lifestyle
Turkish lifestyle is a vivid mosaic; juxtaposing the occident
and the Orient, the ancient and the modern
Life in Turkey is a rich variety of cultures and traditions,
some dating back centuries and others of more recent heritage.
The visitor to Turkey will find a great deal that is exotic,
and also much that is reassuringly familiar. The following
pages should offer you an insight into the intriguing blend
of East and West that makes up the Turkish lifestyle.
Language
Turkish is spoken by over 200 million people and is the world’s
7th most widely used language, out of over 4000. 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.
It can be quite difficult to get to grips with Turkish.
Words sound unfamiliar and even the way they are written appears
strange. The key, however, is the Turkish version of the Latin
alphabet – the same one which is used for English with
the addition of 6 different characters. Turkish is unusual
in that it 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, which few people could write, so in 1928, Atatürk,
founder of the Turkish Republic decided to switch to the new
alphabet to improve levels of literacy. Once you get the hang
of the sounds of the letters (see page 91 for tips) you can
improve your vocabulary with a few basics such as taksi, çizburger
and ketçap – the ç is pronounced as ‘ch’
so just try saying them out loud! Although English is widely
spoken in tourist areas, it will still be appreciated if you
make the effort to learn a few phrases. Turn to page 92 of
this guide for some suggestions.
Religion
Although 99% of the population is Muslim, in Turkey religion
is seen as strictly a private matter. In fact, Turkey is the
only Islamic country which is a secular state. This is enshrined
in the constitution and means that religion has no place whatsoever
in the running of the country’s affairs. In line with
other European countries, the weekly holiday is Sunday - not
the Islamic holiday of Friday - and the Gregorian calendar
is used. The constitution guarantees freedom of religion and
the right to worship. During the time of the Ottoman Empire,
people of many different faiths lived in what is now Turkey,
and since that time, this diversity has been preserved. Today
there are 236 churches and 34 synagogues open for worship
in Turkey.
Tourists visiting coastal resorts 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 per day. Dress is
relaxed beachwear for locals and tourists alike. Similarly
there is little difference between the way in which people
dress in large cities in Turkey and the rest of Europe. It
is only in smaller villages,more remote areas and the east
of the country that dress codes are more formal. The best
advice is to take your cue from the locals and adapt your
dress to fit in with theirs. It is quite common for village
women to wear headscarves but this is generally as much out
of practical and cultural than strictly religious considerations.
The only time when you need to worry about dress codes is
when visiting a mosque. Everyone should wear clothes which
cover their legs, so no shorts for either sex, and 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. As in any place of worship,
visitors should speak quietly and behave respectfully.
There are two major Islamic Festivals which are celebrated
in Turkey. The dates of both change each year, according to
a lunar calendar. The festivals are S¸eker BayramÝ which
falls at the end of Ramadan, a period of fasting, and Kurban
BayramÝ, the Feast of Sacrifice, when traditionally a goat
is sacrificed and the meat distributed to friends, family
and neighbours. Government offices and some other institutions
are closed during these periods but life in resorts continues
much as usual, since many Turks also head to the coast when
these holidays fall in the summer months. During Ramadan,
or Ramazan, as it is known in Turkey, it is common for locals
to fast from sunrise to sunset. This should not affect visitors
to tourist areas. Please see page 93 for dates of religious
festivals.
Hospitality
Visitors toTurkey 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 of 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. Turks are proud of their country and
you should avoid insulting or showing disrespect for their
flag.
Food
Turkish cuisine is renowned as one of the world’s best.
It draws its influences from all corners of the former Ottoman
Empire, and each region has its own specialities. Turkey is
self-sufficient in food production and produces enough surplus
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 the meze, a variety of
small cold and hot dishes which are made for sharing. In many
restaurants a waiter will bring these round on a tray for
you to inspect and make your choice. In any case, it is common
for a Turk to have a look at the food being prepared in the
kitchen before deciding on what to eat, so if you are not
sure, don’t feel shy about asking. Meze includes anything
from dips such as taramasalata and cacik (yoghurt, garlic
and cucumber) to dolma (anything stuffed with rice such as
vine leaves or peppers), karides (prawns) or arnavut cigðer
(cubes of liver fried with spices and onions). Turks have
hundreds of ways to prepare aubergine and imam bayÝldÝ is
one of the best; aubergine cooked in olive oil and filled
with tomato and onions, its name literally means ‘the
priest swooned’ – presumably due to the delicious
taste.
The main course is usually meat or fish. Turks always eat
bread with their meal and main courses are usually served
with rice. Typically a çoban salatasÝ, a ‘shepherd’s
salad’of tomato, cucumber and onion, dressed with olive
oil and served with lemon, will be placed in the middle of
the table to share. Lamb is the most common meat and this
and chicken are prepared in a variety of ways and usually
grilled. S¸is¸ kebab (cubes of meat on a skewer)
is popular and well known. Köfte, which are like small
lamb burgers are well worth trying and those who prefer something
a little spicier should order the Adana kebab, which is also
made of minced lamb but with the addition of peppers and formed
around a skewer. There are numerous variations and regional
specialities of the kebab. Somewhat rich but very tasty, is
the IÏskender or Bursa kebab, named respectively after Alexander
the Great and the town in which it originated, which is slices
of döner meat layered with yoghurt, tomato sauce and
pitta bread. Turks are also fond of stews or what they term
sulu yemek (food with sauce) and there are restaurants which
specialise in these and will usually have large containers
of the different varieties on display.
IÏstanbul and the coastal resorts are big on fish and seafood.
Mostly fish is simply grilled to bring out its natural flavour
and there is a wide variety of seafood meze including midye
tava (or mussel kebab served on a skewer). It is worth asking
for recommendations but some of the most tasty are levrek
(seabass) and kalkan (turbot). Fish is often sold by weight
and many restaurants will show you the freshly caught fish
to make your choice before cooking it. Do check the price
however, as it can work out to be relatively expensive.
Mostly a meal will be rounded off by a plate of fresh fruit,
beautifully prepared and placed in the centre of the table
for sharing. Karpuz (water melon) and kavun (melon) are popular.
Those with a sweet tooth will be delighted by the sticky,
honeyed desserts. There are many varieties, of which baklava
(layers of filo pastry and pistachio nuts soaked in honey)
is perhaps themost common.Also worth trying is the sütlaç,
a cold, slightly sweet milky rice pudding. The adventurous
might want to order tavuk gögusu, a milk pudding made
from pounded chicken breast – it sounds strange but
is actually delicious, and when well made it is impossible
to tell it is made from chicken.
Turkish breakfast kahvaltÝ usually consists of fresh white
bread, honey, beyaz peynir – cheese similar to feta,
literally translated as ‘white cheese’–
tomatoes, cucumber and black olives, washed down with black
tea. The Turkish equivalent of a fry up is menemen a type
of omelette with peppers and other vegetables or eggs fried
with sucuk, a garlic sausage.
Soup has a special place in the Turkish diet and is drunk
at any time of day. There are cafes which only serve soup
and are popularly frequented after a big night out. Mercimek
(lentil) and domates (tomato) are common as are more exotic
soups such as is¸kembe (tripe), yayla (yoghurt with
mint) and dügðün (literally ‘wedding’soup)
which contains egg and lemon.
Börek can be served as part of a meze or as a snack
on its own. It is frequently translated on menus as ‘pie’
which is completely misleading. It is actually different variations
on filo pastry filled with cheese, minced meat, egg, potato
or spinach – or combinations thereof. Sigara börek
and muska börek are respectively small cigar and triangle-shaped
filo parcels usually filled with cheese, which come as a part
of the meze. Su böregði is layered pastry which is soft
and runny and can be served with sugar or white cheese as
a snack, and can taste more like thin layers of pasta than
pastry.
Fast food
Turkey is full of street vendors selling all sorts of different
snacks, from the better known döner kebab, which can
be made of chicken or lamb to kokoreç, which is lamb
entrails cooked on a skewer – popular with the locals,
but not for the timid. Turks have their own variety of pizza,
pide, a type of pitta bread with toppings such as cheese,
minced meat, egg and sucuk (garlic sausage) as well as lahmacun
which is a very thin flat bread spread with minced meat, which
is rolled up before eating.
Vegetarians
The concept of choosing not to eat meat is somewhat alien
to the average Turk, so it can be difficult for them to grasp
that, for example, a strict vegetarian would not want to eat
vegetables cooked in meat stock. Many Turks do not even count
chicken as meat but use the term to refer only to red meat.
Although strict vegetarians should bear this in mind, there
are plenty of options available such as the vegetable meze
dishes and snacks such as börek or pide with cheese or
egg toppings and fillings, as well as the obvious choices
such as omelettes, toasted sandwiches and soups. Those who
eat fish will find that they have no problems as seafood is
popular in all coastal areas.
Soft Drinks
Common fruit juices include vis¸ne - sour cherry juice
- and s¸eftali – peach.Another favourite drink,
particularly in hot weather, which is credited with curing
all ills, is ayran, a yoghurt drink, which is often salted
and, therefore, somewhat of an acquired taste. Bottled mineral
water or su is cheap and easily available and fizzy drinks
are sold everywhere.
Alcoholic Drinks
Alcohol is freely available in Turkish resorts and cities.
It is only if you are heading off the beaten track or to particularly
conservative areas that you may have to check whether or not
restaurants serve alcohol. The traditional tipple is rakÝ,
an aniseed based spirit, which is sometimes known as lion’s
milk. It is clear but turns cloudy when water is added. Most
people do dilute it with water although some drink it only
with ice. It is unusual for a Turk to drink alcohol without
eating at the same time. RakÝ traditionally accompanies a
meal of fish and in-between meals, melon and/ or white cheese
are often served alongside it. Turkey is credited with being
the first nation to produce wine and in recent years this
traditional art has experienced something of a renaissance.
Local wine producers have been studying the latest methods
used in other countries and importing or developing grapes,
and this, combined with the favourable local conditions has
produced some excellent results. Most people will be pleasantly
surprised by the varieties of both red and white wine available.
Two of the biggest local producers are Doluca and Kavaklidere.
Those who prefer beer will not be disappointed in the well-known
local brand, Efes. There are also locally produced vodka,
brandy, whisky and gin, which are a lot cheaper than imported
brands although they can be a little rough and ready.
Tea
Usually Turkish tea or çay is brewed in a sort of
combined kettle/ tea pot which is placed directly on the hob
and has water boiling in the bottom section and tea brewing
in the top so it can be made weaker or stronger as required.
It is drunk from small tulip-shaped glasses, always black
and usually with plenty of sugar. Unless you specifically
ask for Turkish tea, hotels will assume you want English tea
and often present you with a cup of boiling water and a tea
bag on the side.
 Coffee
Turkish coffee or Türk kahvesi is the perfect way to
finish off a good meal. When ordering you specify whether
you want it sade (plain), orta (with some sugar) or s¸ekerli
(very sweet) and it is brewed with the specified amount of
sugar mixed in with the coffee granules. It is served in small
cups. It is quite an art to know when to stop drinking as
one sip too many and you will end up with a mouthful of the
sludgy residue which falls to the bottom of the cup. Even
this has its uses, however, as you may find a local willing
to tell your fortune from it – cover your cup with the
saucer, wait until it becomes cold when you will be asked
to turn it upside down, turn it around several times and then
your destiny will be divined from the shapes which are formed.
It is said that it was the Ottomans who introduced coffee
to Europe when their retreating army left bags full of it
at the gates of Vienna.
Turkish Delight
One of Turkey’s most famous exports, lokum or Turkish
delight as we know it, comes in many flavours and not only
the rose, lemon and pistachio varieties which are common elsewhere.
It is often served with Turkish coffee at the end of a meal.
There are now some Turkish Delight factories where you can
book a tour to watch it being made and sample the wares.
 Evil
Eye
Wherever you go you will see the nazar boncuk, a charm to
ward off the ‘evil eye’, which is sometimes made
into jewellery or used in designs for material or painted
on to pottery, china and tiles. The charms are usually made
out of blue glass with a stylised eye design and can be of
any size – large ones for the home or office, smaller
to hang in a car or a tiny one to pin on a child’s back
with a safety pin. According to the tradition, when someone
praises something or someone they run the risk of attracting
the ‘evil eye’ to whatever is being praised, by
arousing envy in others. The nazar boncuk deflects this. Few
Turks have blue eyes, so it was probably mistrust of foreigners
which gave rise to the traditional blue colour of the charms.
It is said that the design is the basis for the Paisley pattern.
Turkish Bath
Cleanliness has always been a priority in both Turkish and
Islamic society, There have been hamam or public bath houses
in Turkey since medieval times. The tradition reached its
height during Ottoman times, when it became the social focus
for women, for many of whom it provided a rare opportunity
to leave their own home and see their friends. Bathing would
become a social occasion, accompanied by a picnic, and, it
is said, that it provided the ideal opportunity for mothers
to shortlist potential brides for their sons. Even today there
are separate baths for men or women, or where a town has only
one hamam, different times of day or days of the week are
allocated to men and women. The only exception to this is
the baths open to tourists in beach resorts, where it is not
uncommon to have mixed bathing and even to be massaged by
someone of the opposite sex, which would never happen in a
traditional bath. When you enter the hamam you leave your
clothes in a locker and wrap yourself in a towel or cloth
called a pes¸temal which is provided along with wooden
slippers. Once in the main bathhouse, you fill your bowl with
water from the taps set along the walls and wash yourself
by tipping the water from the bowl over yourself. When it
is your turn you lie down on the central marble slab or göbek
tas¸Ý where you are scrubbed with a rough cloth (called
kese) and then lathered with soap and massaged. There is usually
an extra charge for these treatments.
Carpets
The first carpets were almost certainly those made by the
nomadic tribes who wandered central Asia, and bear a close
resemblance to the cotton kilims still available today. Turkish
rugs are usually made from wool or silk,woven and knotted
on a loom. The density of the knots determines the quality
of the carpet – themore knots per centimetre, themore
hard-wearing it will be. The colours used for the designs
vary from region to region and usually stem from the indigenous
plants which were available in that region for producing dyes.
The symbols used to decorate the carpets also vary and most
have a meaning attached to them – usually they aremotifs
taken from nature representing flowers, plants and animals.
Most carpetsellers are well versed in the history of the carpet
and will be happy to spend some time explaining it –
often over a glass of apple tea. In recent years, a number
of ‘carpet schools’ have been opened where the
traditional arts can be preserved and the process of carpet-making
from dying the wool to weaving can be demonstrated to visitors.
IÏznik tiles
IÏznik tiles, which are named after their place of origin,
a small town in the province of Marmara, near Bursa, are traditionally
made using a unique technique which combines three successive
layers of quartz and a mixture of clay and glaze, which blend
naturally at very high temperatures. The background is white
and the colours which are used reflect those of semi-precious
stones, the dark blue of lapis lazuli, turquoise, coral red
and emerald green. The patterns are symbolic representing
flora and fauna and other elements of the natural world, together
with inscriptions of Islamic texts. The popularity of IÏznik
tiles was at its height during the 16th century, with the
red wall tiles which decorate the Süleymaniye Mosque
marking its apogee. In the 17th century there were at least
300 workshops in IÏznik specialising in tile-making. During
the Ottoman period these tiles were exported throughout the
world via the island of Rhodes, which was part of the Empire.
This industry declined along with the Ottoman Empire, and
suffered greatly throughout the War of Independence, but has
been revived in recent years.
Music
Turkey has a rich musical tradition of varied and often contrasting
styles. From the folk music which originated on the steppes
of Asia to the refined music of the Ottoman court; from the
strident military music of the mehter takÝmÝ, the Janissary
band, played with kettle drums, clarinets and cymbals to the
mystical sound of the ney or ‘reed pipe’ which
accompanies theWhirling Dervishes as they dance. Classical
Turkish music is monophonic ie all instruments essentially
play the same tune. There are a number of instruments commonly
heard such as the kemence or violin; ud or lute; kanun, which
is similar to a zither; zurna similar to an oboe; and zil
or cymbal. It was only with the formation of the Turkish Republic
that efforts were made to develop a form of modern polyphonic
Turkish music, but there are now numerous successful classical
composers. At the other end of the spectrum, there is also
a thriving popular music industry in Turkey boosted by the
MTV style TV channels playing non-stop music videos. There
are a number of prominent music festivals in Turkey including
the Aspen dos Opera and Ballet Festival which is held in June
and July and the IÏstanbul Jazz Festival.
Folk dancing
Turkey has a rich tradition of folk dancing with dances performed
at all social occasions. These could be weddings, celebrations
held for young men leaving for military service, national
and religious festivals, or local festivities such as those
marking the return from themountain plateaux to the villages
at the end of the summer. Some dances reflect natural events
or daily life, and others portray social events and affairs
of the heart. Each region has its own dances which reflect
the cultural life of that region. Some of the most famous
dances are the bar which originates in the province of Erzurum,
the halay in the East and Southeast, the hora in Thrace, the
horon in the Black Sea and the spoon dances in and around
Konya. Recent developments in Turkish folk dance have seen
the emergence of Riverdance style troupes performing modern
variations on the traditional dances in elaborate, spectacular,
stage shows.
Mevlana - Whirling Dervishes
The order of Mevlevi, better known in the west as the Whirling
Dervishes, was founded by the 13th century Sufimystic, Celaleddin
Rumi, who was also known as Mevlana. He was a poet, who believed
that music and dance provided the means to enter a religious
state of ecstasy thereby discovering divine love, and formed
a religion, or philosophy based on tolerance. His most famous
poem represents the central beliefs of Sufism:
Come, come, whoever you are, come!
Heathen, fire-worshipper or idolator, come!
Come even if you have broken your penitence a hundred
times,
Ours is the door of hope, come as you are.
There were dervish lodges or tekke throughout Anatolia but
Konya, where he settled, was the centre of the movement. His
museum, situated in the original tekke can be visited there
today where there is a Mevlana festival held in December every
year. Central to the religion is the sema, the ceremony, the
climax of which is the whirling dance. It is performed in
traditional symbolic costume of a conical hat or sikke, which
represents the tombstone of the ego, and white robes or tennure,
which represent its shroud. The dervish whirls with his right
hand pointed upwards towards God and his left pointing down
to the earth to the accompaniment of the ney or reed pipe.
 Karagöz
A sort of Turkish Punch & Judy show, Karagöz is
a shadow play performed by traditionally designed puppets,
made of translucent stretched and painted camel skin. There
are two main characters the eponymous Karagöz and Hacivat.
Karagöz is a down-to-earth type who frequently finds
himself at odds with his friend, Hacivat who is well educated
in Islamic theology but ultimately unreliable. There are various
other characters who take part in the plays, which always
follow the same format but have different stories. The plays
are humorous, drawing on double entendres, caricatures and
mimicry. There is a strong element of satire, which was used
during Ottoman times to provide a humorous critique of those
in authority. During this period, Karagöz, was one of
themost important forms of entertainment with shows performed
at festivals and feasts - even at the circumcision parties
held for the young princes - in coffeehouses and gardens.
It was most popular in the Sultan’s capital, IÏstanbul,
but was spread throughout Anatolia by travelling performers.
Nasrettin Hoca
Nasrettin Hoca was a popular scholar, whose tales are famous
throughout Turkey for their satire, wit and humour, beneath
which lies a serious message. He was born in the district
of Hortu, in Sivrihisar in 1208 and died in Aks¸ehir
in 1284. He has acquired such mythical status, however, that
fact and fiction have become muddled in the stories surrounding
him and the anecdotes attributed to him. His stories refer
to everyday situations amongst the common people of Anatolia
and his wisdom opposes the stricter elements of Islamic law
with humour, as he baffles those around him with his logic.
Many of the stories feature his donkey, itself a symbol of
suffering, which was an everyday part of village life.
Why He Sat On The Donkey Backwards
One day, Nasrettin Hoca was riding home from the mosque
on his donkey, with a large crowd behind him. Suddenly, he
got off the donkey, and got on again backwards, facing the
animal’s tail. Naturally, the people asked him what
he was doing. He replied: ‘I thought about it, and decided
to ride my donkey like this, because I have no time for disrespect.
If you move ahead of me, then you will be turning your back
on me, which would be extremely disrespectful. If I go on
ahead, I will be turning my back on you, and that is also
quite unacceptable. This way, I can go on ahead of you and
you can follow behind, and we can still keep looking at each
other!’
Traditional Sports
Cirit Oyunu
This traditional game is a team event, involving two teams
of horsemen, who throw wooden javelins at each other to score
points. During the Ottoman period it became a popular war
game demonstrating the bravery of its participants, with competitions
held in the Hippodrome in IÏstanbul. Despite its popularity,
it was banned in 1826 by Sultan Mahmut II, who considered
it to be too dangerous.Although it was still played regularly
until about 50 years ago, now it is only played in a few regions
to mark ceremonial occasions, mostly those around Erzurum
and Kars in the east of Turkey, although it can also still
be seen in Konya, in centralAnatolia, and in BalÝkesir on
the Aegean.
KÝrkpÝnar YagðlÝ Güres¸ or Greased Wrestling
This is the Turkish national sport, a competitive wrestling
tournament, made more difficult by the fact that the combatants
are smothered in oil. The competitors wear traditional black
costumes and the event is held every year in June in a meadow
just outside Edirne. Known as KÝrkpÝnar, it literally means
‘Forty Spring’ and is said to have been named
after the forty Ottoman warriors who, in the 14th century,
made the first crossing of the Dardenelles into Europe. Camel
Wrestling It is thought that this sport has its origins in
the nomadic tribes who depended on camels for their livelihood.
Today, it is mostly popular in theAydÝn region, where contests
are held in the winter months from December -March.Male camels
are bred and trained specifically for wrestling and must be
of a certain type, known as tülü camels. Contests
are held under strict regulation to protect the welfare of
the animals who may only wrestle once per day in a match which
lasts for only 10 or 15 minutes.
The Van Cat
Indigenous to the area around Lake Van, these fascinating
cats are, sadly, becoming increasingly rare. They are pure
white and typically have one amber and one blue eye (although
they can also have two eyes of either colour). The other unusual
feature of the Van cat is that it is the only species of cat
which loves swimming and playing with water.
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