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Facts about nation & city worth knowing

How well do you know Turkey?

• Did you know that the worldwide most ancient temple (11000 years old) is located in Göbekli Tepe (bulbous hill) in the southeastern region of Turkey?
  
  
• Did you know that the settlements Çayönü, Hacılar and Çatalhöyük were founded 8000-5500 BCE? Hence they are, along with Jericho in Jordan, the oldest settlements of that period. Did you know that the very first attempt in art-history of painting landscapes, found in Hacılar and Çatalhöyük,  is displayed at the Museum of Anatolian Civilization in Ankara?
  
  
• Did you know that up to 5000 ancient cities and numerous archeological sites are put up in Turkey and reveal fascinating insights into history?
  
  
• Did you know that Turkey can proudly refer to its flora as the most varied and diverse in Europe? About 9000 floral species, 7000 wolfs and 300 hot springs are located here and are mentioned in literature and travel guides as Turkeys special qualities
  
  
• Did you know every two years the Biennale takes place in Istanbul and during the summer the International Jazz Festival featuring many well-known Jazz music artists?
  
  
• Did you know about the first Christian church located in Antakya?
  
  
• Did you know that the second biggest Museum of Mosaic Art is to be found in Antakya? And the biggest in the neighbor city in Gaziantep. 
  
  
•  Did you know that Turkey is listed as worldwide olive producer on place 5? Did you ever try olive oil originating from Turkey? 
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• Did you know that the last Turkish leopard has apparently been murdered by a farmer in 1979? Nowadays you can still find some of the biggest European predators in Turkey, such as the brown bear, the wolf, the gold jackal and the Eurasian lynx?
  
  
• Did you know that 14% of the CEO in Turkish enterprises is female, while there is no statutory proportion of women? 
  
  
•  Did you know that Turkey is the hibernating and breeding place for many bird species?
  
  
• Did you know that 2500 years ago the Persian king Darius had the most ancient wooden bridge built in order to cross the Bosporus?
  
  
• Did you know that the Taurus mountain range annually grows 8 millimeters?
  
  
• A long time ago, Turkey was situated beneath the sea level. The soil is therefore considered as very chalky, which explains the countless marble deposit
  
  
• In ancient Greece seals were under the protection of Poseidon. The Romans still used to kill the seals native in the Mediterranean and the Black Sea. Nowadays they are to be found again in Turkey.
  
  
• The sheepdog "Kangal" is being held under the protection of species for wolfs
  
  
• The Turkish coastline is up to 8000km long Two out of seven world wonders are located in Turkey: the Temple of Artemis in Ephesus and the mausoleum of Mausolos Halikarnassos.
  
  
• Bike riding is an excellent way of exploring Turkey: ride along the southern coastline through Cappadocia or through the mountains on the north-eastern coast.
  
  
• Up until 100 years ago the Bazaar in Istanbul was considered as the biggest trading point in the world