You may have heard that IH London is offering Turkish Language courses from 23rd May, so we thought we’d set you up beforehand with some fascinating facts about Turkey’s rich, diverse culture and the Turkish language.
1. Constantinople
Turkey’s capital, Istanbul, wasn’t always known as Istanbul. Before, it was known as Constantinople, named after and by the Roman Emperor Constantine (Constantinopolis), which was the ‘de facto’ capital of the Byzantine Empire (the Roman ‘Eastern’ Empire) and the Ottoman Empire. Istanbul most likely emerged from Greek speakers referring to trips to Constantinople as eis tēn polin, “into the city.” Later, this Greek phrase led to people calling the city Istinpolin, which then over several centuries, became Istanbul.
2. Kapalı Çarşı
America may be known for its huge malls but Turkey’s Kapalı Çarşı, also known as the Grand Bazaar of Istanbul, is known as one of the world’s first and largest shopping mall. It was first set up in 1455, shortly after the Ottoman conquest of Constantinople (former Istanbul). This was part of an effort to build the economic growth of the city. The Grand Bazaar structures were originally built with wood, but after several fires, they were rebuilt in stone and brickwork, and eventually covered hence its name literally translating to “The Covered Market”. The mall began as a centre for the trading of textiles and is still today draped in overhanging carpets, decorated with lanterns and populated by kiosks selling fashion, food and much more. A landmark of Istanbul, it is one of the world’s most-visited spots by both locals and tourists.
3. Troia
Building on Turkey’s incredible history, we turn to Troy! The ancient city Troia, now ruins based in the harbour town Canakkale, has been stated to be the most likely location of Troy, where the Trojan War took place. An event detailed across various ancient epic literature, such as Homer’s The Odyssey and The Iliad, the city itself is legendary and has artefacts from many periods of history as it was taken over by numerous rulers between c.2600AD and 500AD. In the old town of Canakkale, you can also walk around a sculpture of the famous Trojan horse!
4. Göbekli Tepe
Built into a plateau near Urfa, you will find one of the oldest temples in the world amongst the ruins of a temple called Gobekli Tepe (meaning”Belly Hill” in Turkish) which consists of 20 circular stone enclosures. Compared to Stonehenge and is stated to be even older (by 6.000 years!), one of the enclosures features highly decorated carved pillars, showing ancient depictions of human figures. Thought to be built by hunter-gatherers around 11,500 years ago at the beginning of the Neolithic era, the site is claimed to be the world’s first temple or place of religion as there is little evidence to show it was an inhabited city (with no agricultural structures, houses, kitchens or market centres in place).
5. Titles and Respect
In the Turkish language, when you are meeting somebody for the first time (especially when they are older), it is custom to address them by their name and a title – for example, teyze for “auntie” or amca for “uncle”. If you don’t know their name, you can then address them as hanımefendi (madam) or beyefendi (sir). It is considered impolite otherwise if you were to address somebody by just their first name when meeting them.
6. The Turkish didn’t use surnames until the year 1934.
In 1934, a ‘Surname Law’ (in Turkish: “Soyadı Kanunu”) came into force where all Turkish citizens had to take a family surname. Beforehand, people did not have fixed surnames and addressed others by using titles such as “hoca” (teacher), “paşa” (general), “hafız” (someone who has completely memorized the Quran), by using their father’s name with the suffix “-oğlu” or often by referencing their local hometown/trade/personal family heritage (such as an animal or weapon). Have a look at the variety and creativity of many Turkish surnames:
7. Turkish Words in English
We live in a highly globalised world and there is constant cultural exchange between countries, which becomes particularly evident in the emergence and usage of ‘loanwords’. The same goes for the Turkish language! Throughout the years, the English language has incorporated words taken from Turkish which are now regularly used day-to-day, such as:
- Kiosk (from köşk, an open summerhouse)
- Kayak (from kayık)
- Yogurt (from yoğurt)
- Pastrami (from pastırma)
- Caviar (from havyar)
The same can be said for the opposite, where many English words have been loaned by the Turkish language. Watch below to learn which words those are!
8. Alphabet
The Turkish alphabet has gone through many changes and in today’s alphabet, the letters Q, W, and X do not exist. Instead, Q is replaced with K, W is pronounced with V, and X is replaced with KS! Have a look at the full alphabet and practice your pronunciation below:
9. Whistling in Turkish
In the village of Kuşköy (in the province of Giresun, North-East of Turkey), the locals also communicate through a whistled variety of Turkish called “kuş dili” (translated as ‘bird language’) which has been used for over 400 years. As the geography of this particular region is made up of deep valleys, this unique language means the residents can converse across distances of up to 4 kilometres. This form of language is rare, with around 10,000 people using it.
10. Turkish people throw water after a goodbye
As this blog reaches its final fact, we thought we do it the Turkish way! Traditionally, the Turkish often spill water in some form after someone who is leaving. This means they wish you a happy return. The trilingual YouTuber Ekin Bakar speaks about this Turkish tradition as well as others in her series of ‘Weird Turkish Habits’. This is a great video to learn about modern and old customs alike with Turkish subtitles available to develop your vocabulary.
If you feel ready to sign up, please check out our Turkish courses here to build your knowledge of the culture and discover a rich, unique language.