The Bağlama is a popular stringed musical instrument in Turkic countries such as Turkey and Azerbaijan. In Anatolia, it is considered a folk instrument. It has strings, a long neck, and a rounded body. Depending on its size and number of strings, it takes on different names, ranging from meydan sazı to ırızva. It is played with a type of …
Phaselis Ancient City, believed to have been founded in the 7th century BC on a small peninsula extending into the Mediterranean, was discovered in 1811. It takes every visitor on a journey back in time, right into the heart of nature. Some sources identify Phaselis as a Lycian city, while others consider it part of Pamphylia. Founded by Rhodian traders, …
The Importance of Water in Istanbul’s Urban History Water is one of the primary indicators of whether a place has evolved into a proper city. Throughout history, settlements have typically formed near water sources. Though Istanbul lacks significant rivers, its unique geography necessitated innovative solutions to water supply. For centuries, water was brought to the city via aqueducts from as …
“…There are many notable citizens and cavalrymen… The city has 17 neighborhoods. Its houses are connected, with gardens, and prosperous… Surrounded by roses, flower gardens, orchards, and fields, it is a city with abundant grains…” This observation comes from the famous traveler Evliya Çelebi in the 16th century. While Odunpazarı today looks very different from the thriving settlement described back …
For centuries, the origins of Celtic languages; spoken in Ireland, Scotland, and Wales; were thought to be firmly rooted in the Indo-European family. But what if these ancient tongues trace back even further east, to the lands of Azerbaijan and Central Asia? Recent linguistic research suggests that Celtic may actually be a primary branch of the ancient Japhetic (or Turanian) …
Endemic plants are species that grow naturally in a specific region and nowhere else in the world. Thanks to its geographical diversity and climate variety, Turkey is one of the countries with the highest number of endemic plants in the world. The country hosts approximately 12,000 plant species, around 3,000 of which are endemic. In this article, you will discover …
Evliya Çelebi, the greatest traveler in Turkish and world history and the author of the greatest travel book, was born in Istanbul on March 25, 1611. His ancestors were from Kütahya, and his father was Derviş Mehmed Zıllî Efendi, the head jeweler of the Imperial Palace (Saray-ı Âmire). His mother was of Abkhaz origin and related to Grand Vizier Melek …
In recent years, Turkey has become a global name in unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and is making serious strides in space technology. With indigenous satellites in orbit and growing capabilities in rocket development, the country is often praised as an emerging aerospace power. Yet long before these headlines, in a very different era, a group of high school students in …
The dish that is dearly loved by the people of Menemen (town in İzmir) gradually began to be tasted by newcomers to the town, and their appreciation of it spread to other cities across Anatolia. If you ask what the staple of Anatolian cuisine is, one would say it’s the tomato. Tomato adds flavor to almost every Turkish recipe. Turkey is …
Today, Tatvan, a district of Bitlis, has surpassed Bitlis both in terms of population and social life and culture. It’s easy to say this today, but back in 1946, Tatvan was not even considered a district; it was a vast area with no roads or schools, much less the status of a village. Fethi Algon, sent to Tatvan from Istanbul, …