1. Turkey is in the exact spot where East and West meet. For the same reason, it is one of the world's most beautiful countries, where cultures have created an infinite mosaic of colors, flavors and unique scents. An incomparable paradise where past and future are in harmony, to awe who is lucky enough to know its charms.

2. The Trojan War described in Homer's Iliad, took place in western Turkey around 1,200 BC. Now, it is possible to see a replica of the famous Trojan horse, symbolizing the end of this legendary war.

3. The birth of Christianity occurred in Turkey, where the apostles Paul and John preached their gospels. The Virgin Mary spent her last years living in a small house near Ephesus. The Vatican declared the house a holy site in 1967.

4. Tulips were first brought to Holland from Turkey.

5. Santa Claus was born in Patara, Turkey, and was bishop of Demre on the Mediterranean coast.

6. Istanbul is the only city in the world located on two continents, Europe and Asia, which is connected by two great bridges. Istanbul has also been the capital of three great empires: Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman empires. Did you know that the city changed its name over 90 times?

7. The Grand Bazaar, with over 4,000 stores, is the largest covered market in the world. There is everything in this microcosm : jewelry, leather goods, gifts, spices, clothes many more.

The Republic of Turkey, or simply Turkey lies between Asia (97% of its territory) and Europe (3% of its territory), officially recognized as a European state.

The Anatolian peninsula, between the Black Sea and the Mediterranean, is the "heart" of the country. It borders Georgia to the northeast, to the east by Armenia and the Autonomous Republic of Naxçivan (belonging to Azerbaijan) southeast with Iran, on the north by the Black Sea to the West with Greece, Bulgaria and the Aegean Sea and the south by Iraq, Syria and the Mediterranean Sea.

By 2010, Turkey had a population of 73,722,998 inhabitants. Major cities are: Istanbul, Ankara (the capital), Izmir, Adana, Antalya and Bursa. The Turkish population is a young population due to high birth rates in this country.

The official language is Turkish, however, almost all middle-class Turks speak a foreign language.

95% of the population is Muslim (Sunni 75 - 80%, Alevi or Alevis 15 to 20%). The remaining 5% are mostly Christians and Jews.