Buzz
Turkish people can convey a whole sentence with a single word, yet their goodbyes can last for hours. Here are some fascinating facts about Turkey – a place where two continents, Asia and Europe, intersect, according to Matadornetwork.
1. Hour-long farewells
Turkish people believe that the length of farewells depends on the guests when they arrive, but when they leave, it's up to the hosts. Since welcoming guests is considered a great honor here, hosts won't let you leave easily.
An evening visit will feature tea, sweets, and when fruit platters are brought out, it's a sign for you to start saying your goodbyes. However, the process of bidding farewell can be lengthy before you actually step out of the host's house.
Initiating the farewell is when the guest says “Yavaş yavaş kalkalım”, meaning let's slowly get up to leave. This is followed by the host's response of “but we're having such a pleasant conversation” or “it's still early, let's sit a while longer.”
After polite exchanges, the host opens the door for you, where neatly arranged shoes await for guests to put on. Then, both guest and host exchange farewell kisses on the cheeks and make promises for future meetings as well as apologize for any shortcomings during this reception.
If you won't see them for a long time due to traveling afar, the host will say “Su gibi git, su gibi gel” – meaning go and come back like water. Simultaneously, they'll shake a water pitcher as a wish for your safe and peaceful journey.
2. Vegetable-rich breakfast
Eating plenty of vegetables for breakfast is a favorite habit of Turkish people.
In their first meal of the day, you'll find items like cucumbers, tomatoes, pickled olives along with eggs, cheese served with bread. A Turkish table for breakfast surely can't miss a small cup of spicy tea.
Hotel breakfasts typically include preserves, fresh fruits, börek (made from flour, butter, and bina leaves), nutella, and tahini pekmez to enjoy with bread.
Many restaurants in Turkey are situated in areas near forests or rural regions, serving köy kahvaltısı – a local style breakfast. The menu also features large bazlama bread and sucuklu yumurta made with fried eggs and sausage.
3. A single word suffices for a very long sentence
The Turkish language is highly agglutinative. The consecutive suffixes in this country's language only serve to strengthen the word.
Have you ever read a word as long as this one before –
“muvaffakiyetsizleştiricileştiriveremeyebileceklerimizdenmişsinizcesine”?
The example above might be a bit excessive; however, in everyday conversations here, you will encounter phrases like “temizlettiremeyecekmişsiniz”. This word means “you probably don't intend to clean it”.
4. Long-distance bus journeys are more enjoyable than flying
When traveling domestically on budget airlines in Turkey, you'll miss out on many beautiful sceneries as you only get to admire them from the airplane.
The long-distance bus system here is equally comfortable as flying; you have reading lights, individual TV screens, wifi, and onboard beverage and snack service. The only inconvenience of the long bus journey is the lack of restroom facilities on board.
5. Every cup of coffee holds a piece of history
Turkish people believe that receiving a cup of Turkish coffee, Türk kahvesi, is a gesture of gratitude towards the server for their kindness.
In the traditional coffee culture of this country, drinkers are encouraged to sip slowly, savoring each small sip, and share their emotions to foster long-lasting friendships.
Family-owned companies like Kurukahveci Mehmet Efendi and Fazıl Bey have been serving people in coffee shops and living rooms since the time of the Ottoman Empire (1299 – 1923).
Meanwhile, Osmanlı is a new coffee provider, reintroducing indoor coffee culture to younger generations. They bring traditional Türk kahvesi into a youthful coffee shop atmosphere.
According to Doanhnhansaigon.vn
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Reference: Travel guide from Mytour
MytourSeptember 18, 2015
