Mount Ararat to which anchored Noah’s Arch after an adventurous journey of 40 days, is the summit of Turkey.

Istanbul is a globally unique city as it is located on two continents, (Istanbul is the unique city on the world to be founded on two continents) It has been the capital of three great empires Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman.

The most ancient human settlement discovered on earth is in Catalhoyuk, Central Anatolia in Turkey, dating back to 7000 B.C.

The world famous Troy is very close to the Dardanelles in Turkey.

Pergamon is the city where parchment was invented. The word “parchment” is originally derived  from “pergamineum” in latin which means “skin of Pergamon”.

Two of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World are in Turkey: the Temple of Artemis at Ephesus and the Mausoleum of Halicarnassus in Bodrum.

Yogurt is a turkish invention which was originally the traditional dish of Central Asian Nomads who were the ancestors of Turks.

The wealthy Kroisos of Lydia minted the first coins of human history at Sardis at the end of  7th century B.C.

Turks were the ones who sent to Netherlands their famous tulips that started the craze for flowers’ lovers. Bulbs brought to Vienna from Istanbul in 1500’s were so intensely popular that, a “tulipamania” tyrannized Netherlands then. This period of elegance and amusement is referred to as “The Tulip Age in Turkey”.

Many important events of the early Christanity occured in Turkey. St. John, St. Paul and St. Peter all lived and prayed in southern Turkey. Tradition says that St. John brought Virgin Mary to Ephesus after the Crucification, where she spent her last days in a small house (Meryem Ana Evi) close to Ephesus. It remains the pilgramage site for Christians still today.

The Seven Churches mentioned in the Book of Revelation are all in Western Turkey: Ephesus, Symirna, Pergamon, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia and Laodicea.

A cave known today as The Grotto of St. Peter or Church of St. Peter, is believed to be where the Apostle Peter preached when he visited Antioch (Antakya in southern Turkey). It is widely considered to be one of the earliest Christian houses of worship.

The word “Christian” was first pronounced in Antioch.

Turkey is the birthplace of  many historic figures and legends, such as the poet Homer, King Midas, Heredotus (the father of history), Homeros and St. Paulus.

St. Nicholas, known as Santa Claus today, was born and lived in Demre on Turkey’s Mediterranean coast.

The first man ever to fly was Turkish. In 17th century, using two manmade wings, Hezarfen Ahmet Celebi flew over the Bosphorus from Galata Tower to Uskudar (Europe to Asia).

The Turkish cuisine is the third most famous in the world as stated by gastronomy experts, following French and Chinese.

The famous words of Julius Caesar “Veni, Vidi, Vici” (I came, I saw, I conquered) were pronounced in Amasya, northern Turkey.

All of Seven Ecumenical Councils of Christianity  were held in three different locations of Turkey: Iznik (Nicea), Ephesus and Istanbul.