Caprice Hotel: Transforming Islam on the Aegean Coast

Abstract

In summer 1996, Turkish newspapers, especially those addressing a religious audience, reported the introduction of a new space of consumption: a fivestar hotel in Didim (Aydin) designed on the basis of Islamic rules. Fadil Akgunduz, owner of the hotel, announced in a press release on the opening of the facility that this investment was an attempt to enable religious-conservative people to benefit from the blessings of God and use their right to enjoy the worldly pleasures in accordance with their religious beliefs (Yeni Safak Daily, 3 July 1996).