INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT TURKEY

Turkey is a country that never stops enticing with its lengthy and rich history, where many civilizations and empires as well as various races and religions all left their marks. Indeed, it will continue to surprise us with its fascinating features. So, here are some of the most surprising facts about Turkey that you have never known.

Turkey is geographically the center of the world

All land surfaces on Earth have a geometric center that is located at the planet’s geographic center. According to geometry, it is the centroid of all land areas inside the two dimensions of the geoid surface, which roughly represents the exterior shape of the planet. Consequently, since the domain is the surface of the sphere without boundaries rather than the sphere as a three-dimensional body, the term center of minimum distance more clearly describes the idea.

Therefore, using a digitized world map and a mainframe computer, physicist Andrew J. Woods of Gulf Energy and Environmental Systems in San Diego, California, computed the coordinates as in modern-day Turkey, close to Kırşehir Province.

Istanbul is the only city in the world laying on two continents Istanbul is the only metropolis in the world that spans both Asia and Europe, making it one of the city’s many distinctive features. Moreover, Turkey has only 3% of its territory in Europe, with most of its people living in Asia. The Bosphorus separates Istanbul’s European and Asian sides, and the Golden Horn, a cove, divides the European side of the city in half.

Among the top 10 agriculture-producing countries worldwide

Agriculture is thought to have begun in Turkey some 11,000 years ago, and up until the present, it has always been the main occupation for the societies that have colonized the country. Furthermore, agriculture accounted for over 19.2% of all employment in Turkey in 2018. Turkey’s leading crops are fruits, barley, corn, hazelnuts, and chestnuts. Only Turkey generated 5.83 million metric tons of agricultural products in 2019. 70% of the world’s hazelnuts come from Turkey, which is also the world’s top producer of chestnuts.

Turkey is famous for traditional foods like Turkish Delight and Turkish Coffee, but it is also the world’s biggest hazelnut producer. Around 72.9% of the world’s hazelnuts come from Turkey, and 60% of them come from the Eastern Black Sea region of the nation.

Turkey is home to one of the oldest churches in the world

Aside from the fact that Turkey is home to numerous significant Christian landmarks (such as the Hagia Sophia), one of the oldest Christian churches is located in the city of Antakya. The Crusaders later adorned a cave in Antioch, which has been excavated by the Apostle Peter himself as the very first Christian church, with a lovely stone façade that still survives today.

The highest number of mosques in the world

Turkey is the world’s largest hazelnut producer

Turkey has the most mosques per capita in the world with over 82,000 mosques and counting. The United States as a whole only has about 2,000 mosques, whereas Istanbul alone has approximately 3,100.

The Sultanahmet Mosque in Istanbul is among the most beautiful. With soaring ceilings and exquisite tilework, this mosque, also known as the Blue Mosque, is magnificent and spectacular.

Istanbul is home to the second-oldest railway in the world

After the London Subterranean, the karaköy underground funicular started running on January 17, 1875, making it the second underground railway in the world. One of the oldest still-operating train lines in continental Europe, it continues to run between Beyoğlu and Karaköy.

The biggest tea consumption in the world If you were to consider which nation consumes the most tea, China or Britain would immediately come to mind. However, Turkey is the country that consumes the most tea globally.

5 to 10 cups of tea are typically consumed by Turks each day. With an average annual intake of 7 lbs per person, the nation boasts the greatest per-capita tea consumption in the world. 96% of people drink tea daily.

Turkey is a country that will never stop surprising you with its richness and fascinating culture. Planning of visiting Turkey get all the information that you need from MEO Consultants