People-Features

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Juana Azurduy de Padilla; the female general who led her army to victory hours after giving birth

One of the best ways to learn a foreign language is to delve into a country’s history and learn about the incredible figures who played a pivotal role in shaping their nation’s future and identity. One such person is Juana Azurduy de Padilla, a South American female general who went into labour, gav...

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Argentina: how María Remedios del Valle became the "Mother of the Nation”

One of the best ways to learn a foreign language is to delve into a country’s history and learn about the incredible figures who played a pivotal role in shaping their nation’s future and identity. One such person is María Remedios del Valle, who is described by many Argentines as “Madre de la Patri...

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The legendary love story of Popocatépetl and Iztaccíhuatl

Epic romance stories can be found in all cultures and are told in all languages. Without a doubt, the basic human desire to love and be loved is one of the most important instincts of our creation. The story of Popocatépetl (Popo) and Iztaccihuatl (Izta) is the Aztec Romeo and Juliet, who were...

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LGBT+ History Month: Five Turkish icons to celebrate

February is LGBT+ History Month in Britain. During this annual month-long observance, the UK puts the historic experiences of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex people (LGBTI+) and their fight for equal rights in the spotlight. The aim of the month is simple: to raise awareness of...

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Toprak Razgatlıoğlu – a rising star (and crescent)

As previously reported by T-VINE, Toprak Razgatlıoğlu (Look out for Turkey’s rising motorcycle racing star Toprak Razgatlıoğlu) is making waves in the world of motorsport. The 24-year-old star from Alanya currently sits second in the World Superbike Championship, riding for the Pata Yamaha with...

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Obituary: Abdullah Nihat Yılmaz – a legacy of hope and that ‘Life is an obligation and a fight!”

There are some people you meet that once you begin to speak you wish the conversation wouldn’t stop, regardless of the topic.As John Ford said, “You can speak well if your tongue can deliver the message of your heart” and indeed Abdullah Nihat Yılmaz was one of those rare people who conducted his ta...

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The “monumental legacy” of Ahmet Ağaoğlu – a life linking Turkey and Azerbaijan

The historic birthplace of a leading Turkish-Azeri intellectual recently returned to Azerbaijani hands following a truce with Armenia. The town of Shusha, the home of the educator, publicist, Pan-Turkist thinker and politician Ahmet Ağaoğlu, who played an important role in the foundation of both Aze...

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Remembering Kemal Sunal on the 20th anniversary of his passing

On this day twenty years ago, actor Kemal Sunal suffered a fatal heart attack as he boarded an early morning domestic flight from Istanbul to the Black Sea city of Trabzon. He was just 55 years old. Sunal is said to have had a lifelong fear of flying and had not been on a plane for many years,...

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My first memories of smell at home and in London, Britain

The jessamine is odorous; so Maid lilies are, and clematis And where tall meadowsweet flowers grow A rare and subtle perfume is;- What can there be more choice than these? – A rose when it doth bud and blow.By Christina Rosetti (1830-1894) When I began interviewing people about t...

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"We made history": 90-year-old Galip Ahmet on the struggle of Turkish Cypriots

Galip Ahmet is one of the first Turkish Cypriots to have come and settled in Britain in the early 1950s. Born in Cyprus on 18 April 1929, Galip Bey recently turned 90. I interviewed him earlier this summer about his experiences before and after his move, as part of my work on ‘Turkish heritage in th...

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