Life in Turkey is a rich variety of cultures and
traditions, some dating back centuries and others or more recent
heritage. Any visitor to Turkey will find a great deal that is exotic,
and much that is reassuringly familiar. The intriguing blend of East and
West makes up the Turkish lifestyle.
Language
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The official language of
the country is Turkish. It is spoken by 220 million people and is the
world's fifth most widely spoken language. Today's Turkish has evolved
from dialects known since the 11th century and is one of the group of
languages known as Ural-Altaic, which includes Finnish and Hungarian.
Turkish is written with
the Latin alphabet with the addition of six different characters.
Turkish is completely phonetic - each letter of the alphabet has only
one sound-, so each word sounds exactly how it is written. During
Ottoman times Turkish was written in Arabic script, that a limited
number of people were able to write. In order to improve literacy and
therefore to overcome the difficulties of learning and reading Turkish
using Arabic script, Turkey switched to the Latin alphabet following the
initiative started by Atatürk in 1928.
English has replaced
French and German as the chief secondary language taught in school and
is becoming more widespread. English is widely spoken and understood by
many throughout Turkey. German, Russian and French are also spoken
especially in popular holiday destinations.
Religion
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Turkey is the only secular
country in the Islamic world. Secularism is enshrined in the
constitution that religion has no place whatsoever in governing of the
country. Like other European countries, the weekly holiday is Sunday -
not Friday as many are mistaken- and the Gregorian calendar is used in
Turkey. The constitution secures the freedom of belief and worshiping.
During the time of the Ottoman Empire, people of many different faiths
lived together in peace, and since then this diversity has been
preserved. Today there are 236 churches and 34 synagogues open for
worship in Turkey
Tourists visiting Turkey
are unlikely to see much evidence that they are in a Muslim country,
except for the call to prayer, which can be heard 5 times a day. People
wear contemporary dresses like any western country, and especially in
big cities and popular holiday destinations, one can easily spot many
who are closely observing fashion of Paris, London and Milan. There is
no difference in the way people dress, especially in large cities in
Turkey to the rest of Europe. It is only in smaller villages, more
remote areas and the east of the country that dress codes are more
local. It is quite common for village women to wear headscarves but this
is generally out of practical and cultural rather than religious
considerations.
The only time you need to
be mindful about dress codes is when visiting a mosque. Everyone should
wear clothing that covers his or her legs, so no shorts, much like in
any temple. Women should also make sure that their shoulders and head
are covered. Shoes should be removed before entering a mosque. There is
usually a rack or storage area where they can be left or you can carry
them with you in a bag. Mosques are usually closed to visitors during
prayer times.
There are two major
Islamic Festivals, which are celebrated in Turkey. The dates of both
change each year, according to lunar calendar. Eid (Ramazan or Şeker
Bayramı) falls at the end of period of fasting. Greater Eid, the Feast
of Sacrifice (Kurban Bayramı) falls almost two months after Eid, when
wealthy believers usually sacrifice a sheep or a cow and it is
distributed to the needy including friends, family and neighbours.
Government offices and some other institutions are closed during these
periods but life in resorts continues much as usual, and many Turks also
head to the holiday destinations.
Hospitality
Visitors to Turkey are often pleasantly surprised by the friendliness of the Turkish people, who will go out of their way to assist and happily spend time chatting. Hospitality is a cornerstone of Turkish culture, and Turks believe that visitors should be treated as “Guests sent by God”. This attitude has survived to the 21st century and does not appear to have been diminished by mass tourism. In fact, quite the reverse, most Turks welcome the opportunity to meet foreign visitors, learn about different cultures and practice their language skills. It is usual for Turks - even the men - to greet each other by kissing on both cheeks. As a tradition, Turkish people treat their national flag as sacred. Therefore, one should avoid insulting or showing disrespect to the Turkish flag.
Visitors to Turkey are often pleasantly surprised by the friendliness of the Turkish people, who will go out of their way to assist and happily spend time chatting. Hospitality is a cornerstone of Turkish culture, and Turks believe that visitors should be treated as “Guests sent by God”. This attitude has survived to the 21st century and does not appear to have been diminished by mass tourism. In fact, quite the reverse, most Turks welcome the opportunity to meet foreign visitors, learn about different cultures and practice their language skills. It is usual for Turks - even the men - to greet each other by kissing on both cheeks. As a tradition, Turkish people treat their national flag as sacred. Therefore, one should avoid insulting or showing disrespect to the Turkish flag.
Food
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Turkish cuisine is
renowned as one of the world's best. It is considered to be one of the
three main cuisines of the world because of the variety of its recipes,
its use of natural ingredients, its flavours and tastes that appeal to
all palates and its influence throughout Europe, Asia, the Middle East
and Africa. The cuisine originated in central Asia, the first home of
the Turks, and then evolved with the contributions of the inland and
Mediterranean cultures with which Turks interacted after their arrival
in Anatolia.
Turkish cuisine is in a sense a bridge between far-Eastern and Mediterranean cuisines, with the accent always on enhancing the natural taste and flavour of the ingredients. There is no one dominant element in Turkish cuisine, like sauces in French and pasta in Italian cuisines.
Turkish cuisine is in a sense a bridge between far-Eastern and Mediterranean cuisines, with the accent always on enhancing the natural taste and flavour of the ingredients. There is no one dominant element in Turkish cuisine, like sauces in French and pasta in Italian cuisines.
While the Palace cuisine
was developing in İstanbul, local cuisines in Anatolia were multiplying
in several regions, all displaying different geographical and climactic
characteristics. These cuisines, after remaining within regional borders
for centuries, are now being transported to the big cities and their
suburbs as a consequence of large-scale urbanisation and migration
towards new urban centres. As a result, the national Turkish cuisine has
been enriched by the contribution of a great number of local recipes.
Turkey is self-sufficient
in While the Palace cuisine was developing in İstanbul, local cuisines
in Anatolia were multiplying in several regions, all displaying
different geographical and climactic characteristics. These cuisines,
after remaining within regional borders for centuries, are now being
transported to the big cities and their suburbs as a consequence of
large-scale urbanisation and migration towards new urban centres. As a
result, the national Turkish cuisine has been enriched by the
contribution of a great number of local recipes.food production and
produces enough for export as well. This means that Turkish food is
usually made from fresh, local ingredients and is all the tastier for it
A main meal will usually
start with soup and the meze, a variety of small cold and hot dishes,
which are made for sharing. In many restaurants, a waiter will bring
these around on a tray for you to look and make your choice. Tarama
salad, cacık (tzatziki), dolma (vine leaves or peppers stuffed with
rice), börek (pastries), beyaz peynir (similar to feta) arnavut ciğeri
(cubed fried liver) are amongst the many types of mezes found in most of
the restaurants.
The main course is usually
meat or fish. Turks always eat bread with their meal and main courses
are usually served with rice. Typically, çoban salatası, a salad made of
tomato, cucumber, parsley and onion, dressed with olive oil and lemon
juice, will be offered as a side dish. Lamb is the most popular meat and
prepared in a variety of ways, including “şiş kebap” (grilled cubes of
seasoned meat on a skewer). “Köfte”, which are like small lamb meatballs
and are well worth trying. Those who prefer something hot and spicy
should try “Adana kebap”, which is made of minced lamb but with the
addition of hot peppers and spices formed around a flat skewer. There
are numerous variations and regional specialities of kebap. Somewhat
rich but very tasty, is the İskender or Bursa kebab, named respectively
after Alexander the Great and the town in which it originated. It
consists of slices of döner meat laid over small bites of a freshly
cooked flat bread and covered with tomato sauce and hot butter all
served with yoghurt. Turks are traditionally fond of stews called sulu
yemek or ev yemeği (home cooked) and therefore there are many
restaurants offering these foods which are usually displayed in the
entrance of the restaurant in large glass displays making it easier to
choose.
Fish and seafood
restaurants are widely found in Istanbul, other big cities and in the
coastal regions. Fish is usually grilled to bring out its natural
flavour and there is a wide variety of seafood mezes’ including midye
tava (fried mussels), kalamar (calamari), and midye dolma (mussels
stuffed with seasoned rice). It is worth asking for the catch of the day
but some of the tastiest fish are levrek (sea bass), çupra (sea bream)
and kalkan (turbot). Fish is usually sold by weight in restaurants where
some customers prefer to make their choice from the fish offered on a
large display.
