Traditional Spring Festival On Ahirkapi Street

Keep A Wish & Join The Traditional Open Festival: “Hidrellez 2004” on May 5th evening...

According to the cultural tradition, the Anatolian people used to celebrate spring with a festival called Hidrellez or the festivity of spring on each May´s 5th day. It is said that, whatever you wish for that night comes true! So, after a gray winter the Armada Hotel is organizing a semi-contemporary Hidrellez-2004 and inviting all of Istanbul’s citizens to come and participate. The activities begin on Ahirkapi Street which Armada is on and will spread to the adjacent streets, Wednesday evening (5th of May). All the traditional spring foods and drinks (both the traditional ones and the brewery) will be sold through the street-buffets, while the local musicians perform gypsy and Balkan music. This year, in addition to the individual wishes, some white ribbons symbolizing peace will be attached on the traditional Nahil´s... The Ahirkapi Great Roman Orchestra which is consisting of the neighboring musician groups of Ahirkapi community will perform its third great street concert along with the guest performers... Küçük Hasan from Lüleburgaz a zurna genius and the drum master Tamer Kum and his group will also be the guest musicians of the night! And… Last but not the least, The “Macedon Koçani Orkestar” will join and perform along with the others during whole evening… As the weather may be rainy take your raincoat and join the festival!

PROGRAM: (19:00-24:30)
19.00- Opening the Hidrellez-2004 at Ahırkapi Street
Street concerts by the local musicians... Spring foods by the portable street-shops: Döner kepab, meatball, kokoreç, fish in bread, rice, pastry, baklava, icecream, dried-nuts, etc. etc... Lemonade, scherbet, brewery, all other sorts of drinks...
21:30 - Concert- Ahirkapi Great Roman Orchestra, Guest performers (Kocani Orkestar)
24.00 - Attaching the Hidrellez 2004 Wishes to the traditioal Nahil (wish-trees), Traditional street fires… Do not miss this wonderful opportunity! Keep a wish and join in the festival!

International Dance Day Celebration

Being one of the Armada traditions, The International Dance Day was celebrated at the Armada on April 29th, 2004 with the participation of tango, milonga, salsa groups...

On the other hand, the documentary by Gunes Karabuda; The Story of Tango which was taken in Argentina, La Boca was also played...

Below, a shot from the Dance Day celebration; Ms. Seval Ugur Mutlu reading the UNESCO's 2004 Dance day Message:

Seval Uğur Mutlu... (Below the opening dance with Ümit İris)

A couple from the Salsa group at the Lobby...

This year the following UNESCO message was read:

Year 2004 - International Dance Day Message By Stephen PAGE

Dance is the original most ancient form of human expression. Through the body and physical language, dance has a powerful connection with the emotional and spiritual worlds. In traditional Aboriginal culture, dance is the core, like a kind of sacred medicine. Dance is grounded, connected to the spirit of Mother Earth. Unless you surrender to the dance you can't hunt quietly. It is an integral part of human existence. When I create a new dance work I ask the dancers to swallow and digest the traditional seed, to sense the innate code within so that we can transform the traditional essence to the contemporary world. Dance is the universal language. It represents human identity and a celebration of the human spirit. Dance is the artistic heart of kinship. It is a sacred universal remedy.

http://iti.unesco.org/pages/idd/idd.htm

Celebration The Tenth Anniversary Of Tango In Armada

The tenth anniversary of Tango in Armada will be celebrated on April 4th, 2004. As it happened during the 5th Anniversary, the couples will be honoured by specially designed certificates and silver brooches which were prepared by URART designers. (The silver brooches were adopted from a mural in Argentina.) The number of the couples who have been dancing tango on each Sunday and milonga on monday nights is over 100...

The Petition Of The Eminonu Citizenship Declared

THE EMINONU CITIZENSHİP PETITION!

THE SECOND PUBLIC EVENT by the EMINONU CIVIL PLATFORM FOR THE HISTORICAL PENINSULA...

The Eminönü Platform for the Historical Peninsula -a civil ngo which was established by a group of tourism and hotel management sector in the old city of Istanbul- organised an event last week. Almost all the local mayor candidates attended at the event which was titled as The Eminonu Citizenship Petition and has got great press coverage. Among the founders of the platform is tha Armada management as well...

The detailed news story, the visuals and the copies of the presentations in power point format those were made during the event (in Turkish only) are at the Platform's website: http://eminonuplatformu.org

St. Valentine Day At The Armada

For the evening of February 14th, 2004, on Saturday, on the occasion of St. Valentine's Day, the ARMADA hotel proposes different programs, including a cocktail of welcome for all the valentines and a free talk with Rezzan Kiraz, well-known Tarot specialist on Tarot and the future of your relationship...

The couples who will celebrate the “St. Valentine Day 2004 at the Armada Hotel will be met with the welcome coctail around the traditional Nahıl (wish-tree) installed in the middle of the lobby near Marble Fountain...

“MENU: Appetizers / Love Pastry/ Medallion of Turkey with Orange Sauce/ Green Salad with Ginger Sauce/ Parfait aux noix with hot choclate sauce and dometistic drinks...

Programs and Accomodation Packages:

1) “Dinner at the Ahırkapı Restaurant with live music by an Orchestre and Tangos:

Price: 90 million TL for two person.

1. A) Have dinner above + one night accomodation including open-buffet breakfast next morning in the hotel Armada.

Price for two persons: 165 million TL.

2) Dinner in the sounds of a guitar and an accordion at the glass-glazed SERA Restaurant next to the Terrace enjoying a panoramic sight on the historic peninsula of the city.

Price for two persons: 140 million TL.

2.a) The same program and one night accomodation including the open-buffet breakfast. In this case you will be entitled free of charge the program Dance in Radio Bar with the music by a disc-jockey from 11:00 pm till 01:00 am:
Price; 215 million TL for two.

3) Dinner in the sounds of a guitar and an accordion at the glass-glazed SERA Restaurant next to the Terrace enjoying a panoramic sight on the historic peninsula of the city. and Dance in Radio Bar with the music by a disc-jockey from 11:00 pm till 01:00 am:
Price for two persons: 180 million TL.

4) Dance in Radio Bar with the music by a disc-jockey from 11:00 pm till 01:00 am, unlimited local drinks.
Price for two persons: 60 million TL.

For more information and for the bookings, please contact the Sales Department of the Hotel ARMADA

Tél.: 90 ) 212 639 13 70 ( 8 lines); fax: 90 ) 212 518 50 60.
E-Mail: zkelebek@aramadahotel.com.tr; Info@armadahotel.com.tr

Ramadan 1424

(Camera: Buğrahan Şirvancı, Drummer: Ahırkapı Romanları; Pire Mehmet)
(Click on pictures for bigger size)

Traditional Armada Ramadan Menus

AHIRKAPI RESTAURANT - Weekday; 17.500.000 TL/person
Saturday/Sunday: 20.000.000 TL/person
ARMADA SERA - 25.000.000 TL/person

info: info@armadahotel.com.tr , zkelebek@armadahotel.com.tr

Best Time Of The Armada Terrace!

“Wedding at the Terrace..."

A relaxing evening at the Terrace...

Sunset at the Terrace...

Dinner at the Terrace...

(Reservation required! Pls. call: 90-212-638 13 70-78 )

Open Festival On Cnn International

The Traditional Open "Spring Festival" that was led by the Armada Hotel was a real success! A few thousand Istanbul citizens joined in the event which was significantly reflected by the Turkish media as well as by CNN INTERNATIONAL twice! Unless the agenda is changed, it will be aired tomorrow once again, (May 24th, 2003) (GMT+2 by 16:00 hours)!
Thanks for everyone who attended and supported this lovely event!

Click on the photos for bigger size...