A trip to the Paleo-Christian Basilicas of Menorca (Spain)

an example of historic and religious tourism

1. What are the characteristics of this type of tourism?

Menorca is one of the Balearic Islands, located in the Mediterranean Sea, belonging to Spain. It takes its name from being smaller than the nearby island of Majorca. Menorca is mainly visited as a touristic sun & beach destination, but it's worth a historic and religious trip to discover the numerous archaeological sites, and among thouse, the Paleochristian remains.

Why? Because plus the well known Taulas and Talaiots, witnesses of the Prehistoric times, Menorca is an exceptional case in regard to the Early Christian Period. Five old basilicas have been found in Menorca: Illa del Rei, Illa d’en Colom, Fornàs de Torelló, Son Bou and Cap des Port in Fornells. Another possible one has been recently discovered in Ciutadella.

If you want more information about these sites, please watch to our video:

2. What should there be in the bag of the traveler performing this trip?

If you are in Menorca and you decide to take a trip to the main early Christian archaeological sites, you won’t need to pack lots of things in your bag. All these sites are easy to get by car, and none of them is far from a town or village. Just take a map of Menorca, and don’t forget a video or photo camera. Take a bottle of water, and a hat especially if you take the trip in summertime.

3. How can transportation be provided for this trip?

The fastest way to visit all the Paleochristian places is a private or hired car. But some places are very easy to get by walking, or by public transport (bus):

a) Son Bou: There is a regular bus from Maó and Alaior. Just check the timetable at www.tib.caib.es before your trip. The site is on the beach.

b) Es Fornàs de Torelló: You can go by walking from Maó or the small village of Sant Climent: A 30 min. walk from the center of Maó.

c) Illa del Rei: Ask for information in the ‘Club Marítim’, Port of Maó: every weekend there is a boat (free or very cheap) to transport visitors to the island.

d) Cap des Port: A 45 min. walk from the village of Fornells.

4. Where can the traveler accomodate during this trip?

Whether you take this trip in one day, as if you divide it in different excursions, you can go and back from the place where you stay in. Menorca is a small island, so the distances are not so long.

5. How long does this trip last? (Minimum time-day)

If you have your own car, you can complete the trip in one day. If you go by public transport or by walking, you’ll need half a day for each visit.

6. How much money is needed for this trip? (minimum)

You don’t need money to visit any of these sites. All of them are free. You’ll only have to pay 3,00€ if you visit the Museum of Menorca, in Maó, where you can see some of the pieces discovered in the paleochristian sites.

7. Why should a traveler do this trip? What will the traveler’s benefit be?

Menorca is an exceptional case, in regard to the paleochristian period, both because of the number of churches or basilicas discovered and because of the written documents dating from this period which have reached us today.

When in the Roman world the free practice of Christianity was permitted, suitable buildings celebrate its cult had to be build. Christianity extended throughout North Africa, eventually reaching the Belearic Islands, especially Menorca: in fact the paleochristian basilica at Son Bou has all the architectural features necessary to make it a “text-book” example of this type of church.

FOR MORE INFORMATION...

http://menorca.es

http://balearsculturaltour.net

http://bit.ly/museudemenorca

Foligno - Umbria

Erol from Iskenderun travelling to Italy

Hi, I’m Erol Barbur/The Right one.).I am from Hatay/Iskenderun(Turkey). I am 16 years old.I am a 10 grade high school student at Istiklal Makzume High School.I have one brother who is two year younger than me.My mother is an English teacher at Primary School and My father runs a shipping agent. I am 1.80 meters and slim with straight fair hair.. I like playing table tennis and swimming and I like english. I am a translator of a tv show site,I'm translating English tv shows to Turkish. I like to spend time on computer and with my friends of course and I can spend hours on playing table tennis. I have Ps3 and X-box,I play nearly all kind of games(except for  games of girls.) I play NBA 2K11 on Ps3 and I am  a fan of Boston Celtics NBA Team and Kevin Garnett. I like listening to music.My favourite bands are Metallica and System of a Down. I play Civilization V , Mount & Blade Warband , Titan Quest Immortal Throne , Crysis 2 and Minecraft. So much games right? These are the reasons ofwearing  glasses ;) I love watching tv serials like Doctor Who , Sherlock Holmes , The Big Bang Theory , Two and a Half Men , Spartacus Vengeance , How I met Your Mother , My Favourite is . . . . The Walking Dead. Anyway,travelling is magnificent no matter where you go. I hope I'll spend good time in Italy. It is all about me. To learning more about me ,here is my communication adresses. erol.barbur@hotmail.com www.facebook.com/erolbarbur www.twitter.com/erolbarbur erolbarbur.blogspot.com Message me :)

Hasan Berkay from İskenderun travelling to Italy

Hi ! My name is Hasan Berkay. I'm sixteen years old. I have got black hair and brown eyes.I'm 1.75cm.I would like to have a brother. But ı have got a sister.But She is one years old. I'm crazy. I love extreme sports. I have got a ATV. I love to do paragliding. I'm doing two years of paragliding.I love to play the guitar. I use electric guitar.I like to joke. I love water sports. I have a jetski.I love spending time with my friends. will contact :http://www.facebook.com/adamlevinebeyler

Deniz from Iskenderun travelling to Italy

Hi! I am Deniz.I’m 16 years old.And I am from Iskenderun. Iskenderun is a district of Hatay. I’m studying İstiklal Makzume Anatolian High School.Anyway, I like swimming , playing football , basketball billiards,the guitar,doing  body building and photograpy.I’m friendly.And I’m always smiling.This is my special power . By the way,I like trekking. I love reading poem.My favorite poet is Nazım Hikmet RAN. And I think his best poem is Invite.My mother's name is Sema, she isa lawyer and my father's name is Müslüm(But he prefers Ozan)and he isa  lawyer ,too.I have a brother.His name is Arda Eren.He is seven years old. My favorite football team is Real Madrid.Everyone loves F.C. Barcelona but I don’t.Because Real Madrid is a great team. My favorite player is C.Ronaldo. I think Mesut Özil is a great teammate for C.Ronaldo. My horoscope is cancer. To my parents’  opinion, I am emotional.I am 1 meter 83 cantimeters tall.I have black hair and Brown eyes.I am generous and kind(I and my friends Think :) ).I love travelling because to see new some places gives new something to me.I collect toys for my toy collection.My favorite bands are Beatles , Metallica, SoaD Nirvana.But my favorite band is Nirvana.And my favorite singer is Kurt Cobain. I would like to bea  lawyer someday(like my parents)My favorite subjects are Literature and sports. By the way,I love books so much and I have more than a thousand books specially poetry books. (denos@hotmail.com.tr)

Rojda from Iskenderun travelling to Italy

Hello!

 I am Rojda Köseoğlu.I was born on 28 March in 1995.I am 17 years old now.And I was born in Iskenderun,I am from Hatay.

 I have got a pretty family.I ‘ve got  two sisters and they are twins ,their name’s are Pınar and Irmak.They are 10 years old and they’re succesful students.And I’ve got  a brother who is 3 years old called Can.My mother’s name is Hatice and she is a nurse.My father’s name is Ali,he is an engineer.I like spending my time with my family.For example I like going short trips with them.I love my family.

 I have got brown eyes and long hair.And I am long girl.I am friendly,optimistic and easy-going person.I am honest because I hate lies and people who tell lies.I am good at making friendships.

 Everyone in my family like music.I am keen on music.I like listening and also singing.I like Turkish musics and foreign musics(like English musics).My favourite singers are  Eminem,Kanye West and Adele.My favourite Turkish singers are Sezen Aksu and Tarkan.I like dancing.And I like going to theatre or cinema.But I prefer theatre ,actually.’Titanic’is the most succesful movie I have ever seen.And I liked ‘Inceptıon’,too.

 I am studying at Istiklal Makzume Anatolian High School.I am in 3rd grade.And I want to be a doctor in the future.So I have to study hard.
 I like doing sports.For examle ;I like playing basketball,voleyball and badminton.And I also like walking,trekking.I like sea,and I like swimming.

 I enjoy when I contact with foreign people.I want to recognize their culture,lifestyles and etc… I like speaking English. I have never been in abroad before,so I am so excited for going to Italy. I want to go to  historical places in Italy.And I want to go  to Venedik or Pisa for Pisa Castle.I wonder Italy so much.

And I want to taste Italian cuisine.

 I hope to spend my time good in Italy and I am sure,I will.See you soon…J

Gözde from Iskenderun travelling to Italy

 Hello!

  I am Gözde Sönmez. I am from Hatay, Turkey. I was born in İstanbul, 1995. I have got a family. My father is a civil-engineer and my mother is a housewife. My brother is Metin Erdem, 11 years old. My sister is Ezgi, who is 13 years old. They are successfull students.

   My father and my mother behave me like a friend. They give me idea about every thing. Although my father is very busy, we pass time every weekend. We sometimes have a picnic or go to seaside. When I pass time with my family, I am very happyJ

    I am 17 years old. I am a medium-height girl. I have got long, wavy, brown hair and brown eyes. I like my eyelash and eys like other peopleJ I like wearing sport clothes. Sometimes, I wear glasses.

    I am hardworking, ambitious, a bit stubborn, honest, trusty and friendly. I hate rude, liar and smugy people. I like passing time with my friends in my free time but I can not find a lot of timeL Becasuse

I have to study hard in order to be a doctor. I hope that my dream will be real next year.

     I like swimming very much, also I like dancing, listening music, reading and shopping. I love my friends very much. My favourite Turkish DJ is Ozan Doğulu, who is very Professional and sempatic. My favourite film is “Letters to Juliet”.

      I am very happy and excited to come to Italy. I want to know people and culture of Italy. Particularly, I want to see love of fountain and other historical places. Also, I want to taste spaghetti in ItalyJ

            I'm looking forward to hear from you soon. I hope to see and meet you as soon as possible. See you soon...

HATAY and CHRİSTİANİTY(Interview with Pater Yasea)

HATAY and CHRİSTİANİTY

u Introducing the person:

  Yasea

u Pater:

  Padri Edvardo

                    u Place:

 Orthodox church

They believe that God is in the shape of human being. The idea that Jesus is immortal can be explained as in the follow ing  :

As we know God is immortal.They believe that Jesus was the breath of God. The breath itself is immortal so that Jesus is immortal. Because of that reason people call Jesus as the son of God. The holly book 'bible' is infect a single book. However four people rewrote the book according to their own ideas in different places. And thus there being four sects.In the first place they say that there were many common points with Muslims, but later christianity differed from İslam. For instance they sacrificed animals for God. 

       

But later They thought that Jesus was himself sacrificed for all people and via their sins were all  forgiven.  They believe that from then on there were not need to sacrifice animals for God. And they stopped this tradition. There's a place for confession near the Pope's armchair in there right of the Church. There is a painting for happines on the wall over the Meryem Ana's place. There is a special place for their wishes. It is near the confession place. The statue of Meryem Ana is in the middle in Church and everybody can see her esily.

MERYEM ANA

The world experienced disasters because of the World War I in 1917. Every family faced pain in those years. During these years Meryem Ana appeared for the first time to three children whose names are Lucia,Giacinta and Francesco in Fatima city of Portugal on 13 May 1917. The eldest of the Lucia explains Meryem Ana's appereance as in the   following :

       She was a lady who had worn brighter clothes than the sun. She was shining more intensely than a crystal glass of water filled with pure water through which sunshine passed.

LOVE İN CHRİSTİANİTY

Love is a very important and good thing. You can endure the difficulties of life by the help of love. You don't feel the burden of life and it turns the most painful things into a pleasure. Love is generous, it helps people to great achievements and encourages us for the better things. Love without surrounding the valueless things would like to be over all the things. Neither in the heaven nor in the world you can't see something, better than, stronger than, more common than love. A person who loves lives a happy life, he or she is free from every worry and nothing can stop them. Love has any good thing you can see around. Because love trust the God from whom all the good and holly things come from.

 

CHRİSTİANİTY  FRİENDSHİP

A poem about friendship

You have a friend

When everything goes wrong

When you need love and interest

When you feel bad

Close your eyes and think about me

To enlighten your darkest night

İmmediately I come beside you, just call me

Know that wherever I am

I come to you running

Winter, spring, summer and fall

Whenever you want, call me

I will be there

I’m your companion

If the sky gets dark and fills with clouds

North winds begins to blow

Keep your mind on and call me

I will come to you

(Carole KİNG you’ve got a friend )

ARMANİ CHURCH

 Santa Claus ( America ) , İce Daddy ( Russia )

      Santa Claus for Americas and the İce daddy for Russians is not related with the Christianity. They are the figures that journalists and commercialism has created. The clothes of these figures are modified according to the needs time and fashion. They come into the house from the chimneys or from the balcons, they ride cars when are towed by deers. They wear special clothes. For example red hat,white beard... But these things have nothing to do with Christianity.

SAİNT PİERRE CHURCH

    Saint Pierre Church, carved into the rocks west of Mount Stauris depth of 13 meters, 9.5 meters wide and 7 meters high, consists of a cave. The first Christians in Antioch used for secret meetings of the cave is considered one of the oldest churches in Christianity .

  

Berfin TOPLAR   10/A
Büşra POLAT     10/D