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Countries/Regions Spoken as a Native Language 

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Countries/Regions Spoken as a Native Language 

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- Turkish is the official language in Turkey and Northern Cyprus.
- It is also a co-official language with Greek in Cyprus.

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- Turkish Folk Music or Türk Halk Müziği combines cultural values from Turkey and Europe/Asia.
- The music incorporates several instruments and one singer.
- It has a unique structure making it a popular genre during the Ottoman Empire era.
Click the link below to see a video of traditional Turkish music!

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- Turkey has an ancient tradition of folk dance which varies depending on the region.
- The dances are performed at a number of social occasions such as weddings or religious/national festivities.
- They are known for their rhythmic, colorful, and elegant style.
- A few examples are Zeybek, Horon, and Halay.
Below is a link to a video of a traditional Zeybek dance.

- The name "Zeybek" is said to mean durable, healthy, and reliable.
- The dance is characterized by male dancers dressed colorfully who are referred to as "Efe.
- "Efe" symbolizes courage and heroism, and was the name of their elected chief.

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- Ebru, also known as marbling, is an ancient art practice that has been revived today.
- It is a form of painting that uses water, dye, and an awls.
- Awls are thorns made of nails, strings, and needles that are available in a number of different sizes and thicknesses.
Below is the link to a video demonstrating how it works and a picture of a completed painting.

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Painting On Water: Turkish Marbling Known As Ebru In Istanbul

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- A Turkish baklava is a traditional dessert made of thin pastry, nuts, and honey.
Link below contains a recipe and description of baklava.

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Turkish Baklava, also known as Fistikli Baklava or Pistachio Baklava, is a deliciously rich, buttery, sweet dessert made from phyllo dough, finely ground pistachios, butter, and a syrup made from sugar, water and lemon juice. That's it!
This post is sponsored in conjunction with Christmas Cookies Week. I received product samples from sponsor companies to aid in the creation of the Christmas Cookies Week recipes. As always, all opinions are mine alone.
Last year during Christmas Cookies Week, I shared a Greek baklava recipe, which we LOVED. And apparently you did as well, because I had so many readers come to my site for that post! It's full of walnuts and sweetened with a honey syrup and is just so, SO good.

But this year, I thought I would make this Turkish baklava recipe to showcase some of the similarities and differences between the recipes!

Right after graduating law school and taking the California bar exam, Paul and I took off on a backpacking trip around parts of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Two of the countries we stopped in were Greece and Turkey.

We loved them both deeply, and are agreed that Turkey, especially, is one of our favorite countries we have ever visited.

Let's throw it back with a photo collage of three of my favorite spots in Turkey - Cappadocia, Pammukale, and Istanbul.

Without going too deep into history and culture, one thing we learned while we were traveling between the two countries is that their history has been fraught with confrontation and there has been fighting between the two for centuries.

It was more than a little awkward a time or two when guides from either country would start openly criticizing the other country and giving a very skewed account of the history of what had happened between the neighboring countries during periods of time. But there have been periods where many Greeks have lived in Turkey and many Turks have lived in Greece, and there has been crossover between them.

Enter baklava.

Greek Baklava vs. Turkish Baklava

I don't think anybody really knows where it was invented or who, really, can claim ownership over it. But I know that both countries have strong baklava traditions that even vary within the country from place to place.

So I'm aware that I'm somewhat over-generalizing here by saying that Greek baklava uses honey, walnuts, and cinnamon, while Turkish baklava uses a sugar syrup, pistachios, and lemon juice without the addition of spices or other flavors.

Good baklava is sweet, but not cloying, and moist, but not soggy, regardless of where it's from (although I do think that Turkish baklava is typically more wet than Greek baklava in my experience).

There are also differences in how the baklava is cut and presented, but for the sake of keeping things simple, let's just go with the distinctions I've already made. Is that okay?

Pistachio Baklava

When it comes to Turkish baklava, I strongly feel that pistachio nuts are the way to go. I just love their flavor and vibrant green color that is so unlike any other nut!

Sure, some places in Turkey use almonds, or a combination of pistachios and walnuts, but from what I have seen and read, it really seems like classic pistachio baklava is the way to go if you are trying to create authentic Turkish baklava.

Turkish baklava is also unique in that it doesn't use any honey as a sweetener or to provide flavor. Instead, a thick syrup is made from nothing more than sugar, water, and a little lemon juice, which adds both flavor and helps prevent crystallization of the sugar.

But besides those two major distinctions, baklava from either country is similar. It's made from thin phyllo dough that is layered in a large baking dish one sheet at a time, brushing melted clarified butter between each sheet to build up the distinctive flaky texture that baklava is known for.

8 to 10 sheets of butter-brushed phyllo build the base of the baklava in the pan, then a good amount of finely chopped nuts is spread evenly before topping with another 8 to 10 sheets of phyllo and butter, more nuts are added, and the remaining phyllo is added to finish things off.

It's a little different from how I layer my Greek baklava where I do more layers of nuts between fewer layers of phyllo, but both approaches work equally well.

How to Make Turkish Baklava

1. Thaw a box of frozen phyllo dough in the refrigerator overnight.

2. Make the sugar syrup for the baklava by combining the sugar and water in a saucepan and bringing to a boil. Lower the heat to a simmer and let the syrup thicken for 20-25 minutes until golden and thick. Remove from heat and stir in the lemon juice, then cool completely and refrigerate until ready to use. You want the syrup to be cold when it's time to pour it over the baklava.

3. When ready to make the baklava, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and brush a 9×13-inch baking dish with clarified butter. Unroll the thawed phyllo dough and cut to fit the pan, if needed. My 16-ounce package of phyllo dough came in 18 sheets that were 13×17-inches, so I just cut the entire stack in half so they fit, which gave me 36 sheets to work with. Really more like 33-ish since I almost always destroy a couple of phyllo sheets along the way.

4. Keep the phyllo covered with a damp cloth while stacking the baklava so that it doesn't dry out. Gently lay 1 sheet of phyllo down in the bottom of the buttered pan and use a pastry brush to drizzle and brush some of the clarified butter to coat the sheet of phyllo. Repeat with another 8-9 sheets of phyllo dough, brushing with butter each time. It's reminds me of doing modge-podge, if you have any experience with that. (My only experience with modge-podge is from Girls' Camp, but it's what I always think of when making baklava). The first couple of sheets might want to fold up on you, but once you have two layers or so, it gets easier as there is more base built for the new phyllo sheets to cling to.

5. Sprinkle half of the finely ground or chopped pistachios evenly over the built up bottom layers of phyllo dough, then repeat the process with another 10 sheets of phyllo dough and clarified butter, melting the butter in the microwave if it starts to cool down too much and firm up.

6. Add the remaining ground nuts, then finish assembling the baklava by creating the top layer with any remaining sheets of phyllo dough and butter. My top layer ended up being 13 phyllo sheets thick. Brush the top layer with the last of the butter.

7. Use a very sharp knife to cut through the uncooked baklava in a rectangular pattern to make 36 baklava servings. Be sure to cut all the way through to the bottom layer! Bake for 1 hour until golden brown on top and the bottom layers are cooked through. Check the baklava around 40 minutes and if it is browning too much, cover with heavy duty aluminum foil for the remaining bake time.

8. As soon as the baklava is done baking, remove it from the oven and slowly pour the cooled syrup over the hot baklava, being careful as it can bubble up as the cold syrup hits the hot pan. You don't have to use all the syrup if you feel like it's too much or your baklava is too wet. It's important to have the temperature differences though as it keeps the baklava from getting soggy, which is what happens if you pour cooled syrup over cooled baklava. Sprinkle the baklava rectangles with finely ground pistachios on top.

9. Let the baklava sit for at least 1 hour to soak up the syrup. If the baklava doesn't soak up all the syrup, don't worry too much. Like I mentioned before, most of the Turkish baklava I have had has seemed wetter than other types of baklava. Just pour off any excess syrup that doesn't get absorbed and transfer the baklava rectangles to a serving plate.

How to Make Clarified Butter

This recipe calls for clarified butter, which is just melted butter that has the milk solids (the foam on top and the white solids at the bottom) removed. I actually don't know that I notice a difference between using clarified butter or just using regular melted butter in baklava.

But for the sake of authenticity, I went ahead and clarified my butter for this recipe. It's really easy to do. Here's how:

1. Melt 1 pound of butter in a saucepan over low heat. No need to stir, really. The melted butter will separate into 3 layers: foamy froth on top, clear yellow liquid in the middle and white solids at the bottom.

2. When the butter is completely melted and the foam has formed, remove the pan from the heat.

3. Scoop the foam off the top with a spoon and discard.

4. Keep the yellow middle layer by decanting it from the saucepan without removing the milk solids or by straining it through cheesecloth.

How 'Bout a Little More Baklava? Here are some less traditional Baklava Variations:

If you try this recipe, please rate it and leave a comment on this post. Getting feedback from you helps me and other readers too! And if you're on , feel free to leave a comment and photo there if you have one!

Also, if you share on , use the hashtag #houseofnasheats and tag me (@houseofnasheats) so I can stop by and give your post some love. Thank you!!!

#ChristmasCookiesWeek Wednesday Recipes

Disclaimer: Thank you # ChristmasCookiesWeek sponsors: Adams Extract, Sprinkle Pop, YumGoggle and Silpat for providing the prizes free of charge. The # ChristmasCookiesWeek giveaway is open to U.S. residents, age 18 & up. All entries for the winner will be checked and verified. By entering you give the right to use your name and likeness. The number of entries received determines the odds of winning. Four (4) winners will be selected at random from entries received. The prize packages will be fulfilled by and sent directly from the giveaway sponsors. # ChristmasCookiesWeek bloggers are not responsible for the fulfillment or delivery of the prize packages. Bloggers hosting this giveaway and their immediate family members in their household are not eligible to enter or win the giveaway. No purchase necessary. Void where prohibited by law. This promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter or any other social channel mentioned in the # ChristmasCookiesWeek posts or entry.

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Turkish Baklava, also known as Fistikli Baklava or Pistachio Baklava, is a deliciously rich, buttery, sweet dessert made from phyllo dough, finely ground pistachios, butter, and a syrup made from sugar, water and lemon juice. That's it! This post is sponsored in conjunction with Christmas Cookies Week.

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Some words that English speakers have borrowed from the Turkish Language

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Some words that English speakers have borrowed from the Turkish Language

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- Turkish belongs to the Oghuz branch of the Turkic language family.
- Turkish language's writing system is the Latin script.
- The Turkish alphabet and characters can be seen in the image below

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- According to the Penn Language Center(2014), around 72 million people speak Turkish in Turkey.
- 90% of Turkey's population speaks Turkish as the native language.
- Additionally, more than one million speakers can be found in Bulgaria, Macedonia, and Greece.
- Over two million Turkish speakers are located in Germany and other Northern European countries due to Turkish people living there as guest workers over the years.
- Lastly, another 24,000 Turkish speakers are located in the United States.

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- The normal Turkish word order is Subject-Object-Verb or SOV.
- The example below displays the English language syntax above the Turkish syntax.

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- The link below contains examples of the alphabet, characters, translation, scripts, and sentences.

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Turkish is a Turkic language spoken by about 88 million people, mainly in Turkey, and also in Northern Cyprus, Germany, Bulgaria and other countries. There are about 82 million speakers of Turkish in Turkey, about 2 million in Germany, 606,000 in Bulgaria, 500,000 in the UK, 300,000 in Northern Cyprus, 165,000 in the USA, 130,000 in Uzbekistan, and smaller numbers in other countries.

Turkish is an official language in Turkey, Northern Cyprus, and Cyprus. It is recognised as a minority language in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Greece, Iraq, Kosovo, North Macedonia and Romania.

Turkish at a glance

Native name: Türkçe [ˈtyɾct͡ʃɛ]

Linguistic affliation: Turkic, Common Turkic, Oghuz, Western Oghuz

Number of speakers: c. 88 million

Spoken in: Turkey, Northern Cyprus, Germany, Bulgaria, UK, Northern Cyprus, USA, Uzbekistan and other countries

First written: 11th century

Writing system: Ottoman Turkish script, Latin script

Status: official language in Turkey, Northern Cyprus, and Cyprus. Recognised minority language in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Greece, Iraq, Kosovo, North Macedonia, and Romania

Turkish is a member of the Oghuz branch of the Turkic language family. It is closely related to Azerbaijani, Turkmen, Qashqai, Gagauz, and Balkan Gagauz Turkish, and there is considerable mutual intelligibility between these languages.

The ancestor of modern Turkish, Oghuz, was bought to Anatolia from Central Asia during the 11th century AD by Seljuq Turks. This developed into Ottoman Turkish, and contained many loanwords from Arabic and Persian.

Until 1928 Turkish was written with a version of the Perso-Arabic script known as the Ottoman Turkish script. In 1928, as part of his efforts to modernise Turkey, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk issued a decree replacing the Arabic script with a version of the Latin alphabet, which has been used ever since. Arabic and Persian loanwords were also replaced with Turkish equivalents. Nowadays, only scholars and those who learnt to read before 1928 can read Turkish written in the Ottoman Turkish script.

Turkish alphabet (türk alfabesi)

Notes

â, î and û are used to distinguish words that word otherwise have the same spelling; to indiciate palatalization of a preceding consonant, e.g. kar /kar/ (snow), kâr /kʲar/ (profit); and also to indicate long vowels in loanwords, especially those from Arabic

e is [ɛ~æ] when it appears m, n, l or r, e.g. gelmek [ɡæɫˈmec] (to come, arrive)

g = [ɟ] and k = [c] when next to e, i, ö or ü

ğ is usually silent and indicates a syllable break, e.g. değil [ˈde.il] (not). In final syllables after e and i, ğ = [j], e.g. eğri [ej.ˈɾi] (curve). Elsewhere ğ lengthens a vowel, e.g. bağ [ˈbaː] (bond). In some dialects it is pronounced [ɰ]

l = [ɫ] when next to a, ı, o or u

h = [ħ] before consonants and at the end of words

The letters Q (qu), X (iks) and W (we) are not included in the official Turkish alphabet, but are used in foreign names and loanwords

Hear Turkish pronunciation

Sample text in Turkish

Bütün insanlar hür, haysiyet ve haklar bakımından eşit doğarlar. Akıl ve vicdana sahiptirler ve birbirlerine karşı kardeşlik zihniyeti ile hareket etmelidirler.

Hear a recording of this text

Translation

All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.
(Article 1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights)

Ottoman Turkish script (لسان عثمانى)

Numerals

Download alphabet charts for Turkish (Excel)

Sample text

Translation

All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.
(Article 1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights)

Sample videos in Turkish

Information about Turkish | Phrases | Numbers | Family words | Time | Tongue twisters | Tower of Babel | Turkish learning materials

- TurkishClass101.com - Learn Turkish with Free Audio and Video Lessons
- Learn Turkish online with Mondly
- Learn Turkish with Glossika

Links

Information about Turkish
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turkish_language
http://www.turkishlanguage.co.uk
http://www.bbc.co.uk/languages/other/turkish/guide/
http://www.allaboutturkey.com/dil.htm
http://fluentinturkish.com/

Online Turkish lessons
http://www.turkishlanguage.co.uk
http://cali.arizona.edu/maxnet/tur/
http://www.onlineturkish.com
http://cali.arizona.edu/maxnet/tur/
http://www.turkishclass.com
http://www.exploreturkish.com
http://www.teachyourselfturkish.com
http://turkish.pgeorgalas.gr/indexEn.htm
http://www.turkishbasics.com
http://turkish2learn.blogspot.com
http://ingilizce.g3n.in
http://turkishtools.tourkika.com
http://www.turkish-tutor.org
http://www.kuranharfleri.com/tr/osmanlica/osmanlica-dersleri-tamami
http://polymath.org/turkish.php
https://www.simplang.com/turkish/
http://www.turkishexplained.com
https://speakwithme.turkcekon.us

Turkish phrases
http://www.onlineturkish.com
http://turkeytravelplanner.com/details/LanguageGuide/100words_lessons/
http://www.linguanaut.com/english_turkish
http://tinyurl.com/2qgmv4
http://www.kwintessential.co.uk/resources/language/turkish-phrases.html

The Turkish Listening Library
http://www.turkishlisteninglibrary.com

Online Turkish dictionaries
http://www.ingilizceturkce.com
http://www.turkce-ingilizce.com
http://www.kadifeli.com/cgi-bin/compdict.pl
http://www.langtolang.com
http://www.termbank.net/psychology/
http://www.turktrans.net/idioms/
http://www.zargan.com
http://www.dictionarist.com/turkish/
http://www.japonca.da.ru
http://www.sozlukte.com
http://www.ingilizcesozluk.da.ru/
http://ingilizce.biz.tm/sozluk
http://tdk.gov.tr
http://www.ingilizceturkcesozluk.net
http://www.ingilizceturkce.gen.tr/ingilizcesozluk.html
http://pauctle.com/entr
http://ctle.pau.edu.tr/rutr/
http://www.slovar.top/
http://www.dizisozluk.net
http://tr.bab.la
http://esanlam.pw/

Turkish ICQ chatroom
http://www.icqturk.com/chat/

Online translation between Turkish and other languages
http://www.hazar.com
http://ingilizceceviri.gen.tr
http://turkceingilizce.ingilizceturkce.gen.tr/

Online input for Turkish and other Turkic languages
http://www.isa-sari.com/ctlk/?id=en

Online input for Ottoman Turkish
http://www.isa-sari.com/osmanlica/?id=en

Online Turkish language radio
http://www.trt.net.tr/
http://www.olayfm.com.tr
http://www.bbc.co.uk/turkish/
http://www.radyohiras.com

Online news in Turkish
http://www.turkcegazeteler.com
http://www.bbc.co.uk/turkish/
http://www.gazeteler.de

Online e-books and audio books in Turkish
http://www.1001kitap.com/
http://ekitap.kulturturizm.gov.tr/ana-sayfa/1-294/20120531.html
http://www.herkonu.de/showthread.php?t=8281
http://www.karakutu.com/seslikitap/
http://catmacam.tr.gg/sesli-kitap-dinle.htm
http://www.warezturkey.net/e-book/8260-100-temel-eser-sesli-kitap-turkce-indir.html
http://www.pandora.com.tr/yayinevi/sesli-kitaplar/2315

Türk Dil Kurumu (TDK) (Turkish Language Association) - the official language regulator of the Turkish language: http://tdk.gov.tr

- TurkishClass101.com - Learn Turkish with Free Audio and Video Lessons
- Learn Turkish online with Mondly
- Learn Turkish with Glossika

Turkic languages

Other languages written with the Arabic and Latin alphabets

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Turkish language, alphabets and pronunciation

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Turkish is a Turkic language spoken by about 88 million people, mainly in Turkey, and also in Northern Cyprus, Germany, Bulgaria and other countries. There are about 82 million speakers of Turkish in Turkey, about 2 million in Germany, 606,000 in Bulgaria, 500,000 in the UK, 300,000 in Northern Cyprus, 165,000 in the USA, 130,000 in Uzbekistan, and smaller numbers in other countries.