French travelers Annaelle Le Gall and Bastien Tardivel and their baby, Tiana Tardivel Le Gall, set off on a journey from their country in a caravan and arrived in southeastern Adıyaman province to see Mount Nemrut, but heavy snowfall and adverse weather conditions allowed them to experience another beautiful part of Türkiye, its hospitality.
After unexpectedly ending up in the province's Yenigüven village, Bastien Tardivel explained: "They offered us help and then hosted us in their home, their hospitality is incredible. I never knew such love and care still exists! I wonder if we as strangers were treated with so much love, how do they treat their own? They gave us everything they could in return for nothing.
"We stopped here in search of water to refill our bottles from the village's fountain, and this allowed us to experience the true spirit of hospitality of Türkiye, which we have always heard of but never experienced."
One of Türkiye's most well-known characteristics is its hospitality, and one of the most fundamental attractions for foreigners is the small gestures they experience while they are visiting Türkiye. The country is considered a nation with the most cultural diversities, from cuisines to welcoming gestures, history and languages. It's common to go to your neighbor's house for a cup of tea or a little cup of Turkish coffee and enjoy a random chat.
Village mukhtar Yusuf Doğan and Imam Bedir Tekin extended an invitation for tea to the French tourists when they saw them collecting water from the fountain. The couple was hosted at Doğan's house for the next four days.
Though the families could not understand each other's languages, they communicated the best they could through translation apps. From wearing the shalwar (traditional clothes) worn by the women of Adıyaman to a head scarf, Annaelle Le Gall was invited to experience all the aspects of daily life of local women. She not only helped the family with the housework but also fed and milked the cows together with Doğan's wife.
Bastien Tardivel, on the other hand, learned to knead Adıyaman's famous çiğ köfte (raw meatballs) and religious rituals.
Doğan stated that they were happy to host the French tourists. "They went to the field with my wife, they milked the cows. They said they didn't know that the Turks were this loving and caring," he expressed.
Tekin, on the other hand, said: "They were very pleased that we hosted them. They say that they still want to stay and do not want to go back because of our closeness and humble nature. They say, 'We will become Muslims' if we stay a little longer."
"These four unforgettable days will remain in our memories forever and we are determined to visit these beautiful people again. We are leaving with gratitude and taking them in our hearts," Tardivel expressed.