Fun fact#157
Turkey's underground city held thousands
Derinkuyu descends eighteen levels and could shelter around 20,000 people with livestock, wine presses and ventilation shafts.
Türkiye
The only major city on two continents, and an underground city that sheltered 20,000 people.
9 entries · 4 stories, 5 fun facts
Türkiye at a glance
The practical numbers, before the stories.
- Capital
- Ankara
- Currency
- Turkish lira (TRY)
- Official language
- Turkish
- Climate
- Mediterranean on the south and west coasts, humid on the Black Sea, continental and harsh on the Anatolian plateau.
- Best time to go
- April–June and September–October
- Time zone
- UTC+3 year-round, no daylight saving
- Driving side
- Right
- Plugs and voltage
- Type C / F, 230 V
Worth knowing: Istanbul is the only major city built across two continents. The commuter ferry crosses between them.
Planning a trip to Türkiye
The decisions that determine whether the trip works, whichever country you are going to.
Istanbul is the only large city built across two continents, and its commuters cross between Europe and Asia by ferry every morning for the price of a bus ticket. Under Cappadocia, Derinkuyu descends eighteen levels with ventilation shafts, wine presses and room for around 20,000 people and their livestock.
The volcanic tuff of Cappadocia is soft when freshly cut and hardens in air, which is why entire churches and hotels are carved into the cliffs. Elsewhere, calcium-rich springs at Pamukkale have built white terraces down a hillside over thousands of years. Order breakfast for two and expect eleven plates.
Entries from Türkiye
Fun fact#160
Istanbul spans two continents
Istanbul is the only major city built across two continents, with commuters crossing between Europe and Asia by ferry every morning.
Fun fact#161
Cappadocia's rock is soft enough to carve
Volcanic tuff in Cappadocia is soft when freshly cut and hardens in air, which is why entire churches and hotels are carved into the cliffs.
Fun fact#164
Pamukkale means cotton castle
Calcium-rich hot springs have built white travertine terraces down the hillside at Pamukkale over thousands of years.
Story#580
Sunrise over Cappadocia
A hundred and fifty balloons launched in twenty minutes. From the ground it was chaos. From above it was completely still and you could hear other baskets' burners.
Story#584
The ferry that crosses continents
Twenty minutes, a glass of tea, seagulls following the boat for bread, and you have changed continents on a commuter ticket.
Story#587
Turkish breakfast arithmetic
We ordered breakfast for two and eleven small plates arrived. Then bread. Then eggs. We did not eat again until nine that night.
Story#591
Hammam scrub
The attendant showed me the grey rolls coming off my arm with visible pride, as though we had achieved something together, which I suppose we had.
Fun fact#950
There is a bridge between continents
Runners in the Istanbul Marathon cross from Asia into Europe partway through the race.
Nothing matched that search on this page. Try a shorter word, or browse by destination.
Still deciding?
Türkiye is one of 36 countries in the library. Read straight through a continent, or start from the map of everywhere we have written about.