On Tuesday, the distirct governer, distirict director of national education and department managers and county mayor were visited in the morning. The guests gave information about their countries, towns and schools. Presents were given to one another.

First day: Our guests within the framework of Comenius Project arrived Turkey on May, 2, 2011. The students went to the homes of the families and the teachers went to their hotel after the arrival.

Meanwhile, a group of teachers went to bazaar and did some shopping.

In the afternoon, We went to İznik. İznik(Nicea) was an important Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman town.

The city is surrounded by walls about 5 km long. İznik today is still mostly surrounded by ancient walls with four major Gates Istanbul Gate (İstanbul Kapı), Lefke Gate (Lefke Kapı), Yenişehir Gate (Yenişehir Kapı), and Lake Gate (Göl Kapı),

İznik is also famous for its lake.

It is the fifth biggest lake in Turkey.

İznik municipality was visited.

The 1st and 7th Ecumenical Councils (is a meeting of the bishops of the whole church to discuss about the matters of Church) were held in Iznik in 325 and 787 A.D. And the 7th council was held in this place.

İznik has been well known for its local faience/tile (çini) tradition since 15th century.

Iznik became a major center for pottery-making industry in the 17th century (İznik Çinisi).

Some of our guests were able to watch how İznik tile

is made. Also some students tried it.

Our guests visited some touristic shops and did shopping.

When we arrived İznik museum, it was closed because we were late to visit it. Bu we were able to discover its garden with many ancient ruins.

In the evening, we arrived our school and we presented Sıra Gecesi for our guests.

Sıra Gecesi is a traditional night which originates from the city of Urfa in the north-east Anatolian region of Turkey. According to the tradition in Urfa, a group of friends come together at night in the house of someone who belongs to the group. Every night the group picks a person and the meeting of friends takes place in the house of that person. Thus, friends meet in each other’s house in turns during the week. That’s why this night is called “sıra gecesi”. This night is a casual social activity but it has great importance because it strengthens the bonds of brotherhood and friendship in society. Friends come together during the week to share their happiness or sorrow. They eat and drink during the night. Çiğköfte, a traditional spicy Turkish snack is prepared and served to the guests.

Çiğköfte is made fromwheat, raw meat and spices.It is usually served with lettuce leaves. It is not cooked but kneaded like dough in a large tray.

They play the saz, the traditional musical instrument which is unique to Turkey and sing folk songs of different moods. Sometimes they mourn and sing laments for the people who died or who are abondened by their lovers. Sometimes they sing the songs of joy and happiness and have fun. This is an occasion to share moments of both sadness and joy.

On the stage, there are local people who came to our school to perform sıra gecesi for our guests

Our staff preparing the çiğköfte serving for our guests.

We danced together with our partners on the stage while the musicians played Turkish folk songs

We also had a break and served our guests traditional Turkish pastry gözleme.and our famous Turkish desserts: aşure and tulumba

In the morning we visited the Karagöz museum where the oldest handmade puppets and some musical instruments are displayed.The Karagöz MuseumKaragöz and Hacivat are the two famous puppets of traditional Turkish shadow play. Shadow puppets are flat figures cut from camel or donkey leather, oiled to make them translucent, then perforated and painted, and mounted perpendicularly at the end of sticks. A white sheet is hung as a screen, a strong light put behind it, and the puppets, pressed gently to the light-source side of the sheet, are animated by means of the sticks in the hands of a puppeteer. A talented puppeteer can make the figures walk and dance, jump and fight, nod and laugh. Over the centuries the two original characters have been joined by a host of others, animals as well as humans. The puppets play between two traditional Turkish houses with second-story windows from which the irate wives of the comedians can berate them for their mischief.

It is said that Karagöz and Hacivat lived in Bursa in 1396. They were builders who were working in the construction of the Great Mosque. They had different personalities, therefore they spent most of their time teasing each other in a humorous way. The humorous talk of these two men attracted the other builders and they stopped working to listen to them. Thus, the construction of the mosque slowed down. The Sultan of the period got very angry about this problem and condemned the two men to death. However, the Sultan regretted his decision and became very sad. It is said that, in order to make the Sultan happy again, a man called Sheikh Küşteri made the cardboard figures of Karagöz and Hacivat and performed a shadow play of their talk.

So the legend goes. Whatever may have happened to the comedians, the shadow play based on their jokes, pranks, fights, intrigues, stupidities and friendship survives and prospers to this day in Bursa and across Turkey.Since then, Karagöz and Hacivat has an important place in Turkish theater. Theatrical performances of Karagöz shadow play are given on different occasions. Such performances take place especially in Ramadan, as an evening entertainment for children.

Our guests observing the puppets,posters and some of the musical instruments used during the shadow play performances.

Then, we visited the provincial directorate of National Education . The director Mr. Atilla Gülsar welcomed our guests and appreciated our common activities. He emphasized the importance of protecting cultural values and learning about different cultures. Our guests expressed their delight to have the chance to visit our country and join in this cultural share.

After our official visit, we went to observe the classes of Kültür College, one of the biggest private schools in Bursa. The director of the school invited us to lunch. After lunch the director gave us information about their education system and answered the questions of our guests.

In the afternoon, we went to the Great Mosque (Ulu Cami). The Great Mosque is at the western end of Atatürk Caddesi (the main city-center boulevard) in Bursa's city center, a great big stone box topped by 20 domes.This style of mosque architecture—a big stone square or rectangle topped by small domes—is characteristic of the early Seljuk Turkish empire. Bursa's was built from 1396 to 1399 with money provided by Sultan Yildirim Beyazit (1360-1403).Though plain on the exterior, the Ulu Cami (OO-loo jah-mee) has the impressive portals typical of Seljuk architecture, and is quite grand on the inside: a forest of mighty square columns supporting a cloud of arches and domes. At the center, a glass-covered opening lets in ample light, providing a central visual focus within the large space.Though simple, the design is well suited to Muslim worship, providing a vast covered space that can hold thousands of worshippers in a lofty atmosphere.People are always wandering in and out of the Ulu Cami, most for prayers but some just to enjoy its grand ambience.

Later, our guests explored the city center and did some shopping in the Covered Bazaar(Kapalı Çarşı) and The Zafer Plaza.

Zafer Plaza, the shopping center

Famous silk scarf shops in Kozahan

The Covered Bazaar

Kozahan, the most famous silk bazaar of Bursa

In the evening, we set off to the Dervish Lodge of Karabash-i Veli to watch the sema (the whirling dance of the Sufis). The Sufi dervishes belong to an islamic sect called Mevlevis. Mevlevis are the followers of Mevlana, the great mystic and philosopher who came from Arab lands and settled down in Anatolia. Mevlana did not focus on the strict rules and conventions of religion and based his philosophy on love. Because of the universality of his teaching,his written works are widely read and appreciated all over the world.

Mevlana who is the founder of the Mevlevi sect, introduced the whirling dance which is called the sema. The sema is an experience of love and ecstacy. It is an attempt to leave worldly existence and to explore mysteries of God. The sema is an expression of human beings’ desire to reach a state of purification, enlightenment and union with God.

He welcomed everybody without judging their nationality or religion. In his famous poem, he invited people:

Come, come whoever you are,An unbeliever, a fire worshipper, comeOur convent is not of desperation.Even if you have broken your vows a hundred times, Come, come again

A sema ritual in the garden of the Mevlana Museum in Konya

The Dervish Lodge of Karabash-i Veli

The lodge mostly serves to host performances of the Mevlevi whirling rite put on by the Association to Introduce and Perpetuate Mevlana Culture in association with the Osmangazi Municipality. The nightly “sema” performances attract visitors from all age groups and walks of life. The Osmangazi district’s local administration recently restored many historical structures and sites, transforming them into cultural centers and art galleries to save them from dilapidation resulting from lack of use and maintenance. The Karabash-i Veli Dergah -- “Karabash-i Veli” being the nickname of Sufi saint Ali Atvel, the founder of the Karabashiyya branch of the Khalwati-Shabani Sufi Order -- is one of these recently restored places.

The musicians and the singers of the sacred songs take their places on one side of the hall.

We gathered in the sema hall of the lodge

The sheikh (spiritual leader) enters the hall and stands on his sheepskin post while the semazens (the whirlers) and the musicians stand before him .

The sheikh kisses the sikke (the tall hat)Of the whirlers and the music begins. The semazens start to whirl and they transcend from their earthly existance to the spiritual world.

Every year on 17th of December (the date of Mevlana’s passing), a magnificent sema ceremony is performed in Konya where Mevlana used to live. Hundreds of people go to this city to watch the ceremony live.This ceremony is called Sheb-i Arus which means “wedding day” or “nuptial night”. According to Mevlana, death is not an end but a beginning, It is the true rebirth of man, his union with God. Therefore he wanted his followers to cherish this day by playing the music and performing the sema, the whirling dance which is an ecstatic expression of the Sufis’ love of God.

Sheb-i Arus Performance in Konya

Before the meeting, We thought that it would be better to have a cup of Turkish coffee.

We drank our Turkish coffee. Then we made some predictions about future by looking into cups of coffee.

Now let’s have a short

look how to make

Turkish coffee

On may 5, 2011, we were in Gemlik all day.

HOW TO MAKE TURKISH COFFEE You will need to have a Turkish coffee pot, a spoon, sugar and coffee that has been ground to a fine powder. Although most people use the Arabica beans, it really doesn't matter what kind of coffee you use. However, it should be a medium roast, because you will actually roast it again while making it.

You can get the Turkish coffee in several different ways: A. Purchase a special Turkish Grinder (regular electric grinders with blades spinning at a high speed will NOT do the job) and grind the coffee yourself. We do have these available at our store if you are interested.B. Grind it at your local grocery store! Yes, that's right. You may not have noticed, but most grinders (99.9%)at your local grocery store in the U.S. have a Turkish coffee setting! Just select the "Turkish Coffee" setting and grind your beans.C. Buy it ready made from Turkish Coffee World. We sell it in our store but you can also find it at most Mediterranean stores if you live in a big city.

Preparation1.Measure the amount of cold water you will need.2.Place your pot of water on the stove and turn the heat to medium-high (just until the water heats up).3.Add about 1-2 heaping tea spoons (or 1 tablespoon) of coffee per demitasse cup (3 oz). Do not stir it yet. Just let the coffee "float" on the surface because if you stir it now you might cause it to clump up.4. Add sugar to taste. Do not stir it yet, Let the water warm up little bit as above.

5.When the coffee starts to sink into the water and the water is warm enough to dissolve your sugar, stir it several times and then turn down the heat to low. You should stir it several times, up until it your brew starts to foam (you can also vigorously move your spoon side to side to encourage to start the foaming). 6.When you see the bubble "ring" forming on the surface, turn down the heat a little bit more or move your pot away from the heat source. Pay attention to the bubbles that are forming at this stage. Bubbles should be very small in size.

From this point on watch your coffee carefully. Do not let the temperature get hot enough to start boiling. (NEVER LET IT BOIL - many instructions on how to make Turkish coffee use the term "boiling" but this is totally inaccurate) The key idea here is to let the coffee build a thick froth and that occurs approximately around 158 F or 70 C (i.e., much cooler than the boiling point of water which is 212 F or 100 C at standard pressure. If your brew comes to a boil, you will not have any foam because it will simply evaporate!).

8.Keep it at the "foaming" stage as long as you can without letting it come to a boil. You might even gently stir your brew a little bit at this stage. The more froth, the better it will taste. Also your coffee must be fresh or it will not foam as well. If your brew gets too hot and begins to "rise", then move it away from the heat or just turn it down. You are almost done. Repeat this process until your foam has "raised" and "cooled" at the most couple of times (NOTE 3-4 times like some instructions. Even once is enough). Then pour in to your cups (quickly at first to get out the foam, then slowly) while making sure that each cup has equal amount of foam! If you are serving several cups then you might be better off spooning the foam into each cup.

Drinking1.Turkish coffee is always served with a glass of water. You need to drink the water first to clean your pallet!  2.Wait about half a minute or so to let the grinds settle to the bottom of your cup.3.Find a comfortable spot in which to savor your delicious coffee and remember, drink this Turkish treat..sip by sip.

You can learn some information about your future….

.. a kind of fortune telling…

There are some different shapes in the cups.

Traditional clothes and furniture

We visited our traditional room.

We saw the taditional clothes and furniture of Turkey. We told that these are not used so much. Many people prefer using them as a decorative purpose.

We presented EBRU-TURKISH MARBLING in the school hall.

EBRUTURKISH MARBLING

Through Silk Road this art came first to Iran where it was called EBRU (cloud,cloudy) or ABRU(Waterface).Subsequently this art moved towards Anatolia and named after EBRU in Turkish language. About the end of XVI. century tradesmen, diplomats and travellers coming to Turkey brought this art to Europe and called it "TURKISH PAPER". It was broadly used in Italy, Germany, France and England.

Since the art of mabling had a significant importance in Islamic art, I belive that it is essential to recall the basic principles of Islamic art in order to have a better and closer look at marbling and thereby reach a deeper understanding.

Paper marbling is a method of aqueous surface design, which can produce patterns similar to marble or other stone. The patterns are the result of color floated on either plain water or a viscous solution known as size, and then carefully transferred to a sheet of paper (or other surfaces such as fabric).

The floating paints can be swirled and mixed into patterns. When you lay a treated shirt, piece of fabric or paper down on top of the paint, the paint adheres to the fabric exactly where it touches. The swirly patterns of colored paint are transfered to the shirt or fabric. Each design is unique and can never be repeated. As a technique, it's both easy and hard. It's easy to do, great fun for kids and safe. It's hard in that the more you do, the better results you will get and the difference between your early designs and your later designs will be very noticeable. 

MATERIALS USED IN CLASSICAL TURKISH MARBLINGGum tragacathDyePaintbrushBasinWatenrPaperGall

Gum Tragacant is obtained from trunk of a t**** plant growing naturally in Anatolian, Persian and Turkestan mountains and called "gaven". The sap coming out of scratches made on the branches dries up later and solidifies in bone white colored pieces. It is dropped in water with very low hardness at the rate of 20-40 grams/3 litres and kept for two days.The gum having dissolved completely is filtered through a cloth bag and poured into the basin. It should have a dentisty of buttermilk.Gum tragacanth is widely used as herbal medicene(in throat and stomach diseases) in cosmetic and textile industry.

Dye are "mineral dyes" as it is called in classical method obtained from natural metal oxides. Turkish is a very rich country in respect of such natural dyes. Any kind of earth may be first translated into mud then filtered and crushed to from a dye.

Paintbrushes; are made of horsehair bound around a rose tree stick, in a manner to from a circumference with hollow centre.Rose tree is preferred because it prevents mould. Brushes of different thickness and length enable dye application and dye control.

Basin is made of wood or metal of 4-6 cm. depth an about some milimeter larger than the paper size (to offset the dilatation of paper when wet). Usual paper zizes are 35X50 cm. or 25X35 cm.

Water; preferably withouth hardness.The ideal is distilled water. In older times rainwater was favorite but because of acide rain in our times it is no longer advisable.

Paper: The ideal paper is the one handmade and having a high absorbtion capacity and acid-free. On account of its rarity and high cost we don't advise it to begginers. Instead, any kind of non glossy paper may be used. In order to increasethe absorbtion capaticy and to fix the dye on it(more durable) and alumina solution may be applied on the paper surface. Thus dyes are made more easy to fix.

Gall: The most importent metarial to make marbling. A marbler must well understand what gall is and its functions. To my openion the secret of the marbling lies in the gall

Its main functions are :

1. to ensure surface tension, dye spreading over the water surface otherwise dyes sink.2. to prevent mixture of dyes. For instance when blue yellow are simultaneously applied and mixed up as much as possible never green comes out.3. to assist dye fixation on the paper.4. to give different shades of the same color and different size of patterns.

Dyes are spotted on the surface of the water by means of paintbrushes and according to quantities and colors desired. Dyes should not be too concentrated. Concentric, superposed drops thus applied form a pattern called "Battal". This pattern is the origin of almost all others. Now if this basic pattern is handled by parellel lines made by a thin pencil or chip moved back and forth you obtain "the back-and-forth". If this design is crossed out by means of a comb a "combed-pattern" is obtained.

In case the "back-and-forth" is diagonally crossed again, it becomes "shawl" sample. Combed marbling may be made into back-and-forth or shawl design. When a convolute line is applied from the outer circumference towards the centre you obtain a "nightingale nest". In the event small colorfull dots are spotted on the back-and-forth or shawl design you get the "sprinkled marbling". If, instead, you apply larger dots (which means with higher rate of gall contents) you obtain the "prophyry marble" which resemble most to marble.

The sheet of paper is lard from one side onto any of above designs prepared on the gummed water in the basin. Now this processing makes the dye fixed on the paper. The paper is then carefully lifted off the basin without stripping too much the gum off the surface. In classic Turkish marbling the paper taken out of the basin is not washed off. The thin layer of gum remaining on the surface forms a protective (fixing) coat. The paper is laid on a flat surface and let to dry up.

In case the "back-and-forth" is diagonally crossed again, it becomes "shawl" sample. Combed marbling may be made into back-and-forth or shawl design. When a convolute line is applied from the outer circumference towards the centre you obtain a "nightingale nest". In the event small colorfull dots are spotted on the back-and-forth or shawl design you get the "sprinkled marbling". If, instead, you apply larger dots (which means with higher rate of gall contents) you obtain the "prophyry marble" which resemble most to marble.

The sheet of paper is lard from one side onto any of above designs prepared on the gummed water in the basin. Now this processing makes the dye fixed on the paper. The paper is then carefully lifted off the basin without stripping too much the gum off the surface. In classic Turkish marbling the paper taken out of the basin is not washed off. The thin layer of gum remaining on the surface forms a protective (fixing) coat. The paper is laid on a flat surface and let to dry up.

Presuming every material is made ready, the translation of the patterns made on the surface water is accomplished within 3-5 minutes or at most, 15 minutes. This infinity of colors and shapes quickly formed makes the marbling amazing at and fascinates the spectator

HERE ARE THE SOME EXAMPLES OF EBRU

In the evening we were at social life centre. The partners gave some information about their countries, towns and schools. Also, they showed their performances. Romanian team had a surprise for all of the countries. The night was great because the performances were wonderful.

When we returned our school. Turkish meals were ready for the guests.

At night, we presented one of our traditional ceremonies for our guests. Its name is Henna night.

Henna: Henna is a kind of plant which is used for many purposes especially to dye palms and hair. It is grounded into powder and used after mixing with water.

Henna night: The ceremony held one day before the wedding is called the henna night. Usually dry henna brought by the bridegroom’s family is broken to pieces in a silver or copper vessel by a woman whose father and mother alive, not experienced any separation.

After preparing the bride, veil ornamented with red flake is placed over her head, and she is brought into the middle with hymn and folk songs about henna. Henna that has earlier kneaded with water is brought in on a tray surrounded by candles and placed in the middle of the room. In some places, the henna is first put on the hands of the bride and then distributed to the guests; in other areas the henna is first distributed to the guests, and only after everybody has left is it placed on the bride’s hands. If the woman so wishes, henna can also be placed on her feet and hair.

Considerable attention is paid to charging a woman with a happy marriage, called the “basi bütün” (meaning “whose head is complete”, in a sense, this describes her as someone who has a complete family with husband and children and whose marriage is whole, not separated by divorce) to knead and distribute the henna and apply it to the girl’s hand. The woman places the henna on one of the bride’s hands, and a young girl places it on the other. Before the henna is applied, coins or gold are also placed in her hands by her mother-in-low. Until this, the bride doesn’t accept henna.

After the henna, they keep singing and dancing.

The most common folk song at henna night is as follows:

Yüksek yüksek tepelere ev kurmasinlarAsrı asrı memlekete kiz vermesinlerAnnesinin bir tanesini hor görmesinlerUcanda kuslara malum olsunBen annemi özledimHem annemi hem babamiBen koyumu özledimBabamin bir ati olsa binse de gelseAnnemin yelkeni olsa acsa da gelseKardeslerim yollarimi bilse de gelseUcanda kuslara malum olsunBen annemi özledimHem annemi hem babamiBen koyumu özledimUcanda kuslara malum olsunBen annemi özledimHem annemi hem babamiBen koyumu özledim

ONE OF THE MARVELLOUS CITIES : ISTANBUL

COME AND SEE

On Thursday morning, we went to İstanbul altogether. First of all, We had breakfast among the colourful tulips at Çamlıca hill.

Breakfast !!!

Breakfast !!!

Breakfast !!!

Breakfast !!!

Then Lithuanian Group had to leave early ,so they didn’t visit Hagia Sophia antd Topkapı Palace. We sent off them to their country. The others firstly visited Hagia Sophia .

Hagia Sophia is a great architectural beauty and an important monument both for Byzantine and for Ottoman Empires. Once a church, later a mosque, and now a museum at the Turkish Republic, Hagia Sophia has always been the precious of its time.The mystical city Istanbul hosted many civilizations since centuries, of which Byzantium and Ottoman Empires were both the most famous ones. The city today carries the characteristics of these two different cultures and surely Hagia Sophia is a perfect synthesis where one can observe both Ottoman and Byzantium effects under one great dome.

After 160 years of darkness, Seraphim's face is in daylight.There are 4 seraphim mosaics ( God's protector angels with 6 wings) on the 4 pendentives that carry the dome. The 4 seraphims' faces were covered with 6-7 layers of plaster for almost 160 years during the sovereignty of Ottomans. The last person who saw the faces of the Seraphims was the Swiss architect Gaspare Fossati while he was holding the restoration at Hagia Sophia in 1840s. With a 10 day hard work, experts managed to take off the 7 layers of plasters and reveal the face of one of the seraphims.

The 16 years old scaffold that was standing on the southeast quarter of the dome for reconstruction purposes has been unstitched to be set up to northeast quarter.The certain age of the mosaics is unclear however they are known to be older than 700 years.

Here is Topkapı Palace. We wandered among the tulips in the garden and visited parts of the Topkapı Palace.

With its "irregular, asymmetric, non-axial, and un-monumental proportions" as some European travelers described it, Topkapi Palace was certainly quite different from the European palaces with which they were familiar whether in terms of appearance or of layout. But it was also fundamentally different from oriental or Islamic palaces even though they might have had similar patterns of spatial organization. In fact, Topkapi was a sui generis microcosm, a paradise on earth or "to borrow a term from Ottoman palace terminology" The Palace of Felicity.

Topkapi may be considered a trans-cultural focal point in which a holistic civilization was created from the nomadic culture of Turkish tribesmen whose forefathers had set out from Central Asia and reached Asia Minor with stopovers in Persia and Mesopotamia. Within the historically short period of two centuries, the Ottomans rose from a small, feudal principality to become a major -the major- world power, yet at the same time they possessed a court tradition and culture of their own that was over a thousand years old. Undoubtedly Topkapi involved a synthesis of Byzantine elements but what grew up on the peninsula by the Golden Horn cannot possibly be divorced from its predecessors in Ottoman history.

Home of the Ottoman sultans for nearly 400 years,Topkapı Sarayı ("Palace of the Cannon Gate"—) was the seraglio, the heart of the vast Ottoman Empire, ruled by the monarch who lived in Topkapı's hundreds of rooms with hundreds of concubines, children, and white and black servants.

The main attractions in the palace are the harems quarters and the treasury

After visiting Topkapı Palace, we stopped to eat fish and bread in Eminonu. And then we saw spectacular view of the Bosphorus.

And the day was end with pleasure.

On Friday we sent off Italian and Spanish Groups in İstanbul and

on Saturday we sent off Romanian Group .

Good bye