A Brief Note on Alphabet Reform in Turkey

In Turkey, you can see examples of writing from the past everywhere. However, most people cannot read them because these writings on fountains, mosques and doors are written using a different alphabet than the one used today in Turkey. This old alphabet consists of Arabic letters with some additional...

God’s Word Embodied

OTTOMAN ART OF CALLIGRAPHY (Hüsnühat) by Ahmet Soysal Norgunk Publishing, 68 pp., 2004, ISBN: 978-975-8686-18-6 ‘And He taught Adam the names of all things.’ (Quran 2:31) The primary, universal and transcendent language which was taught to Adam doesn’t only consist of the voices which have a...

In the Realm of Letters

HURUFISM (Hurûfîlik) by Ömer Tecimer Plan B, 226 pp., 2008, ISBN: 978-975-8723-19-5 LA, A SYLLABLE OF ETERNITY (Lâ: Sonsuzluk Hecesi) by Nazan Bekiroğlu Timaş Publications, 384 pp., 2009, 978-975-263-851-8 BALEYBELEN by Mustafa Koç Klasik, 747 pp., 2005, 978-975-8740-35-1 From the...

Turkish Music in Theory and Practice

ULVİ CEMAL ERKİN by Olcay Kolçak Kastaş Publishing, 119 pp., 2008, ISBN: 979-975-282-104-9 DEDE EFENDİ by M. Fatih Salgar Ötüken Publishing, 279 pp., 2004, ISBN: 978-975-437-174-1 Turkish Music Theory in 21st Century (21. Yüzyılda Türk Müziği Teorisi) by Nail Yavuzoğlu Pan Publishing, 130 pp.,...

Modern and Postmodern in Turkey

MODERN AND BEYOND 1950-2000 (Modern ve Ötesi 1950-2000) by Fulya Erdemci, Semra Germaner, Orhan Koçak Istanbul Bilgi University Press, 499 pp., 2008, ISBN: 978-605-399-039-0 Galer’ists, The Art Environment of the 70’s (Galer’istler, 70’lerin Sanat Ortamı) by Meldâ Kaptana Kanat Books, İlhan...

In Search of Humanity through Mythology

Mythology has been a source of inspiration for many playwrights since the birth of tragedy. The great tragic poets – Aeschylus, Euripides and Sophocles – of the Golden Age of the Athenian Culture, and the two tragic playwrights – Corneille and Racine – of French classicism, who brought the notion...