Did You Know That..?
Turks are the descendants of nomads from central Asia and the refugees from the Balkans and the Caucasus, brought together in the Turkish Republic. Most of the Turks are Muslims, following the prayers of Islam, but living in a secular state. They are also the inheritors of the Ottoman Empire and the democracy of Ataturk and the West...
Geographically, Anatolia is Asian Turkey while Thrace is European.
The only city on the world located on two continents is Istanbul, which has been the capital of three great empires, Roman, Byzantian and Ottoman for more that 2000 years.
The number of archeological excavations going on in Turkey every year is at least 150.
The oldest known human settlement is in Çatalhöyük, Turkey (7500 BC).
Temple of Artemis (Ephesus) and the Mausoleum of Halcarnassus (Bodrum), two of the Seven Wonders of the ancient World, are in Turkey.
According to legend, Noah's Ark landed on Ağrı Dağı (Mount Ararat) in eastern Turkey.
The last meal on Noah's Ark, a pudding with nearly 20 ingredients, is still served throuhout Turkey known as "Aşure".
Abraham was born in Şanlıurfa in southeastern Turkey.
Anatolia is the birthplace of historic legends, such as Omer (the poet), King Midas (he who turned everything to gold), Heredotus (the father of history), and St. Paul the Apostle.
Homer was born in Izmir, on the west coast of Turkey, and he depicted Troy in his epic "The Iliad".
The famous Trojan wars took place in western Turkey, around the site where a wooden statue of the Trojan Horse rests today.
The Amazons originated in Turkey's northeastern region.
Aesop, famous for his fables and parables, was born in Anatolia, Turkey.
Anatolia is the home of the first known beauty contest, judged by Paris, with Aphrodite, Hera and Athena as leading participants.
Anatolia was producing wine as early as 4,000 B.C.
Alexander the Great conquered a large territory in what is now Turkey, and cut the Gordion knot in the Phrygian capital Gordium, not far from Turkey's present-day capital Ankara.
Anatolia is the origin of the names of Paris, Philadelphia and Europe.
Julius Ceaser proclaimed his celebrated words "Veni, Vidi, Vici" (I came, I saw, I conquered) in Amasya, Turkey when he defeated the Pontus, a formidable kingdom in the Black Sea region of Turkey.
Part of Turkey's southwestern shore was a wedding gift that Mark Anthony gave to Cleopatra.
The first church built by man (St. Peter's Church) is in Antioch (Antakya), Turkey.
St. John, St. Nicholas, St. Paul and St. Peter have all lived and prayed in Southern Turkey.
St. Nicholas, who became popular as Father Christmas, was born in Demre on Turkey's Mediterranean coast, and his church still stands there.
The last home of Virgin Mary is in Selçuk.
Early Christians escaping Roman persecution nearly 2000 years ago sheltered in Capodaccia in Central Anatolia.
Anatolia is the location of Seven Churches of Asia.
The first Ecumenical Council was held in Iznik, Turkey.
The first synagogue on this land was built in 1324 with the permission of Sultan Orhan - founder of the Ottoman Empire; to support Jewish community, suffering under Byzantine Empire.
Lenardo da Vinci drew designs for a bridge over the Golden Horn in Istanbul. It was never built.
Jews were invited to this land;
in 1376 from Hungary,
in 1394 from France,
in 1420 from Venice,
in 1492 from Spain,
in 1527 from Hungary,
in 1537 from Italy,
in 1542 from Bohemia,
in 1881 from Russia,
in 1917 from Russia,
in 1933 from Germany, which continued in the second world war, when they were forced to leave their homelands.
This geography has been a real home for Jews, Christians and also for non-Turkish Muslims for centuries.
Turks gave the Dutch their famous tulips.
Suleyman the Magnificent (the famous Ottoman Sultan) was a poet who wrote over 3,000 poems some of them criticizing the greed of mankind.
Turks introduced coffeee to Europe.
The most valuable silk carpet in the world is in the Mevlana Museum, Konya, with 144 knots per sq. Cm.
Hezarfen Ahmed Çelebi was the first man who flew a significant distance across the Bosphorus using wings.
Istanbul's Robert College (built in 1863) is the oldest American school outside the United States.
Istanbul has a 550-year-old covered shopping mall of 64 streets, 4,000 shops, 22 entrances and 25,000 workers, - the famous "Grand Bazaar". It is the first mall ever built.
The very young Turkish economy is the 14th largest in the world according to GNP readings.
Turkey is one of the richest countries for water resources, as well as for bor minerals.
Turkey has been a member of NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) since 1952.
Turkey provides 70% of world hazelnuts. The nut in your chocholate bar was most probably grown in Turkey.
Turkey has had the women's right to elect and to be elected even before Switzerland.
Turkey is the only democratic, secular country in the world, with a mojority of Muslim population.
Turkey's motto has been, "Peace at home, peace on the world" designed and adapted by the father of modern Turkey, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk since the 1920s.