Sunday, 10 June 2012

                          Sports in Turkey
Hey guys!
Today I'm going to show you which sports we do.
My friends and I love handball because of our school's handball team. Yaşar is our pivot (he made me write this). And Berkay, Berker, İlhan, Muratcan, Orhan, Özkan also play handball. AND Ahmet is best  football player in my classroom. The most important thing of all, Galtasaray SK won the league. So I'm writing this text today for the sake of Galatasaray.

  ( Mario plays baketball, too)   

Anyway, we made this video to teach you sports in Turkey (It is very funny :))


And after watching this video, if you want to learn more, please read encyclopedic information :


Football

  Turkey has risen to prominence in a number of sporting areas in recent decades. Football has seen a rapid transformation earning it third place in the coveted 2002 FIFA World Cup. Its domestic teams are dominated by Beşiktaş, Fenerbahçe and Galatasaray. Of these, Fenerbahçe's European triumph came in the now defunct 1967 Balkans Cup. Galatasaray has seen the most success, winning the 2000 UEFA Cup and European Super Cup, as well as fielding many of the players for the international team. In recent years, Turkey has exported many of its players into top foreign teams, including Internazionale, FC Barcelona, Parma, Milan, and Bayern Munich, among others. As well as sending players abroad, the Turkish league has also attracted players into Turkey. World class players such as Pierre van Hooijdonk, Mário Jardel, Nicolas Anelka, John Carew, Milan Baroš, Radomir Antić, Óscar Córdoba, Lincoln, Mateja Kežman, Kleberson, Roberto Carlos, Zoran Simović, Frank de Boer, Giovani dos Santos, Franck Ribéry, Harry Kewell, Dani Güiza, Guti, Quaresma, Gheorghe Hagi, Jô, Abdul Kader Keita, Shabani Nonda, Lucas Neill, Lorik Cana, Giga Popescu, Jérôme Rothen and many more have played at some point or continue to play in Turkey.

Basketball



   Basketball is also gaining popularity in Turkey. Turkey came second in European Basketball Championship in 2001 in Istanbul. Turkey also came ninth in the 2002 FIBA World Championship. Four Turkish nationals, Ersan İlyasova, Hedo Türkoğlu, Mehmet Okur, and Semih Erden, have achieved success in the prestigious National Basketball Association of North America, generally considered the world's top basketball league. Turkey's greatest success in international basketball came when it hosted the 2010 FIBA World Championship, finishing second to the USA. Türkoğlu captained the side and made the all-tournament team. Turkey also advanced to the quarter-finals in the 2006 FIBA World Championship, achieving a non-expected sixth place. Turkey_women's_national_basketball_team won silver medal in EuroBasket_Women in 2011. Galatasaray Medical Park (women's basketball) have won gold medal in FIBA EuroCup 2008-09 season and bronze medal in 2007-08 season also was runner up in 2009 FIBA European SuperCup Women .



Volleyball





Especially women's volleyball is a popular sport in Turkey. Recently Turkey national women's volleyball team secured 6th place in FIVB Women's World Championship at 2010 in Japan and won a bronze medal in FIVB Women's European Championship at 2011 in Serbia. Turkey's top women's volleyball team is Vakıfbank Türk Telekom which have won silver medal in FIVB Club World Championship at 2011 in Doha, gold medal in CEV Champions League in 2010-2011 season and gold medal in both Challenge Cup and Women's Top Volley International in 2007-2008 season. Another prominent Turkish women's volleyball club is Fenerbahçe which have won gold medal in FIVB Club World Championship in 2010, silver medal in CEV Champions League in 2009-2010 season and bronze medal in CEV Champions League 2010-2011 season.


Athletics


Athletics is another fast improving sport. Süreyya Ayhan set the 1500m world record in 2003 and Elvan Abeylegesse set a new 5000m record in 2004. In 2010 European Athletics Championships Alemitu Bekele and Elvan Abeylegesse won gold and silver medals respectively in Women's 5000 metres and Elvan Abeylegesse also won gold medal in Women's 10000 metres. Nevin Yanıt won first European Championship in a sprint race for Turkey by winning gold in Women's 100 metres hurdles. In 2011 European Athletics Indoor Championships Kemal Koyuncu won silver in Men's 1500 metres and Halil Akkas won bronze in Men's 3000 metres.

Handball





Handball is a team sport in which two teams of seven players each (six outfield players and a goalkeeper) pass a ball to throw it into the goal of the other team. A standard match consists of two periods of 30 minutes, and the team with the most goals scored wins.

Modern handball is usually played indoors, but outdoor variants exist in the forms of field handball and Czech handball and beach handball.


The game is quite fast and includes body contact as the defenders try to stop the attackers from approaching the goal. Contact is only allowed when the defensive player is completely in front of the offensive player, i.e. between the offensive player and the goal.


Thanks for watching and reading
P.S. If you want to watch more video check out my youtube channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/erdem10xxx and BE SPORTMENT 


PREPARED BY SEE - Sinan Erdem Erdi


Friday, 8 June 2012

MUSIC AND FOLK DANCE IN CALABRIA


Tarantella: An Italian Folk Dance


In Italian culture, the word “tarantella” evokes images of a frenzied spinning dance traditionally played at weddings. However, this popular native dance of Southern Italy has a history and myth spanning several centuries.
The dance, originally an Italian folk dance of the lower- and middle-classes, has been labeled as a dance to cure sickness and as a dance of courtship. In the courtship version of the dance, the woman uses rapidity and liveliness to excite the love of her partner. In turn, the man tries to charm her with his agility, elegance and demonstrations of tenderness. The dance is one of unity and separation, which sees dancers flying into each other’s arms only to bound away again.
It is considered unlucky to dance the Tarantella alone so it is often danced by couples or by two women.
The earliest historical mention of the Tarantella is the St. Vitus Dance in 1374. It’s not mentioned again until 1839, as the title of a ballet, “La Tarentule,” produced by Jean Coaralli. In 1844, Madame Michau introduced the dance to the public.
Three possible sources of origin for the dance are given. The first originates with the bite of the Tarantula, Arania or Apulcian Spider. The dance itself was used to cure the poison from the bite of the spider. Town folks would play music and the afflicted person would dance non-stop to avoid succumbing to the poison.

The second origin lies in the religious story of the St. Vitus Dance, which is commonly referred to as the outbreak of dancing in the Middle Ages. The myth begins with the young people of Saxony dancing in the churchyard of St. Magnus. Fifteen youths and four girls were dancing and singing so loudly that they disturbed the priest. Angered, the priest prayed to God and St. Magnus to make the youth dance for a whole year. The outbreak of dancing went unexplained until the realization that the dancers had been bitten by the Tarantula Spider.
The final possible origin for the dance is said to be in the villages of Toranto and Tarantum. Women working in the fields would use frenetic dancing when they were bitten by spiders in order to sweat the venom out through their pores.
The Tarantella-type of dancing is not limited to just Italy. In Buzabatt, Persia, there is a Tarantella dance which is similar to the one found in Southern Italy. The Furlana or Fourlane found in Venice is also similar to the Tarantella although it is more irregular and brusque and danced mainly among gondoliers. The Saltarello in Rome and Venice also bear some semblance to the Tarantella.

Types of Tarantellas 

*      Sorrentine Tarantella folk dance born in the eighteenth century, but according to some legends, his movements would be used to enchant Ulysses with the Sirens.

*      Montemarano Tarantella, Tarantella only upbeat, now rooted in the town of Montemarano especially during the carnival, a time-wide Irpinia especially in the upper and middle valley of the Heat. 

*      Calabrese  Tarantellawith variations ranging from the queen Viddanedda Pastoral Pollino

*      Salentine Tarantella said Pinch, with all its variations from area to area. 

*      Tarantella del Gargano typical of Foggia  Tarantella Abruzzese said Saltarello ballarella and with all variations from area to area. 

*      Tammurriata Tarantella or so-called bell, traditionally, Ballu 'ncopp or drum 

*      Sicilian Tarantella or u ballettu 

*      Molise Tarantella known as ballarella

*      Lucan Tarantella

*       Cilento Trantella

Musical instruments

bagpipes. flute, tambourine, accordion, guitar,  key, bottle these last two for tarantella played in Alto Jonio towns, Albidona and Trebisacce.
Tarantella Albidonese

Tarantella played in Albidona , birthplace of Pasquale , Michele, Francesco students of class 2 I that  when they have to play tarantella folk dance give good performance with bagpipes, tamburin, accordion, a key and a bottle.
Almost all the guys who play a musical  instruments learnt it from an early age by parents, grandparents or relatives playing instruments such as accordion, bagpipes, guitar, tambourine and as for  our traditional dance, tarantella they  even learn to use as instrument a glass bottle with a large key that goes back and forth horizontally, but is is difficult to explain , you have to see it.
While a typical instrument, but no longer in use, is the cup-cup made from pig skin and used during Carnival when they went from house to house looking for wine and salami. I and my cousins learnt how to play from parents and relatives.Our musical tradition is alive since  the tarantella is a joyous time where the young and the adult play together . In  Albidona old people passed on their musical skills and  experience   to sons and relatives . Here, if you know how to play you are also a good dancer of tarantella . This folk  dance is performed differently  from region to region (Sicily, Campania, Apulia) where to celebrate an important event or  to relax people just take accordion, tamburin and a bottle and a  key and start to play, sing a song and dance tarantella  then a little break  to drink  a glass of good red wine and a piece of salami by the fire in winter or outside in summer. The music is so heartfelt in Albidona that few other towns have so many young men who can play easily complex instruments such as the bagpipes, the accordion.

Our traditional costumes are not so rich as those of Albanians but they are ok . We are affectionate to them  some people still wear them. Serenades made for any occasion ( marriage, engagement, broken-heart ) were very common in the past and now they are made by young people who love music , love to sing, and want to maintain alive their traditions. Now they make CDs and people buy them.
Tarantella is played differenty from region to region and within the region from town to town with different instruments.

Tarantella calabrese- Albidona

Young girls and boys play tarantella
Tammurriata Napoletana





It is a very different type of tarantella from Naples , as you can see it is danced with bare feet !!


Pizzica (Pinch)  from Apulia




Tarantella Siciliana



Tarantella calabrese folk group from San Sosti -Cosenza




TURKISH DANCE AND FOOD

                                         

             Turkish cuisine and Turkish folklore

Turkish folklore

In Turkey, folklore studies began at the beginning of the 20th century. Ziya Gökalp mentioned folklore ("halkiyat") in the magazine "Towards the People" in 1913. Later Riza Tevfik Bölükbasi and Mehmet Fuat Köprülü wrote articles on the subject in various magazines. A Folklore Association was set up in 1927 and the "People's Houses" (1932) both carried out important survey work in this field. Today these activities are continued in various university faculties.

Main guidelines in Turkish Folklore

Turning points in peoples' lives

This encompasses the preservation of traditional ceremonies connected with birth, childhood, circumcision, marriage and death. These are traditions that have their origins in Shamanism and Islamic beliefs.

Folkloric Knowledge

Folk medicine and veterinary medicine, religious traditions, the calendar, practical weather forecasting and law all exhibit rich folkloric characteristics stemming from traditional Turkish society. These subjects, each of which today is a branch of science, are themes for folkloric research, as they have preserved their traditional forms outside the cities.

Children's and Adult Games

Turkish folklore has a rich treasure of games for children and adults. These can be played in the garden at home, during chats and while visiting people. At times these games require special equipment. Games of "Hide and Seek", games based on religion and sorcery and games for the mind based on imitation come into this category.

Holidays

Official religious and seasonal holidays and the beliefs and customs associated with them are also an important reason for festivities.

Clothing

Traditional clothing forms a part of Turkish traditional culture. In the past the Turks would weave their own clothing and make dyes from natural plant ingredients, in a way that reflected their feelings in the designs they created. Each region had its own characteristics in the way of clothing, headwear, scarves and socks, which have all, through the centuries, attracted interest and admiration.

Turkish Folk Dances

Folk dances have different characteristics based on region and location and are generally engaged in during weddings, journeys to the mountains in the summer, when sending sons off to military service and during religious and national holidays. The best known folk dances are:

Horon

This Black Sea dance is performed by men only, dressed in black with silver trimmings. The dancers link arms and quiver to the vibrations of the kemence, a primitive type of violin. 

Kasik Oyunu

The Spoon Dance is performed from Konya to Silifke and consists of gaily dressed male and female dancers clicking out the dance rhythm with a pair of woodenspoons in each hand.

Kilic Kalkan

The Sword and Shield Dance of Bursa represents the Ottoman conquest of the city. It is performed by men only, dressed in early Ottoman battle dress, who dance to the sound of clashing swords and shields without music.

Zeybek

In this Aegean dance, colorfully dressed male dancers, called "Efe", symbolize courage and heroism. 

Turkish Folk Music

The lively Turkish folk music, which originated on the steppes of Asia, is in complete contrast to the refined Turkish classical music of the Ottoman court. Until recently, folk music was not written down, and the traditions have been kept alive by the 'asiklar', or Turkish troubadours. Distinct from Turkish folk music isOttoman military music, now performed by the 'mehter takimi' (Janissary Band) in Istanbul, which originated in Central Asia, and is played with kettle drums, clarinets, cymbals and bells. The mystical music of the Whirling Dervishes is dominated by the haunting sound of the reed pipe or 'ney', and can be heard inKonya during the Mevlana Festival in December.

Performing Arts

There are six varieties of traditional Turkish performing arts:

Village Plays

Plays are put on in accordance with rural traditions on special days, weddings and holidays.

Meddah

A kind of one-act dramatic play where the narrator also imitates the various characters in the play.

Karagoz

Traditional show theatre, where the shadow puppets of human and animal figures, cut out of leather and colored, are thrown onto a white curtain using a light source behind it.

Orta Oyun

In style and theme resembles Karagöz, but is performed by real actors.

Tuluat Theater

A mixture of Orta Oyun and western theater.

Turkish Folk Literature

Composed of "Tekke" and "Asik," works of literary worth, often anonymous and passed down from generation to generation. These include epics, legends, folk poems, ballads, elegies, folk songs, riddles, folk tales anecdotes, proverbs, expressions and rhymes.

Turkish Folk Heroes

Nasrettin Hoca

A 13th century humorist and sage from Aksehir. His witticisms are known throughout Turkey and often appear in conversation.
Karagöz
 A jester, said to have lived in Bursa in the 14th century and now immortalized as a shadow puppet. Karagöz is a rough man of the people who uses his ribald wit to get the better of his pompous friend, Hacivat. The puppets are made from gaily painted, translucent animal skins and are projected onto a white screen. 

Yunus Emre

The 13th century philosopher poet, one of Turkey's national treasures, promoted basic themes of universal love, friendship, brotherliness and divine Justice. His simple and pure writing is relevant and thought- provoking to this day.

Köroglu

A 15th century folk poet, Köroglu was a role model for his contemporaries and a hero of his time. His adventures have been recounted for centuries and perhaps now with more interest than ever. Köroglu was one of the first people to pioneer the ideal of unconditional help for the poor and down trodden. He was also spoke out against government control and harassment.



Turkish cuisine




It is said that three major kinds of cuisine exist in the world; Turkish, Chinese, and French. Fully justifying its reputation, Turkish Cuisine is always a pleasant surprise for the visitor.
In addition to being the refined product of centuries of experience, Turkish Cuisine has a very pure quality. The variety and simplicity of the recipes and the quality of the ingredients are guarantees of delicious meals.
Kebabs are dishes of plain or marinated meat either stewed or grilled. Almost every district of Anatolia has its own kebap specialty. Lamb is the basic meat of Turkish kitchen. Pieces of lamb threaded on a skewer and grilled over charcoal form the famous "Sis kebab", now known in many countries of the world. "Doner kebab" is another famous Turkish dish, being a roll of lamb on a vertical skewer turning parallel to a hot grill. You should also try "Alanazik", "Sac kavurma", "Tandir" and different types of "Kofte" as typical meat dishes.
The aubergine is used in a wide variety of dishes from "karniyarik" and "hünkarbegendi", to "patlican salatasi" (eggplant salad) and "patlican dolmasi" (stuffed eggplants). It can be cooked with onions, garlic and tomatoes and served cold as "imam bayildi".
A delicious Turkish specialty is "pilav", a rice dish which is difficult for the inexperienced cook to prepare. In the Black Sea regionof Turkey they make a great dish with rice and small fish called "Hamsili pilav". Another interesting dish from the same region is "Miroloto".
"Börek" are pies of flaky pastry stuffed with meat, cheese or potatoes. The delicious Turkish natural yoghurt, "yogurt", is justifiably renowned. A typical appetizer prepared with yogurt is "Cacik". And, of course, don't forget to try "Manti", with loads of yogurt.
One notable variety are the "zeytinyaglilar", dishes cooked with olive oil. "Dolma" is a name applied to such vegetables as grape leaves, cabbage leaves, and green peppers stuffed with spiced rice (Biber dolma). You should also try "Baklali Enginar" (with artichoke) and "Tekmil Lahana" (with cabbage).
Turkish sweets are famous throughout the world and many of these have milk as the basic ingredient such as "sütlac", "tavuk gögsü", "kazandibi", "helva", "asure", but the best-known are "baklava" and "kadayif" pastries.
Among the national drinks, Turkish coffee, Turkish tea, ayran, shira, salgam, sahlep and boza should be mentioned.Turkish coffee comes thick and dark in a small cup and may be served without sugar, with a little sugar or with a lot of sugar. Either way, it is truly delicious. If you like alcohol you can try "Raki" made of anise, it is called as "lions drink" because you must be strong as a lion to drink it.
Soups are coming in a wide variety. These may be light, or rich and substantial. They are generally based on meat stock and served at the start of the meal. Lentil soup is the most common and best loved variety, but there are other preferred soups such as yayla, tarhana, asiran and guli soups.
Mezes are "Hors d'oeuvres" or appetizers figuring mainly at meals accompanied by wine or raki . Eaten sparingly, they arouse the appetite before the meal proper. Examples of meze include gozleme, fried aubergines with yogurt, lakerda (bonito pre-served in brine), pastirma (pressed beef), kisir, humus, fish croquettes, and lambs' brains with plenty of lemon juice. At many restaurants a selection of meze is brought to the table on a tray immediately after the drinks are served for the customers to make their choice.
Some other typical Turkish dishes are:

Pilaf

Generally made of rice, but also of bulgur (cracked wheat) and sehriye (vermicelli), pilaf (pilav) is one of the mainstays of the Turkish table. The rice should not be sticky but separate into individual grains. The pilaf may include aubergines, chick peas, beans or peas. Although pilaf is traditionally a course in its own right, in recent years it has appeared as a garnish with meat and chicken dishes at many restaurants.

Borek

Thinly rolled pastry, often the paper thin variety known as yufka, is wrapped around various savory fillings or arranged in layers . The myriad types of börek are unmatched delicacies when cooked to perfection. Boreks can be fried, baked, cooked on a griddle or boiled. Traditionally it was said that no girl should marry until she had mastered the art of börek making. Preferred fillings are cheese, minced meat, spinach and potatoes. In the form of rolls filled with cheese or minced meat mixtures and fried, böreks are known as "Sigara (cigarette) boregi". Böreks should be light and crisp, without a trace of excess oil.

Doner Kebap

Slices of marinated lamb on a tall vertical spit and grilled as it slowly turns are delicious. The cooked parts of the cone of meat are cut in very thin slices by a huge sword-like knife, and arranged on a plate with Ace or flat pide (pitta) bread. This dish is the most formidable obstacle to the victory of the hamburger in the fast food market. Doner kebap in rolls with slices of pickle and chips is the most common stand-up lunch for city office workers.
A local variation of Doner Kebap would be Cag Kebabi from Erzurum. It is made with slices of lamb threaded on a spit, with 10 percent minced beef mixed with milk, chopped onion, black pepper and flaked chili pepper spread between each slice to hold them together. The surface is covered tightly with wood ash, and then the kebab is roasted horizontally over a wood fire. As the outer surface browns, the cook takes a metal skewer and threads it through the cooked surface, slices off the portion with a long döner knife, and serves it with thin lavas bread.

Kofte

The diverse köftes of all shapes and sizes are a culinary world of their own. Finely minced meat mixed with spices, onions and other ingredients is shaped by hand, and grilled, fried, boiled or baked. Koftes are named according to the cooking method, ingredients or shape. Plump oval köfte dipped in egg and fried have the evocative name of "Ladies Thighs" (kadin budu). Some köftes are cooked in a sauce as in the case of the delicious "Izmir köfte", the köftes are first grilled and then cooked with green peppers, potato slices and tomatoes in their own gravy. An interesting dish called "Hamsi köfte" comes from the Black Sea region ofTurkey.




PREPARED BY IREM YEDEKCI