INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT TURKEY

Lets Start with some of the interesting facts about Turkey

1. Istanbul is on two continents

Let’s start with a classic: Istanbul lives on two continents. The city is separated by the Bosporus, a strait, and thus consists of a European and an Asian part. Overall, 95% of Turkey is in Asia, and 5% is in Europe.

2. Ankara, not Istanbul, is the capital of Turkey

Many people assume that it is Istanbul that is the capital of Turkey, but actually, it is the city of Ankara that is the capital. Istanbul just happens to be Turkey’s largest city. Ankara has been an important trade centre throughout Turkey’s history and has grown to become a significant trading, art and cultural hub.

3. The original name of Istanbul is “Byzantium”

The name “Byzantium” has Greek origins and refers to Byzas, the founder of the city. In 324, it was renamed to “Constantinople”, and in 1930 it was changed to Istanbul.

4. The story of Santa Claus originated in Turkey

Born to wealthy parents, Nicholas was a Christian saint and Greek bishop of Myra, who was born in Patara. Once his parents died, he received a large amount of wealth, which he would give away to the poor and needy. Legend has it that he would drop bags of gold coins down the chimneys of houses, and provide fruits to children. His good deeds spread through Europe, and locals began integrating it with their myths and legends.

5. The Turks love tea

Although you may know Turkey for their coffee, 96% of the population drinks at least one cup of tea per day. Turkish tea is robust, and they serve it in small tulip-shaped glasses. Make sure to try all their extraordinary tea flavours during your travels.

6. Turkey has a young demographic

Turkey has the EU’s largest young population. The average age in Turkey is around 31, and only 9% of the country’s population is over 60.

7. Istanbul (Old Constantinople) was founded on seven hills

Similar to Rome, Istanbul was built on seven hills. However, this wasn’t a coincidence; the Byzantine Empire built the city that way to declare them as the new Rome. All seven hills are historically significant and studded with impressive mosques and gorgeous palaces.

8. The name “turquoise” actually comes from Turkey

Turquoise means ‘Turkish stone’. The beautiful mineral came to Europe from the Orient via Turkey and is one of the oldest

gemstones in history. They were first used as amulets by Turkish soldiers.

9. The national sport of Turkey is oil wrestling

Also known as grease wrestling, oil wrestling is one of the oldest sports in Turkey. When wrestling with oil, the fighters douse themselves with oil beforehand and then face their opponent.

10. There are 82,693 mosques in Turkey

Turkey is home to some of the most beautiful mosques in the world, as about 99% of all Turks are Muslims. One of the most breathtaking mosques in Turkey is the Sultanahmet Mosque, popularly known as the ‘Blue Mosque’ in Istanbul.

11. Turkey is the largest producer of hazelnuts

Turkey supplies approximately 75% of the world’s production of hazelnuts and is thus one of the pillars of the Turkish export market. Mainly due to its favourable weather conditions for hazelnut production, hazelnut fields stretch along the Black Sea coasts of Turkey.

12. Turkey has an impressive self-sufficient agriculture

Agriculture is the main occupation of the majority of the Turkish population, as almost half the country consists of agricultural land. Historians believe that many agricultural systems originated in Turkey. Due to its fruitful soil, favourable climate and plentiful rainfall, in terms of food production, Turkey is one of the few self-sufficient countries in the world.

13. The Turks love their bread

In Turkey, almost every meal comes with fresh bread (ekmek), and the best part of the meal is soaking up the juices and oils of other dishes with your bread. The giving of ekmek is significant in Turkey because, in Islamic belief, bread sustains life. Due to this, bread is never wasted.

14. There are more than 30 ethnic languages in Turkey

Although Turkish is the official language of the country, more than 30 other languages are spoken regularly, including Arabic, Kurmanji and Zazaki to name a few.

15. The “Evil Eye” is the best-selling souvenir

The “Nazar boncuğu”, or “evil eye”, is a stone made from molten glass, iron and copper. A 3000-year old tradition, it is worn to protect the wearer from evil forces. The belief is that the blue colour of the stone has the power to shield from negative energy.

16. We owe coffee to the Turks

Although coffee doesn’t come from Turkey, the Turks brought coffee to Europe in the 16th century. When in Turkey, try their classic mocha coffee, brewed in a cezve, a small copper pot.

17. Turkish women could leave their husbands for coffee

Yes, you read that right. A few hundred years ago, Turkish women had legal grounds to get a divorce if their husbands couldn’t provide them with something as essential as coffee.

18. The Grand Bazaar has more than 3000 stores

The “Kapalı Çarşı” in Istanbul dates back to the 14th century and is now a labyrinth of 61 streets with around 3000 shops – definitely worth a visit.

19. Istanbul Airport is a major aviation hub

All airlines fly to worldwide destinations from Istanbul. Turkish Airlines alone flies to more than 260 destinations.

20. Noah’s Ark allegedly landed on Mount Ararat

Many believe that Noah’s biblical ark arrived on the Ararat volcano. The mountain is beautiful to look at and is home to incredible natural diversity. It’s one of the highlights of the country, so make sure to check it out when you visit.

If you want to experience the stunning sight of these tulips in bloom, make sure you visit Istanbul between late March and April.

Turkey also introduced cherries and coffee to Europe. So if you love a morning coffee, you have the Turks to thank! In fact, Turkish coffee was so important that Turkish women had the legal right to leave their husbands if they couldn’t provide them with coffee. Coffee was considered essential. I agree, I need my morning coffee.

In addition to cherries and  coffee, Turkey has an incredible amount of foods and cuisines to try. They have so many of their own foods that they export much more than import produce. Turkish cuisine is a mix of Central Asian, Balkan, Middle Eastern, and Mediterranean cuisines, which results in a delicious array of foods.

Other Facts

Interesting facts about Turkey

The Garden of Eden in the Book of Genesis was said to be watered by a river which separated into four streams as it left the garden; two of them the Tigris (Dicle) and Euphrates (Firat) rise from the mountains of Eastern Turkey.
Early Christians escaping from Roman persecutions found shelter in Cappadocia.
The Seven Churches of Apocalypse are all situated in the Aegean region of Anatolia; Ephesus, Smyrna (Izmir), Pergamum, Thyatira (Nazilli), Sardis, Philadelphia (Alasehir) and Laodicea.
Sultan Beyazit II dispatched the Ottoman Navy to bring the Jewish people who were expelled from Spain in 1492 and they were brought safely to the Ottoman lands.
Istanbul has the historical building of Sirkeci Train Station. This was the last stop of the Simplon-Orient Express – “king of trains and train of kings” – between Paris and Constantinople from 1883 to 1977. Agatha Christie was one of the passengers of this famous train.
The number of species of flowers in Turkey is approximately 9,000, of which 3,000 are endemic. In Europe for instance there are 11,500 species. This shows the richness of the fauna and the flora in Anatolia.
According to the figures of 2000, there are about 9,000

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