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Turkish Dateline
Discover headline news about Turkey, past and present
Calendar

May 5th
Hidrellez - Spring Feast
Hidrellez is a seasonal festival in Turkey for the celebration
of arrival of spring and awakening of nature and various activities.
In folkloric traditions it is the day on which Prophets Hizir
and Ilyas met with each other on earth to awaken the nature. The words Hizir
and Ilyas have since fused together pronounced as Hidrellez.
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Various practices are performed on Hidrellez night in the belief that
Hizir will bring blessing and abundance to the places he visits and the
things he touches. Food bowls, pantries and purses are left open. And
definitely a window is left open for Hizir to visit the house. Those who
want a house, or garden believe that Hizir will help them obtain such
things if they make a small model of what they want. Some also hang models
and papers on which their wishes are written on a Nahil Tree. It is also
a tradition to throw those papers into a running water or sea enabling
Hizir to pick them and to carry out the wishes written. |
May 19th
Atatürk Day
Youth and Sports Day
May 27th
Freedom and Constitution Day
News

Brought to us by the Turkish Culture List
Ahmet Toprak is the host of the Turkish Culture List
A Chilling Museum to Open in Istanbul
Hurriyet Daily News
Istanbul's Forum Shopping Mall is now home to the world's first ice museum in a warm climate. The Magic Ice Museum, which opened Friday [April 23],was built with an investment of $20 million by the Norwegian Lofoten Trading Company.
The Magic Ice Museum covers 1,400 square meters. Visitors will wear special Eskimo-style clothes and enter the museum through an ice tunnel. Home to 34 ice statues as well as a Viking house and boat, the theme will be changed once every six months. The first section of the museum explains the Vikings’ 880 visit to Istanbul, to visitors, who are provided with information through writings on sheets of ice. The two other sections of the museum include information about Scandinavian nature and an ice vitamin bar, where visitors are offered fruit juice in ice glasses.
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