Interesting Facts

These interesting facts for Turkey are not only useful for writing the odd pub quiz, they also give you an idea of how diverse Turkey really is.

• St. Nicholas, better known as Santa Claus was born in Turkey

• Turkey is home to two of the seven wonders of the ancient world; the Mausoleum at Halicarnassus in Bodrum, and the Temple of Artemis in Ephesus

• The word turquoise comes from the word Turk, meaning Turkish, and derives from the colour of the Mediterranean Sea

• The first man ever to fly was Turkish; in the 17th century, using two wings, Hezarfen Ahmet Celebi flew from the Galata Tower over the Bosphorus strait

• The seven churches mentioned in the Book of Revelation are all found in Turkey: Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia and Laodicea

• Istanbul is the only city located on two continents, and over a period of 25,000 years it has been capital to three empires; namely Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman

• The famous Trojan war occurred in Turkey, commemorated by a wooden horse in the Çanakkale province

• The Turks (very kindly) introduced coffee, and yoghurt, to Europe

• In 2002, Turkey was the world's biggest producer of hazelnuts, figs and apricots

• The world’s first known human settlement is located in Catalhöyük, Turkey, which dates back to 6500BC.

• Turkey is the 37th largest country

• Turkey may well be the birth place of wine – as the Bible describes Noah finding fermented grapes soon after the ark landed on Mount Ararat, and evidence of wine-making from 5,000 years ago was found in the Taurus mountains

• Turkey is ranked 10th in the world for the diversity of minerals produced in the country

• Turkey is, in terms of agricultural production and food stuffs, one of the world's few self-sufficient countries

• The highest point in Turkey is the top of Mount Ararat - which stands at an impressive 5,165 metres (16,946 feet)

• Mount Ararat is actually an inactive volcano, which is said to be the resting place for Noah's Ark!

More information is added periodically so watch this space for more interesting facts for Turkey.