Fascinating Facts About Turkey

Visit our website www.villahanorah.co.uk  for a beach holiday in authentic surroundings.

Here are some interesting facts about Turkey that you probably did not know.

1) The Life and Spirit of Santa Claus Santa Claus has been evolving for over 1500 years. Around 280 AD a man named Nicholas was born in Turkey. He became an orphan at 13 when a plague killed his parents. A great portion of his inheritance he donated to charity and then he set off upon a sincere study of religion, becoming an ordained priest at 19. Soon after he became the Bishop of Myra. After his death he was declared a saint and became the patron saint of sailors, merchants, maidens and children because of the following legends. When a ship ran aground and the crew on board was in danger they prayed to St. Nicholas. They suddenly looked up and there he was in a red bishop’s robe flying towards them. He saved them and flew away.

2)The famous Trojan Wars took place in Western Turkey, around the site where the Trojan horse rests today.

3)The oldest known human settlement is in Catalhoyuk, Turkey (7th Millenium B.C.)

4)Ephesus and Halicarnasus (the place for the two of the Seven Wonders of the ancient world) are in Turkey.

5)The first church built by man (St. Peter’s Church) is in Antioch (Antakya), Turkey.

 6)Noah's Ark landed on Mount Ararat (Agri Dagi) in Eastern Turkey.

 7)The last meal on Noah's Ark, a pudding of sweet and  sour taste (asure), is still served throughout Turkey.

 8)Turks introduced coffee to Europe.

 9)Turks gave the Dutch their famous tulips.

10)Istanbul is the only city in the world built on two continents.

11)Tradition in Turkey says that a stranger at one's doorstep is considered "God's guest" for at least three days.

12)Turkey is noted for having one of the three most famous and distinctive traditional cuisines in the world.

13)The First Ecumenical Council was held in Iznik, Turkey.

14)Writing was first used by people in ancient Anatolia. The first clay tablets in the ruins of AssyrianKarum (Merchant Colony) date back to 1950 B.C.

15)The oldest tin mine was found in Göltepe, 60 miles south of Tarsus.

16)The first Neolithic paintings found on man-made walls are in Catalhöyük, Turkey.

17)Anatolia is the birthplace of historic legends, such as Homer (the poet), King Midas, Herodotus(the father of history), and St. Paul the Apostle.

18)Julius Caesar proclaimed his celebrated words, "Veni, Vid, Vici (I came, I saw, I conquered)" in Turkey when he defeated the Pontus, a formidable kingdom in the Black Sea region of Turkey.

19)Female goddesses like Cybele dominated the Central Anatolian  pantheon for thousands of years before these supernatural powers were transformed to male gods.

20)The Hittites sold Abraham the cave where he buried his wife Sarah, when the Israelites came to Palestine.

21)The first church dedicated to Virgin Mary is in Ephesus.

22)Cherry was first introduced to Europe from Giresun (Northern Turkey)

23)Turkey has hundreds beaches and marinas which have the "Blue Flag" (an European award for the best clean water) on the Mediterranean and Aegean.

24)The first recorded international treaty in the world was the Treaty of Kadesh between the Hittiteand Egyptian Empires, Hattusilis III and Ramses II, in c.1275 BC.

25)The oldest known shipwreck on Earth was found and excavated in Uluburun near Kas, in theMediterranean region of Turkey.

26)In 640 BC, for the first time in history, coins made of electrum were used by the Lydian kingCroesus in Sardis, in Aegean region of Turkey.

27)King Midas lived in Gordion, capital of Phrigia.

28)Alexander the Great cut the Gordian knot near Ankara. The double knotting technique used inTurkish rugs is also called as Gordian Knot.

29)The Garden of Eden in the Book of Genesis was said to be watered by a river which separated into four streams as it left the garden; two of them the Tigris (Dicle) and Euphrates (Firat) rise from the mountains of Eastern Turkey.

30)Early Christians escaping from Roman persecutions found shelter in Cappadocia.

31)The Seven Churches of Apocalypse are all situated in the Aegean region of Anatolia; Ephesus, Smyrna (Izmir), Pergamum, Thyatira (Nazilli), Sardis, Philadelphia (Alasehir) and Laodicea.

32)Sultan Beyazit II dispatched the Ottoman Navy to bring the Jewish people who were expelled from Spain in 1492 and they were brought safely to the Ottoman lands.

33)Istanbul has the historical building of Sirkeci Train Station. This was the last stop of the Simplon-Orient Express - "kings of trains and train of kings" - between Paris and Constantinople (Istanbul) from 1883 to 1977. Agatha Christie was one of the passengers of this famous train.

34)The number of species of flowers in Turkey is approximately 9,000, of which 3,000 are endemic. In Europe for instance there are 11,500 species. This shows the richness of flora and fauna inAnatolia.

We have also compiled some useful information about Turkish culture that you may find useful click here to find out more. 
 

Dikili the best place to holiday to beat the credit crunch

The economic town turn is bad news for us all and I know of no one who isn't cutting back in some way.

Most people still want an annual holiday though and Turkey is reported as one of the best places to visit especially as its still outside the European Union.   

In Turkey your pound will go much further than any European country and the best news is that Dikili is still undiscovered by foreign tourists so it a lot cheaper and I mean significantly than the more commerical resorts.  It is still possible to eat a 3 course dinner in Dikili for £5 a head though it can be more expensive in some of the more exclusive eateries.

Dikili is also not a compromise you will be visiting one of the most fascinating and beautiful parts of Turkey surrounded by history and myth.  A holiday to Dikili is not only recommended to beat the credit crunch but to sooth the soul as well.

Dikili Mayor a Hero

I came accross this fantastic story about the mayor of Dikili he's a hero in my book.  Not sure what happened in the trial will have to find out from my local sources.

Copied from http://www.bianet.org/english/kategori/english/107423/dikili-mayor-is-on-trial-for-providing-free-water

Demokrat radyo - İzmir

05-06-2008

Dikili mayor Osman Özgüven and 14 other members of the municipal council were at the 1st Court of First Instance of Dikili yesterday (June 3), facing the charges of “misconduct in office” or “abuse of power.”

The reason behind the accusations Osman Özgüven, the mayor of a small town in İzmir province in western Turkey, is facing are the services he provides for his town, foremost among them is the free water. 

 During his tenure Dikili Mayor Osman Özgüven from the Social Democrat People's Party (SHP) made public buses free, obliged bus drivers to drop students off at their homes, provided affordable health services at a municipal clinic, sold bread in municipal bakeries at low prices and did not charge households that use less than 10 tons of water a month.

In addition to the people of Dikili, representatives from many political parties and institutions were there to support the mayor.

Defending his position at the court, the mayor said that as one of the measures in helping prevent global warming, they did not charge people any water fee up to 10 tons and they charged the whole amount above this limit.

“We saved lots of water with this method.”  

To encourage people, said Mayor Özgüven, they granted pardon for the interest payments of the water fees remained from the past administration. About municipality workers’ 50% water fee discount, he said “We wanted those people who are responsible for bringing water to the town to get their creation at lower prices. We did not violate the principle of equality.”    

He also added that the municipalities were elected bodies and determination of the rates for their services was their job and that they simply exercised their right.

“The concept of public service is on trial”

His lawyer Arif Ali Cangı said in his client’s defense that municipalities are not businesses.

“Municipality work is a public service. This case is trying the concept of public service.”

After Cangı the other members of the municipal council spoke. The defense lawyers demanded an investigation to determine whether or not the services rendered by Dikili Municipality were municipality services. The court is adjourned for the testimonies of the other members of the municipal court and the completion of the missing parts.

“Our services will continue”

Outside the courthouse, Dikili mayor Osman Özgüven said that their services were going to continue, indicating that municipalities were not businesses, they have been serving the people of Dikili and will continue serving.    

Dikili Videos

To get an idea of what Dikili is like you can view the following videos. These videos were not taken by us and some of the places in the first are not only of Dikili but nearby Ayvalik too but they will give you a little taster of what to expect.http://web.archive.org/web/20070614133722/http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3G54lTFmBPkThe second is of a beach shot near sunset. The lighting on this video is not great as you will see but it will give you an idea of the gentle sea you can expect to be dipping your toes into when on holiday at Villa Hanorah.http://web.archive.org/web/20070614133722/http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8DUwyFWMK20

Midnight Express

No blog on travel to Turkey worth its salt would failt to mention Midnight Express and the effect this film has had on peoples view on Turkey.People forget that although based on a true story much of what was documented in the film never actually happened. To find out the real story from the horses mouth see this video at youtube.

http://web.archive.org/web/20070614133722/http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TweU77cDrgE

The film gives the impression that the turks are a cruel and brutal race when in fact this could not be further from the truth. Yes expect to receive a prison term which might not be very nice if you are a drug smuggler but and ordinary visitor will be hard pushed to find a more friendly or beautiful place.

Your Holiday Matters

You might have noticed this logo on the front page of my site. It lets you know Iam a member of a holiday rental site with a difference, your holiday really matters to us. Along with 30 other people I was a founding member of this site and we hope to include more like minded owners in the near future and in time become one of the premier listing sites. See our recent press release below which will give you a deeper insight into the creation and ethos of the site. Make sure you bookmark the site so you can access it when you book your next holiday.FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Marcus Smith Your Holiday Matters Ltd Fonguillères 47210 Rives France www.yourholidaymatters.com smith.marcus@wanadoo.fr 00 33 (0)5 53 36 78 07 "Your Holiday Matters!" say rental owners New holiday rental site lets you book with owners who care ______________________________________________________ A newly launched holiday rental website aims to eliminate unpleasant surprises when holiday makers arrive at their destination. YourHolidayMatters.com is a direct booking holiday rental listing site with a fresh approach, developed by the property owners themselves. Your Holiday Matters is the brainchild of Marcus Smith, a holiday home owner with gites in the Dordogne, France. "Infinity pools and hi-tech kitchens are not everything'" is his view. "Commitment of the owner to the interests of the holiday maker, from the time of the initial inquiry, through to arrival and beyond, is what really counts". Inspired by TV programmes like 'Holidays from Hell' and a growing awareness of what can await the unsuspecting, he felt it was time to provide a service which takes the doubt out of booking, and offers travellers the reassurance they need and deserve. On conventional internet listing sites, holiday home owners simply pay an annual fee to advertise. With YourHolidayMatters.com, owners need to apply for their listing to be approved. Only properties and owners that meet certain standards are accepted, the main criteria being attitudes to customer care and satisfaction. Fellow owners work with new applicants to ensure that both host and property meet the required level. This includes seeking recommendations from at least three previous guests to establish a track record of happy visitors. There is a Charter of Quality which prospective advertisers undertake to follow: for example, same-day response to a booking inquiry where practicable, plus honest descriptions of their properties in respect of location, availability, condition and amenities, and what the rental rate does and does not include. Members of Your Holiday Matters must have personal websites, so holiday makers can make a more informed choice. There is also a strong emphasis on descriptive content of the areas carrying properties, to guide those who are undecided on their next holiday location: to date the areas represented range from Long Island/New York, to Thailand, Turkey, Greece, Croatia, Slovenia, Italy, Malta, France (including Corsica), Spain, Portugal and the UK. Marcus created the site with 31 members of an internet forum, developed to support and disseminate information to owners of holiday rental properties worldwide. "My colleagues had previously been happily engaged in exploring the merits of fluffy towels, pool safety and yet more ways to improve the rental experience for guests" he explained. "Our project just seemed a natural progression." So now, when you are looking for a holiday home, there is one site out there that can give you peace of mind from the first click: www.YourHolidayMatters.com This unique boutique site, with its hand-picked holiday properties, may soon be raising the bar for rentals at home and abroad. _______________________________________________________________________________ For more information, visit the web at http://web.archive.org/web/20070614133722/http://yourholidaymatters.com/ . Marcus Smith can be reached by calling 00 33 (0)5 53 36 78 07, or by email at smith.marcus@wanadoo.fr

Can the real Mrs Egin please stand up

My name is Mrs Egin and imagine my surprise to hear about another Mrs Egin written in a book called Demon Thief by best selling childrens writer Darren Shan. http://web.archive.org/web/20070614133722/http://darrenshan.com/Apparantly his "Mrs Egin" is a witch who explodes in a frenzy in the book after frightening the children of the Town.The truth is sometimes stranger than fiction and funny enough said Mr Shan lives in the same village where my mother Hanorah Griffen was born - Pallas Kenry, Co Limerick, Ireland. Surely this is a co-incidence I hear you ask - well it might be but its a small village Pallas Kenry, in fact its the kind of place where everyone knows each other just ask at the Corner House. So is the character based on me? I couldn't possibly say!