Team

Founder

Jeroen Dewulf

Researchers

Nhat Khanh Do

Alexandra Hudson

Sirianand Jacobs

Howard Noz

Zoe Woodcraft

Alex Haskell

Kristin Lane

Sarah Chamberlain

Dixie Brea

Raghda Abouelnaga

Amanpreet Muhar

Rachel Peterson

Website Designer / Programmer

Paul Ciarlo

Other Contributors

Dr. Mehmet Refii Kileci, who graciously allowed us to use his artwork on this site. Kileci was born in 1962 in Istanbul. He received his Ph.D in Quranic Sciences from the Marmara University School of Theology in 1995 and has worked as a professor in Kazakhstan, Russia, and the Netherlands. He has been engaged in Traditional Islamic art since childhood and has studied the techniques of water marbling/ebru and calligraphy under such masters as Niyazi Sayın, Mustafa Düzgünman, and Hamid Aytaç, (widely known as the last and greatest Ottoman calligrapher of our time). He currently teaches at the Islamic University of Europe in the Netherlands and is the director of Rumi Art Academy. He continues to teach classes on water marbling and calligraphy as well as organizing exhibits and workshops in many countries across Europe. More of his work can be seen at http://www.kileci.net

A Note About the Site's Design

The tulip is one of the symbols most closely associated with the Netherlands. However, the famous Holland tulip is actually a Turkish import. Tulips were unknown in the Netherlands before the 16th century, when they were introduced by traders from the Anatolia region of Turkey; in fact, their botanical name, “Tulipa,” comes from the Turkish word "tulbend" meaning turban, which the flower resembles. Because of its history, the tulip can be seen as a metaphor, indicating that what once was imported from a foreign country can eventually become a symbol of national pride. We have chosen this particular tulip, drawn in a Turkish style by Mehmet Rifii Kileci, because it so clearly represents the multicultural richness of the Netherlands: a ubiquitous Western symbol rendered in a traditionally Eastern manner, as befits its roots. If the transplanted tulip can not only survive in the climate of the Netherlands, but thrive and be celebrated as a symbol of Dutch culture, we believe the same can be true for the many transplanted people putting down roots there.

Contact Us!

The Multicultural Netherlands Website is designed to be a collaborative work in progress. We invite you to contribute to it by submitting additional information. We especially appreciate multimedia suggestions (movie and audio clips, illustrations, web links). Please send your suggestions to mcnl@berkeley.edu.

Dutch Studies Program
Department of German
5319 Dwinelle Hall
University of California
Berkeley, CA 94720-3243

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This page was last modified 03:48, 18 October 2009.