I would like to give some examples from Turkish culture. I selected daily life to show everyone Turkish hospitality. One of the most important figues of Turkish culture is of course Turkish bath or hamam in Turkish. I hope you enjoy the video, and thanks to Istanbul Traveller for posting this video on YouTube.
Daily Life
Hospitality
Turkish way of life is known with its hospitality which is taken to such lengths that a foreigner might feel overdosed, but in reality it is just the way Turkish people treat everyone. What I mean by hospitality is to serve you tea, Turkish coffee and offer an assortment of sweet and salty foods. In addition to these, if you go for a meal, you will be surprised at how much Turkish people keep offering after your palate is satisfied. Either in cities or villages, people will try to make foreigners as much comfortable as. You might think that the language may be a problem for communication, but Turkish people are very good at body language. I also noticed that no matter what your language is if you do not know the other language, you tend to raise your voice, assuming that raising voice will make others to understand you. I thought this is funny. :) One of the great things about Turkish hospitality is to be prepared to receive guests at all times. Being said that, you actually do not have to call in advance. Showing up at the door is not considered rude and whoever shows up are welcomed to the house. The way of showing interest in others' lives is to ask a lot of questions. If you are not used to being asked a lot of questions, you might feel overwhelmed. I found some comments about Turkish hospitality on the Internet. I would like to finish this section by these quotes from American exchange students.
"I tried not to have any expectation about Turkey before I came, but I did think that it would be more conservative socially and less developed than it is. Turkish hospitality and modernity, along with its great food, have been welcome surprises that I didn't necessarily expect to find. I love Turkey now." by Julia Elaine Robertson.
"I tried to wipe all expectations from my mind before coming to Turkey, but I had been primed by my university's orientation for the massive urban population and the hospitality. In general, people are more friendly and hospitable than in the States. They are eager to let you into their lives." by Shira Rachel Babow.
"I tried not to have any expectation about Turkey before I came, but I did think that it would be more conservative socially and less developed than it is. Turkish hospitality and modernity, along with its great food, have been welcome surprises that I didn't necessarily expect to find. I love Turkey now." by Julia Elaine Robertson.
"I tried to wipe all expectations from my mind before coming to Turkey, but I had been primed by my university's orientation for the massive urban population and the hospitality. In general, people are more friendly and hospitable than in the States. They are eager to let you into their lives." by Shira Rachel Babow.
Tradition
Turkish Bath - Hamam
I was going to explain everything, but I found a great video on YouTube that shows every aspect of Turkish bath. I hope you enjoy the video.
Animals
Van Cat
Van cat is a domestic cat that is found mainly in the Lake Van region of eastern Turkey. What makes this cat so special is its large size, color (all white) and frequently its odd eyes. The most notable genetic characteristic is almond-shaped eyes that often are mismatched colors which are usually green and blue. Another distinctive feature of these cats is to like water more than any other cats and to be able to swim. Even though these cats are considered friendly and intelligent, they might be very jealous of other animals in the same house. They are very social cats and they want to be with their owner all the time. They play a lot, even when they are older. When they play, they do things first and think about it later. Turkish Van cats seem to have more feelings then most cats; they can be happy, sour, moody, caring, etc.. You will also see them around the city of Van because they still walk around free.
Dance
Horon
The horon is a one of the most popular dance style in the Black Sea region, Turkey. Modern Turkish version of the dance added some additional features which are the rapid shoulder and upper body movements from the waist. The little silver anchovy fish (Turkish: Hamsi) found in the Black Sea is very famous in Turkey and these movement are said to have derived from this fish's movement. The purpose of the horon is to display of courage, and the movements are an expression of natural character.
