The flora of Turkey: On some traditions, rites and beliefs …

Michèle Nicolas

Turkey is plentiful of diverse plants used in every aspect of daily life and in every beneficial way, in medicine, cooking, tinting and in cosmetics. They heal us, supplement, flavour and scent our dishes, and perfume our bodies… They played an important role in daily life even in ancient times when their properties were also well known. To the surprising diversity of plants and the richness of forms and colors, corresponds a diversity of traditional knowledge and social usages. The knowledge about plants and their usages, transmitted through generations have certainly evolved as time went by. Even today, they constitute, however, in certain occasions the Tradition with its rites, practices, beliefs, customs and superstitions.

Key words: Color symbolism, ethnobotany, flora of Turkey, natural dyes, pilgrimages, plant collecting, seasons,  traditional medicine.