Tuesday, April 24, 2012


We apparently have a knack of celebrating Turkish holidays nearly everywhere but in Istanbul.

Guess that's because hubby has the time off from work so we decide to get out of the city.

In 2011, we celebrated the Çocuk Bayramı (by accident) in 
Edirne, Turkey. This year, we were about four hours east of Istanbul in this Ottoman-rich town called Safranbolu. This is one of many Turkish cities that's been high on my travel list and luckily is within a sort-of easy drive away from Istanbul. 

Yesterday, April 23, marked an important holiday in the Turkish calendar called International Children's Day, a day that honors all children as the country’s future generation. This date also marks the anniversary of the inauguration of Turkey’s National Assembly, which took place on April 23, 1920, under the leadership of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk.

Turkey officially celebrated Grand National Assembly Day on April 23 and held a children’s week starting on that day, from 1923 to 1934. The Turkish government then combined the two events into National Sovereignty and Children’s Day, known as Ulusal Egemenlik ve Çocuk Bayramı, in 1935.
In the main square in Safranbolu, people displayed many Turkish flags outside.
As you can see whenever there is a Turkish holiday, the Turks proudly display the Turkish flag in storefronts, on their homes and on large office buildings. Here are a few shots I took yesterday in Safranbolu before we headed back to Istanbul.

More posts on Safranbolu coming soon!
 
A local barbershop in Safranbolu.
Many hotels like the Gökçüoğlu Konağı in the Bağlar neighborhood of Safranbolu also displayed flags.

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9 comments:

Karen said...

The weather was spectacular this weekend, wasn't it? Beautiful pictures! I look forward to the rest of your entries.

Miss Footloose | Life in the Expat Lane said...

I noticed the flags even before the holiday. It's a good flag, nice and red, and I like the moon and star. Having just been to Turkey, I enjoyed seeing your photos nd learning a bit more about the country.

Joy said...

@Karen, Yes, it was beautiful weather. We had a bit of rain both days, but it was still lovely in Safranbolu.

Sorry about the weird editing/posting on Blogger this time. Not sure what happened.

@Miss Footloose, Sounds like you had a good time meeting Julia and Barry of Turkey's for Life. Hope you enjoyed your trip here. More photos coming soon.

PageAndLeaf said...

I love Safranbolu! Lovely weather, how lucky you are. xx

jaz@octoberfarm said...

i can't wait to see more!

Joy said...

@Joyce and Ipek, thank you! A little bit of rain didn't slow us down.

Julia said...

Ahhh, Safranbolu remains on the list...so much to see in so little time. We're just off into Fethiye to catch some of the celebrations. Great pics as usual. :)

Unknown said...

believe me,I am really in love with this beautiful beloved Turkey...I love looking at all your awesome photos and cookery photos...These photos are so interesting and gorgeous...WOW...I have never been to Turkey before....My biggest dream is to go to Turkey one day...I enjoy your website everytime you take new photos...I love it....Thank you so much my lovely friend for sharing ...with my love from SOUTH AFRICA ♥

Joy said...

@Julia, I'd say Safranbolu is a must see in Turkey! It's been fun to go back through my photos again.

@Adam, thank you for your kind compliments! I would definitely recommend traveling to Turkey someday. It's truly an amazing place to explore.