Istanbul is the only city in the world located on two continents - Europe and Asia. During its 2,500-year history, it has been the capital of the Roman, Byzantine, and Ottoman Empires.
Two of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World stood in Turkey - the Temple of Artemis at Ephesus and the Mausoleum at Halicarnassus, Bodrum.
St. Nicholas, known as Santa Claus today, was born and lived in Demre (Myra) on Turkey's Mediterranean coast. The village contains the famous Church of St. Nicholas, which contains the sarcophagus believed to be his tomb.
The first man ever to fly was Turkish. Using two wings, Hezarfen Ahmet Celebi flew from the Galata Tower over the Bosphorus to land in Usküdar in the 17th century.
Many archeologists and biblical scholars believe Noah's Ark landed on Agri Dagi (Mount Ararat) in eastern Turkey.
The famous Trojan War took place in western Turkey, around the site where a wooden statue of the Trojan Horse rests today.
Turks introduced coffee to Europe.
According to Turkish tradition, a stranger at one's doorstep is considered "a guest from God," and should be accommodated accordingly.
Julius Caesar issued his celebrated proclamation, Veni, Vidi, Vici (I came, I saw, I conquered), in Turkey upon defeating the Pontus, a formidable kingdom in the Black Sea region of Turkey.
Alexander the Great conquered a large territory in what is now Turkey, and also cut the Gordion Knot in the Phrygian capital (Gordium), not far from Turkey's present-day capital (Ankara).
Aesop - famous all over the world for his fables and parables - was born in Anatolia.
Homer was born in Izmir on the west coast of Turkey. He depicted Troy in his epic Iliad.
Part of Turkey's southwestern shore was a wedding gift from Marc Antony to Cleopatra.
The number of archaeological excavations going on in Turkey every year is at least 150.
Writing was first used by people in ancient Anatolia. The first clay tablets - in the ruins of Assyrian Karum (a merchant colony) - date back to 1950 B.C.
The last home of the Virgin Mary is in Selçuk, Turkey.
Leonardo da Vinci drew designs for a bridge over the Bosphorus, the strait that flows through Europe and Asia. (Although da Vincis bridge was never built, there are now two bridges over the Bosphorus.)
In 1492, Sultan Beyazid II, after learning about the expulsion of Jews, dispatched the Ottoman Navy to bring them safely to the Ottoman lands.
Likewise, Jews expelled from Hungary in 1376, from Sicily early in the 15th century, from Bavaria in 1470, from Bohemia in 1542, and from Russia in 1881, 1891, 1897, and 1903 all took refuge in the Ottoman Empire.
As was the case during the Bolshevik revolution, Turkey served as a safe passage and haven for those fleeing their native countries during World War II.
Turkey was one of the few countries in the world to welcome Jewish refugees escaping the horrors of Nazism.
During the Gulf War in 1991, Turkey welcomed nearly half a million Kurds from Northern Iraq. The Kurds were fleeing the danger posed by Saddam Husseins regime.
Turkey provided homes for some 313,000 Bulgarian refugees of Turkish origin when they were expelled from their homelands in Bulgaria in 1989.
Troy Festival, Çanakkale
The province of Çanakkale lies on both sides of the Dardanelles which connects the Sea of Marmara to the Aegean Sea. It touches both Europe on the Gelibolu (Gallipoli) Peninsula and Asia on the Biga Peninsula, and there are regular ferries between the two sides.
The Çanakkale Marina, besides those of Karabiga, Gelibolu, Bozcaada and Kuçukkuyu, hosts the colorful yachts which pass through the strait and make a stopover at Çanakkale, to see this historical and mythological rich area, homeland of many widely known legends. It is the nearest passenger terminal to Troy for cruise ships. Çanakkale has a nice archaeological museum celebrating finds made in the surrounding area, including Troy.
The tale of Troy is told by Homer in the Iliad and the Odyssey. Homer was drawing on a vast cycle of stories about Trojan War. The Iliad includes a few weeks in the tenth year of the war. Troy stood near the Dardanelles. There was no dispute about its location: the Dardanelles, the islands of Imbros, Samothrace and little Tenedos, Mount Ida to the south east, the plain and the river Scamander. It was an ancient city an its inhabitants were known as Teucrians or Dardanians but also as Trojans or Ilians. For more information and photos, enjoy the photos of alumni who made the recent Turkey Tour and stopped in Troy.
Burdur Festival - Burdur
Burdur is a small province in the hinterland of Anatolia, of interest for its natural beauty and historical remains dating as early as 6000 BC. The thermal resorts are also attractive for those who like spas. The most appealing feature of Burdur is Insuyu, reputedly the second largest cave in the world. It is 12 kilometers from Burdur. There are millions of stalactites and stalagmites as well as nine pools in the cave (597 m long) and it is enjoyable for cruising through in little boats.
Haci Bektaş Veli Commemoration Ceremony - Sogut
The life of Haci Bektaş Veli is shrouded in mystery. All that is known are stories and legends passed down by word of mouth until they were written down several centuries after his death in a book entitled The Velayetname by a Bektaşi dervish. It is believed that Haci Bektaş was descended from the Caliph Ali (Alevi means those who follow in the footsteps of Ali), and his date of birth is given variously as 1209 and 1247. The Velayetname tells us that Haci Bektaş came from Nishapur in Turkistan, where he was a student of Lokman Perende, one of the followers of Ahmed Yesevi. He later migrated to Anatolia, where he settled in Sulucakarahöyük and began to spread the teachings of the Alevi mystic tradition in Turkey.
Every year on 16, 17 and 18 August, thousands of people flock to Cappadocia from Bulgaria, Albania and other Balkan countries. Teams of Alevi semah dancers from different regions and in colourful costumes perform these ceremonial dances, each of which represents a separate thread in the rich cultural tapestry.
These teachings, which came to be known as Bektaşi, address the heart, and urge friendship and humility instead of strife. Much later his teachings were given systematic form by the 15th-16th century Bektaşi dervish Balim Sultan, and so the Bektaşi dervish order gained its body of tradition over the centuries.
Mengen Chefs Festival - Bolu
Bolu is one of the most enchanting areas of Turkey, located approximately half-way between Istanbul and Ankara. Bolu is famous for its dense forests, fauna and modern hot spring facilities.
Mengen is famous for its excellent cooks and holds an annual "Chefs' Festival", featuring many traditional Turkish specialties. Turkish chefs regale local and foreign travel writers and the press with samples of Turkish gastronomical delights.
Pine Grove Ayder Mountain and Archery Festivities - Rize
Rize, on the Black Sea coast, is one of the smallest provinces of Turkey but also one of the most important since it is the tea-industry center with processing and packing factories. The city is built in an area where the bright green tea bushes cover entire mountainsides. Don't miss the opportunity to taste the famous and rare Anzer honey.
popupNews archive
