A Few Turkish Delights Trivia Quiz

Answer: Taksim

Taksim highlights the modern aspects of all that is Istanbul. This is the major tourist centre and leisure district of the city. The area is the home of some of Istanbul's grandest hotels and it is also the city's transport hub. The Monument of the Republic was built to commemorate the forming of the Turkish Republic in 1923.

It was cleverly designed to showcase both the old and the modern aspects of Turkey. The structure stands at 36 feet in height, was crafted by Italian sculptor Piero Canonica and was unveiled in 1928. (Note) Red Square is in Russia, Old Town is in the Czech Republic and Rynek Glowny is in Poland.

Answer: The Virgin Mary

This restored structure is believed to be the house where Mary was taken to by St John (after the death of Jesus Christ) and where she lived until her Assumption. It now serves as a chapel. The Blessed Anne Catherine Emmerich, a Roman Catholic nun who was beatified in 2004 by Pope John Paul II, reportedly had visions in her lifetime.

These visions were recorded in a book and published by Clemens Brentano after Emmerich had passed away in 1824. From there, the visions were utilised by believers to track down the residence in 1881.

The Catholic Church, for its part, has neither verified nor denied the veracity of the find but the house has entertained a number of Papal blessings, including pilgrimages by Pope Leo XIII in 1896 and Pope Benedict XVI in 2006.

Answer: Library

The Library of Celsus, which was completed between circa 114 and 117 AD, stood as one of the great structures of the Roman Empire. Today all that remains is the façade which was rescued as part of a re-construction organised by German archaeologist by the name of Volker Strocka.

The construction was conducted in the early 1970s. The library was initially commissioned by the Senator, who was a consul to the region in 92 AD. He was an extremely wealthy man and the construction of the library was funded out of his own personal fortune.

At its height the Library housed approximately 12,000 scrolls, all of which were lost as a result of earthquakes and fires in 262 AD.

Answer: A major urban waterway

The Golden Horn is an important stretch of water that joins the Bosporus Strait with the Sea of Marmara. Whilst the origins of the "Golden" part of its name are somewhat obscure the "Horn" represents an apt description of the shape of this estuary. The estuary separates the historic centre of Istanbul from the rest of the city and has provided the city with a sheltered harbour, a valuable accommodation that has been an immeasurable boost for its trading capabilities for thousands of years. Leonardo Da Vinci produced a design for a bridge in 1502 that was meant to span the Horn.

Whilst this project did not proceed a footbridge was created in 2001 using the master painter's design.

Answer: The Grand Bazaar

These markets are the largest (and oldest) covered markets in the world. This remarkable set-up encompasses 61 streets and accommodates a staggering 4,000 stores. There are estimates that claim that over 250,000 people visit these markets EACH day - that's over 90 million visitors a year. Who needs to advertise when you have this large a captured audience. Having said that it is the inherent beauty and the fascination of its history and old style that, for shoppers, has the greater pulling power. Nowadays the markets are falling into disrepair and they lack proper sanitation facilities.

As a consequence they face growing competition from the modern shopping malls that are growing in number at a rapid rate in the city. (Note) The Chatuchak Markets are in Bangkok, the Jemaa El Fnaa is in Marrakesh and the Temple Street Night Markets are in Hong Kong.

Answer: A water reservoir

Unlike a well that is used to access water from below the ground the cistern is a waterproofed receptacle that is designed to catch and store rainwater. Built in areas that have issues with water supply these cisterns effectively form covered reservoirs that reduce the losses through evaporation. Built by Byzantine Emperor Justinian I the Basilica Cistern sits below the surface approximately 150 metres from the Hagia Sophia. Created to service the Great Palace Constantinople it is the size of a large cathedral, covering some 9,800 square metres and it has the capacity to hold 80,000 cubic litres of water. If you can recall the excellent James Bond movie "From Russia With Love" (1963) you may remember that the Basilica plays a prominent part early in the film.

However, be warned, in the film it does come with a number of inaccuracies. The main one is mentioned by Kerim Bey (Pedro Armendariz) when he instructs Bond as to its location (it's nowhere near the Russian Embassy) and that it was constructed by the Emperor Constantine.

Answer: The Hippodrome of Constantinople

Back in the day the Hippodrome was the social centre of Constantinople. In other words it was "the place to be". It was the place to see the chariot races, to cheer on the horse races, witness Court ceremonies, coronations and parades and a host of other spectacles.

This was stadium that could hold 100,000 spectators. Sadly, today, it is merely a square called Sultanahmet Maydani with only a few fragments of the old structure, including the Walled Obelisk and the Obelisk of Thutmose III, surviving.

Despite its title the Hippodrome predates Constantinople. Its origins go back to 203 AD and the Emperor Septimus Severus. After taking over the city he rebuilt it (the city) and provided it with the initial version of the Hippodrome. Constantine arrived in 324 AD and decided that he would make Constantinople the new centre of Roman government. Accordingly the Roman Empire needed a bigger Hippodrome and the reconstruction of the arena was ordered.

Answer: Hot thermal springs

Pamukkale sits on the River Menderes Valley of Turkey's Inner Aegean region. Its hot springs draw thousands of tourists each year. An added bonus to the travellers are the display of enormous rows of white travertine. These are created when the mineral laden waters drip down from the mountains and gather in milky pools below. Along the way this calcium rich liquid coats terraces and stalactites leaving the formations to look like solidified rows of cotton. Cotton is one of the main crops in this region, which is probably why it links to one of the myths surrounding the travertine. Legend has it that the travertine blocks are really large bales of cotton that the giants had gathered up and then forgot about. Over the years they became solid. The popularity of this area saw an acceleration in the construction of hotels but that also bought its own set of issues.

The hotels were using the hot spring water to fill their pools leading to depletion and damage to the springs. The hotels were subsequently moved and the area was declared a World Heritage Site in 1988.

Answer: Mevlana Museum

Who ever said museums were dead and stale places to visit has never been to the Mevlana Museum, which is a daily hive of activity. In excess of a million Turkish people visit the site every year to pay homage to Rumi and pray for his assistance. With its fluted turquoise dome this place of reverence is a highly visible landmark in Turkey and, if you wish to examine its contents in relative quiet then you will need to arrive early. Failure to do so will see you competing with the hordes, so be prepared for a little bit of push and shove.

The Mevlevi Order, founded by Mevlana (Rumi), is known to the West as the Whirling Dervishes and they describe their ritual whirling as an act of love. Their impact on the development of Ottoman culture has been profound, in particular with their music.

Answer: A miniature park

As the name implies this is a miniature version of Turkey. The park was opened to the public in May of 2003 and it is spread over an area of 60,000 square metres. It contains 122 small scale structures of importance in and around Turkey. Here you can get to see the Stone Houses of Mardin, the (previously mentioned) Basilica Cistern and the Blue Mosque among others, all in 1/25th scale. Now there's your chance to see Turkey in one day.