Chapter 7: Turkey
Our itinerary: Istanbul for 6 days, Ephese 1 night, Capaddocia 3 nights and buses travel 2 nights.
Istanbul was a masterpiece of history, culture, architecture. With its 20 million of inhabitants, the city never sleeps and offer a dyamic panorama for the visitors.
More than any other country we have visited, the history of the country is very important in order to understand every aspect of it.
I- History
-2500 Bc: pro-hitite generation
– 1200-1600 BC: Hellenique civilisation (Grecs, Phrygiens, Lybians)
– 657 BC: Byzance is created
– 334 BC: Alexander the greatest lead his army to win Persia and Anatolia.
-331-326 BC: From Egypt to India, he outnumbered the Persian army.
– 275 BC: Around Anakara is created a Gallate empire from the Celtes
– 25 BC: The roman empire occupies all Anatolia.
– 293: The roman empire starts to crash
– 324: Reunification of the empire from Constantin
-330: Byzance becomes Roman empire’s capital and is renamed Constantinople.
– 395: Constantinople and the roman empire separates
– 476: Rome is taken by the Goths, end of the orient empire
– 527-565: Justinien’s empire, the biggest in the byzantin period
– 570: Mahomet is born
-622: Hejira, runing away to Medine : first year of the muslim’s calendar.
-1054: Orient schisme between catholic and orthodox
– 1075: Turks invade Anatolia
– 1096: Start of the crusades. They will invade Jerusalem in 1099
-1204: Constantinople is ruined by Crusaders.
– 1299: Creation of Ottoman empire. Its capital is Iznik and then Bursa
– 1453: Mehmet II invade Constantinople. End of Byzantin empire.
– 1457: Constantinople is renamed Istanbul and becomes the ottoman empire’s capital.
– 1520-1566: Highest glory of ottoman empire with Sulaman the beautiful
– 1663: occupation of Vienne
– 1665: Win the balkans and Hungaria
– 1669: First defeat in Karlowitz
– 1855-1856: Crimee war, turks, british and french attak russians. European influence grow in Instanbul
– 1876-1909: last strong sultan empire Abdulhamid Han II
– 1894: Armenians recolution
-1904: Turkidh youth start to revolt. The sultan don’t worth anything anymore.
– 1914: Turkey takes German side
– 1914-1915: Russian invade the est Anatolie. Turkey will reconquiere its territory and deport massively the armeniens in Syria.
-1918-1922: Last ottoman empire
– 1919: First steps of republique is pronounced by Mustafa Kemal
– 1920: Following the war, end of ottoman empire. Turkey is only a small territoy around ankara.
– 1922: Izmir becomes turkish again with Mustafa’s army
-1923: Modern turkey is recognised by the occident. Turkey becomes a republique and Mustafa Kemal renames Attaturk is president. Ankara is the capital.
– 1928: latin alphabet replaces the arabic alphabet
– 1930: vote rights for women
– 1938: Death of attaturk
– 1939: Turkey takes the allies side during WWII
-1946: multiparty and democratic reforms established
-1948: alliance with washington. Turkey recognises Israelian state
-1951: Turkey enters the Otan
– 1959: Turkey wants to join the CEE, former Europe
-1971: Military takes the power
– 1975: North of Cyprius is invaded by Turkey. They will recognise the republique of Turkish, north Cyprius.
– 1996: Borders union with Europe
-1997: The army forces the prime minister to quit. It proves army’s power.
– 1999: earthquake of 7.4 degrees shake istanbul and its surroundings. 20,000 dead.
-1999: Turkey is officially made a candidate for entering the EU
-2002: Islamic party AKP win majority power in government
– 2003: 59th republique governement starts. 4 bomb attacks in the year taking 60 lives.
– 2004: Referendum says turkey accepts Cyprus reunification but Greece rejects it.
– 2007: President elected is from the AKP islamic party. Military has less power. Turkey involved in bombing against PKK in Iraq.
– 2008: Turkey apologies to the Aŕmenians
– 2010: The constituion is revised in order to conform with the european laws
II – Turkey today
Situation:
75 million of inhabitants, 20m in Istanbul.
99% of Muslim
80% turkish, 18% kurdes, 2% other (Greeks, Armenians, Juish)
5.8% over 64 years old. 1.8 children per family. Turkey will have a big influence tomorrow.
6% of analphabete. School is obligatoire between 6 and 14 and free until the end of hugh school.
Military service is obligatory and it´s more a question of honour than anything else. Every male at 20 years of age if not enrolled involved in further education must do 15 months of service. However given the number of young adult males, the military also accepts 28 days of service for a 5000€ fee.
Economy
Morocco’s economy is ranked the 16th largest worlwide. Its location gives it a unique advantage as it is situated in-between the middle east and Europe. The state controls the banking system, the transport and the communications in the country. Yet, the private sector develops itself quickly. More and more foreign companies come to invest mainly in istanbul. Exportation is the first income source. It is the first exportateur of textile, leather and cotton. Turkey is also growing thanks to its numerous working force which become more and more skilled.
The first national income is represented by tourism (31.5 million in 2011) representing 15% of the jobs.
The inflation rate is moving around 10% for the past years which is still high compare to the european normes but nothing compare to 1970’s where it could go from 45 to 70%!
Unmployment is high with 14% for the active population.
Industry is important with first the car manufacturing (Fiat ans Renault), and then textile, oiling, metallurgic and electronic.
In order to make ends meet, every turk has 2 jobs: one official, one illegal. Doctors during the day, taxi driver at night. We see a lot og flying shops such as shoe cleaner, corn seller ect.
Women place:
The role of Woman in Turkey is evolving and is the most progressive in Istanbul. Women have more responsabilities in their jobs and it is not rare to see women managers of small companies. Turkey had a woman prime minister and was one of the first countries in the world to do so. In public administration and universities, it is forbidden to wear the vale, however the current conservative leader is relaxing these rules and has been seen as taking a step back towards a more strict religious values.
Attaturk did a lot for the women’s right. He created their vote in 1930, they could work in politics 2 years later. The first women pilote was turkish.
It will take a long time before women have the same equal rights in the mentality of turks but progress is being made.
Islam:
99% of muslim. Islam is celebrated in turkish and not arabic which is the official language of the Koran.
The 5 pilars of islam are:
– Recognise allah as the only god
– 5 prayers per day
– Do the ramadan (it is a purification for your body and soul)
– Help the beggers
– 1 visit to Mecqua in a life
Ataturk:
Soldier, Heroe and independence instigator for Turkey. He founded the Republic in 1923. Ataturk (meaning father of turks), helped the country toward the modernisation way with political, economical and social reforms from the ottoman empire. Thousands of schools are built, primary education becomes free and compulsory. Women have the right to vote in 1934, before France. They also have the right to be elected for politics. He is the main person represented in Turkey on paintings, statues, photos ect.
III- Art
Architecture:
Istanbul remains the city of sultans, palaces and many mosques. One of the best perdiods in terms of architecture is in the 16th century with Soliman the Beautiful. His architect, Minar Sinan, is considered the greatest in the ottoman period. He builds a dome and exterior minarets for every mosque. In Ottoman’s architecture only mosques are built with stone, symbolising timelessness.
Turkey’s handicraft:
Carpets:
Turkey has a rich culture of creating handicrafts, in particular carpets, with its tradition which has been handed down through woman from generation to generation. It is the main primary gift given from the brides family and it plays a important social role because they are made collectively. Carpets are one of the main decorative elements in the imperial palace but also in the muslim mosques.
Ceramics:
The most famous style is the Iznik ceramic which is represented on the most beautiful mosques in Turkey. It is famous for its sharp colours.
Ottoman’s calligraphy:
In the Islam religion, Allah had manifested itself by the verb and writing instead of image compare to other religions. Calligraphy represents on the main art of the Ottoman period. Traditional calligraphy is written with a reed feather and the ink is made from candle soot’s smoke. Scribes would erase mistakes with their tongue!
Tour Du Monde 