Birth, marriage, and death, which constitute the three main stages of human life, are marked by different events, rituals, and traditions in all cultures and eras. For the Turks, with a history spanning thousands of years, death has been accompanied by various emotions and traditions. Among these, tombstones serve as crucial documents that also reveal the spiritual identities of Turkish …
Allowing the Anatolian people to express the elegance, imagination, intelligence, and perspective of the world with its own unique structure, the traditional Turkish handicrafts shed light on the past with its heritage and products. Many handcrafts are transformed into a work of art as a result of our approach to everything with a fine point of view, while emerging from …
Known as the memory of the World, Anatolia enlightens the present day with a history that spans thousands of years. Shaped by the Anatolian people, the art and culture is quite colorful. The Local Handcrafts in Anatolia live in workshops, cultural centers, fine art academies and non-governmental organizations. Some of the arts maintain their life and commercial activities through serial …
When travelers walk through today’s Istanbul -past Hagia Sophia, the Land Walls, or the quiet streets of Fatih– it is easy to forget that this city’s most dramatic transformation was once witnessed not by its conquerors, but by a defeated Greek aristocrat who chose to write rather than flee. His name was Michael Critobulus of Imbros. Writing only a few years …
Color plays a pivotal role in Turkish vernacular architecture. The hues chosen for traditional Turkish homes mirror not only aesthetic preferences but also regional materials, climate adaptations, and deep-rooted customs. Widespread across Anatolia, these color palettes enrich our understanding of local identity. Regional Color Stories Aegean & Mediterranean: White & Blue Whitewashed “sugar‑cube” houses, commonly seen in Bodrum and the …
A beloved treasure of Turkish cuisine, lokum –known worldwide as Turkish Delight- is a time-honored symbol of hospitality. Carefully arranged in elegant bowls and offered with ceremony, lokum is traditionally presented to guests by the youngest member of the household. Its irresistible sweetness is enjoyed by everyone, from children to elders, making it a staple of festive gatherings. Especially associated …
One of the many ways people have expressed their aesthetic sense throughout history is through the art of mosaic. Mosaic art involves decorating surfaces by assembling small pieces of different colors and shapes. The history of mosaics stretches back to ancient times. In the Sumerian city of Uruk, wall coverings resembling mosaics from the 3rd millennium BCE have been found. …
The Mapuche are indigenous people of South America, primarily in Chile and Argentina. The Turks trace their origins to Central Asia, with centuries of migration into Anatolia and beyond. At first glance, these two peoples seem entirely unrelated: separated by oceans and continents. Yet, a growing body of linguistic and cultural observations raises an intriguing question: Could the Mapuche and …
From Ephesus Ruins to the Istanbul Archaeological Museums, and from Zelve-Paşabağları to Galata Tower; many of us have explored these landmarks during the day. But how about seeing these silent witnesses of history under the stars? Thanks to the Ministry of Culture and Tourism’s Night Museum Program, first launched in 2024 and expanded in 2025, select museums now remain open …
The Hittites -also known as the Etes in ancient sources- were one of the most significant civilizations of Anatolia, ruling from around 1650 BCE to 1200 BCE. They spoke Hittite and Luwian, members of the Anatolian branch of Indo-European languages, and employed both hieroglyphic and cuneiform scripts. Migrating from the Caucasus in small groups toward the end of the 3rd …