| Hospitable
Harbour for 3000 Years: SIGACIK |
 The
small gulf of Sigacik on the shore of the peninsula south of Izmir was described by the
famous 16th century Turkish navigator and cartographer Piri Reis as ‘an anchorage
with water like yufka’, in other words waters as soft and calm as the paper thin
pastry, yufka. Ancient seafarers discovered this hospitable shelter from storms 3000 years
ago.Sigacik lies between the headlands of Doganbey Burnu and Teke Burnu. Its shores have
been home to many of the peoples who made their home in Asia Minor, bringing their rich
array of cultures, and the inhabitants of this region were aptly described by the ancient
Egyptians as ‘the people who live in the heart of the sea’. Today Sigacik is a
magnet for windsurfers, sailors and, less predictably, rock climbers attracted by the
challenge of towering cliffs on a small island.  |
| Santa Claus - Noel Baba |
 Santa Claus, Father Christmas, Kris Kringle, Noel Baba ... whatever you call
the beloved symbol of Christmas, you probably imagine him living in the North Pole,
surrounded by elves and reindeer.
But the real St. Nicholas lived in a warm, sunny town on the Mediterranean Sea -- in what
is now Turkey.
St. Nicholas was born in the town of Patara in 245 A.D. When he was young, his father died
and left Nicholas a great fortune. Instead of spending it on himself, Nicholas started
anonymously giving the money to the needy, especially children.
Nicholas eventually became the Bishop of Myra (modern-day Demre in Turkey), where he
performed several miracles, including saving sailors from drowning and resurrecting three
boys who had been killed by an evil butcher. Today, St. Nicholas is the patron saint of
children, sailors, teachers, students and merchants. |
| Turkish Coffee - Kahve |
 Turkish coffee is very strong coffee made by bringing finely ground coffee, sugar
and water to a boil three times, allowing it to cool very briefly between boilings.
Turkish coffee is made in a special long-handled, open, brass or copper pot called a jezve
or ibrik and served in tiny cups immediately after the third boil.
The bubbly froth that forms on the coffee's surface is said to be a sign of good fortune
for anyone who gets some in their cup. Allow a few moments after Turkish coffee is poured
to let the grounds settle.
When you are done, you can proceed to discover your future in the coffee grind.
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| The History of Coffee |
 The history and
development of the beverage that we know as coffee is varied and interesting, involving
chance occurrences, political intrigue, and the pursuit of wealth and power.
According to one story the effect of coffee beans on behaviour was noticed by a sheep
herder named Kaldi as he tended his sheep. He noticed that the sheep became hyper-active
after eating the red "cherries" from a certain plant when they changed pastures.
He tried a few himself, and was soon as overactive as his herd. The story relates that a
monk happened by and scolded him for "partaking of the devil's fruit." However
the monks soon discovered that this fruit from the shiny green plant could help them stay
awake for their prayers. |
| The History
of Tulips from Turkey to Holland |
 The Tulip were originally a wild flower growing in the Central Asia and were first cultivated by the Turks as early as 1,000 AD. The flower were introduced in the westen Europe and the Netherlands in the 17th century by Carolus
Clusius, a famous biologist from Vienna. In the 1590’s he became the director of the Hortus Botanicus in
Leiden, the oldest botanical garden of Europe, founded in 1587. He was hired by the University of Leiden to research medicinal plants and while doing so he got some bulbs from Turkey from his friend Ogier Ghiselain de
Busbecq, the ambassador of Constantinople (presen-day Istanbul). He had seen the beautiful flower, called tulip after the Turkish word for turban, grow in the palace gardens and sent a few to Clusius for his garden in
Leiden. He planted them and this was the start of the amazing bulb fields we can see today.
In the beginning of the 17th century the tulip were staring to be used as a garden decoration beside the former medicinal purposes. It soon gained major popularity as a trading product, especially in Holland. The interest for the flower were hugh and bulbs were sold for unbelievable high prices. Botanists staretd to hibridize the flower and they soon found ways of making it even more decorative and tempting specimens. Hybrids and mutations of the flower were seen as rarities and a sign of high status.
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| Blue Voyage |
 There
is no better way in which to appreciate Turkey’s infinitely
fascinating history than by water. As devotees of the popular Blue
Voyage know, Anatolia, bridging Asia and Europe, has housed many
civilizations, some of which were in close contact with the sea and
thus built their cities on the Aegean or Mediterranean coasts. Most of
those cities have, of course, fallen. But due to the lack of highways,
many of those ancient sites remain ‘undiscovered jewels’ and are
thankfully still untouched. Even today, some of these coastal areas
are only attainable from the sea. |
| Turkish Odyssey |
 As
a reference or leisurely read, Turkish Odyssey is the most
comprehensive web site about Turkey. In this web site a Hittite will
whisper into your ear how proud he was when they sat down to sign the
first Peace Treaty of human history with the Egyptians; a Phrygian
will give away the secret of their King, Midas’s long donkey ears; a
sorrowful Trojan will explain on a bright coast of the Dardanelles why
they lost the war; Anatolian born St. Paul will let you follow his
footsteps to the heart of his painful mission; finally, an Ottoman is
going to explain how they were so impressed by the magical masterpiece
of the Hagia Sophia when they captured Constantinople. |
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| Did you know? |
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| Besiktas Istanbul |
 Besiktas
is the best soccer club of Turkey. One should not just call it a 'club', because it is a
community, a passion, a culture, a history and a love.
One Besiktas proverb says: "You are not
just a heritage from my father, you are my obligation to my child".
Here you will find the latest about Besiktas. |
| Hakan's Virtual
Bookstore |
 Big
guy Hakan is sharing all his great knowledge about the books that he read. All books are
linked to their corresponding pages on amazon.com. The only problem with him; he knows
nothing about soccer and supports a Byzantine Team. |
| A Love Story |
 This is a five star
Turkish Love story written in exact translation of Turkish Idioms. If you are a native
English speaker and you understand this love story, I will buy you unlimited beer in the
Ledgewood Smiley's Bar. |
| Crazy Language: English |
| Let's face it -- English is a crazy language. There
is no egg in eggplant nor ham in hamburger; neither apple nor pine in pineapple. English
muffins weren't invented in England or French fries in France. Sweetmeats are candies
while sweetbreads, which aren't sweet, are meat |
| So Different: USA |
| I am a Turkish who came to the USA in June 1997 and
working for a software company. I have been to many countries from all over the world. I
tried to list some differences in USA, which is absolutely a world in its own... Well,
they also claim the rest of the world, right? If some of my findings are wrong, or
misunderstood, please accept my apologies. |
| Links to Webcitizen Friends |
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THE
CYBERPORT OF TURKEY