For the last bi-weekly journal post, I would like to challenge myself and read a short Turkish news report about COVID-19. I copy the Turkish news below and translated it into English. During the process of translating, I have learned so many new words and have more understanding about grammar. 

Turkish News about the COVID-19:

Kurumun başkanı 27 Mart'ta yaptığı açıklamada, bir Türk üniversitesinin koronavirüs için doğal bir DNA aşısı geliştirmek için çalışmaya başladığını söyledi.İzmir ilinde Ege Üniversitesi başkanı Necdet Budak, yaptığı açıklamada, COVID-19 için

lisanslı bir aşının henüz mevcut olmadığından, birçok ülkenin konuyla ilgili araştırma başlattığını söyledi.

Sanayi ve Teknoloji Bakanı Mustafa Varank da bir aşıya ihtiyaç olduğunu vurguladı.

26 Mart'ta Varank, COVID-19'a karşı aşı ve ilaç geliştirme projelerini destekleme platformunun bir parçası olarak Ege 
Üniversitesi de dahil olmak üzere çeşitli kurumların destekleneceğini söyledi.

Budak, "Ege Üniversitesi'nde, bakanlığımızın çağrısı üzerine yerli bir DNA aşısı üzerinde çalışmaya başladık." Dedi.

"Rektörlüğümüz altında kurulan ve İlaç Geliştirme ve Farmakokinetik Araştırma ve Uygulama Merkezi merkezli Aşı

Araştırma ve Geliştirme Grubu, yıllardır birçok üniversitenin katılımıyla çeşitli patojenlere karşı aşı araştırma ve geliştirme çalışmaları yürütmektedir. kurumlar ve sektör ortakları. "

Çalışma grubumuz, bu salgına karşı neler yapılabileceğini tartıştı ve böylece aşı projesini başlattı. "

Virüs için potansiyel bir aşının klinik araştırması ABD'de bu ayın başlarında başladı.

Aşıyı ilk alan kişi mRNA-1273, Seattle'dan 43 yaşındaki Jennifer Haller'dı.

English Translation:

A Turkish university has started to work on developing a native DNA vaccine for coronavirus, the institution's head said on March 27.

In a statement, Necdet Budak, head of Ege University in İzmir province, said that since a licensed vaccine for COVID-19 was not yet available, many countries initiated research on the subject.

Industry and Technology Minister Mustafa Varank also stressed the need for a vaccine, he added.

On March 26, Varank said that as part of a platform to support projects on vaccine and drug development against COVID-19, several institutions, including Ege University, will be supported.


"At Ege University, we have started to work on a native DNA vaccine upon the call of our ministry," Budak said.

"The Vaccine Research and Development Group, which is established under our Rectorate and centered on Research and Application Center of Drug Development and Pharmacokinetics, has been carrying on vaccine research and development studies against various pathogens for years, with the participation of many universities, public institutions, and industry partners."

Our working group, he added, discussed what could be done against this pandemic, and thus initiated the vaccine project."

Clinical trial of a potential vaccine for the virus began in the U.S. earlier this month.

The first person to get the vaccine, mRNA-1273, was 43-year-old Jennifer Haller from Seattle.

For this post, I would like to review something important that I learned before with my language partner, Hazal, since we did not have more regular meetings due to the COVID-19. Asking questions is of great importance in daily conversations. Also, I always have trouble remembering the "wh-" words in Turkish. So I think this is a good opportunity to strengthen my memory. 

Grammar Tips:

In Turkish there are several ways of asking a question:

1. Wh Questions:

In Turkish this kind of questions start with different question words. For example:

Who:    Kim        What: Ne    When: Ne zaman    Why: Niçin, Neden     

Where: Nereye, nerede, nereden

“Kim gelecek?”   means   Who will come?

“Ne dedin?”   means   What did you say?

“Ne zaman geldiniz?”   means   When did you come?

“ Neden gelmedin?”     means Why didn’t you come?

“Nereye gideceğiz?”    means  Where will we go?

2. Yes / No Questions

This kind of questions are constructed using “-mı, -mi, -mu, -mü”  at the end of the sentences.

Examples:

O gelecek mi?          means     Will he/she come?

O yaptı mı?               means     Did he/she do?

Sen yoruldun mu?     means     Are you tired?

Sen gördün mü?       means      Did you see?

3. Tag Questions

Finally, you can also make a question by adding a tag question to the end of a sentence. The tag question is “değil mi” in Turkish.

Examples:

O toplantıya geldi, değil mi?  means  He/She came to the meeting, didn’t she/he?

Aslı eve gitmeyecek, değil mi?  means  Aslı won’t go to home, will she? 

( In the last example, the word gitmeyecek has negative meaning. The suffix “–me, (-ma)” gives the negative meaning to the verb.)       

The chart below is the summary of "wh" words in Turkish and their translation in English 

The chart below gives some simple examples 

For this post, I would like to talk about the art of Turkish photographs. 

Photography was one of the major technological discoveries that contributed to the rise of modernity in the 19th century. It was introduced to the lands of the Ottoman Empire by travelers and became widespread in the end of the 19th century. The first professional photography studio in Istanbul was established in 1845 by Italian brothers Carlo and Giovanni Naya. Vasilaki Kargopoulo was the first Ottoman to establish a studio in 1850. Following the 1860s, the number of such studios increased significantly, and they were mainly located around the Pera and Kadıköy districts in Istanbul. Some of the principal photographic studios were operated by Greek Christians and Italians, as well as by photographers of Armenian descent such as Pascal Sebah, Polycarpe Joaillier and the court photographers Abdullah Frères, who opened their studio in 1858 and upon whom were bestowed the title Ressam-ı Hazret-i Şehriyar-i by Sultan Abdülaziz.

Sultan Abdülhamid II  is interested in photography and takes pictures in person. During his reign, the art of photography developed rapidly in the Ottoman Empire. Sudan commissioned photographers to record events and major institutions in the country. In 1884, he ordered Police Minister Kamil Pasha to set up a studio and take pictures of all prisoners in Istanbul. In 1893, Sultan Abdülhamid II sent 51 albums to the Library of Congress and 47 albums to the British Museum to introduce the Ottoman Empire. In January 1894, Sultan Abdulhamid II ordered the establishment of a fully equipped photo studio in the Yilziz Palace and appointed Ali Riza Bay as the director of the studio. Sultan Abdülhamid II ’s photo album includes photos taken by six photographers that show Aleppo, Damascus, Adana, Izmir, Çankırı, Denizli, Baghdad, Edirne, Manisa, Ai Den, Bursa, Izmit, Thessaloniki, Besson, Besson, Casamonu, Istanbul A large part of these albums are currently available in the Central Library of the University of Istanbul and the Islamic Conference Organization Islam View in the archives of the Center for History, Art and Culture Research. More than 8,500 images depicting Turkey can also be found in the Print and Photo Online Catalogue 

Portrait photography was generally preferred by the elite class in the beginning, with the sultans and their families and statesmen having their portrait photos taken. At the end of the 19th century, photography was embraced by other social classes as well.

One of the first Turkish Muslims who opened a photographic studio in Crete was Rahmizade Bahaeddin. He was also active in the first half of the 20th century as a pioneer photographer in Istanbul. There were also Turks active in the photography business in several other cities in Turkey. Kitabi Hamdi Efendi, the Turkish owner of a printing house in Trabzon, was publishing his photographs and he sold cameras as well. Another Turkish photographer and postcard editor who was active from the late 19th century in Trabzon was Osman Nouri. Into the 20th century, numerous Turkish photographers became active in and outside of Turkey.

           For this post, I would like to talk about the art of Turkish tiles and ceramic. 

           The art of Turkish ceramic tiles and ceramics occupies a pivotal position in the history of Islamic art. Its roots can be traced back to at least the Uighurs in the eighth and ninth centuries. Subsequent developments were influenced by Karakhanid, Ghaznavid and (especially) Iranian Seljuk art. As Seljuks defeated the Byzantines at Malazgirt in 1071, Art followed them into Anatolia and began a new period of strong development bred by Anatolian Seljuk Sultanate.          

            The Seljuqs of the Anatolians were of course influenced by the cultural heritage they encountered in their new hometown, adapting them to the technology they took away from the Iranian plateau. This led to the unique Anatolian Seljuk (Seljuk) architecture prevailing in the 13th century. The Seljuk Mosque, Intermediate Theological Seminary, Mausoleum and Palace are all decorated with fine ceramic tiles. In the capital city of Selcuk, Sinia, Sivas, Tokat, Beysehir, Kayseri, Erzurum, Malati Examples of such tile paving structures can still be seen in cities such as Malatya and Alanya.

            The most common type of architectural decoration encountered during the Anatolian Seljuk period was the use of glazed tiles, where glazed tiles (also including unglazed tiles) were arranged to produce various patterns, mainly in buildings Exterior wall. Turquoise is the most commonly used color in glazes, although cobalt blue, eggplant purple and sometimes black are also popular.

            One architectural decoration used in combination with glazed tiles is hexagonal, triangular, square and rectangular monochrome tiles. Unlike bricks, they are the first choice for indoor applications and are suitable for a variety of geometric arrangements. Tiles are made of harder, yellower paste than bricks. Cyan, cobalt blue, purple and (sometimes) green glazes are used. There are very few examples of gold-plated traces.

            The third technique proficient in Anatolian Seljuks is mosaic tiles. This is also used in interior design, especially inside the mihrab walls, and inside the dome, transitioning into the dome, dome, and walls. Tile mosaics are formed by cutting tiles into tiles that fit the desired pattern. The inlaid unglazed surface is slightly conical. Arrange these pieces of glass face down, then pour white mortar on them. After setting, you can install the required board or panel in the desired location. The composition of mosaic tiles is usually geometric shapes, but floral patterns and Kufik or Toulouse calligraphy can also be found. The most popular colors are turquoise, cobalt blue, eggplant purple and black. Examples of Anatolian Seljuk buildings decorated with mosaic tiles include Karatay Medrese, Alaaddin Mosque, Gok Medrese and Mosque, Malatya Grand Mosque and Ince Minareli Medrese.

            In addition to these techniques, which, along with underglaze, appear in religious and funerary architecture, there were two techniques employed only in civil and palace architecture: minai tiles and luster tiles. The forms of these tiles were also different, the favorite shapes being stars and crosses; instead of geometric patterns, vegetal scroll and lively figurative compositions were used.

            Minai technology was developed in Iran in the 12th and 13th centuries, mainly for ceramics. The only place to find such tiles in Anatolia is Alaeddin Kiosk in Konya. The palette provided by this technology is much larger, and purple, blue, turquoise, green, red, brown, black and white, and gilded shades can be found. Apply some color under the glaze and then fire it; apply other paints to the glaze, and then get the secondary opaque white, transparent or blue-green glaze, and then fire it again. The design of the Minai tiles is vivid and lively, reminiscent of miniature sculptures with the theme of palace and palace life.

            The luster technique first appeared in Abbasid Iraq. Later developed to a high level by the Fatimids in Egypt, it was successfully employed by the Iranian Seljuks. The only place in Anatolia where luster tiles have been found is Kubadabad. The tiles discovered at the excavations of the palace are now on display at the Karatay Medrese Museum in Konya. Luster tiles are decorated in an overglaze technique in which the design is painted with lusterÄ¿a mixture of metallic oxides incorporating silver and copperÄ¿onto a previously glazed and fired surface. The tiles are then given a second firing at a lower temperature producing a range of lustrous, mostly brownish and yellowish tones. Seljuk palace luster tiles are decorated with plant motifs as well as with human and animal figures.

For this post, I would like to talk about Turkish clothing and the history behind it.

The earliest sources found in the history of Turkish clothing date back to the miniatures and wall pictures uncovered in Central Asia. Sources of 100 B.C. reveal that woolen and the cotton fabric were woven on handlooms but silk came from China. The Turkish way of living at that time brought about functional clothing styles. As the horse was the common and inevitable form of transport in the daily routine, women's and men's wear resembled each other (unisex).

Leather and felt materials had priority due to natural and social conditions. In addition to these materials, sheepskin, fur and woolen materials were major constituents in clothes of that period. Sources indicate that central Asian Turks used to wear leather boots, maintain shirt, a short caftan used with a belt, and a kind of riding trousers lose at the top narrowing downwards suitable for horse riding. Caftan and boots also gained significance as a sign of status.

Bashlyks, head coverings, as in clothes, were made of fur or sheepskin with the purpose of protection from the cold. Bashlyks were also observed to be symbols of status. Emigration from Asia to Anatolia caused many cultures to integrate. This was reflected in clothes, symbols, and motifs of the 24 Gagauz tribes which formed a united culture of their own. In the following years, Kırkhiz, Özbek, Uygur, Azerbaijan, Tartar tribes coming to Anatolia were also affected by each other.

Samples of woven material, carpet, and clothes belonging to the "Seljuk" and "Principality" periods are exhibited in museums. Clothes of the Seljuks were produced from materials such as wool, felt, camel's hair, fur, cotton, and silk. The varied climate conditions in Anatolia required clothes to be used in all conditions. Cold climate areas brought in the use of fur linings.

Clothes of this period display pre-Anatolian influences. The principal material was composed of works of the highly developed art of weaving. Materials forming bashlyks and clothes eventually gained variations. In the Ottoman period, as the borders of the empire expanded, new relations were set up, cultures and their clothing traditions reached a static state. Istanbul, Bursa, Bilecik, Denizli, Ankara, Konya, Trabzon, Rize Kastamonu, Gürün were districts well specialized in weaving.

Knowledge of this period is obtained from museums, travel descriptions, pictures and miniatures. The socio-economic differences between the administrators and the common people also affected the clothing styles.

While the Palace and its court displayed showy clothes, the common people were only concerned with covering themselves. The administrators occasionally brought about legal regulations on clothes. These applications were first initiated during the period of Süleyman the Magnificent. In this period men wore outer items such as 'mintan', 'zıbın', 'şalvar', 'kuşak', 'potur', 'entari'; 'kalpak', 'sarık' on the head; 'çarık', 'çizme', 'çedik', 'yemeni' on the feet. The administrators and the wealthy wore caftans with fur lining and embroidery, whereas the middle class wore 'cübbe', 'hırka' and the poor wore collarless 'cepken' or 'yelek' (vest).

Bashlyks were the most prominent accessories of social statues. While the people wore

 "külah's" covered with 'abani' or 'yemeni', the cream of the society wore bashlyks such as 'yusufi, örfi, katibi, kavaze', etc. During the rule of Süleyman a bashlyk called 'perişani' was popular as the Palace people valued bashlyks adorned with precious stones. 'Kavuk', however, was the most common type of bashlyk. For this reason, a related tradesmenship was formed in the XVII. century. Fur was a material of prestige in that period.

final%20presentation-Yahui%20Wu.mp4

final%20presentation.mp4

Var and Yok (There is / There is not):

The words var and yok are the equivalents of “there is/there are” and “there isn’t/there aren’t” respectively. “Var olmak” means “to exist“. If “var” is used with a subject, this indicates that something exists. Conversely, “Yok olmak” means “disappear“. If used with a subject “Yok” indicates the non-existence of something.

Yok: There is not / There are not

“Yok” indicates something’s or someone’s absence.

Example:

Kalem burada yok.      There is no pencil here

Kendine güvenin yok.             You do not have a self-confidence

Moreover, “Yok” can mean “No”. But please watch out when using this way because this use is a little bit of informal even though it can make you sound like a real Turkish native.

Partiye gelecek misn? Will you come to the party?

Yok      No

Var: There is / There are

“Var” indicates something’s existence. For example, Burada sadece pastahane var. (eng. there is only patisserie here.)

Example:

Annenler evde var mı? (lit. Are your mothers at home? The overuse of the plural suffix -ler/-lar somehow makes the sentence more polite. Even, Annenler evde varlar mı? or Annenler evdeler mi? ) In Turkish, ” sahip olmak ” or “haiz olmak” (old use) means “to have”. Instead of using these words, Turkish people simply use “var” or “yok” to describe the things they have.

Example:

Kedilerin dokuz hayatı var.     Cats have nine lives.

Kalemin var mı?          Do you have a pencil?

Nasıl yani? Hiç paran yok mu?            What? Don’t you have any money?

Benim korkum yok      I have no fear; lit. there is not my fear; there does not exist my fear

The last two translations may look odd in English; however, in Turkish saying “Benim korkum yok.” is easier than saying “Ben korkuya sahip değilim.”

Paradigm of var/yok

In this part, we will see the change of var and yok with different tenses.

Kedim var.       I have a cat; lit. I have my cat

Kedim yok.      I don’t have a cat; I don’t have my cat, it is lost

Kedim vardı.    I had a cat, I had my cat

O yıllarda gri bir kedim vardı.             Those years I had a gray cat

O yıllarda kedim halen vardı.              Those years I still had my cat. it was alive

Kedim yoktu.               I didn’t have a cat; I didnt have my cat

Kedim vardır.              I have a cat when used in a formal way; I surely have a cat

Kedim yoktur.             I don’t have a cat. only one meaning

Kedim varmış.             It is said that I have a cat; It is said that I have my cat

Kedim yokmuş.           It is said that I don’t have my cat, It is said that I don’t have a cat

Kedim varsa.               If I have my cat; If I have a cat

Kedim yoksa.               If I don’t have my cat, If I don’t have a cat

Kedim varken.             While I have my cat; While I have a cat

Var and Yok is the base form of third-person-singular. For other persons, the personal suffixes can be added. You’d mostly encounter var and yok without personal suffix; However, ‘varım’ or ‘yokum’ can be encountered as well. Yet these uses are ‘frozen’ and mostly used for specific concepts.

Example:

Var mısın, Yok musun?           Are you in or out?

İddiaya var mısın?       Do you dare to bet?

Yokum             I am not in

Question Form: Var mı? / Yok mu? :

Question form of var and yok is very simple. It is formed by adding question suffix -mı and -mu at the end of var and yok, respectively.

Example:

Kitabın var mı?            Do you have a book?

Çayın yok mu?            Don’t you have tea?

Bunu yapmaya isteğin var mı?           Do you have the desire to do it?

Idiomatic Expressions with Var and Yok

When Var and Yok is used together, that defines the quantity of something. “Var yok” can be translated as “a little bit”. Also, there exists another way of saying: “Varla yok arası” (var ile yok arası).

Zamanın var mı?         Do you have time?

Varla yok arası            Very little

To be in Turkish:

To be is the easiest grammar structure in Turkish, which only needs two words to put them together: noun and adjective. For example:

Kalem yeşil    Pen is green 

Kalemler yeşil      Pencils are green

You don’t see any suffix or change related to “to be” in the previous examples. BUT, this structure is only correct for the third-person-singular and the third-person-plural.

Generalizations in Turkish:

Anyways, there is also one more function of –dIr. In modern Turkish, it implies generalization. 

Türkler tembeldir     Turks are lazy

Kuşlar ufaktır     Birds are little

Non-verbal Predicates (to be) Example:

Kampüste-y-im. *     I am at the campus

Kampüste-sin     You are at the campus

Kampüste-(dir)     she at the campus

Plural Examples:

Kampüste-yiz     We are at the campus

Kampüste-siniz     You -formal- are at the campus

Kampüste-(dir)-ler     They are at the campus

To be Examples:

Sürücü      driver

Sürücü-yüm      I am driver

Sürücü-sün       You are driver

Sürücü-(dür)       She is driver

Plural:

Sürücü-yüz

Sürücü-sünüz

Sürücü-(dür)-ler

Example Sentence:

Bunu ona söyleyen sensing.       You are the one who told him this

Başarının nedeni biziz.       We are the reason for this success

Evin sahibi Benin.       I am the one who owns this house. or “I” own this house

The past tense of “to be” in Turkish

When talking about past, we use past tense of to be. Simple. But here, it’s a bit different. Because we are not talking about an action. 

I was handsome

Yakışıklıydım

Let’s investigate this word, yakışıklıydım. this ‘m’ must be of ‘I’. y’ is the buffer letter. Yakışıklı, then, is the adjective: handsome. Past refer is given by the suffix –di. The same suffix, past tense suffix is also used when describing actions.

Present Tense:

In Turkish language, you will see two different tenses that can be considered as present tense. ‘present continuous tense’ and ‘simple present tense’. Actually, the latter is specifically called aorist.

Turkish doesn’t use continuous tense for the things that English would use continuous tense. That’s why many sources confuse when naming them.

Simple Present Tense – Aorist

By its definition, aorist seems to fit into present tense, but it differs from the simple present tense of English for lots of situation. Some sources consider aorist as simply present tense but you may want to learn the distinct features of aorist (that would greatly help you to understand and have a better idea).

The main suffix of aorist is -r and depending on the verb base that it is attach, -r can transform to -ır,-ir.-er,-ur,-ar. You’ll decide which letter is the best by vowel harmony rules.

Simple Present Tense – Examples:

In Turkish, Simple Present Tense or Aorist is called ‘geniş zaman‘ which literally translates into ‘broad tense‘. Simple Present Tense is used to describe actions that are done ‘almost’ always. My favorite example of it is ‘döner’ which means ‘(thing) that rotates always’. The following example also shows you how a verb can be derived from another verb by adding suffixes.

Sevmek

to love, like

Sevinmek

to rejoice, to be pleased

Sevindirmek

to make someone happy

Sevindirir

s/he makes someone happy

Emre herkesi sürprizleriyle sevindirir

Emre makes everyone happy with his surprises

Examples：

Telefonu öyle tutarsan ekranını kırarsın.

If you hold your cellphone like that, you’ll break the screen.

O tatlıyı çok sever.

He/She/it likes very much sweet things.

The Circumflex Accent (Şapka) (^) in Turkish Language:   

In Turkish, the thing on top of the letters is called “şapka” which means exactly “hat”. Most of the Indo-European alphabets don’t have it. The circumflex is a diacritic sign usually written above a letter in some languages such as Latin, Greek, Turkish, Portuguese etc. In Turkish, It affects the pronunciation of the word to some degree whereas, in French, it indicates that the letter has been dropped over time. You do not see this sign in English but only on loanwords.

Circumflex Accent Usage in Turkish

1. In Turkish, some adjectives are made from nouns by adding –i with a circumflex accent. This rule is only valid for Arabic loanwords.

Hayat
life

Hayatî
vital

“Yaşamsal” is the Turkish encounter word for “Hayatî” which is derived from the Turkish word “Yaşam”. Hayat is an Arabic loanword but is still in use. Also, you may meet a man named “Hayatî”.

2. In the recent years, Turkish language society has restricted the use of the circumflex accent unless the absence of it leads to an uncertainty or misunderstanding.

Kar
snow

Kâr
profit

To indicate whether it is profit or snow, you need to use a circumflex accent.

NOTE “Shift + 3 + a” gives you â when typed on keyboard.

EXTRA: Apostrophe (Kesme işareti) in Turkish

1. Apostrophe, Apostrophy, or Keşme işareti, whatever you call, it’ll be correct. In addition to the 29 letters in Turkish, “kesme işareti” (‘) (apostrophe) is commonly used. You might also hear “ apostrof ” instead of “kesme işareti.”

Ali’nin
of Ali

Istanbul’da
in Istanbul

Türkiye’den geliyor.
S/he is coming from Turkey

2. In some cases, an omission of a letter may occur. To indicate this, you must use an apostrophe.

How to say “what’s up” in Turkish?

Ne haber? (eng. What’s up? – informal saying– ) < N’aber?

Ne yapacaksın? (eng. What will you do?) < N’apacaksın?

3. Homonyms can lead to misunderstandings. To distinguish between them, you must use an apostrophe.

Selin
a female name

Sel’in
of flood

Selin’in
of Selin

4. Abbreviations indicating size should take an apostrophe.

4-meter-long fish
tr. 4 m’lik balık

5. For the names from mythologyand religion, you must also use an apostrophe and never forget to use capital letters. This is because it is believed that the capital letter at the beginning of the word shows some kind of respect.

Zeus’un oğlu
the son of Zeus

İsa’nın
of Jesus/Jesus’

Muhammed’e
to Muhammad

bi-weekly%20journal.docx

Culture%20Post%20%231.docx

bi-weekly%20journal%202%3A17.docx

https://urcapture.hosted.panopto.com/Panopto/Pages/Viewer.aspx?id=bc14986f-6ba8-4bf6-8ed2-ab1b01444b0d&query=yahui%20wu

In case the link doesn't work, I also uploaded the video on the blackboard under "Panopto Videos", and the name of the file is Yahui Wu.

Recently, I have been reading a famous Turkish book called Madonna in Fur coat written by Sabahattin Ali. The plot revolves around a shy young man from rural Turkey who moves to Berlin in the 1920s, where he meets a woman who will haunt him for the rest of his life.

When it was first published in Istanbul in 1943, it made no impression whatsoever. Decades later, when Madonna in a Fur Coat became the sort of book that passed from friend to friend, the literary establishment continued to ignore it. Even those who greatly admired the other works of Sabahattin Ali viewed this one as a puzzling aberration. It was just a love story, they said – the sort that schoolgirls fawned over. And yet, for the past three years, it has topped the bestseller lists in Turkey, outselling Orhan Pamuk. It is read, loved and wept over by men and women of all ages, but most of all by young adults. And no one seems able to explain quite why.

The story begins in 1930s Ankara, the Turkish Republic’s newly appointed capital. The narrator has fallen on hard times, and it is only with the help of a crass and belittling former classmate that he is able to find work as a clerk at firm trading in lumber. Here he meets the sickly, affectless Raif Bey, who is, we’re told, “the sort of man who causes us to ask ourselves: “What do they live for? What do they find in life? What logic compels them to keep breathing?” When at last they make friends, it becomes clear that Raif’s reason for living cannot be his family. The relatives assembled under his roof treat him with the utmost contempt. And yet he welcomes their derision. Even on his deathbed, he seems to accept it as his due. But there is also a notebook, hidden in his desk drawer at work, which he asks his friend to destroy.

When his friend reads it instead, he meets a younger Raif, sent to Berlin by his father to study the manufacture of soap. Only a few years have passed since Turkey and Germany fought together on the losing side in the first world war, so he is warmly received by the pension’s other residents. But he is not much interested in the glad-eyed widows and the ruined colonialists, or for that matter, in soap. He devotes his days to reading and his evenings to strolling the streets. One evening, he wanders into an exhibition of contemporary art to be mesmerized by a portrait of a Madonna in a fur coat. He goes back the next evening, and the next, until finally the artist introduces herself. For the work that Raif has been admiring is a self-portrait. And though Maria Puder is the sort of free-thinking new woman he could never have imagined possible, the two form an intensely platonic friendship, in which Maria becomes more male than female, and Raif more female than male. It suits them both, but the world, as it closes in on them, has other plans.

The writer actually projected his own life experience in this novel. During his lifetime, and even after his death, Ali was publicly taunted for failing to act like a “real man”. There was endless innuendo about his time in Berlin. He never responded to it. Instead, he wrote Madonna in a Fur Coat, conjuring up a time and a place in which it was possible to be true to one’s nature, with air to breathe, and to live and love without pretense, if only for a brief period. It is not hard to see how a novel carrying those dreams but set far away, in a long lost Berlin, might promise a refuge, and some hope, to young readers in Turkey. They are only too aware that the space for free expression and even free thought is diminishing every day. But with this book in their hands, they can see that a story that is true to itself, and honest about love, can travel through walls. It has taken more than 70 years, says Genç, but at last Ali is having his revenge – not just in Turkish, but in English, too. May his fine book travel far.

Bi-weekly%20post%20%237.docx

            During this semester, I have learned not only the Turkish language but also Turkish culture. As I stated in my previous self-reflection papers, language serves as a vehicle for opinions and ideas. People with different cultural identities use their languages to express different values and concepts of their culture. This is also one important reason why I am interested in learning languages. Believing in such an idea, I talked a lot about Turkish culture and Turkish politics with my language partner after classes. In this paper, I will first talk about what I learn about the Turkish language, then I will reflect on Turkish culture and art I am interested in, and finally, I will plan for my future learning plan.

            During this semester, I learned about basic sentence structure, greetings, and numbers. In Turkish, its sentence structure is SOV (subject-object-verb), which is different from Chinese or English sentence structure, SVO (subject-verb-object). Also, in the Turkish language, people add affix to verbs to show past, future or perfect tense. We also learned the rule of personal suffix. To say "I am", "You are", "He is" etc. in English we use a personal pronoun and a noun/adjective. For example: "I am a doctor", "I" is the personal pronoun and "doctor" is the noun. For Turkish, we use a personal pronoun, a noun/adjective, and a personal suffix. For example: "Ben doktorum", "Ben" is the personal pronoun, "doktor" is the noun and "-um" is the personal suffix. The personal pronoun and the personal suffix are associated with each other. One common rule applied for all affix or suffix is grammar that there are no two vowels next to each other. However, there are words that use two vowels next to each other. They have adapted words, which mostly come from Arabic. Besides grammar, we also learned basic greetings. Now, I am able to introduce myself in Turkish fluently and even order foods in Turkish. I believe that my Turkish skills would help me a lot if I am going to visit Turkey after graduation.

            Besides learning the language, I also learned a lot about Turkish culture by watching Turkish movies and documentaries in Turkish with English subtitles. I watched a documentary about a Turkish transgender who lived in a small village. At first, villagers did not accept her and even traded her as a freak. However, she did not give up and was always willing to help whenever they need her. Her kindness and thoughtfulness finally changed the villagers’ mind and they gradually accepted her. They began to treat her as a friend and even part of family. They invited her to have dinner and dance together. I still remember when one of the villagers was interviewed, he said: she is just a kind person, and nothing else. I really appreciate those villagers’ open mind and kindness and I was really touched by their ingenious relationship.

            I think my biggest problem is a lack of vocabulary. After all, vocabulary is the foundation for advanced learning. There are two ways to enlarge my Turkish vocabulary based on my experience of learning other languages. The first is to read more journals and essays in Turkish. When encountering unknown words, I would check the dictionary and write them down in a notebook. Also, watching more videos or soap operas in Turkish with English subtitles is another really effective way. Although, at first, I may be able to understand little Turkish but English subtitles would help me to understand. As I keep practicing, I would remember more high-frequent Turkish words that people often use.

            Overall, I learned a lot during this semester and my language partner and I become really close friends. I hope I could learn more about the Turkish language and culture, and even be able to visit Turkey one day.

I want to continue my study about Turkish art and its historical context of the last cultural artifact post. For this post, I want to do some research onTurkish architecture and learn more about how history is related to the change in Turkish architectural style.

Turkish lived in dome-like tents appropriate to their natural surroundings at the beginning in their homeland Central Asia. They were nomads at that time. These tents later influenced Turkish architecture and ornamental arts.

 At the time when the Seljuk Turks first came to Iran, they encountered an architecture based on old traditions. Integrating this with elements from their own traditions, the Seljuks produced new types of structures. The most important type of structure they formulated was the" medrese". The first medresse

s (Muslim theological schools) were constructed in the 11th century by the famous minister Nizamülmülk, during the time of Alparslan and Melik Shah. The most important ones are the three government medresses in Nisabur, Tus and Baghdad and the Hargerd Medresse in Horasan.

Another area in which the Seljuks contributed to architecture is that of tomb monuments. These can be divided into two types: vaults and big dome-like mausoleums. The Ribati- Serif and the Ribati Anasirvan are examples of surviving 12th-century Seljuk caravanserais, where travelers would stopover for the night. In Seljuk buildings, brick was generally used, while the inner and outer walls were decorated in a material made by mixing marble, powder, lime, and plaster.

In typical buildings of the Anatolian Seljuk period, the major construction material was wood, laid horizontally except along windows and doors, where columns were considered more decorative.

Turkish architecture reached its peak during t

he Ottoman period. Ottoman architecture, influenced by Seljuk, Byzantine and Arab architecture, came to develop a style all of its own. The architectures from this period are also one of my favorite types of architecture.

The years 1300-1453 constitute the early or first Ottoman period when Ottoman art was in search of new ideas. During this period we encounter three types of the mosque: tiered single-domed and sub-line-angled mosques.

The architectural style which was to take on classical form after the conquest of Istanbul was born in Bursa and in Edirne. The Great Mosque (Ulu Cami) in Bursa was the first Seljuk mosque to be converted into a domed one. Edirne was the last Ottoman capital before Istanbul, and it is here that we witness the final stages in the architectural development that culminated in the construction of the great mosques of Istanbul. The buildings constructed in Istanbul between the capture of the city and the construction of the mosque of Sultan Bayezit are also considered works of the early period. Among these are the mosques of Fatih (1470), the mosque of Mahmutpasa, Tiled Pavilion and Topkapi Palace.

In Ottoman times the mosque did not exist by itself. It was looked on by society as being very much interconnected with city planning and communal life. Besides the mosque, there were soup kitchens, theological schools, hospitals, Turkish baths, and tombs.

Below are some pictures of Turkish architectures in Ottoman times.

If I have received a research grant to conduct a linguistic study of Turkish, I would first check the duration and the financial budget of the research. If I have enough time and budget, I would definitely go to Turkey and experience the Turkish culture by myself. Since I want to conduct research about Turkish art and its historical context, there is no better way than appreciating the amazing artifacts displayed in museums by myself. I have several Turkish museums in my list of “must go”. The first is the Ephesus Archaeological Museum. At this charming and well-organized museum, there are not only findings from the ongoing excavations at Ephesus archeological site, but also the artifacts from the Cukurici Mound, the basilica of St John, and the Temple of Artemis. Another one is Chora Church. This medieval Byzantine Greek Orthodox church dates back to around the early 4th century. Also, it possesses some of the most stunning Byzantine frescoes and mosaics.  During my trip to Turkey, I would not only do research about those museums and the stunning artifacts in them but also record my whole trip via a vlog, because I want to record everything I see or taste in Turkey.

On the other hand, if I cannot go to Turkey to visit, the best way to do research about Turkish art and its historical context is to talk to my language partner and read books. Although my language partner is not really interested in Turkish art, I am sure that she could provide a different perspective as a Turkish born and bred. As for the book about Turkish art, I think Turkish art and architecture: From Seljuks to the Ottomans would be a good reference. It includes many delicate illustrations and explanations of Turkish decorative arts as well as architecture.