Amazing Turkey related facts

It's believed that Noah's Ark landed in Mount Ararat in the east part of Turkey. Santa Claus was born in Turkey, so as you can see, Santa Claus, also known as St. Nicholas, was born in Patara, Turkey, and this part of the country is located on the Mediterranean coast of this country, which is way too far from the North Pole, where as kids we used to believe he was born, right? One of Christianity's oldest churches is located here in Turkey.

This one is called St. Peter's Church and is located in Antakya, Turkey.

The capital city of Turkey is Ankara, not Istanbul. Unfortunately, people who aren't familiar with this country tend to believe that Istanbul is the capital, and yes, Istanbul is the biggest city and probably the most touristic one in Turkey, but the capital, don't forget, is Ankara.

Turkey People

The Turkish people didn't have a surname until 1934. Some of the most common surnames in this country are Ylmaz, Elik, Ahin, Demir, and Kaya. Oil wrestling is the Turkish national sport. The wrestlers will cover themselves in olive oil before they take on their opponents.

Turkey is the largest producer of hazelnuts in the world, and these are grown especially in the Black Sea region of this country, which, by the way, is where I used to live in Ordu, Turkey, and every August we were trying to get all the hazelnuts from the trees.

One of the few transcontinental cities in the world is in Turkey. Of course, I'm talking about Istanbul, which is the largest transcontinental city among the others in the world. 

This one is divided by the Bosphorus strait between Asia and Europe, and don't forget that from every single point along the Bosphorus, we will have amazing views of the city.  Two of the seven wonders of the ancient world are here in Turkey.

The first one is the Temple of Artemis, which is located in the ancient city of Ephesus in Izmir, Turkey, and the second one is Halicarnassus in the modern city of Bodrum, Turkey.

The second-oldest underground railway in the world is in Istanbul. Tünel is the name of this underground railway, and nowadays it's still operating between Karaköy and the Galata Tower area in Istanbul, Turkey.

Only the underground of London is older than Tünel in Istanbul. The Mediterranean coast of Turkey holds the record for having the highest number of Blue Flag-certified beaches in the world. This award is given to those beaches with the highest water quality, beach cleanliness, and environmental standards.

Most Turks don't really believe in the evil eye. As many of you already know, one of the most popular souvenirs in Turkey is the evil eye, which in Turkish is known as "nazar boncuu."

This one is believed to protect people from bad energies. However, Turkish people don't really believe in this protection nowadays. If you see it in their houses or stores, it is because they are trying to keep it as a custom from past generations. Turkey is heaven for cats.

As many of you already know, Turkey is well known internationally for having a lot of dogs and stray cats, which is why if you are a cat lover, Turkey will be the perfect destination for you. So don't forget to take a photo with these furry little guys because they will always be wandering in the streets trying to get food and love from you.

throwing water after someone dies Here in Turkey, there is an old superstition, especially in the Anatolian part of this country, so if you ever come to Turkey and you see someone throwing water, a bucket of water, after a person is leaving either a house or a store, don't worry.

This means that that person is only wishing to the person leaving that he or she comes back as smooth as water. There is one Turkish phrase that they use for this, which is "Su gibi git, su gibi gel," and this one means go as smooth as water and come back the same way. Turkey is the world's largest tea-drinking country.

For example, Turkish people tend to drink 10 or more cups of tea per day. This is why here in Turkey they have one of the highest per capita consumptions of tea in the world, and Turkey is ranking in the top 5 countries that produce tea in the world. The importance of gold in Turkey

For example, in this country, when you're going to any special ceremony, especially weddings, forget about giving toasters or kettles. Here, the most important thing is giving gold to the couple or even some money.

For example, when the couple has said yes and they have already signed all the documents, some white or red ribbons are placed around their necks, and the guests, if they wish, can pin some gold coins or even give the bride some gold bracelets or necklaces.

This is a practical way of helping the couple in their new life together, and we can also forget about those problems of having two or more toasters or kettles. Lemon cologne or Colonia is everywhere. If you have ever been to Turkey, you probably noticed that when entering any restaurant, after finishing eating and entering a store or even visiting a house, people offered to use some sort of Colonia lemon cologne.

It's like part of a ritual here in this country and not only helps refresh the guests, but it will also help to get rid of all those germs that we probably have in our hands.

These were just a few interesting facts about Turkey; of course there are many, many more, but this will help you get familiar with the country before planning your trip.