Hello, Everyone!
I’m glad you took the time to get to know Northern Cyprus. This island is an autonomous republic of Turkey. I will not tell you about what can be easily found on the Internet by googling and reading on Wikipedia. When I was offered to write an article about Northern Cyprus as a co-author, I gladly agreed. And thereby, I want to share with you my personal experience, but the question is, where do I even start? I am bound to Northern Cyprus by many interesting, unique, and, sometimes because it’s real life, bitter stories that stretch for millions of miles. But given the fact that our audience is tied to the university, and these are students, undergraduates, graduate students, teachers, and employees of our beloved MSUT “STANKIN”, I decided to choose 3 topics, the paths of which are intertwined with the lives of each of the readers. I warn you in advance that some topics may seem like a punch below the belt; this is not on purpose, and I ask you to understand and forgive. And so, shall we start then?…
The first topic that I want to mention—this sore subject for many, and maybe for all students—is meals. More specifically, it is a cuisine; the local people know a lot about this business and are real masters of their craft. First, let’s start with the ingredients. North Cyprus has indeed very fertile land. And since there is a subtropical climate there, almost everything grows there. In the literal sense of the word, almost every house has a garden where olives, lemons, and herbs grow. Need a lemon for tea, fish, or salad? No problem; there is no need to run to the supermarket. Go out into the garden, pick a fresh, fragrant, and ripe lemon, bring it to the kitchen, wash it, cut it, and it’s ready… Do you want to add it to strong tea, squeeze the juice on freshly prepared fish, or just decorate a freshly chopped salad? It’s all up to you…
We have heard about “all-inclusive” hotels in Turkey. I agree, this is kind of cool, but if you suddenly go to Northern Cyprus, let me advise you not to look for Italian, French, etc. restaurants there, namely to go to “Meyhane”. Yes, yes, you read correctly: “Meyhane”, if the cafes and the market are the think tanks of the population where the latest news is exchanged, then “Meyhane” is the soul of the locals, where you will not only have a delicious dinner but also rest in a circle of pleasant company. After coming to “Meyhane”, do not bother with the menu; it’s better to immediately tell the waiter that you want the “Fix Menu” and order drinks at the same time. Or, as locals say, you can just say “Donat Maasai”, which means “Fill up the table with meal.”
Please do not judge prematurely from the photo; this is just the beginning, and then there will be so much of everything that it will no longer fit on the table. And this is not advertising but a real-life example. The full menu will look something like this:
And that’s just for four people. Please don’t be afraid; everything is served there gradually and in a timely manner. Approximately such a dinner on average lasts 4-5 hours. If you came to “Meyhane” at 6-7 p.m., then you won’t leave this place before 11 or 12 p.m. midnight. Because there is not only great cuisine but also live music with folk songs, each of which, if you understand the words, touches your soul. I apologize for the vulgarity, but after such a dinner, you will definitely experience a gastronomic orgasm! I will leave it to the editor to decide whether to remove this expression or not, since I cannot find a more suitable word to describe this wonderful experience. Every taste bud on your tongue will experience such a wide range of new flavors that it will blow your mind, while your stomach, liver, and kidneys will scream “Stop!” in unison. But the temptation will take over and you won’t be able to resist. Bon Appetit!
Now, it seems to me, friends, that we need to move on, namely to the second topic of this “confession”. For students, there is another painful topic, and this one is a SESSION! You are probably thinking right now “What do the island and session have to do with it, and what is the connection between them?!”. Let me explain: this is the Sea! After the local cuisine, I would like to pay attention to the Sea that surrounds this island. 10 minutes! This is quite enough for the sea to take away all your worries and pain. And there only remain three of you: You, the Sea and Happiness. Having experienced this feeling at least once, you will involuntarily rethink a lot in your life and realize that neither strong alcohol nor a luxury party or even an expensive gift, with their fleeting effects of “Parodying Happiness”, can compare with what you acquire by the Sea, just sitting there in silence and listening to nature. And you will fully understand the meaning of the expression “Happiness loves silence.” And the wonderful rise and sunset on the Sea—it’s just beyond words. Here, just witness the miracle for yourself…
I am sure that most of you have already watched the film “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door” (1997), where the main characters, after the words “In heaven, that’s all they talk about—the ocean—and how wonderful it is. They talk about the sunsets they have seen. They talk about how the sun turned blood-red before it set. And they talk about how they felt when the sun was losing its power—and the cold that was coming from the ocean, while the rest of the fire was still glowing”— they were longing for the Sea. Perhaps this is the best description of this moment, which I would advise you to experience for yourself. Please don’t waste this precious moment on photos and selfies for Instagram. Just enjoy the moment, accept it, and let it pass through you. And then all the fatigue of the session, its tension, and its heavy residue will dissolve on these waves of the Sea, burn out the last rays of the fading Sun, and be carried away by the Wind, which gently cherishing you!
And so we come to the third theme of this story. I thought about what to choose; the choice is great; the topic is about a career, about studying, about nature, about traditions, or about the local, good-natured people. But the next thought prompted me to write about another important aspect of life. I used to hear the expression, “School years are the Silver years of a person’s life, while the years spent at the university are Golden.” I must agree, because while studying at the university, we meet true friends, future business partners, and, most importantly, a faithful life partner. And I sincerely wish everyone would meet such a person, because there is no point in living if there is no one to share happiness and hardships with. Scientific achievements, innovations, and inventions that We create at the university are Important! And at the same time, we all know firsthand the severity of this path and agree that it will be easier to go through it when there is real prop and support. “We lost the battle, but We will win the War!”.
It was a lyrical digression. Back to the topic: as a curious person, I got to know many cultures and traditions. All of them are unique and beautiful in their own way. But I have never seen such a wedding process as in Northern Cyprus. No, my dear friends, it’s not as easy as just going to the registry office and signing. This process is long, exciting, and completely absorbing. Let me tell you the story:
And so, there was a guy in love. He opened up to his beloved. But at first, he was rejected. He was upset, but then out of nowhere appeared a “wish-fulfilling Genie”. Seeing pure love in the heart of a guy, he decided to help him. Helped win the beauty’s heart. It was magical and very romantic. Do you think that’s all? And the lovebirds lived happily ever after? It’s not that simple, folks. I understand there is a limit to the article’s length and to your precious time, so I will try to tell you everything in brief.
And so the first stage of the wedding process is called “Soz”, that is, the “Word”, that the groom came to woo and gives his word that he will definitely marry his chosen one. The main point is that the groom should drink the prepared coffee mixed with salt and hot ground pepper. This is a tough test, right?! After observing all the rules and customs of the traditions, the elder in the family puts the rings on the lovebirds fingers and cuts the red ribbon that binds the rings, thereby blessing them for living a happy life together for all time.
The second stage is called “Nishan” and at this ceremony, the happy couple announces to the people about themselves and that they are starting to live together. And here, too, Genie is actively preparing the place for the official ceremony… Laughter and sin, but you would do everything for the sake of lovebirds…
The third stage is the official registration of the marriage; you can, of course, simply sign at the registry office, but this ceremony can be made more interesting and brighter… The happy couple signed in such a beautiful place, and with the Sea view…
To warm the guests, Genie lit a fire with a mighty breath…
I hope you are still with me as We move on to the fourth stage, the most beautiful and magical of all stages. It is called “Khyna Gejesi”. I will not translate because I think it is not possible to convey all the beauty of the meaning of these two words in whole sentences. You really get into a fairy tale. You need to see this event for yourself; I will not attach a photo of this event, and I will let your imagination fly high. The girl is brought according to customs, riding a decorated horse. You should have seen this girl; she was beautiful, like an angel. And the groom, his friends bring him on their shoulders. After such a show begins, it cannot be described with words. I wish everyone would attend such an event or even celebrate their own wedding this way!
Tired?! Believe me, the Genie was already exhausted as he collided head-on with the fifth and final stage. Namely, “Dugun”, that is, “Wedding”. The beauty liked the scenery and wedding themes from old movies. Well, the Genie said, why not fulfill the final wish of the lovebirds? Day and night, he worked tirelessly, and voila…
This is just the beginning and part of the decor. Everything looked amazing at night. And so our lovebirds celebrate their wedding, and now they live happily ever after, knocking on wood so as not to jinx it. And after our Genie finally became free…
And there’s the End of our little story. I can tell you the long version of this story in more detail and even more brightly, but I think it’s better to put an end to this happy note. That’s the end of the fairy tale. To those who read and listened, well done!
I’ll attach a couple more photos…
Meet my best friend, Raudi!
Fascinating, isn’t it?
P.S. All photos except for the first topic about food, which in turn were obtained from the official page of “Meyhane” with which I once collaborated, were taken by me. I am not a professional photographer and shot on my budget, but a strong and reliable phone, so please do not judge too harshly. Photoshop was used only for watermarks and border adjustments. The rest is all natural. I hope you all enjoyed it. See you soon, and all the best! Gorushurus!