Portal:Turkey/Did you know/Archive

The Facts Archive of Turkey Portal
 * ... that Turkish-Romani musician Selim Sesler was called "the Coltrane of the clarinet"? (May 16, 2014)
 * ... that Turkish painter İbrahim Balaban talent was discovered in prison by fellow inmate and famous Turkish poet Nâzım Hikmet Ran, who called him "my peasant painter"? (May 10, 2014)
 * ... that Yalçın Granit became the first Turkish basketballer to play in a European team when he went to France for his doctoral studies? (May 8, 2014)
 * ... that the construction of the Deliktaş Tunnel, Turkey's longest railway tunnel, lasted almost four decades? (April 18, 2014)
 * ... that Denis Legerský was allowed to play for the Turkish national ice hockey team in a friendly match in 2014, even though he is a Slovak citizen? (April 11, 2014)
 * ... that Cold War-era spy Hüseyin Yıldırım, sentenced to life without parole in the United States, was later pardoned and secretly extradited to Turkey, where he stayed only one day in prison? (April 2, 2014)
 * ... that Yavuz Yapıcıoğlu, nicknamed the "Screwdriver Killer", is the serial killer with the highest known victim count in Turkey? (March 22, 2014)
 * ... that 29 inmates escaped from Metris Prison in Istanbul through a self-built tunnel while the prison was still under military administration? (March 20, 2014)
 * ... that the 2011-opened Ahmet Hamdi Tanpınar Literature Museum Library in Istanbul is housed in a building, which once served for Ottoman sultans to accept salutes during a military parade? (February 26, 2014)
 * ... that former Turkish Minister of Customs and Monopolies, Tuncay Mataracı, was sentenced in 1982 to a 36-year term of imprisonment for bribery and abuse of power? (February 24, 2014)
 * ... that one of the accused assassins of Turkish former government minister Gün Sazak later hijacked an airplane to Bulgaria with accomplices? (February 21, 2014)
 * ... that Hakan Kıran, Turkish architect of the Golden Horn Metro Bridge, chose his profession because he was impressed by the concept of the town constructed by the French, in which he grew up? (February 14, 2014)
 * ... that the Öküz Mehmed Pasha Caravanserai in Kuşadası, Turkey was built in 1618 in the form of a small citadel with a battlement and merlons on its top? (February 9, 2014)
 * ... that the Golden Horn Metro Bridge in Istanbul is a cable-stayed bridge, which has a swing bridge on one side and features a metro station in the middle? (February 8, 2014)
 * ...that following the assassination of Diyarbakır police chief Gaffar Okkan in 2001, more than a hundred babies were named after him? (February 7, 2014)
 * ... that following a corruption scandal in Turkey, PM Erdoğan reshuffled his cabinet appointing ten ministers, among them nine new – Ala, Çavuşoğlu, Elvan, Güllüce, Işık, İslam, İşler, Kılıç and Zeybekci? (January 31, 2014)
 * ... that women's football forward Seyhan Gündüz was capped 32 times internationally, scoring 12 goals, a rate of 0.375 a match? (January 28, 2014)
 * ... that unlike other cemeteries in Turkey that accommodate one religion only, Mersin Interfaith Cemetery includes graves of Muslims, Christians and Jews? (January 15, 2014)
 * ... that, with its total installed capacity of 95 MW, the Kızıldere Geothermal Power Plant is the biggest of its kind in Turkey? (January 13, 2014)
 * ... that Arzu Karabulut currently plays for both German and Turkish football teams? (January 7, 2014)
 * ... that Leyla Güngör scored a goal against Spain in her first game as a member of the Turkey women's national football team? (December 23, 2013)
 * ... that the female footballer Bilgin Defterli decided to go to Germany because she saw no chance to play football in Turkey due to the dissolution of women's football leagues in 2003? (December 19, 2013)
 * ... that the town of Datça petitioned in 2008 to have the British Museum's Lion of Knidos British Museum Lion of Knidos.jpg(pictured) returned to Turkey? (December 7, 2013)
 * ... that the busts of Miklós Zrínyi and Sultan Suleiman, rivals at the Siege of Szigetvár in 1566, stand in the Hungarian-Turkish Friendship Park Park of Hungarian Turkish Friendship Szigetvár 2.jpg(pictured) side-by-side rather than confronting one another? (October 7, 2013)
 * ... that Tahir Aydoğdu and his father Gültekin are both players of the qanun, an instrument of Turkish classical music? (July 8, 2013)
 * ... that visitors to the Ulucanlar Prison Museum who pay extra to be handcuffed and locked in an isolation cell for a limited time may not leave it before the agreed time is up? (April 26, 2013)
 * ... that Monastery of the Transfiguration of Kinaliada is where Byzantine emperor Romanos IV Diogenes was exiled after his eyes were gouged out? (April 9, 2013)
 * ... that Krikor Apikoğlu founded Apikoğlu, the first company to mass produce meat products in Turkey? (March 9, 2013)
 * ... that Tayyare Apartments in Istanbul, originally built in 1922 for the victims of a fire disaster, house a five-star hotel today? (March 6, 2013)
 * ... that Hilton Istanbul Bosphorus Istanbul Hilton.JPG(pictured) in Turkey, established in 1955, is the longest-serving member of the Hilton Hotels chain outside the United States? (February 21, 2013)
 * ... that due to a campaign in Turkey, speaking a language other than Turkish was illegal in many parts of the country? (January 15, 2013)
 * ... that Israel expressed objections to the newly launched Turkish reconnaissance satellite Göktürk-2, fearing that high resolution imagery of Israel would eventually fall into the wrong hands? (January 15, 2013)
 * ... that Mehmet Gürs, a Turkish chef of Scandinavian descent, called his Istanbul restaurant Mikla, which is derived from Miklagard, the Viking name of the city in the 10th century? (November 15, 2012)
 * ... that as requested in his will, the grave of Turkish folk singer Neşet Ertaş was placed at the foot of his father's? (November 14, 2012)
 * ... that in 2007 Özlem Cekic Özlem Sara Cekic valby kulturdage 2011.jpg(pictured) became the first woman of Muslim immigrant background in the Danish Parliament? (September 27, 2012)
 * ... that the Church of Saint Benoit in Istanbul ClocherStBenoit.JPG(pictured) is the oldest Roman Catholic church in the city still in use? (August 21, 2012)
 * ... that Turkish swimmer Derya Büyükuncu is participating at the Summer Olympics for the sixth consecutive time? (July 30, 2012)
 * ... that Hüseyin Özer went from living on the streets of Ankara to owning a British restaurant chain and teaching at Middlesex University? (May 24, 2012)
 * ... that the prices of goods in the Phrygian city of Aizanoi were controlled by an edict of Roman emperor Diocletian? (May 18, 2012)
 * ... that Ottoman architect Mimar Sinan erected a Koranic school and an elementary school near the Ese Kapi Mosque in Istanbul? (May 9, 2012)
 * ... that the Balaban Aga Mosque in Istanbul, built in the Byzantine era, was demolished in 1930 because it stood in the way of a new road? (May 8, 2012)
 * ... that the Toklu Dede Mosque (pictured) in Istanbul, a former Byzantine Church, was destroyed with its frescoes by its owner in 1929? (April 30, 2012)
 * ... that Istanbul University Professor Semavi Eyice is regarded as the pioneer of Byzantine studies in Turkey? (April 27, 2012)
 * ... that the remains of the Bogdan Saray in Istanbul lie inside a tire shop? (April 13, 2012)
 * ... that before its restoration the Kasim Ağa Mosque in Istanbul was used as a shanty? (April 7, 2012)
 * ... that the Roman Catholic Church of St. Mary Draperis in Istanbul has been leveled by earthquake, forcibly demolished by the Ottoman Government, and destroyed three times by fire? (March 24, 2012)
 * ... that the Grand Bazaar in Istanbul, one of the largest covered markets in the world, attracts between 250,000 and 400,000 visitors daily? (March 19, 2012)
 * ... that Iznik-tiled lunette panels believed to have been removed from Istanbul's Piyale Pasha Mosque in the 19th century are currently on display in various museums such as the Louvre and the V&A? (February 21, 2012)
 * ... that the first uterus transplantation in the world with an organ taken from a cadaver was performed by Dr. Ömer Özkan and his team at the Akdeniz University? (February 8, 2012)
 * ... that although banned in 1943, the Baklahorani carnival, in Istanbul, revived after nearly 70 years? (January 19, 2012)
 * ... that Varda Viaduct Hacıkırı Varda Demiryolu Köprüsü.jpg(pictured), a 98 m high railway viaduct at Taurus Mountains, will be a shooting location of the next James Bond movie Skyfall? (January 5, 2012)
 * ... that the Gazi Race, named in honor of Gazi Mustafa Kemal, the founder of the Turkish Republic, was won by racehorses owned by succeeding presidents İsmet İnönü and Celâl Bayar? (December 8, 2011)
 * ... that in the 16th century the Church of St. Mary of Constantinople Odalar1920 1.jpg(pictured) in Istanbul was the center of a quarter mainly inhabited by Italians deported from the city of Caffa in Crimea? (December 4, 2011)
 * ... that the Florya Atatürk Marine Mansion Florya001.jpg(pictured), built in 1935 as a summer residence for Turkish president Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, is on the sea about 70 m offshore? (November 14, 2011)
 * ... that the early Christian Martyrion of Saints Carpus and Papylus, which is part of the Church of Saint Menas complex in Istanbul, currently houses two shops, an iron workshop and a car wash? (October 28, 2011)
 * ... that the Church of St. George of Samatya in Istanbul may have been given to the Armenian community because of the intercession of a favorite of Sultan Ibrahim? (October 22, 2011)
 * ... that footballer Hasan Ahmet Sari left Istanbul with his family after living through the 1999 İzmit earthquake? (August 18, 2011)
 * ... that Suleiman the Magnificent supposedly gave İncili Çavuş a pearl to wear to distinguish him from other sergeants? (July 9, 2011)
 * ... the Ionian University of Smyrna, established in Turkey by Greece during the occupation of Smyrna, was never opened due to latter's defeat in the Greco-Turkish War? (June 18, 2011)
 * ... that in the early stages of World War II the steamer Refah from neutral Turkey was torpedoed by an unidentified submarine in the eastern Mediterranean killing 168 of the 200 people aboard? (May 30, 2011)
 * ... that Mustafa Kemal Atatürk's state funeral took place twice, once immediately after his death in 1938 and then again in 1953? (May 1, 2011)
 * ... that the Ottoman torpedo boat Sultanhisar attacked and seriously damaged the Australian submarine HMAS AE2 in 1915 but rescued all the crew before the submarine went down in the Sea of Marmara? (April 12, 2011)
 * ... that the largest oil field in Turkey lies near the city of Batman and the Batman River? (March 1, 2011)
 * ... that although the Nuri Demirağ Nu D.38 transport aircraft was completed in 1941, it was not flown until 1944? (January 24, 2011)
 * ... that the house in Tekirdağ, Turkey, where Hungarian national hero Francis II Rákóczi spent his last years, is a museum now and is regarded as a cultural bridge between the two countries? (January 16, 2011)
 * ... that the Şeyh Süleyman Mosque in Istanbul was almost certainly an annex of Constantinople's Monastery of Pantokrator in the Byzantine Age? (December 8, 2010)
 * ... that the Manastır Mosque Manastir Mosque 2010-10-09 02.jpg(pictured) in Istanbul is one of the few surviving Byzantine religious buildings of Constantinople whose dedication remains uncertain? (November 9, 2010)
 * ... that even though Simeon I of Bulgaria burned the Church of St. Mary of the Spring near the Byzantine capital Constantinople, his son Peter married the daughter of Romanos I Lekapenos there three years later? (November 6, 2010)
 * ... that a hydro dam was built by a state agency within the borders of the Munzur Valley National Park in Turkey, violating the existing laws for its protection? (October 28, 2010)
 * ... that Morocco–Turkey relations started as early as the 16th century, with the expansion of the Ottoman Empire into Northern Africa? (October 26, 2010)
 * ... that the 1993 Bayburt Üzengili avalanche in north-eastern Turkey killed 59 people and 650 livestock, and caused the relocation of the village to a safe zone? (October 20, 2010)
 * ... that the town of Lice, Turkey, was rebuilt 2 km south of its original location after the earthquake in 1975, with houses, shops, a school, a bakery and a mosque completed only 54 days later? (October 10, 2010)
 * ... that Turkish Army's Güvercinlik Air Base was the first civil airport of Ankara that served as such from 1933 until 1955? (October 6, 2010)
 * ... that the broken top of the Aviation Martyrs' Monument in Istanbul is to symbolize the incomplete status of the flight missions? (September 21, 2010)
 * ... that, when completed, the Deriner Dam will be the tallest in Turkey? (September 7, 2010)
 * ... that Ethiopian-born Meryem Erdoğan, impressed by her countrywoman Elvan Abeylegesse's success, illegally immigrated to Turkey at age 16 in order to become a distance runner? (August 18, 2010)
 * ... that the lighthouse Rumeli Feneri was built in 1855 in order to provide safe navigation for the French and British war ships entering the Istanbul Strait from Black Sea during the Crimean War? (June 14, 2010)
 * ... that the 1903 Turkey earthquake killed 3,500 humans and 20,000 animals and registered a magnitude of 7.0? (May 9, 2010)
 * ... that the Battle of Bapheus in 1302 was the first major Ottoman victory, and led to their gradual conquest of Byzantine-controlled Bithynia? (April 16, 2010)
 * ... that several families of land gastropods reach a maximum of biodiversity in Turkey? (March 3, 2010)
 * ... that the sports hall of Europe's largest prison complex in Istanbul was converted into a courtroom because the existing one was not big enough to accommodate the hearings of the Ergenekon trial? (February 11, 2010)
 * ... that Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu, the head of the Turkish delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, is also a member of parliament from Antalya Province? (January 24, 2010)
 * ... that in 1983, Yıldırım Aktuna, a neuropsychiatrist and later a politician, founded Turkey’s first alcohol and drug rehabilitation center at the country's largest psychiatric hospital in Istanbul? (December 31, 2009)
 * ... that the Battle of Wawon is considered to be Turkey's first real combat action since the end of World War I? (December 1, 2009)
 * ... that when Turkey gave out personal identification numbers to their citizens in 2000, they chose to number all 120 million people born since 1840, living or dead? (November 11, 2009) Recent additions 250
 * ... that female karateka Yıldız Aras holds more World, European, and Mediterranean Games champion titles than any other Turkish sportsperson? (November 8, 2009) Recent additions 250
 * ... that the 1976 crash of Turkish Airlines Flight 452, resulting in the death of 154 people, is the all-time worst aviation accident in Turkey? (October 8, 2009) Recent additions 249
 * ... that Trabzonspor were the first Turkish soccer team entitled to participate in the UEFA Women's Champions League? (September 19, 2009) Recent additions 248
 * ... that a total of 441 military and civilian personnel of the Turkish Naval Base Gölcük, among them a rear admiral, were killed by the 1999 İzmit earthquake? (August 9, 2009) Recent additions 247
 * ... that the third officer of the MV Horizon-1, a cargo ship recently hijacked by Somali pirates, is a 24-year old Turkish woman? (July 27, 2009) Recent additions 246
 * ... that the mineral erionite is a carcinogen, and chronic exposure to this mineral has been linked to excess mortality from mesothelioma in a number of villages in Turkey? (July 22, 2009) Recent additions 246
 * ... that Fatma Aliye Topuz (1862-1936), whose portrait illustrates the reverse of the current 50 Turkish lira banknote, is credited as the first female Turkish and Muslim writer? (May 5, 2009) Recent additions 244
 * ... that Turkish political parties cancelled their rallies ahead of the local elections in respect of the death of Yazıcıoğlu, leader of the Great Union Party, in the 2009 Medair TC-HEK helicopter crash? (April 17, 2009) Recent additions 243
 * ... that human rights activist Ayse Nur Zarakolu, an Amnesty International "prisoner of conscience", was arrested 30 times and jailed four for violating censorship laws in Turkey? (March 13, 2009) Recent additions 242
 * ... that Levantine architect of French descent Raymond Charles Père (1854-1929), who designed the landmark of Izmir (pictured) in Turkey, was a native of Izmir? (February 18, 2009) Recent additions 241
 * ... that according to US and Turkish officials, the MV Kısmetim-1 was deliberately sunk in December 1992 by its crew in order to prevent the capture of the illicit drug load? (February 1, 2009) Recent additions 239
 * ... that Istanbul Hezarfen Airfield hosts around 30,000 music fans every September for the annual Rock'n Coke open air music festival? (January 20, 2009) Recent additions 239
 * ... that the crash of Turkish Airlines Flight 634 on 8 January 2003 was the worst crash involving a BAe 146? (January 4, 2009) Recent additions 238
 * ... that Turkish female aviator Nezihe Viranyalı was educated in civil aviation at the University of Tennessee following an invitation by the renowned American pilot Jacqueline Cochran? (January 2, 2009) Recent additions 238
 * ... that the Tigris River's tributary, the Botan in southeastern Turkey, looks during times of peak discharge much bigger than the Tigris? (December 26, 2008) Recent additions 237
 * ... that 14th-century Turkish polymath Al-Taftazani completed one of his best-known works at the age of 16? (December 22, 2008) Recent additions 237
 * ... that after being deposed by his brotherAbdul Hamid II, Ottoman sultan Murad V was detained in the Malta Pavilion? (December 16, 2008) Recent additions 236
 * ... that the Khedive Palace in Istanbul, Turkey, once a mansion for Ottoman governors, now serves as an upscale restaurant? (December 15, 2008) Recent additions 236
 * ... that during the Ottoman–Venetian War of 1570–1573, the 8,500-strong Venetian garrison of Famagusta in Cyprus held out for eleven months against an Ottoman army of 200,000 men? (December 13, 2008) Recent additions 236
 * ... that the Esma Sultana Mansion Esma Sultan Yalısı.JPG (pictured), a multipurpose event venue in Istanbul, Turkey, looks ruined because only its interior was reconstructed after a 1975 fire? (December 1, 2008)
 * ... that the modern border between Iran and Iraq dates back to the Treaty of Zuhab, which concluded the Ottoman–Safavid War of 1623–1639? (November 29, 2008) Recent additions 235
 * ... that Turkish poet Süleyman Nazif witnessed first hand the decaying corpses of persecuted Christians in his home town of Diyarbakır in July 1915? (November 17, 2008) Recent additions 235
 * ... that Süreyya Opera House in Istanbul, built in 1927 as a musical theater but used all the time as a cinema, gained its intended status only in 2007 after redevelopment? (October 30, 2008) Recent additions 234
 * ... that Sinop Fortress Prison in Turkey, abandoned in 1997, hosts hundreds of thousands tourists yearly thanks to its featuring in popular literature, music and film? (October 23, 2008) Recent additions 233
 * ... that Kazakhstan and Turkey have sought to promote closer bilateral relations and foster close ties between Turkic nations of Central Asia? (October 16, 2008) Recent additions 232
 * ... that the Sultan Bayezid II Mosque is the oldest surviving Ottoman imperial mosque complex in Istanbul, Turkey? (August 13, 2008) Recent additions 226
 * ... that the relics housed within the chapel near the Church of St. Mary of Blachernae in Istanbul were credited by the Byzantines for victories against the Avars, Arabs, and Rus? (July 15, 2008)
 * ... that the Montreux Convention of 1936 is an international treaty regulating the Dardanelles and Bosporus Straits? (July 8, 2008) Recent additions 221
 * ... that the 1971 Turkish coup d'état was carried out by a memorandum rather than direct intervention by the military? - June 29, 2008 Recent additions 221
 * ... that Kieran Prendergast was the British Ambassador to Turkey before serving as United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs? (June 21, 2008) Recent additions 220
 * ... that Pakistan's ties with Turkey have been influenced by president Pervez Musharraf's admiration for Turkey's model of modernism and secularism? (June 9, 2008) Recent additions 219
 * ... that Mevlüde Genç, a Turk living in Germany who had lost five of her family members to Neo-Nazi violence in the Solingen arson attack of 1993, went on to advocate tolerance between Turks and Germans? (June 1, 2008) Recent additions 219
 * ... that in 1876, British barrister, publicist, and historian Edwin Pears, as correspondent of The Daily News, sent letters home describing Ottoman atrocities in Bulgaria during the April Uprising which aroused popular demonstrations in England led by William Gladstone? (May 18, 2008) Recent additions 219
 * ... that the military prowess of the Tulunid dynasty of Arab Egypt was due to its multi-ethnic army composed of Turkish, Sudanese, and Greek soldiers? (May 10, 2008) Recent additions 219
 * ... that Turkey was so dissatisfied with its first set of stamps that it had France make the second set Duloz9.jpg Duloz issue 1865]] (example pictured) ?  (May 4, 2008) Recent additions 215
 * ...that the oldest known lemon squeezers were found in Kütahya, Turkey and date to the first quarter of the 18th century? (March 25, 2008) Recent additions 213
 * ...that the Battle of Shaizar in 1111, between King Baldwin I of Jerusalem's Crusader army and a Seljuk army led by Mawdud bin Altuntash of Mosul, ended in a tactical draw? (March 13, 2008) Recent additions 211
 * ...that Sultanahmet Jail in Istanbul, Turkey, which served mostly as a prison reserved for intellectual dissidents, is today a five-star hotel? (March 6, 2008)Recent additions 210
 * ...that restaurant Beyti in Istanbul, famous for its Beyti kebab, once catered U.S. president Richard Nixon's Air Force One? (March 1, 2008)Recent additions 209
 * ...that Hagia Sophia (pictured) in Turkey has runic inscriptions left by Vikings? (February 29, 2008) Recent additions 209
 * ...that the map Piri reis world map 01.jpg (pictured) by Piri Reis, a 16th century Islamic cartographer, is the oldest surviving Turkish map to show the Americas? (February 27, 2008) Recent additions 208
 * ...that the Milion Milion 2007.jpg(pictured) of Constantinople was the origin of all the roads into the European cities of the Byzantine Empire? (February 27, 2008)
 * ...that the award-winning Turkish restaurant Changa in Istanbul is being supervised by the Kiwi chef Peter Gordon? (February 23, 2008)
 * ...that the Valens Aqueduct was the major water-providing system of medieval Constantinople and Ottoman Istanbul? (February 16, 2008) Recent additions 206
 * ...that the world's longest tunnel system is the two parallel tunnels at the Atatürk Dam of Şanlıurfa in southeastern Turkey? (February 14, 2008)
 * ...that Khotyn Fortress Chocim stronghold front.jpg (pictured), site of the Battle of Khotyn between the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and the Ottoman Empire in 1621, is one of the Seven Wonders of Ukraine? (February 12, 2008) Recent additions 205
 * ...that local boyars protested against the Russian annexation of Bessarabia after the Russo-Turkish War in 1812, arguing that the Ottoman Empire had no right to cede a Moldavian territory that was not theirs in the first place? (February 3, 2008) Recent additions 203
 * ...that so far, 350,000 people have been relocated in Turkey by dam projects carried out by the State Hydraulic Works, and 250,000 more will be affected in the future? (January 31, 2008) Recent additions 202
 * ...that the Ottoman frigate Ertuğrul disaster, which occurred in 1890 off Kushimoto, led to strengthening foreign relations between Turkey and Japan? (January 16, 2008) Recent additions 200
 * ...that the church of Hagia Thekla in Constantinople, now a mosque, was rebuilt by Emperor Isaac I Komnenos as thanks for surviving a hunting accident? (January 15, 2008) Recent additions 200
 * ...that the Koca Mustafa Pasha Mosque (pictured) in Istanbul features a cypress tree with a chain that was swung between two people who gave contradictory statements to determine which one was telling the truth? (January 14, 2008) Recent additions 200
 * ...that the construction of the Çanakkale Martyrs' Memorial (pictured), commemorating over 250,000 Turkish soldiers fallen during the Battle of Gallipoli in WWI, was completed with nationwide financial contributions? (January 11, 2008) Recent additions 199
 * ...that the site of Endymion's cave, where Selene's beloved sleeps forever, a sanctuary on the slopes of Latmus, still exists in Aydin Province, southwestern Turkey? (January 11, 2008) Recent additions 199
 * ...that the ticket lottery site for the December 2007 Ahmet Ertegün Tribute Concert featuring Led Zeppelin, crashed due to over a billion page views of fans seeking to purchase the 20,000 tickets on sale? (January 8, 2008) Recent additions 198
 * ...that Turkish Prime Minister Adnan Menderes survived the 1959 Turkish Airlines Gatwick crash almost uninjured, but was executed by hanging a year and a half later? (January 5, 2008) Recent additions 198
 * ...that Mustafa Kemal Atatürk Atatürk.jpg (pictured), founder of the Republic of Turkey, established the first commercial Turkish winery in 1925? (December 20, 2007) Recent additions 193
 * ...that Muhtar Kent, named to assume the post of CEO of the Coca-Cola Company on July 1, 2008, is the son of a Turkish diplomat, who risked his life to save Jews in France during the Holocaust? (December 15, 2007) Recent additions 191
 * ...that after the Fall of Constantinople, the Ottomans demolished the Column of Justinian to symbolize their capture of the city? (December 10, 2007) Recent additions 190
 * ...that the Galatasaray S.K. has origins from the Ottoman Empire era? (December 4, 2007) Recent additions 190
 * ...that Turkish serial killer Özgür Dengiz broke into fits of laughter when discussing his cannibalism? (December 1, 2007) Recent additions 190
 * ...that the Mosque of the Rose in Istanbul is so named because on the day of the Fall of Constantinople the building was adorned with garlands of roses? (November 27, 2007) Recent additions 190
 * ...that  SantralIstanbul, a modern art museum in Istanbul, Turkey, is located in what was the first power station of the Ottoman Empire?  (November 22, 2007) Recent additions 189
 * ...that in Rose Macaulay's novel The Towers of Trebizond (1956) the English traveller Aunt Dot aims to emancipate the women of Turkey by converting them to Anglicanism and popularizing the bathing hat? (November 19, 2007) Recent additions 188
 * ...that the mosque of Hirami Ahmet Pasha HiramiAmhetPasaMosque20071010 01.jpg (pictured) in Istanbul is the smallest Byzantine church of Constantinople still extant? (November 18, 2007) Recent additions 187
 * ...that the McGhee Center for Eastern Mediterranean Studies in Alanya is run by Georgetown University as the only independent study program in Turkey? (November 12, 2007) Recent additions 185
 * ...that during the Italian War of 1542–1546, the population of Toulon, France was expelled to make room for an Ottoman naval base? (November 2, 2007) Recent additions 183
 * ...that the Shrapnel Valley Cemetery at Gallipoli is named after the distinctive sound produced by shrapnel in the area? (October 13, 2007)
 * ...that the 1955 novel Teneke by Turkish author Yaşar Kemal was adapted into an Italian |opera of the same title by Fabio Vacchi in 2007? (October 8, 2007) Recent additions 175
 * ...that Turkish-German professional boxer Hülya Şahin, the undefeated junior flyweight world champion, is the only female member of her club Universum? (September 21, 2007) Recent additions 167
 * ...that Turkish record label Kalan Müzik was suspended for a song with the word "Kurdistan" in it? (September 1, 2007) Recent additions 166
 * ...that Hasan Saltık, called "The Anthropologist of Folk Music" by Time magazine, was saved from a three-year jail term because the prosecutor was a fan? (August 31, 2007) Recent additions 166
 * ...that the Brig "Mercury" Attacked by Two Turkish Ships Aivazovsky, Brig Mercury Attacked by Two Turkish Ships 1892.jpg (pictured) was one of over 3,000 seascapes painted by Russian artist Ivan Aivazovsky? (August 10, 2007) Recent additions 161
 * ...that the Romanian crude oil tanker M/T Independenţa burnt for weeks in 1979 after colliding with a freighter? (August 10, 2007) Recent additions 161
 * ...that Wilhelm von Pressel designed the first railroad in Turkey? (July 25, 2007) Recent additions 155
 * ...that the 1621 Battle of Khotyn resulted directly in the death of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth leader, hetman Jan Karol Chodkiewicz, and indirectly in the death of the Ottoman Empire commander, sultan Osman II? (July 20, 2007) Recent additions 155
 * ...that the Mosque of Kefeli in Istanbul was used jointly as a church by Roman Catholic and Armenian believers before becoming a mosque? (July 20, 2007) Recent additions 155
 * ...that the Vefa Kilise Mosque VefaKiliseCamii20070531_01.jpg (pictured) in Istanbul is one of the first examples of byzantine churches of Constantinople which were converted into mosques by the Ottomans? (July 13, 2007) Recent additions 154
 * ...that despite being a key building of middle byzantine Architecture, the mosque of Eski Imaret EskiImaretCamii20070531_03.jpg (pictured) is still one among the least studied monuments of Istanbul? (June 28, 2007) Recent additions 150
 * ...that the award ceremony of Turkey's most important film festival, the Golden Orange, is held at the Roman amphitheatre of Aspendos S5001777.JPG (pictured) in Antalya? (June 22, 2007) Recent additions 149
 * ...that the Xhosa Wars veteran Stephen Bartlett Lakeman Mazar Pasa.jpeg (pictured) became an Ottoman pasha and, late in his life, helped create the Romanian National Liberal Party? (June 5, 2007) Recent additions 145
 * ...that the Crusade of Varna required simultaneous attacks on the Muslim Ottoman Empire by Christian Hungary and the Muslim Karamanids, which did not occur? (May 28,2007) Recent additions 144
 * ...that the mosque of Kalenderhane KalenderhaneMosqueInIstanbul20070407 01.jpg(pictured) in Istanbul contained the most ancient cycle of frescoes portraying Saint Francis of Assisi still extant? (May 27, 2007)
 * ...that ten days before the ratification of the Peace of Szeged, Vladislaus, King of Hungary, swore an oath which invalidated it and all future treaties with the Ottoman Empire? (May 25, 2007) Recent additions 143
 * ...that the Turkish tanbur is one of the four musical instruments that make up Turkish classical music's basic quartet? (May 23, 2007)
 * ...that modern nursing was founded by Florence Nightingale at the Selimiye Barracks in Istanbul, Turkey during the Crimean War (1854-1856)? (May 22, 2007) Recent additions 142
 * ...that the Romanian poet Mehmet Niyazi, a major figure in Crimean Tatar literature, was expelled from Crimea three times during his lifetime? (May 20, 2007) Recent additions 141
 * ...that the land of Haydarpaşa Cemetery, a burial ground in Istanbul, Turkey for British Commonwealth soldiers from three wars, belonged to Suleiman the Magnificent? (May 16, 2007) Recent additions 141
 * ...that the Monument of Liberty in Istanbul, the gathering place for the second rally of the Republic Protests, is a memorial for the 31 March Incident that took place in 1909? (May 4, 2007) Recent additions 139
 * ...that the Declaration to the Seven was the first British pronouncement to the Arab states of the former Ottoman Empire advancing the principle of national self-determination? (April 13, 2007) Recent additions 133
 * ...that the crown in the coat of arms of Amsterdam is the Imperial Crown of Austria?
 * ...that yaylag, the Turkic tradition of moving to highland pastures in the summer, started in the fourth millennium BCE? (April 12, 2007) Recent additions 133
 * ...that Alpamysh, an ancient Turkic epic or dastan, is one of the foremost examples of the Turkic oral literature of Central Asia? (April 3, 2007) Recent additions 131
 * ...that it was discovered that about 10,000 Muslim graves in Cebeci Asri Cemetery, Ankara, Turkey were not oriented in the direction required by Islam? (March 29, 2007) Recent additions 130
 * ...that the Balık sisters from Turkey claim to be the only identical twins who are both professional opera singers? (March 22, 2007) Recent additions 129
 * ...that the Fenari Isa Mosque FeneriIsaCamiiInIstanbul20070102 1.jpg (pictured) in Istanbul represents one of the first examples of edifices with a quincuncial plan in Byzantine architecture? (March 17, 2007) Recent additions 128
 * ...that Karaköy, part of ancient Galata, and an important commercial and transport center at the Golden Horn, was the birthplace of André Chénier, a French poet beheaded during the French Revolution? (March 16, 2007) Recent additions 127
 * ...that Matild Manukyan, a wealthy Turkish businesswoman of Armenian origin, made her fortune as a brothel owner? (March 14, 2007) Recent additions 127
 * ...that the Ottoman Bank, established as a private bank in 1856, became a central bank in 1863 and issued banknotes in the Ottoman Empire and then Turkey until 1931? (March 8, 2007) Recent additions 125
 * ...that Vakifli is the only ethnic Armenian village in Turkey? (February 26, 2007) Recent additions 121
 * ...that Artin Penik, a Turkish-Armenian, set himself on fire in protest of the terrorist attacks against Turks by the Armenian Secret Army for the Liberation of Armenia (ASALA)? (February 25, 2007) Recent additions 121
 * ...that Bulgarian Dobri Zhelyazkov founded the first textile factory in the Ottoman Empire? (February 2, 2007) Recent additions 118
 * ...that the Akhurian River is said to have turned completely red because of a major battle nearby? (January 28, 2007) Recent additions 118
 * ...that an Egyptian army of 1,500 was defeated by 300 women and old men of Diro during the Egyptian Invasion of Mani in 1826? (January 22, 2007) Recent additions 117
 * ...that the first three Ministers of the Privy Treasury of the Ottoman Empire were Armenian, the first being Hagop Kazazian Pasha? (January 13, 2007) Recent additions 116
 * ...that Baghdad Street in Istanbul was named by Murad IV to commemorate his conquest of Mesopotamia? (January 12, 2007) Recent additions 116
 * ...that the Mecelle, the Ottoman civil code of 1877, was the first attempt to codify part of the laws of an Islamic state? (January 7, 2007) Recent additions 115
 * ...that Trdat the Architect reconstructed the dome of the Hagia Sophia in 989 and built the Cathedral of Ani? (January 6, 2007) Recent additions 115
 * ...that although 99.8% of the population is Muslim, there is no official religion in Turkey? (December 18, 2006) Recent additions 111
 * ...that the Rhodes blood libel &mdash; the accusation that the Jews of Rhodes ritually murdered a Christian boy in 1840 &mdash; enjoyed active support from the consuls of several European countries? (October 31, 2006) Recent additions 97
 * ...that the British Levant Company avoided a fatal mistake of other chartered companies by paying their consuls and ambassadors a pension, so that they would not impose taxes on merchants for personal gain? (June 18, 2006) Recent additions 72
 * ...that the prosecution of writer and poet Perihan Magden for urging defiance of mandatory military service has complicated Turkey's negotiations for membership in the European Union? (June 11, 2006) Recent additions 71
 * ...that in the Night Attack skirmish, Vlad III Dracula is said to have been "one of the first European crusaders to use gunpowder in a deadly artistic way"? (April 26, 2006) Recent additions 63
 * ...that the Senyavin Islands of Micronesia were named after Dmitry Senyavin, who destroyed the Ottoman fleet in the Battle of Athos in 1807? (April 22, 2006) Recent additions 63
 * ...that the Ancient Greeks credited Broteas, the ugly son of Tantalus, with an ancient rock-cut cliff-face carving of the Great Mother of the Gods in modern Turkey? (March 13, 2006) Recent additions 57
 * ...that the Cossack Hetman and the later Muscovite voyevoda Petro Doroshenko signed a treaty with Sultan Mehmed IV recognizing the Cossack Hetmanate as a vassal of the Ottoman Empire? (March 8, 2006) Recent additions 56
 * ...that the Hood Event was an incident following the US invasion of Iraq where a group of Turkish special forces operating in northern Iraq was captured and interrogated by the US military, later becoming the basis for the 2006 film Valley of the Wolves Iraq? (February 24, 2006) Recent additions 55
 * ...that during the Russo-Turkish War, 1828-1829 more Russian soldiers died in hospitals from contagious diseases than fighting on the battlefield? (February 1, 2006) Recent additions 51
 * ...that as many as 150 people a year attempt to commit suicide by jumping from either the Bosporus Bridge or Fatih Sultan Mehmet Bridge in Turkey? (September 6, 2004) Recent additions 14
 * ...that the Turkish military coup of 1971 is known as a coup by memorandum? (August 10, 2004) Recent additions 13