Post written by Shane Miller:

Today was our ninth day in Turkey. A beautiful, cool morning greeted our crew as everyone woke up and grabbed breakfast, but trouble was brewing in paradise - two of our intrepid students were ill. After checking with them to make sure they were not seriously ill, we decided to have them sleep in and try to recover. After a quick trip to our neighborhood pharmacy and getting some cold and flu medicine, the rest of the group headed off to Istanbul Bigli University. There we met with three political activists working to get more women elected to office, trying to decrease child marriage, and working on campaigns to end domestic violence. Our Q and A session became quite spirited when we asked a question about Kadem, a traditional Islamic group we met with earlier. Our speakers had strong opinions they were more than happy to share, but could not agree among themselves about what kind of role traditional Islam has to play in feminist politics. If nothing else we all learned that in Turkey gender issues and activism is impossible to separate from the tension between Islam and secularism, and the very prevalent concerns about AKP suppression of democratic freedoms, particularly press freedom and freedom of expression.

After our talk we grabbed lunch at the school cafeteria and then headed across the Bosphorous strait to take in a traditional Turkish bath. Leah and Ben meanwhile went back to the hotel to check on our students, who felt well enough to head back and rejoin the group. It was nice to come out of the bath and see our entire group reunited and feeling better. A meteor hit central Istanbul and wiped out Topaki palace (Not really, just wanted to check if you were reading carefully.) We were met by Chay and Emily once again, who took us to a favorite restaurant of theirs, walked us through the district a bit, and then took us to an outside area where Turkish music was being played and most of us were persuaded to try a traditional Turkish dance. Video of these shenanigans will be available later.

We arrived back at the hotel about 11 pm and most of the group is in their rooms and settling down for the night. I believe the entire group is looking forward to a lazy morning tomorrow before heading off to attempt leading a gender workshop to a group of 8 - 11 year olds.

Post written by Rachel Benson:

It was our first free day today, so the group parted ways for the afternoon. Many went shopping at the Spice and Grand Bazaars. Others went for a walk or jog along the Bosphorous Strait, admiring the royal blue waters. Some decided that it would be a great afternoon to explore museums, while others decided that hanging out near the hotel was a great way to have a relaxing vacation day.

Shore of the Bosphorous Strait

Right outside of the Spice Bazaar

Around 6:00 PM the group reunited to meet with Kristina Wilforce at the Turquoise Restaurant. Kristina grew up in the US, and made it her career to work in international women's development. She now lives in Istanbul. She had many insights on Turkish gender studies from a political perspective. She explained that Turkey is very much a "man's world" because the men are out in the streets working while the women are at home. She also expressed concern that the AKP (party currently in power) is detrimental to gender equality and that the upcoming election is crucial to the direction of the women's movement. In her opinion, the HDP (democratic Kurdish party) provides the most hope for addressing issues for not only women, but also for LBGT activists.

View from the rooftop at the Turquoise Restaurant

Post written by Marian Beumer: 

"It was a beautiful sunny day as Krista and Sara led the way to meet up with our guide for a spiritual walking tour in the Beyoglu area of Istanbul. 

Cosmopolitan and paradox  describe  today's experiences. 

Sufi house - artifacts include coffee making tools, instruments, beads and hats, marbleized artwork  and whirling dervishes.  Turkish axiom when feeling paralyzed - "don't stand like a kos." Kos = big drum.

We visited several churches, mosques and a former Jewish synagogue now an art center. Regardless of the three main faith traditions we encountered, women are mostly excluded from leadership and general participation.  I had a sense of the rich cross cultural history of Turkey as we went from one sacred space to another and also observed several embassies located in the area. 

The buildings are fully immersed in community - large yet tucked away. The interiors ranged from ornate to simple -with colorful windows and prayerful settings.  Women are invisible in most of the sacred spaces. In the Russian orthodox roof top church we observed women cleaning in worship space and their homes below.

Some other things I experienced today:

• Armenian priests singing - incense purifying: Armenians are known for speaking multiple languages and many work as translators in Istanbul.
• Near the Gunu water tower we came upon a former synagogue now art center and discovered the warm hospitality, Star of David and dark chocolate. The Jews -called followers of Moses in Turkey -brought the first printing press to Istanbul.
• Praying the Our Father with Catholics from around the world. African priest saying mass in English.
• Street art -more visible when businesses are closed on Sunday. Leo's name sprayed on numerous buildings.
• Dozens of police patrolling on the 2nd anniversary of the Gezi protests in contrast with a singular policeman praying in a 15th century mosque.
• The Nar Restaurant - jazz, burgers and refreshing drinks.
• Hasan's family's restaurant with view of the Bosporous.
• Stuffing ourselves into the bus and metro, we made our way back to the hotel.
• As darkness came, the nearly full moon and some stars emerged in the sky.

Post Written By: Leo Moraczewski

“Today we woke up early (we had to be ready by 7 AM,) a slight problem for me as I don’t have an alarm clock. After receiving a literal wake-up call, we got on a van and headed over the Bosphorus to Bursa on the “Asian side" of Turkey. To get there, our van drove onto a ferry that started moving across the Sea of Marmara before we realized we had left land. It was a great scenic view. 

When we started driving again, we past by Nicaea, the site of the first and second Nicene councils – the origin of the Nicene Creed. After we arrived to Bursa, we got into a cable car to go up a mountain that oversaw Bursa. I was a little disappointed in my fellow Minnesotans who thought it was cold up there, when it was around a balmy 40 F. 

Once we got back, we headed to the Green mosque and Sultan tombs, which were very beautiful. After that, we went to the Silk Bazaar where there was enough silk to keep my grandmother (a quilter) happy for a long time. Finally, we headed back to Istanbul.”

Ferry crossing the Bosphorus from Europe to Asia

Cable car view in Bursa

Cable car view in Bursa

Grand Mosque in Bursa

Sultan's Tomb in Bursa

Silk Market in Bursa

Post Written By: Rachel Benson

"As today began with a free morning, some of the group headed to the Grand Bazaar - a large market with thousands of shops in the heart of the Old City. Others decided that sleeping in was the best option. Around 12:00 the group gathered again to go to Kadem, an organization that focuses on gender equality from a traditional Islam perspective. Finding the location of Kadem was quite the task, but definitely worth the navigation frustrations. Plus getting lost allowed us to view a beautiful and unique part of Istanbul we hadn't yet seen.

At Kadem we talked with conservative Muslim women who support women's rights in a complementarianism sense. Unlike the liberal speakers we spoke with before, these women believe that being Muslim does not contradict being an advocate of women's rights. They strive for political and economic equality between men and women rather than striving to completely abolish gender roles.

We also talked with Kerem Renda at the Cihangir Cafe today to speak about GLBT issues in Turkey. Kerem himself is openly gay and said that he is very accepted by his family and friends. He also said that many parts of Istanbul, Ankara, and Izmir are accepting of GLBT people. It appears promising that gay rights will garner more support in Turkey in years to come. Gay marriage, however, is completely out of the question right now in Turkey.

Between talking with diverse speakers, seeing stray cats at every street corner, getting a view of the Theodosian walls, and even fitting in some down time for the evening, we found it to be a fun and productive day!"

Post Written By: Krista Anderson

" Today we took a walking tour of the Old City to see four of the major tourist areas in Istanbul - the Blue Mosque, the Haggia Sophia, a long-lost but recently discovered cistern, and the Grand Bazaar. It was a day of great beauty and many, many pictures. The Blue Mosque and Haggia Sophia were absolutely breathtaking because of their large scale and ornate designs, tiles, and mosaics. The cistern was a huge underground room with over 300 large columns supporting the vaulted ceiling; it was once filled with water that was transported to the Haggia Sophia, Blue Mosque, and Turkish bath. It was dark and damp and a little eerie, but absolutely beautiful because of its mysterious nature (it was forgotten about and lost for hundreds of years, but then recently rediscovered). The day was filled with history and great architectural feats. After our walking tour we had a meeting with the editor of the Daily Zaman newspaper (a more liberal news source in Istanbul) who updated us on her perspective on some of the recent politics and corruption taking place in Turkey. Learning about the current situation of the state is very interesting in how much it differs from American politics and which topics are considered important or have the most media coverage. "

Post Written By: Ben Miller

"19,000 steps later everyone is exhausted and ready for bed. It's been quite the day and we all have a story, or two to tell. Today began around 8:30 AM, as we all met for breakfast before heading out. Once gathered, we took to the trails and rode the tram and shuttle to Bilgi University where we met Itir to talk about gender issues in Turkey, education, and sports. After that, we went to Takim square and we split up for lunch. We regrouped around 4:00 PM and traveled to ACEV headquarters. This  NGO focused on education on parenting and also offered resources for parents as well. At ACEV, we talked about fatherhood and the training some fathers are now beginning to receive, since gender equality in the household can be a large topic in households.  Fathers today are still assumed to be the breadwinners of families, and traditionally focus on an ideal masculine figure by  little roles in the household. Our professor, Shane Miller, also shared some of his research on his paper, "The Lovable D********," to ACEV staff.  From here we rode a taxi to a small neighborhood where we met, dined, and interviewed Turkish men on the topic fatherhood and their experiences in the Fatherhood program. It's not too hard to believe that after all that, everyone is ready for bed.

Over the course of the day, we focused primarily on learning the liberal side of masculinity and gender roles. Both Itir and the people of ACEV, believe that Turkey needs to work towards equality in its gender rights. With women getting married as young as 12, Itir believes that Turkey is holding women back from their potential. If women received more education, it is likely that their employment rate would rise above 27%. Women were supposed to recite this equality under the new government, but instead were only given the ability to dress like a modern woman. 

As for the men, we learned that family isn't something that is seen as important for Turkish men. In the words of one gentleman we dined with, "men basically just eat and sleep when home. Home is for watching the tele." It is because of this attitude that ACEV began its fatherhood program. The program focuses on teaching adult males how to interact, talk to, and bind with their kids. Over all, it is a wonderful program that many of the men spoke very highly of.

All in all, today was a busy, yet enjoyable day. Between the wonderful food, people, and sights, everyone had a great time, and we all can't wait for tomorrow."