3. HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY, TURKEY
The history of Turkey tells of a 10,000 year-old civilisation. Anatolia is a melting pot where cultures from Sumer,
Babylon and Assyria interacted for centuries with peoples such as the Hattis, Hittites and Hourrites. The result was a
unique Anatolian civilisation which has long inspired the thoughts and legends of the West. The ancient Bronze Age
witnessed the establishment of the first independent city states.
The Roman period of Anatolia began with the death of King Attalus III of Pergamon (Bergama) who willed his
country to the Romans because he had no direct heir. Anatolia then lived through a period of peace and prosperity,
particularly in the 1st and 2nd centuries AD.
In the 11th century, under their leader Tugrul, the Seljuk Turks founded the dynasty of great Seljuks reigning in Iran,
Iraq and Syria. In 1071, his nephew Alp Arslan defeated the Byzantines in Malazgirt, near Lake Van. The doors of
Anatolia were thus opened to the Turks, and Anatolia went through a profound transformation ethnically, politically,
and in the religious, linguistic and cultural spheres. The Seljuk Sultanate in Anatolia continued until the beginning of
the 14th century. Anatolia was crossed by the great routes linking the east and west, and many of the caravanserais
built along these routes still stand today.
In 1296, Osman declared himself the independent Sultan of the region of Söğüt near Bursa and founded the
Ottoman State. In 1453, under Mehmet the Conqueror, the Ottomans took Constantinople, a momentous event for
the whole world and a great feat of arms. But the banner of Ottoman success was to be raised much higher and by the
late l6th century the Ottomans were deep into Europe. In the following centuries, however, the Ottoman Empire lost
its momentum, entered a period of stagnation and then gradually a period of decline. The final blow to the Empire
came with the First World War, during which The Ottoman Empire was on the losing side with Germany.
At the end of the war in 1918, the Ottoman government, under the occupation of the Allied Forces, choose not to
further resist a peace treaty embodying the partition of Turkey. In May 1919, the Greeks, who had been promised a
part of Anatolia, landed at Izmir and started an invasion in Western Anatolia while France sought control over South-
Eastern Anatolia, and the Great Britain do the same in Istanbul in particular regions of the Middle East.

4. ATATURK AND TURKEY
Against this challenge, the Turkish nation engaged in a struggle to restore her territorial integrity and independence, to
repulse foreign aggressors, to create a new state, to disassociate Turkey from the crumbling Ottoman dynasty, to eradicate an
old and decrepit order and to build a modern country dedicated to political, social and economic progress. This was the vision
of Atatürk, a general in the Ottoman army who had distinguished himself in the defence of Gallipoli (Çanakkale) against the
Naval Forces of Britain, France, Australia and New Zealand. The Ottoman victory over the Allies at Gallipoli renewed Turkey's
visions for the empire Atatürk wanted a clean break with the past, to unite the nation in the quest for modernism and to lift
Turkey to the level of European countries. On October 29 1923, the republic was proclaimed and Atatürk was elected president.
Secularism was established by separating religious and state affairs. The Latin alphabet replaced the Arabic script and women
were given the right to vote and to be elected as members of parliament. These reforms, as well as many others in all aspects of
social life, put Turkey on the track towards becoming a thoroughly modern country.
When Ataturk died in 1938, he left a legacy of which the Turkish people today are proud. A
nation that had regained confidence in itself after the independence war; a society determined to
preserve the political, intellectual, cultural and social values he had bequeathed. The Turkish
Republic has now been a member of the international community for over 80 years. During this
period, great changes have occurred and many difficulties have been encountered. But the country
remains firmly attached to the policies initiated by Ataturk. It has established a democratic multi-
party political system, developed a vibrant civil society, and embarked on the path of
industrialisation and market economy. It has consolidated its ties with the west and with the
European Union through membership in NATO and the Council of Europe and Customs Union.
These trends mark a radical change from the days of the Ottoman Empire. Yet there is also
continuity. The Turks have inherited both from the Islamic past and their Ottoman past. They have
Mustafa Kemal Ataturk also inherited from their western past, as well as forming a part of the Western present. All these
heritages, Eastern and Western, Asian and European, are intermingled in the civilisation of modem
Turkey. A symbol of this union is the two bridges that span the Istanbul Strait, linking the two
continents with many pasts and one future.And Turkey is a candidate country negotiating with
European Union for being a member of EU.

5. CADRAE (SEDIR) ISLAND - CLEOPATRA BEACH
This island is located between Mediterranean and
Aegean Sea.Beside this island’s nature beauty,there is also
Hellenistic and Roman periods of ancient theather and the
remains of the ancient port.It is famous by the interesting
sand and the sea which has got the every tone of blue.There
is a well-known legend about this island;
Thousands of years ago Antonius Caesar has offered to
marry Cleopatra.When she accepted,Antonius became very
happy and prepared the island for their
honeymoon.Cleopatra and Antonius swam here and the
sands have been brought by the ships from North Africa by
Antonius.It’s been said that this type of sand can only be
seen in Egypt.Each grain of sand is a perfect sphere and
when you put it into mineral water,it will multiply by
itself.Also if you look closer,you can see them moving
slowly.For this reason the beach is heavily protected by the
government.

6. DERINKUYU UNDERGROUND CITY
There are so many underground
cities at Cappadocia area of Turkey.
Noone can know how many
underground cities there are. The
biggest and deepest is Derinkuyu
Underground City. There are eight floors
and extend at a depth of approximately
85 m.Between the third and fourth
levels is a vertical staircase. This
passage way leads to a cruciform church
on the lowest level. First built by the
Phrygians in the 8th–7th centuries
B.C .The city could be closed from inside
with large stone doors. With
storerooms and wells that made long
stays possible, the city had air shafts
which are up to 100 feet (30 m) deep.
Derinkuyu is the largest excavated
underground city in Turkey. The
complex has a total 11 floors. Each floor
could be closed off separately. The city
was connected with other underground
cities through miles of long tunnels. The
city could accommodate between
20,000 and 50,000 people.

7. GARDEN OF RELIGIONS
Garden of Religions, where there are three places of worship; A
mosque, a church and a synagogue in Belek near Antalya,
welcomes people from all over the world. This is the only
place where there are three religions together after Jerusalem. It is
flooded with light and radiate comfort and feeling of security.
“There is only one god. We are indeed all brothers and sisters” says
the person ,who happily invites visitors to join him on a guided tour.

8. KAÇKAR MOUNTAINS NATIONAL PARK
Turkey forms a natural bridge between the
continents of Asia, Africa and Europe. In particular,
the country occupies a unique geographical position
at the crossroads between Central Asia and Middle
East. The Kaçkar Mountain National Park, created in
1994, covers 51,500 hectares and is situated in the
East Black Sea Region in the north-eastern corner of
Turkey.The Kaçkar Mountain National Park includes
the highest and longest Mountain chain of the East
Black Sea Mountains with the Kaçkar (3,932 m) as the
highest peak. The mountain massif of the Kaçkar also
represents one of the most highly glaciated areas of
the Turkish mountains. Today, there are five large
glaciers in the Park, which contributes to the
biological diversity of the East Black Sea
Mountains.There are 11 villages and 44 plateaus or
summer pastures and seasonal herders living in the
East Black Sea Region use the national park as a
pastureland. Tourism activities provide a significant
contribution to the rural economy

9. KIZ KULESI ( LEANDER’S TOWER)
Leander’s Tower is one the
Istanbul Strait opposite
Salacak. The tower was built
in the 12th century during the
Byzantine Period.
It was occasionally used as
a prison but it was actually
intended as a light house for
shipping.The present shape of
the tower was realised during
the reign of Sultan Mehmet
the Conqueror and later
Sultan Mahmut II.

10. MARDIN
Mardin located between Dicle River and Firat River
is one of the oldest city of Mesopotamia Area on the
upper Mesopotamia and the settlement in the area
start before 4500 B.C. and was first established on
the top of a mountain in the area.
Those artifacts , constructions and architectures
left from Subari, Sumer / Sumerians, Akad, Babil /
Babylon, Mitanni, Asur, Persian, Byzantine, Seljuks,
Arabs, Artuklu and Ottoman Empire that Mardin
served and the artifacts left from those empires and
kingdoms makes the city as an open air museum for
the visitors. The rich archeological pieces and
materials, architectural and historical values makes
the Mardin a poem city on eastern Anatolia.
Beside the tombs , mosques and monasteries and
churches constructed in the name of different beliefs
the city was also on the road of the Ancient Silk Road
therefore there are plenty of Caravansaries and Hans
in the area.Traditional Mardin Houses are the
architecture to represent the shape of the whole city.

11. ULUDAG MOUNTAIN (BURSA)
Uludağ is a mountain in Bursa
Province, Turkey, with an altitude of
2,543 m (8,343 ft). It is a popular center
for winter sports such as skiing, and a
national park of rich flora and fauna.
Summer activities, such as trekking and
camping, also are popular.

12. HISTORY OF OUR REGION MEDITERRANEAN AND OUR CITY ANTALYA
In Antiquity, the coastal region where Antalya is located was known as ‘Pamphylia’ and prehistoric
artefacts have been found here that date back to the Paleolithic Era.From 560 to 546 BC, the region was
dominated by the Lydians, and then by the Persians until Alexander the great subdued Anatolia in 334-
333 BC.King Attalos of Pergamum founded the city of ‘Attaleia’ in the 2nd century BC. Attaleia was
independent for a short time following the fall of the kingdom of Pergamum in 133 BC, but the fell into
the hands of pirates. It was later in corparated into the Roman Empire in 77 BC. An important sea port,
Attaleia hosted such figures as Pompeius in 67 BC, and Hadrian in 130 AD. The possession of the city
was juggled between the Seljuks and Byzantines from the 7th century onward until Gıyaseddin
Keyhüsrev made the city a part of the Seljuk Empire in 1207.Eventually Antalya was added to the
Ottoman Empire by Yıldırım Beyazıt in 1391.The city significantly advanced in architecture and culture
during both the Seljuk and Ottoman periods.
In 1919 Italians occupied Antalya because of the Mondros Treaty but then in 1921 they left Antalya.In
1923 Republic of Turkey was founded and now Antalya is one of the wonderful city of Turkey.
The city was subsequently visited by many individuals and travellers of historical importance from
Queen Cleopatra and Hadrian to Alaaddin Keykubat and Atatürk –Attalos regarded the region as
“heaven on earth” while Atatürk descibed it as “ the most beautiful place in the world”. Evliya Çelebi
informs us that foreigners expressed their astonishment with the exclamation “Ah Adalya” referring to
the name Antalya had then.Nowadays Antalya is known as “the pearl of the Mediterranean and Turkish
Riviera” being one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world.

13. HADRIAN’S GATE ANTALYA
It is one of the best-preserved historic
structures in Antalya.The gate was built in 130
AD in honour of the Roman Emperor
Hadrian.It is made of white marble except for
the columns and decorated with reliefs and
engravings.

14. KARAIN CAVE
Karain Cave is located 30 km northwest of
Antalya.Besides its attractive natural
features, it is also remarkable as one of the
oldest human settlements in Anatolia.
Archaeological excavations conducted in the
cave have unearthed artefacts from the early
Middle and late Stone ages and Chalcolithic
and Bronze ages as well as traces of later
eras. It was used in later periods as a temple.
That’s why Karain Cave has a prime
importance in history.

15. LOWER DUDEN WATERFALL-ANTALYA
The Düden river reaches the sea and its
drop height is greater than the upper fall,
dropping from a height almost 40 metres to
create a gigantic water spray and cloud of
mist over the sea.

16. OLYMPOS
Phaselis is in the west part of Antalya and is between Kemer and
Adrasan. After passing Phaselis on the Antalya-Kumluca highway, signposts
leading to Olympos and Cirali will be seen and Olympos can be reached by
following either route. Cirali is the name of the village near Olympos, which
was a port city established in the 2nd century and which continued to
flourish until the 15th century A.D. The famous myth of Bellerophontes is
said to have taken place here. The antique city is on two sides of a beautiful
valley. A sandy beach is found where the town and the valley meet the sea,
into which a mountain stream flows. An hour's walk from Olympos brings
you to the natural phenomenon of Cirali. Known by the local inhabitants as
the " burning mountain " (Yanartas), it is a result of escaping natural gas,
whose flames have been shooting heavenwards for centuries.

17. YIVLI MINARET MOSQUE-ANTALYA
It is the oldest example of a multi-domed
mosque with its Yivli Minaret in Anatolia. This
13th century Seljuk edifice is one of the earliest
Islamic structures in Antalya.The minaret has 8
vertical grooves in the body and has become a
symbol of modern Antalya.

18. TURKISH CUISINE
Turkish cuisine is renowned as one of the
world's best. It is considered to be one of the
three main cuisines of the world because of the
variety of its recipes, its use of natural
ingredients, its flavours and tastes which appeal
to all palates and its influence throughout
Europe, Asia, the Middle East and Africa. The
cuisine originated in central Asia, the first home
of the Turks, and then evolved with the
contributions of the inland and Mediterranean
cultures with which Turks interacted after their
arrival in Anatolia. Turkish cuisine is in a sense a
bridge between far-Eastern and Mediterranean
cuisines, with the accent always on enhancing
the natural taste and flavour of the ingredients.
There is no one dominant element in Turkish
cuisine, like sauces in French and pasta in Italian
cuisines.

19. KARNIYARIK (Stuffed Eggplants)
Ingredients:
•6 thin and long medium-size eggplants
•salt
•sunflower oil , for frying
•2 onions , chopped
•14 ounces ground beef or 14 ounces lam
•1 tablespoon tomato paste.
•2 large tomatoes
•1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
•1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
• black pepper
•1/3 cup chopped flat leaf parsley
•1 cup tomato juice
Preparation:
Trim the caps but leave the stems on the eggplants. Peel 1/2-inch-wide strips off of the skins lengthwise, leaving alternate 1/2-inch
strips of peel. Soak the eggplants in water mixed with 1 tbsp of salt for 30 minutes, then drain and dry them. Fry them very briefly in hot
shallow oil, 2 or 3 in the skillet at a time, turning to brown them lightly all over. Drain them on paper towels.
For the filling, fry the onion in another pan in 2 or 3 tbsp of oil until it is soft. Add the meat and cook for about 5 minutes, crushing it
with a fork and turning it over until it changes color. Add the tomato paste and one of the tomatoes, peeled and chopped, and the
cinnamon, allspice, salt, pepper, and chopped parsley. Stir well and simmer for about 10 minutes, until the liquid is reduced.
Place the eggplants side by side in a single layer in a baking dish. With a sharp pointed knife, make a slit in each one, length wise, along
one of the bare strips on the top until about 1 inch from each end. Carefully open the slits and, with a dessertspoon, press against the
flesh on the insides to make a hallow pocket.
Fill each of the eggplants with some of the filling, and place a slice of the remaining tomato on top. Pout the tomato juice into the dish,
cover with foil, and bake in an oven preheated to 350F for about 40 minutes, or until eggplants are soft.

20. KOFTE (MEATBALL)
Ingredients
750 grams minced meat (lamb/mutton or beef, a mixture works well)
2 small onions, finely chopped or grated
2 slices of dry bread (without the crust)
1 whole egg
1 bunch of parsley
1 teaspoon cumin
3 teaspoons salt
Preparation
Soak the slices of bread in water, until they’re properly sopping. Squeeze out excess water, and crumble the bread over the meat
in a big bowl. (The bread can be omitted if you wish to avoid it). Then add in all the other ingredients, and knead well. Scoop up egg
sized pieces of the mixture, and roll them in your hand to shape them into short stubby fingers. Fry on a medium heat until nicely
brown. Serve hot with fresh bread, raw onions, salad or chillies.
PIYAZ
Steep a couple of mugs of white beans overnight.
The day after, boil them for 40-50 mins.
Put them in a shallow bowl and sprinkle with vinegar.
Cut an onion into half-moons and add to the beans.
Roughly chop half a bunch of parsley, chop a red pepper into cubes and
add these to the beans also.
Now you can make the dressing - this is what makes piyaz taste so
special! You can play about with this to suit your taste.
Pour about half a mug of vinegar, 1 tbsp of tahini, 2 tbsp of olive oil and
a pinch of salt and pepper into a jar, stick the lid on and give it a good shake.
Pour over the beans and carefully mix everything togetherDecorate your
piyaz to make it look pretty - hard boiled eggs are an essential part of the dish.
Use cherry tomatoes and black olives. Piyaz is the ultimate when served with
köfte.

21. Vine Leave Wraps with Olive Oil
Ingredients
Vine leaves - 150 grams
Water 2 2/3 cups
Preparation:
Salt 3 teaspoons Wash the vine leaves and remove the coarse stems. Put the water and a
Onion 6 big 600 grams teaspoon of salt in a pot. Bring to boil and add half of the leaves. Simmer them for
Olive oil ¾ cup 4-5 minutes, turning over once. Simmer the other half in similar fashion. Measure
Pine nuts 2 tablespoon the cooking liquid and complete it to 2 3/4 cups and set aside.
Rice 1 1/3 cup Peel the onions, wash and chop finely, place in pot together with oil and nuts,
Sugar 2 teaspoons cover and sauté for 20 minutes over low heat, stirring occasionally. Stir a few time
with the lid removed so that the nuts are browned. Wash and drain the rice and
Currants 2 tablespoons add to the pot and stir a couple of times. Add the remaining salt, sugar and the 1 ¾
Parsley 1 small size bunch 40 grams cups of the hot cooking liquid, stir and sprinkle with currants. Simmer it on first
Dill 1 small size bunch 30 grams medium and then low heat for 10-15 minutes, until all the liquid is reduced. Wash
Fresh mint 10-15 leaves 10 grams the parsley and the dill and remove the stems and chop finely. Add them to the
Cinnamon ¾ teaspoon cooked rice together with mint, spices and the lemon juice and leave covered for
Black pepper ¾ teaspoon 10 minutes. Place the vine leaves so that the side with veins face inside when
All spice ½ teaspoon wrapped. Place the prepared filling to one side, fold the side edges over he filling
Lemon juice 2 tablespoons and then wrap it. Cover the bottom of a shallow saucepan with vine leaves and the
Lemon 1 medium size (100 grams) removed parsley and dill stems and place the wrapped vine leaves over them.
Place a heat-proof flat plate over the leave wraps (dolmas). Heat the remaining
boiling liquid and add to the pan slowly, pouring from the edge of the dolmas.
Cover and simmer over low heat for 50 minutes. Transfer to a serving dish when
cool, and garnish with lemon slices.

22. KUNEFE
Ingredients:
•Sugar ½ Cup
•Water ¾ Cup
•Lemon juice 2 teaspoon
•Pistachionuts (chopped) ¾ Cup
•Margarine 1 Spoon
•Kadayİf (Shredded pastry) – 500 gr
Preparation:
Combine sugar and water in a saucepan. Stir over low heat until sugar
is dissolved. Boil gently for 5 minutes. Add lemon juice; stir. Boil for 1
minute. Set aside. Combine kadayıf shreds and melted butter in a pan.
Break. Kadayif shreds in butter blending well with tips of finger. Divide
into half. Spread one half in a slightly greased baking pan 25x35 cm ( 9x9
inch). Pres with finger slightly. Sprinkle with crushed or ground nuts. Press
again using a spoon. Repeat same with remaining half, pressing firmly this
time. Bake in a moderate oven for 30 minutes or until golden Brown.
Remove from oven. Let stand for 2 minutes. Pour warm syrup over. Cover
and let stand until syrup is absorbed. Cut into 5-6 cm squares. Arrange on
a serving plate. Serve warm or cold.

23. ASHURE (NOAH’S ARK PUDDING) Preparation:
Wash the barley thoroughly. Measure 4 cups of water in
Ingredients:
a pot and bring to boil in high heat. Immediately add the
1 cup barley
barley and cook for 10 minutes. Stir occasionally. Turn
•1 cup white kidney beans
the heat off and leave the barley (in this water) overnight.
•1 cup chickpeas or garbanzos
Repeat the same procedure for the chickpeas and white
•1 cup rice (short-grain)
kidney beans leaving them overnight in the same water
•1 cup raisins
they were boiled in.
•1 cup sugar
Measure 4 cups of water in (each) three separate pots.
•10 cups water
Boil the barley, white kidney beans and chickpeas until
•10 pcs dried apricots (diced)
cooked. Discard the water they were cooked in and
•10 pcs dried figs (diced)
leave to drain.
•1 tbsp orange rind
Remove the skins of the white kidney beans and
•1 tsp cinnamon
chickpeas.
•1 tsp vanilla extract
In a big pot (this will be your main pot), put in 10 cups of
•1 tsp lemon juice (optional)
water.
Garnish :
Add the barley, white kidney beans, chickpeas, rice,
•walnuts (crushed)
orange rind and bring to a boil for about 10 -15 minutes
•dried figs (diced & previously soaked in warm water)
over high heat.
•dried apricots (diced & previously soaked in warm water)
Stir and add the sugar, raisins, dried apricots, dried figs,
and the rest of the ingredients while reducing the
temperature to medium heat. You may also add water
from time to time if its necessary since the barley
absorbs a lot of water.
Stir occasionally.
Continue boiling for another 15-20 minutes or until fully
cooked.
Turn off the heat and leave the pot to rest for about half
an hour.
Pour into small bowls and garnish with diced dried figs &
apricots, chopped walnuts, and fresh pomegranate
seeds (optional).
Afiyet Olsun! (It's the Turkish way of saying, "Have a
good appetite!")

24. "Bu proje T.C. Avrupa Birliği Bakanlığı, AB Eğitim ve Gençlik Programları Merkezi Başkanlığınca (Ulusal Ajans http://www.ua.gov.tr
)yürütülen Hayatboyu Öğrenme Programı kapsamında ve Avrupa Komisyonu'ndan sağlanan hibeyle gerçekleştirilmiştir. Ancak burada yer
alan görüşlerden Ulusal Ajans veya Avrupa Komisyonu sorumlu tutulamaz."