1. St. Nicholas, the inspiration for Santa Claus, was born in Patara, Turkey. He was a bishop at the Demre, which is situated on the country’s Mediterranean Coast.
2. Asure – which is a sweet-and-sour-tasting pudding that can still be found throughout Turkey – is said to be the last meal that was served on Noah’s ark.
3. Julius Caesar’s famous words, “Veni, vidi, vici” (which mean “I came, I saw, I conquered”), were uttered after he won the difficult battle against the kingdom of Pontus, which is located in northeastern Turkey.
4. In the Book of Genesis, it is said that the Garden of Eden was watered by a river that split into four streams as it went beyond the garden. Two of these streams are believed to be those that rise from the mountains of the eastern part of Turkey, namely Tigris (or Dicle) and Euphrates (or Firat).
5. Mount Ararat (Agri Dagi) in Eastern Turkey is where Noah’s ark is widely believed to have landed after the Great Flood.
6. Turkey is the birthplace of the following popular historical figures: the biblical Abraham, the poet Homer, St. Paul the Apostle, the storyteller Aesop, and the father of history, Herodotus.
7. It was in 640 BC when coins made of electrum were utilized for the first time in history, namely by King Croesus in Sardis, Turkey.
8. The Trojan War took place in Turkey. A wooden statue of the Trojan Horse sits on the site today.
9. Turkey’s Istanbul had been the capital of three of the world’s great empires: the Roman empire, the Byzantine empire, and the Ottoman empire.
10. Istanbul is the only city in the world that is located on two continents: Europe and Asia.
Hello fellow travelers! My name is Mary and I am the main author of Traveling East. Just like any other travel enthusiasts, traveling has also been our passion! For inquiries, suggestions or anything travel related, please feel free to send us an E-mail at support@travelingeast.com.
