Public Photo Slide Lectures about Turkey
Slide Lecture: From Istanbul to Mardin
Since 2007 photographer and writer Jens Helmstedt presents his recent slide lecture about Turkey under the title “Von Istanbul bis Mardin” in many cities in Germany.
This photo slide presentation with live comments contains many regions of Turkey; Istanbul, Bursa, Ankara and Safranbolu, the Aegean Sea, Konya and Middle Anatolia with Cappadokia, the Mediterranean Coast and Southeast Anatolia.
In 120 minutes Jens Helmstedt explains a lot about the country, culture, history, tradition, art and nature with travel experience from more than 20 years in Turkey. The slide lecture is enriched with many pictures, maps and turkish music.
Details: Turkey – From Istanbul to Mardin
Turkey is due to its location on two continents a special melting pot of different cultures, influenced by both: Europe and Asia. Like many times in the history, this area is until today still an important place at the crossover between East and West as well as between the Black Sea in the North and Mediteranian Sea in the South.
After World War I. and the fall of the Ottoman Empire, the Republic of Turkey was established in 1923 under the leadership of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk. Today Turkey is a modern developed country, where a western European and a traditional oriental lifestyle with a moderate Islam can be found.
Anatolia, the Asian part of Turkey is named by many scientists as “The cradle of civilization”, because there are traces of ancient cultures from more than 12000 years. The Ottoman Empire as before the Seljuks and the ancient Turkish nomadic culture, but also the earlier Byzantine, Roman, Greek, Persian and Arab epochs have left their influence.
On these traces we are in this lavished illustrated, with live commentary, maps and music enriched slide lecture. The presentation takes us into a fascinating country with many important historical sites, traditional artwork and hospitable people. We discover the old Constantinople and the new Istanbul, Bursa, Safranbolu and the captital Ankara, the Aegean Sea with Pergamon and Ephesus, we visit the villages and cities in Middle Anatolia with Cappadocia and Konya as well the eastern Mediterranean coast and Southeast Anatolia with Mount Nemrud, Gaziantep, Urfa, Harran, Hasankeyf, Midyat and Mardin near the border to Syria.
The presentation includes famous archaeological sites, Stone Age settlements, towns and centres from the Bronze Age, temples, churches, monasteries, medreses and mosques. The breathtaking natural landscapes, such as volcanoes, mountains, canyons, waterfalls and caves offer unforgettable impressions. Many cultural historical information provides insights into the history, art, religion and tradition of Turkey.
The speaker, Jens Helmstedt, is a freelance photographer and writer for German and international publishers and media. He vividly shares his knowledge with the interested public in his two hour lecture, “Turkey – From Istanbul to Mardin” with facts about the country and its people with experiences from more than 20 years traveling in Turkey. Since end of 2007 this slide lecture has been presented successfully in various cities in Germany, such as Bonn, Siegburg, Düsseldorf, Duisburg, Dortmund, Köln …
