Turkey
Cradle Of Civilizations
Imagine a country where more than 20 fascinating civilizations left traces in the last 10,000 years and two of the seven wonders of the ancient world are located. Imagine a country where St. Nicholas (also known as Santa Claus), St. John, St. Paul and St. Peter lived and prayed, and the Virgin Mary spent her last days. And again, imagine a country where Islamic civilization saw a centuries-long Golden Era, while Europe was consumed in the Dark Ages.
East Meets West
With the oldest ever known human settlement currently being excavated in Catalhoyuk, Central Turkey (7,500 BC), this land has witnessed some of the most prominent civilizations of the world, from Hittites to Urartians, Romans to Byzantines, and Seljuks to Ottomans. And these are the exact reasons why today's Turkey is a unique blend of modern and old, East and West, and Islam and Christianity with its rich and diverse history. Today, it is almost impossible not to have goosebumps when exploring the ever-living traces of all these rich civilizations in Turkey, a country that resembles more of an open air museum with its well-preserved historical sites and culture.
An Island of Stability
Turkey, a western democracy, is an active member of the G-20, NATO and the United Nations Security Council with its 72 million strong young population and has the second largest army in NATO. Slightly bigger than the size of Texas, it is situated like a bridge in a very strategically and politically important geography at the crossroads of Europe, the Middle East, Central Asia, Caucasus and North Africa.
World's 17th Largest Economy
Turkish economy, the 17th largest in the world, has been growing an average of 6-7 percent per year since 2002 and is expected to become one of the top 10 economies of the world by 2023. Turkey's export number has grown approximately 300 percent during the same period, its main trading partner being the European Union zone countries. The current government's efforts to penetrate into other markets, mainly in the Middle East and North Africa, helped diversify the Turkish export destinations.
World's 8th Most Popular Holiday Destination
With its rich history, warm people and diverse landscape, Turkey is currently the world's 8th most popular holiday destination - 28 million foreign visitors a year. This number is expected to rise up to 40 million in the near future, pushing Turkey a few spots up the worldwide ranking.
Istanbul, Not Constantinople!
A Turkey page wouldn't be complete without at least a paragraph on Istanbul. It was the capital of three great empires in the last 2,000 years: the Roman Empire, Byzantium and the Ottoman Empire. Napoleon once said, "If only one state existed on earth, Istanbul would be the capital". Considered a holy city for both Islam and Orthodox Christianity, Istanbul has 157 Christian churches, 17 synagogues, 10 monasteries and close to 2,000 mosques.
Istanbul is the only city in the world that lies on two continents: half of the city is in Europe and the other half is in Asia. Walking through the streets of Istanbul, you will have moments where you will feel like you are in any Western metropolis. Then you will turn your head and travel a few centuries back in time. In Istanbul, you will feel the West, but sense the East. The magical history of the last couple of thousand years will be all around you, blending into a modern city.
