Bingöl University Journal of Social Sciences Institute

Abstract

The color of turquoise, which is identified with Turkish culture and art, has taken part in literature as Turkish color with using in many Turkish communities from Central Asia to the present, in the Seljuk and Ottoman period. The turquoise color, which is generally used in architectural structures, mosques, tiles, ceramics and items using daily was used as turquoise blue in the Ottoman period. In order to search the signs and similarities of Turkish culture and art in different continents, field and literature research was conducted on different dates. I t has been determined that the turquoise color has been used in patterns, motifs, symbols, clothes, accessories and jewellery in many objects examined in the National Museum of the American where Indian culture is located (National Museum of the American ındian). This research was conducted to determine whether this color known as Turkish color in the literature has a relation with Turkish culture and art in another continent that doesn’t have a border. Related to the subject, field research examining Native Amrican culture and art was conducted in 2015 by visiting the regions of Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, Utah, Chinle, Gallup, Hubel, Santa Fe, Shiprock, Ganado, Albuquerque in North America, which are located on the American continent. Altough the color turquoise has been used in different places and in different shapes in Turkish art and Native American culture, it has been revealed that there is a paralellism in the meaning it imposes.Both communities have made turquoise a part of their culture. They consecrated the turquoise color by attrubiting mythlogical meanings. Turquoise is one of the important colors that has many meanings for Native Americans.The color of turquoisehas always been believed to represent prestige and power among Native Americans. Turquoise color and stones are very common in this community that is one of the important indigenous tribes of the United States, known as the Navajo tribe. During the research; in the source researches on Native American rugs, clothes, bead shoes called loafers, bags and jewellery, it has been understood that the American Indians, who live in the area called reservation area, which is the largest settlement in North America, frequently use turquoise color and it has been appeared that turqoise Stone has been used in decoration of many objects and turquoise color beads have been preferred especially in the decoration of shoe and daily used objects.It is understood that turquoise is also consecrated as a color in both Turkish and Native American culture and art. The reason why the Indian communities use turquoise and its color frequently is that one of the mineral deposits where turquoise stone is extracted in the world being in this region. Altough it is desired to investigate how this color, which took its place in the literature as a Turkish color at the beginning of the research, went to the USA continent and why it was used, the result can be explained by the fact that there are many turquoise Stone mineral deposits there. This similarity that is only seen as a color similarity between cultures can be explained by the mystical meaning of this color in both cultures.