^ Taj Mahal is mostly based on Persian architecture. Just look at all the sources. Don't fool yourself. Besides that,
Can anyone tell me where this superiority-feelings come from? This enormous misplaced pride in the supposed "great" culture of Turkey? I honestly wonder which 'great' culture is meant.
Antiquity?
Where people like the Egyptians, Chinese, Greeks, Persians and Romans created great civilizations, the Turks were still around as nomads in the steppes of Central Asia. Where the Egyptians, Greeks and Persians were engaged in philosophy, astrology and mathematics, no one had yet heard anything of the Turks. Where the Greeks, Persians and Romans build cities like Athens, Rome and built Persepolis, the Turks still slept in wooden huts. Anyway, if we can appreciate the Turks for something, then definitely it is their creativity. Our Turkish friends have even found a way to camouflage this lack of civilization. For example, the Sumerians supposedly were Turks. A fine example of falsification of history.
Science?
Let me only one period to tackle: Islamic science. While the Persians and Arabs had great scientists, no Turkish scientists made a name in the rest of the world - with the exception of the later Voyage. Jews, Persians and Arabs, who concentrated on medicine, astrology and mathematics were active, Turks still were hanging around in Central Asia. The largest contributions to the (Islamic) science have never been of Turkish hand. Indeed, the Turks sparkled in absence. One exception, I refer in particular to large contributions. As the contributions of Avicenna, Khwarizmi, Al-Kindi, Toesi and Averroes.
Poetry?
It speaks volumes that the greatest poet who ever set foot on Turkish soil was the Persian Rumi. At young age forced to leave his birthplace and move somewhere else to seek refuge. Where he eventually ended up in Konya. The nomadic Turks who still were illiterate as their tribal territory in Central Asia left and now make all sorts of bizarre claims like that Rumi was of Turkish origin. But of course, what else can we expect from the Turks? Overlooked that all the works of Rumi are wrote in Persian and written in one of his works he himself refers to the fact that he is of Persian descent. Anyway, Rumi saw himself as a global citizen and I respect that fully.
Architecture?
It doesn't surprises many people that Turkish architecture in essence is nothing really 'Turkish'. The biggest influences are in particular the Sasanian (Iranian) and Byzantine influences. Even the largest Turkish tourist attraction in the country is Hagia Sophia, originally a Byzantine cathedral. The Turks indeed have slept in homemade tents as the yurt. A great example of what the Turkish civilization has left us. Ahem.
Hence, the Turks over the centuries were extremely popular for the contributions they made to the rest of the world. Just kidding, the Turks were famous in the West and elsewhere as barbarians who could only conquer other great civilizations with all kinds of horrors. Comparable to the Mongol hordes; they were masters in conquering other areas, but they never had a civilization. Voltaire touches a sensitive chord in this regard:
"I wish fervently That the Turkish barbarians be Chased away Immediately out of the country or Xenophon, Socrates, Plato, Sophocles and Euripides. If we wanted, It could be done soon but seven crusades of superstition have leg undergraduate tasks and a crusade of honor will never take place. We know almost no city built by them; They let decay the most beautiful establishments of Antiquity, They reign over ruins. "
Again, why so proud?
