10 INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT TURKEY

10 INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT TURKEY
17 October 2020
  1. Turkey is home to the largest and oldest mall. Istanbul’s grand bazaar dates back to 1455 and was established after the Ottoman conquest of Constantinople. It houses 64 streets lined with more than 4000 shops and all in an area of 333,000 square feet!

2. The signature Ottoman treat is ‘Tavuk Gogus’ which translated is chicken breast pudding. It’s a strange blend of boiled chicken, milk and sugar and is dusted with cinnamon and it’s absolutely delicious!

3. Santa Claus is actually from Turkey. It’s true! Saint Nicholas was born far from the North Pole in Patara. He isn’t the only saint with connections to Turkey either. In fact, the Virgin Mary’s resting place is near Ephesus while Saint Paul was from Taurus in the South of Turkey.

4. One of the Mediterranean’s primary sea turtle’s nesting beaches is here in Fethiye. Iztuzu beach, just West of Fethiye is a major breeding ground for the Loggerhead Sea Turtle. The turtles arrive between May and October and climb ashore to their original birth place to lay their eggs. Government regulations and protection have succeeded in protecting this endangered species.

5. More than 130 mountain peaks reach over 3000 metres here in Turkey and during the winter visitors can hit the slopes at nearly a dozen resorts. Palandoken in Erzurum boasts Turkey’s highest peak at 3125 metres and claims Europe’s longest natural ski run. Babadag mountain here in Fethiye boasts an astonishing 1969 metre peak which thousands paraglide from each year.

6. Oil wrestling is the national sport of Turkey. The spectacle of two bulky men stripped to the waist down and covered in olive oil goes back 654 years. This is a traditional sport and a sight to see!

7. Turkey really is the centre of the world with Turkish airlines flying to 50 domestic and 245 international destinations in 123 countries.

8. Turkey is responsible for 75 percent of the world’s hazelnut exports. Most of the world’s hazelnuts grow in the Mediterranean basin here in Turkey. Italy is the next largest producer accounting for 20 percent of the world’s supply.

9. Despite the appearance of camels at many attractions they are not native to Turkey. Camels were first known in Turkey some 2600 years ago and were used in war. Now camel wrestling has become a very popular sport in the Aegean region in Turkey.

10.There are over 30 languages spoken in Turkey. Although the official language in the country is Turkish there are over 30 minority languages spoken across the country including Kurmanji (Northern Kurdish), Mesopotamian Arabic and Zazaki.

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