Luckily for Columbus, there has been a way to become introduced to, as well as have exciting inter-cultural interactions, with the people and culture of Turkey. I will explore several areas of commercialism that the Turkish people in Columbus have employed to educate, as well as entertain, those that are interested in some of the specifics of different commodities and practices of Turkey. Additionally, these same locations can exist as places of comfortability and safety for traveling or immigrating Turkish people in the Columbus area, who would otherwise feel alienated by the unfamiliarity of their surroundings. Having paid homage to the all-encompassing value of these locations to people both familiar and foreign to the culture of Turkey, the following Turkish locations in Columbus will be explored in further detail: the Turkish American Society of Ohio, Café Istanbul, Karavan.
First of all, the group that has had the most impact on the local Columbus community, concerning the proliferation of Turkish culture to non-native Turkish people, is the Turkish American Society of Ohio (TASO). What is amazing about TASO, is that they have integrated the most marketable aspect of any culture, the food, into yearly events and cooking classes, which entice people and shine a light on to their organization. After gaining a following of those who appreciate the amazing tastes of the delights and common dishes of Turkey, TASO has the ability to motivate people to delve deeper into culture and language by taking one of their weekend classes. While these classes may seem a way for people, such as myself, to become reacquainted, or strengthen their connection with, the Turkish culture, they are also a perfect opportunity for any people have piqued their interest with Turkey to attempt to learn some more information. Not only do these classes provide a venue of education for many people, but the TASO website provides basic Turkish geographic, historical, and factual information that can give brief glimpses into a country that is not necessarily the most popular. Most significantly, they have a large Food Festival that is an amazing fusion of Turkish cuisine in a festival setting. Specifically, setting up an event such as this is the perfect way to stir up the Columbus melting pot of cultures, as it is a really approachable event, and promotes an uplifting (not to mention delicious) experience.
Moving forward, I will now introduce another great element of the Turkish experience in Columbus, which is Café Istanbul, the most popular Turkish restaurant in Columbus. While it is a little harder to extrapolate a grand motive for Café Istanbul for furthering the Turkish identity in Columbus, their effect is still noticeable and significant. In my personal experience communicating to those that are unfamiliar to certain cultures, it is generally the easy to advertise factors of a country or culture that are easiest to initiate conversations and expanding of cultural knowledge. Thus, it is important that there is a mainstream commercialization of some easy to market Turkish item, in this case food, that at least raises eyebrows about the background of Turkey and its people. Furthermore, Café Istanbul has a greater ability to dive a little deeper into sensationalizing their food than TASO, as it is their main focus and allows them the creative liberty to enhance dishes in a restaurant environment to truly hook new people into the complex work of Turkey.
Finally, there is a antique/novelties store in Columbus called Karavan, that sells a wide variety of goods, including the following: lamps, ceramics, jewelry, shoes and boots, talismans, books and purses, and some “odd” items. They provide a great way to view some of the traditional art and styles that influence the items of Turkey, which are marvelously displayed in the store. Visiting stores such as these are generally really entertaining to people, as it exposes them to cool trinkets and traditional items that are not only fun to look at, but may actually spark an interest to investigate and look more into the country that produces such curious pieces of work. Not only Karavan, but also Café Istanbul and TASO all contribute significantly to the local Columbus economy and diversification of culture, and deserve more light on their availability to the public. To conclude, there are several outlets that people can experiment with to gain some taste, in some cases quite literally, of the Turkish culture, and I would encourage people to try visiting some of the amazing resources here in Columbus.