The People, the Religion, the Dress, the Customs

The People, the Religion, the Dress, the Customs:

Religion:
Although Turkey is a secular state, religion plays a large role in the lives of most of its citizens. Over 99% of the country’s population is Muslim, mostly Sunnite. Istanbul is no exception. The term “Muslim” means “one who has submitted himself to the will of God.” They worship only God, not Mohammed, who is not a savior, but a messenger of God. He is His last and most important prophet (coming after the prophets of Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, and Jesus). The five pillars of Islam are: 1) to say, understand, and believe the phrase: “There is no other god than Allah, and Mohammed is his prophet.”; 2) pray five times per day – at dawn, mid-day, afternoon, sundown, and nightfall; 3) give charity to the poor; 4) respect the rules of Ramadan, if possible (fasting, etc.); 5) make a pilgrimage to Mecca at least once in a lifetime.

The call for prayer is chanted from the top of each mosque in the city – approximately 500 mosques in all. It is loud, arresting. Because the mosques in Istanbul are in close proximity and because the chant is very loud, you will be sure to hear more than one no matter what neighborhood in the city you are in. The time of the prayers is determined by the sun, meaning that it will change times throughout the year. The prayers in each neighboring mosque might be coordinated exactly or might be a few seconds off, meaning that you could hear a succession of prayers. We’ve heard prayers from up to five mosques at one time. The Muslim prayer is always said in Arab, meaning that the Turkish people don’t always understand what is being said. Each prayer is begun with the “ezan,” the following phrase: “God is great! There is no other god than Allah, and Mohammed is his prophet.”

We visited several mosques and were intrigued by the ritual that the men go through before they can pray. It is very important to be clean before praying. First, one must wash the hands and the arms, then the feet and the ankles, then clean the nose by exhaling through one nostril while closing off the other with your fingers. Afterwards, one must wash the head, the ears, and the neck. The whole must be performed under running water, or if this is not possible, then with clean sand. If there is no sand available, the gestures must be mimicked. Afterwards, one may enter the mosque, remove the shoes, turn towards Mecca, and pray by chanting certain phrases and going through a series of prostrations, bowing down and touching their foreheads to the ground.

Outside of the mosques are a series of faucets on the side walls, where the men purify themselves. There is a stone seat in front of each fountain, as well as a hook to hang their jackets. Because the ritual of purifying themselves is so important, there are fountains all over the city – elaborate ones as well as simple ones. It is also for this reason that hamams and “Turkish baths” are so popular in Turkey – and indeed, across the Muslim world.

It is mostly men that go to the mosques to pray; the women do it privately at home. The women that we saw in the mosques prayed separately from the men, mostly behind partitioned-off areas. They did not bend down, as the men did, but sat on their knees on the floor, their hands cupped towards them with their arms held up in front of them, eyes closed. All parts of the body were covered except for the face and the feet. They did not wash by the fountains as the men did.

Although most Turks are Muslim, the state is secular and there is no persecution based on religion. In Istanbul, you can find churches and synagogues.

Dress:
Men wear pants and t-shirts and generally do not wear hats, which have traditionally been associated with Christians because the part of the hat which protrudes would be considered an irritant during the prayer, when the forehead touches the ground (and thus only suitable to infidels). The women wear long skirts or pants, and it is customary to cover the shoulders. Dress in Istanbul and along the coast (places where tourists frequent) is generally more relaxed than in the eastern part of the country, which is more conservative. In the east, it is not considered appropriate for women to have the shoulders exposed or to wear shorts or skirts above the knee. In Istanbul, however, many younger women wear jeans and fashionable tops such as those found in the West.

The wearing of any head covering by women is strictly optional, or based upon family tradition as opposed to law. In Istanbul, you will see some women wearing the chador, the shapeless black dress that completely hides the figure except for the eyes and the nose (it is rather odd to see the nose but not the mouth!). The majority of women, however, either wear headscarves (which cover the hair but not the face) or no head-covering at all. Those that do wear headscarves, especially the young women, often match them to the color of their skirts or blouses. They can be quite colorful and very pretty, in varying designs and colors, such as orange, yellow, pink, violet, blue, and green. Oftentimes, they will match their make-up to the color of their outfit and headscarf.

Dress had been regulated under the Ottoman Empire, a special dress code existing for Muslims, Jews, and Christians. In 1925, in his attempt to modernize the country, President Mustafa Kemal (Ataturk) passed a law replacing the fez by the European-style hat (the turban having been replaced by the fez in the early 19th century). He outlawed the wearing of the veil by women, and it became illegal to wear religious clothing in public places. Certain troubles and rebellions started, which the government put down with an extreme severity, even condemning certain of the participants to death. Even today, the hat remains an important symbol in the power struggle between the majority of secularized Turks and the minority of conservative Muslims. Certain female students have even been denied entrance to the University because they had their heads covered.

The People and Customs:
Turks are famous for their hospitality, and we have found them to be very hospitable, even during our short stay in the country. In the more touristy areas of Istanbul, you have the impression that people are only interested in your dollar, but once you wander outside of this small section of the city, you will find the people very friendly and very open to talking to foreigners.

As several people told us, Turks like talking to foreigners because they are interested in peoples of different cultures, different lifestyles, different ways of thinking. The Turks love to talk. And they love to do it over a cup of tea. Tea is a necessary ingredient of almost any conversation or any encounter with a friend or with a stranger. And it is even more necessary if you are bargaining. It is offered as a matter of fact in a small shop, even if you buy the smallest of items. Outside of Istanbul, we were often offered tea and conversation, and even inside Istanbul, it is not uncommon.

Although women may study, have a career, and work outside the home, it is rather rare to see women working or on the streets, even in Istanbul. They generally work at home. You see mostly men in the shops, on the buses, on the streets. It is very rare to see a women walking alone. If she is out, she is usually with a group of women or accompanied by her boyfriend or husband.

Although Turkey is the most occidental of the Middle Eastern countries, it is still conservative in many ways. Until the 1970’s, it was still illegal in Turkey for couples – even married couples – to hold hands in public (although this was rarely, if ever, enforced). We were worried about this at first. As we never go anywhere without holding hands, it was a huge effort and something we always had to think about. But we didn’t want to offend anyone. Then we started noticing that couples do hold hands in the street (you don’t notice right away, because you see very few women!) Even the women wearing the tent-like chador hold the hands of their husbands. So we figured it was okay. The rules must be relaxing – at least in Western Turkey.

Many Turks in the western part of the country consider that there is a sort of “divide” between the east and west. The eastern part of the country is more conservative, more traditional; and the western part is more anxious to “catch up to the west” and to join the European Union.