...Julius Caesar proclaimed his celebrated words "Veni, Vidi, Vici" (I came, I saw, I conquered) in Turkey when he defeated the Pontus, a formidable kingdom in the Black Sea region of Turkey.

...the last home of Virgin Mary is believed to be near Ephesus.

...early Christians escaping the Roman persecution nearly 2000 years ago sheltered in Cappadocia in central Anatolia.

...the first church built by man (St. Peter's Church) is in Antioch (Antakya).

...all of the recognized Seven Ecumenical Councils were held in Asia Minor.

Grand Bazaar

...Istanbul has a 540-year-old covered shopping mall with 64 streets, 4000 shops, 22 entrances, and 25000 workers - the famous Grand Bazaar.

...Turks gave the Dutch their famous tulips.


...the color turquoise originates from the blue waters surrounding Turkey.

...Turks introduced coffee to Europe.

...Leonardo da Vinci drew designs for a bridge over the Bosphorus, the strait that flows through Europe to Asia. However, a bridge was not built until 1972.

...the most valuable silk carpet in the world is in the Mevlana Museum in Konya, with 144 knots per sq. cm., of the 13th century. Marco Polo wrote "the best and the most handsome of rugs are wowen here, and also of silks of crimson and other rich colors".

Turkish Cuisine

...Turkey provides %70 of the world's hazelnuts -
probably the nut in your chocolate bar was
grown in Turkey.

...the Turkish cuisine is one of the richest
in the world along with the French and Chinese.

...Turkey hosts children from around the world every year on 23 April to "honor and cherish the freedom and independence of all people."

...today's Turkey is a secular modern state and the only country in the world, where the majority of its populaton is Muslim and the country is a democratic state, founded by Atatürk with a parliament in 1923.