10 Fun Facts About Turkey

It was the spate of bombings and attacks that got my trip to Turkey deferred till recently. I am glad I could finally get it struck off the list. If you were to ask me what I think of Turkey, the much anticipated destination that I'd planned to visit since 2014, I would say "Great". It offers a unique culture, many mind-blowing sights and some unforgettable attractions, even though it's hard to find a bowl of oriental noodles which I pined for towards the end of the journey. 
It was a hectic itinerary but I managed to cover 2800 km and probably saw the highlights of it all.

I am writing a series of posts to document my travel and also to pen a few things that had created an impression on me. I'll start with some fun facts I discovered while travelling around.

10 Fun Facts About Turkey
1. If you think tulips originated from Holland, you are dead wrong. Holland's first tulips were a gift from Turkey and Turkey also boasts of beautiful Tulip parks even though they are not as famous as Keukenhof of Holland. 

2. I thought my 10 lira note was scribbled by a Math enthusiast but upon checking, I noticed all the 10 lira notes in my possession have the same complex formula printed on them. Curiosity got the better of me so I did a little research and found out that the 10 lira notes bear the picture of a Turkish Mathematician, Cahit Arf and the formula printed on the note, also called the Arf invariant is something that he discovered.

3. If you say "Günaydın" (pronounced as GOO NIGH DEN) to someone, which sounds like 'Good Night" you are actually wishing him "Good Morning". 

4. The cultivation of poppy plants is legalised in Turkey and poppy plants from which the drug, 'opium' is produced also grow wildly and freely on road sides and hill slopes in a few districts. A popular dessert in the province of Denizli even has a spoon of poppy seeds as its toppings.

Beautiful poppy flowers growing wildly on a hill slope

I paid 10 lira to eat this yogurt topped with honey and poppy seeds but didn't get high. LOL!

5.  If you are in Turkey, trying the Turkish ice-cream is a must. The texture is kind of stretchy and not only is it different from other ice-creams I have tasted, patrons of Turkish ice-cream stalls will always be teased with all sorts of tricks by the vendor before getting the ice-cream they'd paid for.  

6. Turkish children loves to make friends with tourists. Many will come around and offer to pose with you for photos.

My new found friend Ahmed literally begged me to be photographed with him.

A bunch of kids swarmed around Ronnie, wanting to take photos with him.

Two pretty girls warmed up to me and wanted me to remember them.

7. There are people in Cappadocia who still live in caves. You can also find cave hotels and cave restaurants. 

Inside a cave restaurant

8. Even though Turkey is a predominantly Muslim nation, most Turkish women do not don the head scarves.

9. Pomegranate juice which contains higher level of antioxidants than most other fruit juices is easily available in Turkey. In fact it is a hit among thirsty pedestrians. No wonder the Turks have beautiful complexion.

10. Tea is almost always served in a small, thin, vase-shaped glass. It is not easy to hold it when the tea is hot and I still wonder why this type of glass is preferred.

Tea,anyone?

Related Posts:
1. 10 Fun Facts About Turkey
2. The Blossoms And Wild Flowers Of Turkey
3. Istanbul Attraction: Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia Museum And Hippodrome Square
4. Istanbul Attraction: Grand Bazaar
5. Istanbul Attraction: Tulip Festival @ Emirgan Park
6. Istanbul Attraction: Topkapi Palace Museum Photo Gallery
7.Istanbul Attraction: Taksim Square And Istiklal Street
8.Istanbul Attraction: Bosphorus Cruise
9. Staying In Radisson Blu Residence, Istanbul
10. From Istanbul To Canakkale
11. The Ancient City Of Troy And The Acropolis Of Pergamon
12.Photos Of Sirince Village, An Ancient Greek Village In Turkey
13. A Visit To The Ancient City Of Ephesus
14. Pamukkale Cotton Castle & The Ancient City Of Hierapolis
15. The Journey From Pamukkale To Cappadocia
16. Staying In A Cave Hotel In Cappadocia
17. Getting To Know Ortahisar
18. Cappadocia, A Rocky Wonderland
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20. Cappadocia Underground City: My Photo Gallery
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23.Random Snapshots Of Turkey