Turkey
and the
Muslim Culture
Europe / Asia
•Medina
Largest population of the
world’s Muslims live in
the areas in green.
Mevlevi (Whirling) Dervishes
The Dervishes are part of the Sufi Muslims of Turkey. They participate
in a ritual whirling to mystically commune with Allah.
Timeline- A Brief History of Turkey
Republic of Turkey is located within an area called Anatolia.
1453 A.D. 1923 Modern
Hittites Persians 30 B.C. – 395 1100 A.D. Byzantine
A.D. Romans Seljuks, Turkish Turkey under
2000 - 1200 546 – 334 Empire ends,
gain control warriors Kemel Ataturk
B.C. B.C. Ottomans rule
1200 – 550 334 B.C. 476 – 1100 A.D. 1243 A.D. 1919 A.D. Allies
B.C. Various Macedonians led Anatolia flourished Seljuks divided up
tribes by Alexander the as a Byzantine invaded by Ottoman Empire
Great Empire under Mongols
Constantine
The Prophet,
Muhammed
born - 570
A.D.
Modern Turkey
• The Republic of Turkey
was founded in 1923
by Kemel Ataturk.
• He founded laws and
institutions which
created a parliamentary
secular state in Turkey.
• He established the
Turkish language.
• He outlawed the veil for
women.
Interesting facts about Turkey
• Turkey is located in both Europe and Asia.
• Turkey is currently seeking acceptance in the
European union.
• Religion: Although the government has
established freedom of religion in Turkey
98% of Turks are Muslim (2/3 Sunni, 1/3 Shia)
• Turkish is the official language
Muslim Culture
of
Turkey
and the
Middle East
The Prophet Muhammad
• Orphaned at age 6 and brought up by his grandfather,
then later his uncle.
• Married a wealthy widow and became a merchant.
• After marriage, he was able to spend more time in
meditation.
• At age 40, 610 AD, he was visited in Mecca by the angel
Gabriel and given the task of converting his countrymen
from their pagan, polytheistic beliefs.
• He met considerable opposition to his teachings.
• In 622 CE he moved north to Medina due to increasing
persecution.
• His teachings became known as Islam. It became
firmly established throughout the area.
Other Facts About Islam
• Islam is the name of the religion. It is derived from
the Arabic word "salam," which is often interpreted
as meaning "peace.” However, "submission" would
be a better translation.
• Followers of Islam are called Muslims.
• An alternate spelling for "Muslim" that is sometimes
used is "Moslem.” Many people use these terms
interchangeably, but it is not recommended because
Moslem is often pronounced "mawzlem": which
sounds like an Arabic word for "oppressor, “ or
“unjust.” Muslims may interpret this as offensive.
• A Muslim’s “Holy Book” is the Quran. The writing of
the Quran were given to Muhammad by Allah.
• The original language of the Quran is Arabic. It is
read from back to front and from right to left.
• Muslims try to memorize the whole Quran. Those
who do are held in high regard. It is longer than the
Christian Bible.
• Muslims worship Allah. "Allah" is an Arabic word
which means "the One True God."
• Most religious historians view Islam as having been
founded in 622 CE by Muhammad the Prophet
(peace be upon him). However, many if not most of
the followers of Islam believe that Islam existed
before Muhammad was born. The origins of Islam
date back to the creation of the world. Muhammad
was the last of a series of prophets including
Moses, Abraham, and Jesus.
The Five Pillars of Islam
1. Bearing Witness (Shahadah)
-to declare Allah, the one true God, and Muhammad as his prophet
2. Prayer (Salat)
-5 times daily: dawn, noon, late afternoon, sunset, nightfall
3. Almsgiving (Zakat)
-regular charity purifies man’s remaining wealth
4. Fasting/ Ramadan (Sawm)
-fasting from dawn to sunset during month of Ramadan
5. Pilgrimage (Hajj)
-at least one pilgrimage to Mecca during a Muslim’s lifetime If
physically and financially possible
Call to prayer
An Imam calls Muslims to prayer 5 times a day from a
minaret (small tower) connected to a mosque.
The Kaaba in Mecca
Muslims face
the Kaaba
(the most holy
place of
worship for
Muslims) in
Mecca when
praying. In
the United
States they
face East.
Stages of Prayer
Prayer (rak’a) Bowing down Prostration Sitting
begins (ruku’) (sujud) (julus)
-Muslims prayer 5 times a day.
-Before prayer, they must perform WUDU, a systematic washing.
-Next they complete prayer using precise order of words & motions.
The Five Pillars of Islam
1. Bearing Witness (Shahadah)
-to declare Allah, the one true God, and Muhammad as his prophet
2. Prayer (Salat)
-5 times daily: dawn, noon, late afternoon, sunset, nightfall
3. Almsgiving (Zakat)
-regular charity purifies man’s remaining wealth
4. Fasting/ Ramadan (Sawm)
-fasting from dawn to sunset during month of Ramadan
5. Pilgrimage (Hajj)
-at least one pilgrimage to Mecca during a Muslim’s lifetime If
physically and financially possible
Hajj
• The Hajj, or
pilgrimage to
Mecca, is a central
duty of Islam whose
origins date back to
the time of Prophet
Ibrahim (Abraham).
In carrying out this
obligation, they
fulfill one of the five
"pillars" of Islam.
The Five Pillars of Islam
1. Bearing Witness (Shahadah)
-to declare Allah, the one true God, and Muhammad as his prophet
2. Prayer (Salat)
-5 times daily: dawn, noon, late afternoon, sunset, nightfall
3. Almsgiving (Zakat)
-regular charity purifies man’s remaining wealth
4. Fasting/ Ramadan (Sawm)
-fasting from dawn to sunset during month of Ramadan
5. Pilgrimage (Hajj)
-at least one pilgrimage to Mecca during a Muslim’s lifetime If
physically and financially possible
Ramadan
• Before sunrise the family eats to give them
strength to endure the fast during the day.
• Ramadan is a holy time of year for Muslims.
• During Ramadan, Muslims fast from dawn until
sunset for an entire month. The date of
Ramadan changes yearly. (Lunar calendar
explanation on next slide)
• The fasting prohibits them from eating or
drinking anything. Nothing is allowed in the
mouth to pacify their hunger, not even water,
gum, or cigarettes. Sex is also prohibited.
• During Ramadan, Muslims try to read the entire
Koran.
Islamic Lunar Calendar
• The Islamic year is based on a lunar year as opposed
to a solar year. The Islamic year and months begin at
the first sighting of the New Moon. There are 12 lunar
months. Their year is 11 or 12 days short of the
Gregorian calendar which will cause their holidays to
move throughout each season about every 33 years.
1 Muharram (30 days) 7 Rajab (30 days)
2 Safar (29 days) 8 Shaaban (29 days)
3 Rabi-ul awwal (30 days) 9 Ramadan (30 days)
4 Rabi-ul thani (29 days) 10 Shawwal (29 days)
5 Jumada-ul awwal (30 days) 11 Dhul Qa'da (30 days)
6 Jumada-ul thani (29 days) 12 Dhul Hijja (29/30 days)
Ramadan cont.
• At night Muslims break their fast with a date and
water following the example of Muhammad.
Then after prayers, they share a large meal with
family members.
• Ramadan it a time of purifying themselves,
forgiving old wrongs, showing extra kindness to
others, and giving alms to the poor.
• Above all, Muslims spend much time in prayer
during this month.
• Muslims celebrate Eid al-Fitr for several days
after Ramadan.
Celebrating Eid
• -Takes place on the 1st day of Shawwal, the
day after the month of Ramadan
• -Banners and pennants are hung in Muslim
countries
• -On Eid people bath, put on perfume, and
dress in new clothes. Religious services are
attended, old wrongs forgiven, and money is
given to the poor. Special foods are
prepared and relatives and friends are
invited to share in the feast.
• -Gifts and greeting cards are exchanged.
Eid called Seker Bayrami (Candy
Festival) in Turkey
• After men return from the mosque, their wives honor them by
kissing their hands, then husbands kiss wives on each cheek
• Children kiss the hands of each adult and press their forehead
to their hands to honor them.
• Children are given a fancy handkerchief with money inside
and a plate of sweets (possibly including Lokoum, or what we
call Turkish Delight.)
• Families gather for a special feast.
• Children are taken to amusement parks, puppet shows,
carnivals.
• In the evening baklava is served after a huge meal shared by
family and friends.
Shadow Puppets
In Turkey, children may attend
puppet shows for Eid. Shadow
puppets became popular in
Turkey during the Ottoman
Empire. Two major characters in
puppet shows were Karagoz and
KARAGOZ
Hacivad. Karagoz was a jester
and who was said to have lived
HACIVAD
during the 14th century. He is a
rough uneducated man of the
people who uses his wit to get
the better of his pompous
educated friend, Hacivad.