Turkey is a country that is primarily a part of Western culture. However, it also contains many different cultures. Looking at the history of Turkey, it is possible to say that its origins are based in Central Asia. Turks who migrated from Central Asia to Anatolia met with Islam in masses. It was thanks to the Arabs that they met with Islam. In this way, they carry pieces of Arab culture. When they came to Anatolia, they established close relations with the Greeks and Armenians. In other words, Turkey currently bears the traces of many civilizations.
For this reason, there are points where it differs from Western culture. One of Turkey’s most famous cities is Istanbul. Istanbul welcomes many tourists every year. You may also be planning a trip to Istanbul. If you come to Istanbul, it will benefit you to learn some of the rules of etiquette and morality. Here are these etiquette and moral rules.
Turkish Customs and Etiquettes
Istanbul is a city where people from various parts of Turkey live together. Turkey has 7 regions, and every region has its own customs and traditions. You can feel like you are in a different country and easily realize cultural differences. For this reason, it is a city where you can encounter etiquette rules from almost every region of Turkey. An act that is polite in Europe or America can be met as rude in Istanbul. Therefore, it will be beneficial for you to learn these etiquette rules. So, what are these etiquette rules?
Payment
One of the things that makes the most difference with other cultures is the payment issue. In Europe or America, we can often say that people do not pay for something for each other. In fact, it is a known fact that trying to do this is seen as rude. But in Turkey, people are happy to pay for what each other eats or drinks. We can say that even fights can occur between the Turks to pay the bill. In particular, they think that their guests should not pay bills. If you come to Istanbul with a Turkish friend, your friend will try to buy you something. And your friend may see it as rude if you do not accept it. In Turkish culture, guests should be well entertained. And this is actually seen as something that hospitality brings.
Personal Space
It is possible to say that personal space is narrower in Turkish culture than in Western culture. To understand this physically, it can be said that it is seen in this way in terms of spending time. In fact, at one point, Turks like to greet each other and touch each other while talking. This shows that personal space is narrower in Turkish people. Turkish people like to touch. They like to hug and greet their acquaintances when they see them for the first time and when they say goodbye. And the moments when this is not done can be described as rude by some Turks.
Me-Time
Turkish people generally like to spend their time with their friends and family. However, it is possible to say that people enjoy spending time by themselves in European and American cultures more. In Turkey, people sit and chat for hours. They also enjoy staying together and spending hours together. They try to call each other wherever they go. For this reason, a move you do differently from this may be considered strange for Turkish people.
Elders
It is thought that showing respect toward older people in Turkey is necessary. One of the disrespectful things that can be done is cross your legs in front of elders. Chewing gum or smoking is also considered rude. Apart from that, Turkish people do not address older people by their first names. They prefer to say their names with expressions that indicate affinities, such as uncle and aunt.
Religious Issues
As we mentioned at the beginning of our article, Turkey is a predominantly Muslim country. We can say that the religious sensitivities of many groups, especially the young, are not high. However, there are still people with high religious sensitivities. Districts such as Fatih and Eminönü in Istanbul are some regions with high religious sensitivity.
Also, Istanbul is a historical city. It has been the capital of the Ottoman Empire for nearly 450 years. The Ottoman Empire was also an empire governed by Islamic rules. For this reason, there are many mosques in Istanbul. Mosques are places where Muslims worship. But it attracts the attention of tourists. For this reason, there are some rules that you must follow when you go to the mosque.
Ramadan Culture
Ramadan is an important month for Muslims. This month can be seen as when Muslim people pay the most attention to their worship. During this month, Muslims do not eat or drink anything during certain hours. In addition, they worship more than usual. For this reason, eating or drinking in places where there are Muslim people during Ramadan can be considered disrespectful. If you are in Istanbul and it is the month of Ramadan, you may need to be more careful, especially in some districts. We can say that the religious sensitivities of neighborhoods such as Eminönü and Fatih are higher. Therefore, we recommend you not eat during fasting hours in these districts.
Clothing in Mosques
In Muslim culture, women must cover certain parts of their bodies. The most important of these in terms of culture is hair. For this reason, it is a crucial rule to cover your head in religious places. It may even be forbidden to enter some mosques with your head uncovered. There are also rules for men that require to get dress pants that cover all their legs.
Do not Disturb the People Who Are Worshiping
Mosques are generally open to tourists. But at certain times of the day, people worship in groups. It is important for respect and etiquette that you do not disturb the worshipers and speak in a low voice. During prayer times, people pray in groups. But outside of these hours, people can continue their worship. In this case, it can be more difficult to spot those people. For this reason, being extremely careful when you enter the mosque is essential in respecting rules.
Also, since there is a place for every culture in Istanbul, there are places of worship for every religion. Most areas of worship are open to tourists due to Istanbul’s tourist density and cultural accumulation. Since every religion has certain collective worship hours, it is essential not to talk to people during these hours and to talk to yourself in a low voice.
Take Your Shoes Off
When entering the mosque, Muslim people take off their shoes. Because the environment in which they worship must be clean. For this reason, taking off your shoes when you enter the mosque for visiting is an important point in respect.
