The Culture of Saudi Arabians in the 17^th Century, and the Modern Culture of the Turkish

The Saudi Arabian Culture in 17^th Century

The ancient Saudi Arabia was basically influenced by the Islamic religion, hence their culture relied on the dictates of the Islamic religion. In the 17^th century, Arabic language was the main means of communication, and the Saudi Arabians consequently conducted themselves based on the dictates of the Islamic religion. Women used to wear a Burqa or Chadari, a type of dress which covered the whole body except the eyes. This was the type of cloth which was mainly worn by young ladies who were not married (Etheredge, 2011). They were supposed to wear such dresses in order to prevent married men from admiring them. Married women wore Chador, a type of cloth which covered the whole body, with a hijab. The women’s faces were not covered, a thing which symbolized marriage. On the other hand, men wore robs, with a well-rounded turban on their heads.

The Saudi Arabians socialized with each other freely, the issues of race or ethnicity were not an issue in the country, since all the Saudi Arabians were inclined to the same language and religion. However, the concept of origin was usually taken seriously, with those in Hijaz being recognized as the descendants of Mohammed. The descendants of Mohammed are commonly known as Ashraf (Etheredge, 2011). The Arabian origins were usually taken seriously, and they could consequently be used to distinguish the Saudi Arabians. When it comes of families, men were allowed to perform polygamous marriages. The religion allowed polygamous marriages, in order to increase the number of descendants of Mohammed in the world. Moreover, this was a means of discouraging men from committing adultery, hence making them to remain loyal to their partners. Saudi Arabians consequently loved meat, and they would therefore eat meat on special events. Their ordinary meals consisted of fruits and bread, alcohol was however forbidden in the country.

The ancient Saudi Arabian architecture resembled that of the Egyptian, since of the buildings were made out of sunbaked bricks. The buildings were straight, and had curvatures which looked similar to that of the mosque. Houses were built closely together, in order to be able to cater for the ever increasing population (Etheredge, 2011). In addition, most houses were built near oases and water bodies, since water was used in the construction of the buildings. Moreover, some buildings were built on top of mountains, in order to be able to get a clear view of different areas in case of an attack. This was basically so, consequently because Saudi Arabia had been frequently attacked by its enemies.

Modern Culture of Turkey

            Turkey is an Arab country, however, Turkish is the national language of the country. Turkish language is spoken by 90% of the population, whereas 1.2% of the Turkish population speaks Arab. On the other hand, most Turks are bilingual speakers, and they consequently speak both Turkish and Arab. However, Turkey is a country with a very diverse culture, due to different nationalities in the country. Islam is the dominant religion in the country, since most people are Muslims in Turkey (Scott, 2014). Turks therefore pray five times a day according to the dictates of the Islamic religion. They consequently pray at dawn, noon, afternoon, sunset and evening. Nonetheless, most males tend to attend the afternoon congregational prayers. All Muslims in the country fast in the holy month of Ramadhan in the country.

            The way of life of Turks is different from that of Islamic countries in the world, since the country is more of a secular Islamic country. Most Turks have copied the way of life of the Europeans, since country lies in between the Middle East and Europe (Scott, 2014). Their mode of dressing is slightly similar to that of the Europeans, even though women from rural areas tend to wear a hijab. In urban areas, the Turks dress in a similar way to the Europeans. In addition, different forms of entertainment which are illegal in Arab countries are also legal in Turkey. The Turks grow berries, which are responsible for the production of wine. They manufacture wine, but they are prohibited from drinking alcoholic drinks. Moreover, they only eat halaal approved animal products.

            However, the Turks have some forms of etiquette, and this includes the meeting and greeting etiquette. When people meet in Turkey, they shakes hands, and while departing it is not a must to shake hands but most people tend to do so (Scott, 2014). In addition, when entering a room, one is supposed to greet the most senior person in the room first. When it comes to gift giving etiquette, when a gift is given, it must be well appreciated. When foreigners move into Turkey, they are supposed to carry with them gifts which include food, and craft items. This is however not a must, but it is highly appreciated in the country.

Reference

Etheredge, L. (2011). Saudi Arabia and Yemen. New York, NY: Britannica Educational Pub. in association with Rosen Educational Services.

Scott, A. (2014). Turkish awakening: A personal discovery of modern Turkey.