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Facts of Turkey
Here are the top ten facts about Turkey that surprise most people.
1 – Tulips originated from Turkey and not Holland. They were taken to Holland from Turkey in the 16th Century. To see evidence of this, have a look at Islamic art that was made before the 16th century. If purchasing a traditional Turkish carpet then you will also find tulips in many patterns.
2 – St Nicolas otherwise known as Santa Claus originated from Turkey. At the time he was around, the area on the Southern Coast of Turkey was actually Greek.
3 – The patron Saint of England, otherwise known as St George also originated from Turkey. He was born in an area known as Cappodocia and later lived in Palestine. He was a Roman solider however objected to the persecution of Christians by the Romans.
4 – Noah’s ark is said to have landed on Mount Ararat and that is in Turkey. Many archeologists and scientists make their way to this mountain to try to discover remains of the ark.
5 – Istanbul is the only city in the world based on two continents. The largest part is in Asia but there is a small part in Europe. The two parts are divided by the Bosporus straight which is 20 miles long.
6 – The oldest church built by man is located in Antalya and is called St Peters Church. Today the church is a museum, however it is still possible to hold services with special permission.
7 – The Turkish language has only been around for 85 years. Before this period, everyone was speaking Arabic. Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, who was the founder of Turkey instructed scholars to come up with a new language and tasked them with teaching it to everyone in the country within six months.
8– In the late 1950’s a nun was having dreams about the last resting place of the virgin Mary. She directed archaeologists to a house high up in the mountains of Selcuk.
1 – Tulips originated from Turkey and not Holland. They were taken to Holland from Turkey in the 16th Century. To see evidence of this, have a look at Islamic art that was made before the 16th century. If purchasing a traditional Turkish carpet then you will also find tulips in many patterns.
2 – St Nicolas otherwise known as Santa Claus originated from Turkey. At the time he was around, the area on the Southern Coast of Turkey was actually Greek.
3 – The patron Saint of England, otherwise known as St George also originated from Turkey. He was born in an area known as Cappodocia and later lived in Palestine. He was a Roman solider however objected to the persecution of Christians by the Romans.
4 – Noah’s ark is said to have landed on Mount Ararat and that is in Turkey. Many archeologists and scientists make their way to this mountain to try to discover remains of the ark.
5 – Istanbul is the only city in the world based on two continents. The largest part is in Asia but there is a small part in Europe. The two parts are divided by the Bosporus straight which is 20 miles long.
6 – The oldest church built by man is located in Antalya and is called St Peters Church. Today the church is a museum, however it is still possible to hold services with special permission.
7 – The Turkish language has only been around for 85 years. Before this period, everyone was speaking Arabic. Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, who was the founder of Turkey instructed scholars to come up with a new language and tasked them with teaching it to everyone in the country within six months.
8– In the late 1950’s a nun was having dreams about the last resting place of the virgin Mary. She directed archaeologists to a house high up in the mountains of Selcuk.
