Turq Research

Borrowed, from library, Rick Steve's Greece and Turkey. He has 4 episodes on Turkey. I've watched the one about Istanbul and West Turkey so far. I've learned that blue is a popular color in Turkey and origin of the word turquoise. Also that (not just in Turkey) artistic tiles and islamic calligraphy adorns mosques instead of portraiture of religious figures as one might find in a church. I know there is alot more to learn. Just sharing couple things I got from this show.

Also got a book from the library A Fez of the Heart - Travels Around Turkey in Search of a Hat. An interesting mix of history about the country and customs, and travels around in the 1990s. Long story short - during the Ottoman Empire days, around 1830s, the turban was banned as a head covering for men, and the fez was mandated by law as the head covering required. Then in 1925, Ataturk, the father of modern day Turkey, outlawed the fez and decreed that western hats were to be worn by men. The book's author is traveling around Turkey meeting and talking with men who lived through the transition from fez to hat.