ISTANBUL=HEAVEN OF ARMENIANS/GREEKS/TURKS/JEWS(NO DOGFIGHT)

	Duration: 02:55 minutes Upload Time: 07-03-17 11:20:21 User: hitturkey24 :::: Favorites :::: Top Videos of Day
Description: Turkey an Example of Religious Tolerance for 500 years Turkey is 90 percent Muslim. But in parts of the large cities, there are pockets of people of different faiths. E.G.: Kuzguncuk is an ancient part of Istanbul, the only city in the world that lies in two continents: Asia and Europe. For hundreds of years its been inhabited by Muslims, Jews, and Christians; Turks, Armenians and Greeks. Kuzguncuk lies on the Asian side of the Bosporus Strait. There is a church, a mosque, and a synagogue, right beside each other. The priest of the Armenian Orthodox Church, using a key made in 1835, opens the doors to a Christian world within a Muslim one. The priest is one of a few who come from another part of Istanbul to serve the faithful. And when he says "faithful," he is referring to Jews and Muslims, as well as Christians, who enter this holy place to pray. Priest Mehmet Biraz: "There is no difference between us," says priest Mehmet Biraz. "Muslims come in here to light a candle. Yes, Muslims come to pray here. They light the candle and they pray. There is no difference. There is only one God and different paths to that God." The church leader says cooperating on every level is vital for offsetting the religious negativity he finds in politics. He says ties with others are still strong. "We have good relations with the neighborhood. We are buying things from this area because we want the local merchants to benefit from our trade. In the political world there is the appearance that religions have problems among themselves. But at the people level, we have no problems among ourselves." A woman living in front of the church and mosque for 20 years says: "Very beautiful... We live in peace here," she says. "Everybody loves each other. This mosque on this side, and the synagogue on the other, being so close to each other, shows that Turks really accept different religions and cultures." It is a fresh late morning, after a rain, and faithful Turks await the arrival of the imam, or hoja -- the religious leader to direct them in midday prayers -- and prepare to pray with ritual cleansing. The land the mosque sits on was a gift -- from the Armenian Orthodox Church. For hundreds of years, the Ottoman Empire promoted religious tolerance. Modern Turkey's founder, Mustafa Kemal, also known as Ataturk, rejected tying his new government to Islam, even prohibiting the use of traditional clothing in favor of western wear. Religious tolerance was also his government's policy. Mahmut Uslu, a worshipper at the mosque: "We have good relationships with our neighbors the Armenians and the Greeks. They come to our funerals. We go to their funerals," says Mahmut Uslu, a worshipper at the mosque. "The Armenian Church is older than ours. Ataturk's new republic had an open door policy to all religions. The Sufi's with Mevlana (known in the Western world as Rumi) also had the same idea hundreds of years before. No matter what country or creed, you can come to our home. Religion is important, not what religion you belong to." Imam Aydin Vatan : Imam Aydin Vatan has led prayers in the Kuzguncuk mosque for years. "We are all very close, like the flesh and fingernail. We are all together. Nobody can separate us, Christians, Jews, and Turks." There are more than 22,000 Jews in Turkey. Most of them live in Istanbul. There was an influx into the Ottoman Empire during the last years of the 15th Century, after Jews and Muslims were expelled from Spain during the reign of Ferdinand and Isabella. Rabbi Cenk Misraji : Jews held senior positions in the sultan's government. Rabbi Cenk Misraji is the highest-ranking Jewish leader in Asian Turkey. "From the moment of our arrival more than 500 years ago, there has been great religious tolerance in Turkey. We have been able to follow our religion, and open our synagogues wherever we desired. We were free to follow our traditions, practices and Jewish customs," said the rabbi. Here in Kuzguncuk, a Muslim -- in a gesture of brotherhood -- designed, constructed, and donated a small park with its delicate fountain in front of the doors of the synagogue, behind, and adjoining, the mosque and the church
Comments
s10zeybek ::: Favorites Turkey is a country for the all anatolians who r living in peace. and u know the things about iiraq, kurds are living much better than the natives in america or the aborigines in australia 07-09-07 11:17:56 __________________________________________________
demestixas ::: Favorites since when do the kurds have a country? Is there a current world atlas you could guide me to see for myself? 07-09-07 10:40:41 __________________________________________________
demestixas ::: Favorites yes, and from experience i would advise you to cut on those pills. Give me a break here! 07-09-07 10:39:49 __________________________________________________
s10zeybek ::: Favorites ohi kala kala... why do u writtng plural when u r writing about yourself... have u got schizophrenia??? 07-09-07 09:22:34 __________________________________________________
demestixas ::: Favorites mpla mpla mpla fere dyo moumplekan! Mas ekapses file! You just burned our brains :P 07-09-06 20:15:45 __________________________________________________
s10zeybek ::: Favorites yes everyone has a country also the kurds 07-09-06 20:03:12 __________________________________________________
s10zeybek ::: Favorites so how u have said things like that is happening everywhere like in greece and of course like in turkey. before mobile phones i have lived in the reality and where were u? i have realised the things in the past i m realising it now and i will also realise it in the future and what s about u??? 07-09-06 20:02:21 __________________________________________________
demestixas ::: Favorites Police cruelty is a phenomenon that happens all around the world. It's just cruel to you now that technology is more available. Now you started to realise what is going on around the world? Before mobile phones did you live in a dream world? 07-09-06 19:42:41 __________________________________________________
demestixas ::: Favorites both albanians and macedonians HAVE countries ;) 07-09-06 19:39:41 __________________________________________________
s10zeybek ::: Favorites and u still haven't given me an answer for my question 07-09-06 18:57:44 __________________________________________________