|
|
|
|
ISTANBUL, TURKEY
Date Established: October 1988
GEOGRAPHY Location: Turkey sits on the crossroads between the European and Asian
continents. Istanbul straddles the Bosporus and the entrance to the Black
Sea. It is built on seven hills.
PEOPLE Ethnicity: Turkish, Arabic, Greek,
Circassian, Armenian, Yiddish, Kurdish
ECONOMY Natural Resources: Hydroelectric power and chrome
HISTORY
FACTS
NATIONAL GOVERNMENT Head of State: President Suleyman Demirel
MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENT Head of City: Mayor Ali Müfit Gurtuna
An Educational Packet Prepared for the Houston International Protocol Alliance by Kathleen Silva
The country of Turkey is just a little larger than the state of Texas, but it has many more people. Turkey is in a very special location. It is the only country that is on two continents at the same time – Asia and Europe! It is known as the bridge between east and west because Asia is considered “east” and Europe is considered “west”. Istanbul, Houston’s sister city, is right at the spot where the two continents meet. Turkey has a long and important history. Besides Great Britain, it is the only country in the world that has never been dominated by another country. (Can you think of which country or countries dominated the United States in the past?) The Turkish people are very proud of their history and culture. Istanbul is Turkey’s largest city and the center for industry, business and education. More than 10 million people live in Istanbul. (Compare that to Houston’s population of 3 million people!) Like Houston, Istanbul has a large port. Unlike Houston, it is a very old city. In fact, Istanbul is one of the oldest cities in the world. The majority of the people in Istanbul are Muslim, and there are many beautiful mosques around the city where the people can go worship.
[Right] The Hagia Sophia, one of the world’s most amazing structures, is located in Istanbul.
This is a picture of Istanbul and the Bosphorus, which is the channel of water that separatesthe continent of Europe from the continent of Asia.
A Taste of Turkey Turkish food is considered some of the most delicious food in the world. It brings together many different ingredients and flavors that were influenced by other countries. The people of Turkey eat a lot of lamb and rice. They also eat a lot of yogurt and vegetables such as tomato and eggplant. Many of their dishes are cooked in olive oil because olives grow very well in Turkey. Many families make their own olive oil by using an olive press. One Turkish dish that you may have eaten before is shish kebob. These are pieces of meat and vegetables that are put on a stick then grilled. Yum! Like Americans, Turks usually eat three meals a day. Breakfast often consists of bread and honey, cheese, tomatoes, eggs, olives, and coffee or tea. Lunch used to be the main meal of the day, but since most Turkish adults work outside of the home now, dinner has become the main meal. Sometimes a dinner will start with meze, which is like an appetizer sampler plate! Then, there is usually a plate with meat, rice and vegetables. Dessert is usually fresh fruit such as cherries, strawberries or melons. Turkey has some amazing pastries, too, but those are mostly eaten in the afternoon with some coffee or tea. Have you ever tried baklava (pronounced bah-klah-VAH)? It is full of honey and nuts and it’s delicious! Some bakeries in Houston sell baklava just like it’s made in Turkey. Here’s a recipe for a Turkish candy. Be sure to have an adult help you make it. TURKISH DELIGHT
Ingredients 3 tablespoons unflavored gelatin food coloring (orange or yellow to match extract) water 1/4 cup finely chopped pistachio nuts 2 cups sugar 1 cup confectioners’ sugar 4 tablespoons orange or lemon extract
Soften the gelatin in 1/2 cup cold water. Over the stove, heat 1/3 cup of water until it’s boiling and add the sugar. Stir in the softened gelatin and simmer uncovered for 20 minutes. Add the extract and the food coloring and mix. Pour the mixture onto an ungreased, 8” square pan. Add the nuts and stir gently. Let it chill. When it is firm, cut the candy into 1” cubes and remove from the pan. Roll each cube in the confectioners’ sugar. Store them in a container at room temperature.
Did you know…?
Grapes and cherries were first grown in Turkey. Hundreds of years ago, traders brought them to other countries and now they grow in many places around the world (including the United States!)
Turkish Carpets
Children
The children of Turkey are a lot like you! Some have blond hair and light eyes, others have dark hair and dark eyes, and there are even children with red hair and freckles.
Did you know…?
Turkish elementary school children go to school from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. Most schools have all the children wear some type of uniform over the clothes of their choice. The children usually go home for lunch.
Turkey is one of the few countries in the world that has a national holiday just for children! Children’s Day is every April 23. It was started by Turkey’s favorite leader, President Ataturk. Ataturk loved children, and he said "Children are a new beginning of tomorrow". Every year on Children’s Day, schools participate in week-long ceremonies with performances and parades that people all around the country watch. Also, some children are selected from each school to run the government of Turkey for that day. The President, the Prime Minister, the Cabinet Ministers, and governors all turn over their positions to the children! The children discuss new laws on education and other issues concerning youth. Children’s Day was celebrated in Houston for the first time in 1993. The Houston-Istanbul sister city organization and the Turkish community in Houston coordinated many events for Houston children. They also started the Children’s International Parade. They have held the events and parade every year since then.
The Handkerchief Game
This is a fun game to play with a group of children either indoors or outdooors. All you need is a large handkerchief with a knot in one corner. All of the players except ebe sit in a circle facing each other. (Ebe in Turkey is the person who is “it”.) Ebe is outside the circle holding the handkerchief. He walks around the circle two times, and by the end of the second round, he secretly places the handkerchief behind the back of one of the children sitting in the circle. Other players that see ebe put the handkerchief down cannot reveal the secret. (If they do, they have to be ebe.) If the player selected detects the handkerchief behind him, he jumps up, grabs the handkerchief, and runs after ebe, tapping him with the knotted corner of the handkerchief. Ebe tries to sit in the spot vacated by the chosen player. If ebe gets there first, then the chosen player becomes the new ebe. If the chosen player does not detect the handkerchief behind him, ebe gently hits him with the knotted corner. Ebe continues to serve until he can capture a place in the circle.
Mosaics Mosaic is one of the oldest art forms in the world. It was started in the 3rd century BC by the Greeks. Soon, the art spread to surrounding countries such as Turkey. There are many mosaics in Istanbul and other cities in Turkey that were made thousands of years ago, and many of these ancient mosaics survive to this day. You can see for yourself in the Menil Collection in Houston! Mosaics are made of small squares of colored glass, jewels, stones or precious metals. They are fitted together like a puzzle and set into cement, usually on the wall of a building or on a floor. Many churches in Istanbul have the walls and floors decorated with beautiful mosaics. Most of the mosaics in Turkey were made during the Roman empire from 400-1400 A.D. It is known as Byzantine Art because it was created in this period. The Byzantine mosaics told religious stories and this was especially nice for the people who could not read.
You Can Make Your Own Mosaic! Here’s How…
Supplies: Several different colors of construction paper (you can also use different materials for the “stones” such as sequins, shells, etc.) Glue Piece of cardboard or posterboard (at least 8 1/2” x 11”) Directions
If using construction paper, tear the paper into small pieces. Arrange the paper or other materials into shapes or patterns on the piece of cardboard to make a picture. Glue the material to the cardboard. When the glue is dry, you can hang your mosaic on the wall.
Did
you know…?
Bibliography
Culturegram 2000 – Istanbul. Millenium Star Network and Brigham Young University, 2000. Eyewitness Travel Guides Series – Istanbul. First American Edition, 1998. Edited by Nick Inman. DK Publishing, Inc. Various websites on the World Wide Web, including:
|
