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."

Post Written By: Leah Ranta

IWL will be traveling with a group of ten to Istanbul. The mission of this two week adventure is to explore gender through an Islamic lens. We will be meeting with students, professors, and local leaders to better understand what it means to be a woman or man in a secular, yet majority Muslim country. ETA- Tuesday, May 26th 3:45pm Istanbul time!