Türkiye’s Wonders: The History

 

Türkiye sits on an astonishingly rich history of ancient civilizations, witnessing not only the very first steps of settlements but also the ascendance of some of the greatest empires of the world. Göbeklitepe, which is in the eastern part of Türkiye, dates back to 12,000 years ago. It is older than Stonehenge and considered the “zero point” of the entire history. The settlement in Gobeklitepe hints at the dawn of village life, a transition from hunting and gathering to agriculture.

Türkiye is abundantly rich in terms of prehistoric sites that can be dated to thousands of years ago. One of them is Alacahöyük, situated in the central part of the country. Belonging to the great Hittite Empire, which reigned over great parts of Anatolia during the Neolithic Age. Artifacts found here suggest that the settlers started to use copper tools alongside stone tools. Excavations show that the town was progressing towards a flourishing community with a substantial network of roads and trade routes.

Konya, a central city in Türkiye, boasts a wide array of historic monuments from nearly all ages of history. Greeks, Persians, Romans, and Seljuk Turks inhabited the city during different times and all contributed to the city’s historic heritage, respectively. Mevlana, who is a renowned religious philosopher, practiced his teaching here. His resting place is now a museum, demonstrating the mystic way of life his dervishes lived.

One cannot skip İstanbul when talking about history in Türkiye. Being a former capital of both the Byzantine and Ottoman Empires, İstanbul possesses more historical places than any other city in the country. Hagia Sophia can easily be the oldest of these. Built by Eastern Roman Emperor Justinian in 537 AD, this monument changed the history of architecture. Although built as a church, it was converted to a mosque by Fatih Sultan Mehmed, the great Turkish conqueror of Constantinople, nowadays called İstanbul. Opposite to Hagia Sophia lies the Blue Mosque, named after its wonderful blue tiles.

Türkiye’s historic heritage is vast and widely diversified, a sight to behold and admire.

Ataturk’s Leadership Traits

 

Mustafa Kemal Ataturk

Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the founder of modern Turkey, illustrated all the important facets of being an outstanding leader, guiding the nation through some of the darkest times. It is his lead that helped the people of Turkey believe that the goal of independence is real and attainable if believed by all.

A true leader empowers people around him so that they have the motivation needed to keep them working hard against all odds. Ataturk’s efforts to congregate the Turkish people who stood against the occupation and make them believe that they have the will and power to repel the enemy off is strong proof to this leadership trait. His quest throghout Anatolia united the Turks for one common goal while unleashing a strong desire for freedom.

Good leaders tend to lead by example. They never act behind the scenes. Instead, they always step onto the stage and show what needs to be done to his followers. Likewise, Ataturk did not prefer to lead from the command center idly; he descended into the field in order to fight alongside his fellow soldiers, orchestrating the charges on the enemy. Thereby, he made an example to follow, whatever the cost.

Being a good leader requires being a good listener. He cared about what others have to say about any decision he makes. Ataturk also made a habit of holding meetings where everybody’s opinion is counted for and discussed about. To him, letting people known that their voices are heard is of utmost importance to any democracy.

With the help of Ataturk’s wisdom and leadership, Turkey emerged victorious from its struggles as a democratic and sovereign country, ready to develop into a modern nation.