FOLK MUSIC

The lively Turkish folk music, which originated on the steppes of Asia, is in complete contrast to the refined Turkish cllasical music of the Ottoman court. Until recently, folk music was not written down, and the traditions have been kept alive by the “asiklar” (troubadours). Distinct from folk music is Ottoman military music, now performed by the “mehter takimi” ( Janissary Band ) in Istanbul, which originated in Central Asia, and is played with kettle drums, clarinets, cymbals, and bells. The mystical music ofthe Whirling Dervishes ( “Mevleviler” ) is dominated by the haunting sound of the reed pipe or “ney,”and can be heard in Konya during the Mevlana Festival in December.

FOLK DANCES

Each region in Turkey has its own special folk dance and costume. The best known of these are:

· “Horon” – From Black Sea

· “Kasik Playingu” – From Konya and Silifke

· “Kiliç Kalkan- From Bursa

· “Zeybek”-From Aegean region dance

FOLK HEROES

· Nasrettin Hoca – 13 th – century humorist and sage

· Karagöz – Another jester, said to have lived in Bursa

· Yunus Emre – The 13th- century philosopher-poet

· Köroglu – A 15 th – century folk poet

TRADITIONAL SPORTS

· Yagli Güres – “Grease Wrestling” is the Turkish national sport and every year, in july, wrestling championships are held in Kirkpinar, outside Edirne.

· Cirit Playingu – The “javelin game” of daredevil horsemanship is a sport where wooden javelins are thrown at horsemen of opposing teams to gain points. The game is played mainly in Eastern Turkey.

POPULAR CUSTOMS

Hospitality: Hospitality is one of the Turkish way of life. Following Koronic tenets and naturally friendly instincts, the Turk is a most gracious and generous host. Even the poorest peasant feels bound to honor his guest (“misafir”) in the best possible manner. Hospitality is taken to such lengths that a foreigner often feels he is suffering from an overdose of it after being plied with food and drinks for hours and being unable to refuse anything, lest he hurt his host’s feelings. In addition to ensuring a guest’s material well-being, the Turk makes every effort to converse, no matter what linguistic barriers might exist. While most middle – class urban –dwelling Turks speak at least one European language, even the uneducated bravely struggles to make themselves understood, with remarkable success.

Turkish cofee houses: Even the smallest Turkish village has its coffee house or “kahvehane” where men can talk, sip coffee, and play the national game of backgammon.

Turkish baths: Owing to the emphasis placed on personal cleanliness in Turkish society,there have been puplic bath-houses (“hamam”) in Turkey since medieval times. There are seperate baths for men and women, or, when there is only one bath house in the town, different days or times of day are allocated to men and women. After entering the “hamam” and leaving one’s clothes in a locker, one proceeds, wrapped in a towel (“pestemal”) to the “göbek tasi” , a large heated stone where one perspires and is rubbed down by a bath attendant. If the heat proves too much, one can retire to a cooler room for a while. This method of bathing is most refreshing. Many old baths are very interesting architecturally.