EARLY AGES
The history of Turkey tells of a 10,000 year-old civilisation. Anatolia is a melting
pot where cultures from Sumer, Babylon and Assyria interacted for centuries
with peoples such as the Hattis, Hittites and Hourrites. The result was a unique
Anatolian civilisation which has long inspired the thoughts and legends of the
West. The ancient Bronze Age witnessed the establishment of the first
independent city states. At that time, the centre and southeast of Anatolia were
inhabited by the indigenous Hattis.
THE LEGENDARY TROY
Troy was founded around 3000 BC, and played a major role in the importation of tin, vital
for the production of bronze.
THE HITTITES ARRIVE
The Hittites arrived in Anatolia towards the second millennium BC. They absorbed much
of the Babylonian civilisation and long enjoyed a
monopoly of iron in Asia. This, combined with the use of the chariot, gave the Hittites a
military superiority over Egypt and other Mesopotamian states. The victorious raid
against Babylon in 1590 BC was the climax of the first Hittite empire, followed by a
period of decline. Then, in the first half of the fourteenth century, came a revival of
power. This second era saw a Hittite hegemony snatching from the shores of the
Mediterranean to the Persian Gulf
MITANNI KINGDOM
The Mitanni kingdom was a contemporary and the enemy of the Hittites. It was founded
by the Hourrites, a people originally from the South Caspian Sea. The Hourrites
exercised considerable influence over the religion of the Hittites, and spread the use of
two-wheel chariots and the breeding of horses throughout the Near East.
THE URARTIAN STATE
At the beginning of the first millennium BC, the Urartus created a unified state whose
territory extended from the Caucasus to Lake Urmiya, with its capital in the present city
of Van. The Urartus were masters in hydraulic works and skilled in irrigation, drainage
and the construction of canals and artificial lakes. They were also known for their horse
breeding and formidable cavalry.
THE PHRYGIANS AND KING MIDAS
The Phrygians (750-300 BC) settled in Central and Western Anatolia, in the AfyonAnkara-Eskisehir triangle, declaring Gordion on the Sakarya river to be their capital.
Their civilisation met its apogee in the second half of the 8th century BC, under the
famous King Midas whom, according to the mythology, Apollo ridiculed by having him
grow ears of a donkey, and whom Dionysus invested with the power to turn everything
he touched into gold. Gordion fell to Persian domination around 550 BC and was
liberated in 333 BC by Alexander the Great.
THE LYDIANS INVENT M O N E Y - SARDES
Around East of Izmir in Sardes, lived another people, the Lydians, thought to have
invented money between 800 and 650 BC. In the 6th century BC, Croesus, the King of
Lydia, agreed with the advancing Persians to divide Anatolia along the river Kızılırmak.
The Persians, however, did not keep this commitment and continued to encroach on
Lydian territory. They remained the sovereign power in Anatolia until the arrival of
Alexander the Great in 333 BC.
ANATOLIA CHANGES HANDS AGAIN - PERGAMON
After the death of Alexander the Great, Anatolia became the hub of the Seleucid Empire.
Pergamon (Bergama) grew at the expense of its neighbours, and snatched part of
Phrygia in 241 BC. The kingdom became prodigiously rich, the emporium of Anatolia
and a brilliant intellectual centre.
THE ROMAN PERIOD BEGINS
The Roman period of Anatolia began with the death of King Attalus III of Pergamon
(Bergama) who willed his country to the Romans because he had no direct heir. Anatolia
then lived through a period of peace and prosperity, particularly in the 1st and 2nd
centuries AD. The pax Romana proved to be an extraordinary period of urban
development. Ephesus served as the seat of the Roman governor of Asia and as a great
commercial and cultural centre
THE ERA OF EASTERN ROMAN EMPIRE
The era of Roman Empire is an essential chapter in the history of the region. In 330, Constantine,
the Roman emperor, transferred his capital from Rome to Roman Empire. Roman Empire, at that
time a small city founded 1,000 years earlier by Greeks on the shores of the Strait was henceforth
called Constantinople. The centre of the Empire thereafter became the Orient, in particular Anatolia,
inhabited by the descendants of Hattis, Hittites, Phrygians, Greeks and others. Roman Empire
became the Eastern Roman Empire; its official religion was proclaimed to be Christianity in 380 and
in 392 paganism was banned. In 476, Rome collapsed and Constantinople remained the sole
capital of the empire. Roman Empire was both a state and a civilisation, built along the lines of the
Roman state, the Greek culture and the Christian faith. The emperor enjoyed divine power and
relied heavily on the Church.
Roman Empire knew its first golden age under Justinian. One thousand years of Roman
jurisprudence were gathered together in four volumes, a work which had a lasting influence for
many centuries. Justinian was also a great builder. The Basilica of Hagia Sophia (Ayasofya) (AD
532-7) was constructed during his reign. The history of Roman Empire is one of alternating periods
of glory and decay, of religious dissent, of conflicts and wars with Persians, Arabs, Seljuks,
Ottomans and peoples of the North.
By the 13th century, Roman Empire was drawing her final breath. After the mortal wound of 1204,
when the Crusaders occupied Constantinople, sacked the city, forced the emperor to leave and
established a Latin kingdom, she was a small state. Bulgaria declared her independence and a new
maritime power, Venice took for herself the whole Aegean complex of islands. In 1261, the
Byzantines had regained possession of their capital, but there were new threats.
SELJUK AND OTTOMAN TURKS
In the 11th century, under their leader Tugrul, the Seljuk Turks founded the
dynasty of great Seljuks reigning in Iran, Iraq and Syria. In 1071, his
nephew Alp Arslan defeated the Byzantines in Malazgirt, near Lake Van.
The doors of Anatolia were thus opened to the Turks, and Anatolia went
through a profound transformation ethnically, politically, and in the religious,
linguistic and cultural spheres. The Seljuk Sultanate in Anatolia continued
until the beginning of the 14th century. The zenith of the Seljuk civilisation
came in the first half of the 13th century with Konya as its political,
economic, religious, artistic and literary centre. The Seljuks created a
centralised administration organised around the Sultan, his ministers and
provincial governors. Science and literature blossomed, as did mystic
poetry. Anatolia was crossed by the great routes linking the east and west,
and many of the caravanserais built along these routes still stand today.
Agriculture, industry and handicrafts expanded and the country was
suddenly rich in mosques, madrasahs (medreses - educational institutions)
and caravanserais (kervansarays - roadside inns
COLLAPSE OF THE SELJUK SULTANATE
The Seljuk Sultanate collapsed due to internal dissent and Mongol invasions. Anatolia
was again fragmented into rival independent principalities, one of which came under
Ottoman rule. Anatolia, though divided, had been united by language, religion and race,
offering an opportunity for statesmanship and courage. This would be the task of Osman
and his successors.
THE OTTOMAN EMPIRE GAINS GROUND
In 1296, Osman declared himself the independent Sultan of the region near Bursa he
had hitherto held in fief, and founded the
Ottoman State. During the rule of his son Orhan, Bursa and Iznik were captured and
soon the whole south-eastern coast of Marmara was under Ottoman control. The many
conquests and diplomatic successes of Orhan were not the only achievements of his
reign. He had encouraged and promoted art, literature, science and commerce. He also
established a regular standing army, known as the Janissaries. Well paid and
disciplined, the Janissaries provided the new Ottoman state with a patriotic force of
trained soldiers.
Built upon such solid foundations, the Ottoman Empire spread apace. In the reign of
Murat, this expansion was still in a westerly direction and it was not until the frontiers
were extended to the Adriatic, the Danube and Thessaly, that the Sultan turned his
attention towards Eastern Anatolia Now that his rule was established in Europe and
Asia, Beyazit turned towards Constantinople in 1402. The city was almost within Iris
grasp when he was called to meet me westward march of Timurlane which delayed the
conquest of Istanbul for several decades.
In 1453, under Mehmet the Conqueror, the Ottomans took Constantinople, a
momentous event for the whole world and a great feat of arms. But the banner of
Ottoman success was to be raised much higher and by the late l6th century the
Ottomans were deep into Europe. In the following centuries, however, the Ottoman
Empire lost its momentum, entered a period of stagnation and then gradually a period of
decline.
WORLD WAR ONE
The final blow to the Empire came with the First World War, during which The
Ottoman Empire was on the losing side with Germany. Great Britain reversed the
policy she had followed until then, and undertook with France, Russia and Italy,
forming the Allied Forces. At the end of the war in 1918, the Ottoman government,
under the occupation of the Allied Forces, choose not to further resist a peace
treaty embodying the partition of Turkey.
THE VISIONS OF ATATÜRK AND REPUBLIC OF TURKEY
Against this challenge, the Turkish nation engaged in
a struggle to restore her territorial integrity and
independence, to repulse foreign aggressors, to
create a new state, to disassociate Turkey from the
crumbling Ottoman dynasty, to eradicate an old and
decrepit order and to build a modern country
dedicated to political, social and economic progress.
This was the vision of Atatürk, a general in the
Ottoman army who had distinguished himself in the
defence of Gallipoli (Çanakkale) against the Naval
Forces of Britain, France, Australia and New Zealand.
The Ottoman victory over the Allies at Gallipoli
renewed Turkey's visions for the empire Atatürk
wanted a clean break with the past, to unite the
nation in the quest for modernism and to lift Turkey to
the level of European countries. On October 29 1923,
the republic was proclaimed and Atatürk was elected
president. Secularism was established by separating
religious and state affairs. The Latin alphabet
replaced the Arabic script and women were given the
right to vote and to be elected as members of
parliament. These reforms, as well as many others in
all aspects of social life, put Turkey on the track
towards becoming a thoroughly modern country.
A PROUD NATION
When Atatürk died in 1938, he left a legacy of which the Turkish people today are proud.
A nation that had regained confidence in itself after the independence war; a society
determined to preserve the political, intellectual, cultural and social values he had
bequeathed. The Turkish Republic has now been a member of the international
community for over 80 years. During this period, great changes have occurred and many
difficulties have been encountered. But the country remains firmly attached to the
policies initiated by Ataturk. It has established a democratic multi-party political system,
developed a vibrant civil society, and embarked on the path of industrialisation and
market economy. It has consolidated its ties with the west and with the European Union
through membership in NATO and the Council of Europe and Customs Union. These
trends mark a radical change from the days of the Ottoman Empire. Yet there is also
continuity. The Turks have inherited both from the Islamic past and their Ottoman past.
They have also inherited from their western past, as well as forming a part of the
Western present. All these heritages, Eastern and Western, Asian and European, are
intermingled in the civilisation of modem Turkey. A symbol of this union is the two
bridges that span the Istanbul Strait, linking the two continents with many pasts and one
future.
TURKISH LIFESTYLE
Turkish lifestyle is a vivid mosaic; juxtaposing the
West and the East, the modern and the ancient
Life in Turkey is a rich variety of cultures and traditions,
some dating back centuries and others or more recent
heritage. The visitor to Turkey will find a great deal that
is exotic, and also much that is reassuringly familiar.
The intriguing blend of East and West makes up the
Turkish lifestyle.
LANGUAGE
The official language of the country, Turkish is
spoken by 220 million people and is the world's
5th most widely used language. Today's
Turkish has evolved from dialects known since
the 11th century and is one of the group of
languages known as Ural-Altaic which includes
Finnish and Hungarian.
Turkish is written with the Latin alphabet with the addition of 6 different
characters. Turkish is completely phonetic - each letter of the alphabet has only
one sound-, so each word sounds exactly how it is written. During Ottoman
times Turkish was written in Arabic script, that a limited number of people were
able to write. In order to improve literacy and therefore to overcome the
difficulties of learning and reading Turkish using Arabic script, Turkey switched
to the Latin alphabet following the initiative started by Atatürk in 1928.
,
English has replaced French and German as the chief
secondary language taught in school and is becoming
more widespread. English is widely spoken and
understood by many throughout Turkey. German,
Russian and French are also spoken especially in
popular holiday destinations.
RELIGION
Although 99% of the population is Muslim, religion is seen as strictly a private matter in
Turkey. In fact, Turkey is the only secular country in Islamic world. Secularism is
enshrined in the constitution that religion has no place whatsoever in governing of the
country. Like other European countries, the weekly holiday is Sunday - not Friday as
many are mistaken- and the Gregorian calendar is used in Turkey. The constitution
secures the freedom of belief and worshiping. During the time of the Ottoman Empire,
people of many different faiths lived together in peace, and since then this diversity
has been preserved. Today there are 236 churches and 34 synagogues open for
worship in Turkey.
Tourists visiting Turkey are unlikely to
see much evidence that they are in a
Muslim country, except for the call to
prayer which can be heard 5 times a
day. People wear contemporary
dresses like any western country, and
especially in big cities and popular
holiday destinations, one can easily
spot many who are closely observing
fashion of Paris, London, Milan. There
is probably no difference between the
way in which people dress in especially
large cities in Turkey and the rest of
Europe.
It is only in smaller villages, more remote areas and the east of the country that
dress codes are more local. It is quite common for village women to wear
headscarves but this is generally as much out of practical and cultural than religious
considerations.
.
The only time when you need to worry about dress codes is when visiting a mosque.
Everyone should wear clothes which cover their legs, so no shorts for either sex.
Women should also make sure that their shoulders and head are covered. Shoes should
be removed before entering a mosque. There is usually a rack or storage area where
they can be left or you can carry them with you in a bag. Mosques are usually closed to
visitors during prayer times.
,
HOSPITALITY
Visitors to Turkey are often pleasantly
surprised by the friendliness of the
Turkish people, who will go out of their
way to assist and happily spend time
chatting. Hospitality is a cornerstone
of Turkish culture, and Turks believe
that visitors should be treated as
“Guests sent by God”. This attitude
has survived to the 21st century and
does not appear to have been
diminished by mass tourism. In fact,
quite the reverse, most Turks welcome
the opportunity to meet foreign
visitors, learn about different cultures
and practice their language skills. It is
usual for Turks - even the men - to
greet each other by kissing on both
cheeks. As a tradition, Turkish people
treat their national flag as sacred.
Therefore one should avoid insulting
or showing disrespect to the Turkish
flag.
FOOD
Turkish cuisine is renowned as one
of the world's best. It is considered to
be one of the three main cuisines of
the world because of the variety of its
recipes, its use of natural
ingredients, its flavours and tastes
which appeal to all palates and its
influence throughout Europe, Asia,
the Middle East and Africa. The
cuisine originated in central Asia, the
first home of the Turks, and then
evolved with the contributions of the
inland and Mediterranean cultures
with which Turks interacted after their
arrival in Anatolia.
Turkish cuisine is in a sense a bridge between far-Eastern and Mediterranean
cuisines, with the accent always on enhancing the natural taste and flavour of
the ingredients. There is no one dominant element in Turkish cuisine, like sauces
in French and pasta in Italian cuisines.
While the Palace cuisine was developing in İstanbul, local cuisines in Anatolia were
multiplying in several regions, all displaying different geographical and climactic
characteristics. These cuisines, after remaining within regional borders for centuries,
are now being transplanted to the big cities and their suburbs as a consequence of
large scale urbanisation and migration towards new urban centres. As a result, the
national Turkish cuisine has been enriched by the contribution of a great number of
local recipes.
Turkey is self-sufficient in food production and produces enough for export as well.
This means that Turkish food is usually made from fresh, local ingredients and is all
the tastier for it.
A main meal will usually start with soup and the meze, a variety of small cold and hot
dishes which are made for sharing.
In many restaurants a waiter will bring these round on a tray for you to inspect and make
your choice. Tarama salad, cacik (taziki), dolma (vine leaves or peppers stuffed with
rice), börek (pastries) , arnavut ciğeri (cubes of fried liver) are amongst the many types
of mezes found in most of the restaurants.
The main course is usually meat or fish. Turks always eat bread with their meal and
main courses are usually served with rice. Typically çoban salatası, a salad made of
tomato, cucumber, parsley and onion, dressed with olive oil and lemon juice, will be
offered as a side dish. Lamb is the most popular meat and prepared in a variety of ways,
including “şiş kebap” (grilled cubes of seasoned meat on skewer). “Köfte”, which are like
small lamb burgers are well worth trying. Those who prefer something hot and spicy
should try “Adana kebap”, which is made of minced lamb but with the addition of hot
peppers and spices formed around a flat skewer. There are numerous variations and
regional specialities of kebap.
Somewhat rich but very tasty, is the İskender or Bursa kebab, named respectively after
Alexander the Great and the town in which it is originated, which is slices of döner meat
laid over small bites of a freshly cooked flat bread and covered with tomato sauce and
hot butter all served with yoghurt. Turks traditionally are fond of stews called sulu yemek
or ev yemeği (home cook) and therefore there are many restaurants offering these foods
which are usually displayed in the entrance of the restaurant in large containers.
Fish and seafood restaurants are widely found in Istanbul, in the other big cities and in
the coastal resorts. Mostly fish is simply grilled to bring out its natural flavour and there is
a wide variety of seafood meze including midye tava (fried mussels), kalamar (calamari),
midye dolma (mussels in shells stuffed with seasoned rice). It is worth asking for
recommendations but some of the tastiest are levrek (sea bass), çupra (sea bream) and
kalkan (turbot). Fish is also sold by weight in specialist restaurants where some
customers prefer to make their choice from the fishes offered on a large display.
GEOGRAPHY
Turkey is a vast peninsula, covering an area of 814,578 square kilometres or 314,510
square miles and linking Asia to Europe through the Sea of Marmara and the Straits of
Istanbul and Çanakkale. Across the Sea of Marmara, the triangular shaped Trace is the
continuation of Turkey on the European continent. Anatolia is rectangular in outline,
1500 kilometres long and 550 kilometres wide.
It is characterised by a central plateau surrounded
by chains of mountains on the north, west and
south and a rugged mountainous region in the
east with an average elevation of 1050 metres. In
the west, the mountains descend gently towards
the sea. The northern Anatolia mountain range,
and the Taurus range in the south, stretches like
arcs, becoming ever denser in the east. Turkey's
highest mountain peak at 5165 metres or 16,946
feet is Ağrı Dağı (Mount Ararat), situated in the
north east. It is believed to have been the resting
place for Noah's Ark.
Turkey has a quite large river system
that allows for important hydroelectric
power generation and irrigation. The
country's longest rivers, the Sakarya,
the Kızılırmak and the Yeşilırmak, flow
from the Central Anatolia towards the
Black Sea.
Seyhan River
Turkey has over 300 natural and 130
artificial lakes. In terms of numbers of
lakes, the Eastern Anatolian region is the
richest including Lake Van, (the largest of
the country with its 3,713 square kilometres
surface), and the lakes of Ercek, Cildir and
Hazar.
The famous Dicle (Tigris) and Firat
(Euphrates) flow from the eastern
Anatolia south into Syria and Iraq.
Four other rivers: the Büyük
Menderes and Gediz flow from the
Anatolian Plateau into the Aegean
Sea; the Meric, which forms the
border between Turkey and Greece;
and the Seyhan, which runs from
the eastern highlands all the way
into the Mediterranean, all round out
the major rivers of Turkey.
There are also many lakes in the
West Taurus Mountains area: the
Beysehir and Egirdir lakes, Burdur
and Acigoller lakes. The lakes of
Sapanca, Iznik, Ulubat, Manyas,
Terkos, Kucukcekmece and
Buyukcekmece are in Marmara
region, and the second largest lake of
Turkey, Tuzgolu and The lakes of
Aksehir and Eber are located in the
Central Anatolia region. A number of
dams have been constructed during
the past thirty years, which have
resulted in the formation of several
large dam lakes including the Atatürk,
Keban and Karakaya.
Turkey is like a mosaic made up of many different reliefs and
formations: parallel mountain ranges, extinct volcanoes, plateaux
fissured by valleys and plains.
Surrounded on its three sides by warm seas,Turkey falls in the temperate climate zone.
The climate varies considerably however from region to region: a temperate climate in
the Black Sea Region, a Mediterranean climate on the southern coast and the Aegean, a
continental and arid climate on the central plateau and a harsh mountain climate in
eastern Turkey. Because of these variations in climate, the fauna and flora are some of
the richest in Europe and the Middle East.
Turkey is separated into seven geographical regions, which are, in order of size: East
Anatolia (21 %), Central Anatolia (20%), Black Sea (18%), Mediterranean (15%),
Aegean (10%), Marmara (8.5%) and Southeast Anatolia (7.5%).
There are more than 10,000 species of plants in Turkey, 20% of which are found only
in these lands. The abundant rainfall in the Black Sea region allows the growth of rich
forest vegetation. The Çanakkale Strait forms a transition between the Black Sea and
the Aegean regions and therefore has a mixture of temperate and Mediterranean type
of vegetation. Thrace has fine forests which are subject to the continental influence of
the Balkans.
The coasts of the Aegean and
the Mediterranean, from the
Çanakkale Strait to the Gulf of
İskenderun, have typically
Mediterranean vegetation
which extends to the plains
and western slopes of
mountains as high as 1000
metres. The southern coast
has very hot and dry summers
and the vegetation in some
places is subtropical with
banana trees and date palms.
In the Taurus Mountains, the
vegetation consists of pine
and cedar forests, with even
junipers at higher altitudes.
Central and eastern Anatolia
are isolated from all maritime
influence by mountains.
Turkey has a great variety of wild animals, with over 114 species of mammals. The
forest belt in the north is home to grey hears and in the south to wild goats. Sea turtles
and seals play in the waters of the Mediterranean and the Aegean, just as in other parts
of the world, some species have become extinct or on the verge of extinction such as
the wild Asian donkeys, lions and tigers. Some 400 species of indigenous or migratory
birds live in Turkey, some of which are extinct in Europe such as the black vulture.
Turkey is an important stopover for birds migrating between Africa, Asia and Europe,
with the predatory birds stop in these places before continuing on Istanbul Strait and
Artvin being the preferred sites. According to the International Office of Aquatic Birds
and Areas, there are some 800 aquatic species in Turkey spanning sixty different
areas. The shores of Lake Manyas near Balıkesir are home to over 200 species of
indigenous or migratory aquatic birds. This lake is considered to be one of Europe s
richest aquatic bird centres.
TURKISH ART AND CULTURE
Turkey has a very ancient folk dance
tradition which varies from region to
region, each dance being colourful,
rhythmic, elegant and stylish. The
following are among the most popular:
“Çayda Çıra” from the Sivas region in
Central Anatolia is performed by young
girls dressed in silver and gold
embroidered kaftans who dance in the
dark with lighted candles in their hands.
In the “Silifke Yoğurdu” from the Mersin region in
the South Mediterranean, dancers click wooden
spoons together above their heads. “Şeyh Şamil"
from the Kars region in the East, is a beautifully
dramatised legend of a Caucasian hero. "Kılıç
Kalkan” is an epic dance performed with swords
and shields from the region of Bursa, and “Zeybek”
from Izmir is another epic and vigorous folk dance
performed, by male dancers who bang their knees
on the floor in between steps.
Turkish music evolved from the original folk
form into classical through the emergence of
a Palace culture. It attained its highest point
in the 16th century through the composer
“Itri”. Great names in Turkish classical music
include “Dede Efendi”, “Hacı Arif Bey” and
“Tamburi Cemil Bey”. It is a form that
continues to be professionally performed
and one that attracts large audiences.
Turkish music, locally called Turkish
Classical Music, is a variation of the national
musical tradition, played with instruments
such as the tambur, kanun, ney and ud.
Turkish theatre is thought to have originated
from the popular Karagöz shadow plays, a
cross between moralistic Punch and Judy
and the slapstick Laurel and Hardy. It then
developed along an oral tradition, with plays
performed in public places, such as coffee
houses and gardens, exclusively by male
actors.
LITERATURE
Literature has long been an important component of Turkish cultural life, reflecting the
history of the people, their legends, their mysticism, and the political and social
changes that affected this land throughout its long history. The oldest literary legacy of
the pre-Islamic period are the Orhon inscriptions in northern Mongolia, written in 735
on two large stones in honour of a Turkish king and his brother. During the Ottoman
period, the prevailing literary form was poetry, the dominant dialect was Anatolian or
Ottoman, and the main subject beauty and romance. The Ottoman Divan literature
was highly influenced by Persian culture and written in a dialect which combined
Arabic, Persian and Turkish. Separate from the aristocratic Divan literature, folk
literature continued to dominate Anatolia where troubadour-like poets celebrated
nature, love and God in simple Turkish language. Towards the 20th century, the
language of Turkish literature became simpler and more political and social in
substance. The great and politically controversial poet, Nazım Hikmet, inspired by the
Russian poet Mayakowski, introduced free verse in the late 1930s. Nowadays, the
irrefutable master of the Turkish popular novel is Yaşar Kemal, with his authentic,
colourful and forceful description of Anatolian life. Young Turkish writers tend to go
beyond the usual social issues, preferring to tackle problems such as feminism and
aspects of die East-West dichotomy which continues to fascinate Turkish intellectuals.
ABOUT TURKEY
The only city in the world
located on two continents is
Istanbul, which has been the
capital of three great empires,
Roman, Byzantine and
Ottoman for more than 2,000
years.
The world’s oldest known
settlement is in
Catalhoyuk in central
Anatolia, Turkey, and
dates back to 6,500 BC.
The Virgin Mary spent
her last days in Selcuk,
İzmir, near the ancient
city of Ephesus.
Homer (Homeros) was
born in Izmir on the west
coast of Turkey and he
depicted Troy, which is
north of Izmir, in his Epic
the Iliad.
Julius Caesar proclaimed his
celebrated words “Veni. Vedi, Veci”
(I came, I saw, I conquered) in
Turkey when he defeated Pontus,
a formidable Kingdom in the Black
Sea Region of Turkey.
The famous Trojan
Wars took place in
western Turkey,
around the site where
a wooden model of
the Trojan Horse has
been erected at the
site.
The first known
University in history is
in Harran, Southeast
Turkey.
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).
One of the
seven wonders,
The Temple of
Artemis at
Ephesus (today
only base ruins
remained in
Selcuk, Izmir)
One of the seven
wonders, The
Mausoleum at
Halicarnassus today
only base ruins
remained in
Bodrum, Mugla.
According to the
Legend of Great
Flood, after the
withdrawal of the
waters, Noah's Ark
landed on Mount Ağrı
in eastern Anatolia.
Anatolia is the
birthplace of many
historical figures
such as the
Phrygian King
Midas, the father of
history Herodotus
and St Paul
One of the first most
accurate world maps
were drawn by the
well-known Turkish
cartographer and
navigator Piri Reis in
16th century.
Contrary to popular
opinion, tulip originated
not in Holland but on the
Asian steppes. The Turks
first gave the Dutch their
famous tulips that started
the craze for the flower in
England and the
Netherlands. There is a
period of elegance and
amusement in 17th
century is named "The
Tulip Age" in Ottoman
Empire.
The Seven
Churches referred in
the Book of
Revelation are all
found in Turkey:
Ephesus, Smyrna,
Pergamum, Thyatira,
Sardis, Philadelphia
and Laodicea.
The most valuable
silk carpet in the
world is in the
Mevlana Museum in
Konya, Turkey.
Marco Polo's
journeys in the
thirteenth centuries
took him here, and
he remarked that
the "best and
handsomest of
rugs" were to be
found in Turkey.
Göbekli Tepe
/Sanliurfa is the oldest
human-made place of
worship yet
discovered.Dated to
7500 - 6000 BC.
The number of
archaeological
excavations going on
in Turkey every year
is at least 150.
The Amazons
originated in
Turkey's
Northeastern
region.