Language
Turkish is the mother tongue of 90 percent of the population of the country.
Some 70 other languages and dialects are also spoken, including various dialects
of Caucasian and Kurdish as well as Arabic, Greek, Ladino and Armenian. The
Turkish language of Turkey represents the southwestern arm of the community of
Turkic languages within the Ural-Altay linguistic family that slowly evolved
over time. Groups speaking these languages spread to the east and northeast out
of Central Asia, and particularly to the west. Ever since the very earliest
times, Turkish has influenced various dialects of Middle Persian, and turned the
Caucasus and Anatolia away from the Indo-European group of languages. With the
acceptance of Islam, Arabic on the one hand and Persian on the other had a clear
influence on the Turkish language. Since the end of the 19th century such modern
Turkic written languages as the Turkish of Turkey itself, Azerbaijan and Kazakh
Turkish, based on Turkish dialects, have emerged. Of the 4,000 or so languages
currently spoken in the world, Turkish ranks seventh in terms of numbers of
speakers and area, being used by around 200 million people.
Ever since the 8th century, the Turks have employed a number of alphabets,
although mainly the Göktürk, Uyghur, Arabic and Latin ones. After the
foundation of the Republic and the establishment of national unity, and
particularly between 1923 and 1928, people began to focus on the alphabet
problem in Turkey. The founder of the Republic, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, believed
that it was essential to make use of Western culture in order for the country to
reach the level of contemporary civilisation, to which end, in 1928, he brought
about the acceptance of Latin letters, modified to reflect the sounds of the
Turkish language, to replace the Arabic alphabet.
The Language Revolution continued in 1932 with Ataturk's establishment of the
Turkish Language Research Society in order to simplify the language. After its
foundation, that body took the name of the Turkish Language Board. Its work
produced positive results, and important steps were taken in order to simplify
Turkish and rid it of its Arabic and Persian words. The Turkish Language Board
is still active today, with amended statutes, within the main body of the
Language and History Higher Board. Among the board's responsibilities are the
simplification, enrichment and beautification of the Turkish language. The most
important result of the work carried out to date is that while before 1932
Turkish words represented only 35-40 percent of the lexicon, that figure has
today reached 75-80 percent. This fact is the greatest proof of the value to the
Turkish people of Ataturk's Language Revolution.
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Who are Turks?
History of Turks and Turkey
The
Republic of Turkey, founded in 1923, has its roots in two historical sources
deep in the depths of the past. One of these resources inherited by modern
Turkey is the successful and shining history of the Turks over a time frame of
more than 4,000 years. The other is the fact that Turks have been settled in
Anatolia since the 11th century.
The
Huns
The first Turkish tribe that is mentioned in
history is the Huns. Clear records about the Huns made their appearance in the 8th
century B.C. Chinese sources refer to the Huns as Hiung-nu and in time, some of
the Huns migrated to the West.
The
Gokturks
Founded in 552 AD by Bumin Khan, the Gokturks
engaged in widespread diplomatic activity. The famed Orhun epitaphs from this
period are made up of the tombstone inscriptions of Tonyukuk (d.720), Kültigin
(d.731) and Bilge Kagan (d.734)
The
Uygurs
The rule of the Göktürks was brought to an end
in the year 745 by the Uygurs, who were of the same ethnic stock as themselves.
In this manner all the Turks who had converged under the banner of the Göktürks
were dispersed to that of the Uygurs that the agricultural basin where they
lived became known as Turkistan. In the year 1229, the Mongols put an end to
Uygur sovereignty; the Uygurs however, became their cultural and political
mentors.
The Turks and Islam
Contacts between the Turks and Moslems commenced
at the beginning of the 8th century and some of the Turks began to favour Islam.
However the pro-Arab policies of the Omayads (661-750 A.D) restricted these
relations somewhat. Later, many Moslem Turks took office in the Abbside
government and because of this, great interest in the Islamic world spread among
the Turks beyond the River Ceyhun. Commercial caravans also played a major role
in the spread of Islam into the steppes of Central Asia. The Turks became fully
Moslem by the 10th century, and this resulted in the achievement to political
unity. Following these developments, the first Moslem Turkish state was formed
by the Karahans.
The
Karahans
The Karahans ruled between 990-1212 in Turkistan
and Maveraünnehir. The reign of the Karahans is especially significant from the
point of view of Turkish culture and art history. It is during this period that
mosques, schools, bridges and caravansarays were constructed in the cities.
Buhara and Samarkand became centres of learning. In the period, the Turkish
language found the means to develop. Among the most important works of the
period is Kutadgu Bilik (translated as "The Knowledge That Gives
Happiness") written by Yusuf Has Hacib, between the years 1069-1070.
The
Ghaznavids
The Ghaznavi state was formed in the year 963 by
the Turkish ruler Sevuktekin and is one of the first Moslem Turkish states and
worked relentlessly for the expansion of Islam in India. The Ghaznavids finally
collapsed in 1186 and were assimilated by the Oguz.
The Turkish scholar Ebu Reyhan el-Beyruni makes this period an important one
within Islamic cultural history and wrote the famed work by the poet Firdevsi,
the ?ehname, was also written in this period (A.D. 1009)
The
Seljuks
The Oguz, who destroyed the Ghaznavid state,
succeeded in bringing Anatolia, Iraq, the southern part of the Caucasus,
Azerbaijan and the north of Iran under Turkish rule. The Oguz had first formed
the Göktürk Empire in the 6th century; after the expansion of Islam among the
Turks, but among the Turks the Oguz came to be called the Turkmens.
Tugrul Bey and Çairy (Çakir) Bey were the
grandsons of Seljuks whose name the Seljuks Dynasty adopted. In their time they,
and the Ouz, known as the Seljuks in history, subdued Horasan, defeated the
Ghaznavid ruler Mesud in Dandanakan Battle and established the Great Seljuk
empire in 1040.
In 1071, Alp Arslan (1063-1072) fought the
battle of Malazgirt and having defeated the Byzantine Emperor's forces in this
battle opened the doors of Anatolia to the Moslem Turk.
The year 1071 is considered to be the beginning
of the Turks and that of Islam Anatolia. It is following this date that the
Turks fully conquered the whole of Anatolia and established the Anatolian Seljuk
state there as a part of the great Seljuk Empire.
The first schooling institutions, the Moslem
theological medreses, were formed in Anatolia during the time of Kylyç Arslan
(1153-1192), one in Konya and the other in Aksaray. Following the establishment
of these two medreses the medreses of Syrcaly in Konya (1242-1243), Karatay
(1251), Ynce Minareli (1251-1253), Atabekkiye (after 1251-1268), Gökmedrese in
Sivas (1271), Buruciye (1271-1272), Çifte Minareli (1271), and the Cacoglu in
Kirsehir (1272) were established.
The Seljuks also attributed much importance to
the medical sciences and in almost all their cities medical institutions called
Darush-Shifa, Darul-Afiye and Darus-Sihna and hospitals were set up. The main
medical treatment centres are the Gevher Nesibe in Kayseri (1205), the Izzettin
I Keykavus in Sivas (1217), the Torumtay in Amasya (1266), the Muinuddin Pervane
in Tokat (1275) and the Pervaneoglu Ali in Kastamonu (1272).
Because of the Persian influence coming from
Iran among the intellectuals, the administrators, the men of arts and the
traders, the Anatolian Seljuk state became increasingly affected by Iranian
culture and language.
The Beyliks
The Period Principalities
Political unity in Anatolia was disrupted from
the time of the collapse of the Anatolia Seljuk State at the beginning of the
14th century (1308), when until the beginning of the 16th century each of the
regions in the country fell under the domination of Beyliks (Principalities).
Eventually, the Ottoman Principality which destroyed all the other
Principalities and restored political unity in Anatolia, was established in the
Eski?ehir, Bilecik and Bursa areas.
On the other hand, the area in central Anatolia
east of the Ankara-Aksaray line as far as the area of Erzurum remained under the
administration of the Ilhani General Governor until 1336. The infighting in
Ilhan gave the principalities in Anatolia their complete independence. In
addition to this, new Turkish principalities were formed in the localities
previously under Ilhan occupation.
During the 14th century, the Turkomans, who made
up the western Turks, started to re-establish their previous political
sovereignty in the Islamic world.
Rapid developments in the Turkish language and
culture toot place during the time of the Anatolia Principalities. In this
period, the Turkish language began to be used in the sciences and in literature,
and became the official language of the Principalities. New medreses were
established and progress was made in the medical sciences during this period.
Gül?ehri, Nesimi (d.1404) and ahmedi
(1325-1412) are the prominent Turkish language poets of the 15th century.
The
Ottomans
The Ottoman Principality was founded by a
Turkoman tribe living on the Turkish-Byzantine border. The geographic location
of the principality and the weak state of the Byzantines combined to make the
Ottoman principality the strongest state within the Islamic world by the 14th
century.
When Fatih Sultah Mehmet II. conguered the
Byzantine capital in 1453, the Ottoman state became the strongest of the time.
The tolerant approach taken by Fatih Sultan Mehmet II toward other religions and
to the adherents thereof became a tradition accepted by his successors.
Following the capture of Istanbul, the Orthodox Church was freed from obedience
to the Catholic Church and granted its independence.
On the other hand, the technical superiority of
the Ottoman army began to be evident during the reign of Selim I. The Ottomans
has added, in addition to the major part of east Anatolia, the lands considered
holy in the Islamic world-Mecca and Medine and their territories.
The brightest period of the Ottoman State was
during the reign of Sultan
Suleyman (1520-1555) when the boundaries of the Empire spread from the
outskirts of Vienna to the Persian Gulf and from the Crimea to an expanded north
Africa as far as Ethiopia.
The Ottoman empire continued to acquire
territory until the middle of the 17th century. In 1683, it suffered its first
major defeat in the siege of Vienna.
As the losses of land and sought continued, the
Ottoman Empire sought salvation in a series of reform movements and established
education institutions taking after the western institutions which had shown
great developments after the Renaissance.
The declaration of the "Tanzimat"
Reform movement in 1839 is considered a major link in the chain of modernization
events which had continued unabated since the beginning of the 17th century.
The Tanzimat Decree is considered to be a kind
of constitution which gave Turkey the means to enter road to contemporary
civilization.
The principles inherent in the Tanzimat Reform
Decree thereby laid the basis for the constitutional regime of modern Turkey and
the realization of secularism.
Despite many internal problems and disturbances
during the reign of Abdülaziz (1861-1876) the effects of westernization in
society became even more evident. Namyk Kemal, Ziya Pasha, Mustafa Fazyl Pasha
and his friends published the newspaper "Hürriyet" (Freedom) in
London in the year 1864. The literary themes of the newspaper later gave way to
political issues. Although it is because of these trends that the first
constitution was promulgated under the leadership of Mithat Pasha in 1876,
Sultan Abdülhamid II (1876-1909) used the Ottoman-Russian war (1877-78) as an
excuse to dissolve Parliament and effectively put an end to this constitutional
period. The Ottoman empire entered the First World War in 1914 on the side of
the allied powers.
The Ottoman State emerged defeated from the war,
together with its allies, and was compelled to sign the Mudrow Armistice on
October 30, 1918. Also among the terms of the armistice was a provision that the
cocupying powers might occupy areas deemed to be of strategic importance; the
powers started therefore to occupy Anatolia on November 1, 1918 according to
these terms.
On May 15, 1919, the Greeks occupied Yzmir. A
national resistance movement commenced. In many areas of the country the Society
For Defence of Rights (Müdafaa-i Hukuk) started to spring up, and the military
arm of the society, called the Kuvayi Milliye. Started to take action.
The resistance movement was, until Mustafa Kemal
landed at Samsun, sporadic and disorganized; under his leadership the resistance
became cohesive, its forces progressively turned into an organized army and the
movement became a full scale war of independence.
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Turkish Cuisine
For
those who travel engaged in culinary pursuits, the Turkish Cuisine is a very,
curious one. The variety of dishes that make up the Cuisine, the ways they all
come together in feast-like meals, and the evident intricacy of each craft offer
enough material for life-long study and enjoyment. It is not easy to discern a
basic element or a single dominant feature, like the Italian "pasta"
or the French "sauce". Whether in a humble home, at a famous
restaurant, or at a dinner in a Bey's mansion, familiar patterns of this rich
and diverse Cuisine are always present. It is a rare art, which satisfies your
senses while reconfirming the higher order of society; community and culture.
A practical-minded child watching Mother cook "cabbage dolma" on a
lazy; gray winter day is bound to wonder : "Who on earth discovered this
peculiar combination of sautéed rice, pine-nuts, currants, spices, herbs and
all tightly wrapped in translucent leaves of cabbage all exactly half an inch
thick and stacked up on an oval serving plate decorated with lemon wedges? How
was it possible to transform this humble vegetable to such heights of fashion
and delicacy with so few additional ingredients? And, how can such a yummy dish
possibly also be good for one"
The modern mind, in a moment of contemplation, has similar thoughts upon
entering a modest sweets shop in Turkey where "baklava" is the generic
cousin of a dozen or so sophisticated sweet pastries with names like : twisted
turban, sultan, saray (palace), lady's navel, nightingale's nest... The same
experience awaits you at a "muhallebi" (pudding shop) with a dozen
different types of milk puddings.
One
can only conclude that the evolution of this glorious Cuisine was not an
accident. Similar to other grand Cuisine of the world, it is a result of the
combination of three key elements. A nurturing environment is irreplaceable.
Turkey is known for an abundance and diversity of foodstuff due to its rich
flora, fauna and regional differentiation. And the legacy of an Imperial Kitchen
is inescapable. Hundreds of cooks specializing in different types of dishes, all
eager to please the royal palate, no doubt had their influence in perfecting the
Cuisine as we known it today The Palace Kitchen, supported by a complex social
organization, a vibrant urban life, specialization of labor, trade, and total
control of the Spice Road, reflected the culmination of wealth and the
flourishing of culture in the capital of a mighty Empire. And the influence of
the longevity of social organization should not be taken lightly either. The
Turkish State of Anatolia is a millenium old and so, naturally, is the Cuisine.
Time is of the essence; as Ibn'i Haldun wrote, "The religion of the King,
in time, becomes that of the People", which also holds for the King's food.
This, the reign of the Ottoman Dynasty during 600 years, and a seamless cultural
transition into the present day of modern Turkey led to the evolution of a grand
Cuisine through differentiation, refinement and perfection of dishes, as well as
their sequence and combination of the meals.
It
is quite rare when all three of the above conditions are met, as they are in the
French, the Chinese and the Turkish Cuisine. The Turkish Cuisine has the extra
privilege of being at the cross-roads of the Far-East and the Mediterranean,
which mirrors a long and complex history of Turkish migration from the steppes
of Central Asia (where they mingled with the Chinese) to Europe (where they
exerted influence all the way to Vienna). All these unique characteristics and
history have bestowed upon the Turkish Cuisine a rich and varied n umber of
dishes, which can be prepared and combined with other dishes in meals of almost
infinite variety, but always in a non-arbitrary way This led to a Cuisine that
is open to improvisation through development of regional styles, while retaining
its deep structure, as all great works of art do. The Cuisine is also an
integral aspect of culture. It is a part of the rituals of everyday life events.
It reflects spirituality, in for ms that are specific to it, through symbolism
and practice.
Anyone who visits Turkey or has a meal in a Turkish home, regardless of the
success of the particular cook, is sure to notice how unique the Cuisine is. Our
intention here is to help the uninitiated to enjoy Turkish food by achieving a
higher level of understanding of the repertoire of dishes, related cultural
practices and their spiritual meaning.
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Culture
Among the prominent statesmen of the 20th century, few articulated the supreme
importance of culture as did Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, founder of the Turkish
Republic, who stated: "Culture is the foundation of the Turkish
Republic." His view of culture encompassed the nation's creative legacy as
well as the best values of world civilization. It stressed personal and
universal humanism. "Culture," he said, " is a basic element in
being a person worthy of humanity," and described Turkey's ideological
thrust as "a creation of patriotism blended with a lofty humanist
ideal."
To create the best synthesis, Atatürk underlined the need for the
utilization of all viable elements in the national heritage, including the
ancient indigenous cultures, and the arts and techniques of the entire world
civilization, past and present. He gave impetus to the study of earlier
civilizations of Anatolia -- including Hittite, Phrygian, Lydian and others.
Pre-Islamic culture of theTurks became the subject of extensive research which
proved that, long before the Seljuk and Ottoman Empires, the Turks had already
created a civilization of their own. Atatürk also stressed the folk arts and
folklore of the countryside as a wellspring of Turkish creativity.
The development of painting, sculpture and the decorative arts had been
arrested by Ottoman officials, who claimed the depiction of the human form was
idolatry, but these arts flourished during Atatürk's presidency. Many museums
were opened and architecture gained new vigor. Classical Western music, opera
and ballet, as well as theater took impressive strides.Several hundred
"People's Houses" and "People's Rooms" all over Turkey gave
local people and youngsters a wide variety of artistic activities, sports and
cultural affairs. Book and magazine publication enjoyed a boom. The Film
industry started to grow. In all walks of cultural life, Atatürk's inspiration
created an upsurge.
Atatürk's Turkey is living proof of this ideal -- a country rich in its own
national culture, open to the heritage of world civilization and at home in the
endowments of the modern technological age.
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Turkish Carpets
Carpets, whether knotted or flat woven (kilim) are among the best known art
forms produced by the Turks from time immemorial.There are environmental,
sociological, economic, and religious reasons for the widespread art of carpet
weaving among the Turkish people from Central Asia to Turkey.
The geographical regions where Turks have lived throughout thecenturies lie
in the temperate zone. Temperature fluctuations between day and night, summer
and winter may vary greatly. Turks-nomadicor pastoral, agrarian or
town-dwellers, living in tents or insumptuous houses in large cities-have
protected themselves from the extremes of the cold weather by covering the
floors, and sometimes walls and doorways, with carpets. The carpets are always
handmade of wool or sometimes cotton, with occasional additions of silk.These
carpets are natural barriers against the cold. The flatwoven kilims which are
frequently embroidered are used as blankets,curtains, and covers over sofas or
as cushion covers.
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In general, Turks take their shoes off upon entering a house.Thus, the dust
and dirt of the outdoors are not tracked inside.The floor coverings remain
clean, and the inhabitants of the house,if need be, can comfortably rest on the
floor. In the traditional households, women and girls take up carpet and kilim
weaving as a hobby as well as a means of earning money. Even technological
advances which promoted factory-made carpets could not hamper the production of
rug weaving at cottage-industry level. Although synthetic dyes have been in use
for the last 150 years, handmade carpets are still considered far superior to
industrial carpeting.
Turkish carpets are among the most sought after household items all over the
world. Their rich colors, warm tones, and extraordinary patterns with
traditional motifs have contributed to the status that Turkish carpets have
maintained since the 13th century. MarcoPolo, who traveled through Anatolia in
the late 13th century, commented on the beauty and artistry of the carpets. A
number of carpets from this period, known as the Seljuk carpets, were discovered
in several mosques in central Anatolia. These were under many layers of
subsequently placed carpets. The Seljuk carpetsare today in the museums in Konya
and Istanbul. It is very exciting to imagine that we may be looking at the very
same carpets that Marco Polo praised in the year 1272.
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Turkish carpets in the 15th and 16th centuries are best known through
European paintings. For example, in the works of Lotto(15th century Italian
painter) and Holbein (16th century Germanpainter), Turkish carpets are seen
under the feet of the Virgin Mary, or in secular paintings, on tables. In the
17th century, when the Netherlands became a powerful mercantile country, Turkish
carpets graced many Dutch homes. The Dutch painter Vermeer represented Turkish
carpets predominantly to indicate the high economic and social status of the
persons in his paintings. "Turkey carpets,"as they were known, were
too valuable to be put on floors, exceptunder the feet of the Holy Mother and
royalty.
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Anyone who enters a mosque has to take off his/her shoes. The mosque is the
common house of a Muslim community, therefore, shoes are cast off before the
door. Moreover, the ritual of prayer requires the faithful to kneel and touch
the ground with one's forehead in humility before God. There are no chairs or
benches in a mosque,only carpets. A Turkish mosque is often covered "from
wall to wall" with several layers of carpets. To deed a carpet to a mosque
is an act of piety and many Muslims do so. Prayer carpets that are small enough
to be carried easily accompany many Muslim travelers. The Muslim, wherever he or
she is, upon determining the direction of the Ka'aba in Mecca, lays down the
prayer carpet and through the ritual of prayers communicates directly with God.
The Turkish carpets have exuberant colors, motifs, and patterns.No two
carpets are the same; each one is a creation from a new.Because traditionally
women have woven the carpets, this is oneart form that is rarely appreciated as
being the work of a known or a specific artist. Nevertheless, the Turkish women
silently continue to create some of the most stunning examples of works of art
to be distributed all over Turkey and the world.
World Famous True Silk Carpets
Hereke Carpets
Hereke carpets which are an inseparable part of our national cultural
accumulation are woven in the town of Hereke from where their name is driven and
in the Izmit Bay region. Hereke carpets are recognised by this name in the
carpets literature and they have an extraordinary place among world carpets.
These carpets which form a special group in our carpet weaving art and which
are known by the name of "Palace carpets", were woven in workshops
within the royal palace or belonging to the court during Ottoman period and they
were made for the Sultans and their close circles. The court subvened looms the
first examples of which we find during the Seljuk period, were established in
Usak, Gordes, Cairo, Bursa and Istanbul in 15th, 16th and 17th centuries. The
Hereke factory which was installed as a royal plant in accordance with Ottoman
industrial policy in 19th century, started to work on textiles, but later carpet
weaving took the dominance. These carpets made for the palaces and great
mansions, were designed by court artists and made in various workshops. The
artisans organised within "Artisan lodges" have reached a unity in
styles and motifs. Later carpet designers have created new designs that
conformed with royal tastes and authentic Hereke designs and compositions have
derived from those.
Although "Palace", "Yoruk" and "Turkmenian"
carpets have the same functional characteristics, they totally differ from each
other in their styles. Stylised designs dominate tribal carpets, whereas
naturalism is prevalent in Palace rugs due to the technological possibilities
which gives way to more complex designs and motifs In our day, Hereke carpets
which are the best and finest silk rugs in the world, have gained a great fame
because of these characteristics. The standard norm for the number of knots in
1cm2 is 10x10=100. Since the number of knots in 1cm2 is considered as the
criterion for the fineness of the carpet, they form the standard norm of the
kind of carpet in question. In recent years the standard fineness has been
developed through technological novelties and has reached the number of
24x24=576. Carpets with this characteristics, look like magnificent cloths with
their fine weaving. All of these work, are the pride of Turkish carpetry and
masterpieces of collective workmanship.
The Silk Prayer Carpet in Mevlana Museum
Among the masterpieces in Konya Mevlana Museum is a silk prayer carpet which
has to be seen, to be appreciated. Many visitors to the museum have heard of its
fame before they come; or they say to each other:
"Have you seen the carpet with 144 knots to each square centimetre? It's
supposed to be the finest woven carpet in the world."
The silk prayer carpet is well known, and it is one of the most popular works
in the Mevlana Museum. Whatever its value may be, those who see it gaze in
wonder.
The silk Prayer Carpet is exhibited in a wall case left of the altar niche in
the Mescid of Mevlana Museum. It measures 175 by 111 cm. and was woven with
wool, silk and silver thread. The colours used are black, red, navy blue and
yellow, and the narrow borders are decorated with rumi motifs. Its wide border
is decorated with flowers and roses, on each side is written two couplets in
Persian. At the top of the carpet is a picture of the Kaabe in Mecca, and the
bottom are flowers and hatayi motifs.
That is the description of the prayer carpet. But when, where and by whom was
it woven, and how did it get to Mevlana's Tomb? Before answering this it is
necessary to look at the poem in Persian written on the carpet: "This
prayer carpet was woven with the help of that high being who followed the path
of the prophets, carefully completed near the grave of the children of the
prophet. It was laid in the place of worship of the exalted shah who is the
protector of canonical law, and the shadow of God. This shah is such a prince of
religion that he is as great as Alexander and thousands of Alexanders are his
subjects and slaves."
As this poem tells us this Prayer Carpet was woven near the grave of the
children of the prophet. This is Kerbela, where the grave of the Prophet
Mohammad's grandson Huseyin is situated. Although the name of this ruler is not
written on the carpet, in a museum directory published in 1930 it is written:
"This Prayer Carpet was presented to the Tomb of Mevlana by an Ottoman
sultan upon his return from a journey to Iran."
The name which immediately springs to mind is Yavuz Sultan Selim, because he
had always felt a great interest in the Tomb of Mevlana in Konya, and visited it
on several occasions between his journeys to Egypt and Iran. At each visit to
the Tomb the sultan would bring some gifts or have something made for the Tomb.
He had fountains constructed, and water brought from the region of Dutlu. Just
as he visited Konya on April 24, 1516 around the time of his campaign against
the Persian Shah Ismail, so he was again in Konya on June 26, 1516 before he set
out on his Egyptian campaign. A manuscript by Yusuf Dede in Mevlana Museum tells
about the valuable presents given by Sultan Selim to the Mevlana Tomb, when he
visited Konya on his way back from campaign, such as lamps, grave cloths, and
other valuable objects. It is documented that the silk prayer carpet in the
museum today was presented at this time by Yavuz Sultan Selim. It must have been
woven in Kerbela for the shah to use during his worship. This means that the
prayer carpet is at least 460 years old.
The most interesting thing about the carpet is the fact that it has writing
on it. Writing was first used as a decorative element in carpet design during
the time of the Anatolian Seljuks. The carpets woven in Konya during the Seljuk
period often had decorative Cafic writing on the borders. These are the first
examples of inscribed carpets. In later periods the technique spread from Konya
to Anatolia and from here to Iran, and after the 15th century this systematic
development led to a style of carpet decorated with writing which formed a
special group in the eastern art of carpet making. In the 17th century carpets
decorated with couplets began to be seen frequently. These carpets were usually
woven for palaces or mosques, and examples of them can be seen in museums both
in Turkey and abroad. The silk written prayer carpet in the Tomb of Mevlana, the
gift of Yavuz Sultan Selim, is one of this group, but the oldest and finest
among them. The fact that the carpet was never displayed, but immediately put
away in a box can be seen from the worn lines where it was folded. In 1927 when
the Tomb was opened as a museum this prayer carpet was removed from the box and
displayed in a glass case.
According to experts on carpets, the Silk Prayer Carpet has 144 knots per
square centimetre, thus making a total of 2 million 197 thousand knots in all.
It is estimated that the carpet took five years to weave.
The Silk Prayer Carpet shines like lamps illuminating the mystic atmosphere
of the Mevlana Museum, and every day hundreds and thousands of visitors stop to
gaze at it The utmost care is taken to preserve the shining, unfaded colours of
the carpet which is like a bouquet of flowers among the other prayer carpets on
exhibit. For the carpet the hands which wove it and the sultans which knelt on
it are like a dream, but now it must be living happier days in Mevlana Museum.
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