Tere is one food without which no meal is complete, in Turkey at any rate. That is bread, a food we know so well yet never tire of. It is delicious all by itself when it comes steaming hot and crusty from the oven, and comes in innumerable varieties. We all have our favorites. It […]
In the northern foothills of Mount Uludag, 15 km from Bursa, is the picturesque village of Cumalikizik. Set amongst chestnut and fig trees, the village is famous for its Ottoman period rural architecture. The village was originally established under the endowment of the second Ottoman Sultan Orhan Gazi (1324 – 1360), and settled by Turks […]
(Turkish: Black Eyes, or Gypsy), type of Turkish shadow play, named for its stock hero, Karagoz. The comical plays are improvised from scenarios for local audiences in private homes, coffee shops, public squares, and innards. The play was highly developed in Turkey by the 16th century and was adopted in Greece and North Africa. In […]
Whenever I decide to write an article about Safranbolu, which occupies such an important place in my life, something always seems to be missing. Even if I have decided on the title and the points which need to be emphasized, when it comes to setting it all down in writing I feel that I haven’t […]
If you know that luxury comes as a result of a combination of simplicity and uniqueness, we can offer you a private appointment with a Moroccan storyteller unwind one of his fascinating tales privately for you, either outside or in some exclusive setting. Perhaps, it does not sound as enticing as assisting the birth of […]
A sound echoing in the streets reminds us of cold winter nights in our childhood. With their familiar call of ‘Boza!’ street sellers carrying large metal jugs walk Istanbul’s streets in the evenings, bringing a delicious traditional drink to our doors. Sadly, masters and sellers are becoming rare today. It is a cold drink made […]
As the Turkish Republic was founded on the heritage of the Ottoman Empire, many things from that time such as the Turkish Flag continued with slight changes. The Ottomans used various flags of different colors at different times. In the 14th century, it was white, in the 15th century, it was changed to red. Once […]
Of all Turkey’s delicious sweet confections, the most famous one is baklava. This exquisitely flavored pastry has been made in Anatolia for long centuries, and its ancestor may be a dish made by the Assyrians consisting of dried fruit sandwiched between two layers of pastry and baked in the oven. The earliest record of it as […]
If any aroma were especially associated with the East it would be that of coffee. In coffee a journey westwards over the centuries it has taken many different forms and acquired a unique symbolic role in the etiquette of hospitality. Coffee culture has thus become an inextricable part of social life. The Name Origin of […]
Before going deep down in its history and alphabet; the standard blow-your-mind for the Turkish Language example is: Afyonkarahisarlilastiramadiklarimizdanmisiniz? (45 characters) which means: Are you one of those people whom we tried -unsuccessfully- to make to resemble the citizens of Afyonkarahisar? This was once the record and pretty popular for a long while till another […]
