up. They came to Robert College in the decades after the Second World War not just to teach, but to explore Istanbul, forgotten by the world in those days, and to them a revelation. They took us children with them on...
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Books, Culinary Arts
A revealing relief, must-try Turkish dishes and the perfect day in Istanbul
By Emma Harper | April 26, 2017
In this blog series, we highlight some of our favourite Turkey-related articles and news titbits that we’ve read over the past month (or two, in this case). A relief uncovered by chance in eastern Anatolia has led archaeologists to revise the history of Harput, reports
Hurriyet Daily News. Subsequent examinations...
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Archaeology, Culinary Arts, Film, Music and Performing Arts, Obituaries
Magical snow, sweet-and-sour pomegranate molasses and Turkish fairy tales
By Emma Harper | February 22, 2017
In this blog series, we highlight some of our favourite Turkey-related articles and news titbits that we’ve read over the past month. ‘Snow in Istanbul always feels magical,’ writes Tim Arango in
The New York Times. He documents how last month’s blizzard, the heaviest snowfall in Istanbul since 2009, came as...
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Books, Culinary Arts, History, News, Orientalism, Travel
Hacer Sayman is breathing new life into a Beyoğlu side street with her design boutique, antique shop and café
By Emma Harper | December 13, 2016
Hacer Sayman has a soft spot for neglected buildings. In a city like Istanbul, where historic structures are more likely to be demolished and replicated than conserved, her willingness to pour money into restoration projects is something of an anomaly. But it has served the community well: the beautiful old...
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Architecture, Culinary Arts, Design, Fine Art, Islamic Art, Shopping
Inaugural Slow Food-organised event in Ayvalık takes a deep dive into the history, culture and ecology of the olive
By Jennifer Hattam | April 22, 2016
‘Turkey is not really an olive oil country.’ It seemed a strange thing to say at an event hosted in Turkey and dedicated to the world of olives. ‘So why are we meeting here?’ one international participant whispered after the Turkish academic Artun Ünsal made his declaration on the first...
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Culinary Arts, Nature, News
Applications due October 31, 2016
By Emma Harper | April 2, 2016
Have an idea for a research project related to things Turkish or textiles? Now is the time to put pen to paper and apply for the Ancient & Modern Prize, an award of £1,000 given to a candidate aged under 26 or over 60. Applications are open until October 31,...
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Archaeology, Architecture, Culinary Arts, Design, History, Islamic Art, Literature, Textiles
By Victoria Khroundina | August 31, 2015
From next month until December, events continue as part of the ‘Australia in Turkey 2015’ festival. The biggest celebration of Australian culture in Turkey to date, it aims to enhance social and cultural understanding between the two countries. That it’s being celebrated in the same year as the centenary of...
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Contemporary Art, Culinary Arts, Design, Exhibitions, Film, History, Modern Art, Music and Performing Arts, News
By Tara Alisbah | October 10, 2014
Four years ago, about four months after I’d arrived in Turkey, I went to Mardin for a slightly trumped up work visit. I was researching NGOs serving at-risk children and youth, and I could have gone to any city in Turkey, but Mardin had been calling to me ever since...
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Culinary Arts, History, Literature, Travel
By THE CORNUCOPIA BLOG | October 9, 2014
Entries are now open for Ancient & Modern, a scholarship for original research sponsored by
Cornucopia and
Halı magazines, and by Bonhams, Christie’s and Sotheby’s. The ninth (2014/15) grant of £1,000 for a research project will be awarded to a candidate less than twenty-six or over sixty years of age....
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Archaeology, Architecture, Culinary Arts, History, Islamic Art, News
By Victoria Khroundina | August 12, 2014
We were sad to hear news that a Beşiktaş institution – well, an Istanbul institution – faces closure. Pando Kaymak, a favourite breakfast spot that makes its venerable
kaymak (clotted cream) on the premises has been given an eviction notice, as reported by
Culinary Backstreets on Friday. The café – featured...
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Culinary Arts, News
Applications now open
By THE CORNUCOPIA BLOG | April 23, 2014
A good thing to keep in the back of the mind is the Turkish Cultural Foundation’s (TCF) fellowship programme. There are two types: the Fellowship in Turkish Culture and Art and the Cultural Exchange Fellowship. The TCF Fellowship in Turkish Culture and Art has provided funding to young and established scholars since...
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Contemporary Art, Culinary Arts, Design, Film, Fine Art, History, Islamic Art, Literature, Museums, Music and Performing Arts, News
By Victoria Khroundina | April 5, 2014
Day by day, Istanbul looks more and more like a giant construction playground than a city whose history dates back 1500 years. With ever more narcissistic projects signed off by the bulldozer-happy Prime Minister Erdoğan, it is becoming increasingly hard to keep track of exactly what is going and what is...
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Architecture, Culinary Arts, History, News, Gezi Protests
The Fourth World Congress for Middle Eastern Studies
By Victoria Khroundina | January 3, 2014
The Fourth World Congress for Middle Eastern Studies (WOCMES), touted as ‘the most important global event in Middle Eastern studies in 2014’ will take place at the Middle East Technical University (METU) in Ankara between August 18th and 22nd, 2014. Organised in collaboration between the METU and the Turkish Social...
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Culinary Arts, Design, Film, Fine Art, History, Islamic Art, Literature, Music and Performing Arts, News
By Victoria Khroundina | December 30, 2013
With just a few days left of 2013, it’s time to look back on the year that was. The year 2013 will be etched in history as the year of the
Gezi protests. It all started with a tree, so to speak, in late May when a group of people...
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Architecture, Contemporary Art, Culinary Arts, Design, Exhibitions, Film, History, Museums, Music and Performing Arts, Protest Music, Nature, News, Gezi Protests, Photography, Sport
After a hot summer, the solidarity protests continue
By Victoria Khroundina | December 23, 2013
After weeks of preparations and permissions sought (and granted) from local municipalities, the day of the solidarity march was finally upon us. Yesterday (December 22) thousands of people came together in Kadıköy to protest the urban politics of the government. Environmentalists, archaeologists, historians, architects, ecologists, women’s movements, LGBT movements, human...
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Architecture, Culinary Arts, History, News, Gezi Protests
Solidarity march on December 22
By Victoria Khroundina | December 17, 2013
Enough is enough. This Sunday December 22 the people of Istanbul will ‘reclaim their city’. The brainchild of a number of organisations, movements and forums (some notable ones include Istanbul Urban Movements, Defence of the Northern Forests, Abbasağa Forum, Archaeologists’ Association Istanbul Branch, People’s Engineers and Architects, Istanbul Assembly for...
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Architecture, Culinary Arts, History, News, Gezi Protests
By Victoria Khroundina | December 2, 2013
We at Cornucopia were delighted to receive an email from Beyhan Uzunçarşılı last week giving news that Gümüşdere is no longer under threat from ISKI, the city’s water supply and sanitation administrator, building a water-treatment plant that would destroy hectares and hectares of land, and put the area’s agricultural livelihood...
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Culinary Arts, History, News
16th-century remedies for ailing plants: a workshop with Aleksandar Shopov
By Victoria Khroundina | September 8, 2013
A small but attentive group gathered in the beautiful
bostan (garden) behind the Belgrade Church in Yedikule (above) last Sunday (September 1) to hear a talk on 16th-century remedies for ailing plants by Aleksandar Shopov – the PhD candidate at Harvard University who has spent the last month or so...
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Culinary Arts, History, News
Northern Forests Defence Camp
By CORNUCOPIA BLOG | September 6, 2013
The bid to save the ‘lungs of Istanbul’ – the city’s northern forests – continues. An initiative calling itself the Northern Forest Defence is organising a two-day camp this weekend (September 7 and 8) at a campsite in the coastal village of Riva in Beykoz (above) on the Black Sea. Don’t be...
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Culinary Arts, History, News
Archaeobotany workshop with Dr Chantel White
By Victoria Khroundina | August 17, 2013
Cornucopia’s editor John Scott gave his keen observations of last Wednesday’s archaeobotany workshop at Yedikule
bostans (gardens) with Dr Chantel White in yesterday’s blog. Today I will take you through Chantel’s own observations.
The area of the Yedikule gardens marked on a map of Istanbul A bit of background: the...
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Culinary Arts, History, News, Talks and Lectures
