Page 26 - WINE DINE AND TRAVEL MAGAZINE FALL 2023 DISCOVERING TURKEY
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A SHORT HISTORY OFTURKEY
THE PLACE WHERE EAST MEETS WEST
urkey has a long and complex history, going important part of the empire, serving as a
Tback to the Neolithic era. It was home to gateway to the Near East and a major source of
many different civilizations over the centuries, agricultural products.
including the Hittites, the Phrygians, the In the 4th century AD, the Roman emperor
Lydians, the Persians, the Greeks, and the Constantine the Great moved the capital of the
Romans. empire to Byzantium, and renamed it
The Greeks settled in what is now Turkey in Constantinople. This city, now Istanbul,
the 2nd millennium BC. Greek became the remained the capital of the Eastern Roman
dominant language in the region. Even after Empire (also known as the Byzantine Empire)
the Turks arrived in the 11th century AD, until it was conquered by the Ottoman Turks in
Greek continued to be spoken by many people 1453.
in Turkey. Today, about 1.5 million Greeks live The Roman Empire had a great impact on
in Turkey. Turkey, both culturally and architecturally. The
Greek religion, Christianity, also had a Romans introduced Latin, law, and religion to
major impact on Turkish culture. When the the region. They built many significant
Turks converted to Islam in the 11th century monuments, including the Hagia Sophia, the
AD, they adopted many of the Christian Temple of Artemis, and Trajan's Column. The
practices and beliefs, such as the use of the Roman Empire built roads, bridges, and
cross and the ringing of church bells. aqueducts, some still in use.
The Roman Empire ruled over what is now The Romans brought their culture to the
Turkey for about 14 centuries, from the 1st region, which blended in with many of the local
century BC to the 15th century AD. The region customs and traditions. The mixing of cultures
was initially conquered by the Roman Republic created a dynamic civilization that has left its
in the 2nd century BC, and it became an mark on the world today.
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