A BRIEF LOOK AT TURKEY

Middle school

Catalina Hunt, Ph.D. The Middle East Studies Center at OSU

Version with public domain photos - MCE

WHAT IS TURKEY?
Not the bird that we all know

Source: All three images from Wikimedia

WHAT IS TURKEY?
But a country located on two continents, Europe and Asia, and considered part of the Middle East
Student task: identify Turkey on the world map and the Modern Middle East Map; define the region (handout 1)

Most of it is situated in Asia Minor; a small part is in Europe Total area: 314, 500 sq. miles, slightly larger than Texas (268, 581 sq. miles)

Both maps from wikimedia

WHAT IS TURKEY?
Student task: identify Turkeys neighbors on the map and compare them with the USs neighbors Black Sea

Northwest:
- Bulgaria - Greece

Northeast:
- Georgia

Aegean Sea

East:
- Armenia - Nakhichevan - Iran

Mediterranean Sea
NOTE: - over 5,000 miles coastline

Source: Turkish Government Culture and Tourism Office

South:
-Syria - Iraq
- it has an internal sea: The Sea of Marmara

WHAT IS TURKEY?
Student task: Identify the geographic variation within Turkey

Source: Turkish Government Culture and Tourism Office

WHAT IS TURKEY?
Teacher task: explain the mutual influence between environment and peoples in the past and the present lives of the Turks

The Ararat Mountain

Cappadocia

Student task: do a web search to find the story that goes with each picture. Source: All four images from Turkish Government Culture and Tourism Office

Mount Nemrut

Kaputas Beach (Southwestern Turkey)

OHIO Images Winter in Pike County

WHAT IS TURKEY?
Student task: match seasons with regions (the state of Ohio and the country of Turkey); describe climates.

TURKEY Images

Summer on the Med. Sea

Spring in Cincinnati

Winter in Agri

Fall in Kargi Summer at Big Alum Creek Fall in Medina Stormy April in Antalya

Ohio Image Sources: Winter and Fall from Ohio Bureau of Tourism. Summer and Spring from Wikimedia. Turkey Images: Summer and Winter from Turkish Office of Tourism. Fall and Spring from Wikimedia

Source: Both images from:Turkish Government Culture and Tourism Office

WHAT IS TURKEY?

A Republic founded by Mustafa Kemal Atatrk (father of Turks): 29 October 1923. A democratic, secular country, ruled by: a president and the Council of Ministers (executive power) The Turkish Grand National Assembly (legislative power) Independent courts and supreme judiciary organs (judicial power)

Capital: Ankara (4 million people )

Mustafa Kemal Atatrk, the founder of Turkey

Student task: compare governments in Turkey and the US in terms of democratization and in contrast with the concepts of monarchy and dictatorship.

Source: Both images from Wikimedia

WHAT IS TURKEY?

A country whose official language is Turkish (Arabic & Kurdish are also spoken). Alphabet: Latin, composed of 29 letters, similar to the English alphabet
Excludes q, w, x Includes iek (flower) - da (mountain) - k (light) - rdek (duck) - eker (sugar) - (three)

Learn Turkish (handout 2): Merhaba! Hello! Nasilsin? How are you? Iyiyim, teekkr ederim! Im fine, thank you. Teekkr ederim! Thank you! Adn ne? What is your name? Adm Anne. My name is Anne.
anne mother; byk anne, nine grandmother baba father; byk baba, dede - grandfather karde brother; arkada - friend kz karde/ abla sister Listen to these and other phrases at Turkish Tutor Online.

Ottoman calligraphy.

Source: Catalina Hunt

WHAT IS TURKEY?
A Muslim country: mosque with Minarets (mosque towers) minbars (wood platform inside mosque) mihrab (niche in main wall directed to Mecca) Meaning of the Turkish flag (handout 3)

Teacher task: Define the religion of Islam in terms of practices and rituals, gender roles; customs and traditions Inside and outside the Blue Mosque in Istanbul

Source: Catalina Hunt

WHAT IS TURKEY?
modern

People dress the way they want (students try on Turkish clothes)
conservative

In the modern neighborhood of Beyolu in Istanbul

Explain gender roles in Turkey and Islam

Source: Catalina Hunt

WHAT IS TURKEY?
Describe wedding traditions Ottoman casual dress

Ottoman pre-wedding traditional dress

Source: All six images from Turkish Government Culture and Tourism Office

WHAT IS TURKEY?
Dolmas (stuffed cabbage)

A country with great food

Yufka, Pide, Somun (Turkish bread) Main dishes: shish kebab

Appetizers: meze

Sea food: fish

Pilaf (rice)

Source: Coffee, Tea, Baklava, Ayran Turkish Government Culture and Tourism Office . Bananas Catalina Hunt

WHAT IS TURKEY?
Sweets: baklava

Drinks

Bananas in the street Turkish coffee

ay (tea)

Dried fruits and Turkish delight (students taste Turkish delight)

Ayran (salty yogurt)

No Open Source Images for Brand-names

WHAT IS TURKEY?

American brands in Turkey

Explain impact of American lifestyle in Turkey

Source: Soccer and basketball from wikimedia. All others from Turkish Government Culture and Tourism Office

WHAT IS TURKEY?
Oil wrestling Rafting

A country with great sports

Turkish favorites: Soccer

American favorites: Basketball

Golf

Skiing

Source: All three images from Turkish Government Culture and Tourism Office

WHAT IS TURKEY?

Education system
Primary education: eight years (age 6 through 14), mandatory for all children Secondary education: three years (general and vocational-technical high schools) (both primary and secondary education are free of charge in public schools) Higher education: at least two years over and above secondary education (associates, bachelors, masters, and doctorate degree levels) (students are required to pay a minimal tuition fee)

Primary education

Secondary education

Compare it to the US education system

Higher education

Source: Istanbul: Catalina. Izmir:, Bursa: Wikimedia. Konya: Turkish Government Culture and Tourism Office

PLACES IN TURKEY
Izmir: 3.3 million

Major cities (population is over 69 million)

Istanbul: the largest (10 million)

Bursa: 2.1 million

Konya: 2.2 million

Source: All three images from Turkish Government Culture and Tourism Office

PLACES IN TURKEY
The Blue Mosque (built between 1609-1616 by architect Mehmet)

ISTANBUL:
Haghia Sophia (Divine Wisdom) (built in 537 AD by Roman Emperor Justinian); nowadays functions as museum.

Topkap Palace (built in the 15th century; it was the sultans' residence until Dolmabahe was built in the 19th century; its total area is twice the area of Vatican and half of Monaco in size; nowadays functions as museum).

Source: Map and illustrations from wikimedia. Tulip picture from Turkish Government Culture and Tourism Office

PLACES IN TURKEY
Ogier Guiselin de Busbeq, 16th century, Ambassador of the Holy Roman Emperor in Istanbul, first to bring tulip from Istanbul to Europe Read students excerpt from Busbecqs Turkish Letters written in the 16th century (handout 4: Ogier Ghiselin de Busbecq)

ISTANBUL: TULIPS (LALE)

The place of origin for tulips is Central Asia and Asia Minor (Turkey)

Map of Central Asia

Source: Turkish Government Culture and Tourism Office

PLACES IN TURKEY

Cherry tree

Giresun (ancient Kerasus,

city of cherries) : city on the Black Sea coast of Turkey from where the Roman general Lucullus exported the first cherry tree in Europe.

Source: Dog and Cat: Turkish Government Culture and Tourism Office . Maps: Wikimedia

PLACES IN TURKEY

ANKARA: Angora cat

SIVAS-KANGAL: Kangal Dog

Source: Catalina Hunt

PLACES IN TURKEY

TROY
Near anakkale (SW); age: 3000 BC - 400 AD

The Trojan horse and I

Roman amphitheater

Source: Catalina Hunt

PLACES IN TURKEY

EPHESUS

Largest city in Anatolia: 200.000

Roman amphitheater House of Virgin Mary

The Celsus library: 135 AD

Source: Map from St. Nicholas Center. Icons from Wikimedia. Other Images from Turkish Government Culture and Tourism Office St. Nicholas in icons German St. Nicholas St. Nicholas in prints

PLACES IN TURKEY

PATARA

St. Nicholas was born in Patara, in Southern Turkey

Statue of St. Nicholas

The Santa Claus transformation

Source: Turkish Government Culture and Tourism Office

CONCLUSIONS

Turkey is:
A democratic, secular, and Muslim country from the Middle East. Turkish people speak Turkish language, dress the way they want, eat well, and have great sports like soccer, wrestling, and rafting. It has many places of historical importance such as Istanbul, Troy, Ephesus, and Patara. It was a country of origin or residence for tulips, cherry trees, Angora cats, the Trojan horse, Virgin Mary, and Saint Nicholas (Santa Claus). Group activity in class: groups of 4 or 5 students should find the solution of the question in less then 5 minutes; designation of group leader is recommended; winning group members should be given awards (handout 5). During activity, students listen to Turkish music (CD Europe meets Asia: gypsy, belly dance & beyond). For additional information on Turkey, see handout 6.