Culture

When people plan their first trip to Turkey, they often ask me about religion. They wonder what the rules are. They ask if they need to dress a certain way. They want to know if it is a strict country. I always smile and tell them the same thing: “Turkey …

Turkish Belly Dance? I’ll be honest with you—there’s a specific sound in Istanbul that just bypasses your brain and goes straight to your hips. It’s that sharp, rhythmic “tak-te-ke-tak” of the darbuka (Turkish drum). You could be the shyest person in the room, but the moment that beat hits, your …

The Ultimate Guide to the Turkish Kangal Dog: The Noble Guardian of the Anatolian Steppes When you stand on the high, wind-swept plateaus of Central Turkey, you eventually see a silhouette that commands immediate respect. A massive, pale-coated figure with a black mask, standing as still as a stone statue …

Ancient Spirits & Legends: A Beginner’s Guide to Turkish Mythology Turkish culture is often celebrated for its Ottoman history, vibrant bazaars, and mouth-watering cuisine. However, long before the rise of empires in Anatolia, the ancestral Turkic tribes of Central Asia developed a rich, complex, and deeply spiritual mythological system. This …

“Imagine stepping into a space where time slows down, surrounded by marble that has witnessed centuries of whispers, laughter, and cleansing. A place where the steam embraces you, and a stranger handles you with the care of a newborn. This is the Turkish Hammam—a ritual that is far more than …

“Have you ever noticed a bright blue, eye-like bead staring back at you in a Turkish bazaar, or perhaps hanging above the doorway of a local home? This is the Evil Eye ‘Nazar Boncugu’—one of the most iconic symbols of Turkey. But for Turks, it is much more than a …

What is the Ottoman Slap? The Ottoman slap emerged as a fighting style during the Ottoman Empire. It is among the most well-known Ottoman martial arts. This slap, called Azab soldiers, was used in field battles by the unit that went first in battles and aimed to knock out or …

Turkish weddings arouse a lot of interest all over the world because of the different traditions and dances performed at the weddings. Wedding traditions in Turkey are very diverse and differ from region to region. However, if we evaluate Turkish weddings in general, traditional songs and folk songs are danced …

We have explained how Turkish coffee emerged, how Europe met “coffee” thanks to the Turks, and the recipe for Turkish coffee in our article here. Today, we will talk about the Turkish coffee fortune-telling culture (Tasseography), which has an important place in Turkish culture. The expertise of the Turks in …

What is the Turkish Carpets? Turkish carpet or Turkish rug weaving, which is one of the first weaving traditions that come to mind when it comes to authentic carpets in the world, tells the history of Turks and Turkish culture that stretches over centuries and many geographies through Turkish carpet …