12 Mart 2008 Çarşamba

The Letter About The Northern Turkey

The Letter About The Northern Turkey

My country Turkey is wealthy in terms of culture, history, nature. The biggest and oldest empires – for example, Rome, Greek, Ottoman, and many others- existed. That’s why; you can see plenty of remains, and objects all over the Turkey. Many tourists who have come to Turkey, know our beautiful and impressive shores, historical places, beaches, spa and skiing centers. We have lots of hidden places which are like paradise. But unfortunately, tourists and some of Turkish people don’t know other places. Because, we still can’t make these places known and adversite them sufficiently to world. One of them is “The North of Turkey”.

The mountains are very high and they form a ridge and some pathways are sloping; settlements on levels are scattered along the pathways except cities which are very close to shores. As it’s a rainy region, there is fertile areas used agriculture – for instance, corn, hazelnuts, tea… etc-, and animal husbandry.

Have you ever seen what life is like in Turkish villages? Many people get up very early in the morning, and have breakfast. The men go to the forest, water the cornfield (if it doesn’t rain) check their hazel (if they have own them), feed their cows in the land around their houses… The women prepare the food and meals, cut long grass with sickles (after cutting, they gather, and fill up baskets on their backs or tie them around into the bunch of long grass, and go to the storehouses), carry chopped wood, clean small cow stables, and small poultry houses… You see, women are as very strong as men, and they can cope with all their work. Some of them can go on working when they are ill or old.

Do you know the forests in region are wonderful? I’ve already mentioned it at the beginning of my letter. It’s difficult to describe it. The air and the water is very pure and fresh. You can see the most beautiful mountain flowers of all varieties. You don’t sweat much. Because, there’s a little mist in the air. When you take a deep breathe, You feel the smell of pine, flower scents… Have you ever tasted fresh spring water? It’s very cold; but it doesn’t make you sick (If you can drink it many many times, you don’t get ill after one day or many days). I still miss that water.

In my opinion, the real doctor is (the) nature. If you feel bad, it can revive you. I want to talk about my friend of mine. He have had terrible traffic accident when he was child. He had an operation on two legs. After a hard and long operation, the pus appeared in his wound. His doctors inspected the wound in his right leg. They gave some drugs for his wound. After medical treatment, his left leg was OK, but his right leg was not good. They inspected his right leg again said to his parents said to his parents:” if this wound doesn’t get better, we will cut off his right leg”. He lost all hopes of ever getting better when he heard the doctor’s report. But his family didn’t lose hope. They wanted him to go to the plateau together with them. He walked in the forests with his walking-stick, ate natural foods, drank that fresh spring water like an elixir and stayed there for 35 days. He was very weak child before he went there. The nature gave him the power of life, happiness, health and made him strong child. The wound which was on his right leg had disappeared. They went to his doctors, and they could never believe this miracle.

There are 2 festivals which are called “welcome” and “general”. In the festivals, many people gather in the usual meeting place. Some of the people wear local clothes, and when someone plays the “kemence (I don’t know what is in English. I can define: “small violin with three strings”) and they dance together. This interest is so high; other people come there to participate in. If you are very lucky, you can get fresh meat and stay in a traditional houses which built very simple, wood and stone mixed. The people are warm-hearted and hospitable. You can see what life is like in the plateau… Some people stay there until the end of July or the beginning of August. Because that time is the season of picking hazelnuts….

Anyway, there’re lots of things write to you. If you like nature, to see simple and different life in Turkish villages, you should come here one day. I’ll recommend you to visit the place. You won’t regret. Now I must finish my letter. Hope to hear from you soon! Take care! All the best!

Very Lovingly Yours
Your Friend Fatih.

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