The history of bird houses goes way back. The construction of bird palaces and houses, which has been developing since the 15th century in accordance with classical Ottoman architecture, reached different aesthetic dimensions through the 19th century. In fact, the purpose of making bird palaces is to provide shelter to freely flying birds, to protect them from burning sun and …
The beautiful adornments of our red flag, the crescent and the star, are explained in many different ways. As famous poet Mehmet Akif addresses the Turkish red flag with the crescent and the star during the Turkish National Anthem, which is sung by the children with a lot of enthusiasm at ceremonies, many works today emphasize that the crescent and …
Combining truth and legend, with black eye patches and black skull flags, pirates are the fearful nightmares of sailors. Nowadays, pirates depicted in movies are barbarian haramis who seize the ships for the booty, especially in the open seas, and kill people mercilessly. However, the term Pirate in the Ottoman evokes many different meanings. Would it surprise you if we …
The expression “Every Turk is born as soldier!” is among the slogans shouted in the farewell ceremonies for soldiers, which is one of our social traditions. And it actually tells a historical truth. According to some historians, the 5000-year Turkish history begins in Central Asia with the oldest army ever. In the Central Asian steppes where the nomadic culture is …
The vampire myth is believed to have originated in the west by the great influence of popular culture. While witches and ghouls are popular in the East, the “vampire” is seen as a product of western culture. However, one of the biggest symbols of the vampire cult, Count Dracula, was also sourced from Vlad III, who was a prince that …
The First World War revealed a huge devastation that caused both the winner and the loser to face a great economic storm. Before the end of the First World War, Russia, in 1917, gave up and found itself in the middle of internal conflicts. On the one side were the Tsar and the defenders, on the other side, the communists. …
The biggest contributor to the secularization of the Turkish legal system is a French citizen of Polish descent named Count Leon Ostrorog.
During the Ottoman period, there was a great deal of tolerance among people. Many individuals from different nations lived happily together, especially the Jews, who settled in Istanbul after escaping the oppression and inquisition in Spain. They made many contributions to the Ottomans in terms of culture, art, and economy. The Kamondo family was one of the families that brought …
The relationship between the Turks and the Chinese dates back to the early period of our histories. These two races have fought many times and have also engaged in commercial and cultural interactions. As the Turks became stronger and more powerful in the world after a certain period so the Turks began to put the pressure on the Chinese. China …
İstanbul is a strategic city that has for generations been the center of states and empires. After it has been conquered by the Ottomans, the city attracted attention not only with its political position but also with its works in historical and modern areas, such that over time, poems have been about on the city, songs have been composed about …