TAC’s Field Trip to Central Europe
The History Club from Tarsus American College took a trip to Central Europe on April 6th, 2019 with a group of 15 students accompanied by Hasan Turgut and Bikem Can. During the six-day trip, the students visited Berlin, Dresden, Prague, Vienna, and Budapest. During the trip, students had the enjoyable opportunity to get to know different cultures, taste various cuisines, and learn about the historical artifacts in each destination.
The first stop of the trip was Berlin where the group visited the Muesumsinel and the Checkpoint Charlie Museum. In the square near the museums, the group met many students dressed in military uniforms to cover their college expenses. A trip to the city isn't complete without checking out the Berlin Wall, a symbol of the Cold War, followed by the famous Pariser Platz with six gates and the final stop in Berlin, a trip to Kufürstenndam.
The next day's trip was to Dresden, a city many of the students were unaware of before traveling there. In the German city, students visited the museums and churches many of which were destroyed by the bomb attacks during WWII. In the years since the citizens of Dresden have rebuilt the city from the remains of the destruction.
After Dresden, students moved onto Prague visiting Charles Bridge and the Old Town Square. Meanwhile, a group of students went to see the New Town Square. After resting at the hotel, the group dined on Paris Street where they ate steaks and ice cream.
From Prague, the group journeyed to Vienna, a city where the Ottomans were besieged twice. The first stop in Vienna was the Presidential Building, a symbol of the Ottoman Empire. They tasted Vienna's famous schnitzel, rented bikes and toured the streets of the Austrian capital. A second stop was a trip to the Museum of Art History where students enjoyed taking lots of pictures.
The final stop on the trip was in Budapest where the students took in the historical wealth and artifacts of the Hungarian capital. Budapest was also under the auspices of the Ottoman Empire for a period of its history, and students saw traces of it. At the end of the trip, the students gained awareness of both European and Turkish history related to the subjects they study at school as well as having fun and getting along with one another on this spring break adventure.