Cultural characteristics of Türkiye: discover traditions and innovations

29 October is the National Day of Türkiye. On this day in 1923, the republic was proclaimed, and Mustafa Kemal Atatürk became its first president. The celebrations last into the evening of the previous day (28 October) and are a patriotic festival full of pride. Throughout the country, people fly the Turkish flag, parades take place, and the streets are decorated with garlands. The evening of 29 October is celebrated with fireworks.

The Feast of Sacrifice is the highest Islamic holiday in Turkey, commemorating Abraham's willingness to sacrifice his son. It lasts four and a half days, during which an animal (sheep, goat, or cattle) is slaughtered. The meat is divided into three parts: one third for the immediate family, one third for relatives and friends, and the final third for the needy. The days are characterized by charity, family gatherings, festive meals, and the custom of kissing the hands of elders. The holiday begins on the eve with the so-called Day of Arafat, on which many Muslims fast.

Turkish cuisine is an essential part of Anatolian culture and unites many different regional influences. It emerged from the blending of the nomadic cooking tradition of the Turkic peoples with Indian, Persian, Arabic and Mediterranean cuisine, especially under the influence of Ottoman court cuisine. From hearty meat dishes to aromatic vegetable variations to sweet desserts, it offers a wide range of dishes that are appreciated both in everyday life and on special occasions. Döner kebab is the most internationally known Turkish dish: vertically grilled, seasoned meat, cut into thin slices and served in flatbread. In addition, there are countless kebab variations – from şiş kebab (meat skewers) to Adana kebabı (spicy minced lamb on a skewer) and Urfa kebab (mild version) to İskender kebab (with tomato sauce and melted butter over flatbread). Köfte are seasoned meatballs or patties made of lamb or beef, available in countless regional variations: İzmir köfte, şiş köfte or çiğ köfte (raw bulgur patties) are just a few examples. Lahmacun is a thinly rolled flatbread topped with minced meat, tomatoes, peppers and parsley, while pide is a doughier, boat‑shaped version topped with a variety of ingredients – from minced meat to feta cheese to sucuk (Turkish sausage). Meze are small appetisers shared in a convivial setting: cacık (yoghurt with cucumber and garlic), haydari (yoghurt dip with mint), dolma (stuffed vine leaves), sigara böreği (cheese‑filled pastry rolls) and patlıcan ezmesi (aubergine puree).

Turks often begin their meals with a soup. Mercimek çorbası (red lentil soup) is ubiquitous, while tarhana (a fermented flour‑yoghurt soup) is a traditional winter dish. On the sweet side of Türkiye, baklava comes first: paper‑thin layers of filo pastry, filled with pistachios or walnuts and soaked in sweet syrup. Künefe is a warm dessert of cheese enveloped in shredded pastry, baked and sprinkled with pistachios. Aşure (wheat pudding that commemorates Noah's Ark), rice pudding (sütlaç) and Turkish delight (lokum) round out the sweet variety. Most dishes are accompanied by ayran – a refreshing salted yoghurt drink. Turkish aniseed schnapps, rakı, also called lion's milk, turns milky white when water is added and is the companion for long meals. Turkish tea (çay) is served in the typical tulip‑shaped glasses and is the everyday drink par excellence.

Turkish art and architecture are deeply rooted in Islamic tradition and have set global standards. Mimar Sinan (c. 1488–1588), the most famous architect of the Ottoman Empire, served under three sultans and designed over 300 buildings, including the Süleymaniye Mosque in Istanbul (1550–1557), which is considered his masterpiece; his architecture combined monumental Byzantine influences with Islamic elements to create a new harmonious formal language. The Sultanahmet Mosque in Istanbul, often called the "Blue Mosque" in the West, is a masterpiece of Ottoman architecture and impresses with its six minarets, the large central dome and the interior decoration with over 20,000 handmade blue İznik tiles, which gave it its name. The Hagia Sophia (Ayasofya) is one of the most important buildings in the world: built in 537 AD as a Christian cathedral in the Byzantine Empire, it served as a mosque after the conquest of Istanbul in 1453, was declared a museum in 1935 and has been used as a mosque again since 2020 – its huge dome, mosaics and the harmonious combination of Christian and Islamic elements make it a unique landmark. The city of İznik was the centre of Ottoman ceramic art; there the famous İznik tiles were created with their bright colours – especially cobalt blue, turquoise and the characteristic "İznik red" – which adorn mosques, palaces and many historical buildings. Turkish carpet weaving looks back on millennia‑old traditions: Turkish carpets are hand‑knotted and produced in different styles such as Hereke, Sivas or Kayseri, while kilims are flat‑woven wall hangings made of wool, cotton or silk; the patterns and colours are not only aesthetic but often also symbolic – triangles can stand for femininity, the repeated "elibelinde" pattern for fertility. The Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts in Istanbul is one of the most important museums in its field worldwide and houses a collection of over 40,000 unique works from almost all eras and artistic directions of the Islamic world, including carpets, manuscripts, wood, glass, metal and ceramic art, as well as ethnographic collections.