The Belgian village of Faymonville for centuries has been associated with the “Turkish” identity and is of symbolic importance for both the inhabitants of the region and the representatives of the Turkish diaspora in Europe. The village is located in the Mountain District of Arden in the Vallonian province of Liege (Belgium).
According to the last census, in the village, which is famous for its charming natural beauties, up to 925 people live.
It is worth noting that in this village there is not a single representative of the Turkish diaspora, although in Belgium there are about 300 thousand Turks.
However, Faymonville is known to everyone as a “Turkish village”. In the village, you can meet the image of a crescent and stars, symbols of the Turkish flag, as well as the inscriptions of the Turks.
The Turkish flag can be seen at the entrance to the town hall, which has remained since previous times. It also flutters on the roof of the same building.
A star and crescent are also present on the memorial plaque of the cultural center on the village square, as well as on the emblem of the R.F.C Turkania football club.
The traditional carnival, passing throughout the country in February, is noted in this village with special enthusiasm.
Turks living in different parts of Belgium and neighboring countries annually flow into this part of Belgium to take part in the Carnival.
During the carnival, the residents of Faymonville dress in traditional Turkish clothes, carry Turkish flags and march along the streets of the village. The carnival procession is headed by an orchestra with a Turkish flag.
In an interview with Anadol, a 75-year-old resident of Famonville Karin George, one of the organizers of the carnival, said that the inhabitants of the village involuntarily began to call themselves the “Turks”.
“There is a legend. It is based on a story about a tax that the Turks (villagers) did not want to pay. This is a very ancient story. In fact, everything is justified by something else. However, this allowed us to maintain our identity. Everything is here. Starts with the word “Turki”, -said a resident of the village.
– different legends about the village
Three main traditions about Feimonville, the most common of which is that the inhabitants of the village refused to participate in the Crusades of the 12th and 13th centuries. According to another legend, in the 16-17th centuries, when the Catholic Church collected taxes from European countries to combat the Ottoman state, the residents of Faymonville refused to give money and therefore were called the “Turks”. In addition, there is a legend that the village was saved from German occupation due to its Turkish identity.