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10-01-06, 02:54
Turks discovered gunpowder, printing and sericulture, says professor
Thursday, January 5, 2006
Items of historical significance such as tombs, monuments, inscriptions and cairns as well as other evidence are signs that Turkish history dates back 5-7,000 years during which time Turks have contributed to world civilization, says Professor Tuncer Gulensoy
ANKARA - Turkish Daily News
Gunpowder, printing and sericulture were originally discovered by Turks, said Professor Tuncer Gulensoy, a lecturer at Erciyes University in Kayseri, following a study of historical sources in China, Central Asia and Europe.
He also said the Holy Koran was first translated into Turkish and that Turks were the first in the world to study celestial bodies. "Unfortunately, this information doesn't exist in our own historical sources,"he added.
Gulensoy is founder of the science and letters faculty at the Kyrgyzstan-Turkey Manas University and a lecturer at the Cyprus-American University. He has researched the contribution of Turks to world history and civilization throughout his academic life, reported the Dogan News Agency.
"The Turks established a superior civilization in an extensive area including Central Asia, East Turkestan, the Black Sea region and its north, Kazakhstan, East Europe and Anatolia. They left historical artifacts in every area they settled and are the innovators of many things and created many unique works in terms of culture and art," he said.
The explorations of Turks:
Gulensoy said items of historical significance such as tombs, monuments, inscriptions and cairns as well as other evidence were signs that Turkish history dates back 5-7,000 years, during which time the Turks have contributed to world civilization."The Uyghur Turks, for instance, were the first to discover and extensively use gunpowder as well as sericulture (the production of raw silk from silkworms). The Chinese, on the other hand, simply further developed and used what the Turks had already discovered," the professor said.
Providing more examples, Gulensoy said: "Irrigation channels were found in the Turfan area of Kazakhstan. It was the Turks who built these channels. Turks brought water through these channels to grow fruits and vegetables. That's why, even today, the first fruits and vegetables grown before their seasons are called 'turfanda' (out of season). However, this information doesn't exist in our current historical resources."
He said the Uyghur Turks were the original printers by reproducing texts using a mirror printing system and that Ulugbey, grandson of the great conqueror Timur the Lame and an astronomer, mathematician and sultan, was the first scientist to examine celestial bodies and establish an observatory.
He also examined the movements of many stars, drew their shapes and wrote about them in his books. The Karahanilar (Karahan), on the other hand, was the first civilization to translate the Holy Koran into Turkish, not in terms of signification but a complete translation. The Turks have also contributed in the fields of mathematics, science, chemistry and medicine" he added.
© 2005 Dogan Daily News Inc. www.turkishdailynews.com.tr
Thursday, January 5, 2006
Items of historical significance such as tombs, monuments, inscriptions and cairns as well as other evidence are signs that Turkish history dates back 5-7,000 years during which time Turks have contributed to world civilization, says Professor Tuncer Gulensoy
ANKARA - Turkish Daily News
Gunpowder, printing and sericulture were originally discovered by Turks, said Professor Tuncer Gulensoy, a lecturer at Erciyes University in Kayseri, following a study of historical sources in China, Central Asia and Europe.
He also said the Holy Koran was first translated into Turkish and that Turks were the first in the world to study celestial bodies. "Unfortunately, this information doesn't exist in our own historical sources,"he added.
Gulensoy is founder of the science and letters faculty at the Kyrgyzstan-Turkey Manas University and a lecturer at the Cyprus-American University. He has researched the contribution of Turks to world history and civilization throughout his academic life, reported the Dogan News Agency.
"The Turks established a superior civilization in an extensive area including Central Asia, East Turkestan, the Black Sea region and its north, Kazakhstan, East Europe and Anatolia. They left historical artifacts in every area they settled and are the innovators of many things and created many unique works in terms of culture and art," he said.
The explorations of Turks:
Gulensoy said items of historical significance such as tombs, monuments, inscriptions and cairns as well as other evidence were signs that Turkish history dates back 5-7,000 years, during which time the Turks have contributed to world civilization."The Uyghur Turks, for instance, were the first to discover and extensively use gunpowder as well as sericulture (the production of raw silk from silkworms). The Chinese, on the other hand, simply further developed and used what the Turks had already discovered," the professor said.
Providing more examples, Gulensoy said: "Irrigation channels were found in the Turfan area of Kazakhstan. It was the Turks who built these channels. Turks brought water through these channels to grow fruits and vegetables. That's why, even today, the first fruits and vegetables grown before their seasons are called 'turfanda' (out of season). However, this information doesn't exist in our current historical resources."
He said the Uyghur Turks were the original printers by reproducing texts using a mirror printing system and that Ulugbey, grandson of the great conqueror Timur the Lame and an astronomer, mathematician and sultan, was the first scientist to examine celestial bodies and establish an observatory.
He also examined the movements of many stars, drew their shapes and wrote about them in his books. The Karahanilar (Karahan), on the other hand, was the first civilization to translate the Holy Koran into Turkish, not in terms of signification but a complete translation. The Turks have also contributed in the fields of mathematics, science, chemistry and medicine" he added.
© 2005 Dogan Daily News Inc. www.turkishdailynews.com.tr