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Makaleler

THE ART of THE MEDDAH: TRADITIONAL TURKISH STORYTELLING

Long-established, traditional Turkish storytellers, known as 'meddah,' used to perform at coffeehouses, palaces and markets, illuminating certain subjects to audiences while entertaining them with absorbing, critical and satirical stories.
8 Nisan 2016 Cuma

RETHINKING THE IMPERIAL HAREM: WHAT DID LIFE LOOK LIKE FOR OTTOMAN PALACE WOMEN?

Perceptions of the Ottoman harem have changed over time, but contrary to the prevailing opinions that criticize it, the harem always preserved its structure as a school for jariyahs from different ethnicities and bore some similarities with elite schools for girls run in the period
1 Nisan 2016 Cuma

THE ROMA: A LIFE OF CONSTANT TRAVEL

The nomadic but colorful world of the Roma has always remained intriguing. In 15th century Istanbul, there were skilled Roma artists and army tradesmen who were treated well in the society. Pointing to Roma's adaptable nature, famous Ottoman-era traveler Evliya Çelebi once said: 'They celebrate Qurban Bayram with Muslims, Easter with Christians and Hanukkah with Jews'
25 Mart 2016 Cuma

TWO SIDES OF THE GALLIPOLI WAR

Today marks the 105th year since the Gallipoli naval battle of World War I, which ended with a unique victory against the Allied forces. Yet the high casualties and successive battles led to the collapse of the Ottoman Empire
18 Mart 2016 Cuma

EUROPE MUST KEEP THE TRADITION OF LIVING TOGETHER

The tradition of living together has always been an issue in Europe and now they think what the EU is trying to figure out what it will do with millions of Muslim refugees. Some politicians even go further and trigger Islamophobia. Will this problem bring an end to the European principles that they praise?
11 Mart 2016 Cuma

THE HOLODOMOR: A MANUFACTURED HUMAN TRAGEDY

With a mild climate and surrounded by fertile river plains, Ukraine is rich in grain production. Ukrainians, however, were victims of a man-made famine during the Soviet era, remembered as the ‘Holodomor,' which literally means ‘death by hunger'
4 Mart 2016 Cuma

JAMRAH: THE HERALD of SPRİNG

The spring has not yet fully shown itself, but jamrah, the herald of spring, has already arrived. It is believed that jamrah brings warmth to the three aspects of nature of air, water and soil and had a deep cultural place among nomadic Turks
26 Şubat 2016 Cuma

HANDKERCHIEFS: THE SECRET LANGUAGE OF LOVE

Throughout history, there have been very few items used for multiple purposes. Among them, handkerchiefs have an interesting story both as decoration and clothing as well a means of communication between lovers
19 Şubat 2016 Cuma

KARAITE JEWS: THE READERS of HEBREW SCRIPTURES

The Karaim are a Jewish community that completely reject the Talmud oral law and only recognize the Torah. They continue their existence in different regions, including Lithuania and Turkey, and it is rumored that Istanbul's Karaköy neighborhood is named after them
12 Şubat 2016 Cuma

150 PERSONAE NON GRATAE: THE BLACK LIST OF THE NEWLY ESTABLISHED REPUBLIC

The Treaty of Lausanne marked the independence of Anatolia while also sealing the fates of 150 randomly selected people who only carried out their duty to their country and sultan
5 Şubat 2016 Cuma

WHY THE ISLAMIC WORLD FELL BEHIND IN SCIENCE

The Islamic world made significant contributions in different scientific fields up until the 15th century. These contributions are inevitably seen not only in science, but also in other fields such as art, trade and politics. So what happened to make the Islamic world fall behind in science while it rose in Europe? What are the reasons behind this downward trend?
29 Ocak 2016 Cuma

ADA KALEH: A TURKISH ISLAND IN THE DANUBE RIVER

Facing the port city of Orsova in southwestern Romania, Ada Kaleh was an island, whose previous population was entirely Turkish. Conquered by the Ottoman Sultan Mehmed I, the island was under Romanian rule after the World War I. The island was submerged with the construction of a dam in the early 1970s and the residents either moved to Turkey or Balkan cities
22 Ocak 2016 Cuma

THE MOSUL QUESTION: A CLASH FOR OIL

Mosul was the last city that the Ottomans lost in World War I. The city was also the main reason for a long dispute between the Turkish and British governments, which suspended the Lausanne Peace Negotiations
15 Ocak 2016 Cuma

THE GOOD OLD DAYS, WHEN DUMPING SNOW IN THE BOSPORUS WAS AMUSEMENT

Snow was much more fun in the past. People used to forget everything when glittering snowflakes were falling on the ground. For some it was a pain. There were times when harsh weather and snow brought the end of a sultan
9 Ocak 2016 Cumartesi

NEWSPAPERS: AN INTELLECTUAL LEGACY of the OTTOMAN EMPIRE

Newspapers have always played an important part in society, shaping life both socially and politically. A number of newspapers were published in different languages including Arabic, Persian, French, Greek, Armenian and Bulgarian in the Ottoman Empire
1 Ocak 2016 Cuma

THE GALATA BANKERS: FINANCING OTTOMAN STATE

Bankers were very active in financing Ottoman-era trade. Based in the Galata quarter, the empire relied on them for long-term loans. Galata bankers, whose financial power reached its peak in the 19th century, were involved in the establishment of the state's first banks
18 Aralık 2015 Cuma

A BRIEF HISTORY OF TURKISH-RUSSIAN RELATIONS

The rivalry between Russia and the Ottoman Empire had shown itself in a series of wars, the most significant of which happened between 1877 and 1878. Balkan nationalism was the main reason behind the Russo-Turkish War, bringing many changes to both politics and economics
11 Aralık 2015 Cuma

FRAMING WOMEN'S STATUS THROUGH THE AGES

Throughout history, women have struggled for equality and gained political and civil rights gradually. In Islamic law, a number of binding provisions, although not very well known, were introduced to empower women at home and in society
4 Aralık 2015 Cuma

SICILY: AN ETERNAL MEETING POINT BETWEEN AFRICA AND EUROPE

Having harbored different civilizations for centuries, the gorgeous island of Sicily offers unparalled cultural richness bearing both Islamic and European heritage
27 Kasım 2015 Cuma

TURKISH-ARAB RELATIONS FROM PAST TO TODAY

The long-rooted relations between Turks and Arabs go back to the eighth century, notably after the Battle of Talas in 705. The ties between Arabs and Turks strengthened over the years, yet confronted difficult times when the Party of Union and Progress took power from the Ottoman government and instilled nationalist sentiments in the public
20 Kasım 2015 Cuma

SLAVERY AND ISLAM: A TRANSFORMATIVE MEETING

Slavery has existed in different civilizations over millennia. With the arrival of Islam, the institution of slavery was rehabilitated and many slaves were set free. During the Ottoman-era, slaves were trained as professional soldiers and statesmen
13 Kasım 2015 Cuma

THE BRIEF HISTORY of ELECTIONS in TURKEY

The first election in the Ottoman Empire took place in 1840, which established local councils in order to address issues related to administration and public order. While women's suffrage was introduced in 1935, the transition to a multi-party system occurred during the 1946 elections
30 Ekim 2015 Cuma

ASHURA: THE TRADITIONAL DESSERT EMBRACING PEOPLE FROM EVERY RELIGION

There are days in history on which many well – known incidents occurred, such as today. Ashura, the 10th day of Muharram, the first month of the Islamic calendar, is one of those days. Ashura means 10th day in Semitic languages, and the customary dessert prepared on this day is also called ashura. Today, Oct. 23, is the Day of Ashura
23 Ekim 2015 Cuma

TURKISH CHEESES OFFER A VARIETY OF TASTES

Even though Turkey is not usually considered successful at commercializing cheese, Turkish cuisine offers just as good of a selection as other countries and has a variety of cheeses thanks to its proximity to Rumelia and the Caucasus, the homeland of dairy products, and the Middle East
16 Ekim 2015 Cuma

TRANSFORMATION OF OTTOMAN COFFEEHOUSES TO THE PRESENT

Coffehouses started to spread in Istanbul after 1554 when the first two coffeehouses opened in the city. First, the Ottoman administration did not interfere with the actions of the public as long as they did not disturb the political order and social life, but when they became the place for secret meetings, coffee houses began to draw the authorities' attention
9 Ekim 2015 Cuma

THE STORY OF THE STAR AND CRESCENT ON THE ARMS OF TWO EUROPEAN CITIES

There are many theories explaining the star and crescent on the coats of arms of the Irish city of Drogheda and the English city of Portsmouth. What is the story behind these symbols?
2 Ekim 2015 Cuma

QURBAN BAYRAM: HOW DO MUSLIMS CELEBRATE A HOLY FEAST?

Muslims celebrate Qurban Bayram, one of most important festivals in the Islamic calender along with Eid al-Fitr. The holiday marks the end of the hajj period and involves animal sacrifices as a symbol of Abraham's sacrifice to God
25 Eylül 2015 Cuma

MAHPEYKER KOSEM SULTAN: THE WOMAN WHO OVERSAW 3 GENERATIONS of the OTTOMAN EMPIRE

Kösem Sultan was one of the most powerful women in Ottoman history. She found herself in the midst of political chaos after her husband Sultan Ahmed I died, but she eliminated her opponents even though she suffered a bitter death. While some historians say she was a master manipulator, others think she was a prominent actor who helped ensure the empire's survival
18 Eylül 2015 Cuma

LITERACY IN OTTOMAN SOCIETY WAS HIGHER THAN BELIEVED

The statistics of the early Republican era suggest the literacy rate in the Ottoman Empire was lower than 10 percent. However, these numbers do not reflect the truth, as the alphabet reform introduced Latin letters to replace the Ottoman Arabic alphabet, thereby making much of the literate population effectively illiterate
11 Eylül 2015 Cuma

HOSTILITY BETWEEN SELIM I AND ISMAIL I UNDERLIES SECTARIAN DIFFERENCES

Selim I and Ismail I, two Muslim rulers that reigned over the Ottoman Empire and the Safavid Persian Empire, two major powers in the 16th century, always had a hostile attitude toward each other that arose from political conflicts and sectarian differences. This conflict led to the Çaldıran War, which concluded with a decisive Ottoman victory and started the dissolution of the Safavids
4 Eylül 2015 Cuma