Tag: #fantasy

SOME ATTRACTIONS OF ISTANBUL-TURKEY

The incredible Istanbul

Istanbul is the main attraction of Turkey. Istanbul is the center of this country for its culture,economic status and history. Also Istanbul is the capital city. According to history , in 657 BCE , Istanbul was founded as Byzantion by Megarian colonists. Later it became Istanbul .

Galata tower

Istanbul is a country which is covered by empires across the centuries and stands in both Europe and Asia. It is one of the most popular travel spots in the World. Some popular and attractive tourist spots are- Aya Sophia, Topkapi Palace, Basilica Cistern, Blue Mosque,Istanbul Archaeology Museum, Hippodrome,Süleymaniye Mosque,Grand Bazaar,Spice Bazaar,Chora Church,Dolmabahçe Palace,Little Aya Sofya,Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts,Rüstem Pasa Mosque,Yedikule Fortress,Galata Tower,Carpet Museum,Fatih Mosque,Pera Museum,Istiklal Caddesi and Taksim,Üsküdar and most popular Cappadocia hot balloon.

Let’s be introduce with some of them-

Aya Sofya or Hagia Sophia

Aya Sofya or Hagia Sophia

According to history in AD 536, for the 1st time  when the Byzantine Emperor Justinian entered his finished church, he cried out “Glory to God that I have been judged worthy of such a work. Oh Solomon, I have outdone you!” Aya Sofya or Hagia Sophia means ‘holy wisdom’. It is a domed monument of Constantinople (6th century AD). It was the emperor’s swaggering statement to the world of the wealth and technical ability of his empire. Tradition maintained that the area surrounding the emperor’s throne within the church was the official center of the world.

 Topkapi Palace 

The Topkapi Palace is a large museum in the east of the Fatih district of Istanbul in Turkey, there are the imperial collections of the Ottoman Empire and maintains an extensive collection of books and manuscripts in its library.

Topkapi Palace

The Blue Mosquewhich

The Blue Mosquewhich

The Blue Mosquewhich is called Sultanahmet Camii in Turkish is an historical mosque in Istanbul .For the blue tiles surrounding the wall  it is known as Blue Mosque. It was situated between 1609 and 1616 years, like many other mosques, it also comprises a tomb of the founder, a madrasa and a hospice.

The Basilica Cistern

The Basilica Cistern

The Basilica Cistern is the largest among the ancient cisterns beneath the city which provided a water filtration system for the nearby buildings. This underground chamber measures approximately 138 meters (453 ft) by 64.6 meters (212 ft) and is capable of holding 80,000 cubic meters (2,800,000 cu ft) of water. The ceiling is supported by 336 marble columns.

The Hippodrome

The Hippodrome

The Hippodrome’s name comes from Greek word hippos(horse) and dromos(course). It was an ancient Greek stadium for horse racing and chariot racing. But in present day  there isn’t much of the Hippodrome left to see, except for a small section of the gallery walls on the southern side, but the At Meydani (park), which now stands on the site, is home to a variety of monuments.

Archaeology Museum

Archaeology Museum

The Istanbul Archaeology Museums are a group of three archaeological museums which are  located in the Eminönü quarter of Istanbul, Turkey, near Gülhane Park and Topkapı Palace. The three museums are- in the main building the Archaeological museum, Museums of the Ancient Orient and Museum of Islamic Art.

Grand Bazaar

Grand Bazaar

In Istanbul, the Grand Bazaar is one of the largest and oldest covered markets in the world. It has a total area of 30,700 m2. There are 61 covered streets and over 4,000 shops attracting between 250,000 and 400,000 visitors daily.

The Süleymaniye Camii 

The Süleymaniye Camii

The Süleymaniye Camii (Suleymaniye Mosque) is one of its most distinctive features with its truly staggering size which was built by the legendary architect, Mimar Sinan, it is one of his masterpieces and his largest design. It is not only the inspiring size that is impressive (the central dome stands 47m high), but also the elegantly decorated interior.  The sense of space and light is emphasized by the supporting semi-domes to the northwest and southeast and the monumental arched spaces to the southwest and northeast.

The Spice Bazaar 

The Spice Bazaar 

The Spice Bazaar  is one of the largest bazaars in this city. Located in the Eminönü quarter of the Fatih district, it is the most famous covered shopping complex after the Grand Bazaar.

Cappadocia

Cappadocia the hot balloons

Cappadocia is  in central Anatolia, in the heartland of what is now Turkey.The area is popular for the hot balloon ride. As it has many areas with unique geological, historic, and cultural features.Hot-air ballooning is very popular in Cappadocia and is available in Göreme. Trekking is enjoyed in Ihlara Valley, Monastery Valley (Guzelyurt), Ürgüp and Göreme.

So we must say Istanbul is incredible.

BOOK REVIEW: The Silver Chair

Author: C.S. Lewis

The Silver Chair is the sixth book in The Chronicles of Narnia series and serves as the sequel of the film ‘ The Voyage of the Dawn Treader’. There had been speculations about this book being adapted into a film but as of now there is no confirmation regarding it. However, this book is included in The Chronicles Of Narnia TV series which is a British BBC produced television serial and aired form 1988 to 1990 and covered four books of the series.
It is a middle grade book just like the rest of the series. This book dives deeper into the land of Narnia and shows the sides of it which weren’t shown before. It is the first book to show openly Narnia as a much less friendly and darker place than the other books. Well it may be because as the series proceeded, it became rather more mature. The Pevensies, who serve as the main characters throughout the film trilogy and also in most of the books, are not in this book.


“You would not have called to me unless I had been calling to you,” said Aslan.”

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/65641.The_Silver_Chair

The story opens with a girl named Jill Pole who had been experiencing bullying. She is comforted by Eustace Scrubb. This is the same guy who was in the film The Voyage of Dawn Treader and was very annoying in the starting but eventually became good by the end. He tells her about Narnia and they both get there. There, both of them are given a task by Aslan, to find and rescue King Caspian’s son, who is the heir to the throne of Narnia.
The book consists of sixteen chapters. The story is very progressive. It gets interesting after every chapter. There is this aura of mystery surrounding the story which wasn’t very prominent in other books. The more you read, the more you get invested in unravelling the mystery of Prince Rilian. Chapter 11 and 12 in particular have a great plot twist which makes overall story very exciting.
There are a lot of referencing in this book as well. It also explores underworld, the part of Narnia which is not really emphasised in other books. This must be the reason that makes this book very different than rest and also gives it a relatively darker tone. Deceit, manipulation, captivity, bullying, delusions are some themes which make this story very different from others. The main antagonist is the Lady of the Green Kirtle, the Queen of the Underland. She is depicted as a very beautiful women who turns out to be very deadly by the end of the book. Looks can be deceiving huh!
The writing style of the author is simple, conversational and cunning. It is written very descriptively and makes the story lively. The narrative of the story gives a very nostalgic feeling as if the story is of a very distant past. Overall, it is a very good book. The storytelling, the characters, the plot, everything is amazing. It is a must read!!!

https://youtu.be/O6yxZ8WXVtw

BOOK REVIEW: The Magician’s Nephew

Author: C.S. Lewis

The Magician’s Nephew is the first book in The Chronicles of Narnia series. There are total seven books in the series. Three of them have been adapted into theatrical films. The Magician’s Nephew serves as the prequel to the movie ‘The lion, the witch and the wardrobe’.
The Chronicles of Narnia series is set up in a fictional world known as Narnia where talking beasts walk, and magic exists. The series follow stories of various people who are associated with Narnia. Each book is has it’s own timeline and is connected with other without loosing essence of it’s own.

Being a prequel of the film, this book deals with a lot of stuff that wasn’t completely explained in the film. It explains the origins of Narnia and the wardrobe and also deals with the backstories of characters which were in the film like white witch and professor. Reading this book prior watching the film make the experience better.

“This is a very important story”, explains the author at the beginning, “because it shows how all the comings and goings between our own world and the land of Narnia first began”.

https://www.goodreads.com/community_answer/93466/comments?reverse=true

The story revolves around a boy named Digory. He befriends a girl named Polly and both agree to go on some sort of adventure for fun but things don’t go so well when they encounter Digory’s uncle Andrew. He tricks the girl into using one of his experimental rings which send her to unknown dimension. Digory goes after her in a quest to save her and find a way back home.
The story then follows their journey through different worlds. The book has a total of 15 chapters. Chapter 3 and 4 in particular are very interesting. They represent the feeling of unfamiliarity very well. The sense of adventure when you try something new yet the feeling of uneasiness which comes out of fear are very well portrayed.
The writing style of the author is very casual and conversational yet very cunning and ominous. It is very descriptive and makes you imagine the stuff in the novel real quick. The world building in this novel as well as the series on the whole is phenomenal. There is a lot of referencing in this book as well and lot of foreshadowing too. The book is written in such a way, it feels like distant past and gives nostalgic vibes. The narration changes from third person to first person many times throughout the series. The later chapters deal with the creation of Narnia, the origins of Jadis, the white witch, who serves as the main antagonist in the sequel. The end of this story marks the beginning of all others and it serves a perfect intro for the rest of the series.

Talking about the lessons it teaches, the first one would be learning to contain your curiosity. Throughout the story, most of the problems occur because the characters are curious to find out what’ll happen if you do a certain thing or so. Values of friendship, loyalty and commitment are also presented well. Overall, this book is a must read.

https://youtu.be/nVBMw372IxU

Best Fantasy movies of all Time

Our Best fantasy movies of all time include Hollywood and Bollywood both. Creating fascinating worlds and outstanding characters features plenty of appeals. It can’t just be a substituted version of our reality. Think more sword and sorcerer, as against different dimension. Fantasy movies are full of magical elements, myth, wonder, escapism, and thus the extraordinary. Humans are depicted as different races like goblins etc.

Everyone thinks fantasy stories are a bit like the Lord of the Rings or Harry potter. Fantasy may be a component of our lifestyle. Fantasy takes us away from our monotonous lives and allows us to enjoy adventure and spectacle, and to imagine a much better world. Movies usually do the same.

Here are some powerful heroic fantasy movies, perhaps the best fantasy movies we will ever see in all of our life time.

Godzilla: King of Monsters

The story follows the valiant efforts of the crypto-zoological agency Monarch.  Its members face off against a cell of god-sized monsters, including the mighty Godzilla. Godzilla strikes with Mothra, Rodan, and his ultimate nemesis, the three-headed King Ghidorah. This is one of the best fantasy movies one should watch.

The Head Hunter

The head hunter is one film on this list that screams fantasy. The premise is simple: an individual (Christopher Rygh) who hunts monsters and takes their heads as trophies. He went in search to kill the one that took his daughter’s life. The highest Hunter has all the quality elements required of a fantasy film. There’s an excellent quest on horseback in medieval armour. In inclusion, actual -like monsters abound. Though it can lack unique elements it visuals made it fantastic.

Thor: Ragnarok

Chris Hemsworth wouldn’t devour as Marvel’s breakout comedy star when he was the first cast as Thor, God of Thunder. But he clothed to be one of the only things about this never-ending mega-franchise. He’s tall, brawny and impossibly handsome, but there’s a self-mocking sparkle in his eye. We would love to include his movie in the list of best fantasy movies of all time.

Hemsworth’s wry toughness evokes the young Sean Connery as Bond, raising an eyebrow at the corniness around him. When he bumbles and stumbles, there’s slight of Grant to his discomfort. And when he’s playing things more or less straight, there’s mean gayness to his reactions. All this humanizes an actor who’s perpetually in peril of being treated as a life-sized action figure.

Kong: Skull Island

Bill Randa joins forces with a map-surveying mission to travel to an uncharted island in Southeast Asia. They’re amid a military escort, courtesy of Lt. Col. Preston and his intrepid helicopter brigade. Along with the soldiers, surveyors, and geologists, like Victor Nieves, who have no idea what they’re certain when the island seems to be home to all or any or any sorts of giant, flesh-eating creatures. And a humongous ape, aka Kong, is at the very best of the natural phenomenon. When the

Helicopters reach and start dropping bombs, Kong takes them out, killing much of the expedition and stranding the rest of them. Soon the crew is split; with Packard assail getting vengeance, while Conrad and Weaver encounter Marlow, an American pilot who’s been surviving among the island’s native people since WWII. Marlow explains that Kong is that the king and guardian of the island which it’s the slithering underground creatures that are the important danger.

PK

PK is that the maximum amount a philosophy as a movie. It takes the unique alien theme, tells the story equally from the lonely alien’s eyes – sometimes, evoking the gorgeous story the tiny Prince – as from his human narrator’s. Starting with the alien’s desperation, PK apprehends the fears and falsehoods that humans weave around faith. PK got baffled when PK decides to wish for his remote, He was not aware of whom he should ask for help.

PK features brave scenes – money extracted at temples, coconuts offered in confusion at a church, god-men dispensing tortuous advice – and powerful lines, including a Muslim girl, bravely asserting, “Itna chota nahin ho sakta hamara Khuda, ki use hamare school jaane pe aitraaz ho”.Capturing faith scrounged into hate, PK’s sterling message, directed sensitively, stands out.

Stardust

Although this film isn’t truly high fantasy one, there are enough fantastical elements within the story to preserve its inclusion on this list. Although the earth is full-clad tolerably, during this case it’s the characters that make it stand out. Besides the fact that it introduced mainstream audiences to the person without fear, the chemistry between Cox and Danes is one of the things that holds the film together. But, no matter how you slice it, fallen stars, evil witches, dead brothers, and a cross-dressing pirate bring a wickedly blast.

Black Panther

Black Panther would always be the best-looking Marvel movie yet. Supersaturated with vivid futurism and as bold and riotous as a rack of dashiki print shirts. I think that what makes a superb movie, regardless of genre, isn’t necessarily the action, or how the actors look, but character and this movie delivers. T’Challa was an amazing protagonist with relate-ability and likability that stayed consistent in war. I liked  T’Challa’s sister and his ex-girlfriend. Killmonger, the villain of the film, deserves credit for his sympathy for others of his race who’ve suffered discrimination from Europeans through history up to the present. He is one of the reasons we were forced to include this movie in the best fantasy movies of all-time list.