Know About Turkish Culture
Know About Turkish Culture. Turkey has a lot of unusual things to offer and a lot of reassuringly familiar things. The Turkish way of life is a unique mix of East and West.
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Millions of tourists visit Turkey each year because of its historical background, culture, customs, environment, and way of life. The richness of Turkey’s traditions and culture will wow you when you visit. The Turks are known for their friendliness and hospitality. They enjoy meeting new people, and building ties with them, and travelers visiting Turkey are often astonished by the warmth of the Turkish people.
Language
Turkish, the country’s official language, is spoken by 220 million people and is the fifth most widely spoken language. Turkish is one of the Ural-Altaic languages, including Finnish and Hungarian, and has evolved from dialects recognized since the 11th century.
The Latin alphabet is used to write Turkish, with six additional characters. Because Turkish is phonetic (each letter of the alphabet has only one sound), each word sounds precise, like it is written.
Turkish was written in an Arabic script that only a few people could read during Ottoman times. Following Atatürk’s initiative in 1928, Turkey converted to the Latin alphabet to enhance literacy and thereby overcome the problems of learning and reading Turkish using Arabic script.
Religion
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Even though 99 percent of the population is Muslim, religion in Turkey is strictly regarded as a private concern. Turkey is, in reality, the only secular country in the Islamic world. Secularism is incorporated in the constitution, which states that religion has no role in government.
Like in other European nations, the weekly holiday in Turkey is Sunday – not Friday, as many people believe – and the Gregorian calendar is used. The constitution guarantees the freedom of belief and worship.
People of many different faiths coexisted peacefully during the Ottoman Empire, and this diversity has been perpetuated since then. Turkey now has 236 churches and 34 synagogues open for worship.
Hospitality
The kindness of the Turkish people often astounds visitors to Turkey, who often go out of their way to assist and willingly spend time speaking. Turkish culture emphasizes hospitality, and Turks believe that visitors should be regarded as “God’s guests.”
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This mindset has survived into the twenty-first century, and it does not appear that mass tourism has changed it. Most Turks appreciate the opportunity to meet people from other countries, learn about different cultures, and perfect their language abilities. Turks — including males – are known for kissing on both cheeks when greeting one another.
Turkish people revere their national flag as a sacred symbol. As a result, insulting or disrespecting the Turkish flag is prohibited.
Food
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Turkish food is regarded as one of the best in the world. Because of the variety of its recipes, its use of natural ingredients, its flavors and tastes that appeal to all palates, and its influence throughout Europe, Asia, the Middle East, and Africa, it is considered one of the world’s three major cuisines.
The cuisine emerged from the contributions of the inland and Mediterranean civilizations with which Turks engaged following their arrival in Anatolia, which originated in Central Asia, the Turks’ first home.
Turkish cuisine is a crossroads between Middle Eastern and Mediterranean cuisines, emphasizing bringing out the natural flavors and aromas of the ingredients.
The main course will normally begin with soup and meze, a collection of tiny cold and hot foods meant to be shared.
Final Thoughts
There are thousands of historic sites and tourist attractions from east to west. Many towns host gatherings for people who share common interests, such as painting or photography. So, if you plan to relocate to Turkey, now is the time to pursue your life’s passions.
