Dress modestly

Turkey is a predominantly Muslim country, particularly in more conservative areas. It is advisable to dress modestly, especially when visiting religious sites or rural areas. Both men and women should avoid wearing revealing clothing or shorts. Women may consider covering their shoulders and wearing longer skirts or trousers.

Respect for religious customs

Turkey has a rich Islamic heritage. It is important to show respect for religious customs. When entering mosques, remove your shoes and dress modestly. Women should cover their heads with a scarf and avoid wearing revealing clothing. During Ramadan, the month of fasting, be mindful of eating, drinking, or smoking in public during daylight hours.

Avoid public displays of affection

Turkey is a conservative society. Public displays of affection, such as kissing or hugging, are generally frowned upon. It is advisable to show restraint and avoid such behavior in public.

Respect cultural traditions

Turkish people highly value their cultural traditions. It is important to respect local customs and traditions. For example, it is customary to greet people with a handshake, but avoid physical contact with members of the opposite sex unless they initiate it.

Alcohol consumption

While Turkey is not a strictly dry country, excessive drinking or public intoxication are generally viewed unfavourably. It is best to consume alcohol in moderation and avoid excessive behavior, especially in more conservative areas.

Sensitive topics

It is advisable to avoid discussing sensitive topics like religion, politics, and the Kurdish issue unless you are familiar with the person you are talking to and the context of the conversation. These topics can be highly charged and may lead to disagreements or misunderstandings.

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Dress modestly and remove Footwear

Dress modestly and conservatively. Men should wear long pants, and women should cover their hair with a scarf and wear clothing that covers their arms and legs.

Before entering the mosque, remove your shoes and leave them outside. Many mosques provide plastic bags for you to carry your shoes in.

Greeting

It’s customary to greet the mosque’s caretaker or an official with a polite “Merhaba” (hello) and ask for permission before exploring the mosque.

Quiet and Respectful Behaviour

Inside the mosque, maintain a quiet demeanor. Speak softly and avoid loud laughter or conversations.

If you’re allowed to enter the prayer area as a visitor, do so respectfully. Don’t walk in front of people who are praying, as it’s considered disrespectful.

Avoid pointing your feet towards the Qibla (the direction of Mecca) and any religious symbols or texts.

Non-Muslims during Prayer:

Be aware of prayer times and try to avoid entering the mosque during the call to prayer (Athan).

Non-Muslims are typically not allowed to enter the mosque’s main prayer hall during prayer times, especially on Fridays. Respect this rule.

Women’s Section

Some mosques have a separate section for women. If you’re a woman, follow the guidelines provided for entering and staying in this area.

Respect for Art and Architecture and asking for permission for Photography

Many Turkish mosques are renowned for their stunning architecture and intricate designs. Show respect for the cultural heritage by refraining from touching or leaning on walls, columns, or decorations.

Always ask for permission before taking photos inside the mosque. Some mosques may have restrictions on photography.

Donations

If you wish to contribute to the mosque’s maintenance or charities, you can do so by placing your donation in designated boxes or containers.

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What’s in a name? A great deal, if Turkey’s president, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, is to be believed. His years-long quest to change his country’s moniker to Türkiye (pronounced Tur-key-yay) had reached a successful conclusion when the UN gave its official blessing. “Türkiye is the best representation and expression of the Turkish people’s culture, civilisation and values,”

The change to Türkiye has a sound historical basis. Land areas occupied by present-day Turks were known by various names over the centuries, including Asia Minor, Anatolia and eastern Thrace. But Turkey formally became the Republic of Türkiye (Türkiye Cumhuriyeti) after independence in 1923, following the abolition of the Ottoman sultanate. 

Erdoğan is said to have wanted rid of a westernised, anglicised name that jarred with his neo-Islamist, nationalist-populist brand. In Ankara, as elsewhere, identity is everything. More prosaically, it is suggested the word turkey conjured up unwelcome images of Thanksgiving dinners and the Christian feast of Christmas. Worse, in American slang, a turkey is a silly, foolish person.

Many leading world cities have rebranded, too, reflecting old roots and shifting identities. New York was once New Amsterdam.  St Petersburg was Petrograd and Leningrad in between. Bombay is Mumbai. Constantinople, formerly Byzantium, now goes by the less exotic name of Istanbul, which brings us back to Tur-key-yah.

based on an article in The Guardian

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Business comes in ounces, friendship comes in pounds.

It is from the discourteous that the courteous learn courtesy.

Owe nothing to the rich man, and be owed nothing by a poor man.

The hand that gives is higher than the hand that takes.

To give quickly is to give twice.

Give a man some cloth and he’ll ask for some lining.

For every door God closes He opens a thousand others.

Harmony should be sought even in the blast of a trumpet.

The head that is bowed will not be cut off.

Until you have reached the other side of the bridge go on calling the bear “uncle”.

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• It is from the head that the fish first stinks.

• The planting of a tree is worth the prayers of a whole year.

• The key to paradise is patience.

• An onion offered in love is worth a sheep.

• Falcons with falcons, goose with goose and bald hen with lame cock.

• What is grass to the lion is flesh to the horse.

• What drowning man would not cling to the tail of a serpent.

• If you accept the wolf’s invitation take a dog.

• Cropping a donkey’s ears will not produce a stallion.

• No caravan stops for the bark of a dog.

• Even is guilt were made of sable no one would choose to wear it.

• Anyone can climb on the back of a small horse.

• Ears grow first but horns grow longest.

• There are no sweet onions, and there are no white pigs.

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It’s rich, creamy, sweet and cheesy  with a crunchy topping. If you haven’t tried it, it is unlike anything you have tasted before.

künefe (kyoon-eh-FAY’) Knafeh is a Middle Eastern / Turkish cheese pastry soaked in sweet, sugar-based syrup.

The recipe for künefe is believed to come from the city of Hatay, though many cities in the region claim to have invented it, too.

This traditional Middle Eastern dessert is made with thin noodle-like pastry, soaked in syrup. It is typically layered with cheese, or with other ingredients such as creamor nuts, depending on the region.

Kanüfe is not easy to make, for this reason many people eat it as a dessert when they go to a restaurant.

Watch this video about making this delicious sweet.

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Relationships between business partners are fostered over a period of time in the office, over extended lunches, dinners, and during social outings. Discussions may start slowly, with many questions that may seem irrelevant to the purpose of your visit. It is extremely rude to insist that your colleagues get to the point.

You will find that evening meals often consist of several courses. The main course nearly always consists of meat or fish, accompanied by bread and a salad. Your hosts may order alcohol with the meal. If they do, it is perfectly acceptable to drink it.

You may be offered rakı, an unsweetened anise-flavoured drink that is popular in Turkey. It is served as an apéritif or with a meze.

Take care not eat, drink or smoke in front of Muslim business associates during the holy month of Ramazan.

Turkish coffee is a national drink and should at least be sampled at the end of a meal, even if it is late. Turkish coffee is sipped slowly, so do not drink it quickly and never drink the bottom of the cup as it will be full of ground coffee and will taste awful.

If you have been invited to dinner by Turkish business partners, they will insist on paying the bill. You may try and offer to pay in order to appear polite. However, your hosts will never allow this. The best policy is to thank your hosts at the end of the meal and then a few days later invite them to do dinner at a restaurant of your choice. 

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The Turkish Yağlı güreş means ” fighting with oil”. it is a long standing tradition in Turkey, in fact it is a national Turkish sport.  There is a big three day tournament in Kirkpinar Stadium in Edirne every year. Oil wrestlers are highly respected in Turkey, similar to Sumo wrestlers in Japan. The wrestlers are called  pehlivan which comes from Persian meaning “hero”. 

Wrestling with cooking oil and leather pants

Wrestlers coat themselves with cooking oil, mainly olive oil or sunflower oil.  Oil is essential to the sport as it makes wrestling more technical. It makes it also more difficult to seize the opponent when he is moving. The oil is poured over the bodies and the pants.  The wrestlers wear very sturdy leather pants called kispet (or kisbet). These pants are traditionally made of water buffalo hide, and more recently have been made of calfskin.  Leather pants are, when oiled like the body, very difficult to grip. 

If your “belly sees the sun”, you have lost

Opponents grab each other in any way they can. However, the movements in oil wrestling should cause no harm to the wrestlers. In other forms of wrestling you grab your opponent’s limbs but in oil wrestling you wrestle with the kispet, the leather pants and not with the body.

Originally wrestling matches had no time limit and could go on for one or two days. However in 1975 the match was capped at 40 minutes, with extensions of 15 minutes if there is no winner. Scores are kept to determine the winner. However, a wrestler has lost the fight when “his belly sees the sun.”

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Konya is a major city in the south-western edge of the Central Anatolian Plateau, at an elevation of over 1,000 metres. The plateau is covered with rich steppes, which have an impact on the agriculture sector. Additionally, the southernmost part of Konya is largely surrounded by the Taurus Mountains.

The city enjoys abundant sunshine and has huge potential for solar farming. The largest solar farm in Turkey is located 20 miles west of the city.

Konya, the home of Rumi

Konya was the final home of Rumi (Mevlana), whose tomb is in the city. In 1273, his followers established the Mevlevi Sufi order of Islam in Konya, and they became known as the Whirling Dervishes. 

Konya is, on the one hand, the home town of Rumi and the Whirling Dervishes but it is also of importance as a booming economic town. Konya has the reputation of being one of the more religiously conservative metropolitan centres in Turkey. However, the city also combines the charm of the old and the new. Ancient mosques and the market can be found together with a contemporary area around Alaaddin Tepesi, where university students hang out in the tea gardens. 

Famous sites

• Mevlana Museum
• Sille: 8 kilometres northwest from Mevlana Museum, antique village, mosques, churches, cave churches and catacombs
• Ince Mineret Museum
• Karatay Medrese Museum
• Konya Archaelogical Museum
• Konya Ethnography Museum
• Atatürk’s House Museum

Watch this video for more information about Konya.

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