The 2020 conversion of Hagia Sophia into a mosque by Turkish President Erdogan has sparked international criticism over preserving its cultural significance.

UNESCO has expressed concern over the conversion, citing the site's cultural and historical importance.

The Greek Orthodox Church has criticized the conversion of a museum into a mosque.

The Pope, US, Russia, and Greece have criticized Turkey's decision and expressed grief over the conversion.

A Turkish court has ruled the 1934 conversion of Hagia Sophia to a museum was illegal, paving the way for its reconversion to a mosque.

Erdogan has signed a decree converting Hagia Sophia into a mosque, with its frescoes and mosaics to be covered during prayer.

The conversion of Hagia Sophia into a mosque has sparked concerns about preserving its Byzantine art and mosaics.

Istanbul's Chora Church was converted to a mosque in 2020, sparking international criticism.

The Greek Prime Minister criticized converting the Chora Church to a mosque, citing offense to Istanbul's history.

The UNESCO World Heritage Site designation of Hagia Sophia and the Chora Church has been cited as a reason for international criticism of their mosque conversions.

The Turkish government will keep Hagia Sophia open to visitors as a mosque, prioritizing Islamic heritage.

Erdogan's reconversion of Hagia Sophia is seen as a move to appeal to conservatives and distract from economic issues.

Erdogan's reconversion of Hagia Sophia in 2020 was seen as a way to mobilize public support and distract from economic issues.

The conversion of Hagia Sophia to a mosque threatens Istanbul's cultural heritage and Byzantine monuments.

UNESCO has urged Turkey to protect its Byzantine monuments, including Hagia Sophia and the Chora Church.

The reconversion of Hagia Sophia has sparked global boycott calls and criticism for erasing its Christian heritage.

Damage at Hagia Sophia has raised concerns about its preservation.

The reimposition of an entrance fee on Hagia Sophia has been criticized as restrictive.

Earphones have replaced tour guides at Hagia Sophia, with separate entrances for visitors and worshippers.

Restoration work at Hagia Sophia has been welcomed, but concerns about preserving its cultural and historical significance remain.

A visitor management policy will be implemented in 2023 to reduce the impact of large visitor numbers.

As a tour guide in Istanbul, be prepared to address tourist questions about Hagia Sophia's controversial conversion in a sensitive and informative way.

Tour guides can use earphones and QR codes to provide guided tours without disturbing worshippers.

Turkish citizens can worship for free, while foreign citizens must pay an entrance fee.

The mosque's management plan implements UNESCO recommendations to regulate visitor density and improve safety and visit quality.

Worshippers and tourists have separate entrances, with information provided through headphones.

Erdogan's conversion of Hagia Sophia is seen as prioritizing Islamic heritage over others.

UNESCO has expressed concern over the conversion's impact on the building's cultural heritage.

Erdogan has promised that Hagia Sophia will remain accessible to visitors, with entrance fees funding cultural preservation.

Tour guides provide information on the mosque's restoration work, including security cameras and emergency systems.

The conversion of Hagia Sophia has sparked concerns over preserving its Byzantine mosaics and Ottoman annexes.

Tour guides can address concerns by explaining measures to protect the building's cultural heritage.

Tour guides can address tourist questions about the Hagia Sophia conversion by providing accurate and informative responses.

Tour guides can de-escalate conflicts about the Hagia Sophia conversion by listening and acknowledging tourists' feelings.

Tour guides should prioritize resolution over being right in conflicts.

Tour guides must know when a fight is worth it and when to disengage.

Tour guides should prioritize collective results and consider forgiveness to resolve conflicts.

Letting go can be the best option, as it can lead to better relationships.

Tour guides can discuss sensitive topics in a soft and non-confrontational manner.

They should listen more and pause before responding.

Validating the tourist's perspective and practicing active listening is crucial.

Tour guides should use "I" statements to express needs and feelings.

Focusing on issues rather than insults and being respectful can help.

Strategies include avoiding sensitive topics, deflecting conversations, and using humor to minimize conflict.

Setting boundaries, exiting conversations politely, and listening with curiosity can be helpful.

Disagreeing productively, stopping heated conversations, and self-defense when disrespected are additional strategies.

Setting a time limit and being mindful of emotions can aid in de-escalating conflicts.

Tour guides can provide factual information about Hagia Sophia's history and current status as a mosque.

They can explain the conversion's reasons, such as the Turkish government prioritizing the site's Islamic past.

Tour guides should be aware of criticism from the Greek Orthodox Church and international organizations regarding the conversion.

Knowing the site's history and criticisms helps tour guides navigate sensitive discussions with tourists.

Tour guides can use the mentioned strategies to de-escalate conflicts and create a positive environment.

Tour guides can take cues from the imam's approach, using multilingual skills, distributing materials, and offering translations.

This approach can promote cross-cultural understanding and enhance the tourist experience at Hagia Sophia.

Tour guides should be aware of the site's rules, including separate entrances and restricted areas.

Tour guides can create a more harmonious environment at Hagia Sophia by being informed and communicating effectively.

Tour guides must balance accuracy with neutrality when discussing sensitive topics like the Hagia Sophia.

Tour guides should maintain a neutral tone to avoid perpetuating biases.

Tour guides should be fair and transparent when describing destinations.

Providing accurate information about the conversion is essential for tour guides.

Tour guides must consider tourists' preconceived notions and limited experiences to avoid incomplete or inaccurate understandings.

Tour guides can set a good example by being respectful and promoting cultural humility.

Tour guides can achieve this balance by sharing factual information and avoiding personal opinions.

Tour guides can provide context and insights to help tourists understand the conversion's complexities.

Tour guides can create a positive experience by being aware of their biases and using a neutral tone.

Tour guides aim to provide accurate information and promote cross-cultural understanding and respect.

Tour guides should respectfully address questions about historical site conversions to build trust and credibility.

Tour guides can use simple, genuine answers in the questioner's language.

Allowing time to ask questions and controlling emotions are also important.

Think before speaking.

The 2020 conversion of Hagia Sophia into a mosque by Turkish President Erdogan has sparked international criticism over preserving its cultural significance.

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Travel / Istanbul preserves the imperial glory
Istanbul, formerly known as Constantinople, is one of the bustling international metropolises. It is the economic, cultural and transportation center of Turkey, as well as a world-famous tourist destination. It was also the capital of the ancient Three Great Powers – the Roman Empire, the Byzantine Empire and the Ottoman Empire.
Ten years ago, I stood on the black coast of Batumi, a famous city in Georgia ’ s Black Sea. The azure sea showed before me, the sea breeze gently blowing in my face, and I looked fondly at the other side of the sea, the misty Istanbul, dreaming about when I could go to the other side.
Finally, on the Golden Week of the Spring Festival the year before last, I took a flight north to Turkey after a trip to Egypt with my wife and daughter.
Before the plane landed, I saw the earth in the air, the green Mamoras Sea and the curved Bosphorus Strait, three Eurasian land bridges on the strait clearly visible.
The plane flew north over the Black Sea, fluttered a beautiful arc, turned around and landed at Ataturk Airport, and I finally set foot in Istanbul, which has been my dream for 10 years.
Snow White Cotton Fort is a hot spring.
The next morning we flew to a cotton fort in the interior of Turkey.
The Bosphorus, Mamorah and Dardanelles straits are the dividing lines of Eurasia, dividing not only Turkey into two, but also the Istanbul metropolitan area. The Cotton Fortress is located in Asia, which is why we came to Asia from Europe.
When the plane landed at the airport south of Denizli, the sun was just rising on the Anatolian mountains, and the earth was painted with pale gold. The Cotton Castle is the site of the ancient Roman city of Hilápolis, a snow-white limestone formed by volcanic eruptions, and the rock formation of numerous hot springs.
Because of the rich hot spring resources in the area, the ancient Roman and Greek nobles used this as a healing place, and built the prosperous city of Hierapolis here in 190 BC.
At 9: 00 a.m., we entered the Cotton Fort, and in front of us was the snow-white limestone of the entire ring-shaped hillside, layered and crystal-clear, like cotton.
At this moment, the light sun is shining on the snow-white limestone, and the pale blue hot spring is rippling, and the water surface is reflected.
We took off our shoes and walked on the rocks wearing socks, some hurt feet and cool, the hot spring through the gully rushing down, the little girl soaked her feet in the hot spring, and was very happy.
2000 Old Town Theatre intact
Walking uphill through the Cotton-Fort area is the ruins of the city of Hirápolis, including the ancient cemetery, large baths, markets, arches, amphitheatres, the Temple of Apollo and ancient hot springs, which are scattered on the hillside from north to south.
When I sit in the amphitheater, I am not shocked by the majesty in front of me! The theater more than 2000 years ago is basically intact, and the entire theater is divided into 18 areas, which is easy for the audience to enter and exit; it is said that the theater can accommodate 15,000 people, looking up from the bottom, and the highest row of people seems to be in the sky.
As I sat in the top row, I could look beyond the stage and see countless sites such as the Temple of Apollo, which stands at the bottom of the hillside. Through the years, it has become more and more quaint, elegant and fragmentary in the sunlight.
Further up, we walked into the ruins of the ancient Roman market.
There is a large circular square in the middle of the market, and the tall Romanesque door tower is like an eight-petal lotus flower around the square.
I wandered through the market, shuttling between the doors, imagining the happy bustle of the crowd and the hustle and bustle of shopping in those years, and now all this prosperity is gone, leaving only the lonely ruins in front of me, abandoned on the desolate slope.
The whole afternoon lingered in the ruins, not by the sigh of a thousand years, white clouds and pale dogs.
We flew back to Istanbul that night, and when the plane landed at Ataturk, we were back in Europe from Asia.
Istanbul has a Mediterranean climate, and we are greeted by an endless, all-day rain.
We took the bus past the ancient city wall for miles and got off to Sultan Ahmed Square.
Looking up, you can see the towering square pillars, 32 meters high, which were built by the ancient Roman emperor Constantine VII in the 10th century in memory of his grandfather.
The column was originally filled with gold-plated bronze reliefs, but was later ransacked by the Crusaders and only the core pillars remain.
In front of the square pillars stands an ancient Egyptian obelisk, reflecting on the wet square floor.
This monument was originally built by the ancient Egyptian Pharaoh Thutmose III. It was erected in the temple of Luxor Kanak, which was purchased by Theodosius the Great from Egypt in 390 AD.
There is also a famous monument between the two pillars, the bronze snake pillar.
These three relics are like an open-air museum, adding to the splendor of the square, showing a sense of ancient history and glory.
The square itself is also an ancient Roman site, originally a huge arena that was expanded after the relocation of the Roman Empire; according to historical records, the arena is next to the palace to the east, completely modeled after the Roman Colosseum, but 40 meters longer.
The racetrack is paved with sand and can accommodate eight horse-drawn carriages, and the surrounding stands can accommodate tens of thousands of people to watch the race, and the Roman emperor can see the scene in the arena from the palace.
In 330 AD, the Roman emperor Constantine I moved the capital to this place and named it New Rome, which was soon renamed Constantinople.
The walls of Constantinople, built by Constantine I, extend westward from the north to the south.
Both north and south of the city are facing the sea, so the height of the two walls is only 12 to 15 meters, and the entire city is located on the hills behind the wall. From the sea, the merchant ships from afar can see the majestic buildings such as the palace, the arena and the Hagia Sophia.
The western end of the city was later rebuilt with a third wall, the 4.3 km long wall of Constantine.
Saint Sophia Cathedral Inclusion 2 Religions
In 395 AD, the Roman Empire split into Eastern and Western Rome, and Constantinople became the capital of the Eastern Roman Empire (Byzantine Empire).
In the 5th century AD, the Byzantine emperor Theodosius II added the Theodosian wall to the west of the city wall built by Constantine, which doubled the area of the city. The enlarged wall of Constantinople was 21.5 kilometers long, of which the wall facing the Sea of Mamorah was 8 kilometers long, the side of the Golden Horn was 7 kilometers long, and the side of the land was 6.5 kilometers long.
This land wall design is incomparably complex, from the outside to the inside and in turn for the outer wall, the moat, the moat inner wall, the steep slope wall, the outer wall, the inner wall, the inner wall; the outer wall and the inner wall stand more than 300 towers, corner buildings and bunkers, forming a strong support system.
Constantinople faces the sea on three sides, plus the western land city defense system, bronze walls and iron walls, so that the city became a "barbarian" city.
The old city wall that we saw along the way is a remnant of the Byzantine Empire.
In the 6th century AD, a great generation of monarchs emerged in the empire, Justinian I.
He went on to conquer the West, and recovered a large part of the western lands lost by the Roman Empire. The weather of the revival of the Roman Empire was very good, and the Byzantine Empire entered its peak.
The city of Constantinople also entered the glorious period, most of the buildings are in the ancient Roman style, the main buildings include the above-mentioned walls, gates, palaces, squares, arches, public baths, cisterns and churches.
To the north of Augustus Square is the majestic Hagia Sophia.
This is the most glorious legacy Justinian has left in the history of architecture. Built between 532 and 537, this church became the center of Byzantine religion and Eastern Orthodoxy and became a symbol of the empire.
The Cathedral of St. Sophia uses the shape of a Greek cross on the plane, creating a huge dome in the space, but no pillars support the interior; the dome is 55 meters above the ground, and it was the largest church in the world until the completion of St. Peter ’ s Cathedral in the 17th century.
In 1453, the Ottoman Empire captured Constantinople, and the Eastern Roman Empire fell, and the Empire moved its capital there and renamed it Istanbul.
Sultan Mehmed II converted the cathedral into a mosque and added an Islamic minaret, and over the next 500 years it became one of the most important places of worship for Muslims.
After World War I, Turkey ’ s founding father, Kemal, converted it into a museum in 1934 and gradually became a famous tourist attraction.
Last year, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan announced the conversion of the Cathedral of St. Sophia into a mosque. On July 24 of the same year, he attended a Muslim service at the Cathedral of St. Sophia, the first religious event held in the church after nearly 90 years.
Entering the Cathedral of St. Sophia, visitors are amazed by the tall, domed dome and the exquisite Byzantine frescoes on the dome, especially the statue of the Virgin and Child on the top of the altar.
We walk through the spiral passage paved with medieval stone blocks to the second floor of the church gallery, which can be closer to and carefully admire the various corners of the church. In particular, we can see the wall of the gallery with many murals of Christian stories.
Overlooking the entire hall, you can feel the grand space design of the hall.
100,000 tons of underground water
Another architectural gem left behind by Justinian is the "Groundwater Palace".
Constantinople was built solid, but the rulers of the empire were still worried, and built a secret underground reservoir and brought water from the forests near the Black Sea, which could store up to 100,000 tons.
If the city is besieged during the war, it serves as a strategic reserve for the entire city to drink for a month; during the Song and Dance Period, it provides water storage for the palace and other palaces.
The reservoir is 140 meters long and 70 meters wide, with 336 Corinthian stone columns 9 meters high, supporting a huge brick vault with exquisite relief, and it is also called an underground palace.
There are two places in the park that are worth looking at.
One place is a weeping column, the underground humidity is large, specially designed a column, and the water drops flow down the column, as if someone is crying.
The other is a column supported by two inverted Medusa heads, decorated with figures from Greek mythology.
This revealed that the Byzantine Empire was passionate about Greek civilization, and its influence was everywhere.
Blue Mosque 6 Minaret Tower Rare
The next day we took the subway to Istanbul University Station, then took the light rail to Sultan Ahmet Square, passing through the square to visit the Blue Mosque.
The original name of the mosque is Sultan Ahmet Mosque, because the walls are all decorated with Iznik blue and white tiles, so it is also known as the Blue Mosque, which is a landmark of Istanbul.
The first thing we see is the mosque ’ s six long and towering minarets, full of lightness and spirit, and looking far away like the city in the sky.
The Blue Mosque is the largest domed building in Istanbul, with more than 30 domes rising up to the 41-meter diameter central dome.
Take off your shoes and enter the mosque, look up at a huge dome, and the sun shines through the stained glass of 260 small windows.
The four columns supporting the large dome are clearly chiseled, and the blue gold word Arabic on the column head and the black gold word Arabic on the column body are as beautiful as the pattern.
The shrine is an important part of the interior of the Blue Mosque, made of carved marble. Beside the shrine, there is a beautiful mission altar, and scholars stand on the altar to preach on Fridays at noon and religious festivals.
The Blue Mosque, an artistic masterpiece of the Ottoman Empire, took seven years to build and became an icon of the empire ’ s heyday.
It is said that the Ottoman Sultan asked the architects to build the minaret into gold, and the Turkish pronunciation of "gold" and "six" is very similar, so it became the only mosque in the world with six tall towers, and thus one of the ten wonders of the world.
Out of the Blue Mosque, gaze across the square, and you can see the minaret towering above the clouds, which is the “Mosque ” of St. Sophia, which we visited yesterday and features both Christian and Islamic architecture.
The two mosques are opposite each other and form a beautiful landscape in Istanbul.
We walked through the square and walked to Topkapi Palace.
The palace is the first officially built palace after the Ottoman Empire entered Istanbul. It has a strong Ottoman style royal architecture characteristics, mysterious and elegant.
The Old Palace is a former place of national ceremonies and royal entertainment, from the construction of the Topkapi Palace by the Conqueror Mehmed II in 1465 until 1853, nearly 400 years ago, it was the place where Sultans worked and lived.
There is a main entrance in the middle of a tall wall, which only the sultan could enter and exit, and it was called the "Gate of the Emperor". Through the main entrance, you enter the first courtyard and follow the courtyard path, and you can see a sacred peace church built in the Byzantine period on your left hand.
Continue forward to the welcome gate, which is a city gate with an octagonal tower on the left and right, like a castle gate.
When you look up at the door, you can see the Qur ’ an engraved on the door.
Pass security and walk into the second courtyard, looking at a large area of grass and flower beds.
Passing through the Gate of Happiness is the Venerable Room in the Third Courtyard, where the sultans and the Grand Vizier (equivalent to the Prime Minister) and generals met four days a week. Passing through the Third Courtyard and entering the Fourth Courtyard, it is the Baghdatin, with its interior walls decorated with Iznik tiles and shells.
At the edge of the platform is a small gold-topped pavilion, Ifthaya, from which you can see the Golden Horn Bay and the new urban area across from it.
We visited the four courtyards in turn, then turned back to the entrance to the harem of the second courtyard, and then visited the residence of the four wives of the sultan, the queen ’ s room, and the sultan ’ s bathroom.
We were dazzled by the golden splendour of the harem, the many rooms covered with fine tiles and the beautifully decorated scenes of life.
In front of the harem there is a quadrangular column building called the "Tower of Justice", which has been used to monitor the city and defend against external enemies, and is also a large landscape.
There is also an open-air restaurant with great views inside the palace. Here you can see the Bosphorus Strait, Eurasia Bridge, Istanbul ’ s new city district and the world ’ s smallest sea, the Mamora Sea.
At noon, the sun is still hiding behind the clouds, the light is not strong, the sea is full of green waves, and the silver bridge across the Eurasian continent in the distance, it is really pleasing to see.
Once out of the palace, we took the light rail through the bustling business district to the Galata Bridge, where we boarded a boat from the Golden Horn pier to explore the Bosphorus Strait.
The sky was clear, the sky was blue and white, the waves were flowing, and the boats were weaving.
Thousands of seagulls soar around the cruise ship, and the moving pictures of historical buildings, mosques, Galata Towers, and villas built on the mountains are displayed in turn, forming an absolutely beautiful exhibition of sea-view paintings.
When we crossed the first Eurasia land bridge, we came to the second Eurasia land bridge, and saw a fortified castle on the left bank, which attracted my attention, and regretted that we could not abandon the boat to go ashore to visit.
After an hour and a half of excursion, we disembarked and boarded the bridge, and looked at the city area on the north shore of the Golden Horn from the Galata Bridge.
Darkness falls on the ground, night falls, looking back at the old area on the right bank, by the mountains and the water, stars point, experience in the eyes, the lights of Suleiman Mosque live on the top of the mountain, suspended above thousands of households.
The New Palace witnesses the Westernization of Osman
On the third day, the weather changed.
My wife and daughter were tired and stayed at the hotel to rest. I went out alone. Take the subway to Taksim Square station, walk around Taksim Gezi Park, walk up or down the steep road, and after more than ten minutes to the sea, you can see the Dolmabach Mosque with a blue dome and a milky white wall. The road, facing the Dolmabachet clock tower.
Through the bell tower is the Dolmabache Palace.
Built in the middle of the 19th century, it is the last palace of the Ottoman Empire. Also known as the "New Palace", it is built in the style of the Baroque and neoclassical European palace. It is located on the coast of the European part of the Bosphorus. The building stretches 600 meters along the Strait, and the interior wall is covered with gold leaf, and the main body is made of white marble and Egyptian alabaster. And...
The palace has two main parts, namely the ceremonial palace, the harem and the concubine court, with 285 rooms, 43 halls and 6 Turkish baths.
Both inside and outside the palace are extremely luxurious and luxurious.
Among the most noteworthy attractions are the crystal staircase pillars in the ceremonial palace, as well as the large and spacious Imperial Hall, which has 56 columns and 4.5 tons of giant crystal chandeliers, and the golden throne of Sudan.
Compared with the old palace, the new palace is more elegant and luxurious, but less of the mysterious elegance of the Oriental palace, extremely European and modern, the degree of luxury is far more than the Meichun Palace in Vienna and most of the European palaces, and Versailles in France.
The courtyard of the new palace is larger than the four courtyards of the old palace, and the layout is also European style. There are fountains, statues, lawns, etc., especially the grand doors facing the Bosphorus Strait, which are beautifully decorated.
During World War I, the Ottoman Empire joined the Allies, and with the defeat of the Allies, the Ottoman Empire split, and the Sultanate was abolished two years later.
In this crisis, Kemal defeated the invaders and the military intervention of the European powers, saved Turkey, became the founder of the Turkish Republic, and the Ottoman Empire was destroyed. Kemal ruled for more than ten years, achieving great success, making Turkey secularized, Westernized, and modernized, becoming the model and standard of secularization of the Islamic state.
From the New Palace Tea House, I walked back to Taksim Square from the original road.
The square is the main transportation hub of Istanbul and the meeting place of the Turkish people for major meetings and processions.
In the center of the square stands a circular monument of independence to commemorate Kemal. Bronze reliefs show the father of the country ’ s glory.
Every year, thousands of Turks offer flowers to their Father of the Nation to express their admiration and gratitude.
Go southwest from Taksim Square to the north entrance of Independence Avenue.
This 4-kilometer pedestrian street, with many boutiques, music shops, cinemas, libraries, cafes, bars and restaurants, is a leisure avenue for Turks to shop and play, and is therefore known as Istanbul ’ s “Champs Elysees ”.
I wandered south from the north entrance to fully appreciate the Turkish way of life.
Local women have deep eyes and high noses, elegant temperament, and rarely have a headscarf, let alone a veil, revealing the inclusiveness and openness of the city.
The Turkish look is not very different from the Uighurs in Xinjiang, and it feels very friendly to deal with them.
There are many small streets on both sides of the street.
Look at the small streets on both sides, are downhill paths or stairs, leading to highways or community buildings, I found that Independence Street was originally built on a ridge.
As I walked, I looked at the buildings on both sides of the street, many of which were old buildings with long history or mottled ruins. There were government departments, consulates, various churches, etc. It can be said that this area occupied an important position in the political, economic and cultural life of the Ottoman Empire, and now it has become a paradise for ordinary people to relax, shop and entertain.
St. Anthony ’ s Church, Istanbul ’ s largest Roman Catholic church, is hidden behind an ordinary old neighborhood.
The entrance is not very eye-catching, easy to miss, I also accidentally saw the two red brick towers are different, with curiosity only to find that there is no hole in the sky.
As I walked along the street, there were art shows and begging, and on this street, foreign tourists could experience the secular life of the local Turks and fully experience the freedom, openness, romance and vitality of modern Istanbul.
Fort Rumeli World Military Miracle
The Bosphorus Strait, also known as the Istanbul Strait, is also known as the "Turkish Strait" (also known as the Black Sea Strait), along with the Mamora Sea and the Dardanelles Strait.
On the fourth day, my friend, Mr. Chung, accompanied us on a tour of the Black Sea Scenic Area, which allowed us to see both the Black Sea exit of the Bosphorus Strait and the entire Strait as we headed north along the coastal highway.
The weather is sunny, driving up the mountain road, and the scenery is spectacular when it comes to the sea canyon.
About half an hour later we drove to the cliffs of the sea and we finally saw the Black Sea.
When we got out of the car, we stood on a cliff, and the wind was fierce, stirring the waves.
In front is an endless sea, on the left is the jagged coastline, and on the right is the Bosphorus Strait exit, narrow like a stream, a rainbow bridge across both sides of the strait, is the third Eurasian land bridge just built in recent years.
There is a stone brick wall on the edge of the cliff, forming a strong wall.
There is a tunnel on the cliff leading to the military fortifications under the city wall. There are four underground tunnels for the army to hide or transport.
Nearby, there is also an artillery castle, built on a cliff, between the two towers built a curved wall barrier, the wall also opened dozens of guns facing the Black Sea, can be mounted dozens of cannons.
These two military fortifications, clear and dark, constitute a complete defense system and hold the first line of defense in the strait.
There is a small fishing village near the bridge under the cliff, dozens of residential buildings are built along the road, red tile and white wall, high and low, there is a small mosque is particularly eye-catching, and the minaret tower is unique.
Near the artillery castle, the small fishing village is like a paradise.
At that time, many fortifications were built on both sides of the Ottoman coastal fjord, and several lines of defense were built at each level to closely defend Istanbul.
One of the most complete preservation is the Fort Merry that we will visit in the afternoon.
From the Black Sea exit of the strait, we follow the original coastal mountain road to the south of the second Eurasian continental bridge, such as the Fort Merry is built on the European shore of the strait.
This is the narrowest point of the strait, only 750 meters wide.
The Anatolian Fortress was built on the coast of Asia.
The two fortifications echo in the distance, holding the throat of the strait, forming a tight and complete defense system.
When I set foot on Rumeli Fortress, I suddenly realized that this is the castle we saw on the sightseeing boat the day before yesterday!
For example, Merry Fortress covers an area of 30,000 square meters, mainly composed of three tower-shaped fortresses, the castle is connected by the city wall into a roughly quadrilateral group of fortresses, and there are many small towers similar to the main tower between the three main fortresses.
It was built by Mehmed II the Conqueror in only four months in 1452, before the conquest of Constantinople, and became a miracle in world military history.
The fort is built according to the mountain situation, high and low, magnificent and full of spirit, it is the most beautiful fort in the existing military buildings in the world.
When we climb the steps from the foothills, climb the highest main tower fort, look back, the straits like green streamers, the second continental bridge is like a long rainbow lying wave, and the Turkish red flag on the circular fort under the mountain is fierce and fierce, forming a permanent map of the river and mountains.
At the end of our visit to Fort Merry, Mr. Chung drove us to Ataturk Airport. Istanbul, the soulful city of Istanbul, goodbye!
Expect another day to meet again!
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How did Muslims and Orthodox Christians react to the reconversion?

UNESCO has expressed concern over the conversion, citing the site's cultural and historical importance.

The Greek Orthodox Church has criticized the conversion of a museum into a mosque.

Title:

Content: Erdogan invited the leaders of Muslim states to the first prayer in Hagia Sophia
13: 26 22 July Kiev, Ukraine
According to the plan, on July 24, the first prayer will be held in Hagia Sophia in Turkey, after it was decided to convert the building of the Orthodox church into a mosque.
The leaders of many Muslim countries are invited to take part in it.
Erdogan ’ s invitation came from Qatar and Azerbaijan.
The remaining heads of state have not yet responded to the Turkish president.
Remind me!
The Turkish government decided to change the status of the architectural monument and the Orthodox Church of St. Sophia and convert the room into a mosque.
The Pope said that this situation causes him grief.
The Patriarch of Ecumenical and Constantinople, who recently received a great number of churches on the territory of Ukraine, and did not demand the transfer of the museum to the Diocese of Constantinople in a timely manner, said that the creation of a mosque in the museum building can be negatively met in the Orthodox world.
It is expected that the first prayer in the new mosque will be attended by about 1000-1500 people.
All quarantine conditions will be met, participants in prayer will be given masks, and disinfectants will be placed everywhere in the cathedral so that people can treat their hands and their prayer mats.
During the prayer, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will also be present in the cathedral, along with Turkish ministers, leaders of the ruling Justice and Development Party.
As previously reported, all the frescoes and mosaics at the time of prayer will be covered with curtains.
On July 10, a Turkish court ruled that the decision to convert the mosque into a museum in 1934 was illegal.
Erdogan immediately signed a decree on assigning Hagia Sophia the status of a mosque.
The move has sparked international criticism and concern, including from Greece, the United States and Russia, as well as UNESCO and Pope Francis.
Turkey insists that the status of the architectural monument is its internal affair.

How did Muslims and Orthodox Christians react to the reconversion?

Who was angered by the reconversion of Hagia Sophia in July 2020?

The Pope, US, Russia, and Greece have criticized Turkey's decision and expressed grief over the conversion.

Who was angered by the reconversion of Hagia Sophia in July 2020?

A Turkish court has ruled the 1934 conversion of Hagia Sophia to a museum was illegal, paving the way for its reconversion to a mosque.

Erdogan has signed a decree converting Hagia Sophia into a mosque, with its frescoes and mosaics to be covered during prayer.

The conversion of Hagia Sophia into a mosque has sparked concerns about preserving its Byzantine art and mosaics.

Title:

Content: After Hagia Sophia, Turkey converts a second ancient Byzantine church into a mosque

Hundreds of worshippers filled the narrow streets of Istanbul's Fatih district on Friday to hear the sounds of Friday prayers ringing out from the newly inaugurated Kariye Mosque.

Once known as the Chora Church, the site spent the last 79 years as a museum. But it is now the latest structure to be converted back into a mosque by the government of Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, following the conversion of Hagia Sophia in 2020. While viewed as a triumph by many Turkish Muslims, the Greek Orthodox Church has decried it as an "ill-advised decision" that "makes a mockery of the Turkish government's commitment to religious tolerance and religious freedom."

Chora's conversion was announced shortly after Hagia Sophia's, but its opening for prayer was delayed by years of restoration work.

The showing for the first Friday prayers at Kariye was relatively quiet compared to Hagia Sophia, which drew hundreds of thousands who filled the streets with prayer rugs for blocks and blocks away from the building. By contrast, the crowd on Friday was relatively average for a mosque in one of Istanbul's more religiously conservative neighborhoods, where Friday worshippers frequently spill out onto the streets.

Both the Chora Church and Hagia Sophia are 4th-century Byzantine constructions. They spent nearly a millennium as Christian holy sites before being converted to mosques by the Ottomans after their conquest of Constantinople in the 15th century. Despite their conversions, they remained revered by Orthodox Christians. After the founding of a secular Turkish Republic in the early 20th century, the decision was made for both to be neither mosque nor church but simply museums.

"Both Hagia Sophia and Chora embodied Byzantine and Ottoman pasts, and they became symbols of co-existence and multi-faith living practices. Their conversion fundamentally implies a hierarchy, prioritizing the Islamic past over all other layers, Greek Orthodox, Armenian, Jewish, Syriac, et al," Dr. Özgür Kaymak, a lecturer and researcher on minority rights at Istanbul's MEF University, told Religion News Service in an email.

Rededicating the sites as mosques is more than just a status change. According to Islamic tradition, artwork of human figures are forbidden in places of prayer, while in Orthodox Churches, icons of Christ, saints and other biblical figures are a defining feature.

In Hagia Sophia, the mosaics of Jesus and Mary have been covered with curtains since the conversion. While Erdoğan promised Hagia Sophia would remain fully accessible and free to all visitors, Turkey reneged on that earlier this year, reimposing an entrance fee on tourists and relegating them to the upper level, while the main floor is exclusive to Muslim worshippers.

Observers have also criticized the Turkish Directorate of Religion's caretaking of the site, noting damage that did not exist when it was under the purview of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism.

Though Chora is significantly smaller than Hagia Sophia, it is home to some of the best-preserved examples of late-Byzantine art, including mosaics, icons and frescoes, and is considered a UNESCO World Heritage site.

"For us it's a very important place because it remembers our culture and our traditions here," Father Evangelos Markantonis, an Orthodox priest who was leading a group of theology students to Chora on Friday, told Religion News Service.

"Though we cannot venerate as Orthodox Christians, we have to try to find things we can be united on. Only with dialogue and good deeds can we continue our lives," Markantonis, who is also a professor at the University of Athens, said when asked about the controversy.

Erdoğan had long refused calls from his right to convert churches like Hagia Sophia and Chora, telling supporters in 2018 to fill the nearby Sultan Ahmet Mosque (also known in English as the Blue Mosque) before they talked about needing to pray in Hagia Sophia.

Nonetheless, he made an about-turn in 2020.

"My dear nation, the conquest of Istanbul and the conversion of the Hagia Sophia into a Mosque are among the most glorious chapters in Turkish history," Erdoğan said at the time in a speech inaugurating the Hagia Sophia as a mosque.

"This is the most honorable day that Islam has been looking forward to, Greek Constantinople has become Turkish Istanbul," he added, quoting the Turkish poet Nazim Hikmet.

"The resurrection of Hagia Sophia heralds the liberation of the al-Aqsa Mosque. The resurrection of Hagia Sophia is the footsteps of the will of Muslims across the world to come out of the interregnum," Erdoğan said in his concluding remarks.

Chora's opening as the Kariye Mosque comes just weeks after Erdoğan's Justice and Development Party (AKP) suffered its largest electoral defeat in two decades during Turkey's nationwide municipal elections.

"The recent conversion of Chora into a mosque may be due to Erdoğan's many problems, including his geopolitical power politics, his appeal to religio-nationalism to revive his electoral popularity after the March elections or his tactic to divert attention from Turkey's economic downturn," Kaymak said.

Many analysts have attributed the loss to AKP bleeding votes to the more Islamist-leaning New Welfare Party, which has pressured Erdogan over his response to the Israel-Hamas war and humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip.

Muslim worshippers at the mosque on Friday said they viewed its rededication as an Islamic site to be a national win for Turkey.

"This mosque is one of the symbols of the Conquest. We are proud and happy. There are very beautiful frescoes inside. They were also nicely renovated before they were closed. May it be good for our country and our nation," a bystander, Ahmet Öteyüzoğlu, told Turkish media.

"Thank God for these days. Not everyone has the opportunity in their lifetime," another bystander named Mehmet Çelik told the Turkish news service Anadolu Agency, in reference to having been able to pray at both the rededicated Hagia Sophia and Kariye Mosques.

However, Greece, the U.S. State Department and Orthodox Christian institutions worldwide have all criticized the decision to revert the structure into a mosque.

"I want to publicly express my intense dissatisfaction, interpreting the feelings of all Greek women and men, for the completely unnecessary conversion of a historic Byzantine temple, the Monastery of Chora, into a mosque. It is, I believe, an action that offends the rich history of Istanbul itself as a crossroads of cultures," Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said shortly before leaving for Turkey for a planned meeting with Erdogan.

"We encourage the Turkish government to preserve and ensure access to sites and buildings that have hosted different religious communities in a way that respects their diverse histories," a State Department spokesperson said in response to questions from Greek media.

"The Turkish government's appropriation of both as the property of one faith group not only constitutes yet another sign of that government's contempt for Turkey's rich Orthodox Christian heritage but further imperils the religious freedom of the Ecumenical Patriarchate and the remaining Christians of that land," the Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate said in a statement.

© Religion News Service

Istanbul's Chora Church was converted to a mosque in 2020, sparking international criticism.

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Content: The first Friday prayer in the old church of Istanbul that has been converted into a mosque - Sunrise Gate
Friday 10 May 2024 9: 23 PM Cairo Cairo 24 °
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First Friday prayers held in the old Istanbul church that has been converted into a mosque
Istanbul - (DPA)
Published on: Friday 10 May 2024 - 7: 21 PM | Last updated on Friday 10 May 2024 - 7: 21 PM
Muslims held Friday prayers at the historic ancient church of Chora, one of Istanbul ’ s most famous Byzantine era monuments, for the first time since it was converted into a mosque, state broadcaster TRT reported.
The Chora Church, formerly a museum, was officially converted into a mosque in 2020.
After lengthy restoration work, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan inaugurated the UNESCO World Heritage Site as a mosque on Monday.
It is noteworthy that in 2020, the famous Hagia Sophia church in Istanbul was converted into a mosque after a decree issued by Erdogan.
The two churches were converted into mosques after the Ottoman conquest of Istanbul in 1435.
The Hagia Sophia became a museum in 1935 and Chora in 1945, and the conversion of the two churches was met with international criticism.
Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis criticized the transformation of Chora as "an act that offends Istanbul's rich history" ahead of his planned meeting with Erdogan on May 13 in Turkey.
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How did Muslims and Orthodox Christians react to the reconversion?

The Greek Prime Minister criticized converting the Chora Church to a mosque, citing offense to Istanbul's history.

Title:

Content: The first Friday prayer in the old church of Istanbul that has been converted into a mosque - Sunrise Gate
Friday 10 May 2024 9: 23 PM Cairo Cairo 24 °
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First Friday prayers held in the old Istanbul church that has been converted into a mosque
Istanbul - (DPA)
Published on: Friday 10 May 2024 - 7: 21 PM | Last updated on Friday 10 May 2024 - 7: 21 PM
Muslims held Friday prayers at the historic ancient church of Chora, one of Istanbul ’ s most famous Byzantine era monuments, for the first time since it was converted into a mosque, state broadcaster TRT reported.
The Chora Church, formerly a museum, was officially converted into a mosque in 2020.
After lengthy restoration work, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan inaugurated the UNESCO World Heritage Site as a mosque on Monday.
It is noteworthy that in 2020, the famous Hagia Sophia church in Istanbul was converted into a mosque after a decree issued by Erdogan.
The two churches were converted into mosques after the Ottoman conquest of Istanbul in 1435.
The Hagia Sophia became a museum in 1935 and Chora in 1945, and the conversion of the two churches was met with international criticism.
Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis criticized the transformation of Chora as "an act that offends Istanbul's rich history" ahead of his planned meeting with Erdogan on May 13 in Turkey.
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How did Muslims and Orthodox Christians react to the reconversion?

How did the Greek prime minister describe the reconversion in May 2024?

An act that belittles Istanbul's history

The UNESCO World Heritage Site designation of Hagia Sophia and the Chora Church has been cited as a reason for international criticism of their mosque conversions.

Title:

Content: The first Friday prayer in the old church of Istanbul that has been converted into a mosque - Sunrise Gate
Friday 10 May 2024 9: 23 PM Cairo Cairo 24 °
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Do you support calls to boycott some restaurants that have been proven to support the occupation soldiers?
First Friday prayers held in the old Istanbul church that has been converted into a mosque
Istanbul - (DPA)
Published on: Friday 10 May 2024 - 7: 21 PM | Last updated on Friday 10 May 2024 - 7: 21 PM
Muslims held Friday prayers at the historic ancient church of Chora, one of Istanbul ’ s most famous Byzantine era monuments, for the first time since it was converted into a mosque, state broadcaster TRT reported.
The Chora Church, formerly a museum, was officially converted into a mosque in 2020.
After lengthy restoration work, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan inaugurated the UNESCO World Heritage Site as a mosque on Monday.
It is noteworthy that in 2020, the famous Hagia Sophia church in Istanbul was converted into a mosque after a decree issued by Erdogan.
The two churches were converted into mosques after the Ottoman conquest of Istanbul in 1435.
The Hagia Sophia became a museum in 1935 and Chora in 1945, and the conversion of the two churches was met with international criticism.
Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis criticized the transformation of Chora as "an act that offends Istanbul's rich history" ahead of his planned meeting with Erdogan on May 13 in Turkey.
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The Turkish government will keep Hagia Sophia open to visitors as a mosque, prioritizing Islamic heritage.

Erdogan's reconversion of Hagia Sophia is seen as a move to appeal to conservatives and distract from economic issues.

Title:

Content: Roundup of news from December 30, 2021
Erdogan the Conqueror
The Turkish president compared the transformation of Hagia Sophia into a mosque with the fall of Constantinople.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan seeks to try on the kaftan of Sultan Mehmed II, whose troops captured Constantinople in 1453.
In this regard, he, summing up the year, compared the transformation of the Hagia Sophia into a mosque with the fall of Tsargrad, reports the UOJ with reference to the publication “Vima Ortodoksiya ”.
According to the head of Turkey, the transformation of Hagia Sophia into a mosque is “as important ” for the Turks as the fall of the capital of the Byzantine Empire.
However, at the same time, many pay attention to the fact that the Turkish lira in the outgoing year fell strongly against the dollar, and this seriously hit the Turkish economy.
Responding to the criticism, Erdogan said he would “lead his people to what they deserve ” and stressed that he would“ apply the laws of Islam. ”
Thus, the Turkish authorities seek to distract their citizens from economic problems by proclaiming the Islamization of Turkey to the detriment of its secular status.
The economy of Turkey is not in the best condition, but Erdogan was again able to win the Hagia Sophia.
This is what officials in Ankara are thinking.
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What kind of domestic reaction did Erdogan's reconversion of Hagia Sophia receive?

What political motivations influenced Erdogan's decision to reconvert Hagia Sophia?

The decision aimed to rally anti-Kemalist voters.

Erdogan's reconversion of Hagia Sophia in 2020 was seen as a way to mobilize public support and distract from economic issues.

What kind of domestic reaction did Erdogan's reconversion of Hagia Sophia receive?

The conversion of Hagia Sophia to a mosque threatens Istanbul's cultural heritage and Byzantine monuments.

Title:

Content: Turkey officially opens the Byzantine church and museum "Khora" as a mosque (PHOTOS)
World News
"Kari Mosque" in the Museum and Monastery of "Khora"
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Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Monday officially opened the Kari Mosque in Istanbul ’ s Byzantine Museum and Monastery of Khora, four years after the church dedicated a mosque to Muslims.
On Monday, Erdogan oversaw the official remote opening of the Khora mosque and a number of restored sites from the conference hall of his residence in Ankara.
Erdogan said during the opening ceremony, which was broadcast on Turkish television, "May it be a good start."
One of the first worshipers at the mosque told Anadolu Agency: “I have been waiting for its opening for four years, and I have been honored to pray in such a place. ”
Anadolu quoted another serum as saying: “Thank God for showing us these days, I hope we come here from time to time and do our prayers. ”
The site near the walls of the old city of Istanbul is famous for its fine mosaics and frescoes.
The church dates back to the 4th century, although the edifice took its present form during the 11th and 12th centuries.
Greece has criticized the Turkish government ’ s decision to return it to use as a mosque, accusing Ankara of “personal insult ” to another World Heritage site, saying the decisions to turn Hagia Sophia and Khora back into mosques are steps aimed at strengthening the support base of conservatives and the religious trend of Erdogan ’ s ruling party amid an economic downturn.
The museum was built "Khora" monastery, in 534, the building was converted into "Kari Mosque" at the beginning of the 16th century, it was used as a mosque for more than four centuries and was converted into a museum in 1945 by a Turkish ministerial decision.
In August 2020, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan signed a decree on the conversion of the Hagia Sophia Cathedral and the Kari Museum, known as a “bottomless church ” in Turkish, into mosques.
The conversion of the two churches into mosques was praised by Muslims, but drew criticism from Greece and other countries that urged Turkey to protect important Byzantine monuments, both of which have been listed as World Heritage Sites by the United Nations.
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How did the Greek prime minister describe the reconversion in May 2024?

An act that belittles Istanbul's history

UNESCO has urged Turkey to protect its Byzantine monuments, including Hagia Sophia and the Chora Church.

The reconversion of Hagia Sophia has sparked global boycott calls and criticism for erasing its Christian heritage.

Title:

Content: The first Friday prayer in the old church of Istanbul that has been converted into a mosque - Sunrise Gate
Friday 10 May 2024 9: 23 PM Cairo Cairo 24 °
Most Read
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Share your opinion
Do you support calls to boycott some restaurants that have been proven to support the occupation soldiers?
First Friday prayers held in the old Istanbul church that has been converted into a mosque
Istanbul - (DPA)
Published on: Friday 10 May 2024 - 7: 21 PM | Last updated on Friday 10 May 2024 - 7: 21 PM
Muslims held Friday prayers at the historic ancient church of Chora, one of Istanbul ’ s most famous Byzantine era monuments, for the first time since it was converted into a mosque, state broadcaster TRT reported.
The Chora Church, formerly a museum, was officially converted into a mosque in 2020.
After lengthy restoration work, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan inaugurated the UNESCO World Heritage Site as a mosque on Monday.
It is noteworthy that in 2020, the famous Hagia Sophia church in Istanbul was converted into a mosque after a decree issued by Erdogan.
The two churches were converted into mosques after the Ottoman conquest of Istanbul in 1435.
The Hagia Sophia became a museum in 1935 and Chora in 1945, and the conversion of the two churches was met with international criticism.
Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis criticized the transformation of Chora as "an act that offends Istanbul's rich history" ahead of his planned meeting with Erdogan on May 13 in Turkey.
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How did Muslims and Orthodox Christians react to the reconversion?

Who was angered by the reconversion of Hagia Sophia in July 2020?

Damage at Hagia Sophia has raised concerns about its preservation.

The reimposition of an entrance fee on Hagia Sophia has been criticized as restrictive.

Earphones have replaced tour guides at Hagia Sophia, with separate entrances for visitors and worshippers.

Title:

Content: New rules come into force for the visit of Hagia Sophia Mosque in Turkey - Sunrise Gate
Tuesday 16 January 2024 2: 04 PM Cairo Cairo 24 °
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New rules come into effect for visiting Hagia Sophia mosque in Turkey
DBA
Published on: Tuesday 16 January 2024 - 1: 54 PM | Last updated on Tuesday 16 January 2024 - 1: 54 PM
The project for the Hagia Sophia mosque was closest to the heart of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan – but it was also the project that drew international criticism.
In the summer of 2020, Erdogan restored Hagia Sophia to be a mosque after it was originally a church, converted into an Ottoman mosque, converted into a museum.
At the time, Erdogan assured citizens that entry fees would be abolished, adding that the cultural edifice would remain open to everyone – Muslims or non-Muslims alike.
There will be another major change from January 15, with access to the Hagia Sophia restricted and visitors will have to pay fees again.
Turkish Tourism Minister Mehmet Nuri Arsoy hopes this will improve coexistence between religious and tourist visitors.
Arsoy said recently that tourist visitors are making noise and disrupting calm and prayer.
Until recently, visitors and worshippers were allowed to enter the interior of Hagia Sophia together, with barriers and signs keeping a certain distance between them.
However, from now on, worshippers and tourists will be introduced through different entrances.
Although worshippers can use the same entrances as before, tourists will be guided through an upstairs hallway.
According to Arsoy, tour guides will not be allowed to accompany visitors through the corridors, and earphones will be used instead.
“Our priority there is prayer, ” Arsoy said, noting that the building is a world cultural heritage site and should therefore remain open to all visitors around the world.
Zuleiha Duman, 29, who returned to Istanbul from Germany to see Hagia Sophia after it was converted into a mosque, said she found it taking away.
Welcoming the new rules, she said: “As long as the entrance fee isn ’ t too high, I think it ’ s acceptable. ”
“Why shouldn ’ t Turkey and the government take advantage of this place?
These funds can be channeled to preserve more religious places. ”
Hagia Sophia has been on the UNESCO World Heritage List as part of Istanbul ’ s history since 1985.
Built by Emperor Justinian, Hagia Sophia was the largest place of worship in Christianity for nearly a thousand years, it was the main church during the Byzantine Empire, and from the seventh century, the emperor was crowned inside.
After the Ottomans entered Constantinople (now Istanbul) in 1453, the Hagia Sophia was converted into a mosque.
On the orders of the founder of the Turkish Republic Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the building was converted into a museum in 1934 until the summer of 2020.
Hagia Sophia is as symbolically important to Orthodox Christians around the world as St. Peter ’ s Basilica is to Catholics.
After the building was converted into a mosque, criticism poured in from the Greek Orthodox Church.
The UNESCO Foundation also criticized the decision without consultation.
For Erdogan, turning the place into a mosque was his “childhood dream, ” as he himself said, and pleasing to religious voters.
A few external changes were made at the time, for example, a green carpet was placed above the marble floor.
It seems clear that all these things did not detract from the popularity of this teacher.
According to official statistics, some 13.6 million people visited the Hagia Sophia landmark in 2022, not all of them from Europe.
The number of visitors from Indonesia in particular has risen, Hagia Sophia Imam Binyamin Topoglu told Turkey ’ s Anadolu news agency in 2023.
The amount of the fees has not yet been determined.
Tourism Minister Ersoy says the proceeds will be spent on cultural assets, for excavation or preservation of monuments such as the Hagia Sophia.
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Restoration work at Hagia Sophia has been welcomed, but concerns about preserving its cultural and historical significance remain.

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Content: [ditty_news_ticker id="27897"] Video Shows Fragments Falling from the Dome of Hagia Sophia - Orthodox Christian Laity

Video Shows Fragments Falling from the Dome of Hagia Sophia

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Source: Greek Reporter

A still from a recently released video shows visitors rushing to take cover as fragments fall from the dome of Hagia Sophia. Credit: Daily Motion/BirGün

A video from 2022 that came to light recently shows fragments falling on visitors from the dome of Hagia Sophia, the former epicenter of Christian worship at Constantinople, today’s Istanbul.

The footage released by the Turkish newspaper, BirGün, raises serious questions over the safety of the former Orthodox Christian cathedral, now a mosque.

BirGün notably quoted officials as saying that “pieces are falling from the roof, due to the humidity created by the crowd, but no precautions are being taken”.

The president of the Turkish Art History Association, Serif Yasar, argued for restoration of the monument as soon as possible, suggesting that “If Hagia Sophia is not restored, it will collapse with the first earthquake.”

The monument was restored as a mosque three years ago after serving as a museum from 1935-2020 and has since received 21 million visitors, according to Turkey’s tourism and culture minister.

Yasar added that when the church was a museum, the scientific council overseeing it urged that groups of no more than 25 people should be allowed to enter the building at any one time.

This enormous lift in visitation has likely brought to the forefront the need for repairs and it was indeed reported in September that the Turkish government had decided to start long-term maintenance of Hagia Sophia.

Turkey to implement visitor management policy at Hagia Sophia

In early October Turkish historian Ilber Ortayli expressed fears that the large number of visitors to Hagia Sophia could lead to a catastrophic structural failure if not addressed immediately.

Writing in the Hürriyet daily, Ortayli said that the monument, which attracts three million pilgrims annually apart from tourists, has undergone significant damage since its conversion into a mosque.

He asserted that even a modest number of 20-30 thousand people annually, including scientists, historians, archaeologists, representatives of the Muslim religion, politicians, and public officials, could be considered excessive for the endurance of the monument.

In June 2022 a number of tiles of the ancient marble floors in Hagia Sophia were damaged by heavy machines used to clean the site.

In April 2022, The Turkish Association of Art Historians stated that the historic Imperial Gate in Hagia Sophia had been badly damaged.

The group posted a picture clearly depicting the damage to the oak wood of the 15-century-old gate.

Turkey unveiled plans in late October for a visitor management policy at Hagia Sophia, including charging foreign tourists with an entrance fee to be implemented starting Jan. 15.

Minister of Culture and Tourism Mehmet Nuri Ersoy said that extensive restoration work is underway in various sections of Hagia Sophia, now a mosque, with plans to progress to other parts upon their completion.

He emphasized that, based on UNESCO’s recommendations, a visitor management plan would be enforced to enhance the quality and safety of visits while preserving the historical significance of the site.

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Officials argue for repairs to Hagia Sophia after footage shows fragments falling from the dome – Neos Kosmos

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A visitor management policy will be implemented in 2023 to reduce the impact of large visitor numbers.

As a tour guide in Istanbul, be prepared to address tourist questions about Hagia Sophia's controversial conversion in a sensitive and informative way.

Title:

Content: Erdogan invited the leaders of Muslim states to the first prayer in Hagia Sophia
13: 26 22 July Kiev, Ukraine
According to the plan, on July 24, the first prayer will be held in Hagia Sophia in Turkey, after it was decided to convert the building of the Orthodox church into a mosque.
The leaders of many Muslim countries are invited to take part in it.
Erdogan ’ s invitation came from Qatar and Azerbaijan.
The remaining heads of state have not yet responded to the Turkish president.
Remind me!
The Turkish government decided to change the status of the architectural monument and the Orthodox Church of St. Sophia and convert the room into a mosque.
The Pope said that this situation causes him grief.
The Patriarch of Ecumenical and Constantinople, who recently received a great number of churches on the territory of Ukraine, and did not demand the transfer of the museum to the Diocese of Constantinople in a timely manner, said that the creation of a mosque in the museum building can be negatively met in the Orthodox world.
It is expected that the first prayer in the new mosque will be attended by about 1000-1500 people.
All quarantine conditions will be met, participants in prayer will be given masks, and disinfectants will be placed everywhere in the cathedral so that people can treat their hands and their prayer mats.
During the prayer, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will also be present in the cathedral, along with Turkish ministers, leaders of the ruling Justice and Development Party.
As previously reported, all the frescoes and mosaics at the time of prayer will be covered with curtains.
On July 10, a Turkish court ruled that the decision to convert the mosque into a museum in 1934 was illegal.
Erdogan immediately signed a decree on assigning Hagia Sophia the status of a mosque.
The move has sparked international criticism and concern, including from Greece, the United States and Russia, as well as UNESCO and Pope Francis.
Turkey insists that the status of the architectural monument is its internal affair.

Tour guides can use earphones and QR codes to provide guided tours without disturbing worshippers.

Turkish citizens can worship for free, while foreign citizens must pay an entrance fee.

Title:

Content: Events
Entrance to Hagia Sophia will again be paid, but not for everyone
Minister of Culture and Tourism of Turkey Mehmet Nuri Ersoy said that visiting the Ayia Sophia mosque for foreign citizens from January 15 will be paid.
Ersoy, who held a press conference at the Ataturk Cultural Center (AKM), said that according to the first 9 months of tourism, the total number of visitors, which last year amounted to 40.2 million people, increased to 45.2 million at the end of September.
Noting that Ayia Sophia and Sultanahmet Square are included in the UNESCO permanent heritage list, Ersoy said that they listened to the advice and opinions of UNESCO and implemented the decisions on the restoration of the Ayia Sophia Mosque.
Minister Ersoy stressed that from January 15, 2024, they will move to the management plan of the visitors of Agia Sofya on the recommendation of UNESCO, and said:
“In this management plan, the quality of visits and safety will be improved.
Density will be regulated by distributing it along different routes.
Again, our precious mosque will be incorporated into a very ideal ecosystem focused on protecting and promoting the "Common Heritage of Humanity".
According to Ersoy, the entrance for worshippers will remain the same, but the tourist entrance will change, so that these two streams will not change. that information about Hagia Sophia will be provided in 16 languages through an application with a QR code and headphones.
Ersoy added: “From now on, visitors will be able to complete the process by receiving detailed information about the entire history and iconography of Hagia Sophia in a quiet environment without disturbing the faithful. ”
Noting that from January 15, 2024, foreign tourists visiting the mosque will be charged a ticket fee, Ersoy said: “Visits by our Turkish citizens for the purpose of worship will be free as before.
This practice also exists in many countries. "
In general, judging by the words of Ersoy, the Hagia Sophia mosque will partially return to the function of a museum.
The most important question that may concern us now is whether the mosque will become accessible to believers from other countries?
Ersoy said that free entrance will remain only for Turkish citizens, but perhaps here he was simply referring to those who come to the mosque for the purpose of prayer, since it is obvious that the absolute majority of those praying are Turks.
In any case, we hope for this, because if passports are checked at the entrance to the mosque, and the descendants of Bosniaks or Albanians are asked to pay money so that they can pray in the mosque that their ancestors conquered in the army of Sultan Fatih Mehmed, any neo-Ottomanism can be put a bold end to.
Author: Jakub Hadžić
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The mosque's management plan implements UNESCO recommendations to regulate visitor density and improve safety and visit quality.

Worshippers and tourists have separate entrances, with information provided through headphones.

Erdogan's conversion of Hagia Sophia is seen as prioritizing Islamic heritage over others.

What political motivations influenced Erdogan's decision to reconvert Hagia Sophia?

Erdogan's decision was influenced by Turkey's Islamic resurgence.

Who was angered by the reconversion of Hagia Sophia in July 2020?

UNESCO has expressed concern over the conversion's impact on the building's cultural heritage.

Erdogan has promised that Hagia Sophia will remain accessible to visitors, with entrance fees funding cultural preservation.

Tour guides provide information on the mosque's restoration work, including security cameras and emergency systems.

Title:

Content: Turkey’s iconic Hagia Sophia mosque to charge $28 entry fee for tourists

Published: Updated:
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Turkey’s Hagia Sophia mosque began charging tourists nearly $28 on Monday for entrance to the landmark site.

The UNESCO World Heritage site, renowned for its blue-tiled interior, will no longer allow free admission to foreigners, the Turkish tourism ministry announced.

For the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app.

The former museum-turned mosque has a new entrance in front of the Topkapi Palace Museum open for tourists.

Tunnel entrance at Turkey's Hagia Sophia. (File photo)

The Hagia Sophia was a museum space from 1934 until 2020 when Turkey decided to change it to a mosque. Various historical reports say the mosque with byzantine architecture was an Orthodox cathedral decades ago.

“With the new application that will start on January 15 at the Hagia Sophia Mosque, tourists will be able to visit the mosque without disturbing the prayer environment,” the ministry said in a statement.

The entrance to the mosque will be “provided in a controlled manner through the tunnel and entrance ramp where visitors will be transported to the gallery floor and exited via the ramp in the northeast direction,” the statement said.

“Tourists who come to the gallery section will be able to see the sanctuary floor of the mosque and the Ottoman Period annexes, pass through the heaven-hell gate, and examine the Byzantine Period mosaics in this section,” it added.

Security cameras, fire detection and emergency announcement systems were reportedly installed in the mosque along the tour route. Cleaning and conservation work on the marble coverings and wooden railings on the gallery floor of the mosque was also carried out by restorers and conservators.

Visitors will also have access to a headset guide with QR codes where information on the sight is available in 23 languages.

People visit the Hagia Sophia, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, in Istanbul, Turkey, July 10, 2020. (Reuters)

Read more:

Ramadan prayers return to Istanbul’s Hagia Sophia mosque after 88 years

Turkey says UNESCO criticism of Hagia Sophia conversion ‘biased and political’

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The conversion of Hagia Sophia has sparked concerns over preserving its Byzantine mosaics and Ottoman annexes.

Tour guides can address concerns by explaining measures to protect the building's cultural heritage.

Tour guides can address tourist questions about the Hagia Sophia conversion by providing accurate and informative responses.

Title:

Content: The first Friday prayer in the old church of Istanbul that has been converted into a mosque - Sunrise Gate
Friday 10 May 2024 9: 23 PM Cairo Cairo 24 °
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First Friday prayers held in the old Istanbul church that has been converted into a mosque
Istanbul - (DPA)
Published on: Friday 10 May 2024 - 7: 21 PM | Last updated on Friday 10 May 2024 - 7: 21 PM
Muslims held Friday prayers at the historic ancient church of Chora, one of Istanbul ’ s most famous Byzantine era monuments, for the first time since it was converted into a mosque, state broadcaster TRT reported.
The Chora Church, formerly a museum, was officially converted into a mosque in 2020.
After lengthy restoration work, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan inaugurated the UNESCO World Heritage Site as a mosque on Monday.
It is noteworthy that in 2020, the famous Hagia Sophia church in Istanbul was converted into a mosque after a decree issued by Erdogan.
The two churches were converted into mosques after the Ottoman conquest of Istanbul in 1435.
The Hagia Sophia became a museum in 1935 and Chora in 1945, and the conversion of the two churches was met with international criticism.
Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis criticized the transformation of Chora as "an act that offends Istanbul's rich history" ahead of his planned meeting with Erdogan on May 13 in Turkey.
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Tour guides can de-escalate conflicts about the Hagia Sophia conversion by listening and acknowledging tourists' feelings.

Title:

Content: Listening is the first step to resolving any conflict

A misunderstanding doesn’t have to mean the end of the world

Reading Time: 3 minutes

Faith Wood knows how to resolve conflict. Her years in front-line law enforcement taught her how to effectively de-escalate any situation to a successful conclusion. Faith will use her knowledge of conflict management to guide you through the often stressful experiences you may encounter in your personal or professional life. Her Conflict Coach column appears regularly. Ask the Conflict Coach for help.

No matter how much you like the other person, at some point, conflict is likely to happen.

While most conflicts are fairly small (like trying to decide where to go out for dinner), left untended, a conflict can fester and grow.

That’s why it’s so important to resolve conflicts in your relationships before they have a chance to take on a life of their own.

How do you go about doing that?

Start by listening

But don’t just listen to the spoken words; note the feelings behind them as well. It’s the emotions that drive the conversation, after all.

By listening actively – pausing to ask questions, clarify and reiterate what you think the other person is saying – you tell the other person that what they have to say matters. And more importantly, you’re letting them know that they’re being heard.

Look for a resolution over being right

Giving up the notion that you have to ‘win’ is where you start seeing the solutions. Conflict is not a competition.

Stay in the moment

Instead of focusing on what happened that brought you into this conflict, pay attention to what’s going on right now.

Now isn’t the time for blame. Instead, look for solutions.

Decide what’s important right now

That’s called ‘picking your battles’ and is essential in determining whether a thing is worth fighting over.

Ask yourself if this is just an issue over a minor annoyance that will be quickly forgotten or if you have something deeper going on that maybe needs to be addressed.

Know how and when to disengage

That means being able to do what it takes to walk away. It might be forgiveness is in order. It might be that you’re just going to need to agree to disagree.

Conflict management tips for your group or club by Faith Wood
Don’t place egos ahead of the collective results that define group success

Worst case scenario? It might be time just to let the matter go entirely.

Whatever the case, there’s nothing to be gained by staying in the conflict.

Resolving conflicts isn’t a hard skill to learn. By following these tips, you will discover how better to deal with conflict in every kind of relationship – whether business or personal.

So take heart – a misunderstanding doesn’t have to mean the end of the world. Instead, look at your conflict as a step toward better understanding that will, in turn, lead to better relationships in the long run.

Faith Wood is a novelist and professional speaker who focuses on helping groups and individuals navigate conflict, shift perceptions and improve communications. For interview requests, click here.

The opinions expressed by our columnists and contributors are theirs alone and do not inherently or expressly reflect the views of our publication.

© Troy Media
Troy Media is an editorial content provider to media outlets and its own hosted community news outlets across Canada.

Tour guides should prioritize resolution over being right in conflicts.

Tour guides must know when a fight is worth it and when to disengage.

Tour guides should prioritize collective results and consider forgiveness to resolve conflicts.

Letting go can be the best option, as it can lead to better relationships.

Tour guides can discuss sensitive topics in a soft and non-confrontational manner.

Title:

Content: 13 Ideas for Effective Communication in the Bedroom

Communication is the key to a satisfying sex life.

In any relationship, things can get heated—and not in a desirable way. Good communication with a partner is perhaps the greatest easier-said-than-done scenario: We all want it, but in a moment of conflict, it can seem impossible. Disagreements can lead to battle-scarring arguments, or even worse, a total breakdown in communication. To avoid those undesirable outcomes, try these strategies to tackle disagreements and dissatisfaction effectively, as recommended by experts.

1
Start Soft

"One of the single most useful tools in communication is how you start conversations, especially difficult ones, where you may have a complaint or a feeling to share," says licensed clinical psychologist Erika Bach, PsyD. " In starting this conversation, you want to make sure that you are coming from a soft place—vulnerable, respectful, and kind—which includes not only the words you say, but the tone."

She recommends a strategy called "the soft startup," in which you might say: "When [insert situation] happens, I feel [specific emotion], and what I need from you is [state need directly]." That's a healthier alternative to starting with criticism or blame, "which evokes defensiveness in the partner, and a standoff," says Bach. "Research indicates that the way you begin this conversation dictates the outcome, whether positive or negative."

2
Don't Avoid What Needs to Be Said

"Waiting for the perfect words or approach before talking to your spouse usually ends with few perfect words and lots of waiting," says Mark Verber, MS, LPC, a licensed professional counselor with Epic Counseling Solutions. "We don't prevent anything by avoiding, and it's hard to interpret silence. Like the old adage about voting—in relationships, we should communicate early and often."

3
Listen More Than You Talk

"This doesn't mean that you should never speak your mind, but you should really listen to what your spouse has to say before you respond," says Cassandra LeClair, Ph.D., a communications studies professor at Texas A&M. "Practice responding instead of reacting. When you listen to your spouse, you are showing them that you care about their thoughts and feelings. You are also giving yourself the opportunity to better understand their perspective. And when you understand your spouse's perspective, it is easier to communicate with them effectively.

4
Pause Before You Respond

"In heated moments, our emotions can get the best of us. Start by taking a deep breath and pausing for a few seconds to avoid impulsivity," says Bayu Prihandito, a certified life coach and founder of Life Architekture.

5
Work to Understand Your Partner

"It's natural to want to get our point across, but understanding your partner's perspective first can make them more receptive," says Prihandito. "You don't have to agree in order to validate" your partner, says Verber. "Validation is about connecting the dots and letting your partner know they are making sense. More than anything, they want to know that you get it."

6
Practice Active Listening

A good way to show your partner that you get it: Be an active listener. "Active listening is more than just hearing what your spouse has to say," says LeClair. "It involves fully engaging with their words, paying attention to their body language, and asking clarifying questions. When you are actively listening, you are showing your spouse that you are interested in what they have to say and that you value their perspective." Her recommendations: Put away your electronic devices; make eye contact and nod to show you're listening; don't interrupt; and ask clarifying questions to ensure you understand what your partner has said.

7
Be Specific About Your Needs and Wants

"Don't use basic emotional vocabulary; dive deeper," says Prihandito. "Instead of just saying 'I'm upset,' be more specific. Maybe you're feeling overwhelmed or under-appreciated. The clearer you are, the easier it is for your partner to understand and respond appropriately."

8
Use "I" Statements

Rod Mitchell, a psychologist with Emotions Clinic, calls this approach balanced assertiveness: "Instead of saying, 'You never listen,' opt for, 'I feel unheard when you interrupt me,' which is less accusatory and opens the door for constructive discussion," he says.

A good approach is to turn your complaints into requests, says Verber: "Your partner is more likely to be receptive if you say, 'I know you're busy, but I feel frustrated you didn't take the trash out. Would you please do it before work tomorrow?' than, 'You're so lazy, you never do anything around here.' That will increase success."

9
Avoid This Pattern

"Couples often get caught into a pursue-and-withdraw pattern of communication, where one partner will pursue a resolution to a conversation when the other prefers to avoid conflict or hard conversations altogether," says Laura E. Dennis, LMFT, of Morningstar Lane Therapy. "This pattern leaves couples feeling stuck and unable to communicate effectively because they are different in their approaches. Couples can hone in on this pattern by seeking support through a couples therapist who works with an attachment lens that supports breaking this pattern and helps couples communicate more effectively."

10
Be Respectful

"Even when you are disagreeing with your spouse, it is important to be respectful. Avoid name-calling, insults, and other hurtful language," says LeClair. "Instead, focus on the issue at hand and try to find a solution that works for both of you."

11
De-Escalate By Finding Commonalities

"When faced with criticism, our natural instinct is to go on the defensive. Yet, this often causes the other person to become more entrenched in their position," says Mitchell. "A more effective strategy is to find a point of agreement in your spouse's complaint, thereby reducing tension. For instance, if your spouse remarks, 'You're always so busy; we never spend time together,' acknowledging their concern by saying, 'You're absolutely right, I have been overwhelmed and it's taken a toll on our time together,' can pave the way for more open and constructive dialogue. This approach makes your partner feel heard and validated, encouraging a more amicable resolution."

12
Be Comfortable With Silence

"Sometimes, the most profound conversations happen in silence," says Prihandito. "It's OK not to fill every moment with words or weird jokes. Just being there, holding hands, and sharing a quiet moment can speak more than words."

 RELATED: 11 Easy Things You Can Do to Slow Down Aging

13
Relate, Don't Legislate

When conflicts arise in a relationship, "Keep in mind that it's a conversation, not a court case," says Verber. "Nobody ever won an argument, because even when you win, you lose. Address your partner's feelings before you get lost in the weeds objecting to details."

Michael Martin
Michael Martin is an experienced writer and editor in New York City. He specializes in helping people make life-improving decisions on their health, nutrition, finances, and lifestyle. Read more
Filed Under

They should listen more and pause before responding.

Validating the tourist's perspective and practicing active listening is crucial.

Tour guides should use "I" statements to express needs and feelings.

Focusing on issues rather than insults and being respectful can help.

Strategies include avoiding sensitive topics, deflecting conversations, and using humor to minimize conflict.

Title:

Content: 4 scenarios that can ignite a family fight — and 12 strategies to minimize them

Many of us don't go to family parties looking for a fight. But when we're all together under one roof and have had a little too much spiked eggnog, it can be a pressure cooker.

If your family holiday events tend to erupt into verbal brawls, experts say there are techniques you can try to help minimize conflict. You can deflect a conversation, disagree productively or if you have to, defend yourself.

Picking an approach is kind of like doing improv, says Nedra Glover Tawwab, a therapist who specializes in relationships and the author of the New York Times-bestselling book Set Boundaries, Find Peace. "You're seeing which strategies and scripts work at the moment. Some things will land and others won't."

Here are four sticky situations you may encounter at your next family gathering and helpful ways to deal with them — so you can actually enjoy yourself.

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Scenario: Your aunt keeps asking when you're getting married (a topic you don't want to get into).

Solution 1: Avoid her. Conflict avoidance is often framed as cowardly, like you're hiding from an important conversation or a moment of growth. But if you don't have the time and energy, or you just don't want to engage on this topic over Christmas dinner – that is fine.

In fact, you're allowed to avoid a the family member who always tries to fight with you or criticizes your life choices, says Celeste Headlee, a journalist and author of We Need to Talk: How to Have Conversations That Matter. Say hello and goodbye to them, but don't sit right next to them at dinner.

"There are certain people in our families who know how to push our buttons," she says. So going into a family event, identify the people "who generally do that and stay away from them."

Solution 2: Exit the conversation. Tell your aunt you need to get a snack, use the bathroom or get a drink, says Amy Lew, a marriage and family therapist based in San Diego, Calif. Children make "excellent little exits. 'Oh, look at so-and-so! Look at her outfit!' Then peace out."

Solution 3: Be direct. Tawwab says it's fine to say, "I don't want to talk about it." You could also give a response like, "My thoughts about it aren't fully processed. I'm still in the thinking phase about it."

Solution 4: Use humor to redirect the conversation. If the moment feels right, you might say, "Whoa! That's a big question," says Tawwab. "It can be a way to switch the topic without being so heavy."

Scenario: Your uncle wants to discuss a controversial topic.

Solution 1: Find something else to talk about. If you know that the conversation is going to be problematic, change the subject.

You can even be cheeky about it. Headlee likes to play something she calls "the three-question game." She'll say, "Wow, we're really not going to agree on that [topic], but I bet in three questions, I can find something you and I agree on." The new topic is usually something very simple, like "nachos or dogs," she adds — "but that's all it needs to be."

Solution 2: Cautiously engage. Listen as much as you talk and be willing to learn something new, says Headlee. "If you come from a place of curiosity, you're much less likely to trigger defense mechanisms."

You can also come into the conversation knowing you're not trying to win, she adds. "If you remove that pressure of trying to convince them with facts and statistics, it lowers the stakes."

Solution 3: Productively disagree. To demonstrate you're engaging in the conversation in good faith, acknowledge your uncle's points, says Lew. You don't have to agree with him, but you might say, "I see you've put a lot of thought into [this]" or "it makes sense you see it from this angle."

If your uncle starts spewing misinformation, you might say, "I'd be interested to see your sources. Can you forward the links? I would love to look at that," says Headlee. This approach gently encourages fact-checking while showing you're intrigued by what he has to say.

Solution 4: Nip it in the bud. If you notice you're getting worked up, end the conversation — especially "if having the debate will ruin the rest of the evening for everyone," says Tawwab.

Lew says you might say, "Look, I don't think we're going to see eye to eye on this. I'm glad we talked about it. But we might need to just agree to disagree tonight."

Scenario: A cousin is putting you down again.

Solution: Defend yourself. You're allowed to draw a line. If this were a friend's party or a workplace event and somebody was treating you the same way, how would you behave?

"Family doesn't mean a ticket to abuse," says Headlee. "You get to decide how people speak to you."

You might tell your cousin, "You can't speak to me that way. And if you do, I'll leave," she adds.

Scenario: You regret coming to party.

Solution 1: Remember why you decided to go in the first place. Sara Stanizai, a therapist who runs a queer- and trans-affirming practice, says to ask yourself: Why is this event important to me? Why am I attending?

"Maybe I want to spend time with my cousin who's going through terminal illness. Maybe I want to be lazy and watch TV on the couch and not engage. All of it is cool," says Lew.

That "why" can be your anchor, says Stanizai – something to come back to if dinner gets tense.

Solution 2: Make a time limit. "Remind yourself that whatever's happening right now is short term and you're going to go home and relax," says Headlee.

That might mean you only spend four hours with the family on Christmas. During that time, make a promise to yourself and your family, says Tawwab. "For the four hours you have me, I will be my best self."

Solution 3: Make a run for it. It's perfectly acceptable to leave the party if things get out of hand. "You don't even have to tell anyone," says Stanizai. You can just say, "I have to go get something out of my car" and bounce.

This episode of Life Kit was produced by Audrey Nguyen. Our visuals editor is Beck Harlan, and our digital editor is Malaka Gharib.

Want more Life Kit? Subscribe to our weekly newsletter and get expert advice on topics like money, relationships, health and more. Click here to subscribe now.

Copyright 2023 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

Setting boundaries, exiting conversations politely, and listening with curiosity can be helpful.

Disagreeing productively, stopping heated conversations, and self-defense when disrespected are additional strategies.

Setting a time limit and being mindful of emotions can aid in de-escalating conflicts.

Tour guides can provide factual information about Hagia Sophia's history and current status as a mosque.

They can explain the conversion's reasons, such as the Turkish government prioritizing the site's Islamic past.

How did the role of Hagia Sophia change following the Ottoman conquest?

Hagia Sophia became a central Islamic religious site for centuries

What political motivations influenced Erdogan's decision to reconvert Hagia Sophia?

Erdogan's decision was influenced by Turkey's Islamic resurgence.

Tour guides should be aware of criticism from the Greek Orthodox Church and international organizations regarding the conversion.

How did Muslims and Orthodox Christians react to the reconversion?

Who was angered by the reconversion of Hagia Sophia in July 2020?

Knowing the site's history and criticisms helps tour guides navigate sensitive discussions with tourists.

Tour guides can use the mentioned strategies to de-escalate conflicts and create a positive environment.

Tour guides can take cues from the imam's approach, using multilingual skills, distributing materials, and offering translations.

Title:

Content: A multi-lingual Turkish imam loves tourists with Islam and invites them to get to know him
Daily Morning
Istanbul, Turkey
Posted at 11.08.2022 19: 41
Imam Ibrahim Tash Demir speaks with the visitors of the mosque (Anatolia)
Ibrahim Tash Demir is distinguished among his fellow imams by the number of foreign languages he is fluent in, in addition to his beautiful way of loving Islam and spreading his tolerant teachings among the crowds of foreign tourists who come to the tourist area where the mosque where he works is located.
At the historic Isa Bayh Mosque in the western Turkish province of Izmir, Tash Demir seeks to spread the messages of Islam and associate them with the “language of love. ”
The basic information he refers to about Islam, along with his basic knowledge of 25 languages, from Hebrew and English to Portuguese, attracts the attention of tourists visiting the mosque near Ephesus, the most popular destination for tourists to the Selcuk region of Izmir.
Seven years ago, Tash Demir was appointed imam at this mosque and quickly established a system for visitors of different faiths and ethnicities using a wide variety of languages.
His hospitality begins with the distribution of sweets and cologne to tourists, two key elements of the Turkish tradition of welcoming guests.
He then asks each visitor what country he belongs to, starting with a few sentences before distributing a booklet that includes “basic information ” about Islam, excerpts from the sayings of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and verses from the Qur ’ an about Islam ’ s view of other religions.
He then directs them to a platform that contains a complete translation of the Holy Quran in 20 languages, and gives them a copy in Arabic.
For those wishing to learn more, the imam directs them to a fountain in the courtyard of the mosque, where he teaches them the basics of ablution required for every Muslim before performing daily prayers, saying that his work “pays off ” when he receives messages from tourists praising his work, once they return to their countries.
Tash Demir told local media: “I want to show tourists through these brochures how beautiful Islam is, and I speak a little English and some Dutch.
I noticed how happy people are when you talk to them in their own language and were surprised to see an imam speaking their language.
When I see them excited to learn more, I give them these brochures, "he said, expressing his happiness that some had written to him again after exchanging titles and some even converted to Islam.
He said he has so far donated 26,000 copies of the Quran to tourists.
Albin Selenz, a Belgian tourist, said he loved the imam ’ s enthusiasm and said he would definitely read the Koran he had given him.
Lukas Kowalski, a Polish tourist, said he was happy to know ablution.

This approach can promote cross-cultural understanding and enhance the tourist experience at Hagia Sophia.

What was the significance of Hagia Sophia's conversion into a museum in 1934?

repositioned Hagia Sophia as a global cultural landmark.

Tour guides should be aware of the site's rules, including separate entrances and restricted areas.

Tour guides can create a more harmonious environment at Hagia Sophia by being informed and communicating effectively.

Tour guides must balance accuracy with neutrality when discussing sensitive topics like the Hagia Sophia.

Title:

Content: The picture...
Partial!
Amer Mamdouh
Writer and Academician
Tourists come from different places and carry with them a vision of this or that country.
Its external form, its system of life and management, and most importantly the assessment of the reality and nature of its people.
Etc.
Living for days and even months inside a country does not give its owner a full understanding of its life, especially if the tourist is affected by media campaigns that show life in a bright and rosy way, or limited - for comfort, pleasure and perhaps safety in the first place - to luxurious areas with advanced standards of living or tourism that countries are keen to provide to the recipient in the best and best way. A case.
Perhaps this leads me to say that the travel books – old and modern – in their various ways, reflected a personal point of view, a certain psychological construction, and a belief in various beliefs reflected on these blogs.
In addition to the nature of the time and time in which it was written.
This was clearly shown in several models, including an ancient heritage trip in which the author shouted to say a certain people, when the investigators checked the fact of that saying, they found that the traveler referred to was not received with the hospitality that he expected!!, which made him take that approach in the description, which was unjust to that poor people, and reflected in the expansion of his circle by the rest of the scholars!!!
Thus, it can be said that the majority of the images formed through short trips or systematic media pumping is different from the reality or at least does not represent all its dimensions, who falls under the influence of this will miss the other side, which you will only see in the poor neighborhoods away from the lights of the cameras, where services are at their worst, injustice and darkness pervade the place.
The evaluation of peoples between good and bad, and miserable and optimistic, will not be through limited individual models, but through full coexistence with a wide category and multiple different places, and by completing all these parts the evaluation is acceptable and the opinion is valid for deliberation and adoption.
READ MORE

What did the CALHSC president urge regarding decisions on Hagia Sophia?

Consider both Muslim and Christian voices

Tour guides should maintain a neutral tone to avoid perpetuating biases.

Title:

Content: Jump directly to the content
KEEP IT DOWN

Man sparks furious debate after ‘yelling at tour guide for being too loud’

A MAN has sparked furious debate after losing his temper with a London tour guide for being too loud.

The outraged local, Matt, posted a controversial apology note following the incident - and it has divided opinion.

In a picture uploaded to Reddit, the fuming note read: "To the tour guide, I apologise for losing my temper with you today.

"I had to take an important call and the noise was very distracting.

"Please note that people work in the area often with stressful jobs.

"Therefore could you please be more quiet in future."

The half-hearted apology letter garnered attention from hundreds of Reddit users and sparked a furious debate in the comment section.

Defending the tour guide, someone wrote:"To Matt, I bet your office is quieter than the street, City of London."

Another joked: "It’s nice he apologised, but it’s a bit mental to try to control the noise in the streets of London. Move to the countryside, Matt."

"Your un-apology makes you sound like a real kn*****d, but you are surely better than that," agreed a third.

Someone else penned: "The author of this must have been a right t**t."

"Translation - Sorry I was a c**t, but it was actually your fault and I'd appreciate it if you didn't provoke me in future," said another.

But others vigorously supported Matt and slammed irritating tour guides, one penned: "He could be working from home. I used to know a guy who lived right next to where one of the ripper murders happened and used to get woken up every day by Jack the Ripper tours."

"He lost his temper and apologised, not many people would bother apologising," commented a second.

"Those London tour guides with the megaphones are annoying to be honest," agreed a third.

Another wrote: "Important call - maybe he was finding out that someone's died or is seriously ill. Pretty sure that would be stressful for most people."

This comes as other social media posts have caused controversy.

One man took to Reddit to share his surprise when he saw fellow holidaymakers pack their lunch with food that was put on the hotel buffet.

The post gained thousands of people's attention - who seemed split by the guests' actions.

Meanwhile, a woman took to the platform to share her shock after attending a wedding where a “close friend” of the bride donned a floor-length sparkly silver gown and white fur shawl.

The Reddit user shared two snaps of the friend that were taken during the wedding as she revealed the bride’s reaction to the scandalous outfit.

And, another woman shared a photo of the angry note she found stuck to the door to their block of flats - but the complaint has sparked a debate.

Topics

Tour guides should be fair and transparent when describing destinations.

Title:

Content: Social networking sites during the past periods in criticizing some areas, which people from all over the world to visit, and tourists were surprised by some practices and some wrong things, and their tongue says « I wish I missed the way », and the reason for this confusion as is clear many things, the most important of which some of them (non-specialists) in exaggerated promotion, what is easier to be paid for one (fashnastat) to visit those countries, He spends it in length and width praising non-Qadeh, describing it with verses similar to the description of Qais bin al-Mallouh for his beloved Layla.
Striking the wall with all the negatives and warnings that the tourist should keep in mind.
We do not want to exaggerate, and do not want to distract people from a country without the other, comparisons are often unjust, in all countries you will find positive and negative, but it is obligatory on those who write or convey to be fair and advised, showing the negatives will prevent people from bumps they are indispensable, and will make their journey easier and smoother, showing (some) countries as God 's paradise in his land without any negatives It ’ s no different — in my opinion — than mixing honey with water.
If you have a social media account or sit down and are asked to describe your trip, we are not only telling you to insult the country, but weigh, put your visuals and explain what a tourist can face in that country. It is important to be transparent in explaining the costs, any obstacles, and even the ethics of the people of that country. How to get there, what you might encounter at the airport, transportation, food, accommodation and even natural places.
Be fair.
And what afflicted us these days who put in front of his name the title (traveler) and roam the world long and wide looking for pictures boasting in his calculations, and claims that he reached perfection of experience looking - without scrupulousness - for an increase in the numbers of his followers, fighting and defending the countries that he traveled more than their people, feel humiliated if we criticize any country praised, as a utopia, how not The case of the traveler who traveled 7 countries in a year and moved between planes, ships and cars, and contracted by companies and tourist bodies in return for the definition of these countries, he must say what raises the shares of their shares or Bart his goods.
And here's the point of the horse.
And I say to him: Believe me, your followers will not benefit you when the facts, lies and exaggerations are revealed, I say it again, be fair and do not exaggerate.
I am inspired by many who have traveled and spoken with all sincerity, because the word is,,,,,,,,,..

Providing accurate information about the conversion is essential for tour guides.

Title:

Content: When traveling can not do without a guide
Recently, many tourists independently organize their holidays, fearing that they will not be lucky with a guide.
But there are situations when it is difficult to refuse the services of a professional.
Read more about why sometimes it is still worth hiring a guide - in the material "Rambler".
Video of the day
Fear for their safety
Local guides always not only accompany tourists, but also take care of their safety.
They always try to make sure that vacationers do not accidentally wander into dangerous places, so that their values remain safe, so that no one runs into fraudsters or too annoying sellers who strive to sell low-quality goods.
In addition, guides are always trying to protect travelers from poisonous animals and plants.
Guides also control various nuances.
For example, so that tourists unknowingly do not wear light open sandals for a trip to the area where you need closed and durable shoes.
Poor orientation in space
Not all people, even in their hometown, are well oriented on the terrain, and what then to talk about tourists who found themselves in a foreign country.
Many travelers often get confused as to which direction they need to go, and are easily lost in unfamiliar places.
Not even navigation systems and maps help.
In this case, it is worth hiring a guide who will help you make a route and conduct excursions to the sights himself.
Language barrier
Guides, as a rule, know the local language, and therefore become interpreters for tourists.
Without them, many travelers would not be able to communicate freely with the locals.
And this is especially necessary when you want to make an order in a restaurant, buy something or ask for directions.
In addition, sometimes travelers can get into a difficult situation, for example, accidentally violate the local law, and without an interpreter it will be incredibly difficult for them to solve the conflict that has arisen.
Lack of knowledge about foreign culture
During the tour, guides can tell interesting details, which are usually known only to locals.
This will allow you to expand your horizons and better immerse yourself in someone else ’ s culture.
Moreover, guides give tourists the opportunity to learn how locals feel about what is happening in their country and around the world.
And they can help to avoid embarrassment, warning in advance how to behave or, conversely, should not behave in a certain place, what appearance is acceptable for people of this culture, what gestures or words are prohibited.
This is very important if you want to rest comfortably.

Tour guides must consider tourists' preconceived notions and limited experiences to avoid incomplete or inaccurate understandings.

Tour guides can set a good example by being respectful and promoting cultural humility.

Title:

Content: Looking for transformative travel? Keep these six stages in mind

(The Conversation is an independent and nonprofit source of news, analysis and commentary from academic experts.)

Jaco J. Hamman, Vanderbilt University

(THE CONVERSATION) After a cooped-up year, Americans are hungry to travel. Passport offices are overwhelmed with applications. In July, airlines scheduled and operated the highest number of flights since the pandemic began, according to the U.S. Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Record numbers of travelers visited the U.S. national parks this summer, after a nearly 28% drop due to the pandemic.

But why do we travel in the first place? What is the allure of the open road?

As a professor of religion, psychology and culture, I study experiences that lie at the intersection of all three. And in my research on travel, I’m struck by its unsolvable paradoxes: Many of us seek to get away, in order to be present; we speed to destinations, in order to slow down; we may care about the environment, but still leave carbon footprints.

Ultimately, many people hope to return transformed. Travel is often viewed as what anthropologists call a “rite of passage”: structured rituals in which individuals separate themselves from their familiar surroundings, undergo change and return rejuvenated or “reborn.”

But travelers are not just concerned with themselves. The desire to explore may be a defining human trait, as I argue in my latest book, but the ability to do it is a privilege that can come at a cost to host communities. Increasingly, the tourism industry and scholars alike are interested in ethical travel, which minimizes visitors’ harm on the places and people they encounter.

The media inundate tourists with advice and enticements about where to travel and what to do there. But in order to meet the deeper goals of transformative, ethical travel, the “why” and “how” demand deeper discernment.

In writing “Just Traveling: God, Leaving Home, and a Spirituality for the Road,” I studied travel stories in sacred scriptures and researched findings from psychologists, sociologists, ethicists, economists and tourism scholars. I argue that meaningful travel is best understood not as a three-stage rite but as a six-phase practice, based on core human experiences. These phases can repeat and overlap within the same journey, just as adventures twist and turn.

1. Anticipating

Traveling begins long before departure, as we research and plan. But anticipation is more than logistics. The Dutch aptly call it “voorpret”: literally, the pleasure before.

How and what people anticipate in any given situation has the power to shape their experience, for better or worse – even when it comes to prejudice. Psychology experiments, for example, have shown that when children anticipate greater cooperation between groups, it can reduce their bias in favor of their own group.

But phenomenology, a branch of philosophy that studies human experience and consciousness, emphasizes that anticipation is also “empty”: our conscious intentions and expectations of what’s to come could be fulfilled or dashed by a future moment.

With that in mind, travelers should try to remain open to uncertainty and even disappointment.

2. Leaving

Leaving can awaken deep emotions that are tied to our earliest experiences of separation. The attachment styles psychologists study in infants, which shape how secure people feel in their relationships, continue to shape us as adults. These experiences can also affect how comfortable people feel exploring new experiences and leaving home, which can affect how they travel.

Some travelers leave with excitement, while others experience hesitation or guilt before the relief and excitement of departure. Mindfulness about the stages of travel can help people manage anxiety.

3. Surrendering

Travelers cannot control their journey: A flight is canceled, or a vehicle breaks down; the weather report predicts sunshine, but it rains for days on end. To some extent, they have to surrender to the unknown.

Modern Western cultures tend to see “surrendering” as something negative – as hoisting a white flag. But as a therapeutic concept, surrendering helps people let go of inhibiting habits, discover a sense of wholeness and experience togetherness with others. The perfectionist learns that a changed itinerary doesn’t mean a diminished travel experience and lets go of their fear of failure. The person with a strong sense of independence grows in vulnerability as they receive care from strangers.

In fact, some psychological theories hold that the self longs for surrender, in the sense of liberation: letting down its defensive barriers and finding freedom from attempts to control one’s surroundings. Embracing that view can help travelers cope with the reality that things may not go according to plan.

4. Meeting

Meeting, traveling’s fourth phase, is the invitation to discover oneself and others anew.

All cultures have unconscious “rules of recognition,” their own ingrained customs and ways of thinking, making it more difficult to forge cross-cultural connections. Carrying conscious and unconscious stereotypes, travelers may see some people and places as uneducated, dangerous, poor or sexual, while hosts may see travelers as rich, ignorant and exploitable.

Going beyond such stereotypes requires that travelers be mindful of behaviors that can add tension to their interactions – knowing conversational topics to avoid, for example, or following local dress codes.

In many parts of the world, those challenges are intensified by the legacy of colonization, which makes it harder for people to meet in authentic ways. Colonial views still influence Western perceptions of nonwhite groups as exotic, dangerous and inferior.

Starting to overcome these barriers demands an attitude known as cultural humility, which is deeper than “cultural competence” – simply knowing about a different culture. Cultural humility helps travelers ask questions like, “I don’t know,” “Please help me understand” or “How should I…”

5. Caring

Caring involves overcoming “privileged irresponsibility”: when a traveler does not recognize their own privilege and take responsibility for it, or does not recognize other people’s lack of privilege.

[3 media outlets, 1 religion newsletter. Get stories from The Conversation, AP and RNS.]

Travel becomes irresponsible when tourists ignore injustices and inequities they witness or the way their travels contribute to the unfolding climate crisis. Ethically, “empathy” is not enough; travelers must pursue solidarity, as an act of “caring with.” That might mean hiring local guides, eating in family-owned restaurants and being mindful of the resources like food and water that they use.

6. Returning

Travels do end, and returning home can be a disorienting experience.

Coming back can cause reverse culture shock if travelers struggle to readjust. But that shock can diminish as travelers share their experiences with others, stay connected to the places they visited, deepen their knowledge about the place and culture, anticipate a possible return trip or get involved in causes that they discovered on their trip.

I believe that reflecting on these six phases can invite the kind of mindfulness needed for transformative, ethical travel. And amid a pandemic, the need for thoughtful travel that prioritizes host communities’ well-being is clear.

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article here: https://theconversation.com/looking-for-transformative-travel-keep-these-six-stages-in-mind-167687.

Tour guides can achieve this balance by sharing factual information and avoiding personal opinions.

Title:

Content: BARBERINO-TAVERNELLE, TUSCANY— There’s a big difference between a tour host and a tour guide. A tour guide goes through rigorous training for a particular city, region, or institution. They do a deep dive into history, dates, personalities, and minute details into towns and locales such as Florence, Italy. The detailed comprehension required to become certified is amazing and the depth of knowledge these guides possess once training is completed is impressive.

My friend, and coworker, Marina Mengelberg, is a registered tour guide for Florence, Siena, San Gimignano, and the Tuscan region. Each of those areas require specific training. One must know thousands of details and facts, from structural landmarks on the city streets, to the lineage of artist’s families, to religious history and symbolism and a depth of knowledge in architectural details, to the point that one becomes a walking history book and reference guide at the end of the training.

Once the intense training is complete, the hopeful guide must sit in front of a six-person panel in a scenario that sounds a lot like defending one's thesis. The room is crowded behind the six questioners. In a high-pressure situation, everyone in the gallery is watching as the tour-guide candidate spends the next hour or so answering questions such as, “In the Uffizi Gallery, on the third floor, in the second room, and the third painting on the right, who is that artist’s mother and why is she important?

I don't possess that kind of knowledge, nor do I have time to do the work that would go into such training, even if my memory would allow it. That's partially why I am a tour host. In my travels I have found certain places that I love, locals-only restaurants, wineries, out-of-the-way historical institutions, and local finds that I enjoy sharing with others. There's something deep inside me that loves turning people onto new things. I've always been that way.

I am probably the living example of the adage, “Jack of all trades, master of none.” I don't claim to be an expert at anything but there are a couple of areas where I feel I am extremely competent. One area in which I believe I'm very good— and my track record proves it— is that I have some type of intrinsic ability to pick excellent tour guides. I'm pretty good at picking nice hotels and villas as well.

Marina Mengelberg is the ultimate example of my ability to recognize talent and saddle up alongside it. It's obviously a major benefit that my wife and I have become very good friends with her, and her children. Mengelberg possesses the raw, natural ability to connect with whomever she is with at the moment. That is the difference in a great guide and someone who can regurgitate facts on cue.

First and foremost, a great guide must be relatable. Seems simple, but that is not an easy thing to accomplish. Actually, it's probably the hardest thing to do in that field. There are plenty of people who can walk through a city or museum and recite dry facts. It's another thing to make people feel comfortable, grateful, appreciative, and willing to learn more in the process. There is a certain amount of charm and self-awareness that needs to be added to the mix of knowledge and training, too. But when those components all come together, the perfect guide is born.

Mengelberg is Dutch and grew up in the Netherlands watching American television. Other than her God-given intelligence and natural charm, I think that's a lot of the source of her relatability— and especially with southerners— as one of her favorite shows as a child was the “Dukes of Hazard.” I have never seen an episode of the “Dukes of Hazard,” but I know John Schneider, and once had him autograph an 8 by 10 glossy for Marina.

As Baby Boomers, we also grew up on American television. That is the connection. It's not that Marina ever talks about American TV shows. That topic never comes up. It's just the sensibility is there and there is a common denominator that allows her to connect and be relatable. Connection and relatability is the key to gaining one’s trust. The learning follows, easily.

Connection is not easy. The groups I host are varied in age, background, and region. Although they mostly come from the South. The fact that a Dutch born person, who's lived in Tuscany for the past 20 years can connect with Americans from California, to Florida, to Hattiesburg is an admirable trait.

This tour-hosting gig happened organically and started with the idea of taking a small group of people to Tuscany, once. That group filled in an afternoon and a waiting list was created. Then the waiting list grew a waiting list. After touring Tuscany several times, those guests started asking, “Where are we going next?” I figured Venice is the most unique city in the world, Bologna is the food capital of Italy, and Milan is beautiful at Christmastime, so I hosted a couple of those tours. Again, they asked “Where are we going next?” So, we toured Rome, the Amalfi Coast, and Naples.

Next Spain was added, and when I hosted that trip last March it was filled with almost all seasoned alumni of my past trips, For some it was their fourth or fifth trip with me. It should be noted that I have never been a fan of group travel. My wife and I have avoided those types of trips, always. But this is nothing like group travel. I’m not sure why it doesn’t feel that way, but it never has. It’s just like a group of friends getting together and discovering new places.

There was a group of eight ladies dining together in one of my new restaurants just a few weeks ago. All of them had traveled with me before some three or four times. At one point during their meal, I asked if any of them had known each other before going on the tours. The unanimous answer was, “No.” I’m not sure if I have ever felt more pride in something I’ve done in this tour-hosting career. I was a small component in creating eight bonds among newly made friends. They’re traveling with me in the future, too.

I was once invited to a reunion that was held by one of my previous groups, as a guest. They had connected so fittingly on their trip they wanted to stay in touch a few years later. I was not involved in planning of the reunion other that being asked to attend as an invitee.

We released next spring’s Spain trip dates and the tour filled in 90 minutes. The Holland-Belgium tour filled in an afternoon. Both groups were almost all veterans. My first thought was, “I must be doing something right on these trips.” But then I checked my ego at the door and realized that it’s people like Marina Mengelberg, and a dozen others who make an impact on people as they travel with me to these foreign lands. I hope each of them know how grateful I am and that I’ll never take them for granted.

Onward.

Robert St. John, who has spent four decades in the restaurant business, is the author of eleven books. For over 20 years, St. John has written a weekly syndicated newspaper column, and has been named the state’s top chef for three consecutive years and was honored as Mississippi Restaurateur of the Year.

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Tour guides can provide context and insights to help tourists understand the conversion's complexities.

Title:

Content: Experts said that waiting for tourism in 2024
2024 can be an important year in the development of the tourism sector.
The changes will affect both tourists and experts of the region.
According to the amendments to the Code of Administrative Offenses, which are planned to be submitted to the Cabinet of Ministers of the Russian Federation in September, fines may be introduced for guides and guide-interpreters.
From the amendments it follows that fines for guides are collected in the event that they will organize their activities without mandatory certification.
As lawyers, guides and guide-interpreters who have not passed the certification, will be punished with fines from 5 to 30 thousand rubles.
Most of the factions in, as well as representatives of the tourism market, have already supported the initiative.
"It is necessary to point out the complexity of bringing to justice - many citizens conduct excursions in private, and it will not be easy to prove that they earn this," lawyer Marina Zolotarevskaya believes.
Responsibility for the illegal conduct of tourism activities, definitely, should be pointed out by the expert, as this is already a question of the safety of tourists, protecting them from all sorts of scammers.
“In addition, in my opinion, it is important that in the work of guides, guides used a unified approach, including reliably reflecting the events of the history of our country, taking into account the position of our state, that is, without distorting the facts, ” the lawyer stressed.
According to tourism experts, this initiative has pros and cons.
And first of all, this is true for bus tours, which have the format of a full-fledged excursion.
“Retraining includes basic knowledge in the field of first aid, for example.
Which is also twofold, because in an extreme situation, a person without medical education can, rather, harm than help if he begins to turn over the victim, ” explained Anna Fedorenko, a member of the Ivitour tour organization team.

Tour guides can create a positive experience by being aware of their biases and using a neutral tone.

Title:

Content: Business

Tour Guides undergo first aid training

October 11, 2022 1:29 pm

[Photo: Supplied]

A community-based child-safe tourism toolkit has been developed by the Tourism Ministry.

Permanent Secretary Shaheen Ali highlighted this during a First Aid Training course for tour guides.

Ali says when tour guides make community tours, they need to ensure they’re respectful of women and children.

Article continues after advertisement

He adds that the Ministry will soon also publish a Code of Conduct that will act as a guideline to maintain a standard of service, including in communities.

Ali stresses that tour guides play a special role in the tourism sector.

He says their role is well beyond showing tourists around and that they have a duty of care, which is why it is critical not just to meet requirements but to provide the level of service expected.

He says tourists put their trust in tour guides to handle emergencies and adds that one negative experience can jeopardize an entire destination’s reputation.

Ali says the first aid training will be for three years.

Tour guides aim to provide accurate information and promote cross-cultural understanding and respect.

Tour guides should respectfully address questions about historical site conversions to build trust and credibility.

Title:

Content: How Strong Leaders Stay Cool Under Fire

By Bizclik Editor

Written by Darren Fleming

Any business executive can run a company when times are flush and employees are happy. The true test of a strong leader is how they act in times of adversity. Questionable practices, inappropriate responses and failure to act can sink a company’s reputation and stock price.

READ THE APRIL EDITION OF BUSINESS REVIEW AUSTRALIA HERE

No matter who or what is behind the problem, the burden to defend the company falls to the leader. In this precarious time, the leader must stand strong as the company becomes the target for accusations, questions and criticisms. Every word will be put under a microscope.

However, the right outcome can be achieved with a solid, consistent message. Under questioning, a good leader uses simple, genuine answers that hold up to allegations and can be adapted for any audience. The leader knows it and believes it and has the courage to stick with it until the very end. To ensure the right message rises above all the noise, a strong leader follows these three steps.

#1. Respect the Questioner

  • Whether the questions come from an employee or a review board; as a good leader you should always respects the interrogator, remain patient and give the speaker undivided attention.
  • Treat them as equals - Do not dismiss the questioner as if they are below you. Do not cower to them as if they are above you. Treat them as you expect to be treated, as an equal with courtesy and respect.
  • Speak their language - Craft your speech patterns to keep from sounding pretentious. Modest language and a slower pace can be effective in coming across as humble and can even disarm an agitated questioner. Avoid slang and colloquialisms.
  • Give them time - Don’t rush the questioner as they will perceive your actions as being evasive. If you’re caught in an impromptu meeting, schedule another time as soon as possible and promise to answer all their questions.

Robert Murdoch’s testimony in the News of the World phone hacking scandal provides a perfect example of how you can gain advantage by respecting your interrogators. Under hours of questioning from Parliament, he remained calm and courteous. Murdoch stuck to a simple message. He neither challenged his questioners, nor tried to confuse them. As a result, one of the most powerful media moguls in the world managed to come across humble to anyone watching on the TV.

#2. Control Your Emotions

Any time a leader must defend their actions, or that of someone in their company, they are put under enormous pressure. All eyes are watching. A good leader becomes self-aware; taking the time to acknowledge how emotions their alter speech and body language. They learn to self-regulate so they don’t act impulsively.

  • Understand what pushes your buttons and learn how to control your reactions. Outward displays of anger, fear and frustration can be damaging to your credibility and divert attention away from the main message. Stay in control.
  • Think before you speak - Never blurt out an answer when you are under stress. You never want to risk saying something wrong because you are reacting to emotional triggers. Take a sip of water or simply pause to reflect on the question before you answer.
  • Don’t fall into a trap - Interviewers repeat questions to create frustration and try to force you to give contradictory responses. Be ready for it. Stick to the message.
  • Never self medicate - Avoid using recreational drugs or alcohol prior to questioning. You may think it will help you relax, but the consequences can be enormous if you say something you didn’t mean. Stay alert and in control.

#3. Stand Your Ground

Under adversity, a leader will have to answer to multiple audiences: employees, co-workers, boards, auditors, investigators, reporters. Stay on message regardless of how many times you repeat yourself.

  • Use different phrases - Find multiple ways to say the same thing while staying on point. How would you answer the question if you were a 70 year old? How could you make your point as a question, statement or command? Thinking of your message in these different ways will help you develop new ways of sharing your point. Use different responses in different interviews to avoid appearing like you memorised a single statement.
  • Practice - Few people can speak off the cuff eloquently. Practice your message out loud and do dry runs with a trusted co-worker to find the holes. Every good presenter does this. They even do it with witnesses in court cases!
  • Look them in the eye - Nothing is more powerful than eye contact. Learn it, use it.

Read Related Articles On Business Review Australia

The world’s most powerful leaders have mastered these lessons to stay calm and confident under fire. They aren’t the only ones who use these tools. What about classic manipulators? They are excellent at convincing others that their message is valid and true.

Cycling legend Lance Armstrong used these techniques to fool hundreds-of-millions of people for many many years. After years of cheating other athletes and lying to his accusers, Armstrong finally admitted to using performance enhancing drugs. He came clean only after he was stripped of 7 Tour de France titles, received a lifetime ban, and was forced to step down from his foundation.

He didn’t break under interrogation. Armstrong controlled his confession like he controlled his lies; revealing only the truths he chose during an orchestrated interview with talk show host Oprah Winfrey.

Up until the very end, Armstrong never wavered from his message. No matter who questioned him, no matter how many times they asked, no matter how they pushed his buttons - he always said the same thing.

Critics described Armstrong as manipulative, controlling, hyper-aggressive, and having a huge ego. Those are the same terms used to describe some of the world’s top business executives – men and women who are revered for their confidence and strength. They can handle any line of questioning without a flinch.

When you believe strongly in your message, when you believe it is right for your company and when you have the courage to stand your ground - you can withstand any questioning. In return, others will believe you and follow you as a great leader.

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Tour guides can use simple, genuine answers in the questioner's language.

Allowing time to ask questions and controlling emotions are also important.

Think before speaking.

Think before speaking.