Turkey is not only a popular destination for tourists, but also the center of many historical events, and a state with a unique culture. The architectural sights and unusual traditions of this country attract the attention of people around the world. What are the geographical features of Turkey? What is remarkable about her story? What can you tell about her art, culture, customs? Let's understand in detail.
Geographical position
It is worth starting facts about Turkey from its unique position - it is located in Southeast Europe and Southwest Asia at the same time. The length of the territory from west to east is one thousand six hundred kilometers, and from north to south - six hundred. The main part belongs to the Anatolian Peninsula, which is also known as “Asia Minor”. The seas washing Turkey are called Black, Aegean and Mediterranean. The first is located in the north, and the other two in the west and south. In addition, there are straits of the Dardanelles and the Bosphorus. The European and Asian parts are separated by water, a sea passage connecting the Black and Aegean Seas. The latter is also sometimes called Marble. The mountains in Turkey occupy a rather impressive part of the territory, so its relief cannot be called flat. The average surface height on the state’s area is a thousand meters above sea level. The largest mountains in Turkey are the Pontic and Taurus. The highest point is Kachkar at three thousand nine hundred and thirty-one meters.
Borders and Population
The largest city in Turkey is Istanbul. It registered more than ten million inhabitants. Another dozen cities are distinguished by large sizes - more than a million live there. The area of the state is seven hundred eighty thousand five hundred and eighty square kilometers. The seas washing Turkey create a natural border along the coastline, which stretches for seven thousand two hundred kilometers. In total, Turkey borders on eight states. These are Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Georgia, Greece, Iran, Iraq and Syria. The length of the land borders is two thousand six hundred forty-eight kilometers, and the longest is the one that shares the country with Syria - eight hundred twenty-two kilometers.
The most popular regions of Turkey are located on the coast - these are the cities of Kemer, Side, Alanya, Marmaris and Antalya. These names are familiar to tourists, but a true connoisseur of geography and history should learn about the country and other facts. For example, numerous islands of Turkey are no less interesting to visit - for example, the Pashalimany ridge - a picturesque place with bays and exotic vegetation.
Ancient history of the country
For the first time, man appeared on the local lands another seven and a half thousand years BC. But then new states were created and disappeared randomly, therefore it is impossible to connect this date with how many years of Turkey - in those days it was a completely different country. There were warriors of the Egyptians, Syrians and Anatolians, and the Greeks also met. No stability existed. In two hundred and seventy-nine BC, the Celts founded a city on the territory of the country - now it is known as the capital of Turkey, Ankara. Then came the Roman period of history. The influence of Christians spread throughout the territory, and Constantinople became the capital of the state. Emperor Justinian expanded the lands of the Byzantine Empire to the Balkans, North Africa and Anatolia, and also captured Italy. After some time, the influence decreased, and the Turks controlled only the lands of the modern state, as well as Iraq and Iran. A new heyday occurred with the advent of the Ottoman Empire, which was expanded to the center of Europe.
Modern history
The ups and downs alternate in the annals of the Turkish state. At the beginning of the twentieth century, the description of Turkey as a powerful empire was still quite true, but the collapse was already approaching. The unsuccessful course of the First World War was the end of greatness. In the twenties there was a war for independence and the sultanate was canceled. During the years of Ataturk's rule, a constitution was adopted and many conservative religious laws were repealed. Women got the right to vote, democracy was established in the country. The development course continued until the end of the century. At the beginning of the twenty-first, the main aspiration of the Turks is to join the European Union. At the moment, this is impossible due to the fact that many regions of Turkey are characterized by economic instability and are susceptible to Kurdish attacks. Separatism remains a hot issue. If the Kurdish issue is not resolved, Ankara will not become one of the capitals of the European Union.
Turkish architecture
Studying interesting facts about Turkey, it is worth learning not only about history and geographical location, but also about culture - a variety of art forms are extremely significant for each local. Let's start with the architecture. It has an impressive variety in almost every city. The stone from which blocks were made has long been the basis of construction. Different areas of Turkey boast such attractions as mosques, citadels, madrassas, baths, markets and caravanserais. They are covered with tiles, ornamental carvings, colored ceramic tiles. Plots for cladding are plants, geometric shapes and calligraphic inscriptions. At the top of the architectural art are many buildings of Istanbul, for example, Hagia Sophia - the most famous temple in Turkey, representing several denominations at once.
Traditional sculpture
Some statues preserved in Turkey belong to the long-standing pages of the history of the state. They are located on monumental buildings as a decoration. A traditional option is the figures that stand out on the relief walls. Often, the statue is located on the corners and on the gables of the niches. Due to the fact that the Muslim religion forbids the depiction of people and animals, the sculptural art of conservative religious periods is often very limited, therefore, Turkish museums cannot boast of a wide collection of figures.
Painting
Interesting facts about Turkey and the local art can be quite sad. There is simply no impressive number of examples; one can judge the ancient traditions of painting only by the manuscripts that were customary to adorn, and by the miniatures used in the courtyard to glorify the Sultan. Different areas of Turkey can boast their own calligraphy schools, so the special writing style can be called a kind of replacement for the painting that is traditional for the rest of the world. Directly the paintings of artists of the past are distinguished by the coarseness of colors and angular figures without the romance of images. At the same time, however, they are quite colorful and harmonious. Modern representatives of painting are guided by the rules of European masters and are inspired by Western traditions.
Arts and crafts
Description of Turkey is impossible without mentioning this type of skill. Many buildings of even the most everyday nature are decorated with paintings, such decor is found on utensils and household items. For drawings, stylized motifs depicting plants, animals, flowers are used. Frequent plots are boats with a sail, bouquets of tulips, carnations, irises, hyacinths. For painting, green, red-brown and blue paint are used. Weaving is another common skill - bright red fabrics with gold or silver patterns are in great demand. In addition, Turkish carpets are known all over the world. They are distinguished by restrained coloring and original composition. Some areas of Turkey are also famous for the production of carved wooden objects, metal weapons and utensils, colorful ceramics and earthenware.
Literature
Many interesting facts about Turkey can be drawn from sources such as books by local authors. Ancient culture is easy to learn from the works created during the Seljuk rule in Arabic. The court poets of those times wrote in Persian. Ancient fairy tales, legends, myths, proverbs, songs and even riddles and jokes have survived to our days. Literary works used to be created exclusively in verse - in a similar style there are chivalric novels and praises of power.
During the decline of the Ottoman Empire, the Turks wrote satirical books denouncing bribery, embezzlement, vicious life and drunkenness. Ordinary prose was used only for scientific works - works on religion, medicine, history. Literature in the usual sense appeared late enough, therefore novels, adventure or social novels, as well as plays are usually dated to the present. Over time, the Turkish language was simplified, and now in the books it does not differ from the folk.
Turkish cuisine
Eating is one of the key elements of eastern cultures. Turkish cuisine is among the richest in tastes in the world. Foreigners can learn some secrets of dishes, while others can be prepared only by a very experienced cook. It is interesting that each region has its own traditional dishes. Contrary to the opinion that oriental cuisine is too spicy, spices are used in moderation. A separate plus is that many dishes are available for vegetarians - Turkish dishes are varied and are prepared not only from meat, but also from many vegetables, fruits and all kinds of cereals.
Customs
To better understand the life of local residents, it is worth learning some of their rules. For example, photographing women in black is prohibited, and men need to be asked permission. Entering a mosque or private house, the Turks always take off their shoes and leave it at the entrance. If there is a risk of confusion, you can put the shoes in a bag and take it with you. Turks never drink alcohol in the streets. The most annoying thing a foreigner can do is to confuse the country with Greece. It’s not worth joking with Atatürk - despite some shortcomings, he remains the most beloved national hero to this day. Another serious mistake is to call Istanbul Constantinople. The old name belonged to the capital of Byzantium, which was conquered by the Ottomans. Using it, you can seriously offend and demonstrate ignorance of history. And of course, do not get confused - the main city of the country is Ankara.