History
People, places and events from the long history of Anatolia, from the ancient world to the Ottomans and the Republic.
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The Seven Churches of Revelation
The Seven Churches of Revelation (Asia Minor) St. John recorded letters to the Seven Churches in Asia, as part of Revelation, the…
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Fatih Sultan Mehmet – Mehmed the Conqueror
By name Mehmed Fatih (Turkish: Fatih Sultan Mehmet – English: Mehmed the Conqueror) (b. March 30, 1432, Adrianople, Thrace, Ottoman Empire- D.…
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The History of the Katholikos of Akdamar (600-1917)
600-700 The most antique fortifications of the island were built during this period. 640 The first real town-walls appear, built for defense…
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A Miniature Turkey: Antalya, Kaleici
Antalya is the heart of Turkish tourism, and Kaleici is the old town inside the city’s fortifications and consists of a maze…
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Evliya Celebi & His Book of Travels “Seyahatname”
His Life Evliya Celebi was born on the 25th of February 1611 in Istanbul. He says he slipped out of every difficulty…
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A Hub Where All Roads Meet: Afyon
Afyonkarahisar, more often known as Afyon for short, has been home to many civilizations, lying as it does at a strategic geographical…
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Yatagan Swords
Art and arms might seem contradictory concepts, but like all human artifacts, weapons have been a vehicle for artistic expression. The swords…
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Silver Filigree (Telkari)
Silver filigree work has its origins in Mesopotamia and Egypt from where it spread to Turkey and other parts of Asia. From…
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Sacred City of Caria “Labraunda”
In ancient Turkey, the Iron Age corresponded to the first millennium BC. At that time western Anatolia was inhabited by three civilizations,…
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What Is Meerschaum
Meerschaum is a German word meaning, sea-foam, alluding to the belief that it was the compressed whitecaps of waves, just as it…
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Haseki Hurrem Sultan
Western sources refer to Haseki Hurrem Sultan variously as Roxelana, Rosa, Rosanne, Rossa, Ruziac or La Rossa. She is generally believed to…
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Mustafa Kemal Ataturk
Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the founder of the Turkish Republic and its first President, stands as a towering figure of the 20th Century.…
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Turkish Folk Music & Dance
Ahmet Adnan Saygun said; “There is no difference between excavating the ground to reveal an ancient monument and compiling folklore traditions or…
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Whirling Dervishes Ceremony & Culture in Turkey
Islamic mysticism seeks awareness of god in manner being, and hence the various mystic sects of tarikats of whirling dervishes or Sufis…
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Halas 71 the Only Ship That Witnessed the Gallipoli Battles
M/S Halas 71 is today the only ship in working order which witnessed the Gallipoli Battles… Carrying the traces of a hundred…
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Who Is Rumi
Jalāl ad-Dīn Muhammad Rūmī also known as Jalāl ad-Dīn Muhammad Balkhī, Mawlānā (“our master”), Mevlânâ, Mevlevî (“my master”), and more popularly simply…
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Turkish Coffee Is in UNESCO
Turkish Coffee (Turkish: Turk Kahvesi) is now included in the list of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Turks by UNESCO. The issue was…