Bodrum İstanbul Marmaris

Avoiding the Evil Eye - Nazar Boncugu

admin — Thu, 14 Feb 2008 23:46:27 +0000

A “Nazar Boncugu” (pronounced bondschuk) is a little magic stone that protects one from the “Evil
Eye.” You see this blue glass piece practically everywhere you go throughout Turkey… dangling from
taxi cabs, pinned to babies’ clothes, guarding the doorways of houses, even built into the foundations of modern
office buildings. But what is behind this “Evil Eye” superstition?
Once upon a time (yes, it starts like a fairy tale) there was a rock by the sea that, even
with the force of a hundred men and a lot of dynamite, could not be moved or
cracked. There was also a man who lived in this town by the sea, who was known
to carry the evil eye (Nazar). After much effort, the people of the town brought the
man to the rock. When he looked upon it, he said “My, what a big rock this is.”
Supposedly, the instant he said this, there was a rip and a crack and instantly the
immense stone was found to be cracked in two.
Once a Boncuk is found cracked, it has successfully done its job, and immediately a
new one is put in its place, to continue the protection against the dreaded “Evil Eye.”
Activity:
Provide blue, white, yellow and black clay or “Sculpty” and allow students to make their own
Nazar Boncugu, about the size of a quarter. Once they are finished, assist students in making a
small hole near the top of the piece, so that when it is dry (or baked) it can be hung on a string.

Turkish Sports & Soccer Game

admin — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 23:50:17 +0000

Turks enjoy many of the same sports the rest of the world enjoys. Several, including Mehmet Okur
and Hedo Türkoðlu, have become NBA stars here in the U.S (see “Famous Turks” on page
11). And while Turkey identifies with the sport of football (soccer), like most countries around
the globe, the Kirkpinar Grease-Wrestling Championships
celebrate Turkey’s most time-honored sport.
Other spectator sports include the “Camel” Classic
Motor Racing Series, the Alanya International
Triathlon, Istanbul’s state-of-the-art Grand Prix
racing, horse racing at the Veli Efendi Hippodrome in
Istanbul… and even grass skiing!
For your Turkish classroom soccer tournament, of course, the highest
score wins! Enlarge and make copies of the soccer player below, and
allow each student to color their player and decorate their player’s
jersey with an emblem related to Turkey. On your classroom wall or bulletin board, create a huge graph with the
numbers 1 to 10 running up the left-hand side of the graph. With masking tape on the back, place each of your
students’ soccer players across the bottom of the board. Cut out the Turkish math equations below, and fold them
so they can’t be seen. After practicing their Turkish numbers (see page
20), allow students to take turns choosing a folded equation. If they are
able to recognize the Turkish numbers and solve the equation,
their player moves up and increases their “score” to that
number. The first player to “score” 10 points
becomes the tournament champion!

Turkey and Tulips

admin — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 23:45:47 +0000

Everybody thinks that tulips come from Holland. Actually, Tulips are native to Central Asia and Turkey.
In the 16th Century they were brought to Holland from Turkey, and quickly became widely popular.
Today Tulips are cultivated in Holland in great numbers and in huge fields. Dutch bulbs, including tulips
and daffodils, are exported all around the world so people thinks that it’s originated from there as
well. In fact, many cultivated varieties were widely grown in Turkey long before they were
introduced to European gardens.
In the 17th century the overgrown interest and high popularity of Tulips brought a sort
of “Tulipmania” in Holland. Especially in 1637, bulbs were highly praised and prices
gone up day by day reaching extraordinary numbers. Bulbs were sold by weight,
usually while they were still in the ground. Some examples could cost more than a house
at this time. The Dutch government unsuccessfully tried to outlaw this commerce but
couldn’t do anything to stop it, the trade was all about access and demand. But the
end of the game came quick: Over-supply led to lower prices, dealers went
bankrupt, many people lost their savings, and the tulip market crashed.
Also in the Turkish history Tulip played an interesting role. The period between
1718-1730 was called the “Tulip Era”, under the reign of sultan Ahmed III. This
period is also expressed as an era of peace and enjoyment. Tulips became an important
style of life within the arts, folklore and the daily life of the Turkish people.
Many of the embroidered and textile clothing handmade by woman, as well as
many carpets, tiles, miniatures etc. had tulip designs or shapes. Large tulip gardens
around the Golden Horn were frequented by upscale people. Also, the first printing
house was founded by Ibrahim Müteferrika in Istanbul. The Tulip Era was
brought to an end after the Patrona Halil revolt in 1730, ending with the dethronation
of the Sultan.
The botanical name for tulips, Tulipa, is derived from the Turkish word
“tulbend” or “turban”, which the flower resembles. It’s considered as
the King of Bulbs.
Special thanks to tour guide Barak Sansal.
Activity
Bring your classroom into full bloom by creating a field of “paper cup” tulips to add to
the various other Turkish designs and educational aids your students have prepared.
Materials: Dixie-style paper cups, drinking straws, green construction paper,
assorted colors of tempra paint, brushes, scissors, glue, clay (optional).
Allow each of your students to create one or more tulips for your classroom’s Turkish
display. Assist students in cutting 6 to 8 slits down the side of their paper cup. Allow
them to paint their “tulip” cup any color of their choosing using the tempra paint.
Once the cups are dry, punch a small hole in the bottom center of the cup. Push a
drinking straw through the hole about one inch. Secure the straw by applying a small
amount of white glue. Allow the glue to dry. Use the pattern to the right to cut out
several tulip leaves out of green construction paper. Attach the “leaves” to the straw
“stem” using white glue. Allow the glue to dry thoroughly.
If you choose, use a small ball of clay as a base for the tulip, pushing the bottom of the
stem into the clay to assist it in standing. Display all of the colorful tulips in your classroom.

Turkish Games

admin — Tue, 12 Feb 2008 23:43:22 +0000

Most games played during school or free-time activities among Turkish people usually emphasize mutual
enjoyment and the display of physical agility and mental skills, but de-emphasize competition and the
win-or-lose factor. These games reaffirm the strong communal spirit that pervades Turkish society.
Many games end as most Turkish fellowship ends… amicably and with the sharing of a meal.

Tag, You’re Ebe!
In Turkey, the player who is “It” is called “Ebe” (pronounced eh-beh). The process of actually choosing one player
as Ebe often constitutes a game itself in the Republic of Turkey. In fact, in some instances, the process is ritualized
to the point where the process of choosing Ebe actually takes more time than playing the game! For these games,
for the sake of time, numbers can be chosen or the teacher can determine who is Ebe.

Flew, Flew, the Bird Flew
Equipment Needed: A large tray or flat surface.
Arrangement of Players: Players sit in a large circle around the table or large
tray, close enough so that they can rest both index fingers on the table or tray.
Song to Accompany Play:
“Flew, flew, the bird flew.
Flew, flew, the bee flew.
Flew, flew, the butterfly flew.
Flew, flew, the airplane flew.
Flew, flew, the truck flew.
Ah, ah! Did the truck fly?
Ahmet, you’re out!”
How to Play:
This singing game is similar to “Simon Says” played here in the U.S.A. Spend a little time practicing the
song with the entire class, until all students become familiar with the words and the tune you choose. One player is
chosen as the leader, Ebe. The leader chants the song, and each time he or she sings a line, they raise their index
fingers high into the air, depending on whether or not the creature or object named in that line can actually fly.
The rest of the players listen intently and watch Ebe as the lines are sung, but they are expected to raise
their fingers from the surface only if the creature or object named can indeed fly. Any player who raises his or her
index fingers when a non-flying item is named (like a bed, box, dog, box, table, etc.) is out of the game. Likewise,
any player who fails to raise their fingers when a flying object is named is out of the game. The teacher is the referee.
To make it more interesting, allow Ebe to raise their fingers on a non-flying object, or leave their fingers
against the tray or table when singing a flying object, just to try to confuse the other players. Then, all of the players
must only rely on the lines of the song to determine if they raise their fingers or not… instead of the movement of
Ebe’s fingers! The last player in the game gets to be Ebe next.

One Touch
Equipment Needed: A simple mask or blindfold
Arrangement of Players: Divide the class or group into two teams, and each team
chooses one player to be Ebe. Each team forms a line facing the other team.
Song to Accompany Play:
“The pot is boiling by the tree.
When one moved from their group.
The blind one couldn’t tell which one it was.”
How to Play:
Each Ebe gives a different fruit, flower or animal name to his or her team members (for example –
Apple, Orange, Banana, Cherry, etc.) without revealing the owners of those names to the other team.
One team begins, and their Ebe (First Ebe) calls forth the Ebe from the opposing team (Second Ebe) chanting
“Singir, mingir, my noisemaker, you are welcome. Come to the riverbank!” The second Ebe approaches the first
team’s line and chants “Sangur, sungur, making noise, here I come!” Then the second Ebe goes behind his
opponent’s line and stops behind one of the players, blindfolds the player’s eyes, then calls to his own team,
“Pineapple (or some other name he or she has assigned), come here!”
The player who has been called forward by their Ebe comes to the blindfolded opponent, touches the
player lightly on the forehead or chin, then returns quietly to his or her place in line.
Ebe uncovers the blindfolded player’s eyes, and the player approaches the other line seeking to identify the
one who did the touching. As the player comes forward, all of the players sing or chant the three-line stanza as long
as the player is trying to guess the identity of the toucher (only four guesses are allowed).
If the player chooses the correct “toucher”, the singing stops and the seeker takes the toucher back to join
his or her own team (and that Ebe assigns the new team member a secret name like the other players). If, after four
attempts, the seeker fails to identify the toucher, they return to their team alone. Either way, the turn them passes to
the other Ebe, and the procedure is repeated.
End of Play: Determined when one team through its “captures” greatly outnumbers the other team. The winning
team then “punishes” the losing team by requiring them to perform some kind of pre-determined stunt or penalty:
singing a song, imitating the sound of a specified animal, cleaning the blackboard, etc.

Ring Game
Equipment Needed: A long string with a small ring threaded onto it and the ends tied together to form a huge
string circle.
Arrangement of Players: Entire class or group sit in a huge circle (except for Ebe who stands inside the circle).
Make sure the string circle is big enough so that it can stretch around the inside of the whole circle, with each player
holding it with both hands.
Song to Accompany Play:
“From hand to hand pass the ring.
Let it go ‘round along the string.
Don’t let it stop! Don’t let it stop!
Don’t let Ebe find it.”
How to Play:
For this game, no score is kept. The emphasis of this game is not on competition but on display of perception,
alertness and shared fun.
To pass the ring around the circle, along the string, without revealing its location to Ebe, the players form
fists and bring their fists close to those of their neighbors as the ring is secretly passed, and without stopping, from
one player to the next. The chanting continues through the game until Ebe finally detects the ring’s location.
Since the object of the players is to keep Ebe from guessing where the ring is, players should sometimes
counterfeit the passing of the ring to distract Ebe’s attention from the ring’s actual position. When Ebe catches a
passer, that player then becomes Ebe, and the first Ebe becomes a part of the circle of players.

Beauty & Ugliness
Arrangement of Players: All players stand in a large circle, with Ebe standing in the center of the
circle.
Song to Accompany Play:
English – “The bell rang. The duck dived into the water.”
Turkish – “Zil caldi. Ordek suya daldý.”
How to Play: Before each round, the players huddle and decide whether the pose to be assumed by the players
will be a beautiful one or an ugly one. Then the players in the circle join hands and, moving clockwise in the circle,
sing the two-line song (try it in Turkish!). On “water” or “daldý”, they drop their hands and, without speaking or
laughing or making any other sound, assume their individual versions of the pose previously decided on. That pose
is held in silence until Ebe chooses one player as the most beautifully (or ugly) posed. The person chosen becomes
the new Ebe, and the procedure is repeated.
The variety of poses assumed is vast, involving both comic exaggeration and remarkable dexterity, and delights the
players as well as the onlookers.

Where’s the Handkerchief?
Equipment Needed: A large handkerchief with a knot tied in one corner.
Arrangement of Players: All players except Ebe sit on the floor in a large circle. Ebe stands outside the circle
holding the handkerchief.
Song to Accompany Play:
“Take the handkerchief in your hand.
Make two rounds in a ring.
Where is the handkerchief put?
Behind whose back is it now?
If she doesn’t know it, hol dher by the leg;
Hold her arm up in the air.”
How to Play:
All of the seated players join in the chant as Ebe walks twice around the outside of the circle. By the end
of the second round, Ebe should secretly place the handkerchief quietly behind the back of one player.
If or when a player detects the handkerchief behind them, they should jump up with the handkerchief and
run after Ebe, trying to catch him and tag him with the handkerchief. Ebe tries to seat himself in the spot vacated by
the chosen player before being tagged. If Ebe succeeds, the chosen player becomes the new Ebe. If Ebe is tagged,
he or she remains Ebe for another round. (Other players who see where Ebe places the handkerchief should not
reveal the secret. If they do hint at the location in any way, they immediately must become Ebe).

Learning Turkish Numbers

admin — Mon, 11 Feb 2008 23:42:13 +0000

While your students are seated in their desks improving their reading skills and their mathematical
knowledge, students of the same age, 5,922 miles away, are also practicing their numbers… only in
Turkish! While they may not know “one, two, three”… they most certainly know “bir, iki, üç.” By
creating flash cards, an educational bulletin board, or by writing these numbers on the board, practice the following
Turkish numbers with your students. Distribute copies of this worksheet to your students. Instruct
them to draw lines from the correct Turkish number to the matching picture.
If your students are ready for a bigger challenge, you can also begin teaching them Turkish colors
by utilizing the activity on page 34. Then challenge them to color the shapes below by assigning a
Turkish color to each shape.

1 = bir 2 = iki 3 = üç 4 = dört 5 = beþ
6 = altý 7 = yedi 8 = sekiz 9 = dokuz 10 = on

Nasrettin Hodja Tales… 2, 3 & 4

admin — Sun, 10 Feb 2008 23:40:37 +0000

For five centuries the people of Turkey have been laughing at Nasrettin. The humorous folklore of the
nation has been hung upon the name of Nasrettin, who, upon becoming a teacher-priest, added the
honorary title of Hodja to his name, which means teacher or scholar. Nasrettin
Hodja is Turkey’s best-known trickster. His legendary wit and trickery were
possibly based on the exploits of a historical imam. Some of the stories have
a moral, some do not. Nasrettin reputedly was born in 1208 in the village of
Horto near Sivrihisar. In 1237 he moved to Akshehir, where he died in the
Islamic year 683 (1284 or 1285). As many as 350 anecdotes have been
attributed to the Hodja. Turks of all ages break into a grin of anticipation
whenever they hear, “That reminds me of a Nasrettin Hodja story!” In many
of them the Hodja’s patient, long-eared donkey plays a role. The Hodja always
has one friend upon whom he can depend… his donkey! Some of these stories
are thought to be true, however nobody knows… and nobody cares… whether
they are true or not. It is known that at the time of Tamerlane the Great (see
“Tamerlane” on page 19) there was at Akshehir in Turkey a rustic teacherpriest
who was known for doing foolish things. People even laugh when they
visit his grave, because it is no ordinary grave. It stands on a hill near Akshehir,
and is marked by a single iron gate, carefully locked, but without any
accompanying walls. Nasrettin Hodja is as Turkish as Paul Bunyan is American,
but the Hodja carries the accumulated humor of five centuries
instead of one.

TURKISH Mosaic

admin — Sat, 09 Feb 2008 23:39:57 +0000

Many of the churches and mosques in Turkey are decorated with elaborate mosaics. Haghia Sophia,
“The Church of Holy Wisdom” in Istanbul, one of the world’s greatest architectural achievements, the
Church of St. Saviour in Chora, and The Church of Haghia Sophia in Trabzon, situated on the Black
Sea, a restored 13th-century Byzantine church that reverted to a mosque in 1577, are just three of the many places
throughout Turkey which represent beautiful and intricate mosaics. Many of the mosaics depict Christ, Turkish
Emperors and/or scenes from the Old Testament of the Bible.
These mosaics were made using thousands of
small, individually colored titles, arranged sideby-
side on the walls and ceilings to create
intricate designs and pictures. Up close, they
look like an arbitrary arrangement of small
colored squares, but as you move away, the
tiles of these huge displays blend together to
create beautiful and very detailed multi-colored
pictures. In some mosques, these mosiacs
cover entire walls, or, such as in the case of the
Church of St. Savior in Chora, cover entire
domes and ceilings.
Activity:
Materials needed include different colors of
construction paper, scissors, white glue.
Obviously, the artists who created the mosiacs
throughout Turkey first began with a sketch or
design of the picture they wanted to create.
These pictures may have been first sketched
on the walls with charcoal, before the hundreds
of individual colored tiles were cemented in place to add the
color to the design and final picture.
Give each student an 8.5” x 11” piece of white cardboard or
construction paper. Using a pencil, have them draw a picture
of their choosing… a house, an animal, a favorite person. Or,
depending on the grade and their artistic ability, you may want
to distribute pre-drawn black & white line art pictures. Cut different colors of construction paper into small squares
(about 1/2” square each). Put each color of paper squares in a different bowl (bowl of red paper squares, bowl of
green paper squares, etc.). Let students apply glue to their picture and then arrange the small paper squares of
different colors to fill in different parts of their picture with color.
Ready to take on a larger project, one more comparable to the great artists of Turkey? Cover a bulletin board (or
an entire wall of your classroom) with white butcher paper. Have your class work together and use pencils or black
crayons to draw a huge scene covering the entire paper. The scene could include houses, sunshine, animals,
people, buildings, etc. It could be a scene of your schoolyard, a scene of different places throughout Memphis, or
a scene of associated with the Republic of Turkey. Each day, allow students to use the white glue and paper
squares to cover a section of your wall mosaic. Once the entire paper is covered, your room is decorated just like
Haghia Sophia (you may even want to enter it into Memphis in May’s “Best Classroom” contest!).

Turkish Bazaar

admin — Fri, 08 Feb 2008 23:39:18 +0000

Bazaars are famous throughout The Republic of Turkey. Don’t confuse Turkey’s famous bazaars
with American shopping malls. While both serve as major centers of commerce, most Turkish bazaars were built
over 650 years before construction on Wolfchase Galleria ever began. Many bazaars were built by sultans and
other dignitaries during the Ottoman Empire, and were a part of mosque complexes. These buildings played an
important role in the modernization of Ottoman trade. The world’s biggest emporium is the Covered Bazaar of
Istanbul, which served as the seat of the Ottoman government from 1453 until the end of World War I.
The Covered Bazaar was built around 1460 by Sultan Mehmet II, who conquered Constantinople (which later
became Istanbul). A labyrinth of passageways and corridors, it has more than 4,000 (that’s right… 4,000) shops,
2,000 workshops and numerous vendors making and selling everything, including jewelry, handwoven carpets,
antiques, ceramics, leatherware, alabaster, copper goods, furniture, fabrics, blue jeans and thousands of other
items. The Covered Bazaar also has a dozen restaurants, 60 sandwich buffets, two mosques, six mescits (small
mosques), several barber shops and a coffeehouse. An average of 500,000
people visit the complex every day!
While your bazaar may not be quite as large as the Covered Bazaar in
Istanbul, it can be just as much fun. Explain Turkish bazaars to your
students, and explain to them that, throughout the Turkish lessons, your
classroom will be converted into a Turkish bazaar. As the teacher, the
bazaar, of course, should bear your name… like the Grand Robertson
Bazaar. Allow your students to work with you to create and paint an
impressive sign to go on your classroom door. Decorate it with traditional
Turkish designs.
Each day, throughout your classroom lesson on Turkey, when your students
enter the Bazaar, they may learn and experience Turkish cuisine, Turkish
handicrafts and, possibly while taking a break from shopping for a cup of
Turkish coffee, maybe even enjoy a traditional Turkish tale or game. Of
course, if they want to know the prices of the thousands of items sold
throughout a bazaar, they’d better also learn a few Turkish numbers, as
well. That, and more, are included throughout the pages of your Grade
Division of this Curriculum Guide. It offers
your students a fun and educational
exploration of the exciting country of Turkey!

Ultimate Turkish Quiz

admin — Thu, 07 Feb 2008 23:38:04 +0000

Pull out the research and travel books; fire up the Internet. Are you ready to take the “Ultimate
Turkish Quiz”? Fill in the blanks with the cities, regions or answers that match each description.
Teachers, make copies and see which students can find the most answers!
1. Blue “Evil Eye” protector: ________________________________________________________________
2. Only “mortal” statue on Mt. Nemrut: ________________________________________________________
3. Region of “mushroom” formations & underground cities: __________________________________________
4. City famous as centre of Turkish tea industry: ___________________________________________________
5. Valley where you’ll find the Tomb of King Midas: _______________________________________________
6. City seat of the legendary King Midas: _______________________________________________________
7. Name of the famous “whirling” dancers: ______________________________________________________
8. Modern capital of the Turkish Republic: _______________________________________________________
9. Where you’ll find St. Paul’s well: ___________________________________________________________
10. City of St. Nicholas (no, not the North Pole): __________________________________________________
11. City known for loggerhead turtle nesting: _____________________________________________________
12. Remnants of Mausoleum of Halicarnassus, one of the Seven Wonders of the World, found here: _____________
13. Terraced white calcium carbonate flows are here: ______________________________________________
14. Where you’ll find the House of Mary, the Blessed Virgin: _________________________________________
15. Became the first capital of the Ottoman Empire in 1326: __________________________________________
16. Connects the Black Sea with the Sea of Marmara: _____________________________________________
17. The barracks where Florence Nightingale practiced nursing: _______________________________________
18. Ataturk died on November 10, 1938. Do you know what time and where?: ___________________________
19. The Orient Express ran 1,800 miles between Istanbul and this city: __________________________________
20. Originated in 7000 BC, perhaps the world’s first “town”: _________________________________________
21. Home of the gigantic Watermelon Festival: ___________________________________________________
22. Two major divisions of Turkey (one in Europe, one in Asia): ________________________________________
23. The Muslim holy month: _________________________________________________________________
24. Home of Turkey’s largest and most famous horse: _______________________________________________
25. Istanbul’s previous name: ________________________________________________________________

Answers Ultimate Quiz,
1. boncuk
2. King Antiochus I
3. Cappadocia
4. Rize
5. Þehitgazi
6. Gordion
7. Dervishes
8. Ankara
9. Tarsus
10. Demre
11. Dalyan
12. Bodrum
13. Pamukkale
14. Ephesus
15. Bursa
16. Bosphorus
17. Selimiye
18. Dolmabahçe Palace, 9:05 a.m.
19. Paris, France
20. Çatalhöyük
21. Diyarbakir
22. Thrace & Anatolia
23. Ramazan
24. Troy
25. Constantinople

Famous Turks

admin — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 23:36:08 +0000

It is home to the oldest known human settlement in the world, and its borders have been populated
by Ottomans, Hittites, Persians and Byzantines. But who are some of the most famous Turks of
yesterday and today? This “short list” of famous Turks includes musicians, politicians, actors and
athletes… even Ottoman sultans! And while some may be unfamiliar (and difficult to spell) all have
helped to shape this fascinating country, and the world! For a more comprehensive list and biographical information,
search Wikipedia at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Turks. You may also want to have your students complete
the “Famous Turks” activity on page 66 of this guide.

Mustafa Kemal Atatürk - (born 1881) Turkish army officer, statesman and the Founder and first President of
the Republic of Turkey. He led to the liberation of the country and the establishment of the Republic of Turkey.
Ahmet Necdet Sezer - (born September 13, 1941) Tenth President of the Republic of Turkey. The Grand
National Assembly of Turkey elected Sezer in 2000 after Süleyman Demirel’s seven-year term expired.

Azra Akın - (born December 12, 1981) Turkish model who was crowned Miss World 2002 at the annual
pageant, held that year in London, England.

Barbarossa - The ferocious and feared “pirate” who became admiral of the Ottoman fleet in 1534.

Ahmet Ertegün - (1923-2006) Legendary founder of Atlantic Records. When Turkish Ambassador Münir Ertegün
and his family moved to Washington, DC in 1936, his two sons, Ahmet and Nesuhi, already had a collection of
25,000 blues and jazz records. With a $10,000 loan from his Turkish dentist, Ahmet launched Atlantic Records
and, in doing so, changed the music industry forever, introducing the world to such names as Ray Charles, Aretha
Franklin, Wilson Picket, the Rolling Stones, and many others.

Halil Mutlu - (born July 13, 1973) Olympic gold medalist in weightlifting, having won three Olympic championships,
five World Championships and nine European Championships, who also broke more than 20 world records.

Hidayet (Hedo) Türkoğlu - (born March 19, 1979) NBA Orlando Magic small forward, and the first Turkish
NBA basketball player. Selected 16th pick by the Sacramento Kings in the first round of the 2000 NBA Draft.
Mehmet II (The Conqueror) - (born March 30, 1432) The 15th century Ottoman sultan who safeguarded
freedom of worship and successfully captured Istanbul in 1453 as his Empire’s new capital city.

Mehmet Okur - (born May 26, 1979) Star center basketball player for the NBA Utah Jazz, formerly with the
NBA championship Detroit Pistons.
Nasreddin Hoca - Famous 13th century folk philosopher and humorist whose memorialized as a legend. His
anecdotes are quoted throughout Turkey among all classes and levels of Turkish people.

Tunch Ilkin - (born September 23, 1957) Former offensive tackle for the Pittsburgh Steelers (1980 - 1992) and
Green Bay Packers (1993), earning two Pro Bowl appearances.

Yunus Emre - (born approximately 1238) The 13th century philosopher poet and one of Turkey’s national
treasures, who promoted basic themes of love, friendship, brotherhood and divine justice.