What is the culture like in modern day Turkey?

Answer 1

Hi,

This is very wide subject,
I am sending just only one subject;

Childhood Age



A series of rules, customs, ceremonies, processes and practices are exist which, covers the development of the child after birth and which regularize his/her relations with parents, other members of the family and social surroundings. The child has to be protected as he/she passing through the stages, taken care of, and gradually adapt to the forms and values, in other words the model adopted by the group or cultural environment of which he/she is a part. These process and practices, customs and ceremonies are sometimes flexible and sometimes strict in accordance with the importance attached to them.

Naming the baby;

The first thing is to give a name to the baby. People do not feel comfortable without naming a person, a thing, a situation or an event, and thus without referring to them by a symbol and describing them by means of an adjective. In any event, situation or object without a name causes unease.
In traditional sections of society, the baby is usually given a name with a religious ceremony. This still applies in many places although it is gradually loses influence.

Since naming the baby is no ordinary matter, it is carried out by a celebration and blessing, although this is not overstated. The name, which has been selected beforehand, is given at a meeting held for the purpose. A clergyman or a respected devout individual gives the call to prayer and whispers the name of the baby into its ear three times. If no imam is present, the name is given by the father or grandfather of the child in the same way.

Giving a middle (umbilical) name to the child is also common. The name given to the child while the umbilical cord is being cut off, is called its “umbilical name”.

The umbilical name is given to children in Anatolia because;

- It is believed that the child will be called by his/her umbilical name in the grave,
- He/she will be called by his/her umbilical name,
- He/she will be called by his/her umbilical name as the imam reads the a final repentance and forgiveness prayer for him/her as he/she is lowered into the grave.

Apart from the main name of the person, another name is frequently given and used, especially by close relatives and members of the group of which he/she is a part. This is called the “nickname” and is mostly seen in traditional parts of society, especially in villages.

Giving milk;

Modern medicine and traditional culture agree that mother’s milk is the healthiest nutrition for the baby.
In traditional culture, the first milk is given to the child after three calls to prayer. With this, people believe that the child will have patience in the future. The mother’s first milk is called “ağız” (mouth) and is duly given to the child. It is believed that a child who does not have mouth milk will be thin and weak in the future.

In traditional culture, boys are suckled more than girls. The reason here is that people want their sons to be very strong and powerful.

Teeth wheat;

When the baby teethes, one of the most significant signs of a child’s biological development, Turkish people usually mark the occasion with a ceremony. Behind this ceremony and festivity which are held to mark the appearance of the teeth, which are essential for chewing, are the desires to bless food, increase the child’s chances of earning his/her daily bread, increases in plenty, and so on. In this ceremony, a number of traditional practices also take place to ensure the child has strong and even teeth.

The most common name for this ceremony and festivity, which has different names in different regions, is “teeth wheat”. In different regions, it is called “diş aşı” (teeth meal), “diş bulguru” (teeth bulgur), and “diş buğdayı” (teeth wheat).

Starting to walk; It is a another biological stage for the childhood when, the child starts to walk around. In the past, a number of practices were resorted to for children who, failed to walk in the expected time, who were late to start walking, or who continuously fell down when doing so.
Some of the practices are following;

- Spreading egg on the child’s heels,

- Washing the child in water to which walnut leave and salt has been added,

- Taking the child to places of pilgrimage.

Starting to talk;

There are a number of remedies resorted to the children who cannot talk and who do not start speaking at the appropriate time. These remedies and processes are mainly grouped into three; opening, cutting, and incantation.

The following are some of these practices;

- The child who cannot speak is taken to places of pilgrimage and his/her mouth is opened with a key,

- The child’s frenulum is cut,

- A spell is read over the child by someone who is believed to have healing power, and so on.

Cutting the fingernails of the child;

Customs and practices related to the first fingernail cutting are also very common in Anatolia. The most common practice is for the baby’s hands to be put in a sack full of money after his/her fingernails have been cut for the first time. If the baby is a boy, the money he takes from the sac is used for the capital of the business he will later set up. If it is a girl, the money she takes is kept as money for her dowry.

Saving the child from the evil eye;

Belief in the evil eye is very common is Islamic countries, and especially in Anatolia. People believe that the evil eye, which threatens all living creatures and things, is a particular danger to children. That is why precautions taken to protect children from the evil eye in the past can still be seen frequently today.
Some of the measures taken to protect children from the evil eye are following;

- Children are deliberately paraded around dirty,

- Children have a spell read over them by someone who is believed to have healing power,

- Children are taken to places of pilgrimage.

Ref : http://www.turkeyandturkey.com/turkey_culture/default.asp

Answer 2

You can find detailed information about culture of Turkey under listed headlines at below given link.

Language
Minstrel and Dervish Literature
Narratives
Poetry
Stereotypical Expressions
Landmarks in Life
Folk Knowledge
Festivals- Ceremonies- Celebrations
Beliefs
Theatrical Presentations
Games - Sports
Folk Dances
Folk Cultures
Turkish Music Culture and Examples
Costume, Traditional Arts and Crafts, Folk Paintings
Architecture, Heating, Illumination
Culinary Culture
The Turkish World
Romany Folk Culture
Anthology of Children and Youth Stories of the Period of Republic

.

Answer 3

With its deep history and large ethnic mosaic, Turkey is a culturally rich country. The languages, religions, art, literature, and traditions of various indigenous and migrating cultures in this "melting pot" of history resulted in the broad cultural spectrum of modern Turkey. There is no aspect of modern culture that cannot be connected to the history of Anatolia. Literally described, Anatolia is one of the best locations in the world to offer a good understanding of the concept of cultural transition.

The official language of the Turkish Republic is Turkish. Among the other languages spoken in modern Turkey are Greek, Ladino, Armenian, Kurdish, Georgian, Lazish, Arabic, and Assyrian, all of which clearly reflect the influence of other cultures.

The mandatory part of the Turkish education system is primary school for eight years. The first five years consists of an introduction to basic subjects under the guidance of one teacher. The next three years, a specialist teacher is assigned to each subject. In addition to the basic subjects, students have to choose from one of three foreign language classes: English, French, or German. Religion classes are OPTIONAL.

Secondary education is three years and consists of lessons in general knowledge at the intermediate level.

Higher education is comprised of Universities and Colleges for professional education. Entrance to the higher education requires two separate admission exams held by the Higher Education Council. Along with the several private universities, there are 58 state universities.

Though the lifestyles of Turkey's residents differ from one social group to another, it is possible to describe them under main categories according to their settlement types.

Cities, the largest type of settlement in Turkey with populations over 20,000, have organized social and administrative groups. About 23% of the total population live in Istanbul, Ankara, and Izmir, the three largest cities in Turkey. The total population of 57,000,000, according to the general census of 1997, is now assumed to be around 70,000,000. The continuous migration from rural to urban areas since the 1950's has brought on many problems.

Answer 4

The culture varies from region to region, town to town--you have the urban fast-moving contemporary city, the sleepy mediterranean towns, the traditional conservative towns where the people are most hospitable.. . Culturally where ever you go in the country, people are expressive and passionate about life--poetry, folklore and music (including traditional) remains strong, people love to dance, sing and eat (food is a big culturally). Most peoples worlds revolve around family.

Answer 5

We are very friendly and open people. We are emotional.
We love being with friends and family going out,drinking,having fun. Our family and friends are important for us.
Turkey is a secular country and doesn't have an official religion and a multicultural country. So each time you change the region you can see other types of architecture,food...
We take care of ourselves specially Turkish women they love taking care of themselves,what they wear,hairstyle and all. We are also strong and we are the commanders in chief at home:-)
Turkish family gives importance to their kids they don't just throw their kids away when they hit 18. They take care and support eachother.
We love guests, we do our very best to mekae them feel comfortable.
That's all for now:-)

Answer 6

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religion_in_Turkey

Answer 7

a mix between the East and the West? To be honest im not sure....but thats the conclusion I made from what i've seen on tv... to be honest im not really sure what do i know im from california and i've never been there... just tryin to give my 2 cents... now that you mention it im kinda curious...