COMENIUS

EUROPEAN ROOTS AND DREAMS

OUR COUNTRY

HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY, TURKEY The history of Turkey tells of a 10,000 year-old civilisation. Anatolia is a melting pot where cultures from Sumer, Babylon and Assyria interacted for centuries with peoples such as the Hattis, Hittites and Hourrites. The result was a unique Anatolian civilisation which has long inspired the thoughts and legends of the West. The ancient Bronze Age witnessed the establishment of the first independent city states.

The Roman period of Anatolia began with the death of King Attalus III of Pergamon (Bergama) who willed his country to the Romans because he had no direct heir. Anatolia then lived through a period of peace and prosperity, particularly in the 1st and 2nd centuries AD.

In the 11th century, under their leader Tugrul, the Seljuk Turks founded the dynasty of great Seljuks reigning in Iran, Iraq and Syria. In 1071, his nephew Alp Arslan defeated the Byzantines in Malazgirt, near Lake Van. The doors of Anatolia were thus opened to the Turks, and Anatolia went through a profound transformation ethnically, politically, and in the religious, linguistic and cultural spheres. The Seljuk Sultanate in Anatolia continued until the beginning of the 14th century. Anatolia was crossed by the great routes linking the east and west, and many of the caravanserais built along these routes still stand today. In 1296, Osman declared himself the independent Sultan of the region of Söğüt near Bursa and founded the Ottoman State. In 1453, under Mehmet the Conqueror, the Ottomans took Constantinople, a momentous event for the whole world and a great feat of arms. But the banner of Ottoman success was to be raised much higher and by the late l6th century the Ottomans were deep into Europe. In the following centuries, however, the Ottoman Empire lost its momentum, entered a period of stagnation and then gradually a period of decline. The final blow to the Empire came with the First World War, during which The Ottoman Empire was on the losing side with Germany.

At the end of the war in 1918, the Ottoman government, under the occupation of the Allied Forces, choose not to further resist a peace treaty embodying the partition of Turkey. In May 1919, the Greeks, who had been promised a part of Anatolia, landed at Izmir and started an invasion in Western Anatolia while France sought control over South-Eastern Anatolia, and the Great Britain do the same in Istanbul in particular regions of the Middle East.

ATATURK AND TURKEY Against this challenge, the Turkish nation engaged in a struggle to restore her territorial integrity and independence, to repulse foreign aggressors, to create a new state, to disassociate Turkey from the crumbling Ottoman dynasty, to eradicate an old and decrepit order and to build a modern country dedicated to political, social and economic progress. This was the vision of Atatürk, a general in the Ottoman army who had distinguished himself in the defence of Gallipoli (Çanakkale) against the Naval Forces of Britain, France, Australia and New Zealand. The Ottoman victory over the Allies at Gallipoli renewed Turkey's visions for the empire Atatürk wanted a clean break with the past, to unite the nation in the quest for modernism and to lift Turkey to the level of European countries. On October 29 1923, the republic was proclaimed and Atatürk was elected president. Secularism was established by separating religious and state affairs. The Latin alphabet replaced the Arabic script and women were given the right to vote and to be elected as members of parliament. These reforms, as well as many others in all aspects of social life, put Turkey on the track towards becoming a thoroughly modern country.

When Ataturk died in 1938, he left a legacy of which the Turkish people today are proud. A nation that had regained confidence in itself after the independence war; a society determined to preserve the political, intellectual, cultural and social values he had bequeathed. The Turkish Republic has now been a member of the international community for over 80 years. During this period, great changes have occurred and many difficulties have been encountered. But the country remains firmly attached to the policies initiated by Ataturk. It has established a democratic multi-party political system, developed a vibrant civil society, and embarked on the path of industrialisation and market economy. It has consolidated its ties with the west and with the European Union through membership in NATO and the Council of Europe and Customs Union. These trends mark a radical change from the days of the Ottoman Empire. Yet there is also continuity. The Turks have inherited both from the Islamic past and their Ottoman past. They have also inherited from their western past, as well as forming a part of the Western present. All these heritages, Eastern and Western, Asian and European, are intermingled in the civilisation of modem Turkey. A symbol of this union is the two bridges that span the Istanbul Strait, linking the two continents with many pasts and one future.And Turkey is a candidate country negotiating with European Union for being a member of EU.

Mustafa Kemal Ataturk

CADRAE (SEDIR) ISLAND - CLEOPATRA BEACH

This island is located between Mediterranean and Aegean Sea.Beside this island’s nature beauty,there is also Hellenistic and Roman periods of ancient theather and the remains of the ancient port.It is famous by the interesting sand and the sea which has got the every tone of blue.There is a well-known legend about this island; Thousands of years ago Antonius Caesar has offered to marry Cleopatra.When she accepted,Antonius became very happy and prepared the island for their honeymoon.Cleopatra and Antonius swam here and the sands have been brought by the ships from North Africa by Antonius.It’s been said that this type of sand can only be seen in Egypt.Each grain of sand is a perfect sphere and when you put it into mineral water,it will multiply by itself.Also if you look closer,you can see them moving slowly.For this reason the beach is heavily protected by the government.

DERINKUYU UNDERGROUND CITY

There are so many underground cities at Cappadocia area of Turkey. Noone can know how many underground cities there are. The biggest and deepest is Derinkuyu Underground City. There are eight floors and extend at a depth of approximately 85 m.Between the third and fourth levels is a vertical staircase. This passage way leads to a cruciform church on the lowest level. First built by the Phrygians in the 8th–7th centuries B.C .The city could be closed from inside with large stone doors. With storerooms and wells that made long stays possible, the city had air shafts which are up to 100 feet (30 m) deep. Derinkuyu is the largest excavated underground city in Turkey. The complex has a total 11 floors. Each floor could be closed off separately. The city was connected with other underground cities through miles of long tunnels. The city could accommodate between 20,000 and 50,000 people.

GARDEN OF RELIGIONS

Garden of Religions, where there are three places of worship; A mosque, a church and a synagogue in Belek near Antalya, welcomes people from all over the world. This is the only place where there are three religions together after Jerusalem. It is flooded with light and radiate comfort and feeling of security. “There is only one god. We are indeed all brothers and sisters” says the person ,who happily invites visitors to join him on a guided tour.

KAÇKAR MOUNTAINS NATIONAL PARK

Turkey forms a natural bridge between the continents of Asia, Africa and Europe. In particular, the country occupies a unique geographical position at the crossroads between Central Asia and Middle East. The Kaçkar Mountain National Park, created in 1994, covers 51,500 hectares and is situated in the East Black Sea Region in the north-eastern corner of Turkey.The Kaçkar Mountain National Park includes the highest and longest Mountain chain of the East Black Sea Mountains with the Kaçkar (3,932 m) as the highest peak. The mountain massif of the Kaçkar also represents one of the most highly glaciated areas of the Turkish mountains. Today, there are five large glaciers in the Park, which contributes to the biological diversity of the East Black Sea Mountains.There are 11 villages and 44 plateaus or summer pastures and seasonal herders living in the East Black Sea Region use the national park as a pastureland. Tourism activities provide a significant contribution to the rural economy

KIZ KULESI ( LEANDER’S TOWER)

Leander’s Tower is one the Istanbul Strait opposite Salacak. The tower was built in the 12th century during the Byzantine Period. It was occasionally used as a prison but it was actually intended as a light house for shipping.The present shape of the tower was realised during the reign of Sultan Mehmet the Conqueror and later Sultan Mahmut II.

MARDIN

Mardin located between Dicle River and Firat River is one of the oldest city of Mesopotamia Area on the upper Mesopotamia and the settlement in the area start before 4500 B.C. and was first established on the top of a mountain in the area. Those artifacts , constructions and architectures left from Subari, Sumer / Sumerians, Akad, Babil / Babylon, Mitanni, Asur, Persian, Byzantine, Seljuks, Arabs, Artuklu and Ottoman Empire that Mardin served and the artifacts left from those empires and kingdoms makes the city as an open air museum for the visitors. The rich archeological pieces and materials, architectural and historical values makes the Mardin a poem city on eastern Anatolia. Beside the tombs , mosques and monasteries and churches constructed in the name of different beliefs the city was also on the road of the Ancient Silk Road therefore there are plenty of Caravansaries and Hans in the area.Traditional Mardin Houses are the architecture to represent the shape of the whole city.

ULUDAG MOUNTAIN (BURSA)

Uludağ is a mountain in Bursa Province, Turkey, with an altitude of 2,543 m (8,343 ft). It is a popular center for winter sports such as skiing, and a national park of rich flora and fauna. Summer activities, such as trekking and camping, also are popular.

HISTORY OF OUR REGION MEDITERRANEAN AND OUR CITY ANTALYA

In Antiquity, the coastal region where Antalya is located was known as ‘Pamphylia’ and prehistoric artefacts have been found here that date back to the Paleolithic Era.From 560 to 546 BC, the region was dominated by the Lydians, and then by the Persians until Alexander the great subdued Anatolia in 334-333 BC.King Attalos of Pergamum founded the city of ‘Attaleia’ in the 2nd century BC. Attaleia was independent for a short time following the fall of the kingdom of Pergamum in 133 BC, but the fell into the hands of pirates. It was later in corparated into the Roman Empire in 77 BC. An important sea port, Attaleia hosted such figures as Pompeius in 67 BC, and Hadrian in 130 AD. The possession of the city was juggled between the Seljuks and Byzantines from the 7th century onward until Gıyaseddin Keyhüsrev made the city a part of the Seljuk Empire in 1207.Eventually Antalya was added to the Ottoman Empire by Yıldırım Beyazıt in 1391.The city significantly advanced in architecture and culture during both the Seljuk and Ottoman periods.

In 1919 Italians occupied Antalya because of the Mondros Treaty but then in 1921 they left Antalya.In 1923 Republic of Turkey was founded and now Antalya is one of the wonderful city of Turkey.

The city was subsequently visited by many individuals and travellers of historical importance from Queen Cleopatra and Hadrian to Alaaddin Keykubat and Atatürk –Attalos regarded the region as “heaven on earth” while Atatürk descibed it as “ the most beautiful place in the world”. Evliya Çelebi informs us that foreigners expressed their astonishment with the exclamation “Ah Adalya” referring to the name Antalya had then.Nowadays Antalya is known as “the pearl of the Mediterranean and Turkish Riviera” being one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world.

HADRIAN’S GATE ANTALYA

It is one of the best-preserved historic structures in Antalya.The gate was built in 130 AD in honour of the Roman Emperor Hadrian.It is made of white marble except for the columns and decorated with reliefs and engravings.

KARAIN CAVE

Karain Cave is located 30 km northwest of Antalya.Besides its attractive natural features, it is also remarkable as one of the oldest human settlements in Anatolia. Archaeological excavations conducted in the cave have unearthed artefacts from the early Middle and late Stone ages and Chalcolithic and Bronze ages as well as traces of later eras. It was used in later periods as a temple. That’s why Karain Cave has a prime importance in history.

LOWER DUDEN WATERFALL-ANTALYA

The Düden river reaches the sea and its drop height is greater than the upper fall, dropping from a height almost 40 metres to create a gigantic water spray and cloud of mist over the sea.

OLYMPOS

Phaselis is in the west part of Antalya and is between Kemer and Adrasan. After passing Phaselis on the Antalya-Kumluca highway, signposts leading to Olympos and Cirali will be seen and Olympos can be reached by following either route. Cirali is the name of the village near Olympos, which was a port city established in the 2nd century and which continued to flourish until the 15th century A.D. The famous myth of Bellerophontes is said to have taken place here. The antique city is on two sides of a beautiful valley. A sandy beach is found where the town and the valley meet the sea, into which a mountain stream flows. An hour's walk from Olympos brings you to the natural phenomenon of Cirali. Known by the local inhabitants as the " burning mountain " (Yanartas), it is a result of escaping natural gas, whose flames have been shooting heavenwards for centuries.

YIVLI MINARET MOSQUE-ANTALYA

It is the oldest example of a multi-domed mosque with its Yivli Minaret in Anatolia. This 13th century Seljuk edifice is one of the earliest Islamic structures in Antalya.The minaret has 8 vertical grooves in the body and has become a symbol of modern Antalya.

TURKISH CUISINE Turkish cuisine is renowned as one of the world's best. It is considered to be one of the three main cuisines of the world because of the variety of its recipes, its use of natural ingredients, its flavours and tastes which appeal to all palates and its influence throughout Europe, Asia, the Middle East and Africa. The cuisine originated in central Asia, the first home of the Turks, and then evolved with the contributions of the inland and Mediterranean cultures with which Turks interacted after their arrival in Anatolia. Turkish cuisine is in a sense a bridge between far-Eastern and Mediterranean cuisines, with the accent always on enhancing the natural taste and flavour of the ingredients. There is no one dominant element in Turkish cuisine, like sauces in French and pasta in Italian cuisines.

•6 thin and long medium-size eggplants •salt •sunflower oil , for frying •2 onions , chopped •14 ounces ground beef or 14 ounces lam •1 tablespoon tomato paste. •2 large tomatoes•1 teaspoon ground cinnamon •1/2 teaspoon ground allspice • black pepper •1/3 cup chopped flat leaf parsley •1 cup tomato juice Preparation: Trim the caps but leave the stems on the eggplants. Peel 1/2-inch-wide strips off of the skins lengthwise, leaving alternate 1/2-inch strips of peel. Soak the eggplants in water mixed with 1 tbsp of salt for 30 minutes, then drain and dry them. Fry them very briefly in hot shallow oil, 2 or 3 in the skillet at a time, turning to brown them lightly all over. Drain them on paper towels. For the filling, fry the onion in another pan in 2 or 3 tbsp of oil until it is soft. Add the meat and cook for about 5 minutes, crushing it with a fork and turning it over until it changes color. Add the tomato paste and one of the tomatoes, peeled and chopped, and the cinnamon, allspice, salt, pepper, and chopped parsley. Stir well and simmer for about 10 minutes, until the liquid is reduced. Place the eggplants side by side in a single layer in a baking dish. With a sharp pointed knife, make a slit in each one, length wise, along one of the bare strips on the top until about 1 inch from each end. Carefully open the slits and, with a dessertspoon, press against the flesh on the insides to make a hallow pocket. Fill each of the eggplants with some of the filling, and place a slice of the remaining tomato on top. Pout the tomato juice into the dish, cover with foil, and bake in an oven preheated to 350F for about 40 minutes, or until eggplants are soft.

KARNIYARIK (Stuffed Eggplants)

Ingredients:

KOFTE (MEATBALL)

Ingredients 750 grams minced meat (lamb/mutton or beef, a mixture works well)

2 small onions, finely chopped or grated 2 slices of dry bread (without the crust) 1 whole egg 1 bunch of parsley 1 teaspoon cumin 3 teaspoons salt

PreparationSoak the slices of bread in water, until they’re properly sopping. Squeeze out excess water, and crumble the bread over the

meat in a big bowl. (The bread can be omitted if you wish to avoid it). Then add in all the other ingredients, and knead well. Scoop up egg sized pieces of the mixture, and roll them in your hand to shape them into short stubby fingers. Fry on a medium heat until nicely brown. Serve hot with fresh bread, raw onions, salad or chillies.

PIYAZSteep a couple of mugs of white beans overnight.The day after, boil them for 40-50 mins. Put them in a shallow bowl and sprinkle with vinegar. Cut an onion into half-moons and add to the beans.Roughly chop half a bunch of parsley, chop a red pepper into cubes and

add these to the beans also.Now you can make the dressing - this is what makes piyaz taste so

special! You can play about with this to suit your taste.Pour about half a mug of vinegar, 1 tbsp of tahini, 2 tbsp of olive oil and

a pinch of salt and pepper into a jar, stick the lid on and give it a good shake. Pour over the beans and carefully mix everything togetherDecorate

your piyaz to make it look pretty - hard boiled eggs are an essential part of the dish. Use cherry tomatoes and black olives. Piyaz is the ultimate when served with köfte.

Currants 2 tablespoons Parsley 1 small size bunch 40 gramsDill 1 small size bunch 30 gramsFresh mint 10-15 leaves 10 gramsCinnamon ¾ teaspoon Black pepper ¾ teaspoonAll spice ½ teaspoon Lemon juice 2 tablespoons Lemon 1 medium size (100 grams)

Vine Leave Wraps with Olive Oil

Ingredients Vine leaves - 150 gramsWater 2 2/3 cups Salt 3 teaspoons Onion 6 big 600 gramsOlive oil ¾ cup Pine nuts 2 tablespoon Rice 1 1/3 cup Sugar 2 teaspoons

Preparation: Wash the vine leaves and remove the coarse stems. Put the water and a teaspoon of salt in a pot. Bring to boil and add half of the leaves. Simmer them for 4-5 minutes, turning over once. Simmer the other half in similar fashion. Measure the cooking liquid and complete it to 2 3/4 cups and set aside.Peel the onions, wash and chop finely, place in pot together with oil and nuts, cover and sauté for 20 minutes over low heat, stirring occasionally. Stir a few time with the lid removed so that the nuts are browned. Wash and drain the rice and add to the pot and stir a couple of times. Add the remaining salt, sugar and the 1 ¾ cups of the hot cooking liquid, stir and sprinkle with currants. Simmer it on first medium and then low heat for 10-15 minutes, until all the liquid is reduced. Wash the parsley and the dill and remove the stems and chop finely. Add them to the cooked rice together with mint, spices and the lemon juice and leave covered for 10 minutes. Place the vine leaves so that the side with veins face inside when wrapped. Place the prepared filling to one side, fold the side edges over he filling and then wrap it. Cover the bottom of a shallow saucepan with vine leaves and the removed parsley and dill stems and place the wrapped vine leaves over them.Place a heat-proof flat plate over the leave wraps (dolmas). Heat the remaining boiling liquid and add to the pan slowly, pouring from the edge of the dolmas. Cover and simmer over low heat for 50 minutes. Transfer to a serving dish when cool, and garnish with lemon slices.

KUNEFEIngredients:

•Sugar ½ Cup•Water ¾ Cup•Lemon juice 2 teaspoon•Pistachionuts (chopped) ¾ Cup•Margarine 1 Spoon•Kadayİf (Shredded pastry) – 500 gr

Combine sugar and water in a saucepan. Stir over low heat until sugar is dissolved. Boil gently for 5 minutes. Add lemon juice; stir. Boil for 1 minute. Set aside. Combine kadayıf shreds and melted butter in a pan. Break. Kadayif shreds in butter blending well with tips of finger. Divide into half. Spread one half in a slightly greased baking pan 25x35 cm ( 9x9 inch). Pres with finger slightly. Sprinkle with crushed or ground nuts. Press again using a spoon. Repeat same with remaining half, pressing firmly this time. Bake in a moderate oven for 30 minutes or until golden Brown. Remove from oven. Let stand for 2 minutes. Pour warm syrup over. Cover and let stand until syrup is absorbed. Cut into 5-6 cm squares. Arrange on a serving plate. Serve warm or cold.

Preparation:

ASHURE (NOAH’S ARK PUDDING) Ingredients:

1 cup barley•1 cup white kidney beans•1 cup chickpeas or garbanzos •1 cup rice (short-grain)•1 cup raisins •1 cup sugar•10 cups water•10 pcs dried apricots (diced)•10 pcs dried figs (diced)•1 tbsp orange rind•1 tsp cinnamon•1 tsp vanilla extract•1 tsp lemon juice (optional)Garnish :•walnuts (crushed)•dried figs (diced & previously soaked in warm water)•dried apricots (diced & previously soaked in warm water)

Preparation: Wash the barley thoroughly. Measure 4 cups of water in a pot and bring to boil in high heat. Immediately add the barley and cook for 10 minutes. Stir occasionally. Turn the heat off and leave the barley (in this water) overnight.Repeat the same procedure for the chickpeas and white kidney beans leaving them overnight in the same water they were boiled in.Measure 4 cups of water in (each) three separate pots. Boil the barley, white kidney beans and chickpeas until cooked. Discard the water they were cooked in and leave to drain.Remove the skins of the white kidney beans and chickpeas.In a big pot (this will be your main pot), put in 10 cups of water.Add the barley, white kidney beans, chickpeas, rice, orange rind and bring to a boil for about 10 -15 minutes over high heat.Stir and add the sugar, raisins, dried apricots, dried figs, and the rest of the ingredients while reducing the temperature to medium heat. You may also add water from time to time if its necessary since the barley absorbs a lot of water.Stir occasionally.Continue boiling for another 15-20 minutes or until fully cooked. Turn off the heat and leave the pot to rest for about half an hour.Pour into small bowls and garnish with diced dried figs & apricots, chopped walnuts, and fresh pomegranate seeds (optional). Afiyet Olsun! (It's the Turkish way of saying, "Have a good appetite!")

"Bu proje T.C. Avrupa Birliği Bakanlığı, AB Eğitim ve Gençlik Programları Merkezi Başkanlığınca (Ulusal Ajans http://www.ua.gov.tr )yürütülen Hayatboyu Öğrenme Programı kapsamında ve Avrupa Komisyonu'ndan sağlanan hibeyle gerçekleştirilmiştir. Ancak burada yer alan görüşlerden Ulusal Ajans veya Avrupa Komisyonu sorumlu tutulamaz."