A R O G ’ S STORY

:FRM

“ G O R A ” T

“ İ S T A N B U L ” . . .

It was 29th May 2013. “ARAS” was bored at home because it was really

hot outside. He had no homework to do.So, he decided to chat on the Internet. He went into a chat room called “Far from the

Space!” He started to chat with a boy called “AROG”. Arog said he was living in the planet called “GORA”

but he was looking for a better place to live in.Aras talked about İstanbul. Arog was very

interested.Aras invited Arog to this beautiful city. Arog came in 5 seconds

Here is their trip in İstanbul . . .

Arog : This bridge is wonderful. What is its name, Aras ?

Aras : This is the “Bosphorus Bridge.”

Aras : It was built in 1973. İstanbul is an important city. It has land in two continents: Asia and Europe. There is another bridge called “Mehmet the Conqueror Bridge.” They connect the Asian Side with the European Side. Thousands of people go over them every day.

Arog : It looks perfect. What is this, Aras ? Aras : Its name is the “Rumeli Fortress.”

Aras : It was built in 1453 by Mehmet the Conqueror. It helped him to conquer İstanbul.

Arog : This is a strange one. What is it, Aras ?Aras : It is the “Maiden’s Tower.”

Aras : It is a marvellous place. There are a lot of stories about it. One of them is that, it was built by a father who had a very beautiful daughter. She had to live alone in this tower so that nobody could see her. But unfortunately, she was killed by a snake!

Arog : Look! What is this?Aras : It is the “Galata Tower.” It was built in 528, as a light tower. In 1638 Hezarfen Ahmet Çelebi flew from here to Doğancılar (a park in Asian side) with his wooden wings. It has a fabulous landscape.

Arog : This is gorgeous. What is it, Aras ? Aras : It is the “Blue Mosque”. We call it blue because thousands of blue tiles were used to build it. It is the most famous mosque in our country.

Arog : This is fantastic. What is it, Aras ? Aras : Its name is the “Hagia Sophia”. It used to be a church and a mosque in the past. Now it is a museum.

Arog : It looks great! What is this?

Aras : It is the “Topkapı Palace.” It was built by Mehmet II. It was the residence

of the Ottoman Sultans for a long time. Now it is a museum.

Arog : What is this big building? Aras : Its name is the “Dolmabahçe Palace”. There are a lot of palaces in İstanbul. The sultans and the presidents used to live in these huge houses a long time ago.

Arog : It looks like Dolmabahçe Palace. What is this?

Aras : It is the “Beylerbeyi Palace.” It was built in 1860. It was a summer residence for the Ottoman Sultans.

Arog : What is this, Aras ?Aras : It is Istanbul University. There are many universities in İstanbul. This one was built in 1453 by Mehmet II. It has many campus buildings in European Side. Its motto is “ Leadership in Higher Education for Centuries.”

Arog : Vaow! This is a spectacular scene!Aras : Yes. There are lots of tall buildings in İstanbul. They are used as companies, hotels, shopping malls, or just homes. The number of them is increasing very fast. Here are some of them:

Arog : What is that ? Aras : It is the famous “Galatasaray TT Arena Football Stadium.”

Aras : Do you like football, Arog ? Arog : Yes, of course ! Aras : That’s great. Football is very important in İstanbul. We have got a lot of football clubs and football stadiums.

Arog : What are these, Aras ? Aras : They are the “Princes’ Islands.”

Aras : We like going to the Princes’ Islands. We swim in the sea, have picnic in the forest, walk in the silent streets, etc. Arog : That sounds nice. Are there any “real princes”?Aras : Ha ha ha. No, sorry!

Big Island

Heybeli Island

Kınalı Island

Burgaz Island

Aras : Do you want to go to İstanbul’s busiest place?Arog : Yessss.Aras : Here is the “İstiklal Street.” It is one of the most famous avenues in İstanbul. It has some small shopping malls , many hotels, consulate buildings of many countries and very good restaurants.

Aras : We have an ancient indoor market. Let’s go there!Arog: I am ready….Aras : Here is the “Grand Bazaar.” It was built in 1461. Grand Bazaar has many gates and streets in it. Mostly it has jewellery stores, antique shops and leather stores.

Aras : This is Grand Bazaar’s main gate. Its name is Nuruosmaniye .

Aras : So, what do you think about İstanbul, my friend ?

Arog : I’m really impressed. This is a wonderful city.

Everything is spectacular. Just a minute, I’m going to phone my family and my friends.(two minutes later)OK, they are coming. They will be here soon. My father wants a big flat in a very tall building. It

must be near the airport. You know, we will sometimes

have short trips in our spaceship! Thank you very much , my friend .

Aras : My pleasure . Welcome to İstanbul , AROG !

Aras : By the way, İstanbul was the “European Capital of Culture” in 2010. We were really proud of this. But, this means it is becoming more crowded day by day. Don’t get angry with me