TURKEY

Turkey as a Destination

• Is known as the cradle of civilization since 9000 BC.
• Is central to Europe, Asia and the Middle East.
• Is surrounded by seas: The Black Sea, the Aegean Sea, the Mediterranean Sea.
• Is also acknowledged as Asia Minor; the Asian side of Turkey is referred to as Anatolia.
• Held grounds for the first known Human Rights Declaration in 1463, 485 years before the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
• Is where Alexander the Great cut the intricate Gordian knot-a phrase commonly used for “solving diffucult problems” today.
• Is the birthplace of King Midas-The Touch of Midas was said to turn everything into gold.
• Is the original, and again today’s, destination of the well-renowned romantic train: The Orient Express.
• Was the center of two of the biggest empires in history, Byzantine and Ottoman.
• Is the birthplace and home of St. Nicholas, popularly known as Santa Claus.
• Is a Republic, founded in 1923, after the collapse of the Ottoman Empire.
• Is where Noah’s Ark landed, at Mount Ararat, Eastern Turkey.
• Is the location for two of the Seven Wonders of the World-the Temple of Artemis and the Mausoleum of Mausolos.
• Has a historical background in three of the world’s major religions-Christianity, Judaism and Islam.
• Preserves the most valuable silk carpet in the world, in the Mevlana Museum, with 144 knots per sq.cm. In the 13th century, Marco Polo wrote “The best and handsomest of rugs are woven here and also silks of crimson and other rich colors.
• Is said to have provided the water for the Garden of Eden-from its 2 great rivers-Euphrates and Tigris.
• Is the birthplace of St. Paul.
• Is the only country in the world that stretches over two continents, Europe and Asia.