http://www.turkalive.com Turkey Travel Guide Fri, 15 Feb 2008 00:08:25 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en 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 ... http://www.turkalive.com/turkey/avoiding-the-evil-eye-nazar-boncugu.html 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 ... http://www.turkalive.com/turkey/turkish-sports-soccer-game.html 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 ... http://www.turkalive.com/turkey/turkey-and-tulips.html 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 ... http://www.turkalive.com/turkey/turkish-games.html 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 ... http://www.turkalive.com/turkey/learning-turkish-numbers.html 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 ... http://www.turkalive.com/turkey/nasrettin-hodja-tales-2-3-4.html 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 ... http://www.turkalive.com/turkey/turkish-mosaic.html 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, ... http://www.turkalive.com/turkey/turkish-bazaar.html 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. ... http://www.turkalive.com/turkey/ultimate-turkish-quiz.html 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 ... http://www.turkalive.com/turkey/famous-turks.html