Theme 7: Facts About Turkey

Unit Vocabulary

Landmarks & Monuments

Word	Type	Pronunciation	Meaning	Example
monument	n.	/ˈmɒnjumənt/	anıt	Anıtkabir is the most important monument in Turkey.
mosque	n.	/mɒsk/	cami	Süleymaniye Mosque was designed by Sinan.
castle	n.	/ˈkɑːsəl/	kale	Several castles in Anatolia were built by the Romans.
tomb	n.	/tuːm/	türbe, mezar	The tomb of Mevlana is in Konya.
ruins	n.	/ˈruːɪnz/	kalıntılar, harabeler	The ruins of Ephesus attract millions of visitors.
architect	n.	/ˈɑːkɪtekt/	mimar	Sinan was the greatest architect of the Ottoman Empire.
masterpiece	n.	/ˈmɑːstəpiːs/	başyapıt, şaheser	Selimiye Mosque is Sinan’s masterpiece.
acropolis	n.	/əˈkrɒpəlɪs/	akropolis	The acropolis of Pergamon offers a breathtaking view of the valley.
landmark	n.	/ˈlændmɑːk/	simge yapı, dönüm noktası	Hagia Sophia is one of Istanbul’s most famous landmarks.
bone-white	adj.	/ˈbəʊn waɪt/	kemik beyazı, bembeyaz	The bone-white travertines of Pamukkale glow in the sunlight.
spectacular	adj.	/spekˈtækjələr/	muhteşem, göz kamaştırıcı	Cappadocia offers spectacular views from the hot-air balloons.

Geography & Tourism

Word	Type	Pronunciation	Meaning	Example
destination	n.	/ˌdestɪˈneɪʃən/	varış yeri, destinasyon	Pamukkale is one of the most popular destinations in Turkey.
attraction	n.	/əˈtrækʃən/	turistik yer, cazibe merkezi	What are the must-see attractions in Istanbul?
located	adj.	/ləʊˈkeɪtɪd/	konumlanmış, yer alan	Anıtkabir is located in Ankara.
peninsula	n.	/pəˈnɪnsjulə/	yarımada	The Gallipoli Peninsula has great historical significance.
travertine	n.	/ˈtrævətiːn/	traverten	The white travertines of Pamukkale are world-famous.
worth seeing	phr.	—	görülmeye değer	Gallipoli is definitely worth seeing.
conservation	n.	/ˌkɒnsəˈveɪʃən/	koruma, muhafaza	The conservation of historical sites in Turkey is supported by UNESCO.
discover	v.	/dɪˈskʌvər/	keşfetmek	Archaeologists discovered new ruins near Ephesus last year.
go beyond	phV.	/ɡəʊ bɪˈjɒnd/	ötesine geçmek, aşmak	Turkey’s beauty goes beyond its famous beaches and resorts.

History & Culture

Word	Type	Pronunciation	Meaning	Example
ancient	adj.	/ˈeɪnʃənt/	antik, eski	Ephesus is an ancient city on the Aegean coast.
heritage	n.	/ˈherɪtɪdʒ/	miras, kültürel miras	Turkey has a rich cultural heritage.
civilization	n.	/ˌsɪvəlaɪˈzeɪʃən/	uygarlık, medeniyet	Many civilizations flourished in Anatolia.
founded	v.	/ˈfaʊndɪd/	kurulmuş	Ephesus was founded in the 10th century BC.
conquer	v.	/ˈkɒŋkər/	fethetmek	Istanbul was conquered by Sultan Mehmet II in 1453.
tradition	n.	/trəˈdɪʃən/	gelenek	Turkey has many beautiful cultural traditions.
cradle of	idiom	/ˈkreɪdəl əv/	-in beşiği	Anatolia is often called the cradle of civilizations.
date back to	idiom	/deɪt bæk tuː/	-e kadar uzanmak, dayanmak	Göbekli Tepe dates back to around 10,000 BC.
influence	n.	/ˈɪnfluəns/	etki, nüfuz	The Ottoman Empire had a great influence on art and architecture.
invasion	n.	/ɪnˈveɪʒən/	istila, işgal	Anatolia witnessed many invasions throughout history.
remains	n.	/rɪˈmeɪnz/	kalıntılar	The remains of a Roman theatre were found near Antalya.
settlement	n.	/ˈsetəlmənt/	yerleşim yeri	Çatalhöyük is one of the oldest settlements in the world.

Passive Voice (Past Simple) — was / were + V3

Subject + was / were + past participle (V3) + (by + agent)

Active	Passive
Sinan designed Süleymaniye Mosque.	Süleymaniye Mosque was designed by Sinan.
The Romans built several castles.	Several castles were built by the Romans.
People founded Ephesus in the 10th c. BC.	Ephesus was founded in the 10th century BC.

Subject + was not (wasn’t) / were not (weren’t) + V3

Sentence	Meaning
This castle wasn’t built by the Ottomans.	Bu kale Osmanlılar tarafından inşa edilmedi.
These ruins weren’t discovered until 1900.	Bu kalıntılar 1900’e kadar keşfedilmedi.

Was / Were + subject + V3 (+ by + agent)?

Q: Was Hagia Sophia built as a mosque?

A: No, it was built as a church in 537 AD.

Q: When was Anıtkabir completed?

A: It was completed in 1953.

Why do we use Passive Voice for places?

When the place/object is more important than the person who did it

When we don’t know or don’t need to mention the agent

Yeri / nesneyi ön plana çıkarmak istediğimizde veya faili bilmediğimizde kullanılır.

Describing Places — Useful Structures

Pattern	Example
X is located in ...	Anıtkabir is located in Ankara.
X is known for ...	Cappadocia is known for its fairy chimneys.
X is worth seeing	Gallipoli is worth seeing.
X is one of the most ...	Pamukkale is one of the most popular destinations.
X was built / founded / designed ...	Ephesus was founded in the 10th century BC.
X attracts millions of ...	Istanbul attracts millions of tourists every year.

Asking for information

What are the must-see attractions in Istanbul?

When was this mosque built?

Who designed this building?

Is Gallipoli worth visiting?

Pronunciation of “was” — /wəz/ vs /wɒz/

Form	When?	Example
/wəz/ (weak)	In normal, unstressed speech	She /wəz/ born in Ankara.
/wɒz/ (strong)	When emphasized, at end of sentence, or in short answers	Yes, she /wɒz/. \| It WAS /wɒz/ beautiful!

Quick tip

In everyday speech, “was” is usually unstressed (/wəz/).