TARHAN B. UZLUG EL-FARABI

Muhammad ibn Tarhan ibn Uzlug el-Farabi, also known as Alpharabius or Avensar in medieval Latin texts, born 878 in Turkistan, died 950, one of the most brilliant and famed of Muslim philosophers; also know as the second teacher, (Aristotle being the first). He was of Turkish origin. Farabi’s father was in the Turkish bodyguard of the caliph, and his life was spent in Baghdad and Aleppo.

Farabi, al: Encyclopedia Britannica, 1980 edition, Vol.4, p.51. (more…)

EBU MANSUR MATURIDI

The three architects of Turk-Islamic thought are Maturidi, Farabi and Yesevi and they all converge on mysticism in their approach to the “God-human relationship”. Because the religious beliefs and practices of Turks before Islam had so many mystic characteristics, it is necessary to seek the roots of Turkish Sufism, otherwise also known as Turkish mysticism or “folk piety”, in the ancient beliefs of the Turks. This power penetrated into the Turkish thought life so much that it is possible to see its influence in every stage of Turk-Islamic thought. (more…)

TURKISH HUMANISM AND ANATOLIAN MUSLIM SAINTS (DERVISHES)

Khorasan Dervishes , including “Haci Bektas-i Veli” the great Turkish thinker, had mixed up in the same culture, Christian communities living in Anatolia with Turkmen groups come by immigration, through activities of education and reconstruction and had not played a vital role in creation of cultural integrity in Anatolia and constitution of Central Authority. A number of Dervishes who had come to Anatolia by way of immigration settled in secluded road junctions, opened lodges (Zaviye) there, and these institutions established on unsettled territories had been converted into centers of culture, reconstruction and religion in time. (more…)

The trained animals, and particularly, the wild animals that formed an integral part of the Ottoman circus, were attached to the royal palace. It was, therefore, what might well be termed a “state circus.” Though known at aslanhane or lion-house, the imperial menagerie also contained elephants, giraffes, rhineceri and such like animals. In the 16th Century one can examine these in the light of information gleaned from contemporary writings and drawings. Most of these are by foreigners who, since there were no menageries in Europe at that time and illustrations were scarce, were seeing giraffes and rhinoceri and elephants for the first time, animals of whose very names they had a very uncertain knowledge. These animals were not, however, confined to the menagerie. They were also taken out into the streets and displayed to the populace. Trained in the same way as circus animals, they could give various types of performances. Above all, their skills were displayed to the populace in the great public festivities, as can be seen in the miniature contained in the festival books. (more…)

A glimpse of a dance in the Ottoman Court, during the reign of Ahmet III is captured by the artist Levni in the miniature below.

During the time of the Ottoman Empire dancing was form of entertainment enjoyed both at court and amongst ordinary people. Unfortunately these dance traditions have not survived to the present day, and our information about them is restricted mainly to Ottoman miniatures and drawings and paintings by Europeans who visited Turkey in past centuries. When exploring the history of Ottoman dance it is important not to confuse such authentic documents with the works of European Orientalist painters, who depicted not what they had seen but what they imagined. (more…)

This music by anonymous composers has come down from generation to generation ,in folk songs and dances. Turkish folk songs are lyrical and depict feelings and events in life including love, happiness, sorrow and sadness. Variations on any one tune can be found.

Turkish folk music, structurally speaking, falls into two categories: (more…)

‘Yazma’ is the name given to the application of designs to textiles either directly with a brush called “kalem”, or using a wooden mold carved in relief. The major centers for this art in the Ottoman period were Amasra, Bartin, Diyarbakir, Gaziantep, Hatay, Istanbul, Kastamonu, Tokat, Yozgat and Zile. The specimens from Istanbul rose to prominence with its hand-painted ‘Kandilli’ textiles, highly prized for their artistry, in the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries.

Production of such hand-printed textiles commences with the application of designs previously drawn on paper to a piece of cloth stretched over a frame. The outlines are first traced using only a brush, and the areas to be colored are then filled in, exactly as if making a painting. Prints of this type are also known as ‘hand-prints’. In the combined technique, the outlines are first printed on the cloth with a wooden mold, and the colors then filled in with a brush. In block-printing both the black outlines and the colored areas are applied to the cloth using appropriate molds. (more…)

Anatolia’s thousand and one species of plants and gaily colored flowers are reborn in the imagination and inner eye of its women. The history of the decorative edging known in Europe as ‘Turkish lace’ is thought to date back as far as the 8th century B.C. to the Phrygians of Anatolia. Some sources indicate that needlework spread from 12th century Anatolia to Greece and from there via Italy to Europe. Traditionally, the headdresses and scarves women wore on their heads, the printed cloths, and prayer and funeral head coverings were decorated with various kinds of oya, which was also used on undergarments, to adorn outer garments, around the edges of towels and napkins and as a decorative element in many other places. In the Aegean region even men’s headdresses were decked with layers of oya. (more…)

The art of embroidery, which belongs to an ancient tradition with roots extending from the dawn of history to the present day, has traditionally occupied an important place in Turkish life. Needlework found a particularly wide range of applications, among the Ottoman Turks, especially in the court and its circle which produced embroidery of such high quality that it has all the characteristics of fine art. This is true even of terms used in the daily life of the palace, such as men’s and women’s garments, for example robes, kaftans, underclothing, a variety of decorated headscarves, numerous kinds of headgear, such as headbangs called kaştıbastı; and, also waist bands, belts, and handkerchiefs. The most striking examples of Turkish embroidery, however, are those that were used in the furnishings of the palaces-divan and cushion covers, floor coverings known as nihale, wall and door curtains, and covers for the throne. Embroidery, however, was not an art limited to the palace. On the contrary, because textiles of all kinds were so closely connected with the Turkish way of life, embroidery was produced and used at every level of society, from the most exalted to the humblest. Whether made for a sultan or a peasant, it added color and beauty to everything from military campaign tents to the most delicate hand towel. (more…)

Turkish fabrics are unique in weaving features, materials used and designs reflecting Turkish taste. Research on the subject identified about six hundred and fifty names such as Kadife, Atlas, Gezi, Canfes, Selimiye, Hatayi, Catma, Seraser, Sevayi, etc. The main material was silk with gold and silver threads, rich in motifs such as flowers (tulips, carnations, roses, spring blossom, and hyacinth), trees (apple, date palm, cypress), animals (peacock, deer), crescent moon, star motifs, fruit (pomegranate, apple, date, artichoke, pineapple), etc. An excellent reference on the subject is “The Art of Turkish Weaving”, by Nevber Gurusu, Redhouse, Istanbul, 1988 with an extended list of additional resources. (more…)