In the 19th century, which was described as the most fervent period of the Ottoman for opening to the west, an Armenian family greatly influenced the architecture, which is still seen in present day.The Armenian architects called as the Balyan Family were held in high honor by the high state officials of the Ottoman in the 19th century. An enormous …
Woodcarving, which is one of the most popular artistic branches of Turkish handicrafts, has been used in the construction of the mosques, and our architectural history has brought dazzling works. Among these are the wooden mosques built without nails, which we have seen in Turkey. Here is a compilation of some of those mosques, which were made in Seljuk and …
The biggest contributor to the secularization of the Turkish legal system is a French citizen of Polish descent named Count Leon Ostrorog.
Fatih, which is one of the districts where conservatism is most intense in Istanbul, embodies a different structure, which is shaped around Fatih Mosque. After the conquest of Istanbul, Fatih Sultan Mehmet, built the mosque on top of the remains of the Havariyyun Church (the Holy Apostles Church), considered highly sacred to Rome.
Different activities and festivals have been going on for a long time on all sides of Anatolia. The Mesir Paste Festival, which has been held for almost 500 years, is one of the longest-running traditions among these festivals. The Manisa Mesir Paste Festival was included on UNESCO’s list of cultural heritage in 2012 and is celebrated with great enthusiasm annually …
Safranbolu is a typical and preserved Ottoman town in the northwestern part of Turkey. With its cobbled streets, narrow passes and centuries-old houses, the town is a popular destination for tourists in Karabük. It had been on the trade route between Black Sea and big cities like Constantinople in 17th. Century. Accumulating enough wealth, local traders built beautiful mansions, not …
The value of coffee and tea in human life cannot be underestimated. The plants that produce these commodities are not grown in every country, but it is known that tea was first used in China about 2000 years ago BC, and generally, British society is known for its tea. But the Turks also deserve credit! Turks have a Turkish tea …
On the shores of Calabria, a boy gazed out at the sea under the crimson light of dawn. On the horizon, the sails of Mediterranean ships hinted at a future that would take him far beyond his small town. At only eleven years old, he was meant to be sent to a seminary in Naples. But fate had other plans: …
Imagine boarding a train in Istanbul and riding it all the way to Madine across Anatolia, through war affected Syria, past the rose red city of Petra in Jordan and into the heart of the Arabian Peninsula. For a brief window in history, this journey was real. And now, more than a century later, it may be possible again. In …
Wars live on through their battles, commanders, and body counts. Rarely, though, do we stop to recall the soldiers who said no men who looked across a rifle barrel and chose not to pull the trigger. Not because they were cowards. Because they saw a human being on the other side. In the Greco-Turkish War of 1919-1922, one such group …