Friday 24 November 2017

MY TURKISH HOŞGELDİNİZ

Hi every body! My name is Anna and İ am happy to state that İ am an EVS volunteer at İyaca association in Ankara, Turkey.
İ come from a small town located in the North of İtaly but İ lived for the last two year in the UK.Since İ interrupted my job vacancy in the UK İ was looking for a kind of experience that was not aiming to make a living, instead İ was willing to chase something that could help other people and additionally could make me gain practical understanding.


So, when İ saw the advertisement of the project hosted by İyaca NGO, İ applied immediately. İ have always been interested in social work and İ was feeling so lucky to have the opportunity to have an inner sight of how a NGO works. İn particular İyaca is dealing with youth policies organizing training, youth exchange and, of course, EVS project. İ am fully convinced that the change we need in the world can be accomplished only by young people and thanks these activities youth can be aware of their task in the post-modern society. A couple of days later İ have been invited to do an interview with, what turned out to be, my lovely lovely mentor Sinan. Two days later the exciting news: İ was going to spend two months in Turkey as a volunteer!  İ think it is useless to highline how glad İ was!During my 15 hours of travelling İ started to meditate on Turkey. İ am really ashamed to admit İ did not know anything about this amazing and mixed country. İn my brain the word ‘Turkey’ recalled me of just a couple of stereotypes: Turkish people smoke a lot (totally true!) and they walk really fast (almost true). This country is famous to be the bridge that connects Asia to Europe and İ was, and still İ am, truly curious about how Asian and European culture are dealing together in the daily life and historical traditions. İ was going to land in the capital set in the Asiatic part of Turkey: Ankara.When İ got off the bus, that carried me from Esebonga airport to the Çankaya district (centre of the city), İ discovered, with an immense relief, that Sinan was waiting for me. We walked  through the chaotic and crowded street heading home. What impressed me the most concerns colours. Ankara has the colours of all the European cities İ visited: a mix of grey, dirty white of the building and random colourful spot of the items exposed by the shop. But in this case this nuance is warmed up by the intense red of the copious flags proudly waving along the street and hanging from the buildings windows.  

On the following day Sinan led me to the office. He tried to teach me the way, unfortunately for him with really poor results (I could lose myself in my own home!).
The ONG has its base on the 8th, and last, floor of a central building; therefore it offers you an astonished view of the city. I started to take a hundred of pictures to immortalize the panorama that took my breath away but it can not be capture by a single photo…you have to come here to understand! No skyscrapers for Ankara but sharped towers towards the sky and, it is going to be a constant, red flags symbolizing the strong feeling of identity the Turkish have.

To better understand the Turkish culture İ decided to go to Ataturk mausoleum. Gazi Mustafa Kemal is Ataturk, that means: father of Turkey. He, besides being, on my behalf, a really charming, old fashion man, is the founder of the Turkish republic. Turkish people love him and his pictures are glancing at you mostly in each public or private office, schools and shops.  Ataturk became the first president of Turkey republic in 1923 till 1938, year in which he died. During his administration he put into rule a program of political, social and cultural reforms seeking to transform the former Ottoman Empire into a modern and secular nation. Under his led primary school became free and compulsory and he decided to swop the Arabic alphabet for the Latin one. Before several European Nations woman were given equal civil and political rights, Ataturk fought against the negative and old idea that women were just able houses caretaker and, within 1935, 18 women joined the Turkish parliament. Knowing that İ can fully understand why people admire him and they celebrate every year on the 10th of November his memory.Anitkabir (mausoleum in Turkish) has been built on Rasattepe hill in the centre of Ankara as the tradition wants to be Ataturk will. From there he wished to finally rest watching Ankara castle and its waving flag. To reach Anitkabir İ walked up the hill rounded by a peaceful and beautiful park. You feel immediately relaxed because it is in total contrast with the noisy city.


On the top of the memorials stairs İ saw two groups of statues representing three men on one side and three women on the other facing themselves. One woman is lifting an empty glass towards the sky asking to God mercy on the father of Turkey. The woman in the middle is covering her face with her hand while she is crying. This simple gesture expresses the population’s deep grief for its loss.  In order to reach the main part of the memorial İ covered the lions path; a walking-way that due its name to the 24 lions sculpture allocated along the borders. The lions symbolize power, protection and strength of this proud nation.


When İ eventually reached the mausoleum the view made me goggled at it. İ can try to describe this monument using a synonymous and the world İ will choose is: HUGE.  At the end of the Lion's path, there is a wide open meeting area crowned by the bulding of ataturk tomb.
Climbing thousand of steps İ reched this enourmus rectangular building sorrended by high colums on all 4 sides. I passed through the colums to find my self in the Hall of Honor, the hall where Ataturk body rest in peace. Anitkabir finds its completion in this section. The roof is made of gold mosaik and walls and floor are covered by marble.  The sarcofagus is at the bottom of the hall in front of a big windown and it is itself a piece of marble with no decoration. 
A really mystiscal vision that arises when İ discovered that Atataturk rest are just benith the sarcofaguos in the soil brought from all over Turkey.İ have been really happy to have seen this monument but overall İ am glad to had the chance to come closer to the feeling of respect, pure love and eternal gratitude that the turkish people have reserved to thıs important and profound person.








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