Did you know that the Angora rabbit has its origin in Ankara, Turkey?
And then of course the Angora cat and goat as well!
The evil eye (Nazar Boncugu)
For those who have been to Turkey or any other Mediterranean country you would have noticed and eye. The children wanted to buy the eye, so I had to explain to them the origin of the eye.
Did you know that the history of the eye goes back to the Old Testament, and even maybe before!
Eat you not the bread of him that has an evil eye, neither desire you his dainty meats: Proverbs 23:6
Provers 28:22, "He that hasteth to be rich hath an evil eye, and considereth not that poverty shall come upon him
Here is some information on the Eye
At almost every stage of human history, man has looked for the assistance of magic objects called talismans to defy evil forces. Talismans with letters, numbers or abstract signs have survived to this day. Even the modern religions with a single god have their own evil eye symbols. One of these symbols we find in almost every culture and faith for thousands of years. It’s the figure of an eye. Belief in the evil eye is strongest in the Middle East, East and West Africa, South Asia, Central Asia, and Europe, especially the Mediterranean region.
Evil eye beads go back thousands of years. Evil eye jewelry is believed to give protection from the evil eyes, covetous friends and strangers.
It is also known in most languages: In English as evil eye, evil look - in French Mauvais Oeil - in German böse Blick - in Arabic ayin hasad (eye of envy) - in Armenian pasternak - Yiddish aynore or ahore from Hebrew ayin harac - Hungarian szemmel verés (beating with eyes) - Polish oko proroka ( the eye of the prophet ) - Sicilian jettatura (casting) . Brazilian Portuguese has olho gordo (fat eye) or quebranto (breaker) - in Spanish mal de ojo (the eye's curse or ojo turco - ojito turco)- in Irish droch-shuil - in Greek matiasma or mati refers to the act of cursing someone with the evil eye.
It's believed that there are three types of evil eyes. The first are unconscious evil eyes. These harm people and things, without intending to. The second type intends to harm. The third one is unseen, hidden evil which is the most sacred one.
It was believed that this eye saw all the wickedness in the world and removed poverty and ignorance. When Horus opened its eyes the world was enlightened, when he closed, it became dark. From Egypt, the eye talisman had spread to the Mediterranean, Middle East and Europe.
The bead reflects the evil intent back to the onlooker. It somewhat resembles an eye and it is said the typical blue color is a factor in protecting the user.
What is the meaning of Hamsa Hand or The Hand of Fatima Amulets with Evil Eye Symbol?
A blue eye can also be found on some forms of the hamsa hand jewelry, an apotropaic hand-shaped amulet against the evil eye found in the Middle East. The word hamsa, also spelled khamsa and hamesh, means five referring to the fingers of the hand. In Jewish culture, the hamsa is called the Hand of Miriam; in Muslim culture, the Hand of Fatima. The Fatima amulet is called a Khamsa in Muslim world, from the Arabic word for five, and is seen as protection against the evil eye. The amulet consists of five spread fingers, often with an eye on the hand. It can be found today throughout the Middle East in women's jewelry, as hamsa bracelet, hamsa necklace, hand of fatima pendant, flat-weaving, embroidery, door-knockers, automobile ornamentation, and so on.
According to the Native American version, a person who stares fixedly at a pregnant woman or a child or who is too admiring or physically affectionate with children may produce a malicious effect on their lives, whether or not by intent. Our new series is hand hammered evil eye bracelets with cross or hamsa symbol. Hamsa hand evil eye bracelets and necklaces are worn by people who have the faith in a - Supreme Power - and find themselves at a cross-road in life. Carefully crafted pieces - High quality materials and created by master artisans to bring the protection of positivity to the wearer.”
We told the kids that God is protecting them and the eye can not do the job of God
To read more I am attaching some articles for you: There are many different beliefs as to why the amulet is blue.
We saw the tree in Cappadocia and took pictures of the kids with the tree.
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| Kids at one of the trees in Cappadocia |
When we arrived in Cappadocia we each received this amulet.
We are hoping to go to the Anatolian Museum, Ataturk's museum, the Roman ruins and the temple of Augustus on Monday! It will be a busy homeschooling day and when we get back we will no more about the Mesopotamian empire, the Hittites and other history surrounding Turkey.
