hazelnut shell

Hot Thermal Spring

2006-01-29T12:09:00.000+02:00

In winter holiday Hubby's school's study group went to Sicak Cermik Thermal spring -31 kilometres far from the city center-for a week. I went with the kids two days later. We stayed at the same suit room as we did last year. This time English study group was studying in our room. So we spent whole day with the students doing exercises. It was nice . I took cure baths twice a day for a few days. Normally 21 days of bath is good they say . Cause we had limited time I started to have double a day . The water degree is about 45 - 50 degrees.
The water consists sodium, sulfat,hydrocarbon, magnesium and carbonat, and it is good for rheumatism,digestion system,kydneys and uriner system, and a few more problems. Three days later after the bath joint and muscle aches start and the cure starts after that at each bath.
And I learned that double bath has no use.
In the middle of the silence of the winter far from the city center staying in a hot hotel was the best part of this holiday for everyone. One additional good thing for me was no cooking , no housework . There is a thermal hospital unit of the university hospital. Nowadays my backaches are so bad whenever I go to the doctor sure I will be given 21 days of cure there. But the idea of staying at a hospital alone sounds really scary to me.

A day of Mevlana trip

2006-01-09T09:20:00.000+02:00

At last I went to visit Mevlana Celaleddin Rumi in Konya. Infact my desire was to visit there on the week of Seb-i aruz , but the tour was postponed to the following week so we couldn't see the whirling semazens.
Insallaah next time. Cause the days are very short in December we just visited the Mevlana museum and Alaaddin Mosque from Seljuk times. The mosque is 900 years old and has 60 coloumns and can take 5 thousand ppl at one time.
A mubarek person says whoever visits Mevlana gets his or her spritual share. While I was walking in the museum I realized that sufism was not so easy.
And one more decision next time I won't go there by a package tour.Sitting and listening to the ney among those mubarek people without being disturbed must be a nice experience.

The Book of Strangers

2005-12-18T18:51:00.000+02:00

It was a nice winter day. The sun was shining through the windows and she was enjoying that warm silence while reading . The book was very interesting so she preferred staying in the class at lunch break. One of the boys from her class came in and said hello. She replied and went on reading . He was wearing jeans and a warm shirt. He stood towards her and introduced himself. She was wearing a black skirt and a green sweater and a pearl necklace . She answered his questions about her info and then the boy asked if he could check the book.
A few minutes later ''This is very interesting and you are the first girl I have ever seen reading such books '' he told. They went on speaking about it for a short time before the lesson started.
The book's name was The Book of Strangers from Ian Dallas.

away enough

2005-12-13T09:12:00.000+02:00

Well some differences in our lives and new situations bring their own inner fights, panic and beauties etc. etc. All we face with hard problems from time to time . Unless we find the answers the problem gets bigger and bigger each day even each moment. We can see the solutions but not clearly . Normally, we humanbeings have a hidden ability such as finding the solutions on our own but sometimes we need a hand or just a wise word to make sure our own answer.
''The view of the garbage doesn't make the mirror dirty. ''
Of course everybody says wise words but everybody doesnt give the same effect. So finding the right person to share is one of the main solutions .
The next step is leaving the problem to decay in its corner and taking the mirror away till the garbage doesn't seem.
The third step is not to forget to help enough to anyone who has likewise problems.

the latest tip (winks )

2005-11-17T10:08:00.000+02:00

Well, Is it Salary day and do you have to go to ATM and deliever nearly whole of your salary ?
Wear your favourite and most comfortable clothes. Jeans, sweater, trainers, a cap and a long coat and an ipod full of your favourite songs. Start listening in the elevator . Walk on the way without looking people on the street. Cause some of them can make you uncomfortable with their weird gazes. You can see someone familiar and have to corrupt your own joy for a hello and how are you . You should see less people so timing is important . You shouldnt go out at the rush time . And delivering time should be short or you can lose your teenager mood. When you are back home leave your mood at the gate and come into your house as an adult full of responsibilities.

summary

2005-11-12T09:03:00.000+02:00

Eveluation has its own ups and down . I'm calling this situation that way cause it has hope.
Those poems in which pains have always sounded very exaggerated to me , have started to seem real.

Chain of surprises

2005-10-24T19:00:00.000+03:00

This weekend when I went to brother's shop they told me a short while ago a friend of mine came and left a package for me from Spain. I tried hard my mind but couldnt find who it was. When I checked out the presents and saw a bottle of original wine and a pair castanets from Sevilla I found out who she was. One of the teacher friends with whom I worked at the same school for two years . When I last visited her she told me that she would join to a 3 weeks of Spain trip for their school project.
As soon as I came home I phoned and thanked her happily. Thats very kind of her thinking of me . She moved from this city last month but at the end of the trip she directly travelled here to see everybody for the last time. So I didnt remind her that we dont drink any alcoholic drink . Even I kept the bottle for one day for the possibility of a short visit of her one more day .
On Saturday night Elif dropped and we talked about this winter's fashion and off season sales.I told her about a jacket I saw in LC Waikiki.
On Sunday just as I was working in the kitchen the door was knocked and son opened and the door was closed again. Son came into the kitchen with a present packet. And a phone from Elif , '' Is that that jacket?''
These two surprises and a nice ifthar with some colleques of hubby made my weekend.

Yunus Emre

2005-10-11T20:53:00.000+03:00

"God is our professor and love is our academy."
"Let us love, and be loved."

For more than seven centuries, Yunus Emre and his poems have lived in the hearts of men and in their speech. Even in small villages in Anatolia, I 1ahow of men who can recite lines of Yunus's poems, which have reached them passing from one generation to the next by word of mouth. In Australia, I once met a Pakistani who knew no Turkish and I heard him sing Yunus Emre's hymns. I also know that those hymns are sung in Albania and the other Balkan countries.
Is it possible to imagine anyone here in Turkey with no feeling of love in his heart for Yunus? Whenever his name is mentioned, the faces of men light up and they feel love surging in them. Our love of Yunus is one of the most precious ties that bind us together. Our nation's debt to him is indeed great.
"How is it" asks Vahabzade, the great Azerbaijani poet,
"That although he died in one place, his grave exists in a thousand?" and he answers in the following lines :

Because each day his grave is dug anew in the hearts of men:
His grave is in the grass, the flower, and the rose;
Is he a legend or real, what man is this man,
He is the voice of being, rising from the Turk's kopuz. *

Yunus Emre is, indeed, the voice of being. He is fully aware of what is known as the "existential unity of being" and thus lives in the grass, in flowers, roses and in hearts. What forms the basis of his philosophy is his awareness of the nature of being, the supreme value of man among creation, and the necessity of making man attain awareness of his own value. He is, in other words, a Muslim mystic. He is Yunus the Dervish.
For Yunus, the cause of all existence is love. It is through love that the Creator can be reached. Love is at once the cause and purpose of life on earth. The path leading to the Creator passes through the heart of the human being who holds the highest rank among the created :

I am not here on earth for strife,
Love is the mission of my life.
Hearts are the home of the loved one;
I came here to build each true heart.

Allah, whose being is unlike that of his creation, whose Person lies beyond the grasp of man, but whose works are not inaccessible, has created man as his caliph (i.e. deputy) on earth. He has furnished man with the supreme quality of being the holiest among all creation because he has made him of the same essence as that of the universe. The human being is, in fact, the universe in miniature. He who understands man may also grasp the universe. The road leading to scientific progress is the same as the road leading to knowledge of Allah. Acquisition of scientific knowledge is a debt Allah expects man to pay him; it means attainment of self-knowledge. Self knowledge forms the basis of every science :

Knowledge of science is to know science,
Knowledge of science is self-knowledge;
If you fail to attain self knowledge,
What good is there in your studies?

Each person has his own fate in this world. He or she accepts it and departs. No one remains here forever. What we should really offer and receive is love. It is Love that is the essence of all existence :
Let us love and be loved, The world shall be left to no one.
Humanity is now going through a new phase. The revolution taking place in science and technology is reshaping the whole world and its value systems. In this age of change, humanity's need for Yunus Emre's philosophy and the culture that gave rise to it will grow. In our present world of computers and robots, what may save man from dwindling into insignificance is Yunus Emre's philosophy, as it emphasises the need for self-knowledge and regards man as the highest among all creation and as the essence of the universe. His philosophy may prevent the human being's decline from a noble status to that of a mere tool in the future. It is for our nation, as heir to this culture, to lead the way. We should, therefore, learn and understand Yunus Emre and his teachings better and help humanity to know him too. In this way we may help our Age of Information change into an Age of Knowledge and of Love.

Namık Kemal Zeybek
Former Minister of Culture of the Turkish Republic
Kopuz: in other words poets' instrument;an old Turkish instrument which was the pioneer instrument of the middle asia Shaman culture. Its strings were made of horse tails.

The whole life

2005-09-27T17:57:00.000+03:00

Happiness on the shelves

2005-08-22T12:25:00.000+03:00

Here winter is a very long term so as usual I have started my winter preparation this weekend.I was busy with 20 kilos of vegetables and fruit on Saturday. We dry pepper to stuff during winter , we make pickles , store some vegetables into the deepfreeze and make different kinds of jam. I made apricot , strawberry and peach jam.
There is a short rewarded poem I heard on the radio once. I always remember and murmur that poem when I fill the jars with jam.

''I didn't know that my mother's happiness was hidden in the jars of jam that were standing on the shelves. ''

As long as we are healthy enough to do some prep for our family and more than that as long as we have a neat family and relatives ,some good neighbours and friends to eat with us happily what would we like more?
Elhamdulillah.

Mubarek bir geceye dogru yurekten dokulebilenler

2005-08-12T00:03:00.000+03:00

Hayat denen su colde
Kimisi seraplariyla dolanir durur
Kimisi vaha bulduğunu sanir anlatir durur
Bazisi onu dinler hayale durur
Kimisi de vahasini bulur kipirdamaz hep orda durur

Kimisi bulur o denizi kenarinda seyre durur
Kimisi atlar susuzluğunu giderir
Bilir ki ictikce yanar , yandikca icer
Hak aşigi olur Elhamdulillah.

DUA
Yarabbim zerrelerim adedince sana sükürler olsun
Ya bana iyi olmam icin bu firsati vermeseydin.
Yarabbim firsatlarimi artir . Yolundan ayirma . Son nefesimize kadar imanimizi yoldas et.
Butun sevenlerimi ve sevmeyenlerimi , akrabalarimi arkadaslarimi , komsularimi, ailemi, zalimlerin zulmune ugrayanlari koru, onlari iyiye ve guzele sevket, haklarinda herseyin hayirlisini nasip et.
Allah'im sen neden hosnutsan bana onu yaptir.
Allah'im '' la havle vela kuvvete illa billah'' senin katinda ne tekabul ediyorsa ona '' La havle vela kuvvete illa billah diyorum.
Allah'im senden ihlas diliyorum. Senin magfiretini ve rizani diliyorum.
Allah'im Ya hayyu , ya kayyum rahmetinin hurmetine senden yardim diliyorum.
Sen islah et ve sabrimi artir ve goz acip kapayincaya kadar beni nefsimle basbasa birakma.
Bizleri hidayete erdir . Peygamberimiz Hz. Muhammed (S.A.V) 'in sefaatini nasib eyle.
AMIN

Couldn't find a title

2005-08-05T09:39:00.000+03:00

Last night we went to a restaurant for dinner for Adana Kebab. We had missed the kebabs of our town during holiday. Everything was nice during holiday but only we didn't like kebabs there. Meat of that area was not delicious for us. Now I understand why Mediterranean kitchen is favourite in the Agean region. They don't use meat mostly. Here in the middle Anatolia we dont have the sea , olive trees , peach trees and so much green areas but we have delicious meat and wheat products and generous restaurants with delicious food.
But I will miss mussels stuffed with rice, and seaweed. I got the recipie from a man in the open market . After the recipie he asked us if we drank alcohol . We replied no. He said why seaweed then . This goes well with Turkish raki. I said no difference no food wasn't created for alcoholic drinks. Sure it is useful. I prepared it in both style as I was told .
with yoghurt and garlic first . It was delicious . Normally when yoghurt and garlic waits it has a bad smell but the following day it was still fresh . Then I realized why they say seaweed keeps young. I prepared the other half in another day with lemon and grape cidar . It was nice too. Cause we stayed in aunts villa other villa neighbours tasted and they liked it too.
Bye the way we exchanged recipies with each other .
During holiday I bought some popular books but as I planned I couldn't read them. Started one and now I am looking for to reading it when I am ready to read.

waking up tired and lazy on a Saturday morning

2005-07-02T11:49:00.000+03:00

Since May the 15th It has been so busy term for us especially for me . It was a little tiring but was very happy on the other hand. I tried my best to care everyone and every guest and friends who moved another cities. By the way a few friends tried to have picnics or invited for dinner but we haven't been able to accept their invites . I hope they understand us . This week will be a bit busy too. Then we will go to hubby's hometown . It will be busy there too and sometimes very tiring. After then we will go to the Aegean part of Turkey for holiday. Aunt who lives in France has a dublex house in Kusadasi. I have been to Kusadasi twice .The last time we went there 7 years ago, son got very ill and stupid hospitals didn't accept us for a signature in our insurance paper. The stupid ones told us everything was completed here. The stupid ones there asked one more signature. I bought medicines from a pharmacy and When we went to another city we took him to a cilinic . This will be the third time but this time I will have all the papers completed .
It is a nice place and close to other historical and touristic places to see. I will have to do housework when I go there the first day .We will meet her villa neighbours from abroad. Then I will be able to relax. I am looking forward to going there . The idea of journey is the most exciting part for me infact. Travelling watching the roads listening to music will be good. I will go shopping today . A pair of sunglasses and a few new published books perhaps. All my luxury is the time I am alone with a nice book nowadays. Infact I would like to go to somewhere by a high mountain and spending a few days in a hut , far from all the crowd ,noise and rush of the city life. Anyway I have a lot of things to be done today .

IMBALANCEd momenT

2005-06-29T21:28:00.000+03:00

Infact I can't write well when I am in these frustrated or shocked feelings . Normally I wait till the storm ends up. I think I am sometimes too old or too childish not to wait long enough . So I have decided to follow my fingers at the keyboard.
Learning about some truths of life is shocking. Yes , especially when you learn that you have some evil mannered people around you more than you have expected.
Well we are simple people and we are given a gift to choose all the ways of life. Sometimes people do a mistake and they regret what they did when they realized how bad it is . So I forgave them but today when I learnt that they did it more than once or twice this has shocked me .
I just pity for them. May Allah forgive them , and Insallah they can't go on their evil behaviours.they are not aware of what they did. The problem is we live far from graveyards. And visits are not so often.
When my uncle died two years ago while returning with that agony I read grave stones . It seemed more and more different then. It was a big city of graves and there were Doctors , lawyers, teachers , all class of people and once upon a time they were walking around without thinking about their own death before their last adress. And now they are under the ground . No use of regret... Then I promised Allah I will say all my rights helal to everyone all the time .How can we let others to suffer because of us while they are busy with their own sins' results. How?

Just live it

2005-06-05T19:02:00.000+03:00

Since the May 15th it has been a very busy time for us. And it will last till the 20th of June. For long years it has been the same for us and I feel very tired in the mid of this term . Elhamdulillah I have some very good and caring friends who have offered help sincerely but as a person who doesnt ask help, I kindly refused their offers. I am used to do my own job by myself. Insaallah I will be healthy enough to finish all the responsibilities by myself till the end.
During this busy time when I am bored all I can do is coming online and reading a few bloggers blogs . There were so many things to write but I couldnt write when I feel inspired . When life is very busy it is harder to tell about than living it . hehe .

'''Either seem as you are or be as you seem''

2005-05-14T10:42:00.000+03:00

According to Mevlevî belief a person is born twice, once from his mother and secondly from his own body. The latter, the birth of enlightenment, is the real birth marking the beginning of a journey to the discovery of truth. The dervishes of a Mevlevî lodge undergo a long novitiate involving trials of patience and submission.For the first three days the novice must sit upon a fleece, only rising to answer calls of nature. Overcoming mortal pride is essential, and once past the first three days the novice is then expected to perform eighteen different manual tasks such as cleaning and assisting in the kitchen. If he fails to show the necessary humility his shoes are turned towards the door as a sign of rejection, and he silently leaves. Otherwise he now begins the stage of retirement and fasting known as halvet, which lasts for one thousand and one days. That is followed by fakr, when the novice at last participates in the whirling ceremony as a semazen.The semazens wear a tall felt cap known as a sikke, a long skirted garment, jacket and waistband.
The sema is accompanied by the music of the ney and the rebab, a three stringed instrument made of a coconut shell. Mevlana responded to orthodox objections to the sema by declaring that there are many ways to God, music and the sema being the way he had chosen.Mystic belief likens the universe, consisting of the world and man, to a circle drawn by a moving point which is God. To the right of this point is the outer world of appearance and to its left the inner world. According to the belief that everything returns to this point of movement, the dervishes spin in a spiritual journey to God, their circular orbit representing the circle of life.Many books have been written about Mevlevî music, and Mevlana’s greatest work, the Mesnevî, consisting of over seventy thousand couplets, has been reprinted time after time. But those who watch the sema do not need to read anything to discover the spiritual power of sema music. The sound of the ney brings tranquility to the spirit, representing a silencing of the material world. At the sema held on the night of Şeb-i Arus all Mevlevîs remember Mevlana’s words, "Death is our marriage with eternity." Mevlana encouraged his followers to search for the truth themselves rather than blindly believe in others. "To question is half of knowledge," he declared. Tolerance of human failing was another important part of his teaching: When wrongful deeds are related to you, interpret them seventy times with good will and good faith. When you are helpless tell yourself that the perpetrator of wrongdoing must surely know the secret and forget it. If you seek a friend without fault, you will be friendless. The ancient soil of Anatolia has always been fertile ground for philosophy, meditation and thought. Life is like a river which flows on without ever stopping,’ said Mevlana, expressing the unity and continuity of man’s attempts to reach God. Separate ways are in reality but one, and awareness of God’s love is what we all seek. In Mevlana’s mystic philosophy lies a message of universal peace which has drawn so many to Konya over the centuries. "If the heart of lovers had not burned and shed tears There would be neither water nor fire in the world".
''Come, whoever you might be, come Infidel, idolator, magian, let all come This is not the lodge of despair If thou hast broken the oath a hundred times, come"

Snow in May

2005-05-04T17:09:00.000+03:00

Since last week it has been so cold here. This morning when we woke up there was some snow around and nearby mountains were white. Climates are changing rapidly . In my first year as a university student in Erzurum where is in the eastern part of Turkey I had worn white jacket at the beginning of June. But after then I couldn't wear that jacket that time again. Perhaps I was too enthusiastic to wear it or too young not to feel cold so much . But I never forget the shining sun and that nice day I wore that .Some past moments of life are so fresh and clear in our minds like yesterday even closer than that .
When it first snowed in the second year in May there I was really surprised , but then it became as a natural event . And a few years ago the same tradition of the weather started here in my hometown, too, and it has snowed here once in May since then.

On eating and drinking by MUHIDDIN ARABI

2005-05-02T19:47:00.000+03:00

Muhiddin Arabi, author of “Al Tadbirat-ul Ilahiyyah: Islah-ul Memleket-ul Insaniyyah” (The Divine Measures: Improvement of Lands of Humans), of which some passages of the chapter titled “Elegl-u vesh Shurb” (On Eating and Drinking) read as follows:
“Eat only much as you need and never overfill yourself: Do not drink much water. Eat carefully and sparingly. Eat only just as much as would permit you to sustain you in your work and avoid wasting your time in ingestion. Eat carefully in small-sized bites.
Chew your bites well and swallow them only after this. Always start with a prayer. Don’t reach for another before chewing your last bite well and swallowing it. Make it a habit to respect the rights of your companions in the even if you are alone so that mispractices will not become habits that will place you in a predicament before God Almighty and All-forgiving. Don’t keep on looking at the face of the person whom you may have incited to share your food, so that he will not be embarrassed and repent for having accepted food from you. To do so is equivalent to a full day’s prayers. Do not compliment the persons who say that you eat too little, since this may waylay you into excesses. Let them say as much as they will that you eat too little.
When you are ready for your meal, be second only to your peer and never precede him in any conversation and continue to do so until the table is removed. Do not eat at home before going to attend a meal invitation in order to receive praises and compliments to the effect that you eat so little and to be so flattered. Do not heed to those who say so and never change your routine habits of eating save for what the rules of politeness dictate. Such statement are ingrained in the minds of dissenters in order to gee those from the right course.”

The Butterfly Effect

2005-04-26T19:34:00.000+03:00

This weekend I watched a film called The Butterfly Effect. It was really interesting . For some people it can be boring. The hero has the ability to change the destiny of him and other people around him . But all the time he changes he causes more troubles. At last he tries to go back to past the very beginning of his childhood memories and does nothing to change things and lets everyone's destiny flow naturally, and happy ending of course.
Sure most people tries to imagine themselves in different destinies with these questions '' If ..................,how could my life be like ? or what kind of people I could have etc etc. . We can start easily but can't go further. At last before we start to get lose in our imagination world we come back fast and we thank Allah for our own life and for the beloved people we have .
There was a girl who was one of my roomate's friends at university. She was in our faculty but she was studying Turkish literature. She used to come to our room. We were getting along with her a lot. We were eight girls in a room. She was very intelligent and had a good sense of humour. One morning in the canteen she told us she graduated when we were struggling with the final exams. We all thought that how lucky she was. How happy for her. And we told her she deserved a good peaceful breakfast. Perhaps we all envied of her for a few seconds because of the success she achieved.
After a while she started to work for a newspaper in the capital city. When she last came to visit us she took me and a friend to a restaurant and we talked for a long time . Then, one year later while I was working as a teacher one friend from our group came to visit me. I offered her to go to the post office and telephone to her . Then I hadn't a telephone line at home. The phone was replied one of her friends telling that she was out.
One week later that telephone attempt we heard that she was killed in a traffic accident . It took me a long time to forget that shock . I have never forgot her . I still keep her in my prayers.
When she died I realized why she was living life so fast and I have always regretted not speaking to her for the last time .
So many people flow around us . And we are flowing around so many people .But the more important thing is whenever we think about them deeply we should remind them their importance for us before it is too late.

VARIOUS ASPECTS OF TURKISH CULTURE-Part 3

2005-04-17T10:30:00.000+03:00

The Republic of Turkey was built on the ashes of the Ottoman Empire which ceased to exist at about the same time the Austro-Hungarian and Russian empires ended in the wake of the First World War. The Republic of Turkey was founded by and on the inspiring ideals of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, one of the greatest leaders of this century. After the Republic was proclaimed in 1923, a program of far-reaching structural reforms was put into motion, aiming to better meet the challenges of the modern world. Despite the more immediate tasks at hand related to this social reorganization, the Republic did not neglect Anatolia's heritage and worked towards a synthesis of the cultures of different civilizations and peoples, adhering to the principle stated by Atatürk, "culture is the foundation of the Turkish Republic". At present, Turkey spares no effort in order to protect and enhance the treasures of past civilizations that grew on its land.
Another reflection of this cultural synthesis can be observed in the rich social structure of Turkey. Indeed, Turkey considers itself both European and Asian, and cherishes this diversity as an asset. The Turks have lived seven centuries of their history in Europe, and as a European power. Thus, not only have they shared and contributed to the contemporary culture of the West, but also have been influenced by it. Turkey can be regarded as a cultural bridge between the East and the West, enjoying a unique characteristic in this regard. This uniqueness is even more evident today in the social, cultural and political domains. Turkey has the longest-running democracy in its widening region, a secular system, and Turkish artists and artisans have developed styles of art that are uniquely Turkish and universal at once, blending together the traditional styles of the East with the practices of the West.
Artistically, in earlier times, Turkish craftsmen and artists showed their creative talents in architecture, music, poetry, textiles, wood and metal working, ceramics, glass making, jewelry, manuscript illumination, miniatures and calligraphy. The Ottoman Empire rapidly became the center of the Islamic artistic tradition because of its cultural endowment, constant contact with all the branches of oriental art, and exposure to the occident.
The early years of the Republic witnessed a rapid flourishing of fine arts. Classical music, opera, theater and ballet, as well as plastic arts and painting took impressive strides. Literature attained new forms of expression. The film industry started to grow. Indeed, continuous progress was witnessed in all walks of cultural life. Today, this development has attained a certain maturity in art and culture. Turkish painters and sculptors exhibit at home and abroad, and participate in many international festivals. Architects put their art to work throughout the world. Many Turkish musicians have gained international acclaim and record on world-wide labels. Turkish cinema too has acquired international recognition, and promises a bright future. Works of Turkish writers are increasingly translated into other languages and appreciated for their distinct character.
Turkey now holds more than a dozen international art and culture festivals each year, featuring prominent international artists and performers, attracting an audience from all over the world.

VARIOUS ASPECTS OF TURKISH CULTURE- Part 2

2005-04-16T20:50:00.000+03:00

In 330 AD, Constantine the Great established the eastern capital of the Roman Empire in Byzantium, renaming it Constantinople. By the time of Emperor Justinian, Rome had fallen and Constantinople remained the sole capital of the vast empire. For centuries, the Byzantine and Arabic Empires struggled for the domination of Anatolia, but both were swept aside by the coming of the Turks from Central Asia.
The westward movement of Turkic peoples headed by the Seljuks led to permanent Turkish settlement in Anatolia. Meanwhile, people of different ethnicities remained there. The Seljuks left their descendants a rich cultural legacy: Omer Khayyam, the mystic poet renowned throughout the world for his Rubaiyat, was a subject of the Seljuks of Persia; and Mevlana, the spiritual leader of the humanist philosophy of tolerance of Sufism, and founder of the Mevlevi order of the Whirling Dervishes, lived in Konya, the capital of the Anatolian Seljuk Empire, and the order he founded flourished there.
Then came the Ottoman Empire which made an impact on the course of world history. This empire came to life in the late 13th century as a small Turkish principality near Bursa on the northwestern frontier of the Anatolian Seljuk Empire and gradually found its place in history as one of the great empires of Renaissance Europe. The Ottoman Empire reached its zenith in the 17th century. By that time it covered Asia Minor, the Crimea, the Caucasus, Mesopotamia, the Middle East, North Africa, and the Balkans. The Ottoman Empire followed in the footsteps of its ancestors and set up a system based on tolerance for the many differences among its subjects. This cultural and religious tolerance and goodwill is best manifested in the reception of Jews fleeing the Inquisition in the 15th century. It was due to this exceptional system assuring stability and tolerance, and freedom of conscience that the Empire was able to hold together people of different religions, languages and races, and also succeeded in protecting and preserving different cultures and languages. Today, that tradition of tolerance and harmony lives on in modern Turkey, being enriched as time passes.

VARIOUS ASPECTS OF TURKISH CULTURE- Part 1

2005-04-15T22:26:00.000+03:00

I found out this while surfing.

The great bulk of Turkey's territory is located on the Anatolian peninsula where some of mankind's earliest settlements were established as early as 10000 BC. Indeed, Anatolia's rich geography and varied climate have been favorable to the development of numerous urban civilizations and great empires throughout the flow of centuries. Few other areas have witnessed such a rich succession of civilizations.

From prehistoric man to the Hittites, Anatolian Kingdoms of Caria, Lydia, Phrygia, and Troy, from Homer to Saint Paul, from Alexander to Justinian, Süleyman the Magnificent, and Atatürk, Anatolia is also the land from which Turkish civilization acquired some of its strongest roots, and most prestigious works of art and literature. Thus, this long history of successive civilizations has deeply influenced the social and cultural fabric of modern Turkey. Actually, Turkish culture of today is the amalgamation of all these civilizations that have enriched this land over the centuries.

Anatolia bears a living witness to a very long history. Archeologists can trace this region's past as far back as the Paleolithic or the Mesolithic periods. Traces of human occupation may be found in shelters and caves like the Karain Cave near Antalya in southwestern Turkey, occupied by nomadic tribes between 10,500 and 7,000 BC.
After the Paleolithic or the Mesolithic periods, two exceptional cities, Çatalhöyük and Hacìlar evolved in the Neolithic period as brilliant examples of man's transition to a settled lifestyle, and of what may be considered the oldest model of an urban civilization.
Around 3200 BC, the blossoming of metallurgy in the Near East helped bring about many changes. Rich in gold, silver and copper, Anatolia became one of the most "civilized" areas of the world, especially with Troy and Alacahöyük.
In the following millennia, civilizations such as the Assyrians, the Sumerians and the Hittites rose and fell as invaders from abroad continued to leave their mark in Anatolia. The major upheaval around 1200 BC, is attributed to the arrival of a new stock of people from the Balkans who brought with them a more effective social organization and more highly evolved techniques. This event shook Anatolia and most of the eastern Mediterranean. This was also to be the end of the age of great Anatolian empires, which then split into a multitude of small, independent kingdoms. Midas, the King with the golden touch and Croesus, the inventor of coinage, were rulers of small but important Anatolian kingdoms during the first millennium BC. Many of the great accomplishments of classical and Hellenistic civilization in the realms of art, architecture, philosophy, medicine and science came to light in Ionia, the region around present-day Izmir and Bergama.
Rome took over Anatolia in the last century BC and called it Asia Minor. The Roman provincial capital of Ephesus was among the largest and finest cities of its time. St. Paul preached there and Virgin Mary died in a small house in the outskirts of the city. The seven churches of Asia, whom St. Paul addressed as Epistles, are all in Anatolia. St. Nicholas, Santa Claus himself, lived on Anatolia's south coast.

A nice unplanned Saturday

2005-04-09T22:10:00.000+03:00

This Saturday a friend phoned and she told me she would drop in one hour later before I go shopping with the kids . When she came I had just finished the washing up. and we drank a cup of coffee. Then I asked her to wait for me while I was getting ready. She ironed my skirt and made me hurry up to go out cause the weather was really nice. As soon as we went out we felt hungry especially me . I remembered I hadn't done breakfast . Living near to restaurants is a disadvantage . Kebab smells were attracting. I decided to buy some snacks to eat at the park with tea. She accepted but on the way to the park I realized this was our first walk and she was very quick at walking . We have known each other for 3 years . But we always visited each other at our homes. This made joke with her a lot on the way . ''You are younger and single . If you walk like this noone will be able to follow you to make a proposal'' We had a good rest in the open air sipping our teas and chatting. Then we sent the kids to the brother's shop and headed to the hairdresser . Then we went to a cosmetics shop to see the new products . I thought I hibernated for a long time when I saw the new products. This unplanned day made me really happy. Then we went to the shop and I picked the kids and went on shopping at the rest of the day . We spoilt ourselves with some more shopping. It was a nice Saturday . They say women are happy the more they spend . In my opinion we feel more like a woman when we spend some more time and money for our needs . Spending much money is not the real point.

IF YOU LOVE SOMEONE

2005-04-03T12:46:00.000+03:00

IF YOU LOVE SOMEONE, SET HER FREE

If you love someone,

Set her free...

If she comes back, she's yours,

If she doesn't,as expected, she never was....

The New Versions.....
Pessimist:
 
If you love someone,
Set her free ...
If she ever comes back, she's yours,
If she doesn't, , she never was
 
Optimist:
 
If you love someone,
Set her free ...
Don't worry, she will come back.
Suspicious:
 
(1) If you love someone,
Set her free ...
If she ever comes back, ask her why.
 
 
(2) If you love someone,
Set her free ... but get someone to
follow her
 
 
(3) If you love someone,
 
... are you sure you love that someone?
 
 
Go-getter:
 
If you love someone,
Set her free ...
If she comes back, she's yours,
If she doesn't, go get her !
 
 
Hunter:
 
If you love someone,
Set her free ...
Don't even wait whether she comes back, go
hunt her down!
 
 
Impatient:
 
If you love someone,
Set her free ...
If she doesn't comes back within some time
forget her.
 
 
Patient:
 
If you love someone,
Set her free ...
If she doesn't come back, continue to wait
until she comes back ...
 
 
Playful:
 
If you love someone,
Set her free ...
* If she comes back, and if you love her still,
set her free again, repeat *
 
 
C++ Programmer:
 
if(you-love(m_she))
m_she-free()
if(m_she == NULL)
m_she= new CShe;
 
 
Possessive:
 
If you love someone,
Set her free? NEVER!
 
 
Paranoid:
 
If you love someone,
When you let her go, she'll be out to get you.
 
 
Fascist:
 
If you love someone,
Set her free..
She WILL come back or be shot.
She WILL be yours or be shot.
 
 
Old-Fashioned/Conservative:
 
If you love someone,
Set her free,
But only if chaperoned by her parents.
 
 
Animal-Rights Activist:
 
If you love someone,
Set her free,
In fact, all living creatures deserve to be free!!
 
 
Lawyers:
 
If you love someone,
Set her free,
Clause 1a of Paragraph 13a-1 in the second
amendment of the Matrimonial Freedom Act clearly
states that...
 
 
Bill Gates :
 
If you love someone,
Set her free,
If she comes back,
I think we can charge her for re-installation fees
and but tell her that she's also going to get
an upgrade.
 
 
Biologist :
 
If you love someone,
Set her free,
She'll evolve.
 
 
Statisticians :
 
If you love someone,
Set her free,
If she loves you, the probability of her coming
back is high
If she doesn't, your relation was improbable anyway.
 
 
Dental hygienist :
 
If you love someone,
Set her free,
She'll be back when the cavity strikes.
 
 
Shwarzenegger's fans :
 
If you love someone,
Set her free,
SHE'LL BE BACK!
 
Weatherman :
 
If you love someone,
Set her free,
If she comes back, it's back!
If she doesn't... who cares!
 
 
Pathetic :
 
If you love someone,
set her free,
If she comes back, okay!
if she doesn't, how could her!
 
 
Sore-looser :
 
If you love someone,
Let her go,
If she comes back, dump her!
If she doesn't, make up bad stories about her.

Thank God

2005-03-12T16:04:00.000+02:00

In a conferance I joined this winter , the city I live in was declared to be the second safest and peaceful city in the crime list among 81 cities in Turkey.
Nowadays I wonder if it is still so. On Wednesday just as hubby and me went out of the apartement and started walking down to the car , across the street a man started to shoot a gun after a young man who was running away fast. The man was drunk and swearing at the boy and the man went towards to the internet cafe and shot his gun twice again. Luckily noone was shot or hurt. As a person who is afraid of sudden and loud sounds , I found myself hiding behind my hubby . LOL.
Thanks God having a hubby hiding behind.

Never -ending evaluation of the soul from cradle to grave...

2005-02-25T17:47:00.000+02:00

NOT A POEM or NOT A GRIEVANCE . JUST A COLD and a BAD TEMPERATURE.

2005-02-18T23:41:00.000+02:00

Who can know how many times they have had earthquakes in their heartlandsand
how many times they have builded new cities in that country that is untouchable , invisible with an unpredictible population tomorrow.
Who can know how many times they have been understood, or misundertood.
Who can know who is who ?
Who can know who?
Who ?

HAPPY FLORIST' DAY!

2005-02-15T11:39:00.000+02:00

I am late posting this blog because of computer and connection problems.I call the Valentine’s day as Florists' day . Yesterday on TV , they announced about Valentine’s as usual and they told the meanings of the flowers. The most interesting one was gray colured flower. I had never heard of it . Is there such a flower?For a happily married couple or others who are going to get married , it can be another occasion to make them remember their love to each other. For shy lovers it can be a good opportunity as a first step.For others who is in impossible love with someone , there is no difference.But the funniest side of this day must be getting flowers from your husband only this day . Only one day in a year ! Sure most women get disappointed by this and they ask ‘’ What happened to the other days but today ?’’.. If so, the best way is not complaining . It is better than nothing.

TIME

2005-02-11T11:29:00.000+02:00

Stopping the time is impossible but if you stop the time of yours for a few seconds and stand watching it flowing around you ,you can get shocked with what you see and realize. Each time you try it you will feel the same .Sure everybody realizes time is flowing fast. It always flows fast but nowadays it is faster and faster. Technology is improving faster . And young people of this age are becoming more and more meatured when I compare to my generation.Everything is going faster and there is a terrible harmony among them. When you feel tired of catching it, you can go out of it for some seconds in a way.

THE STEPS

2005-02-07T11:23:00.000+02:00

I want to write a poem of one of my favourite poets today . This poem has a nice memory from my university years. It was the second term of the second year . Everybody suggested me not to get American literature in the second term for the first time . Because of time limit I wasnt allowed to take it in the first term . So I was taking a risk in older students opinion. The more I listened to their negative ideas the more I was attracted by my idea. I was listening to the lessons carefully at the beginning . I was afraid of making their thoughts come true.That day we were studying Herman Melville and symbolism and and the teacher asked the class who was the famous symbolist Turkish writer or poet. I waited for a while When noone answered correctly I said Ahmet Hasim . Then he asked me if I could give an hour of seminar the following week. It was a great chance for me . I was going to tell about my favourite poet and his poems but It was stressfull of course. All age and class groups were going to listen to me. I enjoyed reading three books I borrowed from Turkish literature students. The big day came The teacher asked to tell the subject at his desk and he sat on a chair by the window. His desk was on a high platform I was holding the desk tightly to get over my excitement for a few minutes but getting prepared well and knowing the subject better than everybody there helped me to forget in a few seconds . Then the teacher asked me to tell about one more poem he chose . The mission was completed successfully. By the way I have never ever failed from American literature class. it was one of my best classes.
THE STEPS
Step by step you will walk up in these stairs,
With a heap of sun-coloured leaves around your skirt,
And for a while you 'll stare into the sky, weeping and hurt.

The water's turned pallid, your face is growing paler too
Behold the scarlet heavens, evening's creeping on you ...

Bent to earth, constantly sheds tears of blood the rose;
Blood-red nightingales have perched on branches like flares,
Is the water on fire; why does marble resemble bronze?

It is a secret tongue which fills the soul anew
Behold the scarlet heavens, evening's creeping upon you...
AHMET HASIM

DEDE KORKUT TALES

2005-02-03T10:43:00.000+02:00

Dede Korkut legends and stories tell about the the life of Muslim Oghuz Turks who lived in the north-east of Anatolia. Yet you can see some shamanist signs in the stories . Before Islam Turks were following shamanism and thats why they accepted islam soon when they learnt about it.Some historians think the stories were first emerged before islamic time among Turks. They were first written during the last times of Akkoyunlu State. The only one and full menuscript including 12 stories, is in Library of Dresten in Germany and the other original one including 6 stories is in Vatikan. Until Dede Korkut was transcribed on paper, the events survived in the oral tradition, at least from the ninth and tenth centuries.Here is one of themThe Story of Delu DumrulSon of Duha KojaMy khan, among the Oghuz people there was a man by the name of DeluDumrul, the son of Duha Koja. He had a bridge built across a dryriver bed. He collected thirty-three akchas from anyone who passedover it, and those who refused to pass over it he beat and chargedforty akchas anyway. He did this to challenge anyone who thought hewas braver than Delu Dumrul to fight, with the purpose of makinghis own bravery, heroism, and gallantry known even in places as fardistant as Anatolia and Syria.One day it happened that a troop of nomads camped along his bridge.A fine, handsome youth in the nomad troop fell sick and died at thecommand of Allah. Some cried, saying, "Son," some cried, saying,"Brother," and there was great mourning for him.Delu Dumrul, enhancing to come along, asked: "Why are you crying,cuckolds? What is this noise by my bridge? Why are you mourning?"They said: "My khan, we lost a fine young man. That is why we arecrying."Delu Dumrul asked, "Who killed your bey?"They said: "Oh, bey, it was by the order of Almighty Allah. Thered-winged Azrail took his life.""What sort of fellow is this Azrail who takes people's lives? Forthe sake of your unity and existence, O Almighty Allah, let me seeAzrail. Let me fight and scuffle with him to save the life of sucha fine youth, so that he never takes a life again," said DeluDumrul. He then turned away and went home.Now, Almighty Allah was not pleased with Dumrul's words. He said:"Look at that madman. He does not understand my oneness. He doesnot express his gratitude to me and dares to behave arrogantly inmy mighty presence." He ordered Azrail: "Go and appear before theeyes of that madman. Make his face pale and strangle the life outof him."While Delu Dumrul was sitting and drinking with his fortycompanions, Azrail suddenly arrived. Neither the chamberlains northe wardens had seen Azrail pass. Delu Dumrul's eyes were blinded,his hands paralyzed. The entire world was darkened to his eyes. Hebegan to speak. Let us see what he said, my khan.'What a mighty, big old man you are!The wardens did not see you come;The chamberlains did not hear.My eyes, which could see, now cannot;My hands, which could grip, now cannot.My soul trembled and was terrified;My golden cup fell from my hand.My mouth is cold as ice;My bones are turned to dust.Ho! white-bearded old man,Cold-eyed old man!What mighty old man are you?Go away, or I may hurt you."Azrail was angry at these remarks. He said:"Oh, madman,Do you dislike the cold expression in my eyes?I have taken the lives of many lovely eyed girls and brides.Why is it you dislike my white beard?I have taken the lives of both white-bearded and black-bearded men.That is why my own beard is white."He then continued in this way: "Oh, madman! You were boasting andsaying that you would kill the red-winged Azrail if you caught him,to save the life of the fine young lad. Oh, fool, now I have cometo take your life. Will you give it, or will you fight with me?"Delu Dumrul asked, "Are you the red-winged Azrail?""Yes, I am," replied Azrail."Are you the one who takes the lives of these fine boys?" askedDumrul."That is so," said Azrail.Delu Dumrul said, "Ho, wardens, shut the doors." He then turned toAzrail and said: "O Azrail, I was expecting to catch you in a wideopen place, but I caught you in a narrow one, did I not? Let mekill you and save the life of that fine young man." He drew his bigblack sword, held it in his hand, and tried to strike Azrail withit, but Azrail became a pigeon and flew out of the window. DeluDumrul, a monster of a man, clapped his hands and burst out inlaughter. He said: "My friends, I frightened Azrail so much that heran out, not through the wide open door, but through the chimney.To save himself from my hand, he just became a pigeon and flewaway. I shall have him caught by my falcon."He mounted his horse, took his falcon on his wrist, and startedpursuing Azrail. He killed a few pigeons. On the way home, however,Azrail appeared to the eyes of his horse. The horse was frightenedand threw Delu Dumrul off its back to the ground. His poor headgrew dizzy, and he became powerless. Azrail came and pressed downupon his white chest. He had been murmuring a short while ago, butnow he gasped out through the rattle in his throat:"O Azrail, have mercy!There is no doubt about the unity of Allah.I was uninformed about you.I did not know you secretly took lives.We have mountains with large peaks;We have vineyards on those mountains;In those vineyards there are vines with bunches of blackgrapes;And, when pressed, those grapes make wine, red wine.A man who drinks that wine grows drunk.Thus I was drunk, and so I did not hear.I did not know what I had said.I have not tired of the role of bey.I wish to live out more years of my youth.O Azrail, please spare this life of mine."Azrail said: "You mad rascal, why do you beg mercy from me? Begmercy from Almighty Allah. What is in my hands? I am but aservant."Delu Dumrul said, "Is it, then, Almighty Allah who gives and takesour lives?""Of course," said Azrail.Delu Dumrul then turned to Azrail and said: "You are a cursedfellow. Do not interfere with my business. Let me talk withAlmighty Allah myself." Delu Dumrul spoke to Allah. Let us listen,my khan, to what he said:"You are higher than the highest.No one knows how high you are,Allah the Magnificent.Fools search for you up in the sky and on earth;You are found in the hearts of the faithful,Eternal and Almighty Allah.Immortal, merciful Allah,If you wish to take my life away,Then take it by yourself.Let not Azrail do it."Almighty Allah was pleased with the way Delu Dumrul ad dressed himthis time. He shouted to Azrail that, because the mad rascalbelieved in His oneness, he was giving him his blessing and thathis life might be spared if he could find another willing to serveas a substitute for him.Azrail said to Delu Dumrul, "Oh, Delu Dumrul, it is the command ofAlmighty Allah that you should provide the life of some- one elsefor your own, which will then be spared."Delu Dumrul said: "How can I find someone else's life? I have noone in the world but an old mother and an old father. Let us go andsee if one of them will give his life for me. If so, you can takeit, and leave me mine." Delu Dumrul rode to his father's house,kissed his father's hand, and spoke to him. Let us see, my khan,what he said to his father."My white-bearded father, beloved and respected,Do you know what has happened to me?I spoke in blasphemy,And my words made Allah the Almighty angry.He commanded the red-winged Azrail aboveTo fly from the sky.He pressed on my white chest, sitting on me.He made my throat rattle, almost took my sweet life.Father, I beg you to give me your life.Will you give me it, Father?Or would you prefer to weep after me, saying,'My son, Delu Dumrul!'"His father answered:"Son, Son, oh, my son!A part of my life, oh, Son.Lionlike son, for whom I once had slaughtered nine camels,Backbone of my house with its chimneys of gold,A flower to my gooselike daughters and brides.If need be, command the black mountain out yonderTo come here and serve as Azrail's pasture.If need be, then let my cool springs be his fountain.If need be, then give him my stables of beautiful horses toride.If need be, my caravan camel can carry his goods.If need be, the white sheep that stand in my foldCan be cooked in the kitchen for food at his feast.If need be, my silver and gold money will be for him.But the world is too sweet, and living too dearTo spare my own life. So know this.There remains yet your mother, more dear and belovedthan I.Son, go to your mother."Refused by his father, Delu Dumrul next rode to his mother and saidto her:"Do you know what has happened to me, my mother?The red-winged Azrail flew down from the skyAnd pressed my white chest as he sat upon me.He made my throat rattle, almost took away life.My father denied me the life that I asked from him, Mother.I ask you for yours, now, my mother.Will you give me your life?Or would you prefer to weep after me, saying,'My son, Delu Dumrul'While scratching your white face with sharp fingernailsAnd tearing your black spearlike hair?"Let us hear, my khan, what his mother said."Son, Son, oh, my son!Son, whom I carried nine months in my narrow womb,Whom I bore in the tenth monthAnd swaddled in the cradle with care,Whom I fed my abundant white milk.Son, I wish you had rather been held in a white-toweredcastle,Been held there by infidel men with religion so foul,So that then I might have saved you, using the power ofwealth.But instead, you are sunk to a frightful positionWhere I cannot reach you.The world is too sweet, and the human soul too dearTo spare my own life. So know this."His mother also refused to give her life for him. Azrail there-fore came to take Delu Dumrul's life. Delu Dumrul said:"O Azrail, be not hasty.There is no doubt about the oneness of Allah.tAzrail replied: "Oh, you madman, why do you keep begging for mercy?You went to your white-bearded father, but he refused to give youhis life. You then went to your white-haired mother, and she alsorefused to give you her life. Who do you think will give you hislife?""I have yet a loved one. Let me go and see her," said Delu Dumrul."%o is your loved one, mad fellow?" asked Azrail.'I have a lawful wife, the daughter of a man from another tribe,and I have two children by her. Take my life after I visit them. Ihave a few things to say to them." He rode then to his wife andsaid to her,"Do you know what has happened to me?The red-winged Azrail flew down from the skyAnd pressed my white chest as he sat upon me.He almost took away my sweet life.My father denied me the life that I asked from him.I went to my mother, but she refused, too.They said that the world was too sweet and life was too dear.Let my high black mountains now be your pasture.Let my cooling springs be your fountain.Let my stables of beautiful horses be yours now to ride.Let my beautiful gold-chimneyed house give you shelter.Let my caravan camels carry your goods.Let white sheep in my fold be served at your feast.Go, marry another,Whomever your heart loves.Let not our two sons remain orphans."His wife then spoke. Let us hear, my khan, what she said."What is it you say,My strong ram, my young shah.Whom I loved at first sight,And gave all of my heart?Whom I gave my sweet lips to be kissed;Whom I slept with upon the same pillow, and loved.What shall I do with the black mountains yonder When you areno longer here?Should I take my flock there, let my grave be there, too?Should I sip your cool springs, let my blood run like water.Should I spend your gold coins, let them be for my shroud.Should I ride on your stables of beautiful horses, let them bemy hearse.Should I love, after you, any other young manAnd marry him, lie with him;Let him turn serpent and then let him bite me.What is there in lifeThat your miserable parentsCould spare not their own lives for yours?Let the heavens, the eight-storied heavens, be witness;Let the earth and the sky be my witness, as well;Let Almighty Allah be witness for me:Let my life be a sacrifice made for the sake of your own."Saying this, she consented to die, and Azrail came to take the lady's life.But that monster of a man, Delu Dumrul, could not spare hiscompanion. He pleaded with Almighty Allah. Let us hear how hepleaded."Thou art higher than the highest;No one knows how high you are,Allah the Magnificent!Fools search for you in the sky and on earth,But you live in the heart of the faithful.Eternal and merciful Allah,Let me build needed homes for the poorAlong the main roads of the land.Let me feed hungry men for your sake when I see them.If you take any life, take the lives of us both.If you spare any life, spare the lives of us both,Merciful Almighty Allah."Almighty Allah was pleased with Delu Dumrul's words. He gave hisorders to Azrail: "Take the lives of Delu Dumrul's father andmother. I have granted a life of 140 years to this lawfully marriedcouple." Azrail proceeded to take the lives of the father andmother right away, but Delu Dumrul lived with his wife for 140years more.Dede Korkut came and told tales and sang legends. He said: "Let this legend be Delu Dumrul's. Let heroic minstrels after me singit, and let generous men with clean foreheads listen to it."Let me pray, my khan: May your rugged black mountains never falldown. May your large shade tree never be felled. May your clearrunning streams never dry up. May Almighty Allah never let you beat the mercy of the base. We have spoken five words of prayer inbehalf of your white forehead. May they be accepted. May He clearaway your sins and forgive them for the sake of Mohammed with the exalted name.Dede = grandfather , formerly dervish or sheikhDeli ( delu in old Turkish)= crazy

NASREDDIN HODJA

2005-01-29T18:39:00.000+02:00

The stories of Nasreddin Hodja have been very popular all over the Middle East for hundreds of years . He lived in Akşehir in Turkey, which is not far away from Ankara, in the 14th century. He is a friendly character. Hodja is a term of respect which means teacher. He knew the Koran well. He wore the Kavuk , that is like the Indian turban and a long robe.There is a statue of the Hodja by the roadside in Akşehir. He is sitting on his donkey, wearing the turban but he is facing backwards.In many of the stories the Hodja is friendly with Timurlaine who overran Turkey in 1402. There are some stories of Timurlane and Hodja. The Hodja often jokes him and amuses him. The important characters in the stories are the Hodja himself , his wife , Timurlane and his donkey.The Hodja is also known as the wise fool. Every year he is remembered in a special ceremony. For three days there are celebrations. There is a discussion on the Hodja's life , an exhibition of drawings and his stories are acted out. There are some stories below . Enjoy reading them.The DonkeyThe Hodja saved up and he bought a donkey. His neigbour wanted to borrow it . The neighbour came the Hodja's house and said '' I would be very grateful if you could lend me your donkey.''The Hodja replied : '' I would be happy to let you borrow my donkey but I have already lent it to someone else.''Just as the neighbour was going home he heard the braying donkey.He asked '' Hodja why did you lie to me ? Your donkey is in the garden.''The Hodja exclaimed '' You idiot ! What sort of a man are you ? Do you believe me or the donkey?''Kazan diedOn one occasion, Hodja borrows a kazan (large cauldron) from his neighbour. When Hodja returns the kazan, the neighbour sees that there is a small cooking pot in the bottom. He asks- Hodja, What is this? Hodja replies:- Apparently the kazan had been pregnant and it has given birth to this small pot.The neighbour unquestioningly accepts the kazan and the pot. Some weeks later, Hodja wishes to borrow the same kazan. The neighbour is only too happy to oblige. This time, a month passes. The neighbour calls on Hodja to inquire about his kazan. Hodja, with a concerned look, announces:- I am sorry, but your kazan died.The neighbor is puzzled. Then becoming angry, he demands:- How could it die?- You believed that it gave birth, why do you not believe that it died?Face at the windowNasreddin Hodja called at a large house to collect for charity. The servant said:- My master is out.Hodja replied,- Tell your master that next time he goes out, he should not leave his face at the window. Someone might steal it. For more stories you can go to this address and read his jokes.http://hem.bredband.net/hodja/menu.htm

Sacrifice Holiday or Bairam in Turkey

2005-01-21T23:00:00.000+02:00

Today is the second day of Kurban Bayrami ( The feast of sacrifice) . After such sad tsunami disaster , cousin's cancer news and another human made tsunami in Iraq , it hasn't been so happy Bairam for us .
I want to tell about Kurban Bairam a bit . Houses are cleaned from top to bottom . Shopping is made . The day before the Bairam children grab a bag and they start to ring the bells and they bid for a happy Bairam and we give them candies , balloons or chocolates even small dolls or cars . On the very first day everybody is busy with cutting and sharing and delivering the meat . The second day they start visiting each other .
As a tradition older people are visited by the younger ones on the first two days . Kids are given pocket money or presents . Bairams are good excuses for giving presents to each other among the family members or relatives. Older people and kids are the most important in these days . By the way If mother or father or other members of the family aren't alive they are visited in the cemetary first . Then living ones are visited.
Chocolate and candies are served to the guests first , then turkish coffee or hot or cold drink shortly what is desired with baklava ( a Turkish dessert) by the guest but no alcohol. If they are hungry we serve food . Generally same things are cooked in each house such as rolled raisin leaves , seasonal salad , ashure or hoşaf ( made with dried raisins) sütlaç ( a kind of dessert made with rice and milk) , meat, a vegetable dish cooked with meat , baklava . Time is not important if the guests are hungry we prepare the table .

Dear Grandpa

2005-01-12T17:25:00.000+02:00

I will start this year's first blog telling about my granpa. After my dad's parents' death when he was a kid, I unfortunately had the chance to know my granpa and grandma from my mother's side. Grandfather was the most interesting man i had ever known. He was able to speak 5 languages together with Turkish .He was fluent at Persian ,Arabic , Russian, and Kurdish. He was a faithful , honest and upright , compassionate man. He was very generous and a bit conservative traditionalist old fashioned Turkish man . Since I was his first granddaughter he often used to visit us everyday to fill my father's absence till I was 2 years old . Then my father was away from home for two years for his military service. When I was 4 they moved to another city. He used to travel to the east to trade and he stopped to visit us when he was passing by. I really felt the most happiest when he came. I used to wake up early and directly went to grandpa's room after morning prayers. He was a good teacher who taught me the basics of Islam. He often made jokes and between jokes he used to teach me about the basic principles of our religion and give me a quizz about the topic of the day. My favourites were of his travel stories. After he had passed away their big house was really empty .When he was alive there used to be a lot of guests and visitors and the cooker was always busy, there was always hot fresh food. Grandma was trying to continue this tradition, nothing was the same, though . I used to see him in my dreams sometimes and in the last dream he came and gave me a plant and said bye and I took a photo of him while he was going away on a train. Since then I have never seen him in any dreams. I really miss him . May he be rest in peace.

comments

2004-11-29T12:11:00.000+02:00

2 Comments:
jackie said...
What can you tell your children when they ask a question like that. You said the right thing of course. They do not understand it , just like most of us do not understand it.
7:39 PM
Jackass said...
Kids can make more sense that adults ... their innocence is their strength.
7:48 PM

HARD QUESTION

2004-11-28T17:33:00.000+02:00

Nowadays I dont have time to watch the news and when I watch really sad news have been announced . My daughter came to the kitchen and she asked me something after seeing the news '' Mom why are they killing iraqi people ? I replied '' There is a war thats why''.Then she asked in a different voice tune '' But, why are they killing the kids there ? This time her voice tone was insisting she wanted to learn the reason why ,and her questioning and enxious voice tone made me stop what I was busy with and I couldnt reply her question for a few seconds .