Romania and Turkey: Good Friends

The relations between Romania and the Ottoman Empire had their origins in the common history of the two peoples, who lived together over the centuries in the same geographical area.

Turkey ranks third among investors in Romania by a number of registered companies and 15th based on foreign direct investment. Romania and Turkey have been developing excellent bilateral relations, and there is great potential to advance them even further. Trade is one of the key fields of cooperation.

Cities famous Romania

Timisoara: Located in western Romania, in the Banat region, Timisoara is a cosmopolitan metropolis with a distinct university vibe and lovely architecture to marvel at. It is also the symbol of Romania’s democracy and one of the most beloved cities in the country.                                                  

Sibiu: Located in the charming Transylvania region, the medieval city of Sibiu is the Gothic fairy tale of Romania. After enjoying a year in the spotlight in 2007, when it was elected the cultural capital of Europe, Sibiu became one of the country’s most sought after destinations.

Cluj: The second largest city in Romania, Cluj-Napoca, or simply Cluj, is an ancient metropolis with a young soul, located right in the heart of Transylvania. With a rich history, plenty of medieval castles, fortified churches, museums, and a highly artistic sense, it’s no wonder Cluj is the poetic hub of Romania, a very elegant and romantic one.

Nicknamed “The Treasure City”, Cluj boasts impressive baroque and neoclassical architecture, as well as a remarkable cultural life due to the 11 universities that enliven its spirit each year with tons of exultant students.

Brasov: Surrounded by mountains and filled with fairytale-like architecture, Brasov is another delightful medieval chapter of Transylvania.

Cities famous Turkey

Istanbul

The city of the past, the present and the future, Istanbul is Turkey’s largest city and the country’s undisputed cultural and financial centre. Istanbul offers a great deal in the way of history, culture, food and entertainment, in fact great destination to take a long city trip. The city was the third capital city of the Ottoman Empire.

Antalya

Antalya, which is the largest city on the Mediterranean, is also known as the Turkish Riviera. The city offers over 300 days of sunshine, fantastic beaches, beautiful resort towns, historical sites, beautiful nature, great shopping opportunities, a myriad of waterfront bars and restaurants. As the fourth most visited city in the world, Antalya is one of the world’s foremost tourism destinations, offers you a peerless experience.

Izmir

Izmir is Turkey’s third largest city and second most important port on the Aegean coast. Izmir, with its 8,500 years of history, is gloriously situated on the western edge of Turkey, the bountiful, the fruitful and the beautiful. Luxury hotels, nightlife, shopping and business meetings give the city a cosmopolitan and lively atmosphere all year round.

Cities/Towns/Villages/Turcia

Istanbul            Antalya           İzmir          Bursa

      

Ankara              Edirne            Konya           Efes

       

Geographic beauty Turkey

Turkey, country that occupies a unique geographic position, lying partly in Asia and partly in Europe. Throughout its history it has acted as both a barrier and a bridge between the two continents.

Turkey is a predominantly mountainous country, and true lowland is confined to the coastal fringes. These relief features affect other aspects of the physical environment, producing climates often much harsher than might be expected for a country of Turkey’s latitude and reducing the availability and productivity of agricultural land.

Geographic beauty Romania

With an area of 238,400 square kilometers, Romania is the twelfth-largest country in Europe. Located in Southeastern Europe, bordering on the Black Sea, the country is halfway between the equator and the North Pole and equidistant from the westernmost part of Europe—the Atlantic Coast—and the most easterly—the Ural Mountains.

Romania’s Carpathians are differentiated into three ranges: the Eastern Carpathians, the Southern Carpathians or Transylvanian Alps, and the Western Romanian Carpathians.

History of Turkey

The history of Turkey, understood as the history of the region now forming the territory of the Republic of Turkey, includes the history of both Anatolia (the Asian part of Turkey) and Eastern Thrace (the European part of Turkey).

For times predating the Ottoman period, a distinction must be made between the history of the Turkish peoples, and the history of the territories now forming the Republic of Turkey, essentially the histories of ancient Anatolia and Thrace.

The name Turkey is derived from Middle Latin Turchia, i.e. the “land of the Turks”, historically referring to an entirely different territory of Eastern Europe and Central Asia, which fell under the control of Turkic peoples in the early medieval period.

History of Romania

The earliest inhabitants of Romania were stone age hunters who lived about 8,000 BC. In time the people of Romania learned to farm and then they learned to make bronze tools. Eventually they learned to use iron. From about 600 BC the ancient Greeks traded with the people they called Getae. They founded settlements on the coast of Romania.

Turkey Folk Costumes

Romanian Folk Costumes

Main Attractions Romania

Black Sea Resorts, Castles & Fortresses, Danube Delta, Medieval Towns
The Carpathian Mountains, The Painted Monasteries, Traditional Villages, World Heritage Sites.

Main Attractions Turkey

Blue Mosque in Istanbul, Ephesus in Izmir, Mosque of Suleiman the Magnificent, Church of Hagia Sophia in Istanbul,  Topkapi Palace in Istanbul, Goreme Open Air Museum.

Important persons – Romania

Nicolae Brancusi, Mircea Eliade, Nicolae Grigorescu, Ana Aslan, Simona Halep.

Important persons – Turkey

Find out more about the greatest Turks, including Mary Magdalene, Erdogan, Rumi, Elia Kazan, Beren Saat,  Suleiman.

Historical artifacts

Besides its importance as the first Turkish museum, it remains one of the world’s largest museums with over one million works. Opened to the public in 1891, it houses a collection of Greek, Roman and Byzantine artifacts.

Named for the Ottoman conqueror of Istanbul, this mosque was part of a large religious complex atop one of the city’s many hills. Among the other original buildings in the complex were a school, library and hospital.

The Museum of Turkish & Islamic Arts

Historical artifacts

The mysterious Cucuteni-Trypillian culture lived in Eastern Europe thousands of years ago. They left behind a number of intriguing ancient artifacts, destroyed settlements, and sacred sanctuaries. It remains unclear why and how they vanished. It is also a mystery why they regularly burned their settlements.

The Cucuteni-Trypillian Culture was glossed over on episode 4 of the podcast, Neolithic Part I.

What we eat in Turkey?

Locum. Consisting of mouth-watering combinations of chopped dates, pistachios, walnuts or hazelnuts, you will find this treat comes in a range of colourful flavours to suit your tastebuds.

Baklava. It’s sweet, it’s rich, it’s almost too good to be true. Layers of flaky pastry are complemented by finely chopped nuts and held together by syrupy goodness.

Shish Kebab. An absolute classic meal, you’ll find this on the menu at most restaurants. Chicken, beef or lamb is grilled and served on a skewer alongside sides such as rice, salad and fries. It may be simple, but it’s still a tasty meal.

Gözleme. Possibly one of the easiest fast foods to find in Turkey, Gözleme is the perfect snack to eat on the go. Similar to a crepe, this savoury Turkish flatbread is made from hand-rolled dough and is filled with various toppings, such as cheese, meat, vegetables or potatoes. It’s then sealed and cooked over a griddle. Try one of the cheese and spinach variations – you won’t regret it. For sure one of the foods you must try in Turkey.

What we eat in Romania?

Romanian dishes have a delightful, home-made character, incorporating fresh, organic produce into relatively uncomplicated but delicious meals. Many dishes use pork, paired with a staple like polenta (mămăligă), potatoes or cabbage. The recipes derive from peasant cooking, with liberal borrowings from neighbouring cultures such as Turkish, Hungarian and German.

Sarmale. Mămăligă pairs beautifully with sarmale, the country’s de facto national dish and comfort-food extraordinaire.

Mici or Mititei are literally translated as “Small ones” and this comes because of their size: normally, they are no longer than one adult’s finger, even though lately bigger mici have become the norm.

Desserts. Romanian cooking excels in the sweets department. Desserts include strudels, crêpes (clătite), ice cream (îngheţată) and cozonac. The local favourite, though, has to be papanaşi. This is fried dough, stuffed with sweetened curd cheese and covered with jam and heavy cream (smântână).

Turkish folk dance

On the border between Europe and the Middle East, Turkey has an ancient and complicated culture, reflected in the variety of its dances. However its dance traditions are dominated by the influence of the Ottoman Empire.

The costumes worn by the dancers are often very colorful is representing happiness, or either very dull when doing a slow, depressing dance.

Romanian folk dance

The Romanian folk dance, as varied as style, tempo and rhythm, is a manifestation of force and vitality expressing the specifics, customs and traditions of each region, reflecting our lives, our soul and history as a people. The richness of popular dance moves from the thousands of existing games in the style of each region, each game bringing with it the joy, the temperament and the energy that characterizes us.

Curiosity of Romania

Although still regarded by many as an off-the-beaten-path destination, Romania is a country full of surprises, folklore, and exciting places that leave long lasting impressions on visitors’ minds.

Romania has one of the happiest cemeteries on Earth; Romania has 7 UNESCO World Heritage Sites; Romania has the best preserved Delta in Europe; The largest population of brown bears in Europe lives in Romania;Timisoara was the first city lit by electric street lamps in continental Europe; Romanian is the only Romance language in Eastern Europe.

Curiosity of Turkey

An exotic, welcoming and warm country for the millions of tourists who cross the threshold, Turkey also hides some secrets that always leave the visitors surprised. The famous Trojan War was held in western Turkey, where today the remnants of the “Trojan Horse” can be admired. The first church ever built by man is in Turkey, Antalya, and is called St. Peter. The earliest human settlement was discovered in Catalhoyuk, Turkey in the 7th century after Christ. The place where Ephesus and Halicarnas are located is part of the “Seven Wonders” of the ancient civilization and is found in Turkey. One of Istanbul’s symbols is Grand Bazaar with 64 streets, 4,000 shops and approximately 25,000 employees.

Festivals in Romania

Piano Festival ‘The heirs of musical Romania’

The Enescu Festival

Festivals in Turkey

Izmir World Fair

Folk-dance festivals

Religion in Romania

Romania is a secular state, and it has no state religion. Romania is one of the most religious countries in the European Union a majority of the country’s citizens are Christian.

Although the number of adherents of Islam is relatively small, Islam enjoys a 700-year tradition in Romania particularly in Northern Dobruja, a region on the Black Sea coast which was part of the Ottoman Empire for almost five centuries (ca. 1420–1878). According to the 2011 census, 64,337 people, approx. 0.3% of the total population, indicated that their religion was Islam. The majority of the Romanian Muslims belong to the Sunni Islam.

According to the 2011 census, there are 870,774 Catholics belonging to the Latin Church in Romania, making up 4.33% of the population.

Religion in Turkey

Islam, the dominant religion

In Turkey, 90% of the population are Muslims. Islam is the country’s main religion. To be even more precise, you’ll see that there are differences in the forms of Islam worshipped. Of the 90% of Muslims, 70% worship the Sunni faith. The remaining 20% is divided into several faiths – mainly Alevis but also less common ideologies such as the Sufi worshipping whirling dervishes.

Media of Romania

Television, magazines, and newspapers are all operated by both state-owned and for-profit corporations which depend on advertising, subscription, and other sales-related revenues. The Constitution of Romania guarantees freedom of speech. As a country in transition, the Romanian media system is under transformation.

Television broadcasting

• Intact Media Group (with Antena 1–Antena 5),

• Central European Media Enterprises (with Pro TV, Acasă, Pro Cinema, Pro TV Internaţional and Sport.ro)

• Realitatea-Catavencu (with Realitatea TV, Romantica and The Money Channel)

• Centrul Național Media (with Național TV, N24 and Favorit TV)

• SBS Broadcasting Group (with Prima TV and Kiss TV).

Media of Turkey

The media of Turkey includes a wide variety of domestic and foreign periodicals expressing disparate views, and domestic newspapers are extremely competitive. However, media ownership is concentrated in the hands of a few large private media groups which are typically part of wider conglomerates controlled by wealthy individuals, which limits the views that are presented. In addition, the companies are willing to use their influence to support their owners’ wider business interests, including by trying to maintain friendly relations with the government. The media exert a strong influence on public opinion.

Print media

The Doğan Group is the largest Turkish media conglomerate. It owns the mainstream/conservative daily Hürriyet, the boulevard daily Posta, the sports daily Fanatik (190,000), the business daily Referans (11,000), and the English-language daily Hürriyet Daily News (5,500). The group faced serious financial troubles in 2009. The Turkuvaz Group, owned by the Çalık Holding, has connections with the ruling party AKP.

Prominent monarchs in Romania

prominent medieval Romanian monarchs such as Bogdan of Moldavia, Stephen the Great, Mircea the Elder, Michael the Brave, or Vlad the Impaler took part actively in the history of Central Europe by waging tumultuous wars and leading noteworthy crusades against the then continuously expanding Ottoman Empire, at times allied with either the Kingdom of Poland or the Kingdom of Hungary in these causes. Bogdan I, Stephen III the Great, Mircea the Elder, Vlad the Impaler, John of Hunedoara, Michael the Brave.

Prominent monarchs in Turkey

Suleiman the Magnificent

Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, Republic of Turkey Founder

<h2><strong>Sports in Romania</strong></h2>
<h5 style=”text-align: justify;”>Sports in Romania are an important part of the country’s culture. Romania has risen to prominence in a number of sporting areas in recent decades.</h5>
<h5><span id=”Football” class=”mw-headline”>Football, </span><span class=”mw-headline”>Gymnastics, </span><span class=”mw-headline”>Tennis, </span><span id=”Fencing” class=”mw-headline”>Fencing, Rugby, Athletyc, Basketball.</span></h5>
<h5><span id=”Tennis” class=”mw-headline”><img class=”” src=”https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/20/Ireland_vs_Romania_rugby_match.jpg/250px-Ireland_vs_Romania_rugby_match.jpg” width=”170″ height=”125″ />   <img class=”” style=”line-height: 1.3;” src=”https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/34/Romania_podium_2013_Fencing_WCH_SMS-EQ_t220703.jpg/220px-Romania_podium_2013_Fencing_WCH_SMS-EQ_t220703.jpg” width=”191″ height=”127″ /></span></h5>
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<h5><span id=”Tennis” class=”mw-headline”><img class=”” src=”https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/95/Nadia_Com%C4%83neci_from_acrofan.jpg/180px-Nadia_Com%C4%83neci_from_acrofan.jpg” width=”165″ height=”193″ />   </span>  <img class=”” style=”font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.3;” src=”https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/51/Simona_Halep_at_Open_GDF_Suez_2010_%28cropped%29.jpg/200px-Simona_Halep_at_Open_GDF_Suez_2010_%28cropped%29.jpg” width=”144″ height=”204″ /></h5>
<img class=”” src=”https://i0.wp.com/radiocluj.ro/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2016/06/Gabi-Szabo2.jpg” width=”178″ height=”179″ />  <img class=”” src=”https://inquamphotos.com/static13/preview2/inquam-photo-clujnapoca–romania–croatia–eurobasket-2017-76256.jpg” alt=”Imagine similară” width=”194″ height=”129″ />

<h2><strong>Sport in Turkey</strong></h2>
<h5 style=”text-align: justify;”><img class=”alignright” src=”https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a4/Emblem_of_Turkey.svg/100px-Emblem_of_Turkey.svg.png” alt=”Emblem of Turkey.svg” width=”100″ height=”73″ />
Among all sports in Turkey, the most popular one is football.[1] Turkey’s top teams include Fenerbahçe, Galatasaray and Beşiktaş. In 2000, Galatasaray won the UEFA Cup and UEFA Super Cup. Two years later, the Turkish national team finished third in the 2002 FIFA World Cup Finals in Japan and South Korea, while in 2008, the national team reached the semi-finals of the UEFA Euro 2008 competition.</h5>
<h5><span class=”mw-headline”>Football, </span><span class=”mw-headline”>Basketball, </span><span class=”mw-headline”>Handball, </span><span class=”mw-headline”>Athletics, </span><span class=”mw-headline”>Beach handball, </span><span class=”mw-headline”>Fencing, </span><span id=”Fishing” class=”mw-headline”>Fishing, </span></h5>
<h5><span id=”Fishing” class=”mw-headline”><img class=”” src=”http://www.bigloveturkey.com/pages/img/thm_turkish_football1.jpg” alt=”Imagini pentru sport football turkey” width=”158″ height=”139″ />  </span><img class=”” style=”font-size: 18px; line-height: 30px;” src=”https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/61/Ramil_Guliyev_Novi_Sad_2009.JPG/220px-Ramil_Guliyev_Novi_Sad_2009.JPG” width=”169″ height=”112″ /></h5>
<img class=”” src=”https://i.ytimg.com/vi/XlT8k9ONCZM/hqdefault.jpg” alt=”Imagini pentru sport basketball turkey” width=”160″ height=”120″ />  <img class=”” src=”https://secure.i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/02613/yanit_2613194b.jpg” alt=”Imagini pentru sport athletic turkey” width=”165″ height=”103″ />

<img class=”” src=”https://idsb.tmgrup.com.tr/2014/05/16/HaberDetay/1400193105926.jpg” alt=”Imagini pentru fencing turkey” width=”338″ height=”180″ />

<h2 id=”firstHeading” class=”firstHeading” lang=”en”><strong>National symbols of Romania</strong></h2>
<h5>Flag of Romania (history, list), Coat of arms of Romania, Romanian Anthem
Romanian heraldry, Orders, decorations and medals, Postage stamps of Romania, Romanian leu, Symbols of Romanian Royalty.</h5>
<img src=”https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d2/Symbols_of_Romania.png/170px-Symbols_of_Romania.png” alt=”Flag and coat of arms of Romania” />    <img class=”” src=”https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/70/Coat_of_arms_of_Romania.svg/150px-Coat_of_arms_of_Romania.svg.png” alt=”Coat of arms of Romania.svg” width=”136″ height=”197″ />

<img class=”” src=”https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/cd/Battle_flag_of_Romania_%28General_Staff_model%29.png/150px-Battle_flag_of_Romania_%28General_Staff_model%29.png” alt=”Battle flag of Romania (General Staff model).png” width=”166″ height=”166″ />    <img class=”” src=”https://i.pinimg.com/originals/c2/f7/11/c2f711b0f6ca00394235e728e1949e57.jpg” alt=”Imagini pentru Romanian leu” width=”132″ height=”209″ />

<img class=”” src=”https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b6/AsambleaDeAlbaIulia19181201.jpg/150px-AsambleaDeAlbaIulia19181201.jpg” alt=”AsambleaDeAlbaIulia19181201.jpg” width=”162″ height=”72″ />  <img src=”https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/7a/Scrisoarea-lui-neacsu-din-campulung.jpg/150px-Scrisoarea-lui-neacsu-din-campulung.jpg” alt=”Scrisoarea-lui-neacsu-din-campulung.jpg” />