Turkey

Salaam,

Well, what did I think of Turkey...?

On the whole I had an amazing time there and to some it up in a few words, I think its definitely a country where the east meets the west.

I'd seen pictures of the the main Islamic sites in and around Istanbul before but I was totally blown away by actually visiting them and being able to witness the grandeur and sheer beauty of most of these sites. For all those people who complain that the Islamic world has not given anything back to the world I would say just go visit some of these sites in Istanbul and then speak.

I had previously read some stuff about the Ottomans but in Istanbul do you really get to appreciate the power and might of the empire they ran. Also I don't think a lot of Muslims realise or appreciate all the good things the Ottomans did for the Islamic world and instead are quick to criticise them. If you think think about it the Ottomans were at the forefront leading the Islamic nation for a longer period than the actual Arabs from the middle east so they probably have had a greater impact in terms of the Islamic ummah than the original Arabs from the middle east.

Another thing that obviously pops to mind is the political nature of Turkey; the fact that its a secular country resulting in the scarf and beard being banned from all government institutions. This has led to the country being very diverse in terms of Islamic practice. In some parts eg Eyup, the local population are very conservative, most women wear the scarf and the masajids are packed out, in other areas (unfortunately the majority of areas...) most women don't wear the scarf, huge mosques have attendances of around 20 people for salaats, alcohol is everywhere, the dress sense is very much like in the west etc. So its pretty weird that by taking a 10 min ride you can go from a religious conservative area to one which is pretty much like the UK. I think this fact reconfirms why people call this country the meeting place of the east and west, something I would strongly agree with.

The above being what it is, I really don't know how the religious Muslims get along in Turkey; to think that their in a Muslim country but cant grow a beard or wear the scarf, and to be surrounded by "Muslims" who openly behave like people from the west and it some cases it seems they are going out of their way to behave in an anti-Islamic manner. Thats why one thing I've found on my travels is that the more "Muslim" countries I visit the luckier I feel with living in the UK.

On the whole I think Turkey is a very very interesting country with a lot of history and culture which I think many Muslims don't appreciate. In the recent past its gone through a lot of political turmoil with the "Islamist" party coming into power which the locals say is a sign that a lot of people want to go back to their religious roots. I think it will be very interesting to see what happens in Turkey in the coming years.

Salaam