The Turkish Student Association (TSA) brought some interesting cuisine and festive activities to many Ames residents Sunday night.

The Turkish Student Association sponsored its annual Turkish Night in the Great Hall of the Memorial Union. More than 200 Iowa State students, faculty and residents of the Ames community attended the cultural celebration.

Guests arrived to an atmosphere that included ethnic Turkish music, posters of scenic Turkish sites and TSA members clad in traditional Turkish clothing.

Before the program began, Emrah Simsek, graduate student in material science engineering and president of TSA, spoke to audience members about the night’s events.

“The evening will include an exquisite combination of dance and food,” Simsek said.

A caucasian dance titled “Kafkas” was first on the program. Most of the music was played waltz-style on an accordion; however, the sound of the piece did not reflect the delicacy of a typical American waltz.

“Kafkas” originally comes from the Turks, who lived in a mountainous region called Caucasia located between the Black Sea and Caspian Sea. The dance reflected the harsh conditions of that era and the struggles people endured to survive those conditions.

During parts of the dance, women pretended to be praying for victory for the men by circling around them. Other parts featured the women dancing around the men to show appreciation for the men’s hard work.

A particularly memorable part of the dance included the men dancing around each other “to show off their war talents.”

The men came to the front of the stage first together, then one at a time to show the audience their fancy footwork.

The women wore long white veils down their backs, during this and many other dances. According to Simsek, these veils were used in the dance to symbolize a sadness the women were feeling.

Another number was the Hemsin folk dance, a dance performed at Turkish weddings. Simsek described this dance as “a vigorous, vivid, rapid movement of dance that symbolizes the energetic lifestyle of the people living in a mountainous area.”

Performed only by two men and two women, this dance required great concentration and a synchronization of dance steps. Its music had a fast, driving beat that kept the dancers literally on their toes.

After some dance performances, dinner was served.

The Turkish feast contained seven examples of authentic Turkish cuisine, which included Tas Kebap, rice pilau, red lentil soup, choban salad, sarma (stuffed grape leaves), red lentil balls and baklava. Among other beverages, Turkish tea also was served.

Along with the dances and the cuisine, TSA presented a fashion show, which gave audience members a look at the variety found in Turkish fashion.

“There are 40 different regions in Turkey, and every region of the country has certain types of clothing,” Simsek said.

Simsek has been in the United States for two years and said he is happy to have an opportunity to share information about his country with others.

“Turkey has parts in both Asia and Europe,” Simsek said. “It’s a very interesting country to visit.”