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Why is circumcision in Turkey a centuries-old rite of passage?
There is a lot to be said about circumcision in Turkey. All societies have rites of passage. Those of transition from one age to another and those of one status to another. Turkish society, having made a synthesis of Islamic, Anatolian and Central Asian behaviors, has several of them. Let’s take a look at one of these rites of passage, both religious and traditional, quite codified but with some regional variations. This is circumcision in Turkey (sünnet). If, during your wanderings in Turkey, you come across a child dressed as an Ottoman prince, scepter and saber in hand, the sultan’s headdress on his head, don’t think of a costume ball…
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What price increases for 2023 in Turkey?
In this article, I have listed some of the increases that will affect our budget in Turkey at the start of 2023. The new year is not only synonymous with wishes and good resolutions; it is also, and above all, synonymous with “rain of price increases” according to the well-known expression of Turkish newspapers (“Zamlar yağmur gibi yağıyor”)… While the new minimum wage (asgari ücret) for 2023 in Turkey was announced at the end of December, increasing from 5,550 TL(1) to 8,506 TL (net), an increase of 54.66%, on January 4, 2023 a announced, for the first six months of 2023, a 30% increase (25.47% a year ago) for the…
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How to cook Mercimek çorbası ?
The recipe for Mercimek çorbası or lentil soup As you may have seen in numerous Turkish TV series, Turkish cuisine is very colourful and, may I add, tasty. Among the numerous dishes, there is no shortage of soups. Today I will show you the recipe of one of the simplest and most loved, soups, the Mercimek çorbası. Ingredients Here are the ingredients to prepare Mercimek çorbası. 2 glasses of peeled red lentils 2 tablespoons of tomato paste 1 potato 1 carrot Half a golden onion water as needed salt pepper or chilli How to prepare Mercimek çorbası Let’s start rinsing the lentils and put them to the side. Dice the…
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How to cook Nohut ?
The recipe for Nohut yemegi or chickpea soup For those of you who love Turkey, I will let you enter more and more into the world of Turkish culinary habits with this recipe of nohut yemeği. Legumes are widely used in cooking and this chickpea-based recipe is a Turkish specialty that can have many variations. Potatoes, carrots or vegetables may be added. The ingredients to cook it Here are the ingredients needed for the nohut yemeği recipe. 250 grams of dried chickpeas 1/2 red onion 100 grams of olive oil One minced clove of garlic 1 tablespoon with a mix of mint, oregano and cumin Tomato paste (one and a…