Did you know that Turkey is one of the oldest countries in terms of natural stone production? Its history as a producer goes back four thousand years, starting from Marmara Island.
The Temple of Artemis, one of the essential structures of ancient Greek and one of the Seven Wonders of the World, was located in the ancient city of Ephesus. Artemis, the first temple in the world constructed entirely with marble, and the columns were Marmara Island, is thought to be built in 550 BC by the king Croesus of Lydia.
Even today, Marmara and Aegean regions are at the forefront in terms of production volume. However, almost all Turkey areas have natural stone mines. This abundance means that over four hundred different colours, patterns, and textures of natural stone are found in Turkey. There are over one thousand big and small mines all over the country.
Marble and travertine are the most critical types of stone being mined, but there are also onyx, granite, limestone, basalt, andesite, flagstone, and diabase on offer to the world market.
Overall, Turkey is one of the most important natural stone producers worldwide, and it has a lot of advantage compared to its competitors. From the European perspective, one of the main points is that Turkey is right at its doorstep, making transportation quick, affordable, and with a moderate carbon footprint.
The advantages do not stop there. Turkey’s natural stone industry is also modern and well developed, with a dynamic sector structure and new technologies being utilized. As a result, it has an impressive variety of materials and huge reserves.
Generally speaking, the natural stone types quarried in Turkey can be described as high and uniform quality free of cracks and other defects with many colour options sufficient to yield big blocks. There is a lot to choose from when it comes to patterns, and the colours and crystal compositions can be arranged for decorative purposes.
