Culture & Art

Home to numerous communities and civilizations from the beginning of history, Anatolia is also the harbor of the magnificent Turkish culture.
Turkish culture which has evolved under the influence of various communities over the centuries and spread over the extensive lands of Anatolia attracts the attention for its unique elements.  At the crossroads of the East and the West, Turkish culture, from its cuisine to social life, bears the traces of different cultures.

Customs and Traditions


From rituals on special days to family relations, Turkish society still largely adheres to native customs and traditions in many areas of social life.
Birth, marriage, holiday celebrations, as well as military service sendoff gatherings are celebrated with great enthusiasm and special preparations. Reflecting the rich Anatolian culture, these traditions are among the most precious heritages of the nation.

Folk Dances


Every region has its own dances composed of unique moves and melodies. They are an essential part of all celebrations. Traditional folkloric dances are colorful visual performances and are highly enjoyable.
Zeybek performed in the Aegean region and particularly in Izmir, in addition to Horon a dance style popular in Rize and the Black Sea Region in general, and Misket, the folk dance of Ankara in Central Anatolia, are some of the well-known traditional folk dances.

Traditional and Modern Music


Music as a way of creative expression of societies has a very important place in the Anatolian culture as well.
Traditional music made with Turkish culture-specific instruments such as oud, zither, reed flute and bagpipe is one of the cornerstones of Anatolian music culture. With the development of music and technology within time different types of Turkish music have evolved.

Turkish Theatre and Cinema


Traditional Turkish theatre is constituted of types of theatrical performances such as “Karagöz,” “Meddah,” puppet theatre, “Ortaoyunu” and stage magic. Traditional theater, which has an important place in Anatolian culture, is the essence of contemporary Turkish theater.
Cinema was introduced to Anatolia by the end of the 19th century but the most productive era of Turkish cinema was the “Yeşilçam” period. Contemporary Turkish cinema is particularly on the rise nowadays with a variety of films winning awards at film festivals.
Turkey organizes a series of international film and theater festivals such as The Antalya Golden Orange Film Festival, Adana Golden Cocoon Film Festival, If Istanbul Film festival and Ankara, Istanbul and Eskişehir Theater Festivals.

Fine Arts


Fine arts which have been produced since mankind’s earliest days are an integral part of Turkish culture too.
Traditional fine arts and handicrafts such as ebru (marbling), hat (calligraphy), çini (chini) and ceramics in addition to photography constitute an integral part of Turkish culture and have evolved over time. Art enthusiasts may come across many works of fine art and handicrafts at a variety of museums and galleries.

Opera and Ballet


Opera and ballet thrived on these soils particularly during the establishment of the Turkish Republic.
Prior to that, the first opera and ballet performances were given in the Ottoman period. Nowadays, Turkey has gained a reputation for its successful performing artists.

Literature


The major works of numerous writers and poets have laid the foundation of Turkish literature for so many centuries. Turkish literature continues to grow and evolve nowadays.

 

Legends, folk poetry, mani (a form of oral narrative), elegy, folk songs and proverbs are among the popular narrative styles used in Turkish poems, novels and short stories.

 

Nobel laureate author Orhan Pamuk, in addition to Nazim Hikmet, Yaşar Kemal, Atilla Ilhan Peyami Safa and Namik Kemal are just a few widely acknowledged authors of contemporary Turkish literature.

Religious Holidays, Ceremonies and Celebrations


National and religious holidays are celebrated with great enthusiasm in Turkey every year. Religious holidays are celebrated at different time periods every year.
This year, the Ramadan feast is celebrated on August 8 – 10 while the Sacrifice holiday is celebrated on October 15- 18, 2013.  In addition to public holidays there are also a variety of local festivals and special days celebrated on smaller scale.

2 Responses to “Culture & Art”

  1. THE AEGEAN INTERIOR | Turkey Travel Guide Says:

    […] soil has endured the passage of many important early civilizations. Today the remains of these cultures can still be seen in the countryside, as well as in the cities, towns and villages. The more recent […]

  2. ART, CULTURE AND ENTERTAINMENT-IZMIR | Turkey Says:

    […] ART, CULTURE AND ENTERTAINMENT […]

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