As he transformed a religion-driven former Ottoman Empire into a modern nation-state with a very strong separation of state and religion, there was a corresponding increase in the methods of artistic expression. During the first years of the republic, the government invested a large amount of resources into fine arts such as paintings, sculpture and architecture. This was done as both a process of modernisation and of creating a cultural identity.Because of the different historical factors playing an important role in defining a Turkish identity, the culture of Turkey is an interesting combination of clear efforts to be at the same time "modern" and Western keeping alive the desire to maintain traditional religious and historical values.
The change in culture of Turkish people within the last century is very surprising. The Ottoman system was a multi-federation state that enabled the people not to mix with each other. From the cultural viewpoint, balkanization was the end of the Ottoman Empire. The Turkish Republic adapted a unitary approach, which forced all the different cultures within its borders to mix with each other under the name of "Turkish".
|
Mailbox Address
Call free to
