TRAVELLING WORDSErasmus+ Project

FIRST INTERNATIONAL MEETING

2 – 7 DECEMBER 2014, THESSALONIKI

TURKEY

FACTS

Location: Southeastern Europe and southwestern Asia. Turkey is bordered by eight countries: Bulgaria to the northwest; Greece to the west; Georgia to the northeast; Armenia, Azerbaijan and Iran to the east; and Iraq and Syria to the southeast.

Area: 783,562 square kilometers Official name: Republic of Turkey

Flag:

Capital: AnkaraOfficial language: TurkishCurrency: Turkish lira

FACTS

Population: Just over 80 million people live in Turkey (80,694,485) as of July 2013.

Geographical Regions: First Geography Congress (1941) divided Turkey into seven geographical regions . The regions were divided in keeping with the principles of geography - with the main deciding factors being the topography, the climate, the vegetation and the agriculture of the respective regions.

FACTS

Larger Cities: Istanbul, Izmir, Bursa, Adana.

Climate:Mild; hot, dry summers; wet winters

Religions: Islam (mostly Sunni) 99.8%, other 0.2% (mostly Christians and Jews)

Turkey is a secular country, that means religion and state are strictly separated.

Ethnic make-up: Turkish 80%, Kurdish 20% (estimated)

Neighbouring Countries of Turkey

POLITICS OF TURKEY

Turkey is a parliamentary democracy with a multiparty system.

President: Recep Tayyip Erdoğan (2014) Prime Minister: Ahmet Davutoğlu (2014)

GEOGRAPHY

Turkey is a large peninsula that bridges the continents of Europe and Asia. Turkey is surrounded on three sides by the Black Sea, the Mediterranean Sea and the Aegean Sea. Istanbul, the largest city in Turkey, is partly in Europe and partly in Asia.

The Bosphorus Bridge (Istanbul, Turkey) is an international bridge spanning the Bosphorus Straits connecting Europe and Asia.

GEOGRAPHY

Turkey is one of the most earthquake prone areas on Earth and has suffered from 13 earthquakes in the past 70 years.

The highest point in Turkey is Mount Ararat 5,165 m (16,945 feet). The mountain is considered sacred by many people and is believed to be where Noah beached his ark after the great flood.

HISTORY

Turkey has only existed in today’s form since 1923. Until then, Turkey was not Turkey but a part of the Ottoman Empire. When the Ottoman Empire fell apart towards the end of the 20th century the foreign countries occupied parts of today’s Turkey. This led to the Turkish War of Independence, led by Mustafa Kemal Atatürk. On 29 October 1923, Atatürk proclaimed the Republic of Turkey in today’s form and with today’s borders.

POPULAR SPORTS

Oil wrestling: The wrestlers, who only wear leather pants, douse themselves with oil from head to toe. They are called “pehlivan”. The oil wrestling championship is organised every year in July in Kırkpınar.

Football: The most famous football clubs in Turkey, such as Galatasaray, Fenerbahçe, Beşiktaş are well-known around the world.

Basketball and voleyball are also popular sports in Turkey.

DID YOU KNOW?

The Greek poet Homer is said to be born in Asia Minor, at Smyrna.

Saint Nicholas, also known as Santa Claus, was the Bishop of Myra (today’s Demre – Antalya)

The apostle Saint Paul was also Anatolian. He was born in the Roman city of Tarsus on the Mediterranean coast of what is now Turkey. He traveled extensively in Asia Minor, spreading Jesus’ teaching.

DID YOU KNOW?

The ancient city of Troy was located in modern day Turkey (near Çanakkale).

Julius Caesar’s famous “Veni, Vidi, Vici” (I came, I saw, I conquered) was proclaimed in North Anatolia when he won a battle there.

Dutch tulips come from Turkey. Turkey is a popular tourist destination and

home to thirteen World Heritage Sites.

ISTANBUL

Although Ankara is the capital of modern day Turkey, Istanbul has been the capital of three great empires: the Eastern Roman, the Byzantine and the Ottoman Empires. The traces of these empires can still be seen today in Istanbul where magnificent mosques and churches stand side by side.

ISTANBUL

The city of Istanbul has been known through ages under a number of different names. The most notable ones are Byzantium (Βυζάντιον), Constantinople (Κωνσταντινούπολη) and Istanbul.

“Ιstanbul” derives from the Greek phrase “εις την Πόλιν” meaning “in the city”.

TOURIST ATTRACTIONSHagia Sophia (Aya Sofya)

Basilica Cistern (Yerebatan Sarnıcı)

Blue Mosque (Sultan Ahmet Camii)

Topkapı Palace (Topkapı Sarayı)

Istanbul Archaeology Museum(Istanbul Arkeoloji Müzesi)

Dolmabahçe Palace (Dolmabahçe Sarayı)

Grand Bazaar (Kapalı Çarşı)

Spice Bazaar (Mısır Çarşısı)

Chora Museum (Kariye Müzesi)

Galata Tower (Galata Kulesi)

Maiden’s Tower (Kız Kulesi)

Rumeli Fortress (Rumeli Hisarı)

ISTIKLAL AVENUE

Princes’ Islands

Princes’ Islands

TURKEY

Thank you!