7/27/2016 0 Comments A short goodbye!Hey my lovely friends, summer school is over and my summer vacation will start in few days. I came back home 2 days ago and Im having a great time with my family, for this reason i'll not be very active but I promise you i'll share everything with you guys and tell you all about my summer after my break :)
I hope you have a nice summer too, see you soon :D
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7/27/2016 1 Comment Arabic and Turkish common words!Turkish has taken many words from Arabic, the list below contains the common Arabic and Turkish words:
7/25/2016 0 Comments Reasons Why You Should Visit Doha!Hello guys, today and in this post I'll share with you some information about Doha, Qatar and the places that you should visit. As you know I was born and raised in Qatar, for this reason this city means the world to me and I think its a city thats worth visiting. Luckily Turkish citizens don't need a visa for entering the country anymore. So you can come whenever you want and all you need to do is book a ticket, pack your bag and go to the airport. ;) The distance from Turkey to Qatar is around 1495 miles, which is 3 hours and 40 minutes. About Doha, QatarFollowing the Ottoman rule, Qatar became a British protectorate in the early 20th century until gaining independence in 1971. It has been ruled by the House of Thani since the early 19th century. Sheikh Jassim bin Mohammed Al Thani was the founder of the State of Qatar. It is a hereditary monarchy and its head of state is Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani. Qatar is a high income economy and is a developed country, backed by the world's third largest natural gas reserves and oil reserves. The country has the highest per capita income in the world and it will host the 2022 FIFA World Cup, becoming the first Arab country to do so. Doha is gradually becoming a heaven on earth, a metropolis is rich in culture and sprinkled with stunning attractions. With its rapid growth and transformation, Doha may become the most visited city in the Middle East, surpassing Dubai. If you are planning a vacation filled with many exciting activities and sight-seeing, you should probably visit Doha. From architectural wonders, fine restaurants, amazing shopping malls and bustling markets, the city has many things for you to experience. Things to do in Doha, QatarWell, there's plenty of stuff to keep you up on your toes during your stay in Doha! Take a peek at some of people's favorite attractions in Doha.
I hope you like the post and enjoy your visit in Doha. :)
Eid Al-Fitr is an important religious holiday celebrated by Muslims (lasting for three full days) as it marks the end of the holy month of Ramadan. We Muslims are not permitted to fast in the first day of Eid Al-Fitr because it is considered as festival of breaking the fast. This day celebrates the conclusion of the 29th or 30th day of fasting during the entire month of Ramadan. The start of the first day of Eid is based on the observation of new moon by the local religious authorities which means that the exact date of that day varies by the country’s locality. Traditionally, it is the day of the first sighting of the crescent moon shortly after sunset. If the moon is not observed immediately after the 29th day of the previous lunar month then it is the following day. For this reason people in Turkey celebrated 29th day of fasting while people in Qatar had to fast for 30 days this year! Eid Al-Fitr has a particular Islamic prayer consisting of two Rakats (units) and generally offered in an open field or large hall. It has an additional extra twelve Takbirs (raising of the hands to the ears while saying "Allāhu Akbar" which literally means “God is great”). Each country has its on tradition of celebrating this holiday, but most of the Middle East countries have similar Eid traditions. In Qatar, this day is celebrated with a great pomp as people decorate their homes and prepare sumptuous meals for their families and friends. New Abiyas (women’s traditional wearing in GCC), dresses and traditional clothing are often shown off in Eid. After the Eid prayer, the celebration of the first day of Eid starts by visiting the relatives and friends. When the families start gathering at each other’s houses, the children will begin to line up with happy faces and big smiles to receive money (Eidiyyah) from the adult relatives and neighbours. Not only children, but sometimes adults are getting Eidiyyah from their uncles and close relatives such as grandfathers, uncles, and aunts. The Corniche (which is along the seafront), malls as well as major souks (markets) are designed with lights, banners and displays greeting people with this special day. Mostly at night, Qatari musicians and actors start performing concerts and plays as a way of celebrating. Another common tradition is where some men go and buy large amount of rice and other food necessities, and leave them anonymously at the doors of those who are less fortunate. Also complete strangers greet one another at random saying “Eid Mubarak” to each other. Some photos from the Eid gatherings in my houseThis was my Eid experience for this year, I hope you guys enjoyed reading this post. Eid Mubarak! :)
7/2/2016 0 Comments Qatar’s Corniche car paradeIts a unique Qatar tradition where people repeatedly cruise around a part of Doha's Corniche each year in the Holy month of Ramadan. This tradition started decades ago when the cars drivers used to wait for a sign to break their fast around the Ramadan cannon. However, nowadays people prefer to gather hours before Iftar time to socialise with each other and show their cars! Qataris and other residents of all ages - including kids of 3 years to old men in their 60's - are joining this interesting daily routine action while fasting in Ramadan for few hours before the the sunset (starting from 4:30 till 6:30) to show the very best of Qatar's vehicles. Drivers take three to four laps around the corniche while people are watching them driving 12 kms and taking pictures of this exotic show. You can see all type of cars starting from Buggatis to vintage Patrols and Land Cruisers. Recently, not only vintage and expensive cars are joining in this parade, but motorbikes in different patterns and shades such as neon pink, yellow and green started to take a place in the show! Even though in the past this tradition was criticised for some safety reasons as a waste of time and for being overly pretentious, but people never stopped and continued until it became a unique local tradition. Its a very interesting and unique tradition as people can see all types of cars in different shades and models. The following video and pictures will show a small part of this exotic car parade. Luxury and sports cars:Vintage cars:Colourful cars and motorbikes:If you are interested and want to be updated about cars in Qatar follow this Instagram account:
6/19/2016 0 Comments Ankara, Ancyra, Angora!When I visited Turkey I assumed that Istanbul is the capital city of Turkey, whereas Ankara is the capital! In all of my trips to Turkey I never heard of city's name until I applied to Bilkent University, located in Ankara. Most people are unaware that Ankara city is worthy to visit, because Istanbul gets all the fame and visitors. In this post I'll share some great places in Ankara and I advise every Arab student or tourist to visit. :) Places you must visit in Ankara!Ankara Castle (Ankara Kalesi):Ankara Castle is a symbol of Turkey's long history and its one of the most attractions to visitors in Ankara nowadays. It can be found at the heart of the oldest part of the city as it is located at the highest point in Ulus, Ankara. Today’s visitors to the citadel can explore a range of attractions which includes the Museum of Anatolian Civilisations, situated at the entrance of Ankara Castle, and the ruins of a Roman theatre. Most of the houses are historical and made of stones, but few of them were renovated and look modern. Hamamönü (Bath front):Hamamönü is newly restored -historical- neighbourhood where most people visit to eat an ice cream, drink coffee, have a meal or Iftar in Ramadan. Its one of Ankara's most popular locations as it is considered as a hub for both cultural and artistic activities. Sanat (Art) Street is one of the most worth areas of Hamamönü. The street contains 22 houses where artists use the top floors as workshops and the bottom floors as a gallery to display their work for people to buy them. The street also includes a handicraft bazar where woman can sell their products on their stands. Another aspect of Sanat Street is weekend events, live music performances featuring melodies from different cultures. Sanat Street bazar and hamamönü restaurants Tunali Hilmi Street (Tunalı Hilmi Caddesi):Its one of the most important shopping centres and meeting points of Ankara where the heart of the town beats. Its a very bustling street and it satisfies the people needs from different ages. Tunalı Hilmi Caddesi is one of the busiest shopping avenues in Ankara as it has arrays of restaurants, cafes, pubs, antique and silver shops, second hand book stores, old records stores, famous brands, the largest Beymen store in Ankara and Karum shopping centre. It also has the biggest book and CD store of Turkey (D&R) in 5 floors with an English section. There is also a small public park (Kuğulu Park) which is known for its swans, ducks and geese. Eymir Lake (Eymir Golü):Eymir Golü is a small lake in Ankara where people mostly go there to escape from the city's noise. Its an enjoyable place where people can have a walk around the lake (about 10km long), jogging or cycling. Some people go there for a picnic specially in spring as they bring their own food and eat it there, however others prefer to eat from the restaurants located next to the lake (mostly specialised in fish). Visitors can rent bikes from the entrance and drive around the lake, they can also rent raw boats and enjoy the lake. Eymir lake view Shopping centers:"Ankara is the city of shopping malls" as most people call it. This city has a large number of shopping malls, each mall has its own style and most famous brands. The best shopping malls which are worth visiting are:
I hope you guys will enjoy visiting these places! :)
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Quick Start!Hello everyone, my name is Sara and I am a student in Bilkent University. Living in Ankara as student opened my eyes and made me recognize lots of things which I never thought I will! My story started one day when I was checking my email and there was a message from Bilkent University. They were informing me that I got accepted in Bilkent and they are welcoming me to be one of their students. At this moment I understood that my life will change 360 degrees and I will start a new life from zero. And this is exactly what happened! ArchivesCategories |