Alafranga and alaturca

Alafranga and alaturca are musical and cultural concepts specific to the Ottoman Empire and its people.

The labels are now considered outdated, but are useful in understanding Ottoman and Turkish cultural history.

[1] Historically, alafranga and alaturca were adjectives to differentiate between Western culture and Eastern culture in the context of things such as clothing, food and decor.

During this time food fusion had some of its most pivotal years because of alafranga and alaturca being so intertwined.

[2] Alaturca and alafranga were also competing music genres in the Turkish Republic in the 1920s and 1930s, after the Ottoman Empire was dissolved.

Ten men in suits, most in red fezes, wait before three ticket windows. Over them, two clockfaces. The postcard has the French text "Constantinople. Poste Impériale Ottomane.
This postcard of the Constantinople General Post Office in 1909 features two clocks, one in Turkish time (starting at sunset, alaturka saat ) and another in Western European time (starting at midnight, alafranga saat ).