Turkish Culture

When visiting Turkey most people immediately get a sense of a long history that has evolved and gained much influence from the surrounding countries and long-ago empires. Although it is deeply influenced my Middle Eastern cultures, Turkish culture is also a product of its geographical closeness to China, Italy, and even Russia. From its architecture to its food and even in today’s modern lifestyle, Turkey is a city deeply rich in culture. Students of the Turkish language often find themselves enchanted with this country, its people, and its history.

If you want to begin learning about Turkish culture you should begin with its architecture. Although students who want to learn how to speak Turkish might not immediately see the connection between learning about the architecture and studying the Turkish language it is important to understand a peoples history and surroundings. It will ultimately make you a better speaker. The beautiful mosques, churches, palaces, bridges, and bathhouses that are found throughout the country are often thousands of years old. These ancient relics still stand today and bring a sense of rich history to the country. Tourists to Turkey often find that the architecture is one of the key draws to visiting.

The other reason why many people choose to visit Turkey and shortly thereafter learn how to speak Turkish is the food. Through its food, Turkey clearly shows the variety of influences on its culture. Grilled meat kebabs, baklava, Turkish coffee, white cheeses, tea, kofte meatballs, and yogurt are all beloved not just in Turkey but outside of the country as well. When you are visiting Turkey the food alone will be well worth it, but if you don’t plan on going any time soon a Turkish restaurant can provide the same experience in a local setting.

Today’s modern lifestyle in Turkey still owes a debt to its history. Around every corner you will see a building, a book, a painting, or hear a song that has been around since ancient times. The Muslim population in Turkey is high and Islam is considered the primary religion. To that end you will see mosques, Islamic art, and even beautiful textiles that are attributed to Muslim culture. If you want to learn Turkish visiting the country and becoming immersed in the culture and language is a must. You can certainly learn the language without doing so, but you will be missing the key ingredient that can give the language its spark: a sense of Turkish culture.