Are you going to travel to Turkey and you like to know curious facts about the countries you visit? Me too! I love knowing its curiosities, the history of the country, the legends and any information about the place that I am going to visit.
Turkey is a fascinating country with many amazing places to visit. Here you have a complete travel guide to Turkey that can help you organize your trip.
In this post I talk about 25 curiosities of Turkey that will surprise you and I add some travel tips. Let's start!
25 CURIOSITIES OF TURKEY
1. Between two continents
Turkey is a country that literally sits between two continents, Europe and Asia. However, only 5% of the Turkish territory is in European territory.
2. With the arrival of Atatürk an important change begins in Turkey
With the arrival of Atatürk in 1920, the father and founder of the Turkish Republic, the caliphate of the Ottoman Empire was eliminated and the country began to modernize. Some of his most innovative and important reforms were decreeing Turkey a secular state, replacing the Arabic alphabet with the Latin alphabet, and allowing women to vote.
3. The Turks do not know how to say NO directly
Throughout my travels and especially in Asia, and after having lived for a long time in Vietnam and Indonesia, I have realized that in Spain we are too direct. Sometimes this is good, but on other occasions it even produces a somewhat reluctant reaction in other countries.
In Turkey I clearly saw how NO is an answer that they avoid. I imagine that facing the tourist. They always try to look good and before giving you a sharp and negative answer, they start to spin the matter. Also, his way of saying no is quite curious. If they finally have to do it, they will make a slight nod with their head up and a click of the tongue.
4. The First Birdman
They say that a man named Hezarefen Ahmed Celebi decided to create a pair of artificial wings and jump from the Galata Tower in the 17th century.
Although he was not the only Turk with a desire to fly since the first female combat aviator in the world was Turkish. It was Sabiha Gökçen, the adopted daughter of Atatürk, father of the Turks. Istanbul's second airport is named after him.
5. The Garden of Eden
According to the Bible, the Garden of Eden is located between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. Both rivers meet in Turkey, although they have now changed their names to Dicle and Firat.
6. Santa Claus/Papa Noel was born in Turkey
The figure of Santa Claus or Papa Noel (depending on what you want to call him) has always been associated with the historical figure of Saint Nicholas. Saint Nicholas was born in Turkey, in the city of Patara. In this area there are some incredible beaches and some ruins that I advise you to visit.
Saint Nicholas is associated with ancient Myra of which he was Bishop. Today, Myra is the city of Demre and the church of the saint is located there.
7. Religion in Turkey
Although Turkey is a country with a secular state, the Muslim religion predominates among its inhabitants. So you must take it into account to follow a series of "rules". In some temples or mosques there is a dress code, if you travel during Ramadan you should keep in mind that many places are closed and it is difficult to find food during the day...
8. In Turkey is the mythical Troy
The ruins of mythical Troy are located near the coastal city of Çanakkale, almost 300 km from Istanbul. If you are planning to visit the city, you should bear in mind that a minimum of one night is required in it, since it is somewhat far from the most essential places to see in Turkey. In addition, since you visit it you can enjoy a relaxing time on the beach or strolling leisurely along its promenade.
9. Istanbul is not the capital of Turkey
Since 1923 the capital of the country is the city of Ankara. However, Istanbul is a city with more than 15 million inhabitants and today it remains the cultural capital and the most visited city in Turkey.
Istanbul articles you may be interested in:
10. The Ayran, a curious drink that you must try in Turkey
Ayran is a drink based on yogurt, water and salt. Honestly, it tasted like a kind of actimel a bit salty to me. It is not bad and it is something typical Turkish that you must try. Although it is a very popular drink in the country and you can find it everywhere, tea is the national drink par excellence. Classic tea, fruit tea, with mint...
11. The first Christians lit up in Turkey
Cappadocia is one of the most beautiful places to visit in Turkey. In addition to its amazing landscapes, Cappadocia inside is a labyrinth.
To flee from the persecution of the Roman Empire, the first Christians arrived in Cappadocia and occupied these lands, living in underground cities.
12. Your flag
The flag of Turkey has a red background on which two symbols stand out: a crescent and a star. The red color of the flag represents the blood that was shed during the War of Independence after the First World War, on the other hand, the symbols of the crescent and the star are of Islamic origin.
13. Tulips are originally from Turkey
Tulips do not originate in the Netherlands, although it may seem so today. It was thanks to Suleiman the Magnificent in the 16th century that he gave a few tulip bulbs to a Flemish ambassador.
14. Turkey is the largest producer of hazelnuts
If you like hazelnuts in Turkey you will have them everywhere. And it is that the country is the largest producer of hazelnuts in the world. About 75% of world production comes from Turkey.
You will find them in desserts, sweets, in sauces... in addition, you can also buy them in bags (as in your country) but you will find them spicy, dipped in chocolate...
15. Chicken in a dessert
Yes… as you have read it. One of the things that caught my attention about Turkish gastronomy is finding a dessert that has chicken. Its name is Tavuk gögsü “chicken breast”. It's actually a kind of chicken breast pudding.
16. Turkish weddings
A tradition in Turkish weddings is that the bride writes the names of all her unmarried friends on the soles of her shoes. First name off belongs to the next bride to marry.
17. The house of the Virgin Mary is in Turkey
Another of the curiosities surrounding the Christian religion is that in the ruins of Ephesus is the house in which Mary took refuge after the crucifixion of Jesus.
18. Two of the ancient wonders of the world are in Turkey
Turkey is a country full of ruins and archaeological sites. Actually, the ancient wonders of the world are not standing except for the pyramids in Egypt, but in Turkey there are some of their ruins.
The first is the Temple of Artemis, some ruins that are located near Ephesus and although today little is seen, just knowing that there was something so wonderful there is impressive. And finally, the other wonder was the Mausoleum of Halicarnassus.
19. The national beer
If you like beer in Turkey you must try its national beer, Efes. It's not one of the cheapest beers you'll find in Turkey, but it's worth trying. They do not sell it in supermarkets, you should go to specialized alcohol stores.
20. They say that Noah's arch stopped here
Apparently many people believe that Noah's ark made its last stop at the top of Mount Ararat. This means that after a universal flood, the first thing Noah saw was Turkish land.
Many studies claim that remains of the legendary Noah's Ark have been found on Mount Ararat.
Mount Ararat is 5,137 meters high, to give you an idea and you can imagine how the hell “a ship arrived up there”.
21. The Cotton Castle, an unreal place to visit in Turkey
Pamukkale is a must see in Turkey. Its name means "cotton castle" and refers to the travertine formations in the form of terraces with natural pools of hot springs.
Pamukkale articles that may interest you:
22. Go around to connect with Allah
Whirling Dervishes perform a ritual (as a dance) to connect with Allah. This ritual has become very famous among tourists and they have turned it into a kind of "show". You can book this show to see it in Istanbul:
23. Do not go without hair
Turkey in recent years has become very popular thanks to its famous cheap and quality hair implants. If you suffer from alopecia and want to improve your situation here you have an opportunity and for a much lower price than in other European countries. However, you must bear in mind that a capital implant is something serious, which should be treated as if it were a serious operation, avoid these agencies that sell the complete tourist package with an implant as if it were a recreational trip.
24. Gobeklitepe
In eastern Anatolia they are excavating the Göbeklitepe site. The monumental structures found there were built by hunters and gatherers a thousand years before the development of agriculture.
The ancient pyramids of Egypt date from approximately 3,000 years ago. The constructions of Göbeklitepe from 12,000 years ago.
Once the excavations and the relevant studies are finished, what was found in Göbeklitepe could rewrite history.
25. One of the main turtle nesting beaches is in Turkey
In the province of Muğla, Turkey, there is the Iztuzu beach, famous for the turtle beach. In this natural barrier between the Dalyan River delta and the Mediterranean, it is one of the main destinations for the breeding of sea turtles.
Since the late 1980s, this area has been considered a Special Environmental Protection Area. If you visit the beach from May to October, you can enjoy this place (following strict rules that help conserve turtles).
PLAN YOUR TRIP STEP BY STEP
I hope you enjoy your t rip to Turkey very much and that this article has been useful to you. You can continue reading many more related articles on the blog.
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A hug and see you soon!