Turkey is a transcontinental country, whose territory is divided between Western Asia and Eastern Europe. Thanks to its strategic position, throughout history it has been a crossroads between eastern and western civilizations. According to the International Monetary Fund, the Turkish economy ranks 11th globally. You want to know more curiosities about Turkey? She keeps reading.
Population
Currently, Turkey has a population of 84.34 million, with an average annual growth of 1.1%. Istanbul is the most populous city not only in Turkey, but in all of Europe, with 15 million inhabitants. The main religion of the country is Islam.
Bandera
It is interesting to know the meaning of the flag of Turkey. The red background represents the blood shed during the War of Independence in the first half of the 20th century. Meanwhile, the symbols of the star and the crescent are of Islamic origin.
tulips
Contrary to popular belief, the tulips do not come from the Netherlands, but from Turkey. It was the Ottomans who introduced this precious flower to Europe. In addition, in the month of April, on the occasion of the beginning of spring, the “Tulip Festival” is celebrated in Istanbul.
Hazelnuts
One of the main curiosities about Turkey is that controls 75% of the world hazelnut harvest, Nothing more and nothing less. It is the leading producer and exporter of this dried fruit.
Struggle
The country’s national sport is Yağlı güreş, a kind of fight between men smeared with olive oil and dressed only in buffalo leather pants. It is one of the oldest sporting traditions in the world, the origin of which dates back to 2650 BC
underwater tunnel
There are several ways to cross from Europe to Asia, or vice versa, in Istanbul. The most popular are by boat or on foot. But there is another alternative: by metro under the Bosphorus. Thanks to a great engineering job, the deepest underwater tunnel in the world allows crossing between the two continents.
Santa Claus
Although very few people know this fact, the truth is that Santa Claus was born in Patara (Turkey) in the 3rd century.. Nicholas was orphaned when he was young, and at the age of 19 he decided to become a priest, becoming Bishop of Myra. Many miracles are attributed to Saint Nicholas, such as rescuing sailors who were about to die in a storm.
