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A Turkish Folk Hero

One of the many things I like about Turkey is that when you enter a shop to buy something, you sometimes come out with more than just the item you purchased; and I'm not talking about shoplifting here! The following episode is an example of this.
Lea and I was strolling around the lovely little seaside village of Selimiye, where we entered a little shop with the name of Grdes Halclk that was selling the usual touristy stuff. After browsing for a while, then looking like we were about to leave without parting with some money, the owner guided us into another part of his shop that turned out to be the carpet dept. He immediately started unrolling and showing us his wares. After explaining that we weren't in the market for carpets we noticed some small mats in a pile by the door.

Woven into the mats was the picture of a funny looking man, with a large fluffy beard, sat on a donkey. During the next hour or so, during which we drank copious quantities of cay, the owner Hayati and his wife Mnever told us the story behind this little chap.
His name is Nasreddin. (Other spellings include; Nasruddin, Nusrettin, Nasruddin), and is usually followed by the title of a religious scholar, or man of wisdom; Hoca', Hodja' or Mulla'. He was a populist philosopher, with a good sense of humour.
His date of birth is not known with any certainty, but is believed to have been born in 1208 in Sivrihisar, a town in the west part of Central Anatolia. In 1237 he moved to Aksehir to study under notable scholars of the time. He worked as an Imam (Religious leader) for a time, and occasionally he would serve as Muslim judge. He died in 1284, but is particulary remembered in Turkish culture for his funny stories and anecdotes. Some of these stories he used as a way of critising the most tyrannical sultans of his time. There are hundreds of writings attributed to Nasreddin that challenged the order and values of his society. They have been passed on by all the tribes of the Turkic World and have found their way into Persian, Arabian, African and along the Silk Road to China and India cultures, later also to Europe.
Nasreddin's mausoleum is situated in Aksehir, where he died.
I include here a few of the Nasreddin stories to illustrate his sense of humor and wit. Further stories can be found by following the web links given.

The Rich Farmer
A rich farmer had been trying desperately to marry off his daughters. One day he met Mulla Nasreddin. "I have several daughters," the farmer

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