Hospitality of Turkish people
AFTER several visits to Turkey, I had an unforgettable experience with their amazing people. I always had a good time with the extremely friendly Turks. It is, believe me, overstated. This culture is very prevalent in Ankara. It is a huge pleasure for Turks to have a foreigner eat and drink at their house. Perhaps one of our most proud civilizations. No one will be pleased than us if you welcome us with Turkish expressions.
Being Pushtoon and belongfrom Khyber Pukhtunkhwah, hospitality has same roots as same as in Turkish culture. For years and years, this culture has been passed down from generation to generation. When we go back in time, we can see how important hospitality is in the culture we live in. Our forefathers, who lived for centuries, always welcomed the rights that arrived to the territories they visited or resided in, and even shared their food and drink. As for Pushtuns, our forefathers constructed caravansaries, inns, and guesthouses along the route, reflecting a level of hospitality not seen in many cultures.
Even today, when we knock on the door of someone who we know in Turkey, they will welcome us with a charming smile and a heart full of hospitality and will host us as much as they can. Even the words that Turkish elders usually use show how important hospitality is in their culture. Even if their rival comes to their house, they do not refuse, they do not send anybody who shows up to their door empty, and they regard their visitor God’s guest is my guest.
I had a wonderful encounter with one of my Turkish friends and family. When you are a turk at somebody else’s home, you will see that the top corner and the most beautiful room are kept for guests. There are specifically designated utensils in every Turk’s house, such as a guest dining set, guest table, guest towel, and guest bed. To provide an additional instance on lighter note, when a guest arrived at a residence under the Ottoman Empire, coffee and water were served first. He can’t show he’s hungry when he departs, but he can give the owner a hint by sipping water.
Hospitality is a key spiritual trait in Turkish culture and Islam. The guest is honoured, and every effort is made not to make any mistakes in the hospitality. Turks want to welcome guests in the most traditional and customary manner possible. The inclusion of many words regarding hospitality in the proverbs and idioms of Turks who value hospitality is significant in terms of showing the importance of hospitality in Turkish folk culture. Furthermore, in Turkish folk culture, the visitor is considered sacred, and it is thought that providing hospitality and serving the guest is anhonour.In this regard, the phrase “guest of God”, which has found its place in Turkish, is important in terms of showing how sacred the guest is and how much the Turkish nation values the guest.
In the structuring and conduct of social life and relationships, hospitality is an essential element, if not a need. Because the guest is a companion on good and bad days, and occasionally a psychologist, where worries and joy are shared. There is love, discussions, and prosperity around the table that has been opened to the guests. Hospitality implies harmony, interaction, and a sense of unity it may be observed that a sympathy owner or circumcision-wedding guests, as well as a needy person in need of help, enjoy themselves at an open table.
In these cases, the Turkish hospitality and table arranging tradition shines through. In Turkish culture, preparing a table follows strict protocol. Who sits at the table from the home, who sits at the table, is chosen by both lifestyles. There is a table seating layout for dining and drinking together, as well as a table seating arrangement for the harem. Beliefs, customs, and lifestyle all have a role in table layout and seating arrangement. In Turkish culture and belief, the visitor has long played a significant role. The host shows the visitor the utmost respect and tolerance. It is noteworthy that the table is opened without being asked if the visitors are starving or full. Opening the table without first asking if the visitors are hungry or full shows the hospitality of the Ankara people. The host opens the table to the guests with the best foods of the locale within his means and offers foods.
—The writer is a social political analyst, based in Islamabad.
