Some Turkish Innovations that Changed the History of Humanity
A country that bears the marks of old civilizations: Turkey is a nation of innovations that have brought significant transformative changes to humanity. Here in this article, you will learn what these innovations are.
Let’s see some Turkish breakthroughs that changed the history of humanity:
The first settlement
The settlement of Çatalhöyük in southern Anatolia dates from 7500 BC and it’s considered the oldest human settlement in the world. This Neolithic site is also one of the best preserved, where you can see the structures that housed more than 10,000 people.
Money
Something essential to living in modern times! And although not everything is about money, a big part of today’s life is. The first official currency in the world dates from the 7th century BC, when the ruler of Lydia, now Western Turkey, replaced spices, shells, and cattle with coins. The first coins had images of animals, which represented their value.
The vacuum cleaner and the toilet
In the 12th century, the Turkish inventor Al-Jazari was responsible for several products that seemed ridiculous at the time but are still in use today. He invented suction pumps, the oldest form of vacuum, automated doors, and a handwashing unit with a discharge mechanism, predating the European invention of the discharge toilet for about 400 years.
Air travel
The first recorded flight was in 1630, according to the 17th-century writer Evliyâ Çelebi, when the Ottoman aviator Hezârfen Ahmed Çelebi used “eagle wings” and the wind to fly safely without crashing into the ground, a great feat for his time. The sultan, knowing this, thought he might be a threat to his power, so he sent him into exile with a bag of gold.
However, things were better for his brother Lagari Hagen, who flew in a rocket propelled by gunpowder three years later. For this invention, he was given silver and an army rank.
Military bands
Ottoman military bands are considered the oldest variety of military marching bands in the world, beginning in the late 1200s when musicians started to accompany soldiers into battle to help rouse the Ottoman troops and unnerve the enemy.
The method for significant changes made in the past: baby steps!
For incredible technological transformations, humanity had to start somewhere. Turkey is a country with historical roots that saw many different civilizations over time, so today’s technological breakthroughs are the product of the fusion of all the advances made by said communities.
As the world advances, some cables and circuits make everything move much faster in the technological field. Humanity and its advances have left a historical imprint, so it is essential to remember where and how these changes began: those baby steps that have taken us to where we are today.
Do you find it interesting to look into the past? If you want to know more about Turkey, we recommend you to check iVisa, a platform where you can find everything related to the Turkish eVisa and the documents you might need to go on a fantastic trip through this ancient land.
