Asia Minor facts for kids

Asia Minor, a peninsula also called Anatolia, comprises most of the Asian part of modern Turkey and the Armenian highland. Most people there today speak Turkish. The seas surrounding Asia Minor are the Black Sea, the Aegean Sea and the Mediterranean Sea. Because Asia Minor is between Christian Europe and Asia, many different cultures have lived there. Remnants (small parts) of these cultures are there today.

Many great historical people, like the Hittites, Lydians Greeks, Persians, Armenians, Romans, Goths, Minoans, Byzantines and Turks, have lived in or occupied Asia Minor. The Roman Empire had a province called Asia, which was in Asia Minor. Later people started to call the entire continent Asia, so the peninsula Asia was called Asia Minor (little Asia).

Troy is one of many famous cities that were in Asia Minor long ago.

Images for kids

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  Europe during the Last Glacial Maximum, c. 20,000 years ago. Anatolia was connected to the European mainland until c. 5600 BCE, when the melting ice sheets caused the sea level in the Mediterranean to rise around 120 m (390 ft), triggering the formation of the Turkish Straits. As a result, two former lakes (the Sea of Marmara and the Black Sea) were connected to the Mediterranean Sea, which separated Anatolia from Europe.

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  Göbeklitepe were erected as far back as 9600 BC.

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  The Sphinx Gate at Hattusha

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  The Sebasteion of Aphrodisias of Caria

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  Fairy chimneys in Cappadocia.

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  Aphrodisias was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage Site List in 2017

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  Sanctuary of Commagene Kings on Mount Nemrut (1st century BCE)

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  Salty shores of Lake Tuz.

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  Mediterranean climate is dominant in Turkish Riviera

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  Ankara (central Anatolia)

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  Antalya (southern Anatolia)

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  Van (eastern Anatolia)

See also

In Spanish: Anatolia para niños