Before I arrived in Istanbul I asked the question, is two better than one? I had read and heard about the dichotomies throughout Turkey, the conflicts between religious and secular, tradition and modernity, East and West. However, being here for the past two and a half weeks, living in and experiencing the city and its culture, I have realized that Istanbul specifically, and Turkey in general, is much more multifaceted and complex than I ever could have imagined. Each of these dichotomies, many of which we have discovered and discussed during our time here, have countless layers within them many of which mix and overlap. There is not just a split between the religious and the secular, between tradition and modernity, between the East and the West; the two sides of each do not simply coexist but interact and affect the other every day, if not every moment, in this hectic and ever changing city.
Stephen Kinzer calls Turkey “a rich mosaic,” and I believe this is an incredibly accurate description (Kinzer 225). A mosaic is a picture, an image made of copious pieces of broken, colored tile. And, while each piece is separate from the others, they all work together to form a completely unique and wonderful creation. Each of the layers, the numerous sides to Turkey’s many issues, are like the broken pieces of tile in the mosaics that can be found throughout the country, from the ruins of Ephasus to the Hagia Sophia in Istanbul. When looked at individually these pieces are jagged and imperfect; they do not fit together flawlessly. Religion will always cause tension in a secular country and the past can never be forgotten even when a nation is trying to modernize and move forward. Yet, when looked at as a whole, the pieces blend, the edges and separations are blurred, and something entirely new is produced, in this case, a country. It is a country that is incomparable to any other in the world. It is a “land of such magnificent diversity,” a land with “religious believers, Kurdish nationalists, human-rights advocates and freethinkers of every stripe” (Kinzer 235). It is truly a mosaic.
So, although the contradictions which characterize Turkey as a nation are the sources of many of its problems and stresses, they are also the elements that make Turkey such a colorful and intricate nation, a work of art in itself. And, just as many of the mosaics throughout the country have lasted for centuries, I believe Turkey has the strength and ability to do the same. The people of Turkey are in a unique situation. They are at a place where they can either “show the world how fully tradition can coexist with freedom, Islam with democracy, unity with diversity, prosperity with equality,” or they can let these challenges lead to their downfall (Kinzer 225). Only time will tell. And so, my initial question still goes unanswered. Is diversity and multiplicity in a country better than one mainstream way of life? Turkey is still trying to figure that out for itself. But one thing is for sure, these contradictions are not going to disappear any time soon. They are the essence of Turkey and if one of the colorful pieces that make the nation was missing it would not be the country it is today.
Stephen Kinzer calls Turkey “a rich mosaic,” and I believe this is an incredibly accurate description (Kinzer 225). A mosaic is a picture, an image made of copious pieces of broken, colored tile. And, while each piece is separate from the others, they all work together to form a completely unique and wonderful creation. Each of the layers, the numerous sides to Turkey’s many issues, are like the broken pieces of tile in the mosaics that can be found throughout the country, from the ruins of Ephasus to the Hagia Sophia in Istanbul. When looked at individually these pieces are jagged and imperfect; they do not fit together flawlessly. Religion will always cause tension in a secular country and the past can never be forgotten even when a nation is trying to modernize and move forward. Yet, when looked at as a whole, the pieces blend, the edges and separations are blurred, and something entirely new is produced, in this case, a country. It is a country that is incomparable to any other in the world. It is a “land of such magnificent diversity,” a land with “religious believers, Kurdish nationalists, human-rights advocates and freethinkers of every stripe” (Kinzer 235). It is truly a mosaic.
So, although the contradictions which characterize Turkey as a nation are the sources of many of its problems and stresses, they are also the elements that make Turkey such a colorful and intricate nation, a work of art in itself. And, just as many of the mosaics throughout the country have lasted for centuries, I believe Turkey has the strength and ability to do the same. The people of Turkey are in a unique situation. They are at a place where they can either “show the world how fully tradition can coexist with freedom, Islam with democracy, unity with diversity, prosperity with equality,” or they can let these challenges lead to their downfall (Kinzer 225). Only time will tell. And so, my initial question still goes unanswered. Is diversity and multiplicity in a country better than one mainstream way of life? Turkey is still trying to figure that out for itself. But one thing is for sure, these contradictions are not going to disappear any time soon. They are the essence of Turkey and if one of the colorful pieces that make the nation was missing it would not be the country it is today.
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