Culture

Customs, crafts, music, language, food and drink: articles on the culture of Turkey.

The Warm of Angora Goats’ Wool

Until the mid-19th century, the angora goat was to be found only in Central Anatolia, particularly the province of Ankara, transcribed by…
The Yoruk Nomads

Today the Yoruk nomads are confined mainly to the Taurus Mountains, with their mist-shrouded peaks and vast high pastures. A people passionately…
Turkish Olives & Olive Oil

“A camel driver an ass string of eight or nine camels! The monotonous tinkling of the bells bung around the camels’ necks…
Turkish Raki

Alcohol has been drunk in Turkey for thousands of years, which perhaps explains why the Turks have a more relaxed attitude to…
A Turkmen Wedding in Tokat

The road leading east from Tokat towards Almus runs through the valley of the Yesilirmak River, and at a small crossroads, 13…
Lokum (Turkish Delight)

When I walked into Hadji Bekir’s shop on Hamidiye Street near Istanbul’s Golden Horn, it was like entering a child’s dream. Wherever…
Turkish Ravioli: Manti

One of the most memorable dishes of Turkish Cuisine is Manti (known also as Turkish Ravioli), tiny dumplings stuffed with minced meat…
Father Christmas Alias St Nicholas

What is red, carries a sack, laughs in a jocular fashion and flies through the sky in a sleigh? No marks for…
Warm Winter’s Drink: Salep

With the coming of cold winter days, Turkey’s cake and pudding shops begin serving salep in place of ice cream. On the…
Sacred City of Antiquity “Milas”

Milas lies on the lower slopes of Mount Sodra, from whose quarries came to the marble which adorns so many ancient cities…
Myriad Flavors of Turkish Meatballs (Kofte)

The three most diverse and sophisticated cuisines in the world are said to be the Turkish, French and Chinese. All three are…
Asik Veysel | The Tradition

The Life | The Art | The Tradition Like in every community, the oldest pieces of art of Turks also are based…
Asik Veysel | The Art

The Life | The Art | The Tradition Due to the effects of the village/town culture, he leaned upon, and the fact…
Asik Veysel | The Life

The Life | The Art | The Tradition “I came to this world in three hundred and ten.” Veysel Satiroglu was born…
Mardin: The City Woven with Poetry and Mystery

Mardin, the legendary city of Upper Mesopotamia, has a history going back to 8000 BC, and over the millennia numerous civilizations have…
Turkish Cheeses

This is reflected in the 11th-century Turkish dictionary, Divanu Lugat-it-Turk, written by Mahmut of Kasgar between 1072 and 1074, in which he…
The One Essential Food: Bread

Tere is one food without which no meal is complete, in Turkey at any rate. That is bread, a food we know…
A 700-Year-Old Village: Cumalikizik

In the northern foothills of Mount Uludag, 15 km from Bursa, is the picturesque village of Cumalikizik. Set amongst chestnut and fig…
Turkey’s National Shadow Theater: Hacivat & Karagoz

(Turkish: Black Eyes, or Gypsy), type of Turkish shadow play, named for its stock hero, Karagoz. The comical plays are improvised from…
Safranbolu in the Depth of Life

Whenever I decide to write an article about Safranbolu, which occupies such an important place in my life, something always seems to…
Why You Should Not Miss the Moroccan Storytellers

If you know that luxury comes as a result of a combination of simplicity and uniqueness, we can offer you a private…
A Turkish Drink for Winter Nights: Boza

A sound echoing in the streets reminds us of cold winter nights in our childhood. With their familiar call of ‘Boza!’ street…
Turkish Flag & the National Anthem

As the Turkish Republic was founded on the heritage of the Ottoman Empire, many things from that time such as the Turkish…
Turkish Baklava

Of all Turkey’s delicious sweet confections, the most famous one is baklava. This exquisitely flavored pastry has been made in Anatolia for…