ANA / Today's Zaman - Istanbul, TurkeyMonday, May 21, 2007
The world-famous Turkish satirical folktale character Nasreddin Hodja will this year take to the streets of the Netherlands, where he will add yogurt culture to the Meuse River, in an annual reconstruction of one of the most famous Nasreddin Hodja tales.
The event, organized for the second year in the Netherlands by Konya's Akşehir Municipality in collaboration with the Netherlands Mosaic Culture and Art Foundation, will take place May 25-27, reported the Anatolia news agency.
The event, held annually in Konya's Akşehir, where Nasreddin Hodja is believed to have lived, is a call for universal tolerance as the symbolic Hodja adds the culture of tolerance to Akşehir Lake.
Last year's event in the Netherlands drew huge interest from both Dutch and Turkish population in the Netherlands, said Akşehir Mayor Mustafa Baloğlu, adding that they handed out 5,000 books of Nasreddin Hodja tales to the public.
This year's event is scheduled to take place in Rotterdam, where the symbolic "Nasreddin Hodja will be welcomed [by the organization committee] on Schiedamseweg Street. From there we will walk to the banks of the Meuse River, where Hodja will pour the culture of love and tolerance into the river's waters. We will also be handing out 5,000 books of Nasreddin Hodja tales to spectators. The books are in four languages: Turkish, English, Arabic and Dutch," he said.
"We want Nasreddin Hodja to become known by all children," he added. The event will also feature Sufi music performances.
Nasreddin Hodja is a satirical Sufi figure who is believed to have lived during the Middle Ages -- around the 13th century -- in central Anatolia. His legendary sense of humor and stories are thought to be based on the words of a well-known imam.
Numerous historical sources claim Nasreddin was born in 1208 near Sivrihisar. In 1237 he moved to Akşehir, where he died around 1284. His tomb is also in Akşehir.
As many as 350 anecdotes have been attributed to the Hodja, as he is most often called.
Today his stories are told in a wide variety of regions and have been translated into numerous languages. In many regions Nasreddin is a major part of the culture and is quoted frequently in daily life.
[picture: Nasreddin and his friendly donkey
Abdulwahid van Bommel (text), Ybed (art)
Moela Nasreddin
Stitching Uitgeverij Oase / Den Haag
ISBN 90-74792-01-4]
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