Culture & Art

Traditional Arts and Crafts

Handicrafts Handicrafts have been around since man’s earliest days in accordance with the prevailing environmental conditions. The first examples were necessities such as protection or coverings. Handicrafts were later improved and adapted according to environmental conditions, eventually becoming "traditional" and accepted as an art that reflects the artistic sense, feelings and cultural characteristics of a…
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Turkish Ebru Art

Ebru is a traditional Turkish art of paper decoration by spreading paints, which do not dissolve in water, with brushes made of horse hair and rose wood on dense water that is thickened by gum-tragacanth. The word Ebru origin comes from Persian language (Ebri-eyebrow or Ab-ru-face of water) Ebru in Turkish which means marbling. It…
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Miniature Work

MINIATURE WORK This is the name given to the art of producing very finely detailed, small paintings. In Europe in the Middle Ages, handwritten manuscripts would be decorated by painting capital letters red. Lead oxide, known as 'minium' in Latin and which gave a particularly pleasant colour, was used for this purpose. That is where…
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Traditions and Heritage

From rituals on special days to family relations, Turkish society still largely adheres to native customs and traditions in many areas of social life. From rituals on special days to family relations, Turkish society still largely adheres to native customs and traditions in many areas of social life. Birth, marriage, holiday celebrations, as well as…
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Religious Festivals

The main reason why religious festivals are not celebrated on the same days every year is because they are calculated according to the lunar calendar called “kameri takvim”. Ramadan and the Feast of the Sacrifice are celebrated ten days earlier each year than the year before, so religious festivals may come to be celebrated in…
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Architecture

THE GREAT ARCHITECT SINAN (KOCA MIMAR SINAN) Sinan is considered the greatest Ottoman architect of the Ottoman Empire's Architectural heritage. It is generally assumed that Sinan was born in the year 1490. It is also assumed that he spent his youth in the village of Agirnas near Kayseri until conscription (devsirme) to the "masters of…
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Music

Traditional and Modern Music Music as a way of creative expression of societies has a very important place in the Anatolian culture as well. Traditional music made with Turkish culture-specific instruments such as oud, zither, reed flute and bagpipe is one of the cornerstones of Anatolian music culture. With the development of music and technology…
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Religion

Turkey is the only secular country in the Islamic world. Secularism is enshrined in the constitution that religion has no place whatsoever in governing of the country. Like other European countries, the weekly holiday is Sunday - not Friday as many are mistaken- and the Gregorian calendar is used in Turkey. The constitution secures the…
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