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Turkey, a country of utmost strategic importance in the world due to its geopolitical location, is on the crossroads between the continents of Asia, Europe and Africa, which are referred to as the “Lands of the Old World”. This country, enjoying a wealth of divine gifts of all kinds of scenic wonders, is a unique bridge between all faiths as well as Eastern and Western civilizations.

Geographical and Political Location:

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Turkey is linked to the oceans through the Black Sea, Marmara and Mediterranean Seas, which encircle it

on three sides.

The country borders Georgia, Armenia, Nachiczevan and Iran to the east, Bulgaria and Greece to the west, and Iraq

and Syria to the south.

HISTORYAntiquity The Anatolian peninsula (also called Minor Asia), comprising most of modern Turkey, is one of the oldest continually inhabited regions in the world due to its location at the intersection of Asia and Europe.

Göbekli Tepe, the first evidence of man presence in the world.

Portion of the legendary walls Troy (VII), identified as the site of the Trojan War

The Turks and the Ottoman Empire In the 10th century, the Seljuks started migrating from their ancestral homelands towards the eastern regions of Anatolia, which eventually became the new homeland of Oğuz Turkic tribes following the Battle of Manzikert (Malazgirt) in 1071.

Map from Mahmud al-Kashgari's Diwanu Lughat at-Turk, showing the 11th century distribution of Turkic tribes.

The Republic Era The occupation of İstanbul and İzmir by the Allies at the end of World War I prompted the establishment of the Turkish national movement.

Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, founder and first President of the Republic of Turkey

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Turkish Architecture (Türk Mimarisi): Turkish architecture reached its peak during the

Ottoman period. Ottoman architecture, influenced by Seljuk, Byzantine and Arab architecture, came to develop a style all of its own.

In Ottoman times the mosque did not exist by itself. It was looked on by society as being very much interconnected with city planning and communal life. Beside the mosque there were soup kitchens, theological schools, hospitals, Turkish baths and tombs.

Examples of Ottoman architecture of the classical period, aside from Istanbul and Edirne, can also be seen in Egypt, Tunisia, Algiers, the Balkans and Hungary, where mosques, bridges, fountains and schools were built.

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During the years 1720-1890, Ottoman art deviated from the principles of classical times. In the 18th century, during the Lale (Tulip) period, Ottoman art came under the influence of the excessive decorations of the west; Baroque, Rococo, Ampir and other styles intermingled with Ottoman art. Fountains became the characteristic structures of this period.

LANGUAGE Turkish is the sole official language throughout Turkey.

RELIGIONTurkey is officially a secular Republic. The Turkish Constitution provides the freedom of religion and conscience, but does not represent or promote a religion. The population of Turkey is predominantly Muslim (99%), the majority are Sunni (75%) and a large minority are Alevi (15-25%).The remainder of the population are mainly Christians (mostly Greek Orthodox and Armenian Apostolic) and Jews (96%

Blue Mosque

Sephardi and 4% Ashkenazi). According to a nationwide survey in 2007, 96.8% of Turkish citizens have a religion, while 3.2% are irreligious and atheists. 56% of male Muslim citizens regularly attend Friday prayers.

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Traditional Turkish Houses

Being strong and durable, functional, economical and aesthetic are the basic characteristics of the traditional Turkish house. The houses are built along the roads and on the edges of the squares in an order which reflects a strong respect for the neighbors.

The materials used in the houses varied according to the regions and climatic conditions. Wood and stone were used in the Black Sea Region, while it was stone and wood according to the locale in the West and the South and combinations of mud brick and wood in the Center and the Eastern parts of the country.

Popular figures

Nasrettin Hoca

He is a medieval legendary satirical Sufi figure.] Nasreddin was a populist philosopher and wise man, remembered for his funny stories and anecdotes.Much of Nasreddin's actions can be described as illogical yet logical, rational yet irrational, bizarre yet normal, foolish yet sharp, and simple yet profound. What adds even further to his uniqueness is the way he gets across his messages in unconventional yet very effective methods in a profound simplicity.

Traditional Turkish Puppets Shadow Play. Developed from religious, moral and educational urge to imitate human actions.

Hacivat and Karagöz

one of the most important Turkish poets. He was a Sufi Muslim ascetic of Anatolia. He probably lived in the Karaman area. His poetry expresses a deep personal mysticism and humanism and love for God.

Yunus Emre

the hero "son of the blind man", defending his clan against threats from outside. Köroğlu earns his name from the wrongful blinding of his father, an act for which the son takes his revenge and which initiates his series of adventures. He is portrayed as a bandit and a poet.A number of songs and melodies attributed to Köroğlu survives in the folk tradition.

Köroğlu

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Orhan Pamukis a world famous and Nobel prize winner Turkish novelist from modern times. He was born in Istanbul on 7th of June 1952. During his childhood in Nisantasi neighborhood, he dreamed to become a painter so he kept painting until he was 22 years old. Orhan Pamuk became a writer in 1974. Orhan Pamuk won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 2006, becoming the first Turkish citizen to win such a prize and one of the two youngestpersons to get this prize in the history of Nobel. His books are translated into dozens of languages for over 100 countries around the world.

TRADITIONAL

DANCES

Horon

Kaşık Oyunu

Kılıç Kankan

Zeybek

Whirling Derviches Sufi Dancing

Mevlevi Sema Ceremony

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Turkish Bath (Hamam)

The tradition of the Turkish bath extends far back, to a time before Turks had reached Anatolia. When the Turks arrived in Anatolia, they brought with them one bathing tradition, and were confronted with another, that of Romans and Byzantines, with certain local variants. The traditions merged, and with the addition of the Moslem concern for cleanliness and its concomitant respect for the uses of water, there arose an entirely new concept, that of the Turkish Bath. In time it became an institution, with its system of ineradicable customs.

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Turkish CoffeeBrought to Istanbul in 1555 by two Syrian traders, coffee became known as the "milk of chess players and thinkers". By the mid-17th century, Turkish coffee became part of elaborate ceremonies involving the Ottoman court. Coffee makers (kahveci usta), with the help of over forty assistants, ceremoniously prepared and served coffee for the sultan. Betrothal customs and gender roles also became defined through coffee rituals. In ancient times, women received intensive training in the harem on the proper technique of preparing Turkish coffee. Perspective husbands would judge a woman's merits based on the taste of her coffee.

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Turkish coffee is served hot from a special coffee pot called "cezve". Tradition states that after the guest has consumed the coffee and the cup is turned upside down on the saucer and allowed to cool, the hostess then performs a fortune reading from the coffee grounds remaining in the cup. Rich in tradition and flavor, Turkish coffee remains a favorite today.

Come! Come whoever you are. Doesn't matter if you are an

unbeliever. Doesn't matter if you have fallen a

thousand times. Come! Come whoever you are. For this is not

the door of hopelessness. Come, Just as you are!

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