Learn five things that will help you make the most out of your travels in Turkey
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| INTRODUCTION |
| Ece: Merhabalar! I’m Ece. |
| Gina: Welcome back to TurkishClass101.com.This is All-About, Lesson 6 - Can You Answer These Questions About Turkey? I’m Gina! |
| Ece: In this lesson, we’ll do something a little different from the previous ones. |
| Gina: That’s right, it’s a quiz! Don’t sigh, because it’ll be fun. These questions are about some statistics on the country. Together, we’ll evaluate our knowledge of Turkey.. |
| Ece: Yes, because learning a language can’t be separated from learning about its culture, society, fashion, arts, cuisine and so on. So are you ready Gina? |
| Gina: listeners, I’ll try to answer myself, but you should say the answers if you know them too! |
Lesson focus |
|---|
| Ece: Great! The first question is on geography - In which part of Turkey is İstanbul located? |
| A. the Center |
| B. the North-West |
| C. the South-West |
| D. the North-East |
| Gina: [pause] That one’s easy! The North West. |
| Ece: That’s right. Istanbul is a cosmopolitan metropolis, but it’s not the capital of Turkey. Remember that, listeners. |
| Gina: Just like New York isn’t the capital of the United States. According to Forbes, Istanbul was the fifth most visited city in the world in 2012, with the highest growth rate in visitor spending. So what’s the climate like in Istanbul? |
| Ece: Like all of Turkey, Istanbul has four seasons. Hot summers, but not as hot as Mediterranean countries, windy and rainy autumns, cold and snowy winters like New York, and rainy and blossomy springs. |
| Gina: But this is not typical for the country, right? |
| Ece: No, every region and subregion has a different climate. Istanbul’s is like a passage between the continental and Black Sea climates. |
| Gina: Ok, it’s time for the next question. What is it, Ece? |
| Ece: Which of the following has been so famous throughout history that it’s called “Turkish delight”? |
| A. Baklava |
| B. Muhallebi |
| C. Güllaç |
| D. Lokum |
| Gina: Ahh, all those Ottoman desserts… I know they are all delicious… The most famous one is baklava, so it must be the Turkish delight, yes? |
| Ece: No! Baklava is already known by that name, Gina... Lokum is the Turkish delight! |
| Gina: Ah yes - Turkish delight is the easier one to take back home as a present, because it is dry. |
| Ece: Baklava can be taken abroad as well when carefully packed. But muhallebi and güllaç have to be served fresh. |
| Gina: How many types of Turkish delight are there? |
| Ece: Ah, countless! All colors, with all different nuts, fruits, flowers, flavors. You know Gina, in Turkey we have specialized shops for each type of dessert, one for baklava, one for lokum, one for muhallebi… And almost all the shops make their own recipes. |
| Gina: My mouth is watering just from talking about it! |
| Ece: I know, right? We’ll talk more about food more in the next lesson, listeners, so don’t miss it! But now it’s time for the next question. How many sites are there in Turkey in the inscribed and tentative lists of 2012 UNESCO World Heritage Sites? |
| A. 48 |
| B. 36 |
| C. 24 |
| D. 12 |
| Gina: Thinking about the area’s long history, I’ll pick the largest number among the options at least. |
| Ece: Good reasoning. Currently 48, but I think some more of the thousands of sites, ruins and monuments deserve to be listed too. Archeologists, please get on it! |
| Gina: Okay, so what are the most prominent sites among them? |
| Ece: The Sultanahmet Square, which is the historical center of Istanbul, where you can find Hagia Sophia and Sultanahmet -a.k.a. the Blue- Mosque, as well as many other Ottoman and Byzantine monuments, Cappadocia, the cave churches and rock formations, Hattusha, the capital of Hittite Civilization, Mount Nemrut, a pyramid with monolithic statutes, The Roman City of Hierapolis, the City of Troy, Ancient Cities of the Lycian Civilization.... |
| Gina: [interrupt] You may have noticed listeners, that whenever it’s time to list something about Turkey, it’s impossible to put an end to it, so I have to interrupt Ece. Sorry Ece. |
| Ece: It’s not your fault Gina, don’t worry. I have to share at least the most important things with our listeners. But there are so many of them..! |
| Gina: It’s ok, but let’s get to the last question now. |
| Ece: In which of the following industries is Turkey not the world leader? |
| A. Natural and precious stones |
| B. Organic agricultural products and naturally dried fruits |
| C. Textile production |
| D. Flour production |
| Gina: Hmm…That’s a tricky question… |
| Ece: Think carefully. |
| Gina: Turkey has a lot of fertile ground, so it can’t be A, B or D. So what’s left is textiles, but I’m still not sure. |
| Ece: You may be confused because of how popular Turkish textiles are around the world. While Turkey is the world leader in some areas of textile production, overall, it is just in the top 5. |
| Gina: Ah I see, that makes sense. |
| Ece: Did you know that towels were first made in the 1700s in Bursa, using high quality cotton, and also that the towels for Prince William and Princess Catherine’s wedding ceremony were ordered from Turkey? |
| Gina: You could say Turkish towels are of royal quality! Alright listeners, I hope you did well on this quiz! |
| Ece: Please let us know how you did by leaving a comment at TurkishClass101.com. Remember, you can also ask questions, make comments or simply introduce yourselves to make friends with people who are learning Turkish just like you! |
Outro |
| Gina: We’ll see you for our next lesson. Till then, bye everyone! |
| Ece: Hoşça kalın! |
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