The Dardanelles during the Byzantine period

The Dardanelles were vital to the defence of Constantinople during the Byzantine period.

Marble plate with 6th century AD law regulating payment of customs in the Dardanelles.

Also, the Dardanelles was an important source of income for the ruler of the region. At the Istanbul Archaeological Museum a marble plate contains a law by the Byzantine Emperor Anastasius I (491–518 AD), that regulated fees for passage through the customs office of the Dardanelles (see image to the right). Translation: gallipoli tours

... Whoever dares to violate these regulations shall no longer be regarded as a friend, and he shall be punished. Besides, the administrator of the Dardanelles must have the right to receive 50 golden Litrons, so that these rules, which we make out of piety, shall never ever be violated... ... The distinguished governor and major of the capital, who already has both hands full of things to do, has turned to our lofty piety in order to reorganize the entry and exit of all ships through the Dardanelles... ... Starting from our day and also in the future, anybody who wants to pass through the Dardanelles must pay the following: çanakkale sehitlik turu

– All wine merchants who bring wine to the capital (Constantinopolis), except Cilicians, have to pay the Dardanelles officials 6 follis and 2 sextarius of wine.
– In the same manner, all merchants of olive-oil, vegetables and lard must pay the Dardanelles officials 6 follis. Cilician sea-merchants have to pay 3 follis and in addition to that, 1 keration (12 follis) to enter, and 2 keration to exit.

– All wheat merchants have to pay the officials 3 follis per modius, and a further sum of 3 follis when leaving.

Since the 14th century the Dardanelles have almost continuously been controlled by the Turks.

Timeline of the Gallipoli Campaign

August 1914
3 – First Lord of the Admiralty, Winston Churchill, confiscates two Ottoman battleships (i.e. HMS Agincourt and HMS Erin) under construction in the United Kingdom.
10 – German warships SMS Goeben and SMS Breslau, having evaded Royal Navy pursuit in the Mediterranean, reach the Dardanelles and are granted passage.
October 1914
28 – Ottoman navy raids Russian Black Sea ports including Odessa and Sevastopol.
November 1914
2 – Politics: Russia declares war on Turkey.
3 – Naval operations: Royal Navy squadron, including the battlecruisers HMS Indomitable and HMS Indefatigable, bombard the Turkish forts at the entrance to the Dardanelles.
6 – Politics: The United Kingdom declares war on Turkey.
December 1914
13 – Naval operations: British submarine B11 sinks the obsolete Ottoman ironclad Mesûdiye in the straits south of Çanakkale.
January 1915
13 – British War Council approves plans for a naval operation to force the Dardanelles.
15 – Naval operations: French submarine Saphir is lost after running aground in the straits.
February 1915
19 – Naval operations: First attack on the Dardanelles by battleships HMS Cornwallis, HMS Vengeance and French battleship Suffren.
25 – Naval operations: Second attack on the Dardanelles, led by Vice-Admiral John de Robeck aboard Vengeance.
March 1915
10 – Naval operations: Night attack in the straits led by Commodore Roger Keyes and the battleship HMS Canopus.
12 – General Sir Ian Hamilton is appointed commander of the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force by the Secretary of State for War, Horatio Kitchener.
13 – Naval operations: Keyes conducts another night-time minesweeping operation with some success.
16 – Naval operations: Admiral Carden, commander of the Allied fleet, resigns due to nervous strain. Vice-Admiral de Robeck takes command.
18 – Naval operations: Turkey defeats the final attempt by the British and French fleet to force the straits. Three battleships are sunk by mines. Three battleships and the battlecruiser HMS Inflexible are badly damaged.
22 – At a conference between Hamilton and de Robeck aboard HMS Queen Elizabeth, it is decided to make an amphibious landing on the Gallipoli peninsula.
April 1915
17 – British submarine E15 runs aground in the straits.
25 – British Empire and French forces make amphibious landings on the Gallipoli peninsula.
Landing at Cape Helles made by the British 29th Division and elements of the Royal Naval Division.
Landing at Anzac Cove made by the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC).
French forces make a diversionary landing at Kum Kale on the Asian shore.
26 – Naval operations: Australian submarine HMAS AE2 becomes the first Allied vessel to pass through the Dardanelles into the Sea of Marmara.
27 – Anzac: Under the command of Mustafa Kemal, the Turks mount a counter-attack but fail to drive the Anzacs into the sea.
27 – Naval operations: British submarine E14 passes through the Dardanelles to start a successful three-week tour.
28 – Helles: First Battle of Krithia British and French forces suffer 4,000 casualties for little gain.
28 – Anzac: The Anzac landing is reinforced by four battalions from the Royal Naval Division.
May 1915
1 – Naval operations: French submarine Joule is mined and sunk in the straits.
6 – Helles: Second Battle of Krithia commences. British 42nd (East Lancashire) Division begins landing as reinforcements.
8 – Helles: Second Battle of Krithia ends.
12
Helles: HMS Goliath is sunk by the Ottoman torpedo boat Muavenet-i Milliye.
Anzac: Australian 1st Light Horse Brigade arrives as reinforcements.
13 – Anzac: New Zealand Mounted Rifles Brigade arrives as reinforcements. Royal Naval Division battalions rejoin the rest of the division at Helles.
15 – Anzac: Major General W.T. Bridges, commander of the Australian 1st Division is mortally wounded in the leg by a Turkish sniper. He dies at sea three days later.
18 – Naval operations: British submarine E11 passes through the straits into the Sea of Marmara.
18 – Anzac: Turkish forces mount a massive attack using 42,000 men but are repulsed, suffering 10,000 casualties.
19 – Anzac: Australian stretcher-bearer John Simpson Kirkpatrick is killed near Steele's Post.
20 – Anzac: The Australian 2nd Light Horse Brigade arrives as reinforcements.
21 – Anzac: The Australian 3rd Light Horse Brigade arrives as reinforcements.
22 – Anzac: Negotiations commence to arrange an armistice in order to bury the dead in no man's land.
24 – Anzac: An armistice is declared from 7.30 a.m. to 4.30 p.m. in which time Turkish and Anzac dead are buried.
25
Anzac: HMS Triumph is sunk by German U-boat U-21.
Naval operations: HMS E11 torpedoes Ottoman transport Stamboul in the Bosphorus, causing panic in Constantinople.
27 – Helles: HMS Majestic is sunk by U-21.
28-30 Battle for No.3 Post
June 1915
4 – Helles: Third Battle of Krithia British and French forces mount a limited attack but still fail to reach their objectives.
28 – Helles: Battle of Gully Ravine starts.
July 1915
5 – Helles: Battle of Gully Ravine ends with the British repelling a large Turkish counter-attack.
12 – Helles: British 52nd (Lowland) Division and Royal Naval Division attack along Achi Baba Nullah.
August 1915
3 – Anzac: Reinforcements for the forthcoming offensive begin landing, including the British 13th (Western) Division.
6 – Battle of Sari Bair, also known as the August Offensive, commences.
Helles: Battle of Krithia Vineyard diversion commences with an attack by the 88th Brigade of the British 29th Division.
Anzac: Battle of Lone Pine diversion commences at 6.30 a.m. with the Australian 1st Division capturing Turkish trenches. Fighting continues for six days in which time seven Victoria Crosses are awarded.
Suvla: At 10.00 p.m. the British 11th (Northern) Division, part of IX Corps, begins landing.
Anzac: Under cover of darkness, two columns of Anzac, British & Indian troops break out to the north, heading for the heights of Chunuk Bair and Hill 971.
7
Anzac: Battle of the Nek At 4.30 a.m. another futile diversion virtually wipes out two regiments of the 3rd Light Horse Brigade.
Suvla: The British 10th (Irish) Division begins landing.
Helles: Fighting at Krithia Vineyard continues with an attack by the 42nd Division.
Anzac: After a lengthy delay, the New Zealand Infantry Brigade attempts to capture Chunuk Bair but fails.
8
Anzac: Battle of Chunuk Bair Attacking at 3.00 a.m., New Zealand and British infantry gain a foothold on Chunuk Bair.
Naval operations: British submarine HMS E11 torpedoes the Ottoman battleship Barbaros Hayreddin off Bulair.
9 – Anzac: A general attack by the Allies on the heights of Chunuk Bair, Hill Q and Hill 971 fails.
10
Anzac: Battle of Chunuk Bair ends when the Turks, led by Mustafa Kemal, drive the Allies off the heights.
Suvla: British 53rd (Welsh) Division attacks Scimitar Hill, suffering heavy casualties.
12 – Anzac: Battle of Lone Pine ends.
13 – Helles: Battle of Krithia Vineyard ends.
15 – Suvla: General Sir Frederick Stopford is sacked as commander of IX Corps.
21 – Final British offensive of the campaign launched to consolidate Anzac and Suvla landings.
Suvla: Battle of Scimitar Hill IX Corps makes a final attempt to seize Scimitar and W Hills.
Anzac: Battle of Hill 60 begins.
29 – Battle of Hill 60 ends.
September 1915
12 – The 26th Infantry Battalion at ANZAC arrives as reinforcements, deployed to Taylor's Hollow.
19 – Royal Newfoundland Regiment arrives as reinforcements.
October 1915
15 – General Sir Ian Hamilton is sacked as commander of the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force.
28 – General Sir Charles Monro arrives to assume command of the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force.
30 – Naval operations: French submarine Turquoise runs aground while returning through the Dardanelles and is captured.
31 – Suvla: Destroyer HMS Louis runs aground in a storm and is wrecked.
November 1915
6 – Naval operations: British submarine E20 is ambushed and sunk in the Sea of Marmara by German U-boat U-14.
15 – Field Marshal Horatio Kitchener, the Secretary of State for War, visits Gallipoli.
22 – Kitchener recommends evacuation of Anzac and Suvla.
27 – A fierce storm and blizzard, lasting three days, strikes the peninsula.
December 1915
7 – Politics: The British Cabinet orders the evacuation of Anzac and Suvla.
18 – Start of final evacuation of Anzac and Suvla.
20 – Evacuation of Anzac and Suvla completed before dawn.
28 – Politics: The British Cabinet orders the evacuation of Helles.
January 1916
7 – Helles: British garrison reduced to 19,000. Turkish assault launched along Gully Spur.
9 – Helles: Last British troops depart the Gallipoli peninsula.

Lieutenant general

Lieutenant general, lieutenant-general and similar, (abbrev Lt Gen, LTG and similar), is a military rank (NATO code OF-8) used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages where the title of lieutenant general was held by the second in command on the battlefield, who was normally subordinate to a captain general.

In modern armies, lieutenant general normally ranks immediately below general and above major general; it is equivalent to the navy rank of vice admiral, and in air forces with a separate rank structure, it is equivalent to air marshal. A lieutenant general commands an army corps, made up of typically three army divisions, and consisting of around 60,000-70,000 soldiers.

The seeming incongruity that a lieutenant general outranks a major general, (while a major outranks a lieutenant), is due to the derivation of the latter rank from sergeant major general, which was also subordinate to lieutenant general. In some countries, (e.g. France and Italy), the ranks of corps general or lieutenant colonel general are used instead of lieutenant general, in an attempt to solve this apparent anomaly – these ranks are often translated into English as lieutenant general.

In a number of states, the rank of lieutenant general is the highest army rank in use. In Latvia and Lithuania, the chief of defence is a lieutenant general, and in the Irish Defence Forces and Israeli forces, the Chief of Staff holds this rank. Gallipoli day tour from istanbul, it is perfect with our tour guides.

Lieutenant general ranks by country

Lieutenant general (Australia)
Lieutenant general (Bangladesh)
General de Divisão (Brazil)
Lieutenant-general (Canada)
Kindralleitnant (Estonia)
Kenraaliluutnantti (Finland)
Generalleutnant (Germany)
Altábornagy (Hungary)
Lieutenant general (India)
Letnan Jenderal (Indonesia)
Sepahbod (Iran)
Lieutenant general (Republic of Ireland)
Generale di Corpo d'Armata (Italy)
Luitenant-generaal (Netherlands)
Generalløytnant (Norway)
Lieutenant general (Pakistan)
Tenyente heneral (Philippines)
General dywizji (Poland)
Tenente-general (Portugal)
General de corp de armata (Romania) (see Général de corps d'armée (Fr))
Teniente general (Spain)
Lieutenant general (Sri Lanka)
Generallöjtnant (Sweden)
Pol tho (Thailand)
Lieutenant general (United Kingdom)[1]
Lieutenant general (United States)
Trung tu?ng (Vietnam)
Lieutenant general (Zimbabwe)

Otto Liman von Sanders

Generalleutnant Otto Liman von Sanders (February 17, 1855 – August 22, 1929) was a German general who served as adviser and military commander for the Ottoman Empire during World War I.

He was born in Stolp (now Slupsk) in Pomerania province of the Kingdom of Prussia. His father was a Jewish nobleman. Like many other Prussians from aristocratic families, he joined the military and rose through the ranks to Lieutenant General. Like several Prussian generals before him (e.g., von Moltke and Baron von der Goltz), he was appointed the head of a German military mission to the Ottoman Empire in 1913. For nearly eighty years, the Ottoman Empire had been trying to modernize its army along European lines. Liman von Sanders would be the last German to attempt this task.

On 30 June 1914, two days after the outbreak of the war in Europe, the Ottoman leaders agreed to form an alliance with Germany against Russia, although it did not require them to undertake military action, and on 31 October 1914, the Ottoman Empire officially entered the war on the side of the Central Powers. Britain and France declared war on 5 November, and the Ottomans declared a jihad (holy war) later that month.

The first proposal to attack the Ottoman Empire was made by the French Minister of Justice Aristide Briand in November 1914, which was rejected. Later that month Winston Churchill, First Lord of the Admiralty, proposed a naval attack on the Dardanelles, based in part on erroneous reports of Ottoman troop strength. An initial attempt to force the Dardanelles by sea failed on 18 March 1915, due to gunfire from Ottoman forts on both sides of the strait. The Allies then turned to planning amphibious operations to capture the forts and clear the strait, which led to the Gallipoli Battlefield Tours.

Liman had little time to organize the defences, but he had two things in his favor. First, the Ottoman 5th Army in the Gallipoli peninsula was the best army they had, some 84,000 well-equipped soldiers in six divisions. Second, he was helped by poor Allied leadership. On 23 April 1915, the British landed a major force at Cape Helles. One of Liman's best decisions during this time was to promote Mustafa Kemal (later known as Atatürk) to commander of the 19th division. Kemal's division literally saved the day for the Ottomans. His troops marched up on the day of the invasion and occupied the ridge line above the ANZAC landing site, just as the ANZAC troops were moving up the slope themselves. Kemal recognized the danger and personally made sure his troops held the ridge line. They were never forced off despite constant attacks for the next five months.

From April to November 1915 (when the decision to evacuate was made), Liman had to fight off numerous attacks against his defensive positions. The British tried another landing at Suvla Bay, but this also was halted by the Ottoman defenders. The only bright spot for the British in this entire operation was that they managed to evacuate their positions without much loss. However, this battle was a major victory for the Ottoman army and some of the credit is given to the generalship of Liman von Sanders.

Early in 1915, the previous head of the German military mission to the Ottoman Empire, Baron von der Goltz arrived in Istanbul as military advisor to the (essentially powerless) Sultan, Mehmed V. The old Baron did not get along with Liman von Sanders and did not like the three Pashas (Enver Pasha, Cemal Pasha and Talat) who ran the Ottoman Empire during the war. The Baron proposed some major offensives against the British, but these proposals came to nothing in the face of Allied offensives against the Ottomans on three fronts (the Dardanelles, the Caucasus Front, and the newly opened Mesopotamian Front). Liman was rid of the old Baron when Enver Pasha sent him to fight the British in Mesopotamia in October 1915. (Goltz died there six months later just before the British army at Kut surrendered).

In 1918, the last year of the war, Liman von Sanders took over command of the Ottoman army during the Sinai and Palestine Campaign, replacing the German General Erich von Falkenhayn who had been defeated by British General Allenby at the end of 1917.

Liman was hampered by the significant decline in power of the Ottoman army. His forces were unable to do anything more than occupy defensive positions and wait for the British attack. The attack was a long time in coming, but when General Allenby finally unleashed his army, the entire Ottoman army was destroyed in a week of fighting (see the Battle of Megiddo). In the rout, Liman was nearly captured by British soldiers.

After the war ended he was arrested in Malta in February 1919 on charges of having committed war crimes, but he was released six months later. He retired from the German army that year. You can visit his battlefield area on a perfect gallipoli day tour from istanbul.

In 1927 he published a book he had written in captivity in Malta about his experiences before and during the war (there is an English translation). Two years later Otto Liman von Sanders died in Munich at the age of seventy-four.

Early pressure on nationalist militias

Anatolia had many forces on its soil: British battalions, Ahmet Aznavur forces, and the Sultan's army. The Sultan gave 4,000 soldiers from his Kuva-i Inzibatiye (Caliphate Army). Then using money from the Allies, he raised another army, a force about 2,000 strong from non-Muslim inhabitants which were initially deployed in Iznik. The sultan's government sent forces under the name of the caliphate army to the revolutionaries and aroused counterrevolutionary outbreaks.

The British being skeptical of how formidable these insurgents were, decided to use irregular power to counteract this rebellion. The nationalist forces were distributed all around Turkey, so many small units were dispatched to face them. In Izmit there were two battalions of the British army. Their commanders were living on the Ottoman warship Yavuz. These units were to be used to rout the partisans under the command of Ali Fuat Cebesoy and Refet Bele.

On 13 April, the first conflict occurred at Düzce as a direct consequence of the sheik ul-Islam's fatwa. On 18 April, the Düzce conflict was extended to Bolu; on 20 April, it extended to Gerede. The movement engulfed an important part of northwestern Anatolia for about a month. The Ottoman government had accorded semi-official status to the "Kuva-i Inzibatiye" and Ahmet Anzavur held an important role in the uprising. Both sides faced each other in a pitched battle near Izmit on June 14. Ahmet Aznavur's forces and British units outnumbered the militias. Yet under heavy attack some of the Kuva-i Inzibatiye deserted and joined the opposing ranks. This revealed the Sultan did not have the unwavering support of his men. Meanwhile, the rest of these forces withdrew behind the British lines which held their position.

The clash outside Izmit brought serious consequences. The British forces opened fire on the nationalists and bombed them from the air. This bombing forced a retreat but there was a panic in Constantinople. The British commander—General George Milne—asked for reinforcements. This led to a study to determine what would be required to defeat the Turkish nationalists. The report—signed by Field Marshal Ferdinand Foch—concluded that 27 divisions would be sufficient, but the British army did not have 27 divisions to spare. Also gallipoli tour , a deployment of this size could have disastrous political consequences back home. World War I had just ended, and the British public would not support another lengthy and costly expedition.

The British accepted the fact that a nationalist movement could not be faced without deployment of consistent and well-trained forces. On June 25, the forces originating from Kuva-i Inzibatiye were dismantled under British supervision. The official stance was that there was no use for them. The British realized that the best option to overcome these Turkish nationalists was to use a force that was battle-tested and fierce enough to fight the Turks on their own soil. The British had to look no further than Turkey's neighbor: Greece.

Promulgation of the Grand National Assembly

The strong measures taken against the nationalists by the Ottoman government created a distinct new phase. Mustafa Kemal sent a note to the governors and force commanders, asking them to implement the election of delegates to join the GNA, which would convene in Ankara. Mustafa Kemal appealed to the Islamic world, asking for help to make sure that everyone knew he was still fighting in the name of the sultan who was also the caliph. He stated he wanted to free the Caliph from the Allies. Plans were made to organize a new government and parliament in Ankara, and then ask the sultan to accept its authority.

A flood of supporters moved to Ankara just ahead of the Allied dragnets. Included among them were Halide Edip, Adnan (Adývar), Ýsmet (Ýnönü), Mustafa Kemal’s important allies in the Ministry of War, and Celaleddin Arif, the president of the Chamber of Deputies. Yunus Nadi (Abalýoglu), the owner of Yeni Gün newspaper, journalist-author and deputy of Izmir, Halide Edip (Adývar) met in Geyve on March 31. Anzac Day Tours Gallipoli Two intellectuals discussed the necessity that a news agency should be established to counter the allied occupation administration's censure over the news. They chose Anadolu as the name. Mustafa Kemal, whom they meet in Ankara, immediately launched initiatives to herald the establishment of the Anadolu Agency. Mustafa Kemal wanted to transmit news stories to the world. Kemal also stressed the importance of making the national struggle heard inside and outside of the country. Celaleddin Arif's desertion of the capital was of great significance. Celaleddin Arif stated that the Ottoman Parliament had been dissolved illegally. The Armistice did not give Allies the power to dissolve the Ottoman Parliament and the Constitution of 1909 had also removed the Sultan's power to do so, to prevent what Abdülhamid did in 1879.

Some 100 members of the Ottoman Parliament were able to escape the Allied roundup and joined 190 deputies elected around the country by the national resistance group. Ismet Inonü joined as a deputy from Edirne. In March 1920, Turkish revolutionaries announced that the Turkish nation was establishing its own Parliament in Ankara under the name Grand National Assembly (GNA). The GNA assumed full governmental powers. On April 23, the new Assembly gathered for the first time, making Mustafa Kemal its first president and Ismet Inönü chief of the General Staff. The new regime’s determination to revolt against the government in the capital and not the Sultan was quickly made evident. By May 3, 1920, a Turkish Provisional Government was also formed in Ankara.

The Ottoman German Alliance

The Ottoman – German Alliance was an alliance between the German Empire and the Ottoman Empire that was ratified on August 2, 1914, shortly following the outbreak of World War I. The alliance was created as part of a joint-cooperative effort that would strengthen and modernize the ailing Ottoman military, as well as provide Germany safe passage into neighboring British colonies.

On the eve of the First World War, the Ottoman Empire was in ruinous shape. As a result of subsequent wars fought in this period, territories were lost, the economy was in shambles and people were demoralized and tired. What the Empire needed was time to recover and to carry out reforms; however, there was no time, because the world was sliding into war and the Ottoman Empire was highly unlikely to manage to remain outside the coming conflict. Since staying neutral and focusing on recovery did not appear to be possible, the Empire had to ally with one or the other camp, because, after the Italo-Turkish War and Balkan Wars, it was completely out of resources. There were not adequate quantities of weaponry and machinery left; and neither did the Empire have the financial means to purchase new ones. The only option for the Sublime Port was to establish an alliance with a European power; and at first it did not really matter which one that would be. As Talat Paþa, the Minister of Interior, wrote in his memoirs: “Turkey needed to join one of the country groups so that it could organize its domestic administration, strengthen and maintain its commerce and industry, expand its railroads, in short to survive and to preserve its existence.”

The problem was that most European powers were not keen to conclude an alliance with the ailing Ottoman Empire. Already at the beginning of the Turko-Italian War in Northern Africa, the Grand Vizier Sait Halim Paþa had expressed the government’s desire, and the Turkish ambassadors were asked to find out whether the European capitals would be interested. Only Russia seemed to have an interest – however, under conditions that would have amounted a Russian protectorate on the Ottoman lands. It was impossible to reconcile an alliance with the French: as France's main ally was Russia, the long-time enemy of the Ottoman Empire since the War of 1828. Great Britain declined an Ottoman request.

The Ottoman Sultan Mehmed V specifically wanted the Empire to remain a non-belligerent nation. However pressure from some of Mehmed's senior advisors led the Empire to align with the Central Powers. Whilst Great Britain was unenthusiastic about aligning with the Ottoman Empire Germany was enthusiastic.

Germany needed the Ottoman Empire on its side. The Orient Express had run directly to Constantinople since 1889, and prior to the First World War the Sultan had consented to a plan to extend it through Anatolia to Baghdad under German auspices. This would strengthen the Ottoman Empire's link with industrialised Europe, while also giving Germany easier access to its African colonies and to trade markets in India. To keep the Ottoman Empire from joining the Triple Entente, Germany encouraged Romania and Bulgaria to enter the Central Powers.

A secret treaty was concluded between the Ottoman Empire and the German Empire on August 2, 1914. The Ottoman Empire was to enter the war on the side of the Central Powers one day after the German Empire declared war on Russia. The alliance was ratified on 2 August by many high ranking Ottoman officials, including Grand Vizier Said Halim Pasha, the Minister of War Enver Pasha, the Interior Minister Talat Pasha, and Head of Parliament Halil Bey.

However, there was no signature from the House of Osman as the Sultan Mehmed V did not sign it. The Sultan was the Commander-in-Chief of the Army, as written in the constitution, this made the legitimacy of the Alliance questionable. This meant that the army was not be able to fight on behalf of the Sultan. The Sultan himself had wanted the Empire to remain neutral. He did not wish to command a war himself and as such left the Cabinet to do much of his bidding. The third member of the cabinet of the Three Pashas Djemal Pasha also did not sign the treaty as he had tried to form an alliance with France. The Alliance was not universally accepted by all parts of the Ottoman government (see below Geoffrey Miller "Turkey enters the war").

The Ottoman Empire did not enter the war until German elements in the Ottoman Navy took matters into their own hands and bombarded Russian ports on the 29th of October 1914.

Mehmed V Reshad

Mehmed V Reshad (Ottoman Turkish: Turkish: Mehmed V Reþad or Reþat Mehmet) (2/3 November 1844 – 3/4 July 1918) was the 35th Ottoman Sultan. He was the son of Sultan Abdülmecid I. He was succeeded by his half-brother Mehmed VI.

Birth
He was born at Topkapý Palace, Constantinople. Like many other potential heirs to the throne, he was confined for 30 years in the Harems of the palace. For nine of those years he was in solitary confinement. During this time he studied poetry of the old Persian style and was an acclaimed poet. On his ninth birthday he was ceremoniously circumcised in the special Circumcision Room (Sünnet Odasi) of Topkapý Palace.

Reign
His reign began on 27 April 1909 but he was largely a figurehead with no real political power, as the Ottoman state affairs were largely run by the Three Pashas since the Young Turk Revolution in 1908. Mehmed V's only significant political act was to formally declare jihad against the Entente Powers (Allies of World War I) on 11 November 1914, following the Ottoman government's decision to join the First World War on the side of the Central Powers. He was actually said to look with disfavor on the pro-German policy of Enver Pasha.

This was the last genuine proclamation of jihad in history by a Caliph, as the Caliphate lasted until 1924. The proclamation had no noticeable effect on the war, despite the fact that many Muslims lived in Ottoman territories. The Arabs eventually joined the British forces against the Ottomans with the Arab Revolt in 1916.

Mehmed V hosted Kaiser Wilhelm II, his World War I ally, in Constantinople on 15 October 1917. He was made Generalfeldmarschall of the Kingdom of Prussia on 27 January 1916, and of the Empire of Germany on 1 February 1916

Death
Mehmed V died at Yýldýz Palace on 3 July 1918 at the age of 73, only four months before the end of World War I. Thus, he did not live to see the downfall of the Ottoman Empire. He spent most of his life at the Dolmabahçe Palace and Yýldýz Palace in Constantinople. His grave is in the historic Eyüp district of the city.

Family life
First marriage and issue
He married firstly at Constantinople, Ortaköy Palace, on 30 September 1872 to Azerbaijani HH Kamres Kadýn Efendi (Ganja, Caucus, 5 March 1855 – Kuruçesme, Istanbul, 30 April 1921)

Second marriage and issue
He married secondly at Constantinople, Ortaköy Palace, on 10 October 1876 to Georgian HH Dürr-i Aden Kadýn Efendi (Kars, Caucus, 16 May 1860 – Istanbul, 17 October 1909)

Third marriage and issue
He married thirdly at Constantinople, Ortaköy Palace, on 4 April 1887 to HH Mihrengiz Kadýn Efendi (Adapazarý, 15 October 1869 – Alexandria, 12 December 1938 and buried in Cairo), and had:

Fourth marriage and issue
He married fourthly at Constantinople, Ortaköy Palace, in 1888 to HH Nazperver Kadýn Efendi (1870 - Istanbul, 1930) and had one child.

Fifth marriage and issue
He married fifthly at Constantinople, Ortaköy Palace, in 1907 to HH Dilfirib Kadýn Efendi (1890 - Istanbul, 1953) without issue.

Triple Entente

The Triple Entente (from French entente "friendship, understanding, agreement") was the alliance linking the Russian Empire, the French Third Republic, and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland after the signing of the Anglo-Russian Entente on August 31, 1907. The alliance of the three powers, supplemented by agreements with Portugal and Japan, constituted a powerful counterweight to the Triple Alliance of Germany, Austria-Hungary and the Kingdom of Italy.

Historians continue to debate the importance of the alliance system in igniting the Great War. At the start of World War I in 1914, all three of the Triple Entente entered it as Allies against the Central Powers Germany and Austria-Hungary.

French Isolation

Russia had previously been a member of the League of the Three Emperors with Austria-Hungary and Germany, an alliance established in 1873 between Tsar Alexander II, Emperor Franz Joseph I and Kaiser Wilhelm I. The alliance was part of the German Chancellor Otto von Bismarck's plan to isolate France diplomatically; he feared France had revanchist aspirations and might try to regain her 1871 losses, and to fight against radical sentiments the conservative rulers found unsettling, such as the First International.

However, the League faced great difficulty with the growing tensions between the Russian Empire and Austria-Hungary. These tensions revolved mainly over the Balkans where, with the rise of nationalism and the continued decline of the Ottoman Empire, many former Ottoman provinces struggled for independence.

The situation in the Balkans (especially in the wake of the Serbo-Bulgarian War) and the 1878 Treaty of Berlin, which left Russia feeling cheated of her gains made in the Russo-Turkish War led to the League not being renewed in 1887.

In an attempt to stop Russia from allying with France, Bismarck signed the secret Reinsurance Treaty with Russia in 1887, assuring both parties would remain neutral toward each other should war break out.

Due to the alliance between Russia and France, and Bismarck's exclusion of Russia from the German financial market in 1887, the treaty was not renewed, ending the alliance between Germany and Russia.

Franco-Russian Alliance

Despite the Reinsurance Treaty, the Russian leadership was alarmed at the country's diplomatic isolation and entered the Franco-Russian Alliance in 1894. Russia then broke the treaty in 1900 which resulted in a dispute.

Entente cordiale

In 1904, Britain and France signed a series of agreements called the Entente cordiale. These agreements directly concerned colonies.

The Entente heralded the end of British neutrality in Europe. It was partly a response to growing German antagonism, as expressed in the expansion of the Kaiserliche Marine (Imperial Navy) into a battle fleet that could threaten the supremacy of the Royal Navy.

Anglo-Russian Convention of 1907

In 1907 Britain and Russia signed an agreement called the Anglo-Russian Convention of 1907. It stopped their rivalry in Central Asia (The Great Game).

Participating nations
Britain

In the last decade of the 19th century, Britain continued its policy of "splendid isolation", with its primary focus on defending its massive overseas empire. However, by the early 1900s the German threat increased dramatically. Some in Britain thought it was in need of allies. For most of the 19th century, Britain had regarded France and Russia as its two most dangerous rivals, but with the growing threat of Germany, British policy began to change.

The three main reasons were:

France and Britain had signed five separate agreements regarding spheres of influence in North Africa in 1904. This came to be known as the Entente Cordiale. The Tangier Crisis which followed encouraged co-operation between the two countries, given their mutual fear of apparent

German expansionism.
Russia was defeated in the Russo-Japanese War. This display of weakness resulted in less concern over Russian imperialism and encouraged Russia to secure its position elsewhere. France was already allied to Russia in the Dual Alliance.

Britain was extremely concerned about the rising threat of German imperialism. Kaiser Wilhelm II had announced to the world his intentions to create a global German empire and to develop a strong navy. Britain—traditionally having control of the seas—saw this as a serious threat to its own empire and navy.

In 1907, the Anglo-Russian Entente was agreed, which attempted to resolve a series of long-running disputes over Persia, Afghanistan and Tibet, as well as helping to address British fears about German expansion in the Near East.

French Third Republic

During the Franco-Prussian War of 1870–1871, Prussia defeated the Second French Empire, resulting in the establishment of the Third Republic. In the Treaty of Frankfurt, Prussia forced France to cede Alsace-Lorraine to the new German Empire. Ever since, relations had been at an all time low. France—worried about the escalating military development of Germany—began building up its own war industries and army as a deterrent to German aggression. As another measure, France developed a strong bond with Russia by ratifying the Franco-Russian Alliance, which was designed to create a strong counter to the Triple Alliance. France's main concerns were to protect against an attack from Germany, and to regain Alsace-Lorraine.

1914 Russian poster. The upper inscription reads "agreement". The uncertain Britannia (right) and Marianne (left) look to the determined Mother Russia (centre) to lead them in the coming war.

Russian Empire

Russia possessed, by far, the largest manpower reserves of all the six European powers, but was also the most backward economically. Russia shared France's worries about Germany. After the Germans started to reorganize the Turkish army, Russia feared that they would come to control the Dardanelles, a vital trade artery which accounted for two fifths of Russia's exports.

This was also coupled with Russia's long history of rivalry with Austria-Hungary. Austria-Hungary had recently annexed Bosnia and Herzegovina, angering Russia immensely. Russia had considered itself the leader of the Slavic world (Pan-Slavism) and viewed the invasion as another step towards annexing Serbia and Montenegro. To counteract Austria-Hungary's aggression into the Balkans, Russia pledged to aid Serbia militarily if invaded.

Russia had also recently lost the humiliating Russo-Japanese War in 1905, resulting in a revolutionary uprising and apparent transformation into a constitutional monarchy. To counter its enemies militarily and politically, Russia sought to revive the Franco-Russian Alliance. Although it was perceived as useless during the war with Japan, in the European theatre it was invaluable. Russia signed the Anglo-Russian Convention of 1907 with Britain to counteract the threat of the Triple Alliance.

SOURCE: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triple_Entente

 

Tags: triple entente

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Discover Lefkada

Lefkada is the ideal destination for those who want to combine mountain and sea holidays, but also for those who prefer moving by car then by boat. Its big advantage is that the access to the island can be done also from Aitoloakarnania, by the floating bridge.

It is a heavenly place, full of colors and scents. It took its name from its largest Cape, “Lefkata”, whose natural beauty will impress you.

Lefkada is famous for its paradise and exotic beaches, which every year are awarded. On the north side of the island, are the beaches of St. John (for wind surfers and kite surfers), Gyra, Castle and Ammoglossa. On the west side are Pefkoulia, Saint Nikitas, Milos (with the white sand and the turquoises deep waters),  Kathisma (meaning seat in greek), Egkremni (that it is considered the best of the Mediterranean), Porto Katsiki (awarded as the best beach of Greece), Kalamitsi, Kavalikefta, Megali Petra and Avali beaches. The eastside of the island has Lygia, Episkopos, Nikiana, Perigiali, Desimi and Nydri beaches. Finally, in the south, you can visit the Mikro Gialo, Ammousa, Agiofylli and Vasiliki (for wind surfers and kite surfers).

It is worth visiting the Castle of Santa Maura, which was built by the Orsini in 1300, in order to thwart the pirates. The archaeological Museum of Lefkada, hosts findings from the Paleolithic Age until the Late Roman period, as well as findings from the excavations of the German archaeologist Wilhelm Dörpfeld, which had the conviction that Lefkada was Homer’s Ithaca. In the Folklore Museum Karyas Maria Koutsochero, you will be impressed by the large collection of embroideries and weaving, with the characteristic karsaniki stitch. The Phonograph Museum is a private owned museum in which you can see phonographs, records, decorative items and postcards dated to the early 20th century. The most important monastery of the island is the abbey of Faneromeni that was founded in 1650. Finally, in the canyon of Dimosari, you will find the small waterfalls and the more adventurous can dive into their cold waters.

On the island you can visit two traditional Lighthouses, the Lighthouse in the Castle of Lefkada (Santa Maura), which was built in 1861 and it is one of the best preserved in Greece. And the Doukato Lighthouse at the cape of Lefkata, built in 1890, on the ruins of the ancient temple of Apollo.

The Eglouvi area is famous for producing top quality lentils. The harvest is celebrated with a feast which takes place in early August. Last but not least don’t forget to try the special dry salami, the salted cod and sardines as well as the cuttlefishes cooked in their ink accompanied by rice.

Monument of a Russian poet on the Parnassus slopes in Delphi

“The monument of the great Russian poet Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin was installed on the Parnassus slopes in Delphi, a holy place as the poet would often writte in his poems.

Its opening took place on June 6 at the theater of Delphi Palace, 215 years from the poets birth and also a day where the Russian language is celebrated. “This act is the first step for the creation of a memorial park of great literary figures of the world in Delphi” highlited Mr Panos Kaltsis from the NGO Ecumnenical Delphi Council at the beginning of the ceremony.The installation of the momument was an act of the Encumenical Delphi Council and the Institution of Russian speaking writers.

Greece through childrens art

Michalis Panayotakis, 6,5 years old, is the creator of the artwork, featuring on the cover of the Athens Attica guide, published recently by the Greek National Tourism Organization.

The artwork was created by Michalis, back in 1997 when he was attending the Museum of Greek Children’s Art, workshops. Learning through Art was, and still is, the main principal of the Museum.

Michalis is now 24 years old and is invited, once again after 17 years, at the Museum’s premises to share “congratulations” with children participating nowadays at the Museum’s workshops, their parents,  Greek and foreign visitors,  as well as the Director of the Museum, Mrs. Eva Stamati and Mrs. Eleftheria Fili, Social Media & Administrator Site of GNTO.

MUSEUM OF GREEK CHILDREN’S ART

9 Kodrou str, extension Voulis str., Plaka, 105 58 Athens
Tuesday-Saturday: 10.00 – 14.00
Sunday: 11.00 – 14.00
T. 210 3312 621 & 210 33 12 750
Τ. & F. 210 33 13 734
closest Metro stations: Syndagma, Monastiraki, Akropolis

Beach Street Festival 2014

MYTILENE, LESBOS ISLAND GREECE
1-3 OF AUGUST

The international Music & Graffiti “Beach Street Festival” will be on for the second year in a row. This year, it will be based in Mytilene, the capital of Lesvos Island. 50 or more artists and bands and over 100 graffiti artists will be participating from all over Europe and Turkey.The BSF team will try once more to bring the greek summer together with modern urban arts and tradition, surrounded by sounds and colors from all around the globe.

The music
The musical activities and events of Beach Street Festival 2014 will basically take place in the historical Castle of Mytilene and the surrounding area, one of the biggest and oldest Castles of the Mediterranean.

There will be 3 stages, and the latest update for the Line Up is the following:

SAND Stage
A.KOUKLAKIS (Flippin radio, Greece)
ALLES (SaveAs Music, Turkey)
AND.ID  (Mobilee Records, Berlin)
ANTONY PL & PAUL S (Act Natural Records, Greece)
AUDIORAMA SHOWCASE W/  ALEX DIMOU, BODJ, LEE BURTON (Audiorama, Greece)
ECHONOMIST (Dessous / Rotary Cocktail Recordings / Back n Forth, Greece)
9WEST (Dessous, Greece)
JUST D (SaveAs Music, Turkey)
MIC MEIMAROGLOU (808 Recordings, Greece)
NINO SANTOS & LIGHTEM (Genial Records, Greece)
OCEANVS ORIENTALIS (The Magic Movement, Turkey)
SALLI (SaveAs Music, Turkey)
TOLIS KOUTRAS (Plasteline Recordings, Greece)
VAS (Mytilene, Greece)

FOTRESS Stage
12ος Πίθηκος (TOMAHOK, Greece)
ΒΗΤΑΠΕΙΣ (Αthens, Greece)
DJ ALX & KEBZER (Ηχοκρατορία, Greece)
DJ XQUZE  (TOMAHOK, Greece)
ΕΙΣΒΟΛΕΑΣ (TOMAHOK, Greece)
ELEPHANT PHINIX (Βeatquick, TOMAHOK, Greece)
ΠΑΝΤΑΧΟΥ (Mytilene, Greece)
ΡΟΔΕΣ united (Athens, Greece)
XPRESHONISTS  (Ηχοκρατορία, Greece)

PHAROS  Stage
ABEND (Enemies of the State, Greece)
AMP Outernational (DubWise HIFI, Athens)
ANNA MYSTIC (DubWise HIFI, Athens)
DUCKEM (Indigo Movement, Greece)
GANTZ (Deep medi / Innamind / System,Turkey)
INSOM (Urban Danja / Disturbed, Greece)
JEPH1 (Big Bang, MindStep, Greece)
MASHDOWN45 (DubWise HIFI, Athens)
MSDOS (Liquid Drops, Greece)
THE ROOTS CORNER (Brussels, Belgium)
VAIBONE (Heviweit, Greece)

The graffiti

After the successful mission of the first BSF, to breathe life into the abandoned hotel of Vatera and fill it with color, this year’s aim is to create a series of colorful murals, in honor of the 80 years since the death of Theofilos (1870-1934).

Our intention is to create a route along the city, marked by murals in specific locations starting from the ancient port of Mytilene with final destination the museum of Theofilos Chatzimichael-Teriade. This route will represent the connection and transition from the traditional Theofilos’s murals to the modern graffiti arts and techniques.

The participation for the graffiti artists is open-as it was last year- and EVERYONE can participate by sending an email at graffiti@beachstreetfestival.gr, there is room for everyone!
(The entrance for the audience of the graffiti part is free)

Also, during the Beach Street Festival there will be graffiti seminars for anyone wishing to learn the history of graffiti and try their own skills!
The exact locations and the graffiti-writers’ names will be announced a month before the beginning of the festival.

The festival is supported by the N.Aegean region and the municipality of Lesvos through the cultural programs “Pelagos Politismou” and “Lesviako kalokairi”.

BEACH STREET FESTIVAL AUGUST 1-3, 2014, MYTILENE, LESVOS

For more information and updates stay tuned and subscribe to our newsletter at http://www.beachstreetfestival.gr

TICKETS
- Regular ticket presale 20€ (Eventbrite)
http://beachstreetfestival.eventbrite.com/

- Regular ticket presale 20€ (Viva.gr)
http://www.viva.gr/tickets/festival/beach-street-festival/

- Ticket at the door of the festival 25€

*The ticket value is symbolic, only to cover the Beach Street organization expenses and support the initiative.
*A great part of the income will be given to the NPO “Iliahtida” for the support of the social sensitive groups in Mytilene.

Festival Production
Umbrella Culture & Events

BSF Links
Web. www.beachstreetfestival.gr
Facebook. www.Facebook.com/beachstreetfestival.gr
Twitter. https://twitter.com/beachstreetfest
Youtube. https://www.youtube.com/user/beachstreetfest

MEDIA PARTNERS
Athens Party
Culturenow.gr
Dart Magazine
Doc Tv
Elculture.gr
Flippin Radio
Foititelia.gr
Graffiti Walls
Hiphop.gr
Paranoise web radio
The Pop fm
Youth Platform
Εμπρός
Urban Style Mag

Mythic wome in Greece

We’d read about them—Athena, Aphrodite, Artemis. Mythic women who were once the epitome ofwisdom, beauty, and wildness. Travelling in Greece, on a women’s sacred sojourn, we found these fabulous females still very much alive—waiting to bring to life the modern day goddesses we’ve always wanted to be.

When we climbed the steep path, past graceful olive trees and rock niches for offerings to Aphrodite, we found beauty in a building—the Parthenon. Ancient worshippers went there to bedeck the statue of Athena (Goddess of Wisdom) with saffron-colored cloth—literally covering her in beauty. In return, the goddess fostered an unprecedented flowering of arts and sciences. Touching the stones where ancient women were celebrated, we felt our own wisdom and beauty blossom in exciting new ways.

Delphi

It was not Apollo but Gaia who was the original prophetess here. Perched on the slopes of MountParnassus, the site lies atop a cleft in the Earth Mother’s “body” where, legend says, she kept her sacred python. Hmmm. Together, snake and goddess helped petitioners unearth their own fortunes—reminding me that we too could know the future and dazzle others with our female insights.

Delos

Today, Delos is called the birthplace of Apollo. But his twin Artemis, Goddess of the Wilds, was born there first. Young girls danced there to keep their untamed natures after they got married. With sea breezes blowing through our hair, bright scarves billowing around us, we too danced to call up our boldest, fiercest selves.

Santorini

The stunning volcanic cliffs. The sun setting into the Aegean. The fresh calamari at every beachtaverna. The velvety local wines. The enticing shops and lovely blue-domed churches. The beautifulmurals and 4000-year old relics at the archaeological dig. We didn’t just enjoy it—here we virtually plunged into our own lush and primal sensuality.

Epidaurus

Set in the misty Peloponnese hills, Epidaurus was once the most famous healing center in the world. Here, Hygeia and her five sisters facilitated healing with honey and herbs, cleansing waters, laughter, and the magic of dreams. In the spectacular theater (where you can hear whispers 55 rows up), wesang, recited poetry, and called out our ancient names—claiming our own womanly talents for healing.

Eleusis

Photo by Marie-Lan Nguyen

For 2000 years, the Eleusinian Mysteries were the most important ceremonies of the ancient world. The rites re-enacted Persephone’s journey to Hades and Demeter’s quest to bring her back. As a result, Demeter claimed her true power and taught the world the art of agriculture. More amazing, initiates to her Mysteries came away with the secret of eternal life. Meditating in the cave that once led to Persephone’s underworld, we too were filled with a sense of our own feminine power and destiny.

Greece transformed us. There, we journeyed through a beautiful land—but also to the deepest parts of ourselves—truly becoming the modern day goddesses we were always meant to be. You can too!

Tour Hydra

This small island is called the Lady of Saronic Gulf! Upon arriving, visitors will feel captivated by the harbour area, the cannons and the castle with the statue of Andrea Miaouli. Hydra is a kaleidoscope ofcolours, impressive mansions and cobblestone streets enhancing the cosmopolitan atmosphere of the island.

The island is traffic – free as there are no vehicles on it. The villages and beaches can be reached by carriages, bicycles and taxi-boats.

Its capital is built amphitheatrically on the hill and where you will mainly see kapetanospita (meaning captains’ residences), whose architecture is a mixture of island and mainland characteristics. Enjoy the promenades towards the Historical Archive, the Port Authority,  the Powder Keg, and Kiafa. Head towards the Cave, see the Mill of Sophia Loren and the statue of the “Boy on a dolphin” (a 1957 film starring Sophia Loren) and visit Kamini and Vlycho. You can also visit the Pharmacy of Rafalia, founded in 1890, that holds on to its past interior decoration with the same old furniture. In the Pharmacy you will find a huge collection of porcelain and glass jars, utensils, tools and publications of pharmaceutical books.

During the ‘70s, Hydra became a famous cosmopolitan tourist destination! Hydra is not only known for its picturesque beauty but also for the night life. In local cafés, bars and tavernas you will be served  by the seashore.

Discover Hydra’s history by visiting the Museum of Modern History, housed in the Kountourioti mansion, by a pine hillside. There are impressive constructions such as Tsamados mansion, which houses the Merchant Marine Academy, and the Tompazi mansion owned by the School of Fine Arts since 1936.

Hydra offers a variety of cultural events in the summer. Also, each year you can celebrate the Miaoulia which are dedicated to the naval action of Andreas Miaoulis during the war of independence as well as the Kountouriotia events in honour of the First President of the Greek Republic, Admiral Paul Kountouriotis. Other great sights include the Monastery of the Dormition of the Mother of God, the Cathedral of St. John Nisteftis with murals from the 18th century and the St. Constantine of Hydra made from hewn Stone.

Wedding in Sifnos

Can you imagine being this bride and walking towards your future husband and following the narrow cobble stone road… the only path that can lead you to one of the most stunning Greek island churches? What an amazing and once in a lifetime feeling…

The modern and stylish wedding took place in the Church of the Seven Martyrs in Kastros, a small island village where no cars are permitted within the center. The picturesque church with the traditional aesthetic from the Cyclades islands, was built on a mountainous hill. The view from the church is intense…however after a while when you get used to it, serenity overwhelms you. This church is actually one of the most photographed churches of Sifnos.

A perfect wedding ceremony location with an utterly fascinating backdrop. Ideal and certainly a dream come true for a couple that is truly and deeply in love.

The location of this Greek island church is the most appealing: at a first glance it seems as if the church was built “in the sea”. Majestic and mysterious, surrounded by the deep blue Aegean waters.

One of the many reasons a couple may choose Sifnos as their wedding destination is the fact that the wedding can be themed as a holiday vacation for all friends and family and the perfect opportunity to create priceless memories for all.

The characteristic Cycladic architecture is undoubtedly very impressive with the white washed walls and the round blue dome. The island of Sifnos actually has the highest number of churches compared to its size and it has been said that “Sifnos has about 365 churches… one for every single day of the year”.

Sifnos maintains the traditional architecture of the Cycladian islands. The beauty of the island is mesmerizing. The white houses, the windmills, the stone graveled roads, the traditional villages and the exotic beaches all together create the perfect wedding destination.

 

Salty Summer Breeze with Salty Bags

It all started because of the wave. I will never forget that wave.  It was nothing like the waves I had crossed in the Aegean. Summer waves of the Aegean sea are brisk, cool and mostly predictable, like the meltemi winds that air-condition the Cyclades islands and form them. This wave was man made, terrifying in it’s energy and made of sound.

I was a volunteer at the Olympic sailing venue at Agios Kosmas. My job was to take out important foreign journalists and show them the various racecourses. I had just moored my powerboat and was waiting for the next batch of journalists to come and report that the Olympics were going as planned etc. etc. when I heard its haphazard rolling boom. It was made out of more than two hundred volunteers who took turns screaming and cheering, tens of R.I.Bs, powerboats, day cruisers with cameras bobbing about their sterns, sounding their fog-horns hoarse, and hundreds of hands clapping below teary faces. It rolled over the sea wall effortlessly like a hurricane, and filled the Olympic marina, crashing and booming into our chests so that if you didn’t know why it was happening some primeval urge would have pushed you to run away. In an instant it owned everyone who was there, it owned the marina, it owned the passing cars it owned the hours and minutes that were to come. We came under the spell of the wave and would remain so till we passed out exhausted, drained from partying, dancing and cheering well into the next morning.

The wave was created by two twenty-something year olds racing for Greece in a little sailboat 470cm long called a 470. Sofia and Aimilia had had a galactic career until then. With four back-to-back World Championships, three European championships and twice yachtswomen of the year the Gold medal they had just won, without even having to race in the last day, should have been expected, just another peak, albeit the highest one, in a career that had brought them every prize you could win in Olympic class sailing. But three months before the Olympics, Sofia, the skipper, injured her back so badly that she could barely move. Sheer will and bloody-mindedness brought them back from never competing again to heights only a handful of athletes have ever reached.

So the wave took us all in. Because they were our girls, because they made it, because they never gave up even when it seemed all was lost. Because we knew that they created an example of grand achievement that bordered on fiction but was not. Because every one of us who grew up sailing in Greece were part of it, infinitesimally, but part of it. The wave crashed over and took over their boat withSofia and Aimilia on board. When it reached the dock we lifted them up, boat and crew and paraded them around till we realized they had to prepare for their coronation, Gold medals on their chests.

In the years that followed that August day in 2004 a lot has changed in Greece. A new generation of sailing talent has gone searching for their own wave, and Sofia in a new class is still inspiring and making waves of her own.

Having experienced the wave, I wanted to, I felt I had to do all I could to take the story of the wave to the ends of the earth and help Sofia, and two other great talented teams making their own waves do the same.

So together we created a project called the Road to Rio, to help make new waves during the Olympic games in Rio de Janeiro in 2016. The Road to Rio is a project made from the very materials that made waves and carry with them, written inside, the stories of these waves. We track down the sails these teams have used and are now decommissioned. We track down the story of these waves. Then we find skilled artisans in the Ionian island of Corfu who make them into pieces that can be carried around, bags, clutches, and duffels. Finally we make sure that every cent that is made from these pieces returns to the teams so they can make ever-bigger waves.

 

Live your Bachelor Myth in Greece

There’s no doubt that Greece is one of the top summer wedding and honeymoon destinations in the world. Before you exchange vows this summer though, why don’t you organize a Greek stag holiday for that special future groom?

Breathtaking natural beauty, unforgettable destinations, warm people, marvelous cuisine and vibrantnightlife are all waiting for you in Greece. True to our Combadi philosophy of alternative travelexperiences, here are some Greek stag party recommendations to get you started:

Live the cowboy life  in an agrotourism ranch that’s an exact replica of a Wild West town! You’ll saddle up and embark on seven day horse riding adventure that will take you through Northern Greece’s rugged landscapes!

Sail through the beautiful Saronic Gulf, in a Greek sailing and fishing holiday! You’ll cast your lines over the Aegean, visit beautiful beaches and swim through crystal clear waters. During the evenings, you’ll also get the chance disembark on the Saronic Gulf islands and experience their nightlife.

Have a blast in Mykonos, the island known for its azure waters, stunning beaches and internationally renowned party scene. Relax in a five star boutique spa hotel just meters from the island’s largest beach. Enjoy a wide variety of water sports and a magical view of the Aegean.

Get your fill of active mountain adventures in Karpenisi. Its pristine natural beauty and mild summer climate makes it the ideal place for mountain activities like mountain biking, trekking, river trekking,rafting, skiing, horse riding, canoe-kayaking, offroading and cave exploring!

Go on a two-day Canyoning Initiation training course in the Pelion mountains. The course is certified by the ICTC/CAI and, by the end of the weekend, you won’t simply have had the time of your life, but will have received your first ICOpro certification as well!

Not Just a Stopover

Summer is approaching and travellers from across the globe will soon flock to Greece for its picturesque beaches and historic sites.

Unfortunately, Athens had become a mere stopover for many of these tourists. Visitors are now typically spending a day or two to check out the Parthenon and a few other touristy spots, but are overall missing out on the real treasures of the city.

HotelsCombined, the world’s leading hotel price comparison website, aims to change this. The award-winning site’s user-friendly capabilities can help visitors discover the other side of the Greek capital, enabling guests to book hotels at the lowest rate near a number of preferred points of interest.

Modern Athenians are quite fluent in many foreign languages and therefore able to answer most of your questions. Likewise, HotelsCombined speaks your language – it’s available in over 40 languages and is easily accessible and navigable. HotelsCombined offers a wide range of search filters that help narrow down accommodation options so users can find their ideal hotel within seconds.

For instance, Athens has a number of acclaimed malls and markets that shopaholics can tailor their stay around through HotelsCombined’s search categories or if you are seeking for a unique gastronomical experience, you can choose to stay at a hotel offering a golden hat awarded restaurant and be served by a real master chef! Athens also boasts a large number of music halls and stadiums that host both international and local cultural productions – again, HotelsCombined can help find you accommodation nearby major performance sites. The recently renovated municipal theatre of Piraeusor the Athens Concert Hall are good examples of exquisite architecture and very broad repertory. And for those who love the visual arts, HotelsCombined proves an essential guide; after all, it would be a tragedy to miss out on a theatre performance within the country that invented drama.

Due to its geographical position, Athens is the ideal junction for any Greek sojourn. You can visit places of archaeological interest like Delphi and Sounio or popular islands such as Spetses andHydra within a day trip. And if you spontaneously decide to extend your visit at one of these places but don’t know where to stay, HotelsCombined offers the best on-the-go solution with its intuitive app. Available for smartphones and tablets, the multi-lingual HotelsCombined app provides an “Around Me” search function that enables users to find available accommodation in their surrounding area in real time.

So don’t miss out on everything that Athens has to offer – use HotelsCombined to unlock the ancient city’s vibrant culture and scenery!

ROMANTIC TRADITIONAL WEDDING IN PELION

A quaint Greek mountainous village called Promiri, located in the southern part of Pelion is a perfect place for a couple to have a traditional romantic wedding. A Pelion village, located 55km from the city ofVolos, is literally hidden in the luscious olive trees and beautifully maintains the authentic characteristics and calm atmosphere. It is truly a breathtaking place with natural beauty, traditional mansions, stone walled houses and cobblestone roads that lead you on a wonderful journey throughout the village. The view from this small piece of heaven on earth is…amazing. From the center of the village one can actually see the island of Skiathos.

Just like every traditional wedding in Pelion, the bride is escorted from her parents’ home to the church by the entire village. Local musicians play Greek folk music and sing traditional wedding songs. As the bride heads towards the church, the village residents gather outside of their homes and wish her all the happiness and luck in the world. Everybody joins in the wedding celebration since they all feel proud to be part of this beautiful event in their own village. An unforgettable experience!

The village of Promiri has a beautiful church with Pelion architecture, known as Koimiseos ofTheotoko… an excellent choice for a wedding ceremony. It was built in 1767 on the foundations of an old temple and it has a magnificent selection of Saint Paintings. The lovely church is dedicated to the Assumption of Mary and it is located on the outskirts of the village, overlooking the deep blue sea.  One of the great advantages of getting married in Promiri is that the location combines the picture perfect mountainous beauty and the crystal clear beaches that are near and easy to access. Promiri is considered to be a passage to reach the incredible beaches of Lyri, Katigiorgis and Mortias and has many hiking paths.

It is customary for a traditional wedding reception to take place in the town square. Family and friends celebrate with the newlyweds under the huge maple tree as they listen and dance to Greek music. A Pelion wedding tradition that continues to take place even until today and definitely creates a nostalgic atmosphere.

The amazingly romantic video teaser by videographer Nikos Dimou gives you the opportunity to be one of the wedding guests and see for yourself what a beautiful traditional Pelion wedding is really like! Admire the unique location of Promiri surround by beautiful forests, the nearby beach of Katigiorgis, the unique and truly authentic beauty of this part of mount Pelion

Voluntourism

Alternative Greek tourism has grown in popularity over the past few years, as more and more travelers choose authentic Greek experiences, holidays and tours catered to their own interests and lifestyle.

Meanwhile, one of the positive phenomena to come out of the Greek crisis has been the creation of volunteer organizations both large and small, and with a variety of missions – from supporting the underprivileged and creating alternative economies, to promoting conservation, culture and the exchange of knowledge and ideas. Nowadays in Greece, an energetic and talented generation of new NGOs and NPOs are working to bring best practices from around the world to Greece,  even establishing new ones themselves.

The growth of alternative tourism and NGO/NPOs in Greece can be linked by another kind of niche tourism called voluntourism. Already popular in many countries, voluntourism is now finding its way into Greece as more people look to make a difference while they travel.

It’s a good time to open up towards voluntourism activities in Greece, as a good number of local NGO/NPOs are experienced and staffed by professionals who have successfully accommodated volunteers into their operations.

Voluntourists are able to come to Greece for their holidays and, depending on the amount of time and type of activity they want to engage in, they will be able to participate in volunteering activities. Volunteers can dedicate anywhere from a couple of days to several weeks of their time – there’s no upper limit!

While volunteer programs will be available to all voluntourists, some of the positions will only be open to the Greek speaking diaspora, as working knowledge of the Greek language may be necessary.

Work is currently being done to offer life changing volunteer experiences and flexible accommodation all in one package. With more being planned every day, the current voluntourism programs on offer are:

Support Social Street Work in Athens: Volunteers can spend two weeks or more working with the Emfasis Foundation in its mission to help vulnerable and socially excluded groups in need of social, psychological and family support during the unprecedented socio-economic crisis.

Fight food waste in Greece:  Greek speaking volunteers can spend from one to several weeks working with BOROUME, a NPO that fights food waste by establishing food distribution networks throughout Greece. By communicating with donors, volunteers will be expanding the non-profit’s food network and increasing food security for welfare institutions, soup-kitchens and municipal social services.

It’s not all work for voluntourists however. In their spare time, volunteers will go on tours, attend workshops and social evenings with other like-minded volunteers where they’ll discover Athens in the most authentic ways.  This way, volunteers will have a truly immersive and life-changing Greek experience that will stay with them forever.

A WALK IN ATHENS’ PRETTIEST PARK

Welcome to the National Gardens of Athens! Right next to busy Syntagma square, this visitor-friendly and historical green space is an oasis of 19thcentury romanticism. Planned in 1836, the Gardens are actually the first park/botanical garden created in the Greek capital.

7,5 kilometres of winding pathways lead us to a different picture with each turn. A fountain, a clearing, a folly, a rock garden, a pond…Statues of romantic poets of the era match the scenery.

 Several ionic-style columns and capitals are scattered as decoration about the Gardens, according to European ideas of the time. The park stands on overlapping important classical Greek and Roman-era antiquities, parts of them visible along Amalias avenue and inside the Garden proper.

The park today covers an area of 158 square kilometers (288 sq. k. together with the adjacent Zappion gardens). It is open daily from sunrise to sunset and the visitor can orientate by info stands and direction signs.

 The Gardens are not only a free recreation space but also host educational opportunities for kids.Programs are carried out by the Athens Municipality (managing of the Gardens), schools, environmental NGOs and the Gardens’ own excellent Children’s Library. Furthermore, there is a large children’s playground, a small zoo of barn-yard animals and a café.

The Gardens were initially planned (1836) as a closed private leisure space for the adjacent Royal Palace of the time (presently the Greek Parliament). The Bavarian architects and agronomists working in the palace employed a design for a Garden that’s similar to the “English Gardens” of Munich (hence the many curved pathways). The works were continued later under the supervision of the French agronomist of Dolmabahҁe Palace Gardens in Istanbul.

 Hundreds of new species of trees and shrubs were imported from all continents of the world, reaching as far as the Americas, South Africa, Australia and China. The collection was enriched by endemic species of plants found in regions of southern Greece. Currently, some 7.000 trees (mostly evergreen) and tens of thousands of other plants belonging to 519 species and varieties are found in the park – of these only 102 are endemic. The botanical richness of flora gives the Garden an exotic look.

Not all rare and precious imported plants were suitable for the Mediterranean habitat but those who survived still thrive, several individual ones already completed a century and more. All oak trees in the Gardens date back from 1845. The trees are a welcoming sanctuary for many species of birds, including migratory ones.

The main entrance from Amalias avenue faces one of the Garden’s landmarks, the tall and slenderWashingtonia palm trees.

In front of them, Athens’ only marble sundial – a good idea to tell the time for a city with an average 300 days of sunshine per year!

This is not just another fountain: it is Boubounistra, the therapeutic (low calcium) spring that used to supply drinking water to most of old Athens…Today it is one more refreshing corner in the Garden during summertime heat.

Every day these little streams distribute some 1.050 c.m. of water for the Garden’s needs via a 1920’s pipeline system that uses the ancient aqueduct of Pisistratos (600 b.C.), collecting water from Mt. Imitos.

Ever since the Gardens opened to the public (1923), the largest pond in the Gardens was the place for kids to feed the super-popular ducks and swans. After the recent poultry ‘flu outbreak these animals unfortunately had to be confined. The little wooden bridge still remains a focal point for our memories…

School kids always find it fascinating to gaze at the huge carp and other gleaming fishes swimming in one of the Garden’s fishponds, the one near the entrance from Vas. Sofias avenue being the most famous one.

Beauty and nostalgic mood easily combine while taking pleasure from the Gardens’ wonderful tranquility. A place worth-visiting, in the heart of Athens.

It remains in my memory like no other park I have known. It is the quintessence of a park, the thing one feels sometimes in looking at a canvas or dreaming of a place one would like to be in and never finds. Henry Miller, The colossus of Maroussi, 1939

Travel light with your baby in Greece

Greece offers a feeling of being part of a big family. The warmth and intimacy that locals openhandedly offer make you forget you are simply visiting and having your vacation here!  Hospitality, security, nature’s beauty and the great Mediterranean diet make Greece a unique and perfect family destination.

Fancy a ravishing sunshine and the turquoise sea while eating in small picturesque tavernas? Diving in those clear blue waters enjoying your family moments? Want to see all those archaeological sites you studied about in school and make it a family experience? Greece has all that and to offer and makes it the ideal family destination all year round.

If you are traveling with a baby or toddler there is no need to wrestle carrying all the baby gear and the high cost and hassle of airline baggage restrictions and fees that can get any vacation off to a rough start. Make things easier on yourself and travel light to Greece without missing out on essentials for your little ones by using My Baby In Greece unique services.

As parents themselves they were always stressed by the quantity of baby equipment they had to pack for their holidays with their twins and often had to “load a truck”. To make life easier for all the parents visiting Greece with young children, they created a unique baby gear rental service with a simple objective in mind: make travelling with children safe, simple and hassle free. They offer top of the line equipment for rent such as strollers, car seats, travel cots, bouncing chairs, baby monitors, trikes, bottle & food warmers and other essentials from well-known brands and delivers them upon your arrival at your hotel or villa. For an added convenience you may also purchase baby supplies such as diapers, baby wipes and personal care products.

Let your baby gear at home and leave it to My Baby In Greece to supply you with all you need and have worry free holidays with your family enjoying the sea, sunshine, nature, sites and gastronomy inGreece!

Kalavryta is a town for all seasons

It’s renowned for its spectacular train journey, but this historical Peloponnesian destination has so much more to offer than a day on the tracks. From skiing to hiking to caving, Graham Wood explores the region’s sporting options.

One of the most breathtaking rail journeys on Earth, stunning natural beauty, enough outdoor activities to shake a hiking stick at, impressive monasteries, underground cave lakes, a historic past and a ski centre: Kalavryta just about has it all.

With such an impressive portfolio of options, fewer places in Greece can match the Peloponnesianmountain village and the surrounding region as a complete, year-round travel destination.

Most visitors head to Kalavryta via the Odontotos, or ‘tooth-train’ (rack railway) in English, which is widely regarded as one of the most unique experiences in the country. Built by the Italians and completed in 1896 – the same year the first modern Olympics took place in Athens – Odontotos starts from the small railway station at the unassuming, chilled-out coastal town of Diakopto.

On boarding the humble little Decauville train, there is little hint of the spectacular journey ahead as you chug slowly out of Diakopto. I must admit, the first and only time I sampled this journey I was more than sceptical, having previously experienced a trip on the well-known Burma railway close to the bridge over the River Kwai in Thailand. But this experience is more than a match, as the train winds its way through the Vouriakos gorge up into the mountains, through tunnels, over water-falls, along cliffs and through pine and oleander forests, arriving at Kalavryta within an hour after a distance of 22 kilometres, rising to 750 metres above sea level.

There are some great stops along the way, a personal favourite is the small village of Zachlorou, where you can grab a coffee and go for a wander to marvel at the quaint stone houses and tavernas while listening to the aquatic sounds of the river below. If you decide to stay the night at one of the small guesthouses, it is also well worth taking a short hike up to the monastery of Mega Spilio(Monastery of the Great Cave) which is perched spectacularly on a cliff-face above the town. For those not too keen on hiking the steep, rocky path, don’t worry, the monastery can also be reached by road. Among many impressive finds exhibited at the monastery is an ornate cross, which took a monk seven years to make, and then the poor fellow went blind – so says the description. So what’s the first port of call once you arrive in Kalavryta?

After a quick amble around the rustic surroundings and cobbled streets close to the village square, most people head to the memorial which was built to honour the victims of the infamous Nazi massacre which took place during WWII. Kalavryta undoubtedly has its place assured in the hearts of all Greeks for its association with that atrocity as well as for its role in the national struggle against Turkish occupation in 1821.

The massacre was Nazi retaliation for the execution of some German soldiers by the Greek resistance. Around 1,200 boys and men from the ages of 13 to 70 were executed on that December 13, 1943, and then the entire village was burned to the ground.

A further poignant reminder of the tragedy is found in the shape of an old schoolhouse which has been converted into a museum dedicated to the memory of those killed which is well worth a visit.

Another important part of the area’s history is the Monastery of Agia Lavra, which is just a few kilometers outside Kalavryta set in beautiful surroundings on the side of a pine-covered mountain. It is here where the first flag of freedom was raised by Bishop Germanos of Patras when the Greeks rebelled against the Turks in March of 1821. There are a plethora of guesthouses and small hotels to accommodate most tastes in Kalavryta.

After you’ve taken your fill of Kalavryta’s history and culture, the ski centre is a great place to inject some adrenaline if you are of the winter sports persuasion. Kalavryta offers great on- and off-piste runs with 12 trails in total, accounting for a range of difficulty from beginner to the very difficult Stiga 1 and 2 trails from the 2,340-metre summit – where on a clear day skiers are treated to a sea view – offer exhilarating powder runs among clusters of pine trees.

Kalavryta has free lifts for beginners as well as student discounts, while the always-lively chalet at the base of the mountain hosts memorable parties in the evening. Equipment can be rented on the mountain but there are several rental outlets in and around the town where prices are more reasonable.

Accommodation can be found via the website, while those seeking a more luxurious option can look to the recently opened Castle Resort perched above the town. Also, for those keen on imitating everyone’s favourite spy James Bond, Kalavryta has the bonus of snow-mobiling. Fewer experiences could be better than whizzing around scenic routes through the forests around the base of the mountain.

Round off your trip with a visit to the area’s final ‘must-see’: the Cave of Lakes. Situated a few kilometers west of the ski centre, the cave’s promotional literature boasts of being “a rare creation of Nature”, and the string of cascading lakes and labyrinth of stalactite formations are truly a sight to behold. The cave is essentially an old subterranean river which visitors can explore up to 500m courtesy of specially constructed metal walkway. On meandering through you’d be forgiven for thinking you had stumbled onto the set of Star Trek in its heyday, as you pass through dark passageways and gawp at the oddly-shaped rock formations. Thankfully there are no weird monsters lurking under the icy-cold waters; at least not to my knowledge.

Visitors are invited to leave their comments in a guestbook at the exit and as I flicked through the pages one message in particular from an enthusiastic visitor seemed to aptly sum up not only the cave lakes but the Kalavryta experience: “I have seen so much of Greece’s well-known beauty, but I never knew this country had such hidden wonders.”

Why come to Greece to write your novel

 Sunshine and weather

The weatherman has it easy in Greece during the summer.  From early June to late August, their duty is relegated to repeatedly pinning sun icons over Greek cities. For prospective authors, this means hours, days or even months worth of sunny writing backdrops that have been proven to boost energy and creativity. With the summer solstice providing up to 15 hours of sunlight in Greece, wherever you’ll go this summer, all you need to bring is your thirst to write – and some sunscreen.

Secluded

The introspection and reflection involved with writing a novel is immense and, try as you might, no local juice bar (complete with rainforest sounds) can make you forget the fact that it took you an hour and two noisy trains to get there. Greece is full of places to escape to; isolated mountain villages and quietisland communities, replete with rustic rooms encased in thick stone walls. Hunched over a sturdy 30′s era writing desk for two weeks, you’ll have a hard time losing focus.

Greek Cuisine and Greek Coffee

Greek food is meant to be savored – the same goes for Greek coffee, slow brewed in hovoli. That’s why lunches and dinners in Greece are always rather long affairs, during which you can brainstorm ideas with yourself, or bring them out into the open for others to give their two drachmas-worth. We guarantee you that writing inspiration will never come from a 10 minute lunch of frozen fish fingers and coffee straight out of the capsule.

Writers Block

What if it all suddenly runs dry? Writers block at 3 a.m. in Greece doesn’t mean the night is wasted – you might want to try out your character – or extricate yourself from him/her – in any number of bustling areas around Greece where people never really go to sleep.

Other ways to kick start your writing or get over the writing block is to take part in an organized writing holiday or workshop.  You can find them on some of the most beautiful Greek island. Experience each and every one of the benefits of writing in Greece, all in the company of like-minded people like you and with some expert help.