Turkish Culture and Society:
Where East Meets West
March 26, 2008
Resources
compiled
by: Regan
Austin,
Jesse
DeLauder,
Rebecca
Luhrs,
Laura
Adriance,
Austin
Stockwell &
Tese WintzNeighbor
Photo by Robert Herold
A Resource Packet for Educators
Funded in part by
the Turkish
Cultural
Foundation
TABLE OF CONTENTS
TURKEY FACT SHEET
USING THIS RESOURCE GUIDE
GENERAL & INTRODUCTORY RESOURCES
HISTORY
CULTURE
LITERATURE
ARTS
LANGUAGE
CUISINE
EDUCATION
RELIGION
WOMEN
DIVERSITY
POLITICS
REGIONAL CONFLICTS
TURKEY & THE EUROPEAN UNION
MIDDLE EAST
LOCAL/NATION RESOURCES & ORGANIZATIONS
NEWS SOURCES
FILMS
BOOKS
STUDY UNIT: TURKEY & THE EUROPEAN UNION
TURKEY & THE EUROPEAN UNION – OVERVIEW
CROSSWORD
CROSSWORD KEY
EUROPE’S AMBIVALENCE TOWARD TURKEY
COMPREHENSION CHECK
PARAGRAPH EXERCISE
COMPREHENSION CHECK – ANSWER KEY
UNDERSTANDING THE OPTIONS:
TURKEY’S VIEW OF EU CANDIDACY – ACTIVITY
UNDERSTANDING THE OPTIONS – EVALUATION FORM
CBA LESSON PACKET:
THE GOLDEN AGE OF THE OTTOMAN EMPIRE:
SULEIMAN THE MAGNIFICENT
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4
4
6
9
11
13
16
16
17
18
22
23
25
28
29
31
33
35
36
36
38
39
41
42
43
46
47
48
49
50
51
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TURKEY FACT SHEET
Capital: Ankara
Language: Turkish
Currency: New Turkish Lira (YTL)
Area: 314,500 square miles; slightly larger than Texas
Independence: October 29, 1923
Total Population: 70.7 million
Population Growth: 1.06%
Religion: 99.8% Muslim; 1% Armenian Orthodox, Greek Orthodox, Jewish, Catholic and
others; only country in the Muslim world with a constitutional provision on secularism.
Ethnic Groups: 80% Turkish; 20% Kurdish
Life Expectancy at Birth: 72.62 years
Total Fertility Rate: 1.92 Children born/woman
Literacy Rate: 86.50%
Gross National Product (GNP): $299,475 billion U.S.
dollars; 17th biggest economy in the world
GNP Growth Rate: 9.9%
Labor Force by Occupation: agriculture 35.9%; industry
22.8%; services 41.2%
Unemployment Rate: 9%
Percentage of Defense Expenditures in GNP: 7.3%
Percentage of Education Expenditures in GNP: 7.3%
Number of Tourists Received: 17.4 million (2004)
Population of Turkish Citizens Living Abroad: 5 million
Industries: textiles, food processing, autos, electronics, mining, steel, petroleum, construction,
lumber, paper
Exports: Apparel, foodstuffs, textiles, metal manufacturers, transport equipment
Imports: Machinery, chemicals, semi-finished goods, fuels, transport equipment
Agriculture Products: tobacco, cotton, grain, olives, sugar beets, pulse, citrus, livestock
Current Environmental Issues: water pollution from dumping of chemicals and detergents; air
pollution, particularly in urban areas; deforestation; concern for oil spills from increasing ship
traffic
Sources:
http://www.turkishembassy.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=297&Itemid=313
https://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/tu.html.
http://newsvote.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4305656.stm?markResults=true&a_01=1&a_02=3&a_03=1&a_04=3&a_05=3&a_06=2&a_07=2
&a_08=2&a_09=3&a_10=3&a_11=1&a_12=1&x=40&y=15
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USING THIS RESOURCE GUIDE
Please note: many descriptions were excerpted directly from the organizations’ website
Packet first published: 03/27/2007; Updated: 01/25/08; Websites checked: 01/24/08
Indicates recommended resources.
Indicates resources that include lesson plans.
GENERAL & INTRODUCTORY RESOURCES
LIBRARY OF CONGRESS COUNTRY PROFILE: TURKEY
http://lcweb2.loc.gov/frd/cs/trtoc.html
This is a comprehensive profile on Turkey compiled by the U.S. Library of Congress. It
contains detailed information split into different chapters focusing on Turkey’s origin,
history, society, culture, economy, politics, and national security.
WHO ARE THE TURKS?
http://www.ataturk.com/content/view/28/62/
This educator’s guide to Turkey was published by the American Forum for Global
Education in partnership with several Turkish organizations. It is extremely comprehensive
and split into two parts: one covering history, society, and politics, and the other covering
literature and art. Each unit consists of detailed lesson plans, complete with handouts, maps,
and pictures. (Grade Levels 4-8)
BBC COUNTRY PROFILE: TURKEY
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/country_profiles/1022222.stm
The BBC Country Profile includes background information on Turkey, country facts, and
leadership and media information. It also links to recent news articles relating to Turkey.
NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC COUNTRY PROFILE: TURKEY
http://www3.nationalgeographic.com/places/countries/country_turkey.html
This site contains general information about Turkey, including fast facts, maps, history,
related articles, and travel links.
CENTER FOR STRATEGIC & INTERNATIONAL STUDIES (CSIS): TURKEY
http://www.csis.org/turkey/
The CSIS Turkey Project was established in June 1994 as the first program in Washington
D.C. focusing exclusively on Turkey. Through its continuous tracking and analysis of
Turkish developments and its regular Turkey Updates, the Turkey Project has made a
significant contribution to the policy debate about Turkey in Washington.
ECONOMIST COUNTRY BRIEFING: TURKEY
http://www.economist.com/countries/Turkey/
Contains recent articles on Turkey, a basic fact sheet, statistics, an explanation of the political
structure, and a map, among other useful links.
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WORLD BANK PROFILE: TURKEY
http://www.worldbank.org.tr/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/COUNTRIES/ECAEXT/TURKE
YEXTN/0,,menuPK:361718~pagePK:141159~piPK:141110~theSitePK:361712,00.html
Turkey joined the World Bank in 1947 and the International Finance Corporation (IFC) in
1956. Since the start of the country program, 163 projects for a total amount of $25.3 billion
were approved by the World Bank’s Board of Directors. Overall commitments for active
projects reached about $6 billion, corresponding to 37 percent of the World Bank’s Europe
and Central Asia Region lending and six percent of the institution’s overall active lending.
MIDDLE EAST INSTITUTE: TURKEY
http://www.mideasti.org/countries/countries.php?name=turkey
Since 1946, the Middle East Institute has been an important conduit of information between
Middle Eastern nations and American policymakers, organizations, and the public. This
website contains background information on Turkey, links to related sites, and recent articles
concerning Turkey’s relations with its neighbors.
TURKISH ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL STUDIES FOUNDATION (TESEV)
http://www.tesev.org.tr/eng/
TESEV is an independent think-tank, which forms a bridge between academic research and
the policy-making process. TESEV carries out research based on scientific principles, and
seeks to share its findings with the widest possible audience.
ISTANBUL OFFICIAL WEBSITE
http://www.ibb.gov.tr/en-US/AnaSayfa/
This website has information specifically on the city of Istanbul, including recent news
developments, information about organizations in the city, weather, tourist information,
photo galleries, and information about the Mayor of Istanbul.
GOVERNORSHIP OF ISTANBUL
http://english.istanbul.gov.tr/
This Istanbul Portal is presented by Istanbul’s Governor’s office, the highest state office of
the province, and it aims at being a source for the public to learn more about Istanbul. It
contains information about the history of the city, promotional films, culture in Istanbul, as
well as has pictures and maps of the city.
VIDEO: WELCOME TO ISTANBUL
http://blip.tv/file/585995
This is a link to a short video describing the city of Istanbul, Turkey.
VIDEO: ISTANBUL
http://www.ersineser.us/
This is an excellent video on Istanbul by Veysel Gencten.
TURKISH STATISTICAL INSTITUTE (SIS)
http://www.die.gov.tr/ENGLISH/index.html
The State Institute of Statistics (SIS) is a technical and scientific institute which produces
publications to fulfill Turkey's information needs on social, economic, and cultural subjects.
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The main function of SIS is to comprehensively determine information needs, collect and
compile data, and finally, to present information to its users according to the highest
international standards. The site contains the Statistical Yearbook for 2005, which is a lengthy
PDF file listing statistics and information on numerous aspects of Turkish society.
PERMANENT MISSION OF TURKEY TO THE UNITED NATIONS
http://www.un.int/turkey/
The Permanent Mission of Turkey to the UN invites visitors to browse its site to learn about
Turkey’s activities at the United Nations. The site is frequently updated and contains a
variety of links regarding modern life in Turkey. It also contains information about Turkey’s
bid to become a member of the United Nation’s Security Council in 2009.
NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC: ISTANBUL ON EDGE
http://magma.nationalgeographic.com/ngm/0210/feature6/index.html?fs=www3.nationalg
eographic.com&fs=plasma.nationalgeographic.com
“Anxiety fills Turkey’s biggest city: The economy is volatile, secularism is under fire, and an
earthquake is coming.” This site provides an excerpt from a National Geographic article
describing the current situation in Istanbul, touching on politics, culture, and history. It also
links to a map and to images of Istanbul.
OUTREACH WORLD: TURKEY UNIT
http://www.outreachworld.org/resource.asp?CurriculumID=33
This unit aims to expose students to a Middle Eastern country in a positive way. The
activities focus on the theme of Turkey, comparing Turkish life with American students'
experiences.
DID YOU KNOW THAT ABOUT TURKEY?
http://www.adiyamanli.org/did_know_these.htm
This site is a list of 43 interesting facts about different aspects of Turkey and its people.
TURKEY PRESENTATION
http://www.goldenhorn-rotary.com/ercu/ERCU_FLASH_eng.html
This is a 10-minute long video presentation showing pictures of Turkey alongside some
interesting facts about the country.
ALL ABOUT TURKEY
http://allaboutturkey.com/
This site was developed by a Turkish tour guide and is meant to introduce visitors to the
basics of Turkish history, culture, politics, regions, and to Turkey’s tourist destinations. It
also contains photos from tours in Turkey.
HISTORY
HISTORY OF THE OTTOMAN EMPIRE AND TURKEY SINCE 1918
http://www.zum.de/whkmla/region/asmin/xturkey.html
This site includes maps, historical documents, a music clip of the national anthem, as well as
excellent citations and references.
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TURKISH ODYSSEY
http://www.turkishodyssey.com/turkey/history/history.htm
This site takes a look at Turkey’s history beginning with the very early ages. Each chapter
covers a certain period of history, making the site easy to navigate. It also links to images of
Turkey and to other information concerning the composition of Turkish society.
THE HISTORY OF THE TURKISH EMPIRE
http://books.google.com/books?vid=LCCN05017306&id=LFbTIBgjbqQC&pg=PA257
This is an online chapter from a book which discusses the development of early civilizations.
This chapter focuses specifically on the rise of the Turkish Empire.
FULL MAP OF EUROPE IN 1600
http://www.euratlas.com/big/big1600.htm
This easy to read color coated map outlines the borders of the Ottoman Empire and puts it
into perspective with the rest of the region.
OTTOMAN WEBSITE
http://www.osmanli700.gen.tr/english/engindex.html
Here you can read the profiles of key sultans and leaders from the Ottoman Empire.
THE OTTOMANS
http://www.wsu.edu/~dee/OTTOMAN/CONTENTS.HTM
This is a comprehensive slide show covering the foundations and the history of the Ottoman
Empire.
DISCOVER THE OTTOMANS
http://www.theottomans.org/english/index.asp
This site aims to become the leading information portal regarding the history, military,
culture, and arts of the Ottoman Empire, which once dominated a large territory from Egypt
to Russia, and from India to Austria. Theottomans.org will be a sponsorship oriented noncommercial website that will soon trade art and is also home of the interactive game
“Constantinople 1453.”
THE OTTOMAN EMPIRE
http://school.discovery.com/lessonplans/programs/suleyman/
In this lesson plan, students will come to understand the state of the Ottoman Empire
during the reign of Suleiman the Magnificent, as well as its strategic position as a crossroads
of trade between Europe and Asia. (Grade Levels 9-12)
BYZANTIUM
http://school.discovery.com/lessonplans/programs/byzantium/
Students will draw a large timeline to talk about the history behind the city of Byzantium,
which later became Constantinople, and which is now called Istanbul. Students will learn
about major leaders, economic developments, social changes, military activity, and other
major events in the city during that time. (Grade Levels 9-12)
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TEACHING OTTOMAN HISTORY: A PRIMER
http://cmes.hmdc.harvard.edu/files/Teaching_Ottoman_History.pdf
The Ottoman Empire was an innovative and multicultural state that lasted for over 600
years. In its heyday, its economic power and military successes made it feared as well as
admired in Europe and elsewhere. This resource introduces brief background information
and resources on the often misunderstood Ottoman Empire as well as a few innovative
curriculum possibilities. (All grade levels)
REMAINS OF THE DAY: LEARNING ABOUT ANCIENT CIVILIZATIONS
THROUGH ARTIFACTS
http://www.nytimes.com/learning/teachers/lessons/20011226wednesday.html?pagewanted
=all
In this lesson, students learn about how archaeologists discovered and pieced together
artifacts that indicate a Celtic presence in ancient Turkey. Students then research ancient
civilizations and create archaeological digs containing items representative of these cultures.
(Grade Levels 6-12)
HISTORY FOUNDATION OF TURKEY
http://www.tarihvakfi.org.tr/english/default.asp
The History Foundation is a non-governmental organization working in the public interest
with the objective of developing and extending history consciousness in Turkey. It aims at
enriching and lending a new content to the way in which people regard history and at
encouraging the conservation of the historical heritage with a deep-rooted sensitivity and
active participation of wide sections of the population.
CATALHOYUK
http://www.catalhoyuk.com/
This website is designed for those interested in the ongoing excavations at Çatalhöyük,
Turkey. Its aim is to provide information about the activities of the project and of the
different aspects of the research being conducted at Çatalhöyük. The Neolithic site of
Çatalhöyük was first discovered in the late 1950s and excavated by James Mellaart between
1961 and 1965. The site rapidly became famous internationally due to the large size and
dense occupation of the settlement, as well as the spectacular wall paintings and other art
that was uncovered inside the houses.
BBC: RELIGION & ETHICS – ISLAM (OTTOMAN EMPIRE)
http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/islam/history/ottomanempire_1.shtml
This seven-page overview asks “why was the Empire successful?” It covers Constantinople,
the status of other religions, sultans and the court, Suleiman, and the empire’s decline.
PROJECT TROIA
http://www.uni-tuebingen.de/troia/eng/index.html
Project Troia is an archeological excavation taking place in the northwest region of Turkey.
The site at Troy has become an important point of reference for the chronology of the
ancient world from the early Bronze Age through the Roman Empire. In 1988, the
excavations at Troy were resumed, and this site tracks the international groups carrying out
the work in the area.
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UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE TURKEY SITE
http://whc.unesco.org/en/statesparties/tr/
This site contains information about places in Turkey that have been placed on the World
Heritage List.
ENCARTA: THE HITTITES
http://encarta.msn.com/encnet/refpages/RefArticle.aspx?refid=761563583
This is an article from Encarta Encyclopedia on the Hittites. The Hittites were an ancient
people who, in 1900 B.C., invaded the region that is now known as Anatolia, Turkey.
THE GLORY OF BYZANTIUM
http://www.metmuseum.org/explore/Byzantium/byz_1.html
The Byzantine Empire, founded when the capital of the Roman Empire was transferred
from Rome to Constantinople in 324, existed in the eastern Mediterranean area until the
fifteenth century. This article was created specifically for educators by the Metropolitan
Museum and contains a brief history of the Byzantine Empire. There is also a link to
Teacher’s Resources with a lesson plan and class activities about Byzantine art and culture.
NOAH’S ARK
http://www.arksearch.com/
Located in the northeast corner of Turkey, close to the borders of Iran and Armenia (formerly
Soviet Union), is Mount Ararat. There is a great amount of research being done to locate and
document the Ark of Noah, which is thought to have existed on Mount Ararat
CULTURE
TURKISH CULTURAL FOUNDATION
http://www.turkishculturalfoundation.org/
The Turkish Cultural Foundation aims to promote and preserve Turkish culture and heritage
worldwide, support education for disadvantaged students in Turkey, support research related to
Turkey, and help to build cultural bridges between Turkey and other countries. This website
contains a wealth of information concerning Turkish cuisine, lifestyle, philosophy, art, music,
military, culture, and more.
REPUBLIC OF TURKEY: MINISTRY OF CULTURE AND TOURISM
http://www.kultur.gov.tr/EN/Default.aspx?17A16AE30572D313D4AF1EF75F7A79681D
9DD78D03148A6E
This website was created by the Turkish government to inform the public about the
importance of culture in Turkey. Contains links to television clips, Turkish music,
promotional films, as well as general information on Turkish arts and tourism.
NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC: WORLD MUSIC - TURKEY
http://worldmusic.nationalgeographic.com/worldmusic/view/page.basic/country/content.
country/turkey_45?fs=www3.nationalgeographic.com&fs=plasma.nationalgeographic.com
The music of Turkey is wonderfully diverse, and – despite the historical presence of various
political strategies and decrees meant to dampen down (if entirely not stamp out) individual
traditions – these rich styles have managed to survive and even flourish. This site allows you
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to listen to both traditional and contemporary Turkish music, and provides general
information on music in Turkey, as well as profiles for specific Turkish artists.
MUSIC OF TURKEY
http://www.discoverturkey.com/english/kultursanat/muzik.html
Hosted by the Turkish Ministry of Culture, this site allows you to listen to a wide range of
Turkish music, from traditional folk songs to modern pop music. It also has information
about traditional Turkish instruments.
TURKISH MUSIC PORTAL
http://www.turkishmusicportal.org/
The Turkish Music Portal is the most comprehensive website about Turkish Music. The site
is accessible both in English and Turkish.
ISTANBUL FOUNDATION FOR CULTURE AND ARTS
http://www.iksv.org/muzik/english/
A majority of the information on this site concerns the annual Istanbul international music
festival, which is now celebrating its thirty-fifth year.
CULTURAL DETAILS OF SANLIURFA
http://goturkey.turizm.gov.tr/BelgeGoster.aspx?17A16AE30572D3137A2395174CFB32E1
04C841C36B5D3393
Şanlıurfa lies in what archaeologists call the Fertile Crescent. North of Mesopotamia, it
constitutes a bridge joining Anatolia, Mesopotamia, and Asia. For thousands of years, trade
and cultural exchange between Mesopotamia and Anatolia were carried out across Şanlıurfa,
creating a rich cultural heritage in the province.
CULTURAL BATHS
http://www.theculturedtraveler.com/Archives/NOV2001/Turkish_Baths.htm
If you ask a foreigner in Turkey what the words Ottoman and Turkey call to mind, many will
say, "Turkish baths," better known in Turkey as “hamams.” “Hamams” are an intriguing
subject, as their history reflects a synthesis between the East and West. Through the history
of the “hamam,” it is possible to trace developments and changes in the arts, architecture,
cultural traditions, and inclinations over the centuries, as well as to track the rise and fall of
nations and empires.
ISTANBUL MODERN
http://www.istanbulmodern.org/en/f_index.html
This website comes from the Istanbul Museum of Modern Art. Here one can find
information about current, past, and upcoming exhibits, as well as view a wide selection of
paintings, photographs, and educational material.
TURKISH CULTURE: CEREMONIES
http://www.turkishculture.org/pages.php?ParentID=12&ID=57
This website provides a comprehensive list of traditional ceremonies, as well as descriptions
and explanations of these ceremonies.
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THE TURKISH MINISTRY OF CULTURE AND TOURISM: FESTIVALS,
CEREMONIES, AND CELEBRATIONS
http://www.kultur.gov.tr/EN/BelgeGoster.aspx?17A16AE30572D313A781CAA92714FC
E0907A48226BB53664
This website provides a link to descriptions, pictures, and examples of Turkish religious,
seasonal, and national festivals, as well as cultural ceremonies.
LITERATURE
CONTEMPORARY TURKISH LITERATURE
http://www.turkish-lit.boun.edu.tr/frameset2.asp?CharSet=English
Inspired by the trend to embrace the electronic media as a venue for literature, this website
invites you to explore the rich diversity in style and subject matter offered by contemporary
Turkish literature. The objectives are to help familiarize the non-Turkish speaking realms
with Turkish literature, and to provide texts for Literature in Translation courses (taught
throughout the English-speaking world) and Translation Criticism courses (taught within the
Department of Translation and Interpreting at Bogazici University).
TURKISH LITERATURE
http://www.turkishculture.org/pages.php?ChildID=715&ParentID=3&ID=4&ChildID1=
473&miMore=1#PageContent
The history of Turkish Literature may be divided into three periods, reflecting the history of
Turkish civilization as follows: the period up to the adoption of Islam, the Islamic period,
and the period under Western influence.
AN OVERVIEW OF TURKISH LITERATURE
http://www.fbf2008turkey.com/en/Tempdosyalar/69247__TalatBro.pdf
Poetry, and literature in general, has been the quintessence of Turkish culture until modern
times and a most faithful mirror of socioeconomic realities in Turkey since the inauguration
of the Republic. Virtually all of the salient aspects of Turkish life, politics, and culture have
found direct or indirect expression in poetry, fiction, and drama, as well as in critical and
scholarly writing.
ORHAN PAMUK
http://www.orhanpamuk.net/
Orhan Pamuk is a noted novelist born in Istanbul in 1952. He recently won the Nobel Prize
in Literature. His novel, My Name is Red, has been translated into twenty-four languages and
won international literature’s most lucrative prize (excluding the Nobel), the IMPAC Dublin
Award, in 2003.
ARCHIVE OF TURKISH ORAL NARRATIVE
http://aton.ttu.edu/
This archive contains links to a number of audio files and video files concerning music,
folklore, narratives, literature, and other themes from the Turkish tradition.
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HODJA STORIES
http://www.cs.biu.ac.il/~schiff/Net/
Nasreddin Hodja is a collection of Hodja stories compiled by Alpay Kabacali, beautifully
illustrated by Fatih M. Durmus, and published by NET. It also contains a historical
introduction to the stories and a bibliography. The rendition is a simple one, but the essence
of Hodja humor is nicely captured, especially by the illustrations.
TURKISH POETRY
http://www.cs.rpi.edu/~sibel/poetry/
This site collects Turkish poetry from a variety of sources and contains poems in both
English and Turkish. It is organized by poet and by year, and contains links to the largest
collection of Turkish poetry on the Internet.
OTTOMAN LYRIC POETRY
http://www.cmes.arizona.edu/outreach/Danita%20Dodson.pdf
This unit exposes students to a necessary yet little-known body of literature, and involves
them in the examination of selected aspects of Turkish culture and history. Much of what we
most often identify as “Islamic” or “Middle Eastern” (in terms of music, food, architecture,
dress, art, etc.) is a product of the Ottoman synthesis of a vast array of multicultural
elements that coexisted under the canopy of Ottoman rule. Accounting for the fact that
students have varied learning styles, and that literary imagery is multi-sensory, this unit is
interdisciplinary, integrating Ottoman literature with art, music, and history. (Grade Levels 712)
TURKISH POETRY IN TRANSLATION
http://www.cs.rpi.edu/~sibel/poetry/translation.html
This website has many links to collections of poetry, as well as biographies and works of
famous Turkish poets.
THE TURKISH MINISTRY OF CULTURE AND TOURISM: POETRY
http://www.kultur.gov.tr/EN/BelgeGoster.aspx?17A16AE30572D313A781CAA92714FC
E02747D9FFFE7A1226
This website can be used as a portal to an extensive collection of poetry, categorized by style
and author.
FRANKFURT BOOK FAIR: GUEST OF HONOR – TURKEY
http://www.fbf2008turkey.com/en/Default.aspx?17A16AE30572D3131055CFC3A8A96
1D4F4D0447C9CDF221E
Frankfurt Book Fair is the biggest in the world and it draws attention of the publication
sector and media. Between 1974-1988, special events were held as “Focal Theme.” Guest
Country organizations started in 1988 with Italy. For the Guest Country, there is a chance
for presentation in its culture, literature, and tourism.
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ARTS
TIMELINE OF ART HISTORY
The Timeline of Art History is a chronological, geographical, and thematic exploration of
the history of art from around the world, as illustrated by the Metropolitan Museum of Art's
collection.
http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/suly/hd_suly.htm
(Age of Suleyman “the Magnificent”)
http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/otto1/hd_otto1.htm
(Art of the Ottomans before 1600)
LES ARTS TURCS
http://www.lesartsturcs.org/index.html
This website aims to be a bridge between cultures, a demonstration that humanity produces
equally beautiful art in every culture. Included is an online gallery for artists, students, and
the general public to view the works.
TRADITIONAL TURKISH PUPPET SHADOW PLAY
http://www.karagoz.net/english/shadowplay.htm
Puppet shadow play had an important place in Turkey as well as throughout the larger area
of the Ottoman Empire. This site looks at the different traditions of puppet shadow play in
Turkey, including a chance to hear the music, see the main characters, and learn about the
technique of this art form.
TURKISH SHADOW THEATER
http://www.taace.org/activities/turkish_shadow_theater.htm
This website describes the origins, development, technique, and various parts of the Karagöz
plays.
ALL ABOUT TURKEY: KARAGOZ AND HACIVAT, A TURKISH SHADOW
PLAY
http://www.allaboutturkey.com/karagoz.htm
Karagöz & Hacivat is a Turkish shadow play taking its name from its main character Karagöz.
The origin of the shadow plays is accepted as southeastern part of Asia around Java.
WIKIPEDIA: KARAGÖZ AND HACIVAT
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karag%C3%B6z_and_Hacivat
Karagöz (meaning blackeye in Turkish) and Hacivat (also written Hacivad) are the lead
characters of the traditional Turkish shadow play, popularized during the Ottoman period.
The central theme of the play is the contrasting interaction between the two main characters.
MOVIE: WHO KILLED SHADOWS? (2006)
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0485510/
This is a story of two legendary men, Karagoz and Hacivat, who lived and died by their
sense of humor. Bursa, in 1330, was an ancient crowded Roman city at the border of
Byzantium. The story takes place in an unrecorded period time - the last two months in the
lives of two legendary Turkish stand-up comedians, Karagöz & Hacivat.
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MET MUSEUM: THE GREATER OTTOMAN EMPIRE
http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/grot/hd_grot.htm
Sixteenth- and seventeenth-century conquests afforded the Ottomans control of many ports,
as well as exclusive access to the Black Sea, from which even Russian vessels were excluded.
This led to a great increase in trade among the provinces. As the largest city in western Asia
or Europe, Istanbul was the natural center of this commerce.
SAUDI ARAMCO WORLD: OTTOMAN ART
http://www.saudiaramcoworld.com/issue/198704/the.golden.age.of.ottoman.art.htm
Ottoman art flowered magnificently in the sixteenth century. With unprecedented
prolificacy, court artists created splendid examples of illuminated and illustrated manuscripts;
objects fashioned of gold, silver, jade, rock crystal, ivory, and inlaid wood; ceremonial and
functional arms and armor; brocaded satin and velvet kaftans and furnishings; flat-woven
and pile rugs; and a variety of ceramic vessels and tiles.
IZNIK TILES AND POTTERY
http://www.armory.com/~ssahin/articles/article6.html
http://www.turkish-tiles.com/
http://ceramic-studio.net/ceramic-history/czech-republic/iran_and_turkey/
http://www.bazaarturkey.com/what's%20new/turkish-tile.htm
These websites give a brief history of the town of Iznik and illustrate its tile and pottery
making traditions.
EBRU MARBLING
http://www.desertdance.net/ebru2.htm
http://www.uoguelph.ca/~agokcen/ebruli/
http://www.metacafe.com/tags/marbling/
These websites discuss ebru, which came to be known as “Turkish papers.” Many specimens
in their collections and in the several album amicorum books are visible today in various
museums. Also, early texts dealing with ebru, such as "Discourse on Decorating Paper in the
Turkish Manner," published in 1664 by Athanasius Kircher in Rome, helped to disseminate
the knowledge of this kind of marbling art. There is agreement amongst scholars that the socalled Turkish Papers were a colorful influence on the book arts in Europe.
KILIM AND CARPET WEAVING
http://www.accd.edu/pac/humaniti/1301_tc/xornelas/Projj.htm
Carpet weaving is one of the most ancient crafts in Turkey, and for centuries, women have
played a pivotal role in their creation. This website provides information on the carpet
weaving process and the role of Turkish women in this ancient art. Photos are included.
THE TREASURES OF ALA-A-DIN
http://www.bewilderingstories.com/issue79/treasures.html
Ornamentation of jewelry, gold, and silver artifacts from the Islamic period is renowned for
its splendor. Jewelry and other ornaments, particularly rings and amulets, were, in many
cases, thought to be imbued with magical powers and which could provide protection from
the “evil eye.” This article gives a brief overview of the history of jewelry in Muslim
dynasties, and relates it to the story of The Book of the Thousand Nights and One Night.
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ISLAMIC ART: EARLY OTTOMAN ART
http://www.discoverislamicart.org/et_trail.php?id=IAM;TR;1;EN
The fourteenth and fifteenth centuries in West Anatolia marked the beginning of a new era
with respect to the art and culture of Turkish communities. It was during this time,
approximately two hundred years after the conquest of Central Anatolia, that the shores of
the Aegean and Marmara Seas came under Turkish control. The Emirates and Early
Ottoman periods are striking from an art history point of view due to their extreme
colorfulness, as well as their new experiments and influences.
TURKISH EMBROIDERY
http://goturkey.turizm.gov.tr/BelgeGoster.aspx?17A16AE30572D313679A66406202CCB0
ACB43295BFCDF878
Anatolia is an important cradle of civilization, where many handicrafts were made and then
introduced to the world. Oya (edging embroidery) is one of the most elegant examples of
Turkish handicrafts and has been described as "thin lacework” and “decorative silk or thread
knitted and fringed onto women’s clothes.”
A REDWORK EMBROIDERY PRIMER
http://www.prettyimpressivestuff.com/redwork.htm
The name Redwork is derived from the red cotton thread that was used to create this style
of embroidery. The cotton processors in Turkey used a special dying process that made it
colorfast, which was a novelty at the time and explains much of its popularity. Since the
process came from Turkey, Redwork was also called Turkey Redwork. The introduction of
red embroidery marked the beginning of an era in which colorful decorative items were no
longer restricted to clergy members and the wealthy.
ARABIC CALLIGRAPHY
http://www.islamicart.com/main/calligraphy/index.html
Arabic calligraphy is a primary form of art for Islamic visual expression and creativity.
Throughout the vast geography of the Islamic world, Arabic calligraphy is a symbol
representing unity, beauty, and power. The aesthetic principles of Arabic calligraphy are a
reflection of the cultural values of the Muslim world. A thorough investigation into the
aesthetic differences between Arabic and non-Arabic calligraphy might provide an approach
for understanding the essential spirit of each culture.
SAKIP SABANCI MUSEUM
http://muze.sabanciuniv.edu/english/
Sakıp Sabancı Museum is part of Sabancı University, and therefore also functions as an
educational institution. Museum website gives online coverage of both permanent and
temporary exhibitions, as well as other museum events.
15
LANGUAGE
UCLA LANGUAGE MATERIALS PROJECT: TURKISH
http://www.lmp.ucla.edu/Profile.aspx?LangID=67&menu=004
About 56 million people speak Turkish. Most of them live in Turkey where Turkish is the
official language and 90 percent of the population speak it as a first language. Turkish is also
the language spoken at home by people who live in the areas that were governed by the
Ottoman Empire. This website contains information on the history of the Turkish language
and on its current situation.
TURKISH LANGUAGE SUPPORT SYSTEM
http://www.princeton.edu/~turkish/practice/tlepss.html
This site from Princeton College gives some introductory online Turkish lessons which
include audio clips.
ETHNOLOGUE REPORT FOR TURKEY
http://www.ethnologue.com/show_country.asp?name=TRA
There are 23 languages spoken in Turkey. This site provides information on each language,
who speaks it, and where it is spoken.
TURKIC LANGUAGES
http://titus.uni-frankfurt.de/didact/karten/turk/turklm.htm
This website provides a color-coded map of Turkey and its surroundings, highlighting the
regions where different languages are spoken.
INTERNATIONALIZATION FOR TURKISH
http://www.i18nguy.com/unicode/turkish-i18n.html
Many software and web applications that are already internationalized and successfully
support many languages often suffer catastrophic failure when they add support for the
Turkish language. This page explains the difficulty of supporting the Turkish language and
typical solutions.
CUISINE
TURKISH CUISINE
http://www.allaboutturkey.com/mutfak.htm
In addition to being the refined product of centuries of experience, Turkish cuisine has a
very pure quality. The variety and simplicity of the recipes, as well as the quality of the
ingredients, are guarantees of delicious meals. This site contains information on traditional
Turkish food, complete with recipes and pictures.
TURKISH KITCHEN
http://www.bigglook.com/biggmenueng/tarifler.asp
This site contains a variety of recipes for Turkish dishes, including soups, chicken, kebabs,
and desserts.
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SECRETS OF THE TURKISH KITCHEN
http://www.turkishkitchen.org/
Secrets of the Turkish Kitchen is a Turkish cook book featuring 111 recipes, and is written in a
contemporary, straightforward, user-friendly manner. The Secrets of the Turkish Kitchen is more
than just a conventional Turkish cookbook. It reveals the cultural importance of food in
Turkey following a journey through the development of Turkey’s rich culinary history.
WORLDTURKEY: CUISINE
http://www.worldturkey.com/lang/eng/cuisine.php
This site contains more information and pictures about common meals found throughout
Turkey.
TURKISH COOKBOOK
http://www.turkishcookbook.com/
This blog is frequently updated with new recipes for healthy Ottoman and Turkish recipes.
It has recipes for every kind of meal, and shows pictures of each dish.
TURKISH COFFEE
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turkish_coffee
Turkish coffee, also known as Greek, Arabic, or Armenian coffee, is coffee prepared by
boiling finely-powdered roast coffee beans in a pot, possibly with sugar, and serving it in a
cup, where the dregs settle. It is common throughout the Middle East, North Africa, the
Caucasus, and the Balkans, as well as in their expatriate communities and restaurants
throughout the world.
EDUCATION
TURKISH EDUCATION SYSTEM
http://www.turkishembassy.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=426&Ite
mid=430
This site, from the Embassy of Turkey, explains the organization of the Turkish education
system. It contains information about the different levels of schooling, about the Ministry of
National Education, and about special education.
TURKISH EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM
http://www.columbia.edu/cu/tsa/tr-info/edu.system.html
Following the foundation of the Turkish Republic, as in other fields, reforms were
undertaken in education. Under the law of the unification of education, which was ratified in
1924, all schools were annexed to the Ministry of Education. The Ministry was charged with
the task of implementing a contemporary mode of educational training for Turkish citizens
by opening primary and secondary schools, as well as other institutes, and arranging courses
within the framework of the educational policies it decided upon.
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TURKEY: EDUCATION SECTOR STUDY
http://www.worldbank.org.tr/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/COUNTRIES/ECAEXT/TURKE
YEXTN/0,,contentMDK:20848223~pagePK:141137~piPK:141127~theSitePK:361712,00.
html
The Education Sector Study seeks to contribute to the current dialogue among researchers,
policymakers, and other stakeholders regarding the creation of a coherent, sector-wide
strategy for improving Turkey’s pre-university education system. The study is conveniently
divided into chapters and includes comments made concerning different aspects of Turkey’s
educational system.
NATIONAL EDUCATION AT THE BEGINNING OF 2002
http://www.meb.gov.tr/Stats/apk2002ing/apage29_48.htm
The Turkish Education System has democratic, modern, scientific, secular, and
coeducational characteristics. The purpose of the Turkish Education System is to increase
the welfare and happiness of Turkish citizens, to support and facilitate economic, social, and
cultural development in national unity and integration, and to make the Turkish nation a
constructive, creative, and distinguished partner in modern civilization.
MINISTRY OF NATIONAL EDUCATION
http://www.meb.gov.tr/english/indexeng.htm
This is the official website of the Turkish Ministry of National Education. It contains
statistics and other information about the educational system in Turkey, from 2001 to 2007.
THE COUNCIL FOR HIGHER EDUCATION OF THE REPUBLIC OF
TURKEY
http://www.yok.gov.tr/english/index_en.htm
This site contains a collection of documents concerning higher education in Turkey. It also
relates education in Turkey to educational standards in Europe.
STRUCTURE OF THE TURKISH EDUCATION SYSTEM
http://www.disiliskiler.sakarya.edu.tr/master2.pdf
This flow chart shows how the Turkish education system is organized.
RELIGION
INTERNATIONAL RELIGIOUS FREEDOM REPORT 2006
http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/irf/2006/71413.htm
This a study conducted by the U.S. Department of State on the scope of religious freedom in
Turkey. It talks about the country’s definition of “secularism” and how it has dealt with religious
minorities.
PBS FRONTLINE: MUSLIMS
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/muslims/
Frontline examines Islam’s worldwide resurgence through the stories of diverse Muslims
struggling to define the role of Islam in their lives and societies. Included with this
documentary are several lesson plans, background information, and classroom activities that
can be used to enhance the viewing experience of Muslims. (Grade Levels 9-12)
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ACCESS ISLAM
http://www.thirteen.org/edonline/accessislam/index.html
Access Islam is a pioneering new tool designed to support the study of Islam in grades 4-8.
Comprising over one hundred minutes of digital video from the award-winning PBS series
Religion and Ethics Newsweekly, the site also contains high quality, multi-media tools;
downloadable lesson plans; and resources related to Islamic holidays, traditions, and cultures.
The video segments can be used alone or in conjunction with any of ten lesson plans which
are aligned to national standards and vetted by an advisory committee of experts in
education and Islamic cultures. (Grade Levels 4-8)
ISLAMIC SOCIETY OF NORTH AMERICA (ISNA)
http://www.isna.net/
ISNA is an association of Muslim organizations and individuals that provides a common
platform for presenting Islam, supporting Muslim communities, developing educational,
social, and outreach programs and fostering good relations with other religious communities,
and civic and service organizations.
ISLAM: A GLOBAL CIVILIZATION
http://www.sipa.columbia.edu/REGIONAL/mei/HANDOUT14.PDF
This handout was prepared by The Embassy of Saudi Arabia in Washington, D.C., and
provides readers with a general background on the role of scholarship and knowledge in
Islamic societies.
GEOMETRY AND ISLAM
http://askasia.org/teachers/lessons/plan.php?no=65&era=&grade=&geo=
This is a short student activity that explains why patterns are used in Islamic books, textiles,
and architecture, as well as how to use a compass and a ruler to create two common
patterns. Examining the geometric patterns that characterize so much of Islamic art can
provide students with important insights into the technology, scientific knowledge, and
religious beliefs of Muslims. (Grade Levels 4-6)
(RE)EMBRACING DIVERSITY
http://www.sipa.columbia.edu/REGIONAL/mei/research.shtml#muslims
The curriculum (Re)embracing Diversity combines a wealth of information about Islam and
Muslims with interactive classroom activities that foster the critical importance of tolerance
and respect for ethnic and religious diversity. For the convenience of teachers, the
curriculum is downloadable either in its entirety or as individual lesson plans, depending on
students' needs and/or interests. Also, most lessons include one or more handouts, though
these must be downloaded separately from the instructor's guide. Even though this resource
was developed with a specific focus on New York City educators, it does contain significant
information on Islam in general. (Grade Levels 8-12)
PBS: ISLAM – EMPIRE OF FAITH
http://www.pbs.org/empires/islam/lesson5.html
This lesson is based on Video Three of the PBS video series Islam: Empire of Faith.
Students will have the opportunity to learn about both the Sultan Suleiman (b. 1494 AD)
and another Renaissance character, and then draw comparisons. Students will also create a
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poster depicting these comparisons and what makes each individual worthy of being called a
“Renaissance Man.” (Grade Levels 6-12)
THE PASSION OF THE POPE
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1561120-1,00.html
This article analyzes Pope Bendict XVI’s 2006 trip to Turkey. It provides an interesting
background on the history and relationship between Islam and Christianity.
COUNCIL ON FOREIGN RELATIONS (CFR): DELICATE PAPAL VISIT TO
TURKEY (November 27, 2006)
http://www.cfr.org/publication/12070/delicate_papal_visit_to_turkey.html?breadcrumb=
%2Fregion%2F358%2Fturkey
Pope Benedict XVI makes his first visit to a majority Muslim state, Turkey, on November
28, 2006. The trip’s original aim was to build ties with Christian Orthodox leaders but the
Pope’s recent comments on faith, reason, and Islam—as well as Turkey’s EU accession—are
likely to resonate throughout.
FOUNDATION FOR THE ADVANCEMENT FOR SEPHARDIC STUDIES
AND CULTURE
http://www.sephardicstudies.org/index.html
For nearly forty years the Foundation has been dedicated to preserving and promoting the
complex and centuries-old culture of the Sephardic communities of Turkey, Greece, the
Balkans, and Europe. U.S. Emigration and the devastation of the Holocaust have combined
to weaken historic communities which had previously resisted assimilation.
THE GREEK ORTHODOX PATRIARCHATE
http://www.ecupatriarchate.org/ecumenical_patriarchate/
The Ecumenical Patriarchate is the world’s holiest center of the Orthodox Christian Church.
It is an institution with a history spanning seventeen centuries, during which time it retained
its place in Constantinople (present-day Istanbul). It constitutes the center of all the local
Orthodox Churches by virtue of its primacy in the ministry of pan-Orthodox unity.
TURKISH ALEVIS TODAY
http://www.alevibektasi.org/xalevis1.htm
Almost every single guidebook or encyclopedia describes Turkey as 99 percent Sunni
Muslim. But the world is slowly learning of the existence of a large group in Turkey called
Anatolian Alevis (Anatolia is a name for the part of Turkey which lies in Asia). This site
explains Alevism and the people who practice it.
THE ALEVIS IN TURKEY
http://books.google.com/books?vid=ISBN0700716068&id=lFFRzTqLp6AC&dq=Religion
+in+Turkey
This is the only volume dedicated to the Alevis available in English and is based on sustained
fieldwork in Turkey. The Alevis now have an increasingly high profile for those interested in
the diverse cultures of contemporary Turkey and the role of Islam in the modern world. As a
heterodox Islamic group, the Alevis have no established doctrine. This book reveals that as
the Alevi move from rural to urban sites, they grow increasingly secular, and their religious
life becomes more a guiding moral culture than a religious message to be followed literally.
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THE THRESHOLD SOCIETY: SUFISM
http://www.sufism.org/
The Threshold Society, rooted within the traditions of Sufism and inspired by the life and
work of Mevlâna Jalâluddîn Rumi, is a non-profit educational foundation with the purpose
of facilitating the experience of Divine Unity, Love, and Truth in the world. They seek to
apply the essential principles of spiritual development. The Society is affiliated with the
Mevlevi Order, and offers training programs, seminars, and retreats around the world.
THE INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF SUFISM
http://www.ias.org/
This non-profit organization was established in America in 1983 in order to work towards
introducing Sufism in all its varied forms to the public. It hopes to make known the
interrelation between Sufi principles and scientific principles, and to provide a forum for a
continuing dialogue between the different schools of Sufism.
MEVLANA
http://www.mevlana.net/
Mevlana who is also known as Rumi, was a philosopher and mystic of Islam, but not a
Muslim of the orthodox type. His doctrine advocates unlimited tolerance, positive reasoning,
goodness, charity, and awareness through love. To him, as well as to his disciples, all
religions are more or less true. Looking with the same eye on Muslim, Jew, and Christian
alike, his peaceful and tolerant teaching has appealed to people of all sects and creeds.
ZOROASTRIANISM
http://www.religion-encyclopedia.com/Z/zoroastrianism.htm
Zoroastrianism is the religion of the followers of the Iranian prophet, Zoroaster (c.1200
BCE). Zoroastrian Iran was finally defeated by the expansion of Islam, but for over 1,000
years Zoroastrianism was the official religion of three major world empires, making it,
perhaps, the most powerful world religion of the time.
AVESTA: ZOROASTRIAN ARCHIVES
http://www.avesta.org/
This site provides the complete text of the extant Avesta, the most ancient scriptures of
Zoroastrianism, as well as many Pahlavi scriptures. It also includes information about the
Avestan language, and other useful information for students of Zoroastrian religion.
SURYANILER/SYRIACS RELIGIOUS MUSIC
http://www.rootsworld.com/reviews/syriacs.shtml
Syriac apostles brought Christianity to Iraq and further east, to India and China. Today there
are independent churches in Turkey, Iraq, Iran, India, and Brazil, as well as throughout
Europe and the U.S.. This site contains links to information and audio clips on this type of
religious and folk music from Turkey.
21
WOMEN
MUSLIM WOMEN’S LEAGUE
http://www.mwlusa.org/
The Muslim Women's League is a non-profit Muslim American organization working to
implement the values of Islam and thereby reclaim the status of women as free, equal, and
vital contributors to society. Their main goal is to strengthen the role of Muslim women
through increased awareness of their rights guaranteed by Islam.
WOMEN AT WORK: A CROSS-CULTURAL COMPARISON
http://socialscience.tyler.cc.tx.us/mkho/fulbright/1998/turkey/chidester.htm
Women in Turkey are struggling for equality, recognition, and fairness in all aspects of life. This
report is an overview of some of the issues, history, and statistics concerning women in Turkey.
The issues section reports newsworthy information as well as reports of conversations with
women in Turkey. The history section highlights women’s history in Turkey. The statistics
section presents an overview of data collected in areas affecting women’s lives.
PBS: MUSLIM WOMEN THROUGH TIME
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/globalconnections/mideast/educators/women/lesson2.html
No country, culture, or group stays the same indefinitely. Consider that it wasn't until 1920
that women in the United States were allowed to vote. National origin, family background,
economic levels, and historical context all help to determine the opportunities people have in
life. Muslim women are subject to these factors as well. In this lesson, students will learn
how and why the role of women in Islamic cultures has evolved. (Grade Level 9-12)
PBS: WHAT FACTORS DETERMINE THE CHANGING ROLES OF WOMEN
IN THE MIDDLE EAST AND ISLAMIC SOCIETIES?
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/globalconnections/mideast/questions/women/index.html
Some Americans believe that Muslim women are oppressed by their religion, forced to cover
themselves completely, denied education, and other basic rights. It is true that Muslim
women, like women all over the world, have struggled against inequality and restrictive
practices in education, work force participation, and family roles. Many of these oppressive
practices, however, do not come from Islam itself, but are part of local cultural traditions.
PBS: WHO WEARS A VEIL?
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/globalconnections/mideast/educators/women/lesson1.html
Students will define stereotypes and learn how common misperceptions foster visual
stereotypes about Muslim women. Students will identify famous women and learn about the
significance of the veil in different cultures. (Grade Levels 9-12)
WOMEN’S RIGHTS AND STATUS IN TURKEY
http://www.worldpress.org/Europe/2457.cfm
While in Turkey, Manuela Paraipan interviewed Yusuf Kanli, editor-in-chief of the Englishlanguage Turkish Daily News, and participated in a roundtable discussion with the United
Nations Development Program on women’s rights and social status in Turkey.
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TURKISH WOMEN
http://www.guide-martine.com/turkishwomen.asp
During WWI and the War of Independence, Turkish women had to take on new
responsibilities that forced them to take part in active life. This site gives a brief history of
how the role of a Turkish woman has changed since the 1900s.
DIVERSITY
WHO ARE THE KURDS?
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/inatl/daily/feb99/kurdprofile.htm
This site gives an introduction to the situation of the Kurdish people living in and around
Turkey.
TURKEY’S KURDS - LET JUSTICE BE DONE (February 8, 2007)
http://www.economist.com/displayStory.cfm?story_id=8672145
This is an article printed in The Economist about the first woman lawyer in the province of
Hakkari to fight for basic human rights for Turkey’s Kurdish population.
BBC NEWS: LOCAL GUARDS DIVIDE TURKISH KURDS (August 4, 2006)
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/5246068.stm
This article discusses the situation in the hills of southeastern Turkey, where fighting
between armed Kurdish separatists from the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) and the
Turkish military has been ongoing. Over the years, at least thirty thousand people are
thought to have died in the conflict; hundreds of thousands, mainly Kurdish villagers, have
been forced to abandon their homes.
TURKMENS
http://www.turkmens.com/
This website contains a collection of links about the history and culture of Turkmens.
TURKISH NOMADS
http://eclectic.ss.uci.edu/~drwhite/turks/
This site contains photographs and articles about the nomadic population in Turkey. It also
contains an excerpt from a book focusing on nomadic Turks and long-term field research in
anthropology.
GLOBAL AZERBAIJANI NETWORK
http://www.azeris.com/
The Global Azerbaijani Network is one of the oldest and most informative sites about
Azerbaijan. On this site, one can find news articles and general information on science,
history, business, music, and culture in Azerbaijan.
THE BULGARIAN TURKS IN TURKEY
http://www.omda.bg/imir/studies/nostalgia.html
This work is the third, collaborative volume of the series The Fate of Muslim Communities in the
Balkans. The study is devoted to the Bulgarian Turkish immigrants in the Republic of
Turkey. It is the first endeavor to more thoroughly investigate the transmigration of
23
hundreds of thousands of people, their individual and collective philosophy, their mentality,
and their efforts to preserve their identities and personalities in the process of adaptation in a
different, though proximate, world.
MESKHETIAN TURKS
http://www.eurasianet.org/departments/rights/articles/eav032503_pr.shtml
Meskhetian Turks hail from the region now known as Samtskhe-Javakheti, located in
southern Georgia. To this day, debate rages as to whether these people are ethnic Georgians
who adopted Islam, or Turks who were part of the Ottoman Empire’s expansion.
ETHNIC TURKS FLEE RUSSIA FOR BETTER LIFE IN TUKWILA (March 7,
2006)
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/261937_turks07.html
They arrived from Russia, but they are not Russian. They are ethnic Turks, but they never
lived in Turkey. Their ancestral home is Meskhetia, now part of the Republic of Georgia.
Comprehending the circumstances of the Meskhetian Turks, who recently arrived in
Washington State (and are still coming), requires a crash course in history, politics, and
geography.
TURKEY GREEKS
http://www.photius.com/countries/turkey/society/turkey_society_greeks.html
In 1995, fewer than 20,000 Greeks still lived in Turkey. They are the remnants of the
estimated 200,000 Greeks who were permitted under the provisions of the Treaty of
Lausanne to remain in Turkey following the 1924 population exchange, which involved the
forcible resettlement of approximately two million Greeks from Anatolia.
AN OUTPOST OF GREEK CULTURE IN TURKEY
http://www.eurasianet.org/departments/civilsociety/articles/eav111204.shtml
Though a Greek-speaking village, Tepekoy is located in Turkey, on an island called
Gokceada (or Imroz, as it is known in Greek). The mountainous island, located in the
Aegean Sea near the entrance to the strategic Dardanelles Straits, was given to Turkey as part
of the 1923 Lausanne Treaty, which determined the country’s modern day borders. The
treaty also provided for a massive population exchange between Greece and Turkey, with
close to one million Greeks moving from Turkey and some 500,000 Turks coming from
Greece.
ARMENIANS IN TURKEY
http://www.photius.com/countries/turkey/society/turkey_society_armenians.html
In 1915 the Ottoman government ordered all Armenians deported from eastern Anatolia. At
least 600,000 of the Armenians, who numbered up to two million, died during a forced
march southward during the winter of 1915-16. Armenians believe - and Turks deny - that
the catastrophe that befell their community was the result of atrocities committed by Turkish
soldiers following government directives.
TURKISH JEWS
http://www.science.co.il/hi/Turkish/
This article gives a brief history on Sephardic and Turkish Jews.
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JEWISH TURKEY
http://www.haruth.com/JewsTurkey.html
This site contains a collection of links about the Jewish community in Turkey and about the
relationship between Israel and Turkey.
TURKEY: GIVE ME YOUR TIRED, YOUR POOR
http://www.danielpipes.org/article/234
Immigration has left Turkey with a strikingly diverse population. In this century alone,
substantial numbers of immigrants have come from Bosnia, Albania, Greece, Bulgaria,
Cyprus, Iraq, Iran, the Russian Empire/Soviet Union, Afghanistan, and China. With only a
touch of exaggeration, Nur Vergin of Bilkent University points to Turkey as ethnically "a
microcosm of the Ottoman Empire."
TARTAR AND CIRCASSIAN IMMIGRANTS
http://knigite.abv.bg/en/sc/sc_15.html
At the end of the last Russian War, many thousand Tartar families received permission from
the Russian Government to leave the Crimea and settle in Turkey. The fields and other
immovable property of the emigrants, including their houses and herds, were to be paid for
by the Russians according to their evaluation by a commission specially appointed for this
purpose.
CRIMEAN KARAIMS
http://www.turkiye.net/sota/karaim.html
Crimean Karaims are people of Turk(ic) descent who have adopted Karaism. This
movement could be described as a return to the roots or sola scriptura. Although the Karaite
reformation never became a mass movement, an ethnic mixture of Alans, Cumans, and a
number of Turkic Kipchak tribes in Crimea and northern steppes of Black Sea, as well as the
ruling junta of Khazaria (not all the Khazars), converted to Karaism.
POLITICS
EMBASSY OF THE REPUBLIC OF TURKEY
http://www.turkishembassy.org/index.php
This is the official site of the Turkish Embassy in Washington, D.C. It lists recent news
developments in Turkey, background information on the country, consular and student
services, travel information, as well as a media center and a kid’s page.
THE COUNCIL ON FOREIGN RELATIONS
http://www.cfr.org/index.html
The Council on Foreign Relations is an independent, nonpartisan membership organization,
think tank, and publisher dedicated to being a resource for its members, government
officials, business executives, journalists, educators, and students, civic and religious leaders,
and other interested citizens in order to help them better understand the world and the
foreign policy choices facing the United States and other countries. "It is designed to be an
online resource for everyone in these turbulent times who wants to learn more about the
complex international issues challenging policy-makers and citizens alike."
25
PRIME MINISTRY OF TURKEY
http://www.basbakanlik.gov.tr/sour.ce/index.asp?wss=basbakanlik.gov.tr&wpg=history
This site contains information about the organization of the Turkish government and the
duties of the Prime Ministry.
PARLIAMENT OF TURKEY
http://www.tbmm.gov.tr/english/english.htm
This site gives a brief overview of the structure and constitution of the Turkish Parliament.
TURKEY AND THE IMF
http://www.imf.org/external/country/TUR/
This site contains information and reports provided by the International Monetary Fund
concerning their projects in Turkey.
CFR: ISLAMIC POLITICAL POWER IN TURKEY – CHALLENGES FOR
BRUSSELS AND WASHINGTON (November, 2007)
http://www.cfr.org/content/publications/attachments/Cook%20article.pdf
Steven Cook argues that Turkey can play an important role in helping the U.S. achieve its
interests if the U.S. can accept the differences between the two nations.
BOSTON GLOBE: CHEERING AN ISLAMIC VICTORY (July 26, 2007)
http://www.boston.com/news/globe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/2007/07/26/cheeri
ng_an_islamist_victory/
By Steven A. Cook: On Sunday, Turks overwhelmingly voted to return the ruling Islamist
Justice and Development Party (AKP) to office with 46.6 percent of the vote. Turkey's two
main secular parties did not even come close to this tally, combining for 34 percent of the
vote. The stakes in these elections were high, including Turkey's future democratic
development, how religion will be accommodated in an officially secular state, and the
prospects for Turkey's place in Europe and the Middle East.
ECONOMIC POLICY RESEARCH FOUNDATION OF TURKEY (TEPAV)
http://www.tepav.org.tr/engyeni/index.php
The Economic Policy Research Foundation of Turkey (TEPAV) is an independent, nongovernmental and non-partisan think-tank, established in October 2004. TEPAV intends to
increase the knowledge content of policy discussions in Turkey. The goal of TEPAV
research is to remove the gap between academic research and policy implementation. To this
end, scholarly research conducted at TEPAV will lead to concrete policy proposals.
ATATURK
http://www.ataturk.com/component/option,com_frontpage/Itemid,1/
As President for 15 years, until his death in 1938, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk introduced a broad
range of swift and sweeping reforms (political, social, legal, economic, and cultural) virtually
unparalleled in any other country. This site has information related to Ataturk, the Turkish
people, Turkey, and issues related to people of Turkish origin. Besides written information,
one can find video, audio clips, and books about Turkey.
26
THE SOUTHEASTERN ANATOLIA PROJECT
http://www.utexas.edu/cola/orgs/hemispheres/content/resources/PDF/geo/GAP_projec
t_turkey.pdf
The Southeastern Anatolia Project is a development project created by the government of
Turkey to build a series of dams and hydroelectric plants along the Tigris and Euphrates
rivers in the southeastern part of the country. This case study was created to help students
understand the complexities of large-scale construction and development projects. Such
projects often inspire an optimistic outlook; students will get a better sense of the many
different benefits that such projects can have, as well as the ways in which the quality of life
can be dramatically improved. At the same time, students will come to understand that such
projects have side effects, both positive and negative, that can extend across geo-political
boundaries.
CHILDREN ON THE STREET: DETERMINING THE CAUSES AND
EFFECTS OF CHILD HOMELESNESS IN TURKEY AND AROUND THE
WORLD
http://nytimes.com/learning/teachers/lessons/20000830wednesday.html
In this lesson, students explore the causes and effects of child homelessness in Turkey and
around the world and compare the issues surrounding child homelessness in poor and wealthy
countries. (Grade Levels 6-12)
CFR: A CONVERSATION WITH ABDULLAH GUL (February 13, 2007)
http://www.cfr.org/publication/12632/conversation_with_abdullah_gl_rush_transcript_fe
deral_news_service.html?breadcrumb=%2Fregion%2F358%2Fturkey
This is a transcript of an interview with Abdullah Gul, the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister
of Foreign Affairs, for the Republic of Turkey. In this interview, Gul discusses the relationship
between Turkey and Iraq.
EDITOR’S DEATH SPOTLIGHTS TURKISH NATIONALISM (January 23, 2007)
http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1581609,00.html
This article, by Time Magazine, concerns the assassination of Armenian-Turkish journalist
Hrant Dink by a seventeen-year-old Turkish boy. The article discusses issues of nationalism,
free speech, and the legacy of the Armenian genocide, which took place during the Ottoman
Empire and remains a contested issue throughout Turkey.
TURKEY: EVENTS OF 2006
http://hrw.org/englishwr2k7/docs/2007/01/11/turkey14845.htm
This website contains a summary by Human Rights Watch about human rights
developments in Turkey during 2006. The HRW website also publishes reports on human
rights issues that are currently being researched in Turkey.
BBC NEWS: TURKEY AWAITS AKP’S NEXT STEP (July 23, 2007)
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/6912052.stm
Three months ago, up to a million protesters poured onto the streets of the Turkish capital,
Ankara, shouting that the secular system was in danger. They claimed the ruling AK Party
(AKP) had a hidden Islamist agenda. This Sunday, 46.4 percent of the electorate cast their
votes for the AKP across the country, proving they did not believe in any such danger.
27
REGIONAL CONFLICTS
THE ARMENIANS IN THE LATE OTTOMAN PERIOD
http://www.tbmm.gov.tr/yayinlar/yayin1/armenian.htm
These articles are printed to conform to a chronological order or relations between the
Turks and the Armenians. It discusses the history of the conflict, going back to the Ottoman
Empire, and also analyzes more recent exchanges between the Turks and the Armenians.
TALL ARMENIAN TALE
http://www.tallarmeniantale.com/
This site attempts to provide another view of the Turkish-Armenian conflict. The creator of
the site hopes to provide a more impartial view by raising awareness about the lack of
attention that was given to the number of Turkish deaths that occurred during the conflict.
ARMENIAN ISSUE
http://www.armenianreality.com/articles/are_the_armenians_in_turkey_oppressed.htm
The Armenians of Turkey continue to worship in their own churches and teach in their own
language in their own schools. The Armenian community in Istanbul has thirty schools,
seventeen cultural and social organizations, two daily newspapers (Jamanak and Marmara),
two sports clubs (Shishly and Taksim), as well as numerous health establishments and
religious foundations set up to support these activities.
TURKEY AND THE ARMENIANS: GENOCIDE WARS (February 15, 2007)
http://www.economist.com/displaystory.cfm?story_id=8706501
Turkey’s fraught relationship with America is heading into a new crisis. This may intensify
anti-American feelings among millions of Turks. It could even hurt America's efforts to
restore order in Iraq. The latest spat stems from a bill in America's Congress that would
recognize the mass slaughter of Ottoman Armenians in 1915 as the first genocide of the
20th century.
TURKEY AND THE CONFLICT IN NAGORNO KARABAKH
http://www.pcr.uu.se/publications/cornell_pub/tfopol.pdf
This article talks about the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan over the Nagorno
Karabakh territory. It outlines Turkey’s view in the conflict, as well as its support for
Azerbaijan.
THOU SHALL NOT FORGET HOCALI (February 25, 2007)
http://www.turkishweekly.net/comments.php?id=2495
On the night of February 25, 1992, Armenian and Soviet troops attacked the Azeri village of
Hocalı. The nearly 2,500 inhabitants of this small city attempted to flee the invasion. The
invaders cut all escape routes for civilians in the city, and on this date the bloodiest day of
the Azerbaijani-Armenian war in Upper Karabag ended with the brutal massacre of 633
innocent people. Among the deceased, sixty-three were children, seventy were elderly, and
106 were women.
28
CSIS: THE U.S.-TURKISH ALLIANCE AT THE IRANIAN JUNCTION?
http://www.csis.org/component/option,com_csis_pubs/task,view/id,3081/type,3/
This article examines the relationship between Turkey and the U.S., especially in relation to
rising tensions over the Iranian nuclear program. It provides an interesting analysis of the
situation by referring to the Iraq War and Turkey’s refusal to allow the U.S. to use its
territory as a military base.
CFR: FRICTION IN U.S.-TURKEY RELATIONS OVER IRAQI KURDISTAN
(August 31, 2006)
http://www.cfr.org/publication/11378/cook.html
An expert on political reform in the Arab world, Steven A. Cook says relations between the
United States and Turkey are strained due to conflicting interests in Iraqi Kurdistan.
Washington does not want to upset the relative stability in northern Iraq, whereas Turkey
seeks to remove the threat of Kurdish militants in the region.
FROM ENMITY TO FRIENDSHIP
http://members.tripod.com/~dimos/grtr.html#l
This website is dedicated to establishing peace and cooperation between Greece and Turkey.
It contains a large collection of links about building a peaceful relationship between these
two nations.
CYPRUS AND THE EUROPEAN UNION
http://www.yale.edu/macmillan/pier/resources/lessons/cyprus.htm
This is a lesson plan developed by Yale University focusing on the current situation on the
island of Cyprus. The site contains background information on Cyprus and on the
European Union, and includes a lesson plan to engage students in this topic. (Grade Levels
9-12)
BBC TIMELINE: CYPRUS
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/1021835.stm
This page provides a chronology of key events in Cyprus since 1914.
TURKISH REPUBLIC OF NORTHERN CYPRUS
http://www.trncpresidency.org/
This is the official site of the President of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus. It
contains a copy of their constitution, historical information, articles, and recent news
developments.
TURKEY & THE EUROPEAN UNION
REPUBLIC OF TURKEY: MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS
http://www.mfa.gov.tr/mfa/default.htm
This site contains information about Turkey’s foreign policy, including its view on specific
global issues and its role in several international organizations. It also contains recent articles
concerning Turkey’s foreign relations and background documents, such as the Turkish
Constitution.
29
ASSOCIATED PRESS: BUSH SUPPORTS TURKEY’S BID TO JOIN EU (January
9, 2008)
http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5hVlpEWcX_bvmHkBTvXSgMQNJl21wD8U1S2I00
President Bush gave Turkey's bid to join the European Union a glowing endorsement on
Tuesday and called the Islamic nation a "constructive bridge" between the West and the
Muslim world, offering a much-needed boost to U.S.-Turkish relations.
CSIS: THE TRAIN TO EUROPE STALLS (December 18, 2007)
http://www.csis.org/component/option,com_csis_pubs/task,view/id,3648/type,3/
The European Union (EU) summit of December 14-15, 2006 was preceded by months of
speculation about the likelihood of what the EU Commissioner for Enlargement, Olli Rehn,
repeatedly characterized as a possible “train crash,” which could result from EU insistence
on Turkey’s implementation of the Customs Union provisions it had signed in 2005.
BBC NEWS: TURKEY GETS BACK ON THE EU TRACK (September 24, 2007)
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7011443.stm
Turkey appears to have emerged from its simmering political crisis, with the successful
installation of a new government and president. As a result, attention is now turning back
towards Brussels, to see whether Turkey's stalled bid to join the EU club can gain new
impetus, or whether it will hit fresh obstacles.
CSIS: AFTER ELECTION VICTORY, ERDOGAN FACES DIFFICULTIES ON
EUROPEAN TRACK (September 21, 2007)
http://www.csis.org/media/csis/pubs/tu070921.pdf
The initiation of accession negotiations with the EU in 2006 helped undermine accusations
that the JDP was leading Turkey away from the West and was one of the major
achievements of Prime Minister Erdgodan in his first term in office. Not surprisingly,
Erdgodan declared immediately after his second electoral triumph that his new government
would continue to work with determination “to achieve the goal of membership.”
THE INS AND OUTS (May 15, 2007)
http://www.economist.com/research/articlesBySubject/displaystory.cfm?subjectid=682266
&story_id=8808134
It is sometimes said that the European Union is an economic giant but a political pygmy,
with no foreign policy to speak of. Certainly foreign and defense policies, above all others,
remain largely in the hands of national governments; and foreign-policymaking with 27
countries, every one of them with a veto, is inherently difficult.
TURKS IN EUROPE: WHY ARE WE AFRAID? (December 18, 2006)
http://fpc.org.uk/fsblob/597.pdf
The prospect of Turkey’s entry into the European Union has triggered a remarkable
outburst of fear and anxiety in some European member states. This article, by the Foreign
Policy Centre in the United Kingdom, explores some of the issues behind Turkey’s bid to
join the EU.
30
EUROPEAN COMMISSION: ENLARGMENT – TURKEY
http://ec.europa.eu/enlargement/turkey/eu_turkey_relations_en.htm
A gradual and carefully managed enlargement policy is in the interest of the EU. Future
enlargements will concern the countries of south-eastern Europe. These countries are at
various stages on their road towards the EU. Croatia and Turkey are candidate countries.
IMPRESSIONS OF TURKEY
http://www.fpa.org/topics_info2414/topics_info_show.htm?doc_id=404326
This is one man’s reflection on the history of Turkey, its culture, and its bid to join the
European Union.
LESSON PLAN: TURKEY
http://www.fpa.org/info-url4715/infourl_show.htm?doc_id=367219&doc_category_id=1126&attrib_id=12893
In this lesson, students will come to understand several different issues regarding Turkey and
the European Union, mainly the issues surrounding the membership of Turkey to the EU.
They will be taught through discussion, in-class activities, and homework; what is the EU,
why does Turkey want to join, why does the EU want it as a member? Students will also
develop opinions on the matter through an in-class activity and a homework assignment,
both requiring research. (Grade Level 9-12)
MIDDLE EAST
PBS: WHAT ROLE HAS NATURAL RESOURCES PLAYED IN THE POLITICS
AND ECONOMY OF THE MIDDLE EAST?
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/globalconnections/mideast/questions/resource/index.html
The Middle East has always had a rich abundance of natural resources, though which
particular resources have been coveted and valued has changed over time.
PBS: LAND, RESOURCES, AND ECONOMICS
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/globalconnections/mideast/educators/resource/lesson1.html
In this lesson, students will be able to describe major geographical features of the Middle East
and explain how these features and other natural resources influence the economy of the area.
(Grade Level 9-12)
PBS: FROM ROYALTY TO DEMOCRACY
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/globalconnections/mideast/themes/politics/index.html
Politics in the Middle East, far from being solely an issue of Islamic resurgence, as is often
presented by Western media, actually reflects a complex mixture of issues that include
nationalism, religion, social and economic concerns, anti-colonialist sentiments, tribal loyalties,
and ethnic identities. This informational article looks in-depth at the different types of
government currently present in the Middle East.
ARE YOU LISTENING? VOICES FROM THE MIDDLE EAST
http://www.outreachworld.org/resource.asp?curriculumid=1014
This anthology, produced by The Outreach Center, consists of short stories and excerpts from
memoirs and novels written by indigenous authors and translated and adapted for the U.S.
31
classroom. The anthology includes stories from Turkey, Israel, Iran, and the Arab world, tested and
selected for their cultural richness and their appeal to young adults. It includes units for each story,
extensive background notes, a glossary of Middle Eastern words and phrases, and a comprehensive
bibliography related to the themes and issues in the stories as further reference for teachers and
students. (Grade 9-12)
PBS: STEREOTYPES - MORE THAN MEETS THE EYE
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/globalconnections/mideast/educators/types/lesson1.html
In this lesson, students will develop a better understanding of the concept of stereotyping. They
will think critically about images and media that portray the Middle East and its inhabitants,
make determinations about the impact of the images on their perceptions, and consider ways to
overcome these stereotypes. (Grade Level 9-12)
PBS: GOT WATER?
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/globalconnections/mideast/educators/resource/lesson2.html
Students will learn that delivering clean, fresh water to citizens around the world involves and
affects politics, economics, international relations, and technology. The lesson focuses on water
issues in Turkey, Syria, and Iraq. The ultimate goal is to find a cooperative solution for all three
countries. (Grade Levels 9-12)
XPEDITIONS: THE MIDDLE EAST REGION - FLAGS AND FACTS
http://www.nationalgeographic.com/xpeditions/lessons/01/gk2/iraqmap.html
In this lesson, students will learn basic facts about the Middle East by exploring maps of the
region. They will use National Geographic's Hot Spot: Iraq website to practice basic map skills by
reading maps and drawing their own. Finally, they will learn basic information about the
countries on their maps and label that information on their own maps, comparing what they
have learned about the geography of the Middle East with the geography of the United States.
(Grade Levels K-2)
XPEDITIONS: OIL AND WATER IN THE MIDDLE EAST REGION
http://www.nationalgeographic.com/xpeditions/lessons/01/g68/iraqoil.html
In this lesson, students will explore the roles of oil and water in the Middle East. Students will use
maps to look at the distribution of oil in the Middle East and discuss what it means for the
different countries in the region. They will also examine how water has influenced the region
historically (in the "fertile crescent" region between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers) and politically
(for example, how Iraq's access to water is limited to one small part of its border). Finally, they will
study specific aspects of Iraq's struggles with water, using satellite imagery to understand and
illustrate the problem. (Grade Levels 6-8)
UNDERSTANDING THE MIDDLE EAST THROUGH GEOGRAPHY AND
DEMOGRAPHY
http://www.outreachworld.org/resource.asp?curriculumid=285
This lesson plan uses geography and demography to examine this important area. Students
learn about the entire region by studying a sub-region in depth through small group,
cooperative learning. Students are divided into six groups and each is assigned to a specific
sub-region. They examine geographical and statistical data of their sub-region, apply it to the
group's "working map," transfer information to a large class map of the entire area, then
share through collaborative learning. Oil and natural gas resources are examined, but
32
through case study and map analysis the more critical question of water enhances higherlevel thinking skills as well as an appreciation of the differences and complexities within the
entire area. (Grade Levels 6-12)
SHIA DEMOCRACY: MYTH OR REALITY
http://www.worldpress.org/Mideast/2677.cfm
Whether there are well-delineated differences between Shias and Sunnis in the way they
conceive of—and construct—political authority has not been given much serious research.
This is a surprising omission in contrast to the extent to which political scientists have
debated the impact of the Catholic-Protestant schism on the evolution of capitalism and
democracy in the Western hemisphere.
LOCAL/NATIONAL RESOURCES & ORGANIZATIONS
TURKISH CULTURAL FOUNDATION
http://www.turkishculturalfoundation.org/
The Turkish Cultural Foundation aims to promote and preserve Turkish culture and heritage
worldwide, support education for disadvantaged students in Turkey, support research related
to Turkey, and help to build cultural bridges between Turkey and other countries. This
website contains a wealth of information concerning Turkish cuisine, lifestyle, philosophy,
art, music, military, culture, and more.
TURKISH-AMERICAN CULTURAL ASSOCIATION WASHINGTON
(TACAWA)
http://www.tacawa.org/
TACAWA is an active non-profit organization dedicated to guiding and enhancing
awareness of the Turkish culture, art, and heritage and to sponsoring positive relationships
between various Turkish and local communities. We do this through cultural, educational,
and community events and outreach.
TURKFEST
http://www.turkfest.org/
Turkfest is an annual festival held at the Seattle Center (Seattle, WA) celebrating the Turkish
culture through music, dance, exhibits, shows, lectures, food, arts, crafts, and films since
2001.
ANATOLIAN ARTISANS
http://www.anatolianartisans.org/
Anatolian Artisans is a non-profit organization with a unique mission to provide sustainable
economic benefits to low-income artisans through product development, marketing, and
training, and to raise awareness about arts and culture of Turkey by organizing exhibitions,
festivals, fairs, conferences, and seminars.
AMERICAN-TURKISH COUNCIL (ATC)
http://www.americanturkishcouncil.org/
The American Turkish Council is dedicated to effectively strengthening U.S.-Turkish
relations through the promotion of commercial, defense, technology, and cultural relations.
33
Its diverse membership includes Fortune 500, U.S. and Turkish companies, multinationals,
nonprofit organizations, and individuals with an interest in U.S.-Turkish relations. Guided by
member interests, ATC strives to enhance the growing ties between the U.S. and Turkey by
initiating and facilitating efforts to increase investment and trade between the two countries.
ASSEMBLY OF TURKISH-AMERICAN ASSOCIATIONS (ATAA)
http://www.ataa.org/
The founding principle of ATAA was the need to create cohesion and cooperation between
the large numbers of social/cultural Turkish American organizations around the U.S. The
Assembly's main goal is to be a link between all communities, large or small, and pursue their
interests in Washington and beyond.
FEDERATION OF TURKISH-AMERICAN ASSOCIATIONS
http://www.tadf.org/
The Federation of Turkish American Associations, Inc., a non-profit 501 (c)(3) organization,
was established in 1956 for the purpose of uniting and supporting the Turkish community
within the United States. Originally, it was established as a union of three associations.
Today, the Federation is an umbrella organization consisting of over forty member
associations organizations with a majority of these groups located in the Northeast region of
the United States.
THE AMERICAN TURKISH SOCIETY
http://www.americanturkishsociety.org/
The American Turkish Society achieves its mission by bringing together leaders in
government, including Prime Ministers, Ministers of State, and Ambassadors, as well as
business leaders, journalists, artists, and scholars covering a spectrum of fields. In addition,
the Society sponsors educational programs such as the Global Educators Program in
partnership with the American Field Service; other similar programs are currently under
development.
TURKISH-AMERICAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY
http://www.turkishuschamber.org/about_us_en.html
Founded in New York in 2002, the Turkish-American Chamber of Commerce and Industry
is a private, not-for-profit membership organization that represents the interests of member
companies which have established, or are interested in establishing, business and commercial
relations between the United States and Turkey.
FRIENDS OF ANATOLIA
http://www.friendsofanatolia.org/index.htm
Friends of Anatolia was formed in order to contribute to peace and democracy by
supporting the Turkish educational system as well as the Turkish nonprofit organizations in
Turkey and the U.S. They also aim to create a mutual understanding among people of
different backgrounds by using Anatolian culture and heritage as a unifying tool.
BRIDGES OF HOPE PROJECT
http://www.bridgesofhopeproject.org/about_us.htm
Bridges of Hope Project was started by a group of committed Turkish-Americans who have
come together to raise awareness and resources for nonprofit organizations that promote
34
economic and social development in Turkey. Their long-term objective is to become a
virtual bridge of hope between the Turkish-American community, and other friends in the
U.S. and Turkey.
MOONS AND STARS PROJECTS
http://www.moonandstarsproject.org/
The Moon and Stars Project was founded in 2002 in New York. It is a not-for-profit, taxexempt organization dedicated to highlighting the changing face of Turkish arts and culture
and establishing a two-way cultural interaction between the United States and Turkey.
TURKISH-AMERICAN SCIENTISTS AND SCHOLARS ASSOCIATION (TASSA)
http://www.tassausa.org/Default.php
Turkish American Scientists and Scholars Association (TASSA) is an independent, nonprofit and non-political organization established in June 2004 in Washington, DC. TASSA's
vision is to build a sustainable science bridge between the U.S. and Turkey. This bridge
would facilitate the flow of people (scientists and scholars), knowledge, and technology, and
help to link science and technology institutions in the two countries.
MIDDLE EAST STUDIES ASSOCIATION BULLETIN
http://fp.arizona.edu/mesassoc/Bulletin/welcome.htm
The MESA Bulletin is the journal of review of the Middle East Studies Association, an
international organization of researchers, teachers, and scholars in all fields of Middle East
studies. The Bulletin is published twice a year, in June and December.
NEWS SOURCES
TURKISH DAILY NEWS
http://www.turkishdailynews.com.tr/
TURKISH NEWS NETWORK
http://www.turkishnews.com/NewsNetwork/
TURKISH PRESS DAILY NEWS
http://www.turkishpress.com/
CORNUCOPIA: THE MAGAZINE ABOUT TURKEY
http://www.cornucopia.net/main_page.html
ANADOLU AGENCY
http://www.aa.com.tr/index.php?option=com_haber&Itemid=67
TURKEY POST
http://www.turkeypost.com/
HURRIYET (IN ENGLISH)
http://www.hurriyet.com.tr/english/
USA TURKISH TIMES
http://www.usaturkishtimes.com/
35
TURKUAZ
http://www.turkuaz.us/
TURKSES
http://www.turkses.com/
TURKISH WEEKLY
http://www.turkishweekly.net/index.php
FILMS
INTERNET MOVIE DATABASE: TURKEY
http://imdb.com/Sections/Countries/Turkey/
The Internet Movie Database has a list of 5,068 titles associated with Turkey.
CROSSING THE BRIDGE
http://www.crossingthebridge.de/
This is the official website from the film Crossing the Bridge: The Sound of Istanbul.
CROSSING THE BRIDGE TRAILER
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g7Emtncpypw
UZAK
http://www.festival-cannes.fr/films/fiche_film.php?langue=6002&id_film=4007246
This site talks about the Turkish film Uzak that won awards at Cannes Film Festival.
OTHER TITLES OF INTEREST:
Distant/Uzak
Vizontele
The Way/Yol
Head On/Gegen die Wand
Kebap Connection
Robbery Alla Turca/Hirsiz Var!
In July/Im Juli
My Father and My Son/Babam Ve Oglum
A Touch of Spice
The Turkish Bath: Hamam
BOOKS
FICTION:
Birds Without Wings, Louis de Bernieres
Istanbul, Orhan Pamuk
My Name is Red, Orhan Pamuk
Snow, Orhan Pamuk
The Flea Palace, Elif Safak
Dear Shameless Death, Latife Tekin
Tales from the Expat: Harem, Ashman & Gokmen
Human Landscapes, Nazim Hikmer
36
Ottoman Lyric Poetry: An Anthology, W Andrews, M Kalpakli, and Najaat Black
A Fez of the Heart, Jeremy Seal
The Garden of Departed Cats, Bilge Karasu
Osman’s Dream: A History of the Ottoman Empire, Caroline Finkel
House with Wisteria: the memoirs of Halide Edip
The Garden of Departed Cats, Aron Aji's translation of Bilge Karasu's
A Mind at Peace, Erdag Goknar's translation of Ahmet Hamdi Tanpinar
Osman's Dream, Caroline Finkel
NON-FICTION:
The Turks Today, Andrew Mango
A Peace to End All Peace: The Fall of Ottoman Empire and the Creation of the Modern Middle East,
David Fromkin
Crescent and Star, Stephen Kinzer
Biblical Treasures of Turkey, Anna Edmonds
The Turks in World History, Carter Findley
Sons of Conquerers, Hugh Pope
Osman’s Dream, Caroline Finkel
Modernity and National Identity in Turkey, Sibel Bozdogan and Resat Kasaba
Fragments of Culture, Deniz Kandiyoti and Ayse Saktanber
The Alevis in Turkey: The Emergence of a Secular Islamic Tradition, David Shankland
The Age of the Beloveds: Love and the Beloved in Early-Modern Ottoman and European Culture and
Society, Walter Andrews and Mehmet Kalpaki
Culture Smart!, Charlotte McPherson
POETRY:
Seasons of the Word, Hilmi Yavuz
Human Landscapes, Nazim Hikmet
TRAVEL:
Lonely Planet: Turkey
Knopf Guide: Istanbul
Turkish Odyssey: A Traveler's Guide to Turkey and Turkish Culture, Serif Yenen's
Eyewitness Travel Guides: Turkey
Rick Steves’ Istanbul, Rick Steves, and Lale Surmen Aran and Tankut Aran
COOKING:
The Sultan’s Kitchen: A Turkish Cookbook, Ozcan Ozan
Eat Smart in Turkey: How to Decipher the Menu from the Market Foods
37
TURKEY & THE EUROPEAN UNION
A STUDY UNIT
BY
ROBERT HEROLD
NORTHSTAR JUNIOR HIGH
2007 Turkey Educator’s Tour
(Turkish Cultural Foundation &
The World Affairs Council, Seattle)
38
TURKEY & THE EUROPEAN UNION
In the wake of World War I, the Ottoman Empire, which had once stretched
throughout much of the Middle East and North Africa, was carved up into various nation
states and occupied territories. What is today Turkey, was occupied by English and French
forces, who in turn invited Greece to join them. Ataturk led the successful campaign to oust
the invaders, end the sultanate, and establish modern Turkey.
Instead of rejecting Europe, Ataturk saw that power and modernity were centered in
the West and sought to remake Turkey into a strong Westernized and secular state. The new
constitution was modeled on that of France and a series of economic and social reforms
were enacted (including the political equality of women) that drew Turkey closer to Europe.
Worried about Soviet expansionism, Turkey joined NATO in 1952 and eventually
allowed American nuclear missiles to be placed on its soil. Since 1949, Turkey has been
seeking a more substantial integration with Europe, and has participated in numerous
precursors to the current European Union (such as the Council of Europe, and the Western
European Union), but full integration has remained elusive to the present day.
The booming post-WWII economies in Western Europe (especially in Germany)
had a need for cheap labor, which drew millions from Turkey (particularly from its
economically hard-pressed countryside). Today there are over three million ethnic Turks
living in Western European nations – the vast majority of whom live in Germany. Often
having poor and rural origins, these Turkish families are typically social and religious
conservatives. (There has also been tremendous migration from the countryside to Turkey’s
cities, which has brought similar values to Turkey’s urban and national politics, and has
contributed to the recent success of Turkey’s AK party.) This social and religious
conservatism, coupled with the prejudice of some Europeans, has caused many Turkish
émigrés to remain more socially isolated in their European host countries. This, in turn, has
contributed to a recent European backlash against Muslims and Turks in particular – most
notably in resistance to Turkey’s latest bid for membership in the EU – especially by the
Germans and the French.
In spite of these frustrations, Turkey has become the workshop of Europe. Many
indigenous industries are producing high quality goods for the European market (e.g., the
award-winning Turkish company, Arçelik A.S., is the third largest seller of home appliances
in Europe). Moreover, many European manufacturers, and those from elsewhere in the
world, have set up joint operating agreements with Turkey for major manufacturing plants –
examples include Audi, BMW, Ford, and Hundai.
The current ruling party in Turkey, the Islamist Justice & Development Party (AKP),
has made a strong commitment towards achieving full EU membership and has been
39
working towards addressing EU concerns with numerous economic, social, and political
reforms. Whatever the outcome, Turkey remains a dynamic country, exhibiting strong
economic growth since 2001, and a reformist agenda that may, should this continue, serve to
make it a model for democratization and rapprochement with the West for the entire Middle
East.
40
Turkey & the European Union Crossword
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
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www.CrosswordWeaver.com
ACROSS
DOWN
2 The post-WWII economies of Western Europe
soon had a need for cheap ___________.
4 Leaders from this country have expressed
misgivings about offering full EU membership to
Turkey.
5 Turkey has attracted foreign manufacturing firms
and has shared in the profits by establishing a
series of "joint __________________ agreements."
9 The EU is an economic and political organization
attempting to coordinate and unify
_______________ .
11 Most Turkish workers in Europe come from
Turkey's ______________ areas.
14 More Turks have settled in this country than any
other
15 The term for one who resides in a new country
18 The name for the former Turkish empire
19 The AK party is committed to Turkey achieving full
_______________ in the European Union.
20 Turkish guest workers in Europe tend to be
religiously and socially ____________________.
1 They occupied parts of Turkey at the end of World
War One
3 The first leader of of modern Turkey
6 Some Turkish immigrants in Europe have
experienced _______________
7 The military organization Turkey joined to help
protect itself from the USSR
8 Turkish immigrants tend to remain _____________
within European host countries.
10 The Council of Europe and the Western European
Union were precursors to the European
__________________.
12 American company with a large production plant in
Turkey
13 The current government in Turkey has instituted
many economic and political ____________
16 As part of its commitment to NATO, Turkey allowed
US __________________ to be placed in its
country.
17 The modern Turkish constitution guarantees the
political equality of ___________
41
Crossword Key
R
G E
F
W
O
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R
M E M
E
S
N
G
F R A N C E
E
E
O P E R
C
R
E U R O P E
N
J
I
R U R A
O
D
RM A N Y
I M M
C
I
T T OM A N
E
S
S
B E R S H I P
I
L
C O N S E
S
L A B O R
T
A
A T I N G
U
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K
O
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F
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I G R A N T
D
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R V A T I V E
42
EUROPE’S AMBIVALENCE TOWARD TURKEY
While Turkey has been a NATO member since 1952 and an exporter to Europe of
agricultural products and high quality but low cost manufactured goods and cheap labor,
Turkey has been frustrated in its attempts to gain fuller integration with Europe. Currently,
Turkey is a candidate for membership in the European Union, and it is the professed goal of
Turkey’s ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) to achieve full membership.
Yet, even as Turkey institutes numerous reforms to address Europe’s concerns, there
has been growing sentiment in Europe against admitting Turkey into the EU, most notably
expressed by France’s president, Nicolas Sarkozy, and Germany’s chancellor, Angela Merkel.
This anti-Turkish rhetoric has many facets and is due to domestic concerns as often as it has
to do with concerns about Turkey.
Europe’s economic boom times of the 1960s and 70s led to a need for cheap foreign
labor. Turkish émigrés helped to fill this need, coming to Western Europe (particularly to
Germany) looking for economic opportunity. Today there are over three million Turks
living in Europe. However, the economic difficulties of Europe in recent years (including
high unemployment) has contributed to a growing anti-Turkish sentiment among those in
competition with the Turkish immigrants (and their sons and daughters) for jobs – especially
in Germany and France. Contributing to this backlash has been the fact that Turkish
immigrants have generally not been integrated into their host countries. This is due, in part,
to prejudice and restrictions placed on these émigrés, but also to a desire by many of the
immigrants to preserve their culture and religious practices, as well as the more conservative
mind-set of these immigrants, who have largely come from Turkey’s Anatolian countryside
and who are uncomfortable with the perceived decadence of Western culture.
Another issue contributing to opposition to Turkey’s membership in the EU centers
on questioning whether Turkey is truly a democratic country. There have been four coups
staged by the Turkish military since 1960. However, these coups, while at times violent,
have been carried out ostensibly to preserve democracy and a secular state. While staging
coups to preserve democracy is certainly debatable, it is a fact that after each coup, the
military has stepped back and allowed a newly-constituted civilian government to rule.
Moreover, despite making some threats, the military has not prevented (at the time of this
writing) the Islamist AKP (which won 47 percent of the votes in the national elections in the
summer of 2007) from dominating the government. While some Turks feel that the AKP is
an Islamist wolf in sheep’s clothing, seeking to make Turkey into an Islamist state, the
current situation may show that the military is willing to accede to the will of the people,
43
even if it means relaxing its secularist prescriptions.
Another criticism of Turkey is also related to the activist secularism of modern
Turkey. This criticism is that Turkey does not allow the free practice of religion due to its
restriction on the wearing of religious head scarves. Hayrunisa Gul, the wife of newly
elected President Abdullah Gul, wears a religious head scarf, as do the wives of other AKP
members. The head scarf is currently banned by law from being worn in schools,
universities, and governmental buildings. In 2002, Hayrunisa Gul filed a complaint with the
European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) after she had been refused enrollment in Ankara
University over this issue, but she withdrew the claim when the AKP came to power and her
husband (who is now president) became Foreign Minister. Now, that Mrs. Gul is occupying
the presidential palace (a governmental building), and given that the AKP is proposing to
change the constitution to allow the wearing of scarves in colleges and universities, this issue
may be moot. An irony associated with this area of criticism is France’s recent ban on
religious wear in schools.
The view that Turkey ignores minority rights – specifically, their treatment of the
Kurds – has been another charge levied by Europe. When the Ottoman Empire was carved
up by Britain and France after World War One, the Kurds were left without a country of
their own, their population spread mostly between northern Iraq, eastern Turkey, and
northwest Iran. Unhappy with this situation, many Kurds have staged revolts, while others
have remained loyal to their respective countries. In Turkey’s case, in the face of periodic
unrest, the government has at times imposed restrictive measures. The last twenty years has
seen an increase in unrest by Kurdish separatists in Turkey, particularly by the PKK
terrorists, who have staged bombings and hit and run attacks (retreating into Kurdishcontrolled northern Iraq), resulting in the deaths of several thousand Turkish national
soldiers. In spite of these acts of violence, Turkey offered aid to Kurds fleeing Sadam
Hussein’s Iraq. Moreover, in the last decade Turkey has relaxed restrictions on Kurdish
cultural expression and there are now a number of Kurdish representatives in Turkey’s
parliament. Given the provocation of the PKK (which is also labeled as a terrorist
organization by both the US and the EU), as well as the generosity Turkey showed towards
Iraqi Kurdish refugees and Turkey’s current tolerance of Kurdish culture, many Turks bristle
at being criticized by some in the EU for Turkey’s treatment of its ethnic Kurds – especially
when Spain, a full member of the EU, has issues with its own Basque terrorists. Presently,
after numerous PKK attacks, Turkey is engaging in military campaigns against the PKK in
northern Iraq. At the time of this writing, these reprisals have been measured – confined
mostly to shellings and air attacks – and, as a result, have received the tacit support of the
United States.
The treatment of Armenians in Turkey is another lightning rod for anti-Turkish
sentiment. According to those accusing Turkey of genocide, Turkey butchered two and a
half million ethnic Armenians during World War One. Although there are numerous books
and articles that have come out in recent years detailing this atrocity, many Turkish
nationalists challenge this view and have even established a website
(www.tallaremeniantale.com) to counter what they perceive as a well-orchestrated Armenian
lobbying campaign in the U.S. and Western Europe. Their position is that the Armenians
(encouraged by Russia, France, and England) had been staging revolts against the Ottoman
Empire, resulting in the death of approximately one hundred thousand Turks. In response,
the sultan ordered that the one and a half million Armenians (there were not even two and a
half million Armenians living there) be forced out of Anatolia and moved into other areas of
the empire. During this forced removal, around one hundred thousand Armenians died –
44
largely due to disease and malnutrition – all in a time of war. Today many Turks say that it is
unfair to blame them for these actions, taken during warfare by a government that no longer
exists. Some also use a legalist defense, stating that genocide was a concept created after
World War II and should not be levied retroactively. Moreover, it is believed by many Turk
nationalists that Armenians have successfully monopolized the discussion of this issue in the
West, with the real objective of getting monetary and territorial compensation from modern
day Turkey. Recent comments by Turkey’s Nobel Prize winning novelist, Orhan Pamuk,
indicating that an Armenian genocide did occur, as well as the resulting backlash by Turkish
nationalists, demonstrates that this remains a contentious issue, both within Turkey and
beyond its borders. It should be noted with some irony that Germany, despite its troubled
past, is a full EU member, while Turkey is being criticized and possibly denied membership.
Cyprus, an island off the Turkish coast, is still another bone of contention between
Europe and Turkey. The island is occupied by both ethnic Greeks and ethnic Turks and has
been a former British colony. Cyprus gained its independence from Britain in 1960. In
1974, after a period of unrest between Cypriot Greeks and Turks, the Greek national
government (hoping to annex Cyprus) encouraged the Greeks in Cyprus to stage a coup
d’état. This violence led to the Turkish invasion of Cyprus in 1974 (occupying the northern
third of the country) and ultimately to the creation an independent Turkish state in the
north. This Turkish state has, since then, only been recognized by Turkey, while the Greek
Cypriot state (which did not merge with Greece) remained widely recognized by the
international community and was admitted to the EU on May 1, 2004. Turkey refuses to
engage with Greek Cyprus and even refuses to allow planes from there to land at Turkish
airports. Again, this is a complex situation, with charges and counter-charges, but the end
result is antipathy between Turkey and members of the EU.
A final source of anti-Turkish sentiment centers on a perceived Islamization of
Europe. The terrorist attacks in America on 9-11, radical mosques in Europe, the discovery
of terrorist cells in many Western European countries, and bombings in Germany, England,
and Spain have all contributed to this fear. One may add to this litany the largely isolated
Islamic communities in Western Europe and the competition for scarce jobs (discussed
earlier), plus the Islamic uproar to such things as Salmund Rushdie (the author of Satanic
Verses) and the recent series of Dutch political cartoons depicting Muhammad as a terrorist
(as well as to the murder of one of the editors who published those cartoons).
While the condemnation of the cartoons was widespread, acts of murder and
terrorism have been perpetrated only by an extremist minority. Just as it would unfair to
criticize Germany for the acts of a few neo-Nazis, it seems unfair to characterize all Muslims
– and Turkey in particular – on the basis of acts committed by a few terrorists. Nevertheless,
fear of Europe being overrun by Muslims, and fear that they will undermine Western
Christianity, liberal values, and the whole of Western society are reasons which many are
using to criticize Turkey and challenge its EU candidacy.
In the end, it remains to be seen if Turkey will achieve full membership in the
European Union. As a result of much criticism, many Turks are beginning to question if it is
a goal worth achieving. Still, other Turks are appreciating the spotlight this process has
shone on some of Turkey’s shortcomings – particularly its need to modernize its economy
and make business and government more transparent and accountable – and the fact that in
attempting to address a number of those concerns, Turkey has begun (particularly under the
current AKP leadership) to institute numerous reforms. As such, the process of
consideration for EU membership may be more important than the professed goal.
45
NAME: _________________________
COMPREHENSION CHECK: “EUROPE’S AMBIVALENCE
TOWARD TURKEY”
1) What is the AKP’s professed goal regarding the EU?
_________________________________
2) Domestic concerns have helped fuel Western European criticism of
____________________.
3) Today there are over _____________ million Turks living in Western Europe.
4) Turkish émigrés tend to be religiously and socially _________________________ and
have largely remained isolated in their host countries.
5) High __________________________ in Western European nations has contributed to
an anti-Turkish backlash against workers originally invited in.
6) Since 1960, Turkey’s military has staged four _________________ against the country’s
government.
7) One criticism of Turkey centers around the ban on wearing _________________ in
schools, universities, and certain governmental buildings.
8) What Western European nation has instituted a similar ban?
________________________
9) A minority group in eastern Turkey that has, until recently, faced years of legal
restrictions and lack of civil rights: ____________________________________
10) A separatist organization that has battled Turkish nationalist forces:
___________________
11) A separatist group in Spain (an EU nation) that has also engaged in acts of terrorism:
________________
12) The ethnic group that has accused Turkey of committing acts of genocide against them
during World War I: ________________________________
13) A website devoted to Turkey’s response to these
accusations:________________________
14) What EU nation was responsible for acts of genocide during World War II?
_____________________________
15) Many Muslims around the world criticized political cartoons published in Europe that
depicted __________________________ as a terrorist.
16) A divided island in the Mediterranean occupied by ethnic Greeks and ethnic Turks:
______________________________
17) Germany was one of the countries in Western Europe wherein small groups of
terrorists, known as ________________________ , planned and coordinated attacks on
the West.
18) Those who accuse Turkish and other Islamic émigrés of changing the character of
Europe, say this process is occurring:
____________________________________________
19) The Turkish group that sees itself as a defender of that nation’s democracy and
secularism: ___________________________________________
20) The two European heads of state who are vocal critics of admitting Turkey into the EU:
_______________________________________ &
_____________________________________
46
Paragraph Exercise
On a separate sheet of paper, and using information from the article “Europe’s Ambivalence
Toward Turkey,” answer each question in your words. (Be sure to check that you answered
all parts of the question.)
I) Explain why Turkish immigrants were invited into Western Europe and why some
Europeans now feel that these guests are no longer welcome. (Address economic, social
and religious issues.)
II) Describe the situation with Turkey’s Kurdish population and explain why it is ironic that
some European nations have criticized Turkey for this.
III) Discuss both sides of the “Armenian genocide” controversy and explain why it’s ironic
that some EU nations have criticized Turkey for this.
47
COMPREHENSION CHECK – ANSWER KEY
1) What is the AKP’s professed goal regarding the EU? _____FULL
MEMBERSHIP_________
2) Domestic concerns have helped fuel Western European criticism of
______TURKEY______.
3) Today there are over _____THREE ____ million Turks living in Western Europe.
4) Turkish émigrés tend to be religiously and socially _____CONSERVATIVE______ and
have largely remained isolated in their host countries.
5) High ___UNEMPLOYMENT_____ in Western European nations has contributed to an
anti-Turkish backlash against workers originally invited in.
6) Since 1960, Turkey’s military has staged four _____COUPS_____ against the country’s
government.
7) One criticism of Turkey centers around the ban on wearing __HEAD SCARVES__ in
schools, universities, and certain governmental buildings.
8) What Western European nation has instituted a similar ban? _______FRANCE_______
9) A minority group in eastern Turkey that has, until recently, faced years of legal
restrictions and lack of civil rights: ____________KURDS______________
10) A separatist organization that has battled Turkish nationalist forces:
_______PKK_______
11) A separatist group and minority in Spain (an EU nation) that has also engaged in acts of
terrorism: _____BASQUES____
12) The ethnic group that has accused Turkey of committing acts of genocide against them
during World War I: ________ARMENIANS_________
13) A website devoted to Turkey’s response to these
accusations:____TALLARMENIANTALE.COM_____
14) What EU nation was responsible for acts of genocide during World War II?
______GERMANY________
15) Many Muslims around the world criticized political cartoons published in Europe that
depicted ____MUHAMMAD______ as a terrorist.
16) A divided island in the Mediterranean occupied by ethnic Greeks and ethnic Turks:
_________CYPRUS_____________
17) Germany was one of the countries in Western Europe wherein small groups of
terrorists, known as _______CELLS________ , planned and coordinated attacks on the
West.
18) Those who accuse Turkish and other Islamic émigrés of changing the character of
Europe, say this process is occurring: ________ISLAMIZATION___________
19) The Turkish group that sees itself as a defender of that nation’s democracy and
secularism: ________THE MILITARY______________
20) The two European heads of state who are vocal critics of admitting Turkey into the EU:
______NICOLAS SARKOZY__________ & _________ANGELA
MERKEL__________
48
UNDERSTANDING THE OPTIONS:
TURKEY’S VIEW OF EU CANDIDACY
Opinion in Turkey is divided regarding membership in the European Union.
Currently, only one third of the country supports joining the EU, down from over 70
percent a few years ago.
Views on joining the EU generally fall within one of four categories:
1. Who needs the EU? (Reflecting resurgent nationalism)
2. Seek full membership (This is the stated goal of the ruling Justice and
Development Party (AKP))
3. The Process is more important than the goal (This stems from an
appraisal of the benefits reforms have brought – spurred on by the EU
candidacy)
4. Instead of west, looking east & south (These advocates see the
potential for leading a greater Turkish confederacy across Asia and/or
casting its lot in with Iran and the Arab world, as well as being a model
for Islamic democracy)
ACTIVITY:
The class will be divided into four teams. Each group will be assigned one of these topics to
research and present to the whole class. Consider visual components (e.g., PowerPoint,
posters, maps, etc.) to enrich the presentation.
Each group will complete a 5–10 minute presentation.
Everyone will complete an option evaluation form following all the presentations.
49
NAME: _________________
TURKEY’S CANDIDACY FOR EUROPEAN UNION MEMBERSHIP:
UNDERSTANDING THE OPTIONS – EVALUATION FORM
Instructions: Following the presentations, answer each of these questions:
1) According to each group, what should Turkey do regarding its EU candidacy?
OPTION ONE:
OPTION TWO:
OPTION THREE:
OPTION FOUR:
2) According to each group, what are the most important issues facing Turkey?
OPTION ONE:
OPTION TWO:
OPTION THREE:
OPTION FOUR:
3) Pick the option that you would support most strongly and explain why. – OR – Develop
a new option based on a combination of the best features of the options presented and
explain why it is the best choice.
50
CBA Lesson Packet
THE GOLDEN AGE OF THE OTTOMAN
EMPIRE: SULEIMAN THE MAGNIFICENT
January 29, 2008
Authored By:
Rebecca Luhrs, World Affairs Council
CBA TOPIC: Dig Deep - Analyze Artifacts
LEVEL: Middle School
This document is intended to assist teachers who are implementing the Dig Deep:
Analyze Artifacts CBA for middle school students, but may also be useful to anyone
teaching about world history and geography.
THE GOLDEN AGE OF THE OTTOMAN EMPIRE:
SULEIMAN THE MAGNIFICENT
TABLE OF CONTENTS
WASHINGTON STATE CBA (CLASSROOM-BASED ASSESSMENT):
DIG DEEP
2
NOTE TO TEACHERS
2
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND FOR TEACHERS
3
KEY QUESTIONS
3
ACTIVITY 1: HOW DO WE USE PRIMARY SOURCES TO
DESCRIBE A TIME PERIOD?
4
ACTIVITY 2: GETTING TO KNOW SULEIMAN
5
ACTIVITY 3: PRIMARY SOURCE FROM AN OBSERVER’S
PERSPECTIVE - JANISSARIES & MERITOCRACY
7
ACTIVITY 4: ISTANBUL - A LIVING PRIMARY SOURCE
9
ACTIVITY 5: MILITARY CONQUESTS UNDER SULEIMAN
10
WRITING THE HISTORICAL INTERPRETATION
11
HANDOUTS
Handout #1: How Do We Use Primary Sources to
Describe a Time Period
13
Handout #2: Getting to Know Suleiman’s Wife
14
Handout #3: Primary Source from an Observer’s
Perspective
15
Handout #4: Constantinople/Istanbul - A Living
Primary Source
17
Handout #5: Military Conquests Under Suleiman
18
RESOURCES
19
DIG DEEP RUBRIC
24
3
THE GOLDEN AGE OF THE OTTOMAN EMPIRE:
SULEIMAN THE MAGNIFICENT
WASHINGTON STATE CBA (CLASSROOM-BASED ASSESSMENT):
DIG DEEP
What does the CBA require students to do?
1. Select a time period and describe the time period using specific primary sources.
(Note: students are required to use at least three primary sources.)
2. Provide an interpretation of why a particular historical event (or related events)
happened within this time period using specific primary sources.
3. Explain the relationship between the geography of the time period and both how
people lived and why events occurred.
For more information please see the OSPI website under social studies assessments:
http://www.k12.wa.us/assessment/WASL/SocialStudies/default.aspx
The scoring rubric for this CBA appears at the end of this document and is also available at the
OSPI website.
NOTE TO TEACHERS
The Dig Deep CBA asks students to select and describe a time period using specific primary
sources. Resources listed here will help students begin to examine the Golden Age of the
Ottoman Empire under Suleiman the Magnificent (1520-1566). There are many directions that
students may take when they begin writing their historical interpretation.
Some suggestions include:
• Focus on a person other than Suleiman who played an important role during Suleiman’s
reign:
o Hurrem, aka Roxelana, member of Suleiman’s harem who became his politically influential wife Historical events: Hurrem’s marriage to Suleiman; banishment of Mahidevran
and Mustafa
o Pargali Ibrahim Pasha, Suleiman’s first Grand Vizier
Historical event: his death
o Sinan, chief Ottoman architect
Historical event: building of Suleymaniye Mosque
o Hayreddin Barbarossa, Fleet Admiral of the Ottoman Navy
Historical events: Peñón in 1531, Battle of Preveza in 1538, and Algiers in 1541
Geography: Ottoman supremacy in the Mediterranean
• Draw comparisons between Suleiman and one of his contemporaries, such as Francis I,
Charles V, Henry VIII, or Akbar the Great.
• Focus on one aspect of what made Suleiman and his era “magnificent,” such as art, architecture, or urban planning.
• Examine one military conquest or diplomatic relationship.
Historical events: military conquests in Belgrade, Buda, Rhodes, Mohács, Vienna, or Baghdad;
treaties with Ferdinand and Charles V
2
THE GOLDEN AGE OF THE OTTOMAN EMPIRE:
SULEIMAN THE MAGNIFICENT
The students’ historical interpretations may take any or a variety of forms, e.g., essay, letter
from or to a historical character, journal entries, newspaper article.
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND
Many American students remember the Ottoman Empire as the “sick man of Europe” prior to
World War I, rather than as a major player in world politics for over 600 years (1299 to 1922).
In the 15th and 16th centuries, the Ottoman Empire reached its “Golden Age” of political and
cultural influence.
In 1520, Suleiman I became the tenth sultan of the Ottoman Empire, inheriting a vast, wealthy,
and relatively stable territory. Suleiman’s father, Selim, had conquered Egypt and Syria,
stabilized relations with Iran (Persia), and executed all of Suleiman’s potential rivals. During
Suleiman’s reign from 1520-66, he continued his father’s legacy by expanding Ottoman
territory to the “gates of Vienna” and to Baghdad. Muslim artists, craftsmen, intellectuals, and
writers moved to Constantinople/Istanbul, and Suleiman’s numerous architectural projects
revitalized the city.
The Europeans named Suleiman ‘The Magnificent’ in response to the lavish lifestyle of the
sultan’s court. Suleiman’s own people called him ‘The Lawgiver’ because he codified laws
governing the organization of government and the military, as well as laws governing the
taxation and treatment of peasants.
KEY QUESTIONS
•
•
•
What are primary sources and how do they reveal how people lived in a particular era?
What social, economic, political, and geographic circumstances allowed Suleiman I to expand the geographic, administrative, and cultural reach of the Ottoman Empire?
What can we learn about Suleiman’s leadership and personal life from written accounts, art
and architecture, poetry, and other artifacts?
3
THE GOLDEN AGE OF THE OTTOMAN EMPIRE:
SULEIMAN THE MAGNIFICENT
ACTIVITY 1: HOW DO WE USE PRIMARY SOURCES TO DESCRIBE A
TIME PERIOD?
Overview of activity: This initial activity will help students define the term “primary
source” and the materials that qualify. It will personalize the concept by helping them identify primary sources in their own lives. Students will consider the influence of the U.S. in
the 21st century, in terms of culture, politics, military, and trade. After they learn about the
Ottoman Empire in the 16th century, you may ask students to discuss its global influence
relative to the U.S. today.
1. Visit the following websites on defining, finding, and using primary sources:
• Using Primary Sources on the Web
http://www.lib.washington.edu/subject/History/RUSA/
• Using Primary Sources in the Classroom
http://lcweb2.loc.gov/learn/lessons/primary.html
2. Ask the class:
What is a primary source?
Combine students’ answers to form one classroom definition.
What could be considered a primary source?
Create a list on the board. When students get stumped, add any items they have missed.
Primary sources:
• are original records created at the time historical events occurred or well after events
in the form of memoirs and oral histories.
• serve as the raw material to interpret the past, and when they are used along with previous interpretations by historians, they provide the resources necessary for historical
research.
• may include letters, manuscripts, diaries, journals, newspapers, speeches, interviews,
memoirs, documents produced by government agencies such as Congress or the Office of the President, photographs, audio recordings, moving pictures or video recordings, research data, and objects or artifacts such as works of art or ancient roads,
buildings, tools, and weapons. http://www.lib.washington.edu/subject/History/RUSA/
3. Pass out Handout 1. Ask students to form small groups and answer the following questions:
1) Four hundred years from now, students and scholars may wonder what life was like in the
U.S. during the 21st century. If you created a time capsule for future students to open, what
primary sources would you include to help explain the 21st century?
2) In the 21st century, is the U.S. influential in the world in terms of culture, politics, military,
and trade? How do you know? What primary sources could you use to support your
answer?
Continue on your own at home:
3) Find a small “primary source” in your home that describes how you live. Write a paragraph
explaining what the item says about your lifestyle. Bring the item to class.
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THE GOLDEN AGE OF THE OTTOMAN EMPIRE:
SULEIMAN THE MAGNIFICENT
ACTIVITY 2: GETTING TO KNOW SULEIMAN
Overview of activity: This activity will introduce students to Suleiman as an individual
and a ruler. Students will watch a reenactment of Suleiman’s life on video to begin visualizing the time period. After the video, students will “get to know” Suleiman by learning
about his poetry and his wife.
PART 1
1. In class, show students Video Three from the PBS series “Islam: Empire of Faith.” The entire
section on Suleiman’s life begins at time cue 19.25 and runs for approximately 25 minutes. Ask
students to take notes on the people, places, and events they find interesting, and jot down ideas
for their historical interpretation.
2. After the video, ask students what they learned and what questions the video raised for them
about Suleiman and the Ottoman Empire.
Note: The video is available on DVD or VHS from several Seattle and King County Public Library
branches. If the video is unavailable, ask students to briefly research the Ottoman Empire and the reign
of Suleiman the Magnificent (1520-66) in class or at home. They may want to begin with the following
sites:
•
•
•
BBC: Religion & Ethics—Islam (Ottoman Empire)
http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/islam/history/ottomanempire_1.shtml
The Ottomans
http://www.wsu.edu/~dee/OTTOMAN/SULEYMAN.HTM
Ottoman Website: Kanuni Sultan Suleyman
http://www.osmanli700.gen.tr/english/sultans/10index.html
PART 2
Option 1
Walk students through PBS’s Renaissance Man Comparison Poster curriculum, designed for
grades 6-12, which asks them to compare Suleiman to a famous western European Renaissance
man: http://www.pbs.org/empires/islam/lesson5.html
Option 2 (Poetry, Historical Events):
1. Have students read an excerpt from Suleiman’s poem and answer questions about his wife
Hurrem (aka Roxelana) by using the activity found at
http://www.womeninworldhistory.com/sample-10.html.
Note: For a more extensive lesson on Ottoman poetry, download the Ottoman Lyric Poetry curriculum
by Tennessee high school teacher, Danita Dodson:
http://www.cmes.arizona.edu/outreach/Danita%20Dodson.pdf.
Page 17 contains Suleiman’s poem entitled “My Very Own Queen” and page 8 contains instructor’s
notes on the poem).
2. Pass out Handout 2 on Getting to Know Suleiman’s Wife. Have students work in pairs or
small groups to answer the questions.
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THE GOLDEN AGE OF THE OTTOMAN EMPIRE:
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1) What can you learn about Roxelana from these two images? Point to specific items in the
images. (Students may want to point out her skin color, facial features, and ethnicity; her
clothing, jewelry, and headdress; the writing in the background; the elaborate wood and tile
work and doors in her tomb)
2) Where was Roxelana born and how did she become part of Suleiman’s harem? (Ukraine.
She was captured by Crimean Tatars and sold in the slave trade. In Istanbul, she was
chosen for Suleiman’s harem.)
3) Roxelana had many different names and nicknames. List four of them here.
Name at birth:
Aleksandra (or Anastasia) Lisovska
Name in Europe:
Roxelana
Name in Istanbul:
Rossa
Nickname in Turkish: Hürrem (or Khourrem or Karima), “The Laughing One”
4) Who was Roxelana’s primary competition in Suleiman’s harem? What happened to her?
(Mahidevran, aka Gulfem or “Gul Bahar,” the senior woman in Suleiman’s harem before
Roxelana. She and her son, Mustafa, were banished in 1534. Years later, Mustafa was
strangled.)
5) Who was Roxelana’s primary critic in Suleiman’s court? What happened to him? (Grand
Vizier Ibrahim Pasha. He was assassinated in 1536.)
6) To what position(s) did Roxelana rise in Suleiman’s court? (Chief consort in the harem, as
well as chief minister to the sultan.)
7) Why was Roxelana’s marriage to Suleiman an important event? (Suleiman’s marriage to
Roxelana was momentous in Europe and in the Ottoman Empire. Historically, Ottoman
sultans had relations with numerous women, but never married. This meant that the
sultan’s firstborn son was not guaranteed the empire, which led to disputes and to the
execution of rivals. When Roxelana married Suleiman, her son Selim became heir apparent
to the Ottoman throne. In this case, the previous front-runner, Mustafa, had already been
banished).
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THE GOLDEN AGE OF THE OTTOMAN EMPIRE:
SULEIMAN THE MAGNIFICENT
ACTIVITY 3: PRIMARY SOURCE FROM AN OBSERVER’S
Overview of activity: This activity will allow students to closely examine a written primary
source from an outsider’s perspective. The excerpts focus on the Ottoman infantry, treatment of religious minorities, and Suleiman’s practice of meritocracy. You may ask students
to work in pairs to answer the questions in class, and complete the “going further” activities at home.
PERSPECTIVE - JANISSARIES & MERITOCRACY
Pass out Handout 3 with excerpts from The Turkish Letters (1555-1562) by Ogier Ghiselin de
Busbecq, ambassador of the Holy Roman Emperor.
Source: http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/mod/1555busbecq.html
Note: The Turkish Letters would be an excellent primary source for other topics as well. Busbecq wrote
about politics, religion, history, geography, technology, military, daily life, medicine, social classes, ethnic
groups, women, slavery, art and architecture, and flora and fauna.
Have students work in pairs to read and comprehend the excerpts and answer the questions.
On Janissaries:
“At Buda I made my first acquaintance with the Janissaries; this is the name by which
the Turks call the infantry of the royal guard. The Turkish state has 12,000 of these
troops when the corps is at its full strength. They are scattered through every part of the
empire, either to garrison the forts against the enemy, or to protect the Christians and
Jews from the violence of the mob. There is no district with any considerable amount of
population, no borough or city, which has not a detachment of Janissaries to protect the
Christians, Jews, and other helpless people from outrage and wrong.
A garrison of Janissaries is always stationed in the citadel of Buda. The dress of these
men consists of a robe reaching down to the ankles, while, to cover their heads, they
employ a cowl which, by their account, was originally a cloak sleeve, part of which contains the head, while the remainder hangs down and flaps against the neck. On their
forehead is placed a silver gilt cone of considerable height, studded with stones of no
great value.”
Discuss as a class.
Questions
1) Underline any words or phrases you do not understand.
2) Where is Buda? (Budapest, Hungary)
3) What are Janissaries, based on what you can learn in the letter?
4) Sketch a picture of a Janissary, based on Busbecq’s description. When you are done, search
the internet for images of Janissaries from the 16th century.
5) Would you want to live in this place? Why or why not?
6) Is this a dangerous or orderly place? How do you know?
Going further…
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THE GOLDEN AGE OF THE OTTOMAN EMPIRE:
SULEIMAN THE MAGNIFICENT
7) How were Janissaries recruited? What role did they play in the Ottoman Empire?
(Janissaries were recruited from non-Muslim, usually Christian, Balkan boys taken from
their villages, converted to Islam, and trained as soldiers. Janissary troops participated in all
major military campaigns. Upon reaching adulthood, the best Janissaries served in the
Sultan’s palace, and some even rose to the position of Grand Vizier.)
8) Why did they “protect the Christians and Jews?” What is the millet system? (The millet
system is linked to Islamic rules on the treatment of non-Muslim minorities. Under the
On meritocracy:
“In making his appointments the Sultan pays no regard to any pretensions on the score
of wealth or rank, nor does he take into consideration recommendations or popularity.
He considers each case on its own merits, and examines carefully into the character, ability, and disposition of the man whose promotion is in question. It is by merit that men
rise in the service, a system which ensures that posts should only be assigned to the
competent. Each man in Turkey carries in his own hand his ancestry and his position in
life, which he may make or mar as he will. Those who receive the highest offices from
the Sultan are for the most part the sons of shepherds or herdsmen, and so far from being ashamed of their parentage, they actually glory in it…. Among the Turks, therefore,
honours, high posts, and judgeships are the rewards of great ability and good service. If a
man be dishonest, or lazy, or careless, he remains at the bottom of the ladder, an object
of contempt; for such qualities there are no honours in Turkey!”
Ottoman government, religious minority groups had separate courts governing personal
law, collected their own taxes, and enjoyed a degree of self-rule).
Questions
9) Underline any words or phrases you do not understand
10) Based on the letter, define meritocracy. Consult a dictionary to check your answer.
11) According to Busbecq, what criteria did Sultan Suleiman use (and not use) when
promoting men to higher positions?
12) Does Busbecq seem impressed or unimpressed by Suleiman’s method of making
appointments? What might you infer about the Holy Roman Empire by comparison?
12) Who was Ogier Ghiselin de Busbecq? To whom was he writing? Do you believe his
account is reliable? Why or why not? (He was the illegitimate son of a seigneur in western
Flanders; he received a “patent of legitimacy” from Emperor Charles V in 1540. He was a
highly educated, multilingual writer and herbalist. At age 32, he became a diplomat for the
Holy Roman Empire. He was writing to his friend, and fellow Hungarian diplomat,
Nicholas Michault)
Going further...
14) Do you think there is meritocracy in the U.S. today? Why or why not?
15) Identify one important person who began as Suleiman’s slave and write a paragraph
describing how he or she moved “up the ladder” in Suleiman’s court. (Ibrahim Pasha and
Hurrem are good examples)
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SULEIMAN THE MAGNIFICENT
Overview of activity: This activity will help students visualize Constantinople/Istanbul
during Suleiman’s reign by exploring important architectural and geographic sites. Students
will use photos of existing structures as primary sources to learn more about life in Constantinople/Istanbul. Placing items on the map of Constantinople will increase students’
knowledge of Constantinople/Istanbul geography.
ACTIVITY 4: CONSTANTINOPLE/ISTANBUL - A LIVING PRIMARY
SOURCE
Pass out Handout 4 on Constantinople/Istanbul: A Living Primary Source
Using the web resources on Istanbul and Ottoman art listed below, along with general web
searching, send students on “a scavenger hunt” around Constantinople/Istanbul. Students may
identify each item’s location on the map of Constantinople and/or create a photo album with
captions. You might also ask students to research Istanbul’s various names throughout history.
Answers to scavenger hunt:
1) This residence contains four courtyards, a section for the harem, and numerous small
buildings. Suleiman and other sultans called it home. (Topkapi Palace)
2) Designed by Sinan, this mosque is as magnificent as its namesake. (Suleymaniye Mosque)
3) Constructed between 1455 and 1461 by the order of Sultan Mehmed the Conqueror, it was
vastly enlarged during Sultan Suleiman’s reign. Now it includes 58 streets and 4,000 shops.
(The Covered (Grand) Bazaar)
4) This hamam was commissioned by Roxelana and constructed by Sinan. It is near the famous
Hagia Sophia mosque. (Haseki Hürrem complex)
5) This building used to house Suleiman’s Grand Vizier of 13 years; now it houses Turkish
and Islamic art. (Ibrahim Pasha mosque)
6) This strait forms the boundary between Europe and Asia. (Bosporus River)
7) Designed by Sinan, this octagonal mosque was built for Suleiman’s son-in-law and Grand
Vizier. (Rustem Pasha mosque)
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THE GOLDEN AGE OF THE OTTOMAN EMPIRE:
SULEIMAN THE MAGNIFICENT
Overview of activity: In this activity, students will learn the chronology and geography of
Ottoman conquests. They will gain an understanding of the Ottoman Empire’s vastness
and learn about present-day borders. Students will focus on one historical event (a battle)
that might later be the basis for their historical interpretation.
ACTIVITY 5: MILITARY CONQUESTS UNDER SULEIMAN
Pass out Handout 5 on Military Conquests under Suleiman.
Note: It will be difficult for students to distinguish the map’s colors when printed in black and white.
You may want to print this handout in color or project the map. The map was scanned by the
University of Texas Libraries and is in the public domain. No permissions are needed to copy it. You
may download it and use it as you wish:
http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/historical/shepherd/ottoman_empire_1481-1683.jpg
Ask students to work in pairs or independently to answer the following questions:
1) Using a marker, draw a line around Ottoman territory during Suleiman’s reign (1520-1566).
2) During Suleiman’s reign, how many present-day countries were partly or fully included in the
Ottoman Empire? List them below.
(Thirty-four: Albania, Algeria, Armenia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bosnia and Herzegovina,
Bulgaria, Egypt, Georgia, Greece, Hungary, Iraq, Iran, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon,
Libya, Republic of Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro, Morocco, Oman, Palestinian
territories, Romania, Saudi Arabia, Serbia, Republic of Somaliland, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia,
Turkey, Ukraine, Yemen)
3) On the map above, mark at least five sites of major battles led by Suleiman or another
Ottoman officer.
(Some major battles are Belgrade, Buda, Rhodes, Mohács, Vienna, Baghdad, Preveza in
Greece, Algiers)
4) Choose one battle that you find interesting. Write a brief explanation of why the Ottoman
army was successful in that battle. If possible, use primary sources to support your writing.
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THE GOLDEN AGE OF THE OTTOMAN EMPIRE:
SULEIMAN THE MAGNIFICENT
WRITING THE HISTORICAL INTERPRETATION
Brainstorming:
Now it is time for students to sift through what they have learned about life, significant events,
and geography in the era of Suleiman the Magnificent. They need to choose one topic that will
enable them to describe the time period using at least three specific primary sources, provide an
interpretation of why a particular historical event (or related events) happened, and explain the
relationship between the geography of the time period and both how people lived and why
events occurred. By now, students should have an idea of what they would like to choose.
Have students consider the most effective way to compile their research, including at least three
primary sources.
Independent Research & Analysis
Here you may incorporate whichever research methods your school/district teaches (Big Six,
QUEST, etc.). Your school librarian may be able to support you and your students in this
section.
• Students who choose similar topics could work in small groups to develop an annotated
bibliography of articles, websites, and photos related to their topics. Students may want to
use some of the resources in this packet. For additional resources, encourage your students
to visit the World Affairs Council website: Select “Turkish Culture and Society: Where East
Meets West” from “Links to Descriptions: New in 2007-2008” and follow the first link to
access the PDF document.
• If students are independently finding their own resources, remind them to consider the
reliability of the sources they are consulting. Review criteria for evaluating websites. The
following site from Valparaiso University provides a helpful list of criteria (note particularly
the section on “purpose/point of view”) as well as links to more information on analyzing
websites. http://www.valpo.edu/library/user/evaluation.html#criteria
• In the middle of the research process, allow some time for groups to share some of their
best resources with other groups, to ensure that every group will be successful in finding
relevant documents.
• Students work independently or in their groups to analyze the information they have found.
Some students may discover that they lack information for one piece or another. You
might allow more time in class for research or ask students to do this for homework.
Culmination
Students should begin their individual writing work. The historical interpretation may take any
or a variety of forms, e.g., essay, letter from or to a historical character, journal entries,
newspaper article. As they write, students should refer to the Rubric below and to the Student
Checklist in OSPI’s Dig Deep Training and Implementation Booklet, found at
http://www.k12.wa.us/assessment/WASL/SocialStudies/default.aspx.
Note: The Writing section of the Student Checklist is also listed on the following page.
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THE GOLDEN AGE OF THE OTTOMAN EMPIRE:
SULEIMAN THE MAGNIFICENT
Student Checklist: Writing
I wrote a draft of my historical account.
I developed an historical interpretation of why an historical event(s) occurred.
I supported my arguments with evidence from at least three artifacts and primary
sources.
I made connections between the artifacts and primary sources and the event or time
period.
I described how people lived based on what I learned from the artifacts and sources.
I described what caused particular events or characteristics of the time period using
what I learned from the artifacts and sources.
I made connections between the map, the event, or time period, and how people lived.
I presented a conclusion with references to the meaning and placement of the artifacts
and primary sources within the historical context.
I cited sources using APA or MLA style.
I used appropriate voice, word choice, and ideas.
I used my own words.
I made clear transitions between ideas.
I used language and formats appropriate to the purpose and audience.
I revised and edited my work.
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THE GOLDEN AGE OF THE OTTOMAN EMPIRE:
SULEIMAN THE MAGNIFICENT
HANDOUT #1
How Do We Use Primary Sources to Describe a Time
Period?
In your small group, answer the following questions:
1) Four hundred years from now, students and scholars may wonder what life was like in the
U.S. during the 21st century. If you created a time capsule for future students to open, what
primary sources would you include to help explain the 21st century?
2) In the 21st century, is the U.S. influential in the world in terms of culture, politics, military,
and trade? How do you know? What primary sources could you use to support your
answer?
Continue on your own at home:
3) Find a small “primary source” in your home that describes how you live. Write a paragraph
explaining what the item says about your lifestyle. Bring the item to class.
13
THE GOLDEN AGE OF THE OTTOMAN EMPIRE:
SULEIMAN THE MAGNIFICENT
HANDOUT #2
Getting to Know Suleiman’s Wife
Portrait of Roxelana (left)
Roxelana’s tomb in Istanbul (below)
Source: Wikimedia Commons
La türbe (cappella funeraria) di Roxellana nel cimitero della
Moschea di Solimano il Magnifico ad Istanbul. Photo by:
Giovanni Dall'Orto, 5-26-2006. Creative Commons license:
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.5/
Rossa Solymanni uxor, unknown artist (public domain)
1) What can you learn about Roxelana from these two images? Point to specific items in the
images.
2) Where was Roxelana born and how did she become part of Suleiman’s harem?
3) Roxelana had many different names and nicknames. List four of them here.
Name at birth:
______________________________
Name in Europe:
______________________________
Name in Istanbul:
______________________________
Nickname in Turkish: ______________________________
4) Who was Roxelana’s primary competition in Suleiman’s harem? What happened to her?
5) Who was Roxelana’s primary critic in Suleiman’s court? What happened to him?
6) To what position(s) did Roxelana rise in Suleiman’s court?
7) Why was Roxelana’s marriage to Suleiman an important event?
14
THE GOLDEN AGE OF THE OTTOMAN EMPIRE:
SULEIMAN THE MAGNIFICENT
HANDOUT #3
Primary Source from an Observer’s Perspective
The Turkish Letters (1555-1562) by Ogier Ghiselin de Busbecq, ambassador of the Holy Roman
Emperor. (http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/mod/1555busbecq.html)
On Janissaries:
“At Buda I made my first acquaintance with the Janissaries; this is the name by which the Turks call the infantry of
the royal guard. The Turkish state has 12,000 of these troops when the corps is at its full strength. They are
scattered through every part of the empire, either to garrison the forts against the enemy, or to protect the Christians
and Jews from the violence of the mob. There is no district with any considerable amount of population, no borough or
city, which has not a detachment of Janissaries to protect the Christians, Jews, and other helpless people from outrage
and wrong.
A garrison of Janissaries is always stationed in the citadel of Buda. The dress of these men consists of a robe reaching
down to the ankles, while, to cover their heads, they employ a cowl which, by their account, was originally a cloak
sleeve, part of which contains the head, while the remainder hangs down and flaps against the neck. On their forehead
is placed a silver gilt cone of considerable height, studded with stones of no great value.”
Questions
1) Underline any words or phrases you do not understand.
2) Where is Buda?
3) What are Janissaries, based on what you can learn in the letter?
4) Sketch a picture of a Janissary, based on Busbecq’s description. When you are done, search
the internet for images of Janissaries from the 16th century.
5) Would you want to live in this place? Why or why not?
6) Is this a dangerous or orderly place? How do you know?
Going further…
7) How were Janissaries recruited? What role did they play in the Ottoman Empire?
8) Why did they “protect the Christians and Jews?” What is the millet system?
15
THE GOLDEN AGE OF THE OTTOMAN EMPIRE:
SULEIMAN THE MAGNIFICENT
On meritocracy:
“In making his appointments the Sultan pays no regard to any pretensions on the score of wealth or rank, nor does
he take into consideration recommendations or popularity, he considers each case on its own merits, and examines
carefully into the character, ability, and disposition of the man whose promotion is in question. It is by merit that men
rise in the service, a system which ensures that posts should only be assigned to the competent. Each man in Turkey
carries in his own hand his ancestry and his position in life, which he may make or mar as he will. Those who receive
the highest offices from the Sultan are for the most part the sons of shepherds or herdsmen, and so far from being
ashamed of their parentage, they actually glory in it…. Among the Turks, therefore, honours, high posts, and
judgeships are the rewards of great ability and good service. If a man be dishonest, or lazy, or careless, he remains at
the bottom of the ladder, an object of contempt; for such qualities there are no honours in Turkey!”
Questions
9) Underline any words or phrases you do not understand.
10) Based on the letter, define meritocracy. Consult a dictionary to check your answer.
11) According to Busbecq, what criteria did Sultan Suleiman use (and not use) when
promoting men to higher positions?
12) Does Busbecq seem impressed or unimpressed by Suleiman’s method of making
appointments? What might you infer about the Holy Roman Empire by comparison?
13) Who was Ogier Ghiselin de Busbecq? To whom was he writing? Do you believe his
account is reliable? Why or why not?
Going further…
14) Do you think there is meritocracy in the U.S. today? Why or why not?
15) Identify one important person who began as Suleiman’s slave and write a paragraph
describing how he or she moved “up the ladder” in Suleiman’s court.
16
THE GOLDEN AGE OF THE OTTOMAN EMPIRE:
SULEIMAN THE MAGNIFICENT
HANDOUT # 4
Constantinople/Istanbul - A Living Primary Source
Source: Internet Medieval Sourcebook, Map of Constantinople, adapted from Muir's Historical Atlas, 1911.
http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/maps/cople-col.jpg.
•
•
Go on a web scavenger hunt around Constantinople/Istanbul!
Draw a number on the map to indicate where each item is located.
Create a photo album using images from the web.
1) This residence contains four courtyards, a section for the harem, and numerous small
buildings. Suleiman and other sultans called it home. _____________________________
2) Designed by Sinan, this mosque is as magnificent as its namesake. ___________________
3) Constructed between 1455 and 1461 by the order of Sultan Mehmed the Conqueror, it was
vastly enlarged during Sultan Suleiman’s reign. Now it includes over 58 streets and 4,000
shops. ___________________________________
4) This hamam was commissioned by Roxelana and constructed by Sinan. It is near the famous
Hagia Sophia. _____________________________
5) This building used to house Suleiman Grand Vizier of 13 years; now it houses Turkish and
Islamic art. ________________________________
6) This strait forms the boundary between Europe and Asia. _________________________
7) Designed by Sinan, this octagonal mosque was built for Suleiman’s son-in-law and Grand
Vizier. ___________________________________
17
THE GOLDEN AGE OF THE OTTOMAN EMPIRE:
SULEIMAN THE MAGNIFICENT
HANDOUT #5
Military Conquests Under Suleiman
Source: Perry-Castañeda Library Map Collection, University of Texas at Austin, from The Historical Atlas by William R. Shepherd, 1923.
http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/historical/shepherd/ottoman_empire_1481-1683.jpg (public domain)
1) Using a marker, draw a line around Ottoman territory during Suleiman’s reign (1520-1566).
2) During Suleiman’s reign, how many present-day countries were partly or fully included in
the Ottoman Empire? List them below.
3) On the map above, mark at least five sites of major battles led by Suleiman or another
Ottoman officer.
4) Choose one battle that you find interesting. Write a brief explanation of why the Ottoman
army was successful in that battle. If possible, use primary sources to support your writing.
18
THE GOLDEN AGE OF THE OTTOMAN EMPIRE:
SULEIMAN THE MAGNIFICENT
RESOURCES
Note: some descriptions were excerpted directly from the organizations’ website.
Indicates resources referenced in the CBA Lesson Packet
USING PRIMARY SOURCES
USING PRIMARY SOURCES ON THE WEB (UW Library)
http://www.lib.washington.edu/subject/History/RUSA/
USING PRIMARY SOURCES IN THE CLASSROOM (Library of Congress)
http://lcweb2.loc.gov/learn/lessons/primary.html
TEACHER GUIDES & LESSON PLANS
TEACHING OTTOMAN HISTORY: A PRIMER
http://cmes.hmdc.harvard.edu/files/Teaching_Ottoman_History.pdf
This resource introduces brief background information and resources on the often-misunderstood
Ottoman Empire as well as a few innovative curriculum possibilities.
WHO ARE THE TURKS?
http://www.globaled.org/WhoAreTheTurksebook.pdf
This educator’s guide to Turkey was published by the American Forum for Global Education in
partnership with several Turkish organizations. It is extremely comprehensive and split into two
parts: one covering history, society, and politics, and the other covering literature and art. Each unit
consists of lesson plans, handouts, maps, and pictures. (Note: this is a 284-page PDF document).
PBS ISLAM: EMPIRE OF FAITH: RENAISSANCE MAN
http://www.pbs.org/empires/islam/lesson5.html
This lesson plan asks students to create a poster comparing Sultan Suleiman with another
“Renaissance Man” (such as Suleiman’s contemporary Leonardo da Vinci) and share their posters
with their classmates. (Designed for grades 6-12)
THE WORLD IN THE 15th CENTURY
Growth of the Ottoman Empire:
http://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/curriculum/Socialstd/MWH/11013_2.html
Suleiman the Magnificent, Suleiman the Lawgiver, Suleiman the Man:
http://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/curriculum/Socialstd/MWH/11013_3.html
These two activities are part of “Modern World History A, Unit I - The World in the Fifteenth
Century” developed by Montgomery County Public Schools in Rockville, Maryland. The first
activity asks students to explore “the possible factors that made the Ottoman Empire powerful.”
The second prompts students to “explain why Suleiman was considered a great leader” and to
“identify the human elements present in a great leader and empire.”
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THE GOLDEN AGE OF THE OTTOMAN EMPIRE:
SULEIMAN THE MAGNIFICENT
MIGHTIER THAN THE SWORD: CALLIGRAPHY OF THE 16th CENTURY
IMPERIAL COURTS
http://www.thejerusalemfund.org/gallery/callig/intro.html
On this interactive website, students will assume a new identity and “travel” to eight courts on
behalf of Suleiman the Magnificent to determine which court valued calligraphy and the arts more
than any other court at this time. (Designed for grades 9-12)
MEMPHIS CELEBRATES THE REPUBLIC OF TURKEY
http://memphisinmay.org/documents/2008TurkeyGuide.pdf
“Each year, the Memphis in May International Festival develops this Curriculum Guide for use by
elementary, middle and high school teachers as a teaching tool to explore the history, culture,
geography, politics and lifestyle of the festival’s annual honored country.” This is a comprehensive
guide with practical and useful lesson plans, activities, and worksheets. Pages 62-63 include an
Ottoman Empire map activity, discussion questions about Suleiman, and additional resources.
(Ottoman activities designed for grades 9-12)
OTTOMAN EMPIRE OVERVIEW
BBC: RELIGION & ETHICS – ISLAM (OTTOMAN EMPIRE)
http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/islam/history/ottomanempire_1.shtml
This seven-page overview asks “why was the Empire successful?” and also covers Constantinople,
status of other religions, sultans and the court, Suleiman, and the empire’s decline.
TURKISH ODYSSEY: THE OTTOMAN PERIOD
http://www.turkishodyssey.com/turkey/history/history3.htm#OTTOMAN
This site takes a look at Turkey’s history beginning with the very early ages. Each chapter covers a
certain period of history, making the site easy to navigate. It also links to images of Turkey and to
other information concerning the composition of Turkish society.
TURKEY VISION
http://www.turkeyvision.com/turkeyinformation-en/history7.htm
This Turkey travel guide website includes the history of the Ottoman Empire with portraits, other
artwork, and maps interspersed.
MODERN HISTORY SOURCEBOOK: TURKISH LETTERS (1555-1562)
http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/mod/1555busbecq.html
The Internet Modern History Sourcebook compiled at Fordham University is “a collection of
public domain and copy-permitted texts for introductory level classes in modern European and
World history.” This link contains excerpts from Ogier Ghiselin de Busbecq’s Turkish Letters.
Busbecq was the ambassador of the Holy Roman Emperor at the Sultan’s court.
GETTING TO KNOW SULEIMAN
SAUDI ARAMCO WORLD: SULEIMAN THE LAWGIVER
http://www.saudiaramcoworld.com/issue/196402/.suleiman.the.lawgiver..htm
This overview of Suleiman’s territorial expansion and administrative accomplishments, written by
the editors, appeared in the March/April 1964 print edition of Saudi Aramco World.
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THE GOLDEN AGE OF THE OTTOMAN EMPIRE:
SULEIMAN THE MAGNIFICENT
ALL ABOUT TURKEY: HISTORY- SULEYMAN THE MAGNIFICENT*
http://allaboutturkey.com/suleyman.htm
This site was developed by a Turkish tour guide and is meant to introduce visitors to the basics of
Turkish history, culture, politics, regions, and to Turkey’s tourist destinations. Suleyman the
Magnificent’s page includes an overview of his reign, sections on his wife and daughter, and links
to many other related topics.
OTTOMAN WEBSITE: KANUNI SULTAN SULEYMAN*
http://www.osmanli700.gen.tr/english/sultans/10index.html
Here you can read extensive profiles of key sultans and leaders from the Ottoman Empire,
including Kanuni Sultan Suleyman. Includes information on military campaigns, foreign relations,
arts and architecture, and maps.
THE OTTOMANS
http://www.wsu.edu/~dee/OTTOMAN/SULEYMAN.HTM*
This site is a comprehensive slide show covering the foundations and the history of the Ottoman
Empire. The page covering Suleyman’s rule highlights his various roles in sections entitled
Suleyman the Just, the Lawgiver, the Conqueror, and the Builder.
ISTANBUL
ISTANBUL OFFICIAL WEBSITE
http://www1.ibb.gov.tr/en-US/KenteBakis/TheCity/OttomanEra/
This website has information specifically on the city of Istanbul. Under the tab “The City,” the
section entitled “Ottoman Era” presents a history of Istanbul from an urban planning,
architectural, and art history perspective.
ISTANBUL: PORTRAIT OF A CITY
http://www.humanities-interactive.org/cultures/istanbul/index.html
Humanities Interactive is a project of the Texas Council for the Humanities Resource Center.
Scroll through the gallery on the left-hand side of the page to view scanned images of portraits,
other artwork, and maps, including many from the Ottoman era.
GOVERNORSHIP OF ISTANBUL: ISTANBUL THROUGH THE AGES
http://english.istanbul.gov.tr/Default.aspx?pid=309
This Istanbul Portal is presented by Istanbul’s Governor’s office, the highest state office of the
province, and it aims at being a source for the public to learn more about Istanbul. It contains
information about the history of the city, including significant architecture such as the Suleymaniye
Mosque and the Rustem Pasa Mosque, built during Suleiman’s reign.
TOPKAPI PALACE WEBSITE
http://www.ee.bilkent.edu.tr/%7Ehistory/topkapi.html
The official website of Topkapi Palace, home to several Ottoman sultans including Suleiman,
includes history, photos, art, and a detailed floor plan (http://www.ee.bilkent.edu.tr/%7Ehistory/
topkapi.html).
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THE GOLDEN AGE OF THE OTTOMAN EMPIRE:
SULEIMAN THE MAGNIFICENT
CULTURE, ART, AND LEISURE
TURKISH CULTURAL FOUNDATION
http://www.turkishculturalfoundation.org/
The Turkish Cultural Foundation website contains a wealth of information concerning Turkish
cuisine, lifestyle, philosophy, art, music, military, culture, and more.
REPUBLIC OF TURKEY: MINISTRY OF CULTURE AND TOURISM
http://www.kultur.gov.tr/EN/BelgeGoster.aspx?
17A16AE30572D313E603BF9486D4371DE28888CAE96CDD28
Website created by the Turkish government to inform the public about the importance of culture
in Turkey. Ottoman Empire section contains images and information on coins, flags, embroidery,
fountains, engravings, stamps, architecture inside and outside Turkey, cuisine, and women’s
costumes.
THE LIVING PAST
http://livingpast.com/europ.html
http://livingpast.com/turkp.html
http://www.livingpast.com/gtc.html
This site contains “information for historic reenactors and recreationists interested in life in 16th
century Constantinople/Istanbul.” The links above include photos of period clothing and
selections on food, drink, and other social customs from The Order of The Great Turks Court by
Antoine Geuffroy.
SAUDI ARAMCO WORLD: OTTOMAN ART
http://www.saudiaramcoworld.com/issue/198704/the.golden.age.of.ottoman.art.htm
This thorough article was written by Esin Atil, the former curator of the Freer Gallery of Art in
Washington, D.C. who assembled the exhibition “The Age of Sultan Süleyman the Magnificent”*
in 1987. The article describes the Ehl-i Hiref (Community of the Talented), Süleyman’s patronage of
the arts, and the many decorative styles of the era.
TIMELINE OF ART HISTORY
http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/suly/hd_suly.htm (Age of Suleyman “the Magnificent”*)
http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/otto1/hd_otto1.htm (Art of the Ottomans before 1600)
The Timeline of Art History is a chronological, geographical, and thematic exploration of the history
of art from around the world, as illustrated especially by the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s
collection.
LESSON PLAN TO OTTOMAN LYRIC POETRY
http://www.cmes.arizona.edu/outreach/Danita%20Dodson.pdf
This unit exposes students to a necessary but little-known body of literature, involving them in the
examination of selected aspects of Turkish culture and history. Much of what we most often
identify as “Islamic” or “Middle Eastern” (in terms of music, food, architecture, dress, art) is a
product of the Ottoman synthesis of a vast array of multicultural elements that coexisted under the
canopy of Ottoman rule. Understanding both that students have varied learning styles and that
literary imagery is multi-sensory, this unit is interdisciplinary, integrating Ottoman literature with
art, music, and history. Full poems on pages 17-28.
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THE GOLDEN AGE OF THE OTTOMAN EMPIRE:
SULEIMAN THE MAGNIFICENT
WOMEN IN WORLD HISTORY: A MESSAGE FOR THE SULTAN
http://www.womeninworldhistory.com/sample-10.html
Activity entitled “A 400 Year Old Love Poem.” One of Sultan Suleiman’s most famous poems was
written to Hurrem, the famous slave in his harem whom he later married. He signed it “Muhibbi,”
meaning “lover” or “sweetheart.” Shown on this site in Ottoman Turkish, and partially translated.
TRADITIONAL TURKISH PUPPET SHADOW PLAY
http://www.karagoz.net/english/shadowplay.htm
Puppet shadow play had an important place in Turkey as well as throughout the larger area of the
Ottoman Empire. This site looks at the different traditions of puppet shadow play in Turkey,
including a chance to hear the music, see the main characters, and learn about the technique of this
art form.
A HISTORY OF COFFEE
http://eh.net/XIIICongress/cd/papers/64Kafadar16.pdf
A brief paper by Ottoman historian Cemal Kafadar on the history of coffee and the Ottoman
origins of coffeehouses.
BOOKS & VIDEOS
C. T. Forster and F. H. B. Daniel, eds., The Life and Letters of Ogier Ghiselin de Busbecq,
vol. I. London: Kegan Paul, 1881.
Ottoman Lyric Poetry: An Anthology. Edited and translated by Walter Andrews, Najaat Black,
Mehmet Kalpakli. Austin: University of Texas Press, 1997.
Andrews, Walter G., and Mehmet Kalpakli. The Age of the Beloveds: Love and the Beloved in
Early-Modern Ottoman and European Culture and Society. Chapel Hill: Duke University
Press, 2005.
Atıl, Esin. Süleymanname: The Illustrated History of Süleyman the Magnificent*.
Washington, D.C./New York: National Gallery of Art/Abrams, 1986.
Islam, Empire of Faith (PBS Empires Series). Dir. Robert Gardner. PBS Home Video, 2000.
Note: Different sources have used different spellings or transliterations of the name Suleiman,
including Suleyman and Süleyman. For consistency, we have used Suleiman in our writing, but
when titles of works are included, we have used the spelling found in those titles.
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THE GOLDEN AGE OF THE OTTOMAN EMPIRE:
SULEIMAN THE MAGNIFICENT
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