Turkey's Best Kept Secrets

First and foremost, lets pray and keep a minute silence for all the people of Van province who were injured or killed in the 7.2 Richter scale earthquake on last sunday. My heart goes to all the families, friends and people of Van and its always heart wrenching to hear of more bodies being dug-out of the collapsed buildings. It is really a tragedy of its worst kind. As I shivered in my sheltered and heated home, or bundled in my warm clothing...I wonder how it is for them to sleep in a tent, with no proper warm clothing in this sonbahar (last spring or autumn) weather. We are so blessed...and most of the time, we didn't even realised it. 

Van is situated in the eastern part of Turkey, nearing the border to Iran and Armenia. And there is a beautiful Lake Van which attracts lots of tourists to the site, though I have not been there myself. 

Image copied from Google. Can you spot where Van is located at? Its in the Eastern part of Turkey

When this tragedy struck Van, I am also concerned about what is going to happen to the famous National Breed Van Cats !!

The Turks would know it..but most outsiders would not know about the beautiful Van cats. Yes..the furry lovely 4 legged friend who purred when you stroke her or him. Yeah..i know..blondes do that too ..but that's a different story altogether! Now, focus!

Can you spot the most prominent feature of this lovely cats? No ?? Look carefully....

                      photo copied from https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg2ikbXeAWYnjBuPm4_YcDNLI3fj54dQDHzno6x9rrUPA5x_jEbDvzn3NyY83NUGrbE_ycV6mRI3UjcXskNoLXjiV3pvi0ATQ6XYmo5nwgfYWkSMleitA4X3o407m7RxdizbokhlV8L7A/s1600/Van4images.jpg 

So..what is sooo special about Van cats? Look at these photos and you tell me what is the special feature of these lovelies. Still didn't get it? My....you sure are NOT observant enough. Maybe that explains why you are not in the CIA ha ha....just kidding! Big brother up there might be listening......

see what a beauty she is.........photo from Google Images

Van cats are very domesticated and usually stay indoor or out swimming. they are very jealous of other cats and rightly soooo....since they are so rare, they are seldom neutered..photo from Google Images

its very interesting to look at the fox-like tail...photo from Google Images

 

they love to swim....being closed to Lake Van.

                                                                       photo copied from  http://www.swimmingcats.com/faqs.html

Well....for those of you who are 'quick'....yes....the beauty  is in the eyes, literally speaking! Look at the eyes....don't you find it odd that the eyes are in different color? and i can assure you, she is not wearing contact lenses. That my dear fellow readers...are the trademarks of Van cats. 

They originated from Van and is almost always white in color. And being closed to Lake Van, it is reported that they love to swim in water. And another distinct feature of Van cats are their "fox-like" tails. So..you combine the dual-eye color feature with the fox-tail effect..what do you get? An exotic prized cats! So exotic are they that most Van cats are always behind locked doors or cages for fear of being kidnapped or stolen. They are very expensive to buy ( if you can find them in the shop) and are extremely rare..even in Turkey. When the owner of a Van cat admit to having them, they'll speak with hushed voice and with extreme care not to be overhead by others! Its a prized possession and no matter how much I'd loved to get them and bring them back with me...I can't. It is against the law and you can be charged and/or jailed heftily if caught trying to take the cats out of the country. Just as you would be charged heavily if caught trying to take out antiques or antiquities of more than 100 years old. So..don't try to feign innocence when it comes to this....you have been warned!

Another prized  secrets that the Turks are proud of is their Kangal dogs. Kangal dogs are Turkish special national breed that is also protected and is not allowed to be taken out of the country except to Turkish Nasionals..Now...while Van cats are adorable...Kangal dogs is also adorable but they could also be eadly.  Kangal dogs are the only dogs that can kill wolves!! You have to see them to understand that they can be friends and killer monster at the same time. Kangal dogs are huge...most times, they would be as high as your waist, on their 4 legs. And they are normally used by the army, or as guard dogs. As with Van cats, they are also well shielded from public eyes due to its scarcity. But at homes, they are so adorable and would be a very important part of any families. They are very lovable and are trusted to guard the family and are always a good companions to the family, especially children.  They originated from Kangal in Sivas, hence its name.

Kangal dog....as big as the man....this is about the only dog in the world that can kill a wolf.....special breed from Turkey...and Turkish National pride!

 

do not be fooled by its size...it can be as lovable as a poodle and will stay at home to watch over the children as well. a truly men's best friend

how lucky for this kid....with a friend like that..you'll never be bullied at school !! perhaps you can understand now why and how Kangal dogs would be loved by the family. it takes care of the family, the children, the livestock....your guardian for life!

       (All kangal dogs photos copied from http://kashifbt.blogspot.com/2010/05/turkest-kangal-dog-pictures.html)

I know that I would change my lane (or path) if I saw a Kangal dog coming towards my direction. You see..sometimes you have to follow the rule of the jungle...size does matter! Hey..they weigh at least 50kilos....that's more than my weight! I don't argue with Kangal dogs. In fact, i don't argue with dogs, period! Although the stray dogs in Turkey are well taken care of and are even tagged by the council. There are many strays but they are not ferocious as they are well fed by people on the street. It is a common sight here to see someone stopping by the roadside...open the side door..and give packets of meat or chickens to the stray dogs. And of course, these strays always get their feeds from the bakery with the  good  old turkish bread.... So, in Turkey, the stray dogs co-exist with the environment and the people nicely !!! 



Special tribute :

In loving memory of " Tiger "   who died couple of years back after a Vet said that she couldn't live beyond few months due to kidney problem...and wanted to use her as an lab experiment! well.....she lived for more than seven years !

 

 

 

 

in fond memory of "   Coco "   whom we had leave behind with a wonderful man who raised and care for 39 cats. so...bless him....my 2 cats made it 41 ! we shall take them back when we go home ....

the other cat with Coco and the 41-cat-man. " Snowball "   is such a gentle cat, being of a Birman breed. she is so gentle that her breed could even be trusted with small babies. 

Snowball simple came to house and refused to go home. i suspected that she was ' poached ' and she didn't know how to go home. maybe she liked the environment of my house and decided to stay permanently. one thing for sure...she is so scared of strangers that ...at the sound of my door bell, she'll bolt out and hide...must be from her painful previous experience. Truly miss them !!

 

Van Cat - Read More Here 

Kangal Dogs - Read More Here 


Acknowledgement :


Thank you for all the wishes and concern for me and family during the earthquake scare. We are okay and are touched by your kind wishes and prayers.