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Monday, 06 October 2008

Routes Less Travelled


Medieval Monasteries in Serbia

The three most impressive monasteries in Central Serbia – Žica, Studenica and Sopoćani, are the first examples of the energy with which the Nemanjić Dynasty took on the consolidation of an... Full Story



Kosovo
The Serbian Convent of Gračanica: Heavens Made of Stone

This monastery is the smallest of the three key treasures of Serbian Orthodoxy in Kosovo, but it is arguably the most exquisite one. As the twentieth-century Serb poet Desanka Maksimović wrote, “O Gračanica, if you were not made of stone, you... Full Story


Kosovo
The Serbian Patriarchate of Peć: Wild, Barbaric Colours against the Dark Prokletije Mountains

The contemporary convent of Peć once hosted the medieval Patriarchate of Serbia and it is one of the earliest preserved Orthodox edifices in Kosovo. As headquarters of the Serbian church from around 1250 till 1766, it was created as the most... Full Story


Kosovo
The Serbian Monastery of Dečani: a Blind Prodigal King in a Sea of Frescoes

King Milutin's son Stefan built this remarkable Balkan monastery to commemorate a royal family drama, which Shakespeare himself could have hardly thought up better. As a young prince, Stefan rose against his father. As punishment, he was blinded,... Full Story


Bulgaria
Kurdzhali: Where Men Trade in their Uniforms for Cassocks and the Town Clock Sings

At first sight, Kurdzhali is just like many other provincial towns in Bulgaria: it seems to stand still in time, its communist-style buildings lining the quiet streets and boulevards. But, upon closer inspection, the town’s peculiar history and... Full Story


Turkey
Sumela in Eastern Turkey: A Monastery with a View

Ever since the time of Saint Anthony, monks have been willing to give up their brocade attire, leather couch or pear soufflé before they gave up a good view. A quick survey of the monasteries around the world proves this.

The windows of the... Full Story


Kosovo
Clay Faces and Hope for the Future Illuminate Kosovo

Izeir Mustafa’s studio is 35 kilometres north of Priština. We park in one of the grounds of a large industrial zone. As his assistant leads us through the grey, run-down grounds between the industrial halls, the sun begins to set.

When we get... Full Story


Greece
The Dönmeh: the Judeo-Islamic Mystery of Thessaloniki

Neither Muslims nor Jews, but rather a bit of both, Thessaloniki’s Dönmeh were the most influential group in the city over a period of almost 400 years. The rumours that the founder of modern Turkey, Kemal Atatürk, was one of them remain... Full Story


Turkey
Cappadocia: A Décor Authored by the Elements

Central Turkey’s scenery evokes Lucas, Spielberg, and Bertolucci simultaneously: fantastic, stunning, and magically beautiful.

How long does it take to create a masterpiece? It could take four million years. Full Story


Bulgaria
Chiprovtsi: Stooping Women Guard the Bulgarian Renaissance's Few Traces

If the women in Chiprovtsi are slightly stooped, it is because they have spent the past four centuries sitting on little three-legged chairs. For as long as the place is remembered historically, they have substituted the pianos in their living... Full Story




Epicure


Turkey
Balkan Culinary Wars III: Other People’s Meatballs

Ćevapčići from Leskovac, köfte from İzmir or Bulgarian kebapche? Greek keftedes too, please!
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Curiosity Chest


Greece
Ancient Greece’s Elgin Marbles Stand at the Centre of a 200-Year Long Great Ado

During his term as British ambassador to the Ottoman Empire at the turn of the nineteenth century, Thomas Bruce, Seventh Earl of Elgin, already knew his actions were controversial and that he might go down in history as a “vandal.” But he most likely did not anticipate that, 200 years on, the heated international dispute he caused would continue to rage with full force.
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Annoyances in the Balkans


Balkans
Relentless Homophobia Rages in the Balkans

Be IN-tolerant! Be normal!, appeals a poster (pictured above) that recently flooded the streets of the Bulgarian capital, Sofia.

As the first gay pride parade in Bulgaria is about to take place, amid strong opposition by nationalistic organisations and a large part of society, the high levels of persistent homophobia in the country and the Full Story


Insiders' Advice


If the relentless homophobia is already that bad, what's the attitude in general towards HIV/AIDS, given the rather worrying HIV-prevalence in Eastern Europe and Russia?
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Is it easy to drive in the Balkans? Depends. If you are looking for adrenalin, this is a cheap way to get it. Expats say the best tactics is not to get annoyed.
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How to pick the right time to go? Winter is beautiful in the high mountains, the problem is, it can be so cold! Then again, who cares how cold it is - the locals have a cheap cure: heavy red wine. Sometimes warmed up.
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You can't trust local maps. Nor some international travel guides. One of them, for instance, says, that Neretva River in Bosnia and Herzegovina flows FROM the Adriatic towards the inland of the Balkans, never reaching the sea. OK, how about the Neretva delta and channel in Croatia?
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The Big Book of Travelling


United States
The Rise of Burlesque in New York: Tassels and the City

Burlesque – the more audacious relative of commedia dell'arte, is in revival. A reality in “upside down style”, this creative, witty and softer version of striptease is back on stage, following an absence of nearly 80 years. In New York, Anjeza Bojku scoped out several burlesqee venues for BalkanTravellers.com. Full Story

Thailand
A Short Guide to the Peculiarities of Thai Food