Anatolia is the region comprising most of modern Turkey, bounded by the Black (North), Aegean (West) and Mediterranean (South) seas; to the East it is bounded by the Taurus Mountains and main Asia. The name comes from Ionian Greek meaning "the land of the sunrise" or simply "the East." It was named Asia Minor by the Romans. The land is first mentioned by Akkadian records, and played a very important role for all subsequent Mesopotamian civilizations. We should not forget to add that Anatolia is the birthplace of coinage in the late 7th Century B.C.!