Turkey is a country in the Middle East and southeastern Europe. It has borders with Greece, Bulgaria, Georgia, Armenia, Iran and Iraq. Turkey’s landscape varies from mountains to deserts to forests and beaches.
The capital of Turkey is Ankara and its largest city is Istanbul. Turkey has had an interesting history including wars with Russia as well as some pretty impressive exports such as carpets and leather goods.
What is Turkey known for? Turkey is a country that is known for its food, culture and a rich history that can be seen in its architecture. Turkey is home to some of the most fascinating and diverse natural landscapes in the world. The country has an astounding number of different types of terrain, including mountains, forests, rivers, lakes and deserts. Turkey’s weather varies depending on where you are located; it can be hot during summer (35°C) but cold during winter (0°C).
Here are 21 things that you may not know about this unique country!
Ankara
The capital of Turkey is Ankara, which was once home to the Hittites. It has an interesting collection of museums which includes the Museum Of Anatolian Civilizations and Mevlana Museum.
It has a population of 4,587,558 (2014). This city is characterised by its hilly landscape and dry climate. Ankara is located in the middle of the country.
Istanbul
Istanbul is the largest city in Turkey. It’s located on the Bosphorus Strait with a population of 14,160,754 it is also one of the biggest cities in the world.
Istanbul straddles two different continents; Europe and Asia. It has been nicknamed Stamboul or Konstantiniyye which means Constantine’s town. Istanbul has the longest history out of any city in the world! It was founded around 660 BC.
Turkish Carpets
Turkey has been making carpets for centuries; they are hand-made out of wool or cotton that comes from local sheep or farms. Today, Turkish carpets are known all over the world as beautiful symbols of culture and artistry.
People consider it an investment to buy these carpets because they last for decades! Many museums hold collections of Turkish carpets which makes them even more valued as historical objects. They can be bought at markets or stores around Turkey where you can negotiate prices.
Mosques
Turkey has some beautiful mosques that attract thousands of tourists each year! Some of these include Hagia Sophia Mosque in Istanbul, Blue Mosque in Istanbul and Suleymaniye Mosque in Istanbul which attracts about 20 million tourists per year!
These mosques are wonderful examples of Islamic architecture with their large domes and many windows.
Bosphorus Strait
Istanbul is located on the Bosphorus Strait. It’s a waterway which separates Asia from Europe and is also one of the most commercially important waterways in the world.
The site holds a big significance during Ottoman times as it gave Istanbul its strategic importance by acting as connection between Black Sea and the Mediterranean.
History
Turkey has had quite an interesting past filled with wars and conflicts but it also has some very impressive architecture dating back centuries; there are many historical buildings in Istanbul including The Grand Bazaar (built 1455) which is the oldest covered market in the world and Hagia Sophia (built 537) which is one of the oldest churches in the world!
Hagia Sophia
Hagia Sophia is a former Orthodox patriarchal basilica, later an imperial mosque and now a museum. This mosque is also known as Ayasofya Mosque, and it’s located in Istanbul and was built by the Byzantines who wanted to make it their New Church; it was completed in 537.
The Hagia Sophia suffered damage such as earthquakes but throughout time it has been repaired and changed lots of times. Currently, it has 1,714 windows!
Topkapı Palace
This palace was home to sultans during the reigns of the Ottoman Empire from 1465 until 1856 when a fire destroyed part of the palace.
Once inside you can see some very impressive things including The Treasury which contains jewels that belonged to the Ottoman Empire!
Turkish Coffee
Turkish coffee is a bit different from other coffees because it has several steps to follow before it reaches its final stage; first you put the coffee beans, water and sugar together in a small pot then bring to boil for 4-5 minutes then let it sit for a couple of minutes and then you pour the coffee into your cup and enjoy!
Turkish coffee is considered to be one of the most prestigious drinks in the world.
The Grand Bazaar
The Grand Bazaar (or Covered Market) is an amazing place where you can buy literally anything; it has over 61 streets that go on forever with different sections such as jewellery, gold, carpets, ceramics and spices.
There are more than 30000 shops around Turkey according to Forbes magazine and this market is definitely not one to miss while in Turkey. This bazaar has been working continuously since 1461 which makes it even more impressive!
Turkish Delight
This confectionary is made from a flavourful paste which has starch, sugar and flavouring in it; this paste is boiled with water then cooled into a jelly-like texture before being cut into cubes then covered in sugar syrup.
Galata Bridge
This bridge crosses Golden Horn which is the inlet that flows through Istanbul into the Bosphorus Strait. The first Galata Bridge was built between 1845 and 1849 by Alexandre Lavigne but it was destroyed by a storm in 1990 after around 100 years of being used! A second one was built in its place to be opened two years later.
The original bridge was made mostly out of wood but the newest one consists mostly of steel and has a road with two lanes of traffic, a walkway for pedestrians and a tram line.
Ancient City Of Troy
The ancient city of Troy is located near Canakkale where you can see some very impressive things including gold jewellery, swords and lots more that were excavated from the site where it’s believed this city was once located.
Cappadocia
Cappadocia in Turkey looks like another world, you’ll find it very hard to believe that humans actually live there; this area is well known for its volcanic tuff rock formations compared to the soft rocks around them.
This area is very unique because it features cave churches, underground cities and extensive rock-cut architecture in general!
Turkish Baths
The Turkish bathhouse is called hamam in Turkish and you can find these around Istanbul but also there are some other places that offer the same service such as hotels and spas.
This bathhouse is a place where you can relax, unwind and enjoy yourself for a very long time because the average stay at one of these places is around 1-2 hours! You will find many things including dips baths, steam rooms, hot stones etc which all create an amazing experience for every person who steps inside one of these baths.
Pamukkale
The word Pamukkale means ‘cotton castle’ and it describes this place perfectly; these soft white cliffs were formed by the flowing waters from hot springs. This place has hot springs with small waterfalls; this can be seen clearly because white calcium deposits cover the sides of pools at places like Hierapolis where they resemble cotton candy.
The reason why these deposits are white is because there’s a path that leads down to Pamukkale where you’ll find many tourists visiting here due to its beauty and healing qualities. However, the water isn’t safe so you shouldn’t go swimming or anything similar even though it looks tempting!
Ephesus
Ephesus is an ancient city located in Western Turkey, not too far from Izmir; this place has one of the best preserved structures and buildings that tell us about ancient Roman architecture and what it was like to live during those times.
There’s also a large theatre where gladiator battles used to take place and several temples including The Temple Of Artemis!
Bodrum Castle
This castle is found in the town of Bodrum which is known for its well-preserved harbour as well as its castle.
It was built by the Crusaders but later captured by the Knights Hospitaller who held it until 1523 when Süleyman I took over after attacking with his navy! This castle now belongs to Turkey and is a popular place for tourists.
Mount Ararat
This mountain is located in the Eastern part of Turkey and it’s a well-known symbol, but not only that; this mountain is where Noah’s Ark is believed to have landed after the flood.
This does remain a mystery as there was no evidence found inside or around the area however people who’ve tried climbing up found a wooden object which looks like a ship!
The Spice Bazaar
This place is where lots of spices are sold along with handmade souvenirs for tourists visiting Turkey, it’s located near the Blue Mosque and has hundreds of shops which sell various goods.
This area is very busy but there are other nearby places to visit as well if you plan on going out for a day full of shopping!
Baklava
This is a popular dessert consisting of many layers of filo pastry filled with chopped nuts and sweetened with syrup or honey that’s made from either sugar or honey.
The best Baklava comes from Gaziantep, this city has been making it for hundreds of years so if you get the chance to go there don’t miss out on tasting some!
Final Words
In short, here are 21 facts about Turkey that will give you a better understanding of why people would want to visit, the most famous things in Turkey and more!
We hope this article was helpful for all who may be interested in visiting or learning about Turkey. Please feel free to comment below with your thoughts, don’t forget to like & share this article if it’s helped you out today! Thank you for reading, take care 🙂
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