Q 01/05

What is the capital city of Turkey?

A) Istanbul

B) Antalya

C) Izmir

D) Ankara

Answer · why

D) Ankara

Ankara was chosen in 1923 because Atatürk had run the independence war from it, far from the old imperial court; long before, as Ancyra, it was a trib...

Q 02/05

Which strait separates the European and Asian sides of Istanbul?

A) Strait of Hormuz

B) Strait of Messina

C) Dardanelles

D) Bosphorus

Answer · why

D) Bosphorus

The Bosphorus runs through the middle of Istanbul, so many of its people commute between continents every day, by ferry, across its bridges or through...

Q 03/05

Which region, shared with Greece and Bulgaria, forms Turkey's European part?

A) Macedonia

B) Thrace

C) Epirus

D) Thessaly

Answer · why

B) Thrace

Thrace's eastern corner is all that is left of the Ottomans' once-vast European lands; it is only about 3% of Turkey's area, yet it holds the historic...

Q 04/05

Which Turkish port city was known for most of its history as Smyrna?

A) Antalya

B) Mersin

C) Izmir

D) Trabzon

Answer · why

C) Izmir

Izmir was still Smyrna to the outside world until about 1930, when Turkey pressed for the Turkish name to be used abroad; a huge fire in 1922 had alre...

Q 05/05

Cappadocia's fairy chimneys were formed by erosion of what type of rock?

A) Volcanic tuff

B) Limestone

C) Granite

D) Red sandstone

Answer · why

A) Volcanic tuff

Volcanic tuff is ash from ancient eruptions hardened into soft rock; a cap of tougher stone shields each column from the rain, and the tuff is soft en...