Istanbul

Istanbul was constantinople
Now it's istanbul, not constantinople
Been a long time gone, constantinople
Now it's turkish delight on a moonlit night
Every gal in constantinople
Lives in istanbul, not constantinople
So if you've a date in constantinople
She'll be waiting in istanbul
Even old new york was once new amsterdam
Why they changed it i can't say
People just liked it better that way
So take me back to constantinople
No, you can't go back to constantinople
Been a long time gone, constantinople
Why did constantinople get the works?
That's nobody's business but the turks
Istanbul (istanbul)
Istanbul (istanbul)
Even old new york was once new amsterdam
Why they changed it i can't say

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song performed by They Might Be Giants
Added by Lucian Velea
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Istanbul (Not Constantinople)

Istanbul was Constantinople
Now it's Istanbul, not Constantinople
Been a long time gone, Constantinople
Now it's Turkish delight on a moonlit night
Every gal in Constantinople
Lives in Istanbul, not Constantinople
So if you've a date in Constantinople
She'll be waiting in Istanbul
Even old New York was once New Amsterdam
Why they changed it I can't say
People just liked it better that way
So take me back to Constantinople
No, you can't go back to Constantinople
Been a long time gone, Constantinople
Why did Constantinople get the works?
That's nobody's business but the Turks
Istanbul (Istanbul)
Istanbul (Istanbul)
Even old New York was once New Amsterdam
Why they changed it I can't say

[...] Read more

song performed by They Might Be Giants
Added by Lucian Velea
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Transition In Building Worship Utilization

Aya Sophýa Istanbul
church built to honour our God
became prime model
for all mosques to honour Allah

Hagia Sophia Greek
Holy Wisdom
Sancta Sophia Latin
Sancta Sapientia Turkish

designed by the Greek
scientist Isidore of Miletus
who taught physics
in Alexandria Egypt
then Constantinople Bosporus

and Anthemius of Tralles
a Greek professor of Geometry
in Constantinople Byzantium
string construction of ellipse

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poem by Terence George Craddock
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Praise God As Blessed Peacemakers

Aya Sophýa Istanbul
church built to honour our God
became prime model
for all mosques to honour Allah

after Islamic invasion of Istanbul
Constantinople Byzantium fell

all houses of God
are sacred holy places
no true worshipper
will suicide bomb any worshippers

no true worshipper
makes war on poor women children
enlightened souls
tolerant compassionate peace lovers

praise God as blessed peacemakers
embrace all races as God’s children

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poem by Terence George Craddock
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For those in love, Baghdad is near Istanbul.

Turkish proverbs
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Istanbul Past Present Future

Istanbul life pulse do you feel it as I do?

When you gaze upon mosaic maze
tapestry ancestry diversity ethnicity
tolerance love respect embrace diverse
humanity all souls created God miracles

Istanbul hope tolerance lessons teaches

poem by Terence George Craddock
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Istanbul, city
of dreams in the Bosphorus
sleeping blue beauty

haiku by Nizamettin Esen Haymanali
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Sailing to Byzantium

That is no country for old men. The young
In one another’s arms, birds in the trees
—Those dying generations—at their song,
The salmon-falls, the mackerel-crowded seas,
Fish, flesh, or fowl, commend all summer long
Whatever is begotten, born, and dies.
Caught in that sensual music all neglect
Monuments of unageing intellect.

An aged man is but a paltry thing,
A tattered coat upon a stick, unless
Soul clap its hands and sing, and louder sing
For every tatter in its mortal dress,
Nor is there singing school but studying
Monuments of its own magnificence;
And therefore I have sailed the seas and come
To the holy city of Byzantium.

O sages standing in God’s holy fire
As in the gold mosaic of a wall,

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poem by William Butler Yeats
Added by Dan Costinaş
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If one had but a single glance to give the world, one should gaze on Istanbul.

quote by Alphonse de Lamartine
Added by Lucian Velea
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God’s Love Blessing Life Affirming Feel In Istanbul

Istanbul city of contrasts history diversity
city enigma Bosporus beautiful divide city

continents but never meaningful hearts souls
once I crossed flowing waters week days daily
proud transcontinental worker leap continents

living in Istanbul Europe working in Istanbul Asia
teaching English grammar tenses learning eyes souls
oriental scents exotic mystic swirls feel mirror minds
hold mirror images sight pierce centuries mysteries

riddles of sphinx learn layered here in humane ethnicity
civilizations customs traditions society imbue humanity
human flesh live way of life heart beats love for humanity
literal arts distinct cultures sciences God bless soul divinity

cosmos creator with a word love bless heart beating diversity
embrace all races love so much wonder felt in creation divinity

poem by Terence George Craddock
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Ode To Istanbul

Ode to my soulful Istanbul
mystic place where fermented
juices producing seasoned creative process.
Rich in diverse emotive experience
stretching your fabled essence
across unread palm of countless hands.

Ode to my siren soulful Istanbul
mystic city place where fermented
lyric poem sung in proud Turkish hearts.
Hearts which embraced with cultural cups
steaming tea coffee served in countless byways
as embraced poet tread myriad layered forms.

poem by Terence George Craddock
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To Lose A Battle Against Truth

It must be frightening!
Traumatic and breath taking
To lose a battle,
Against truth that pursues.

And no matter what one does,
To conquer and defeat it.
With a twist of deceit
Or a spicing done with lies.
Truth appears to strengthen.

And from it no one can hide.
Or defend against its power!
And it seems,
A creation of it is not possible.

'King Constantine of Constantinople,
Now called Istanbul and the capital of Muslim Turkey.
Did or did you not declare yourself to be the 13th Apostle? '

poem by Lawrence S. Pertillar
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0199 Constantinople

Two sisters separated soon after birth
one dark-haired, one fair, both beautiful, with shining eyes
run towards each other, eagerly, yet shyly, wonderingly,
from the two ends of a bridge
high over the water that joins and separates – run to meet:

Constantinopolis, Byzantium;
a city never here and always there,
a city made of images in the mind and heart
its jewelled, aqueous, shifting light
promising and hiding
like a jewelled dancer swirling, whom our senses yield to
but may not touch

provoking us with mystery, clouded fables,
many interpretations as to her history
to which we bring our own uncertainties;
choose what we can, but, transfixed, gaze upon her seduction
and marvel at her,
glowing invisibly with an imperceivable unity,

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poem by Michael Shepherd
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Love Shine On Earth As In Heaven Above

It is true in Istanbul
once Constantinople
east and west once did meet

now north and south must meet
there too as in a trance must
dance for prosperity peace is best

all races of humanity
honour life like dearly
beloved young wife
like an innocent baby
fed at compassion breast

this soul each human life
must hold heal console
reach up worship divinity
God love honour each thy
neighbour as self at God's request

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poem by Terence George Craddock
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Aya Sophýa Istanbul

Aya Sophýa Istanbul
church built
to honour God

became a model
for all mosques
to honour Allah

See also the poem ‘Praise God As Blessed Peacemakers’.

poem by Terence George Craddock
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the Golden Horn Of Istanbul

THE ‘GOLDEN HORN’ OF
ISTANBUL

It is an inlet arm from the Bosphoros Strait,
Which stretches inwards towards the west;
And curves up like a deer’s horn, -
Known to the world as the ‘Golden Horn’!
It separates the old Istanbul’s historic city,
From its modern counterpart in the north;
Forming the world’s longest natural harbor,
A waterway almost 7.5 km long!
The harbor was once the Naval Headquarters
of the Byzantine Empire!
When a heavy chain guarded the inlet’s
entrance;
Stretching across the mouth of the ‘Horn’ entire;
From the Old City to the Galata Tower! *
The old city stands on seven hillocks, once
known as the ‘City of Seven Hills’;
And top of every rise, a temple, or a mosque

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poem by Raj Nandy
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The Walnut Tree

my head foaming clouds, sea inside me and out
I am a walnut tree in Gulhane Park
an old walnut, knot by knot, shred by shred
Neither you are aware of this, nor the police

I am a walnut tree in Gulhane Park
My leaves are nimble, nimble like fish in water
My leaves are sheer, sheer like a silk handkerchief
pick, wipe, my rose, the tear from your eyes
My leaves are my hands, I have one hundred thousand
I touch you with one hundred thousand hands, I touch Istanbul
My leaves are my eyes, I look in amazement
I watch you with one hundred thousand eyes, I watch Istanbul
Like one hundred thousand hearts, beat, beat my leaves

I am a walnut tree in Gulhane Park
neither you are aware of this, nor the police

poem by Nazim Hikmet
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We spent a month in Japan last year, a week in Istanbul for the United Nations, and nearly three months in my native Nova Scotia, where my two brothers have homes; and we'll go back there this summer.

quote by Robert MacNeil
Added by Lucian Velea
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Derangement Historically Expansive Echoes

To my sensual soulful Istanbul
mystic veiled spectre haunting
undulations soft sensual rhythms.

Flowing fusillade thoughts frequently flee
to lost time ruined dissipated private places
where once fermented an empire's juices.

Fat plots seeping fostered luscious dramatic covetous juices
producing throbbing dust choked conspired changes
rich in diverse emotive engineered hegemonic experience.

Stretching tortured sepsis fabled essence
across greased or ungeased unread palm
countless hands caught stirred murky waters.

Far from war's devastation
also are laments cried
due to plot weak willed men
eager to exploit carnage.

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poem by Terence George Craddock
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The terrorists who committed the 2003 Istanbul attacks were locals, that is, Turks. And when filmmaker Theo van Gogh was murdered in the Netherlands last year, the murderer and his supporters were also part of the Muslim community.

quote by Otto Schily
Added by Lucian Velea
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