Manners and etiquettes found in Turkey during the Ottoman times

• If there was a yellow flower in front of the window, it meant: ‘there is a patient in the
house, please don’t make noise’

• If there was a red flower in front of the window, it meant: ‘there is a girl in the house
who is of marriageable age, please be careful of what you are talking about when you
pass by in front of the house’

• When a guest came to the house, water and Turkish coffee would be offered. If the
guest is hungry, he/she will drink the water first, so then judging from that, a meal will
be prepared for him/her, if he/she is not hungry, he/she will have the Turkish coffee
first.

• The younger ones would not walk in front of the older people. The young ones will
only pass the older ones if the older ones say: “pass son, I’m walking slowly.”

• When a city was built, first a Masjid (Muslim Prayer house) would be built, then the
houses would be built ring by ring. Like when a stone is thrown into water, rings start
from the center and then spread out from it.

• ‘Ya Malikül Mülk’ would be written on the house walls. It means: ‘I have nothing, the
real owner is the Allah’

• There were two knockers on the doors. One big knocker, one small knocker. The big
one made a big sound whilst the small one made a softer sound. So If the guest was a
man, he would knock using the big one so that a man comes to open the door. And If
the guest was a woman, she would use the smaller knocker, so a woman will open the
door.

• There were foundations for birds. If a migrating bird was injured, that foundation
would take care of the bird. Also when winter would come, they would put food on the
snow for the birds, because birds wouldn't find food when the ground is full of snow.

• No one eats standing. First, hands are washed, then everyone sits at the eating place
all together. First the oldest will start to eat, thereafter the others. And as a reminder,
before beginning to eat, the oldest would say: ‘Bismillahir Rahmaanir Raheem’, and
after eating, everyone would read Surah Fatiha.

• When a person passed away in a neighborhood, then for one week or ten days, the
neighbours would cook their meals for them. Also then no one would have fun and
merriment loudly. In these ways, they shared their pain.