TURKEY
Art of the Ottomans
Take a private class with Leman Dinçtürk, the country's leading miniaturist. This Turkish art was most prevalent in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, and few artists continue to produce it today. The style involves straight lines, bright colors, and—in opposition to Islamic tradition—human figures. (The name refers to the details in the paintings, not to the size of the works themselves.) The main characters in Nobel Prize winner Orhan Pamuk's novel My Name Is Red are miniaturists in the Ottoman Empire. You'll spend several hours watching Dinçtürk work and learning about the tradition; then you'll try your own hand at watercolors rather than the more difficult inks that she uses. Cost: $1,540. Source: Earl Starkey, Sophisticated-Travel (212-409-9587; earls@protravelin.com; sophisticated-travel.com). BEST FOR: Ottomaniacs—this is one of the few aspects of the secretive Ottoman culture that is still in existence. BUT BEWARE: Easel newbies need not apply; the lesson, which lasts five hours, will be exhausting for those without some prior art training.