About Turkey

Turkey, a country of sun, history and culture, lies in the point where Europe and Asia meet. Because of its geographical location, the mainland Anatolia was the home of countless civilizations and witnessed the mass migration of diverse people shaping the course of history. As an ancient land and modern nation, Turkey today holds and protects the common past of all people.

Fascinating Facts About Turkey’s Rich Heritage

• Istanbul is the only city in the world located on two continents - Europe and Asia. During its 2500-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 in Bodrum.
• St. Nicholas, known as Santa Claus today, was born and lived in Demre (Myra) on Turkey's Mediterranean coast. The village has 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 in the 17th century.
• Many archeologists and biblical scholars believe Noah's Ark landed on 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.
• 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 Marcus Antonius to Cleopatra.
• The number of archaeological excavations going on in Turkey every year are 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.
• Leonardo da Vinci drew designs for a bridge over the Bosphorus, the strait that flows through Europe and Asia. (Although da Vinci’s bridge was never built, there are now two bridges over the Bosphorus similar to his design.)