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Arts and crafts connecting expats to Turkey
Expats who have chosen Turkey as their homes are finding arts and crafts courses offered by various municipalities helpful in becoming better acquainted with the culture, often feeling less like foreigners as a result.
The courses, which they say help them feel more at home, help them adapt to life in Turkey in addition to providing them with ample opportunity to practice their Turkish. Part of the municipality of İstanbul’s local initiatives, İSMEK welcomes women from countries that include Greece, Russia and Romania who have married Turkish men.
Tatiana Tüfekçi, 35, who has been attending İSMEK’s pencil work course over the past seven years, says the course she attends given by university instructors at the Turkish-Islamic Arts Specialty Center is a great opportunity for her. Saying she’s always had an interest in art, she explains that she’s only had the opportunity to pursue it after having raised her children. Tüfekçi, who has operated a hotel in Sultanahmet with her husband for the past 13 years, says she continually looks forward to her classes and explains that the courses have played a big role in helping her socialize and understand Turkish culture. “I look forward to the day my course takes place. I can’t say that I don’t miss my family and country; however, Turkey has become a second country for me,” explains the aspiring artist.
Mihaela Alpayer, 39, who is originally from Romania, started living in İstanbul in 1999, the year in which she was married and has been taking miniature classes at the Turkish-Islamic Arts Specialty Center as well. She notes that it’s the spirituality of the Ottoman arts that she is most drawn to, explaining that her interest in the art began while touring Topkapı Palace. Alpayer says the following about how she felt at the time: “I was smitten the moment I saw the mosaic panel in the circumcision room. I said, ‘I have to draw that,’ and began my training in the area of tezhib. That was followed by lessons on miniatures. My works have been on display in a few exhibitions. Our teachers are very attentive to us and we are continuously encouraged. When I have completed the work I am working on, I cannot wait to move on to my next project.”
Patrovla Chronopoulou, 47, who married Sinan Çelik, a taxi driver from İstanbul, last year and moved to İstanbul, says the tinfoil course has changed her life. For the Greek expat, who became Muslim and took on the name Meryem, the İSMEK course has been a source of inspiration. Meryem, who has been taking tinfoil courses for the past four months, says: “In the beginning, not knowing Turkish was a problem. I’d call my husband everyday and ask him to translate things for me.” The Greek expat gets emotional when talking about the surprise birthday party that her friends from the İSMEK course threw for her, saying: “We are like a family now. We have a common language that we all share; sometimes we use sign language. I’m just very happy to be here.”
For information on İSMEK courses visit:
http://ismek.ibb.gov.tr
Phone: 212-531-0141
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