Did You Know About Turkey?

» UNESCO declares Istanbul, Pamukkale, Mt. Nemrut, Great Mosque of Divrigi, Hattusa, Safranbolu, Goreme Open Air Museum, Hierapolis, Troy, Xanthos and Letoon as World Heritages.

» The four bronze horses of San Marco Cathedral welcoming the guest today in Venice, were taken from Istanbul

» The biggest Open - Air temple of Ancient world found in Urfa - Gobekli Tepe.

» In the Middle Ages, Istanbul had more than 1400 public toilets in the city meanwhile there weren't any even at the palaces in France and other European cities.

» The first landscape picture of the world found on the wall of house at Catalhoyuk, depicted erupting volcano (Mt. Hasan) in Neolithic times (6,500 BCE).

» The First University in History is in Harran, Turkey

» Istanbul, the precious queen of Turkey is the only city on the world spread in both Asia and Europe

» The oldest known human settlement in Turkey is Catalhoyuk (7th Millennium B.C.)

» Hereke which is in the world carpeting literature with the quality of the wool and silk rugs is in Izmit (Kocaeli) Turkey.

» The first church built by man (St. Peter's Church) is in Antioch (Antakya)

» The Hittites sold Abraham the cave where he buried his wife Sarah, when the Israelites came to Palestine.

» The oldest sculpture on the world found in Urfa remains from 13 century BC.

» Kasikci diamond (86 carats) one of the greatest pieces of the world and is displayed in Topkapi Palace.

» Noah's Ark landed on Mt. Ararat (Agri Dagi) in Eastern Turkey.

» The last meal on Noah's Ark, a pudding of sweet and sour taste (Asure), is still served throughout Turkey.

» Tarsus is the birthplace of St. Paul the Apostle.

» Crystal flakes can seen with bare-eyes in Erzurum-Kars region

» The First Ecumenical Council was held in Iznik, Turkey.

» Female goddesses dominated the Central Anatolian pantheon for thousands of years before these supernatural powers were transformed to male gods.

» Ankara cat is famous with two colored eyes and white fur.

» Alexander the Great cut the intricate Gordian knot at the Phrygian capital, Gordion.

» Angora wool derived from Ankara Goats and Rabbits.

» The most valuable silk carpet in the world is in the Mevlana museum in Konya.

» Central Anatolia was home to the capital cities of 3 major empires: the Hittite Empire at Hattusa, the Phrygian Empire of King Midas at Gordion, and the Seljuk Empire at Konya.

» The Million stone at Sultanahmet square Istanbul was the zero point of the world once upon a time.

» Wine was produced in the Cappadocia region as early as 4,000 BCE.

» Three of the 10 remaining mobile mosaic icons of the world and according to the belief of Orthodox, Jesus Christ's cross which he was crucified are in Greek Orthodox Patriarchate

» Sarcophagus of Alexander, First peace treatment of world are exhibits in Istanbul Archeology Museum.

» Hagia Sophia was the biggest cathedral on the world for thousands years and still it is the 4th biggest one.

» First bridge of Bosphorus made by ships tied each other in Persian Invasion at 4th century BC.

» Constantinople was founded on seven hills like Rome.

» The world largest numbers of cave churches are in Cappadocia, many with in-situ frescos.

» The earliest domesticated wheat, Einkorn, can still be found growing wild in Cappadocia.

» Three of the greatest fathers of the Christian Church, Saint Basil, Saint Gregory of Nazianzus, and Saint Gregory of Nyssa, were all Cappadocians.

» Pottery has been making in Avanos for 10,000 years.

» The most famous Dradon Slayer, Saint George was born in Cappadocia and the crusades spread his fame to Europe on their way back to home.

» The Cappadocia region has about 30 known underground cities that could safely hide 100,000 people in troubled times.

» St. Nicholas, also known as Santa Clause, was born in Demre, on Turkey's Mediterranean Coast.

» The Best preserved Roman Theater is located in Aspendos , Antalya.

» Virgin Mary's house where she spent her last days, situated on the top of Bulbul dagi (Ephesus), is considered as a holy place for all religions.

» Some oft he historic legends such as Homer (the poet), King Midas, Herodotus (the father of history) was born in this legend.

» The famous Trojan Wars took place in Truva town.

» Ephesus and Halicarnassus - two of the most famous places of the ancient world - are both in Turkey.

» Seven Churches of Revelation are all in Aegean Region in Turkey (Ephesus, Sardis, Tyatira, Pergamon, Philadelphia, Smyrna, Collosae)

» The Color "Turquoise" comes from the clean see color on the Aegean Cost in Turkey.

» The world's greatest amphora and glass collection is in Bodrum Museum in Bodrum Castle.

» Virgin Mary's House in Ephesus is visited by Pope the 6th Paul and Pope Jean Paul as well.

» Lydia which is one of the greatest civilization lived in Anatolia has still got some remainings around Salihli (Sardis) and it's the first civilization which coined money.

» The philosopher Aristotales lived in Assos for three years.

» Julius Caesar proclaimed his celebrated words, "Veni, Vidi, Vici (I came, I saw, I conquered)" in North Anatolia when he defeated the Pontus, a formidable kingdom in the Black Sea region of Turkey.

» On Black sea region has more then 100 un-named and 200 different endemic plants in flora.

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