Bayram visits: greetings at the door
At a bayram visit, greet your host, return a good wish and respond to an offer. Practise phrases for both Ramazan Bayramı and Kurban Bayramı.
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Turkish culture and customs
Learn bayram greetings, holidays and everyday customs through Turkish used in real situations.
Adventure journal
Turkish culture and customs
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Turkish national holidays: names and dates
23 April, 19 May and 29 October each have a different holiday name. Match Turkish names to dates and use those dates in simple sentences.
Read and practiseTurkish tea culture: glasses, pots and preferences
A narrow-waisted glass introduces Turkish tea culture: name the serving objects, distinguish light from strong tea, and describe your own preferences.
Read and practiseTurkish table manners: thanking the cook
A shared meal brings small choices: wish others a good meal, thank the person who cooked, and decline another serving politely in Turkish.
Read and practiseTurkey's seven regions: names and landmarks
Seven region names turn a map of Turkey into useful Turkish: connect tea fields, olive trees and mountains with places, and distinguish a region from a sea.
Read and practiseThe Turkish bath: cloth, mitt and marble
A cloth around the waist, a scrubbing mitt and a warm marble platform: discover Turkish bath vocabulary and make a clear request for a scrub.
Read and practiseRamadan customs: meals, fasting and bread
Before dawn or after sunset? Use Turkish meal names, describe fasting and recognise Ramadan bread without assuming that every household follows the same routine.
Read and practiseTurkish coffee: from the pot to the fortune reading
A little coffee left in the cup becomes a topic of conversation. Describe Turkish coffee preparation, choose your sugar level and distinguish two fortune-reading roles.
Read and practiseThe evil eye: beads, wishes and personal beliefs
A blue bead and a warm compliment open a conversation about the evil eye. Understand Turkish wishes and distinguish a belief from your own judgement.
Read and practiseRegional Turkish dishes: olive oil, kebab and baklava
Olive oil, glowing coals and baklava connect three Turkish culinary traditions. Describe regional specialities and distinguish reputation from exclusivity.
Read and practiseNasreddin Hoca: finding the turn in a joke
A long speech about speaking briefly: read two original Nasreddin Hoca teaching stories and explain how the ending exposes a gap between words and actions.
Read and practiseKaragöz and orta oyunu: two forms of traditional theatre
Figures behind a screen or actors among spectators? Compare two Turkish theatre traditions, identify their central duos and describe the contrast with ise.
Read and practiseFolk poetry: verses, metre and the âşık tradition
Four lines and a saz open a window onto Turkish folk poetry. Count syllables, distinguish a stanza from a poetic form, and understand the âşık in context.
Read and practiseOttoman heritage: reading a palace as an institution
Topkapı’s courtyards tell more than a story of royal life. Read Turkish descriptions of Ottoman heritage and distinguish a palace, a council and a ruler’s title.
Read and practiseAtatürk and the Republic: reading the founding period
A proclamation, an election and an alphabet reform: read about Atatürk and the Republic in Turkish, matching historical events with precise verbs.
Read and practiseYeşilçam cinema: classics, stars and opinions
Old film credits open a conversation about Turkish cinema: distinguish directors, actors and characters, then explain your opinion of a scene.
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