This year marks the 400th anniversary of the birth of Evliya Çelebi, the famous 17th century Turkish traveler who journeyed across the Ottoman Empire and neighboring lands over a period of four decades.
 
Evliya Çelebi, born into a wealthy family in İstanbul in 1611, received a good education and served as an accountant at the Ottoman court. He began his travels first with rounds in İstanbul, during which he is known to have taken notes on many aspects of the city, including important buildings, markets and other landmarks, as well as on traditions. Historical sources say his first journey outside the city was in 1640, after which he toured almost all the Ottoman lands -- which then stretched from Algiers in the west to Baku in the east and from Budapest in the north to Yemen in the south.

Evliya Çelebi’s collection of notes from these travels make up a 10-volume work, the “Seyahatname” (Book of Travels), which still stands as a useful guide to the cultural aspects and lifestyle during 17th century Ottoman Empire.

To commemorate Turkey's second ambassador in Washington Münir Ertegün and his sons Ahmet and Nesuhi Ertegün, the Turkish Embassy in Washington will host a series of jazz concerts. The first concert took place Tuesday with a performance by the Grammy-nominated Orrin Evans Trio. The event drew great interest
The Orrin Evans Trio performed during the night.

The Orrin Evans Trio performed during the night. Turkey's Embassy in the United States hosted jazz musicians for the first time in 71 years recently. The embassy hosted a concert in its residence to commemorate Münir Ertegün, Turkey's second ambassador in Washington, and his sons Ahmet and Nesuhi Ertegün, who opened their doors to black jazz musicians in 1930s and 1940s when racism was so rigid in the country.

Mardin has long been a favorite destination for local film and TV series producers and has now started to attract Hollywood producers as well. With its architectural, cultural and social texture and a history dating back some 7,000 years, Mardin has lured many local directors for movies, documentaries, TV series and clips.
 

After serving as the setting for “Ay Lav Yu,” a Turkish-American production, this historic city is preparing to serve as the setting for more Hollywood productions. American producer Manu Gargi and Turkish producer İlhan Kızılkaya recently paid a visit to Mardin, where they toured historic sites accompanied by Mardin Governor Hasan Duruer.