OUR CALENDARS EVERSINCE THE EIGHT CENTURY

Abstract

The notion of time is derived from the regular movement of the celestial bodies, therefore, people have been paying attention to sky observations since ancient times. People measured time by using movement of the Moon and the Sun as a means of measurement. We have a history of calendar process beginning with the Antium Calendar, which was excavated on a stone, and up to the Gregorian Calendar. Each culture has diversified its own calendar systems based on the lunar or solar year by accepting a historical starting point as important to itself. The Turks with a twelve-year animal calendar in which every twelve-year period was named with the name of an animal. Later on in time, Turks used also Islamic calendar (Hijri), Jalali calendar, Ilkhanic calendar (Zij), Roman calendar (Rûmî) and finally Gregorian calendar (Takvim-i Garbî or Milâdî calendar) calendar systems respectively. This article will give information on descriptions and characteristics of the calendar systems used throughout the history of the Turks, and will talk about special calendars used by Turks that process specific topics such as pocket calendars , takvîm-i dâimîs (infinite calendar), roznamahs, educational calendars with clock, special calendars specific to institutions and organizations, and finally, the characteristics of the folk calendar used outside of the official calendar in Anatolia will be explained.

Keywords

• turkish calendar systems
• pocket calendars
• takvîm-i dâimîs (infinite calendar)
• folk calendar.