Cultural History of Turkey

Studying the history and cultures gives a perspective on how humans developed to today’s level of sophistication. Now we know that the leadership in science and technology, art and humanity, in short “civilization” started in Mesopotamia, then the known world. It spread towards Egypt and Anatolia (Asia Minor). From there towards the Aegean Sea and jumped to the Hellas (Greece). It did not stop there, instead it moved further to the west, Rome and the rest of Europe. From Europe it again jumped, this time, the Atlantic Ocean, and reach to the North America. No tribe, kingdom, or state was able to monopolize the leadership in civilization for ever.

Anatolia is endowed with a very hospitable climate and surrounded by calm seas. Its rich soil is perfect for agriculture. So many tribes in the surrounding areas had an eye on it. When they find an opportunity they migrated to this land. They came from the Balkans, Caucasus, Aegean Sea, and the East. New comers defeated the existing kingdoms, subdued the people, established their own kingdoms, and most of the time mixed with them. This process continued for thousands of years, i.e., for the most part of the known history of the humankind, creating a perfect melting pot of the ancient times.

Below is a list of the major civilizations (in mostly chronological order).

Main Civilizations of Anatolia in Turkey

There were some lesser known tribes in Anatolia, some of which were the Cimmerians, the Leleges, the Alans (a nomadic tribe from Central Asia), the Cilicians, the Pisidians, the Parthians, the Luwians, the Palaians, the Homonadeis (who were Cilicians), and Parthian Empire.