Perspective
The Turkish word for engineer, "mühendis," has Arabic roots and comes from the word "hendese," meaning geometry or measurement. The prefix "mü" gives it the meaning of "one who does." So at its core, an engineer is someone who measures, someone who uses mathematics and structure to produce solutions. A person who designs, analyzes, and solves a problem that stands in front of them.
The solutions we produce for problems are deeply personal. A dripping faucet, for example, can be fixed by tightening a bolt. Problem solved, no more dripping. But you could also cut the water supply to the house entirely. That solves it too. Or redirect the water somewhere else. And so it goes. The point is, the solutions we offer to a problem say something about who we are.
There was a problem in front of me. Being visible, saying I am here, and maybe making a small difference. My solution to that problem was this portfolio website. And naturally, what came out of it reflected me, with a Mediterranean touch.
Mediterranean Love
My love for the Mediterranean began with what I consider the most beautiful province in Türkiye, Antalya. But Antalya feels too broad. Let me narrow the window a little and say Alanya. It all started about ten years ago with a summer house there. Having grown up in landlocked Ankara, seeing a place so different and so beautiful opened something new in me. It is no surprise that such a place was once gifted to Cleopatra. A city stretched along a deep blue sea, the Taurus Mountains rising immediately behind it, forests reaching into the sky. Mediterranean in every sense.
My connection to Alanya never faded. It only grew. When my girlfriend left to study there, I started visiting more often. With each visit, the Mediterranean mindset settled deeper into me. I fell more in love. I felt more longing. I went more often. Perhaps it was her who made me love it even more.
How lucky I am that my first step into a professional career brought me to another Mediterranean country, another Mediterranean city. Rome. I was already in love with this culture, and getting to live in Rome felt like a reward I had not expected. The oranges, the warm air, the sea. And then something new was added to the picture: the moka pot and coffee. The Mediterranean reminds me of many beautiful feelings, the aliveness of always wanting to be outside on the streets, and the warmth of its people.
Every engineer has their own personal solution to a problem, I said. Mine was this Mediterranean-themed website. I hope that through both my writing and my design, I have managed to pass some of that feeling on to you.