Turkey has so much to offer her
visitors: breathtaking natural beauties,
unique historical and archeological
sites, steadily improving hotel and
touristic infrastructure, a tradition of
hospitality and competitive prices. It
is not surprising therefore that this
country has recently become one of the
world's most popular tourism
destinations. Due to Turkey's diverse
geography, one can experience four
different climates in any one day. The
rectangular shaped country is washed on
three sides by three different seas. Its
shores are laced with beaches, bays,
coves, ports, islands and peninsulas.
The summers are long, lasting as long as
eight months in some areas. Turkey is
also blessed with majestic mountains and
valleys, lakes, rivers, waterfalls and
grottoes perfect for winter and summer
tourism and sports of all kinds.
Fethiye
Skiing fans, mountain climbers,
trekkers, hikers and hunters can enjoy
new and unforgettable experiences in
Turkey. But Turkey is, above anything
else, a huge open-air museum, a
repository of all the civilizations
nurtured by the soils of Anatolia. The
huge amount of historical and
archaeological wealth in Turkey seems
more appropriate for an entire continent
than a single country. Recently, a new
field of tourism has opened up —
health tourism. The country is in fact
rich with hot springs, healing waters
and muds which come highly recommended
by the medical authorities as a remedy
for many diseases.
Turkey is a vast peninsula, covering an
area of 814,578 square kilometres or
314,510 square miles and linking Asia to
Europe through the Sea of Marmara and
the Straits of Istanbul and Çanakkale.
Across the Sea of Marmara, the
triangular shaped Trace is the
continuation of Turkey on the European
continent. Anatolia is rectangular in
outline, 1500 kilometres long and 550
kilometres wide.
Agri Mountain
It is characterised by a central plateau
surrounded by chains of mountains on the
north, west and south and a rugged
mountainous region in the east with an
average elevation of 1050 metres. In the
west, the mountains descend gently
towards the sea. The northern Anatolia
mountain range, and the Taurus range in
the south, stretches like arcs, becoming
ever denser in the east. Turkey's
highest mountain peak at 5165 metres or
16,946 feet is Ağrı Dağı (Mount
Ararat), situated in the north east. It
is believed to have been the resting
place for Noah's Ark.
Turkey has a quite large river system
that allows for important hydroelectric
power generation and irrigation. The
country's longest rivers, the Sakarya,
the Kızılırmak and the Yeşilirmak,
flow from the Central Anatolia towards
the Black Sea. The famous Dicle (Tigris)
and Firat (Euphrates) flow from the
eastern Anatolia south into Syria and
Iraq. Four other rivers: the Büyük
Menderes and Gediz flow from the
Anatolian Plateau into the Aegean Sea;
the Meric, which forms the border
between Turkey and Greece; and the
Seyhan, which runs from the eastern
highlands all the way into the
Mediterranean, all round out the major
rivers of Turkey.
Van Lake
Turkey has over 300 natural and 130
artificial lakes. In terms of numbers of
lakes, the Eastern Anatolian region is
the richest including Lake Van, (the
largest of the country with its 3,713
square kilometres surface), and the
lakes of Ercek, Cildir and Hazar. There
are also many lakes in the West Taurus
Mountains area: the Beysehir and Egirdir
lakes, Burdur and Acigoller lakes. The
lakes of Sapanca, Iznik, Ulubat, Manyas,
Terkos, Kucukcekmece and Buyukcekmece
are in Marmara region, and the  second
largest lake of Turkey, Tuzgolu and The
lakes of Aksehir and Eber are located in
the Central Anatolia region. A number of
dams have been constructed during the
past thirty years, which have resulted
in the formation of several large dam
lakes including the Atatürk, Keban and
Karakaya.
Turkey is like a mosaic made up of many
different reliefs and formations:
parallel mountain ranges, extinct
volcanoes, plateaux fissured by valleys
and plains. Surrounded on its three
sides by warm seas, it falls in the
temperate climate zone. The climate
varies considerably however from region
to region: a temperate climate in the
Black Sea Region, a Mediterranean
climate on the southern coast and the
Aegean, a continental and arid climate
on the central plateau and a harsh
mountain climate in eastern Turkey.
Because of these variations in climate,
the fauna and flora are some of the
richest in Europe and the Middle East.
Turkey is separated into seven
geographical regions, which are, in
order of size: East Anatolia (21 %),
Central Anatolia (20%), Black Sea (18%),
Mediterranean (15%), Aegean (10%),
Marmara (8.5%) and Southeast Anatolia
(7.5%).
White
Narcissus
There are more than 10,000 species of
plants in Turkey, 20% of which are found
only in these lands. The abundant
rainfall in the Black Sea region allows
the growth of rich forest vegetation.
The Çanakkale Strait forms a transition
between the Black Sea and the Aegean
regions and therefore has a mixture of
temperate and Mediterranean type of
vegetation. Thrace has fine forests
which are subject to the continental
influence of the Balkans. The coasts of
the Aegean and the Mediterranean, from
the Çanakkale Strait to the Gulf of İskenderun,
have typically Mediterranean vegetation
which extends to the plains and western
slopes of mountains as high as 1000
metres. The southern coast has very hot
and dry summers and the vegetation in
some places is subtropical with banana
trees and date palms. In the Taurus
Mountains, the vegetation consists of
pine and cedar forests, with even
junipers at higher altitudes. Central
and eastern Anatolia are isolated from
all maritime
influence by mountains. Rainfall is low,
the summers hot and dry and the winters
harsh. In certain areas, the vegetation
is steppe-like but also with forests of
pine, oak and beech. The region around
the Salt Lake is almost entirely barren.
The climate in eastern Turkey is even
harsher, although the rainfall in the
Southeast allows birches, walnuts and
oaks to thrive.
Turkey has a great variety of wild
animals, with over 114 species of
mammals. The forest belt in the north is
home to grey hears and in the south to
wild goats. Sea turtles and seals play
in the waters of the Mediterranean and
the Aegean, just as in other parts of
the world, some species have become
extinct or on the verge of extinction
such as the wild Asian donkeys, lions
and tigers. Some 400 species of
indigenous or migratory birds live in
Turkey, some of which are extinct in
Europe such as the black vulture.
Turkey is an important stopover for
birds migrating between Africa, Asia and
Europe, with the predatory birds stop in
these places before continuing on
Istanbul Strait and Artvin being the
preferred sites. According to the
International Office of Aquatic Birds
and Areas, there are some 800 aquatic
species in Turkey spanning sixty
different areas. The shores of Lake
Manyas near Balıkesir are home to over
200 species of indigenous or migratory
aquatic birds. This lake is considered
to be one of Europe s richest aquatic
bird centres. Over 250 indigenous or
migratory birds live in the Sultan
Marshes (Sultan Sazlığı) near Kayseri;
20 of these are considered endangered
species, although they come here to mate
and breed. The Sultan marshes are
thought to be the only place where
flamingos, cranes, herons and pelicans
breed together. The protected salt
marshes near Ä°zmir are like a natural
museum, with some 190 species of birds
living in its marshes, lakes and hills.
The hills also shelter rabbits, foxes
and even boars. The Ä°ztuzu sand beaches
near Dalyan are the main breeding area
for sea turtles.
The history of Turkey tells of a 10,000
year-old civilisation. Anatolia is a
melting pot where cultures from Sumer,
Babylon and Assyria interacted for
centuries with peoples such as the
Hattis, Hittites and Hourrites. The
result was a unique Anatolian
civilisation which has long inspired the
thoughts and legends of the West. The
ancient Bronze Age witnessed the
establishment of the first independent
city states. At that time, the centre
and southeast of Anatolia were inhabited
by the indigenous Hattis. The most
spectacular findings from this time are
those of Alaca Höyük in the Kızılırmak
region and of Horoztepe near Tokat, in
the Black Sea region. They are
contemporary with the royal tombs of
Mycenae in Greece.
Ankara
/Anatolian
Civilisations
Museum -Sfenks
THE LEGENDARY TROY
Troy was founded around 3000 BC, and
played a major role in the importation
of tin, vital for the production of
bronze.
THE HITTITES ARRIVE
The Hittites arrived in Anatolia towards
the second millennium BC. They absorbed
much of the Babylonian civilisation and
long enjoyed a
monopoly of iron in Asia. This, combined
with the use of the chariot, gave the
Hittites a military superiority over
Egypt and other Mesopotamian states. The
victorious raid against Babylon in 1590
BC was the climax of the first Hittite
empire, followed by a period of decline.
Then, in the first half of the
fourteenth century, came a revival of
power. This second era saw a Hittite
hegemony snatching from the shores of
the Mediterranean to the Persian Gulf.
MITANNI KINGDOM
The Mitanni kingdom was a contemporary
and the enemy of the Hittites. It was
founded by the Hourrites, a people
originally from the South Caspian Sea.
The Hourrites exercised considerable
influence over the religion of the
Hittites, and spread the use of
two-wheel chariots and the breeding of
horses throughout the Near East.
THE URARTIAN STATE
At the beginning of the first millennium
BC, the Urartus created a unified state
whose territory extended from the
Caucasus to Lake Urmiya, with its
capital in the present city of Van. The
Urartus were masters in hydraulic works
and skilled in irrigation, drainage and
the construction of canals and
artificial lakes. They were also known
for their horse breeding and formidable
cavalry.
THE PHRYGIANS AND KING MIDAS
The Phrygians (750-300 BC) settled in
Central and Western Anatolia, in the
Afyon-Ankara-Eskisehir triangle,
declaring Gordion on the Sakarya river
to be their capital. Their civilisation
met its apogee in the second half of the
8th century BC, under the famous King
Midas whom, according to the mythology,
Apollo ridiculed by having him grow ears
of a donkey, and whom Dionysus invested
with the power to turn everything he
touched into gold. Gordion fell to
Persian domination around 550 BC and was
liberated in 333 BC by Alexander the
Great.
THE LYDIANS INVENT M O N E Y - SARDES
Around East of Izmir in Sardes, lived
another people, the Lydians, thought to
have invented money between 800 and 650
BC. In the 6th century BC, Croesus, the
King of Lydia, agreed with the advancing
Persians to divide Anatolia along the
river Kızılırmak. The Persians, however,
did not keep this commitment and
continued to encroach on Lydian
territory. They remained the sovereign
power in Anatolia until the arrival of
Alexander the Great in 333 BC.
ANATOLIA CHANGES HANDS AGAIN - PERGAMON
After the death of Alexander the Great,
Anatolia became the hub of the Seleucid
Empire. Pergamon (Bergama) grew at the
expense of its neighbours, and snatched
part of Phrygia in 241 BC. The kingdom
became prodigiously rich, the emporium
of Anatolia and a brilliant intellectual
centre.
THE ROMAN PERIOD BEGINS
Izmir / Ephesus
The Roman period of Anatolia began with
the death of King Attalus III of
Pergamon (Bergama) who willed his
country to the Romans because he had no
direct heir. Anatolia then lived through
a period of peace and prosperity,
particularly in the 1st and 2nd
centuries AD. The pax Romana proved to
be an extraordinary period of urban
development. Ephesus served as the seat
of the Roman governor of Asia and as a
great commercial and cultural centre.
THE ERA OF EASTERN ROMAN EMPIRE
The era of Roman Empire is an essential
chapter in the history of the region. In
330, Constantine, the Roman emperor,
transferred his capital from Rome to
Roman Empire. Roman Empire, at that time
a small city founded 1,000 years earlier
by Greeks on the shores of the Strait
was henceforth called Constantinople.
The centre of the Empire thereafter
became the Orient, in particular
Anatolia, inhabited by the descendants
of Hattis, Hittites, Phrygians, Greeks
and others. Roman Empire became the
Eastern Roman Empire; its official
religion was proclaimed to be
Christianity in 380 and in 392 paganism
was banned. In 476, Rome collapsed and
Constantinople remained the sole capital
of the empire. Roman Empire was both a
state and a civilisation, built along
the lines of the Roman state, the Greek
culture and the Christian faith. The
emperor enjoyed divine power and relied
heavily on the Church.
Roman Empire knew its first golden age
under Justinian. One thousand years of
Roman jurisprudence were gathered
together in four volumes, a work which
had a lasting influence for many
centuries. Justinian was also a great
builder. The Basilica of Hagia Sophia (Ayasofya)
(AD 532-7) was constructed during his
reign. The history of Roman Empire is
one of alternating periods of glory and
decay, of religious dissent, of
conflicts and wars with Persians, Arabs,
Seljuks, Ottomans and peoples of the
North.
By the 13th century, Roman Empire was
drawing her final breath. After the
mortal wound of 1204, when the Crusaders
occupied Constantinople, sacked the
city, forced the emperor to leave and
established a Latin kingdom, she was a
small state. Bulgaria declared her
independence and a new maritime power,
Venice took for herself the whole Aegean
complex of islands. In 1261, the
Byzantines had regained possession of
their capital, but there were new
threats.
SELJUK AND OTTOMAN TURKS
Konya / Ä°nce
Minare
In the 11th century, under their leader
Tugrul, the Seljuk Turks founded the
dynasty of great Seljuks reigning in
Iran, Iraq and Syria. In 1071, his
nephew Alp Arslan defeated the
Byzantines in Malazgirt, near Lake Van.
The doors of Anatolia were thus opened
to the Turks, and Anatolia went through
a profound transformation ethnically,
politically, and in the religious,
linguistic and cultural spheres. The
Seljuk Sultanate in Anatolia continued
until the beginning of the 14th century.
The zenith of the Seljuk civilisation
came in the first half of the 13th
century with Konya as its political,
economic, religious, artistic and
literary centre. The Seljuks created a
centralised administration organised
around the Sultan, his ministers and
provincial governors. Science and
literature blossomed, as did mystic
poetry. Anatolia was crossed by the
great routes linking the east and west,
and many of the caravanserais built
along these routes still stand today.
Agriculture, industry and handicrafts
expanded and the country was suddenly
rich in mosques, madrasahs (medreses -
educational institutions) and
caravanserais (kervansarays - roadside
inns).
COLLAPSE OF THE SELJUK SULTANATE
The Seljuk Sultanate collapsed due to
internal dissent and Mongol invasions.
Anatolia was again fragmented into rival
independent principalities, one of which
came under Ottoman rule. Anatolia,
though divided, had been united by
language, religion and race, offering an
opportunity for statesmanship and
courage. This would be the task of Osman
and his successors.
THE OTTOMAN EMPIRE GAINS GROUND
Topkapı Palace
In 1296, Osman declared himself the
independent Sultan of the region of Söğüt
near Bursa he had hitherto held in fief,
and founded the
Ottoman State. During the rule of his
son Orhan, Bursa and Iznik were captured
and soon the whole south-eastern coast
of Marmara was under Ottoman control.
The many conquests and diplomatic
successes of Orhan were not the only
achievements of his reign. He had
encouraged and promoted art, literature,
science and commerce. He also
established a regular standing army,
known as the Janissaries. Well paid and
disciplined, the Janissaries provided
the new Ottoman state with a patriotic
force of trained soldiers.
Built upon such solid foundations, the
Ottoman Empire spread apace. In the
reign of Murat, this expansion was still
in a westerly direction and it was not
until the frontiers were extended to the
Adriatic, the Danube and Thessaly, that
the Sultan turned his attention towards
Eastern Anatolia Now that his rule was
established in Europe and Asia, Beyazit
turned towards Constantinople in 1402.
The city was almost within Iris grasp
when he was called to meet me westward
march of Timurlane which delayed the
conquest of Istanbul for several
decades.
In 1453, under Mehmet the Conqueror, the
Ottomans took Constantinople, a
momentous event for the whole world and
a great feat of arms. But the banner of
Ottoman success was to be raised much
higher and by the late l6th century the
Ottomans were deep into Europe. In the
following centuries, however, the
Ottoman Empire lost its momentum,
entered a period of stagnation and then
gradually a period of decline.
WORLD WAR ONE
The final blow to the Empire came with
the First World War, during which The
Ottoman Empire was on the losing side
with Germany. Great Britain reversed the
policy she had followed until then, and
undertook with France, Russia and Italy,
forming the Allied Forces. At the end of
the war in 1918, the Ottoman government,
under the occupation of the Allied
Forces, choose not to further resist a
peace treaty embodying the partition of
Turkey. In May 1919, the Greeks, who had
been promised a part of Anatolia, landed
at Izmir and started an invasion in
Western Anatolia while France sought
control over South-Eastern Anatolia, and
the Great Britain do the same in
Istanbul in particular regions of the
Middle East.
THE VISIONS OF ATATÜRK AND REPUBLIC OF
TURKEY
Mustafa Kemal
Atatürk
Against this challenge, the Turkish
nation engaged in a struggle to restore
her territorial integrity and
independence, to repulse foreign
aggressors, to create a new state, to
disassociate Turkey from the crumbling
Ottoman dynasty, to eradicate an old and
decrepit order and to build a modern
country dedicated to political, social
and economic progress. This was the
vision of Atatürk, a general in the
Ottoman army who had distinguished
himself in the defence of Gallipoli (Çanakkale)
against the Naval Forces of Britain,
France, Australia and New Zealand. The
Ottoman victory over the Allies at
Gallipoli renewed Turkey's visions for
the empire Atatürk wanted a clean break
with the past, to unite the nation in
the quest for modernism and to lift
Turkey to the level of European
countries. On October 29 1923, the
republic was proclaimed and Atatürk was
elected president. Secularism was
established by separating religious and
state affairs. The Latin alphabet
replaced the Arabic script and women
were given the right to vote and to be
elected as members of parliament. These
reforms, as well as many others in all
aspects of social life, put Turkey on
the track towards becoming a thoroughly
modern country.
A PROUD NATION
When Atatürk died in 1938, he left a
legacy of which the Turkish people today
are proud. A nation that had regained
confidence in itself after the
independence war; a society determined
to preserve the political, intellectual,
cultural and social values he had
bequeathed. The Turkish Republic has now
been a member of the international
community for over 80 years. During this
period, great changes have occurred and
many difficulties have been encountered.
But the country remains firmly attached
to the policies initiated by Ataturk. It
has established a democratic multi-party
political system, developed a vibrant
civil society, and embarked on the path
of industrialisation and market economy.
It has consolidated its ties with the
west and with the European Union through
membership in NATO and the Council of
Europe and Customs Union. These trends
mark a radical change from the days of
the Ottoman Empire. Yet there is also
continuity. The Turks have inherited
both from the Islamic past and their
Ottoman past. They have also inherited
from their western past, as well as
forming a part of the Western present.
All these heritages, Eastern and
Western, Asian and European, are
intermingled in the civilisation of
modem Turkey. A symbol of this union is
the two bridges that span the Istanbul
Strait, linking the two continents with
many pasts and one future.
Turkey has a very ancient folk dance
tradition which varies from region to
region, each dance being colourful,
rhythmic, elegant and stylish. The
following are among the most popular:
“Çayda Çıra” from the Sivas region in
Central Anatolia is performed by young
girls dressed in silver and gold
embroidered kaftans who dance in the
dark with lighted candles in their
hands. In the “Silifke Yoğurdu” from the
Mersin region in the South
Mediterranean, dancers click wooden
spoons together above their heads. “Şeyh
Şamil" from the Kars region in the East,
is a beautifully dramatised legend of a
Caucasian hero. "Kılıç Kalkan” is an
epic dance performed with swords and
shields from the region of Bursa, and
“Zeybek” from Izmir is another epic and
vigorous folk dance performed, by male
dancers who bang their knees on the
floor in between steps.
Folklore has also had a considerable
influence on ballet. First imported from
Europe and Russia, ballet became
institutionalised in the Republican era
along with other performing arts. The
Turkish State Ballet owes its momentum
and development to the great British
choreographer Dame Ninette de Valois.
The State Ballet in both Ankara and
İstanbul has, for decades, performed
many world classics. Several new foreign
and Turkish productions have been
introduced into the repertory over the
years and a number of modern dance
groups like infamous “Fire of Anatolia”
(Anadolu Ateși) have recently begun to
give performances throughout the world.
MUSIC
Concert
Turkish music evolved from the original
folk form into classical through the
emergence of a Palace culture. It
attained its highest point in the 16th
century through the composer “Itri”.
Great names in Turkish classical music
include “Dede Efendi”, “Hacı Arif Bey”
and “Tamburi Cemil Bey”. It is a form
that continues to be professionally
performed and one that attracts large
audiences. Turkish music, locally called
Turkish Classical Music, is a variation
of the national musical tradition,
played with instruments such as the
tambur, kanun, ney and ud.
Folk music has developed gradually over
the centuries in the rural areas of
Turkey. It is highly diversified with
many different rhythms and themes.
Musical archives contain almost 10,000
such folk songs. Turkish religious
music, mostly in the form of songs, is
centuries old and rich in tradition,
embodied most perfectly by Sufi (Mevlevi)
music.
The Turks were introduced to western
classical music through orchestras which
were invited to the Sultan's Palace to
celebrate occasions such as weddings.
The great Italian composer, Donizetti,
conducted the Palace Orchestra for many
years. The first military band was
founded in the 19th century. During the
Republican era, the Presidential
Symphony Orchestra, founded in 1924, and
the Orchestra of the Istanbul
Municipality Conservatory played a
leading role in introducing and
popularising classical music in Turkey.
Turkish composers drew their inspiration
from Turkish folk songs and Turkish
classical music. Today, conductors such
as Hikmet Şimşek and Gürer Aykal,
pianists like İdil Biret and the Güher
and Süher Pekinel sisters, and
violinists like Suna Kan are
internationally recognised virtuosos.
Leyla Gencer was one of the leading
sopranos of La Scala Opera, wildly
acclaimed whenever she performed in her
native Istanbul.
THEATRE AND CINEMA
Nuri Bilge
Ceylan /
Three
Monkeys
Turkish theatre is thought to have
originated from the popular Karagöz
shadow plays, a cross between moralistic
Punch and Judy and the slapstick Laurel
and Hardy. It then developed along an
oral tradition, with plays performed in
public places, such as coffee houses and
gardens, exclusively by male actors.
Atatürk gave great importance to the
arts, and actively encouraged theatre,
music and ballet, prompting the
foundation of many state institutions.
Turkey today boasts a thriving arts
scene, with highly professional theatre,
opera and ballet companies, as well as a
flourishing film industry.
The making of films in the true language
of the cinema, free from the influence
of the theatre, began towards the 1950s.
One of the first of these directors was
Ömer Lütfi Akad. Towards the 1960s, some
60 films a year were being made.
Starting from that time, directors such
as Metin Erksan, Halit Refiğ, Ertem
Göreç, Duygu Sağıroğlu, Nevzat Pesen and
Memduh Ün produced successful films
taking social problems as their subject
matter. The period that began in the
late 1960s, when television was having
an adverse effect on the cinema, saw
such prominent directors as Yılmaz Güney,
Atıf Yılmaz, Süreyya Duru, Zeki Ökten,
Şerif Gören, Fevzi Tuna, Ömer Kavur and
Ali Özgentürk.
Nuri Bilge Ceylan, Fatih Akın, Ferzan
Özpetek, Abdullah Oğuz and Semih
Kaplanoğlu are successful directors of
today’s Turkish cinema. Nuri Bilge
Ceylan's film “Uzak” won Grand Prix at
Cannes Film Festival in 2003. “The Edge
Of Heaven” (Yaşamın Kıyısında) which
directed by Fatih Akın (2006), won the
Award for Best Screenplay (Prix De
Scénario) at Cannes 2007. The record
holder of Antalya Golden Orange Film
Festival “Egg” (Yumurta), film of Semih
Kaplanoğlu, was awarded with Best 2nd
Film in Estoril European Film Festival
which took place in Portugal and
honoured with Eurimages Award by the
jury of Sevilla Film Festival in Spain.
“Bliss” (Abdullah Oğuz, 2007) has been
rewarded with European Council's 'Human
Rights Award'. Nuri Bilge Ceylan won the
best director award in the 2008 Cannes
Film Festival for his Üç Maymun (Three
Monkeys).
The country enjoys numerous performing
arts festivals throughout the year, the
most prestigious of which is the
Istanbul International Festival and
Antalya Film Festival.
FINE ARTS
Until the 18th century, painting in
Turkey was mainly in the form of
miniatures, usually linked to books in
the form of manuscript illustrations. In
the 18th century, trends shifted towards
oil painting, beginning with murals.
Thereafter, under European inspiration,
painting courses were introduced in
military schools. The first Turkish
painters were therefore military people.
The modernisation of Turkish painting,
including representation of the human
figure, started with the founding of the
Academy of Arts under the direction of
Osman Hamdi Bey, one of the great names
in Turkish painting. In 1923, following
the proclamation of the Republic, a
society of contemporary painting was
set-up, followed by many other such
schools. Art exhibitions in Turkey’s
cities multiplied, more and more people
started to acquire paintings and banks
and companies began investing in art.
LITERATURE
Haldun TANER
Literature has long been an important
component of Turkish cultural life,
reflecting the history of the people,
their legends, their mysticism, and the
political and social changes that
affected this land throughout its long
history. The oldest literary legacy of
the pre-Islamic period are the Orhon
inscriptions in northern Mongolia,
written in 735 on two large stones in
honour of a Turkish king and his
brother. During the Ottoman period, the
prevailing literary form was poetry, the
dominant dialect was Anatolian or
Ottoman, and the main subject beauty and
romance. The Ottoman Divan literature
was highly influenced by Persian culture
and written in a dialect which combined
Arabic, Persian and Turkish. Separate
from the aristocratic Divan literature,
folk literature continued to dominate
Anatolia where troubadour-like poets
celebrated nature, love and God in
simple Turkish language. Towards the
20th century, the language of Turkish
literature became simpler and more
political and social in substance. The
great and politically controversial
poet, Nazım Hikmet, inspired by the
Russian poet Mayakowski, introduced free
verse in the late 1930s. Nowadays, the
irrefutable master of the Turkish
popular novel is Yaşar Kemal, with his
authentic, colourful and forceful
description of Anatolian life. Young
Turkish writers tend to go beyond the
usual social issues, preferring to
tackle problems such as feminism and
aspects of die East-West dichotomy which
continues to fascinate Turkish
intellectuals.
The most well-known and widely-read
writers of the 1950-1990 period can be
listed as follows: Tarik Dursun K.,
Atilla lhan, Yasar Kemal, Orhan Kemal,
Kemal Tahir, Tarik Bugra, Aziz Nesin,
Mustafa Necati Sepetçioglu, Firuzan,
Adalet Agaoglu, Sevgi Soysal, Tomris
Uyar, Selim Ileri, Cevat Sakir (Halikarnas
Balikçisi), Necati Cumali, Haldun Taner.
Prominent poets in this period are:
Behçet Kemal Çaglar, Necati Cumali ,
Oktay Rifat, Melih Cevdet Anday, Cemal
Süreya, Edip Cansever, Özdemir Ince,
Ataol Behramoglu, Ismet Özel, Ece Ayhan,
Turgut Uyar, Sezai Karakoç, Bahaettin
Karakoç, Ümit Yasar Oguzcan, Orhan Pamuk
.
The Nobel Prize in Literature for 2006
is awarded to the Turkish writer Orhan
Pamuk "who in the quest for the
melancholic soul of his native city has
discovered new symbols for the clash and
interlacing of cultures".
OPERA AND BALLET
Ballet
In the period prior to the proclamation
of the Republic in Turkey, opera, ballet
and the theatre were mostly centred
around Istanbul and Izmir. The first
showing of opera at the imperial court
was by artists trained by Guiseppe
Donizetti (1788-1856) from the Italian
opera. During the Republic, Ahmet Adnan
Saygun, Necil Kazim Akses and Cemal
Resit Rey were the first composers of
opera, operettas and musicals.
A. Adnan Saygun's first two operas,
Özsoy and Tasbebek, Necil Kazim Akses's
Bay Önder staged in Ankara, a Mozart
musical Bastien and Bastienne staged at
the Ankara State Conservatory with
pupils playing libretto in Turkish
(1936),and the staging of western operas
such as Madame Butterfly and Tosca
(1940-1941) and the orchestrations,
chorus and solo recitals of 1950-1952
all contributed to form a foundation for
the establishment of today's State Opera
and Ballet.
Meanwhile in 1947, the famous ballerina
and teacher Ninette de Valois was
invited to Istanbul and through her
intermediary the National Ballet School
at Yesilköy was set up. In 1956-57 the
first dancers graduated from Ankara
State Conservatory and in 1959-60 the
State Opera formed a corps de ballet. "Çesmebaşı"
which is one of the most important works
in Turkish ballet history was first
performed in 1965.
Notwithstanding the short history of
opera in Turkey which only spans 56
years, the General Directorate of State
Opera and Ballet numbers amongst its
members many artists of international
fame, and aside from Ankara and Istanbul
branches have been set up in cities such
as Mersin and everywhere very successful
results have been achieved.
Turkish lifestyle is a vivid mosaic;
juxtaposing the West and the East, the
modern and the ancient
Life in Turkey is a rich variety of
cultures and traditions, some dating
back centuries and others or more recent
heritage. The visitor to Turkey will
find a great deal that is exotic, and
also much that is reassuringly familiar.
The intriguing blend of East and West
makes up the Turkish lifestyle.
Language
Mustafa
Kemal
Atatürk
The official language of the country,
Turkish is spoken by 220 million people
and is the world's 5th most widely used
language. Today's Turkish has evolved
from dialects known since the 11th
century and is one of the group of
languages known as Ural-Altaic which
includes Finnish and Hungarian.
Turkish is written with the Latin
alphabet with the addition of 6
different characters. Turkish is
completely phonetic - each letter of the
alphabet has only one sound-, so each
word sounds exactly how it is written.
During Ottoman times Turkish was written
in Arabic script, that a limited number
of people were able to write. In order
to improve literacy and therefore to
overcome the difficulties of learning
and reading Turkish using Arabic script,
Turkey switched to the Latin alphabet
following the initiative started by
Atatürk in 1928.
English has replaced French and German
as the chief secondary language taught
in school and is becoming more
widespread. English is widely spoken and
understood by many throughout Turkey.
German, Russian and French are also
spoken especially in popular holiday
destinations.
Religion
Sultan Ahmet
Mosque
Although 99% of the population is
Muslim, religion is seen as strictly a
private matter in Turkey. In fact,
Turkey is the only secular country in
Islamic world. Secularism is enshrined
in the constitution that religion has no
place whatsoever in governing of the
country. Like other European countries,
the weekly holiday is Sunday - not
Friday as many are mistaken- and the
Gregorian calendar is used in Turkey.
The constitution secures the freedom of
belief and worshiping. During the time
of the Ottoman Empire, people of many
different faiths lived together in
peace, and since then this diversity has
been preserved. Today there are 236
churches and 34 synagogues open for
worship in Turkey.
Tourists visiting Turkey are unlikely to
see much evidence that they are in a
Muslim country, except for the call to
prayer which can be heard 5 times a day.
People wear contemporary dresses like
any western country, and especially in
big cities and popular holiday
destinations, one can easily spot many
who are closely observing fashion of
Paris, London, Milan. There is probably
no difference between the way in which
people dress in especially large cities
in Turkey and the rest of Europe. It is
only in smaller villages, more remote
areas and the east of the country that
dress codes are more local. It is quite
common for village women to wear
headscarves but this is generally as
much out of practical and cultural than
religious considerations.
The only time when you need to worry
about dress codes is when visiting a
mosque. Everyone should wear clothes
which cover their legs, so no shorts for
either sex. Women should also make sure
that their shoulders and head are
covered. Shoes should be removed before
entering a mosque. There is usually a
rack or storage area where they can be
left or you can carry them with you in a
bag. Mosques are usually closed to
visitors during prayer times.
There are two major Islamic Festivals
which are celebrated in Turkey. The
dates of both change each year,
according to lunar calendar. Eid (Ramazan
or Şeker Bayramı) falls at the end of
period of fasting. Greater Eid, the
Feast of Sacrifice (Kurban Bayramı)
falls almost two months after Eid, when
wealthy believers usually sacrifice a
sheep or a cow and it is distributed to
the needy including friends, family and
neighbours. Government offices and some
other institutions are closed during
these periods but life in resorts
continues much as usual, and many Turks
also head to the holiday destinations.
Hospitality
Visitors to Turkey are often pleasantly
surprised by the friendliness of the
Turkish people, who will go out of their
way to assist and happily spend time
chatting. Hospitality is a cornerstone
of Turkish culture, and Turks believe
that visitors should be treated as
“Guests sent by God”. This attitude has
survived to the 21st century and does
not appear to have been diminished by
mass tourism. In fact, quite the
reverse, most Turks welcome the
opportunity to meet foreign visitors,
learn about different cultures and
practice their language skills. It is
usual for Turks - even the men - to
greet each other by kissing on both
cheeks. As a tradition, Turkish people
treat their national flag as sacred.
Therefore one should avoid insulting or
showing disrespect to the Turkish flag.
Food
Karnı Yarık
Turkish cuisine is renowned as one of
the world's best. It is considered to be
one of the three main cuisines of the
world because of the variety of its
recipes, its use of natural ingredients,
its flavours and tastes which appeal to
all palates and its influence throughout
Europe, Asia, the Middle East and
Africa. The cuisine originated in
central Asia, the first home of the
Turks, and then evolved with the
contributions of the inland and
Mediterranean cultures with which Turks
interacted after their arrival in
Anatolia.
Turkish cuisine is in a sense a bridge
between far-Eastern and Mediterranean
cuisines, with the accent always on
enhancing the natural taste and flavour
of the ingredients. There is no one
dominant element in Turkish cuisine,
like sauces in French and pasta in
Italian cuisines.
While the Palace cuisine was developing
in İstanbul, local cuisines in Anatolia
were multiplying in several regions, all
displaying different geographical and
climactic characteristics. These
cuisines, after remaining within
regional borders for centuries, are now
being transplanted to the big cities and
their suburbs as a consequence of large
scale urbanisation and migration towards
new urban centres. As a result, the
national Turkish cuisine has been
enriched by the contribution of a great
number of local recipes.
Turkey is self-sufficient in food
production and produces enough for
export as well. This means that Turkish
food is usually made from fresh, local
ingredients and is all the tastier for
it.
A main meal will usually start with soup
and the meze, a variety of small cold
and hot dishes which are made for
sharing. In many restaurants a waiter
will bring these round on a tray for you
to inspect and make your choice. Tarama
salad, cacik (taziki), dolma (vine
leaves or peppers stuffed with rice),
börek (pastries) , arnavut ciğeri (cubes
of fried liver) are amongst the many
types of mezes found in most of the
restaurants.
The main course is usually meat or fish.
Turks always eat bread with their meal
and main courses are usually served with
rice. Typically çoban salatası, a salad
made of tomato, cucumber, parsley and
onion, dressed with olive oil and lemon
juice, will be offered as a side dish.
Lamb is the most popular meat and
prepared in a variety of ways, including
“şiş kebap” (grilled cubes of seasoned
meat on skewer). “Köfte”, which are like
small lamb burgers are well worth
trying. Those who prefer something hot
and spicy should try “Adana kebap”,
which is made of minced lamb but with
the addition of hot peppers and spices
formed around a flat skewer. There are
numerous variations and regional
specialities of kebap. Somewhat rich but
very tasty, is the İskender or Bursa
kebab, named respectively after
Alexander the Great and the town in
which it is originated, which is slices
of döner meat laid over small bites of a
freshly cooked flat bread and covered
with tomato sauce and hot butter all
served with yoghurt. Turks traditionally
are fond of stews called sulu yemek or
ev yemeği (home cook) and therefore
there are many restaurants offering
these foods which are usually displayed
in the entrance of the restaurant in
large containers.
Fish and seafood restaurants are widely
found in Istanbul, in the other big
cities and in the coastal resorts.
Mostly fish is simply grilled to bring
out its natural flavour and there is a
wide variety of seafood meze including
midye tava (fried mussels), kalamar
(calamari), midye dolma (mussels in
shells stuffed with seasoned rice). It
is worth asking for recommendations but
some of the tastiest are levrek (sea
bass), çupra (sea bream) and kalkan
(turbot). Fish is also sold by weight in
specialist restaurants where some
customers prefer to make their choice
from the fishes offered on a large
display.
Humanity has added new value
to the places it has lived
upon, and left behind
masterpieces that carry Its
culture to ensuing
generations. To affirm the
values accepted as the
common heritage of all
humanity, and to promote
them and to transfer them to
future generations, UNESCO
adopted, "The Convention
concerning the Protection of
the World Cultural and
Natural Heritage" in its
General Conference held in
Paris in 1972. Turkey
ratified the Convention on
23 May 1982.
The World Heritage List Is a
list of global sites of
cultural and natural
heritage considered to be of
outstanding value to
humanity. UNESCO, which alms
to ensure International
cooperation In protecting
the values that form the
common heritage of humanity,
takes Into consideration
unique values with respect
to cultural and natural
criteria.
At the end of 2008, there
were 878 cultural and
natural heritage sites from
all around the world
inscribed in the World
Heritage List. These Include
679 cultural/archaeological
sites, 174 natural sites and
also 25 mixed
(cultural/natural) sites.
Turkey has 9 properties
Inscribed In the UNESCO
World Heritage List, and 23
nominated properties are in
the Tentative List. This
publication is prepared by
the Directorate General for
Promotion of the Ministry of
Culture and Tourism. It aims
to promote the sites
Inscribed In the UNESCO
World Heritage List, and
raise awareness in
transferring Turkey's
cultural heritage to future
generations.
Turkey in World Heritage
Antalya, the Turkish Riviera
is the most stunning part of
Turkey's Mediterranean
coast. It is typical of
Turkey, a thriving modern
city, with a historic heart
in the centre of Kaleiçi
within the old city walls.
This area has seen something
of a renaissance in recent
years, with many of the
wooden Ottoman mansions
being restored and turned
into boutique hotels. No
cars are allowed in the
narrow streets of the old
town so it is a good place
to soak up the atmosphere
around the charming harbour.
The symbol of Antalya is the
fluted minaret or Yivli
Minare built by the Seljuks
in the 13th century. There
are plenty of interesting
pieces in the Archaeological
Museum, from the
Palaeolithic Age right
through to Ottoman times.
Antalya has a backdrop of
stunning mountain scenery,
and the city is set high on
cliffs, with many of its
grandest hotels overlooking
the sea on the outskirts of
the town. The beach area of
Lara, approximately 12 km to
the east is home to the best
beach in the area, known for
its golden sand, which is
rapidly becoming a resort in
its own right. To the west,
the long pebble beach of
Konyaaltı is also popular.
Heading up into the
mountains, you can make the
most of the beautiful
scenery by visiting the
spectacular Düden or
Kurşunlu waterfalls. At
Saklıkent, just 50 km away
from the city centre, you
can even ski, where they
usually have snow on the
slopes until early April.
The Altın Portakal (Golden
Orange) film festival is
held annually in the autumn.
Antalya has a large number
of 5 star hotels, many of
which have meetings
facilities, and this,
together with the Pyramid
Congress Centre which can
hold up to 3000 delegates
make it a popular venue for
conferences.
There are many holiday
resorts like Alanya, Belek,
Kalkan, Kaş, Kekova, Kemer,
Olympos, Patara, Side within
the borders of Antalya
region.
The most popular Historic
Sites of Antalya Region:
Aspendos:Just
50 km east of Antalya,
Aspendos was an important
centre of trade during Roman
times. Today, the most
impressive aspect of
Aspendos is her stunning
theatre, which was built in
approx. 162 AD. It seats
15,000 and has been
beautifully preserved. Each
year it hosts the Aspendos
Opera and Ballet Festival
which takes place in June
and July and gives you the
opportunity to see
performances of classics in
a magnificent setting. The
aqueduct, which supplied
water to the city is also
still relatively intact and
is an impressive sight.
Phaselis:The
three harbours of this
Lycian port city were once a
major commercial centre. In
the shelter of Mount Tahtalı,
it is a popular stopping off
point for yachts, and its
clear waters and sandy
beaches are popular with
sun-seekers. The remains are
mostly Roman and include a
theatre, baths, aqueducts,
Hadrian's Gate, an agora and
an acropolis.
Perge:Just
18 kms from Antalya, Perge
was an important city in
Pamphylia and was visited by
St.Paul during his
missionary journeys. Today,
the city gate flanked by
lofty towers, theatre and
baths are of interest.
Demre:Also
known as Kale, the ancient
city of Myra, is mostly
famous for its connection
with St. Nicholas, who was
bishop here in the 4th
century. His church is the
focus of the annual ceremony
which takes place to
commemorate him on or around
his feast day of 6th
December. It is well worth
seeing the Roman theatre
which remains here,
overlooked by spectacular
rock tombs, dating from the
4th century BC.
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full information →
ALANYA
Alanya is a beautiful
holiday centre with its
beautiful sandy beaches,
modern hotels and motels, as
well as numerous fish
restaurants, cafes, clubs
and bars. The cafes that
ring the harbour are popular
gathering places for
tourists and locals. From
the towns lovely park, the
road runs along the coast to
the harbour, lined with many
small shops that offer
handicrafts, leather
clothes, jewellery, handbags
and the amusing painted
gourds that are unique to
the area. There are three
blue flag beaches and many
sights including Damlataş
Cave, Archaeology and
Ethnography Museum, Dim Çayı
Valley, three see grottoes:
Fosforlu Mağara, Kızlar
Mağarası and Aşıklar
Mağarası and many more.
A world renowned holiday and
entertainment peninsula,
Bodrum is a paradise for its
climate, sea, natural
beauty, magnificent coves
and history, as well as for
its modern nightlife where
the show goes on until
sunrise. Its many resorts
and hotels cater for every
need of their visitors.
Since the dawn of the time,
Bodrum, known in antiquity
as Halircarnasus, has amazed
human beings, and carried
imprint of many cultures and
civilizations, including the
Carian, Leleges’, Persian,
Dorian, Helen, Roman,
Byzantine, and Ottoman.
Sights & Attractions:
The seaside villages, bays
and coves of Bodrum, Gümbet,
Bitez, Ortakent, Bağla,
Aspat, Karaincir, Akyarlar,
Turgutreis, Gümüşlük,
Gümüşlük, Yalıkavak,
Gündoğan, Gültürkbükü, Torba,
Güllük, are world-famous,
and each has its own charm
and peculiarities.
Bodrum Castle, built by The
Knights of St. John, which
has become a symbol of the
peninsula. At present it
hosts the Bodrum Museum of
Underwater Archaeology which
was awarded the “Certificate
of Special Commendation” in
the “European Museum of the
Year Award” competition in
1995. For the history
enthusiast, another must see
place in Bodrum is the
remains of the Mausoleum.
Blue Voyage: The Blue
Voyage, also known as the
Blue Cruise ("Mavi Yolculuk"
in Turkish) is a term used
for the recreational boating
tours departing from Bodrum,
Marmaris, Fethiye, Gökova,
Fethiye and Antalya. These
trips are a unique tranquil
holidays to enjoy the
beautiful bays and coves
which can only be reached by
sea, to swim in unpolluted
waters in a myriad of shades
of blue, to visit
magnificent antique sites
such as Knidos.
The region known as
Cappadocia includes the
centres of Ürgüp, Göreme,
Avanos, Üçhisar, Derinkuyu,
Kaymaklı and Ihlara. It is a
stunning area of
other-worldly rock
formations, subterranean
churches and underground
dwellings, the scale of
which is over-whelming. The
area is also famous for its
carpet-weaving, wines and
the distinctive red pottery
of the Avanos area.
Cappadocia was a refuge for
the early Christians, who
escaped persecution by
living and worshipping
underground. There are an
estimated 3000 rock churches
in this region, not all of
which are open to the public
The village of Göreme itself
is at the heart of the
area's tourist industry, and
many of its villagers still
live in cave dwellings, some
of which have been converted
into pensions. Surrounding
the area are the amazing
rock formations known
evocatively as Peri Bacaları
or 'Fairy Chimneys'.
Located to the west of Niğde,
is the stunning Ihlara
Vadisi, a gorge which is 10
km long and some 80 metres
wide. Popular for trekking,
about 12 of its 60 churches
are open to the public
including the impressive
Eğritaş Church.
There are hundreds of
underground cities in the
regions. Two of the most
impressive are Kaymaklı,
which has 8 levels, and
Derinkuyu, which reaches
down to 55 metres. They were
used by the Christians
fleeing persecution in the
7th century, who created a
self-sufficient environment
underground including
bedrooms, kitchens and
storage rooms.
Didim is one of the most
beautiful holiday resorts on
the Aegean coast of Turkey.
Located on a peninsula,
where the Büyük Menderes
River reaches the sea, the
resort has secluded coves,
golden sand beaches, natural
harbours and nearby Lake
Bafa. The important Ionian
cities of Miletos and Didyma,
home of the famous prophet
in ancient times, are also
near Didim. The Temple to
Apollo at Didim was one of
the most sacred places of
antiquity. Though many times
looted and burned, the
sanctuary still possesses
elegant beauty.
Altınkum
Altınkum literally means
'golden sand' an apt
description of the beautiful
beach in this relaxed
resort. Popular with
families it has a range of
accommodation and plenty of
restaurants and bars for
entertainment. There are
lots of shops and an
attractive street market in
the centre. It is popular
with both Turkish and
international holidaymakers.
Fethiye is a traditional
market town set around a
beautiful natural harbour.
It is a big centre for scuba
diving and boats leave from
here for day
trips around the stunning
coastline. There are number
of hotels in the town
itself, which mostly
attracts older couples, who
enjoy the traditional
lifestyle and also like the
fact that it is flat and
easy to get around. There is
greater variety of shops in
the narrow of the bazaar
area, Paspatur. In the
evenings, head for this
lively area for live music
and bars.
Olüdeniz
Fethiye
Ölüdeniz has a typical
postcard beach, backed by
dramatic pine-clad hills.
Literally translated as
'dead sea', the stunning
lagoon is a protected area,
ensuring that its natural
beauty is preserved. There
is a small entrance charge
to use the lagoon beach and
only non-motorised water
sports are allowed on the
lagoon itself. The main
resort beach, which is free
entry, is the long stretch
of coarse sand and shingle,
known as Belcekız beach.
There is a strip alongside
the seafront promenade with
a number of relaxing bars,
restaurants serving local
and international cuisine
and shops which stay open
well into the night. It is a
perfect family resort, great
for a laid-back beach
holiday, with plenty of
facilities but not too much
development. Boats leave
from the bay for trips
around the surrounding coast
and paragliding is a big
draw with the descent from
the Babadağ mountains to
land on Belcekız beach,
recognised as one of the
best in the world.
Göcek
Göcek, a free motor traffic
town, has numerous and
beautiful coves, is the most
popular spot for the yachts
and Blue Cruise boats. It is
a meeting point for
international celebrities
and with its four marinas,
small shops and retaurants.
Hisarönü and Ovacık
Twenty year ago there was
only few houses in Hisarönü
bu now it is a lively resort
in its own right. It is in a
stunning location,
surrounded by pine-clad
montains, and hotels are
built in the local style.
The beach of Ölüdeniz is
just a 15 minute ride away.
Just a short distance from
Hisarönü, is the newer
resort area of Ovacık, which
is essentially a collection
of hotelks and apartment
buildings, blending in with
the stunning mountain
scenery.
İstanbul is the only city in
the world built on two
continents. Its fate has
been determined by its vital
strategic location and
enchanting natural beauty.
It had long been coveted by
powerful empires; it served
as capital first to
Byzantine, and then to the
Ottoman Empire. İstanbul
stretches along the two
shores of the Bosphorus (İstanbul
Strait) that links the Sea
of Marmara with the Black
Sea. It is Turkey's largest
city with a population of
approximately over 12
million. Istanbul is also at
the heart of the economy of
Turkey. The largest
companies and banks, the
media and advertising
agencies all have their
headquarters in this city.
İstanbul is also the capital
of art and culture with a
rich tradition in opera and
ballet, theatres, concerts,
art exhibitions, festivals,
auctions, conferences and of
course unique museums. As an
imperial capital for 1500
years, İstanbul has acquired
a highly original
personality. At every turn
in the city you are faced
with Roman, Byzantine and
Ottoman palaces, mosques,
churches, monasteries,
monuments, walls and ruins.
Yet İstanbul is not a city
living only in its past. It
is a vibrant, modern and
future-oriented metropolis.
Bazaars and ultra-modern
shopping centres and
department stores, street
vendors and stock brokers,
old crumbling buildings and
skyscrapers coexist and this
amalgam gives the city a
multi-faceted outlook and
flavour. İstanbul is like an
intricately woven carpet, a
subtle blend of eastern and
western cultures.
Cultural Treasures:
Having been the capital of
two major empires, İstanbul
today is in architectural
monuments across the city
which reflects the past
splendour. The area between
the Sea of Marmara and the
Golden Horn is sometimes
referred to as the
"Peninsula of History"
because of its many Roman,
Byzantine and Ottoman works.
The Topkapı Palace,
residence of the Ottoman
Sultans, Ayasofya (hagia
Sophia), the jewel of
Byzantine architecture, and
the mosques of Süleymaniye
and Sultanahmet (Blue
Mosque) which dominate the
Skyline of Istanbul are all
located here.
The area opposite the shore
of the Golden Horn was
formerly known as "Pera",
meaning "the other shore".
Settled by Genoese and
Venetians in the 12th
century, it became a quarter
inhabited mostly by
Levantines and represented
the western face of İstanbul.
The Galata Tower built by
the Genoese, the narrow
streets reminiscent of
Italian cities, the stately
consulates, which were the
embassies before the capital
moved to Ankara, and the
"art nouveau" buildings
along İstiklal Caddesi all
reflect the very
cosmopolitan character of
ancient İstanbul.
Palaces, summer palaces,
castles and large mansions
built by the Ottomans
continue to adorn
İstanbul. The Yıldız Palace
and Dolmabahçe, on the
shores of the İstanbul
Strait were once the
residences of the Ottoman
Sultans after Topkapı
Palace. The shores of the
İstanbul Strait are also
famous for the elegant
wooden houses and mansions (yalı)
built along the edge of the
water.
The city, known as
“Beautiful İzmir” in Turkey,
is located at the start of a
long and narrow gulf,
decorated with yachts,
passenger ships and gulf
steamers. It has a warm
climate and the cooling sea
breeze in the summer takes
away the burning heat of the
sun. İzmir, which enjoys a
special cultural and
historical identity, is the
third largest city in
Turkey.
Beaches and holiday resorts:101
km of golden sands. The
Aegean coastal strip in the
Province of Izmir runs for a
length of 629 km. A 101 km
section of this coastal
strip is a natural beach.
The geographical formation
of Izmir's coastal strip
consisting of a peninsular
and some small bays provide
ideal opportunities for
water sports as well as the
use of a beach. The most
popular beaches in the
province include beaches at
Pamucak, Altınkum, Gümüldür
and Özdere in the south,
Urla, Ceşme, Ilıca, Alaçatı
in the east, as well as
those at Dikili, Çandarlı,
Foça, Ören in the north.
Historic Sights:The
cities of theSeven
Churches of the Apocalypse,
mentioned by St. John in the
Book of Revelation, are
found in Turkey. All of
these world known ancient
cities, Ephesus (Efes),
Smyrna (İzmir), Pergamum (Bergama),
Thyatira (Akhisar),
Philadelphia (Alaşehir),
Sardis (Sart) and Laodicea (Eskihisar)
are within borders of İzmir
except the last one which is
in Denizli, an Aegean
Interior city. Ephesus (Efes)
and Pergamum (Bergama), in
particular, are the cities
of ancient world that one
should not miss to visit.
KALKAN
In recent years, Kalkan has
become an in spot for
upmarket couples seeking a
taste of authentic Turkey.
It is a pretty village of
stone-built houses set on a
hillside around the
attractive harbour. Narrow
lanes lead down to the
seafront, packed with shops,
sophisticated bars and
restaurants, mostly serving
traditional Turkish fare,
with some excellent seafood
and fish restaurants on the
harbour-front. The roads are
steep so you need to be
relatively fit to get
around, but the hotels and
villas set higher up on the
hillside, benefit from
stunning views down over the
pretty bay. Due to the
landscape there is simply no
room for large-scale
development so most of the
hotels are small and
intimate. The resort has
expanded rapidly in recent
years, however, and the
buildings have extended
beyond Kalkan itself to the
bays on either side, such as
Kalamar bay to the west - a
long walk or a short taxi
ride away from the centre.
Most of the hotels on the
seafront in this area and
the 'beaches' have access to
the sea via platforms or
ladders, straight into deep
water. Kalkan does have a
small pebble town beach, but
serious beach-lovers head
out to stunning Kaputaş,
approximately 6 km away, a
fine pebble and shingle
beach which has clear,
stunning turquoise water.
Others prefer the long
stretch of sandy beach of
Patara. Boats leave from the
harbour here and from nearby
Kaş, approx. 26 km away, for
trips around the bays and to
the surrounding islands.
Kalkan has
a unique ambience and is one
of the most sophisticated of
Turkey's resorts, but is not
recommended for those with
difficulty in walking or for
those with small children.
The ancient sites of Xanthos
and Letoon are within easy
reach of Kalkan.
KEMER
Kerner was one of Turkey's
first purpose built resorts,
carefully planned to blend
in with the surrounding
scenery. At its heart is the
attractive marina, a
stopping-off point for
yachts on the blue cruise.
Around it are sophisticated
shops, bars and restaurants
catering for the resort's
well-heeled clientele. Kemer
Beach is a clean pebble
beach, but the main resort
areas are on the beaches
located a little further
out, namely Kızıltepe,
Göynük, Beldibi, Çamyuva and
Tekirova. Surrounded by pine
forests, they offer a range
of accommodation including
five star hotels, all
designed to blend in to the
natural environment.
Kuşadası is one of Turkey's
largest and most
cosmopolitan resorts and a
stopping off point for the
big cruise liners. It is a
good all round resort,
offering beautiful beaches,
excellent shopping, great
historic sights, and
varieties of nightlife.
Kuşadası literally means
'Bird Island' and takes its
name from the tiny islet
known as Güvercin Adası or
Pigeon Island, which is
attached to the mainland by
a causeway and boasts a 14th
century Genoese fort. The
old town, having an Ottoman
built traveller's inn (Kervansaray)
in its centre, is a popular
shopping and entertainment
area.
Antique cities of Ephesus,
Miletos and Didyma, Virgin
Mary's House, St. John’s
Basilica are world renowned
historic sights near
Kuşadası. Dilek Peninsula
National Park in he south is
another major touristic
destination with its
bewitching natural beauty
with its trees, canyons,
inlets, beaches, picnic
areas, pathways.
Marmaris is one of Turkey's
most popular resorts, which
attracts lots of British
holidaymakers, many of whom
return year after year. It
is a favourite with families
and young couples alike. It
is in a stunning setting,
its geography remarkably
similar to that of the
fjords, with pine-clad hills
dropping steeply to the sea,
jagged inlets and tiny rocky
islets off the coast.
There is a wide choice of
accommodation, from five
star luxury to self-catering
apartments, but the vast
majority is of three star
standard. Most of the
accommodation is built on
either side of the main
seafront road, some is on
the seafront itself, but
many of the newer hotels are
on the hillside in areas
such as Armutalan.
There are many water sports
centres in Marmaris or at
the coves, ready to assist
you in surface or underwater
sports adventures -
including extreme sports.
Akvaryum (Aquarium) Cove,
Baca (Chimney) Sea Cave and
reef area are the
fascinating diving spots for
domestic and foreign
visitors. Nature and
adventure sports such as
rafting on Dalaman Stream,
and trekking tours are
organised by travel
agencies. Jeep Safari is yet
another alternative.
Some of the sites of ancient
cities in the environs of
Marmaris are as follows:
Amos (Hisaronii-Turung),
Bybassos (Hisaronii),
Kastabos (Hisaronu), Syma (Bayir
Village), Larymna (Bozburun),
Thyssanos (Sogiit), Phoinix
(Tashca), Loryma (Bozukkale),
Kasara (Serge Harbour),
Cedrai (Sedir Island),
Euthena and Amnistos.(Karacas6gut).
İçmeler
İçmeler is a popular resort
with families. It is much
greener than neighbouring
Marmaris, with wide streets
lined with threes and a
relaxed ambiance. It nestles
in the shelter of dramatic
pine-clad mountains with a
wide sweeping bay of coarse
sand, where all kinds of
water sports are available.
The waters are shallow and
calm making it relatively
safe for children. There is
an abundance of restaurants,
serving a full range of
Turkish and international
cuisine, plenty of lively
bars and lots of shops. For
those who want serious
nightlife, Marmaris is just
a short dolmuş or taxi ride
away.
Turunç
Turunç is reached by a
steep, winding road, which
snakes around the mountains
from İçmeler, a sleepy
resort, full of character.
The accommodation here is
mainly small family-run
hotels, with some good
self-catering properties.
The main street has a good
selection of restaurants
with a few music bars, and
enough shops to cater for
your immediate holiday
requirements.
Bozburun
Bozburun has a stunning
setting and is also famous
for pine, flower and thyme
honey. Its isolated location
and peaceful atmosphere has
attracted people escaping
city life, and is especially
popular with Turkish
tourists. There are buses
from Marmaris, 50km away,
which makes a pleasant day
trip, and there are many
interesting walks in the
surrounding countryside.
SİDE
The old town of Side is set
on a peninsula with sandy
beaches to either side,
surrounded still by the
ancient city walls. It
boasts an impressive ancient
Hellenistic theatre, the
largest in the area, with
seating for 17,000
overlooking the sea; a
charming museum and the
stunning Temple of Apollo, a
romantic spot at sunset. The
old town is limited by the
walls and the sea, which has
been a bonus, meaning that
the accommodation here is
mostly pensions and small
hotels. The long stretch of
sandy beach a few kilometres
outside the old town, known
with good reason as Kumköy
(sand village) has become
the centre of tourism
development in the town and
is now home to large four
and five star hotels and
good quality self-catering
accommodation. Side has
something for everyone:
great beaches, history, an
abundance of shops, lively
nightlife and a good choice
of restaurants.
The stunning white terraces
of Pamukkale and the
neighbouring site of
Hierapolis are situated
inland, close to the town of
Denizli. They can be reached
from most of the coastal
resorts on a one day trip
but Kuşadası is the closest
- approximately 4 hours
drive away.
Pamukkale literally means
'cotton castle' and is one
of Turkey's most impressive
natural wonders. It is made
up of a series of white
travertine terraces
cascading down a cliff,
which is almost 200 metres
high. The hard, white
mineral deposits, which from
a distance resemble snow,
are caused by the high
mineral content of the
natural spring water which
runs down the cliff and
congregates in warm pools on
the terraces. This is such a
popular tourist attraction
that strict rules had to be
established in order to
preserve its beauty, which
include the fact that
visitors may no longer walk
on the terraces. Those who
want to enjoy the thermal
waters, however, can take a
dip in the nearby pool,
littered with fragments of
marble pillars. It was the
thermal waters which lead to
the founding of the spa town
of Hierapolis at the end of
the 2nd century BC by the
dynasty of the Attalids, the
kings of Pergamon. The
remains include the ancient
ruins of the baths, temples,
the well-preserved theatre,
and the largest necropolis
or graveyard in Anatolia
containing over 1200 tombs.
Historical Areas of Istanbul, City of
Safranbolu, Hattusha (Bogazköy): The
Hittite Capital, Nemrut Mountain,
Xanthos-Letoon, Great Mosque and
Hospital of Divrigi, Archaeological Site
of Troy, Hierapolis-Pamukkale, Goreme
National Park and the Rock Sites of
Cappadocia
BİLECİK
Bilecik is the provincial capital of
Turkey's Bilecik Province.
Along with its districts, it is the
birthplace of the Osmanlı dynasty, whose
members founded the Ottoman Empire.
The town is famous for its numerous
restored Turkish houses. It is
increasingly becoming more attractive
more tourists. With its rich
architectural heritage, Bilecik is a
member of the Norwich-based European
Association of Historic Towns and
Regions (EAHTR).
Bilecik, lying in the green fertile
lands of the river valley, is the
eastern neighbor of Bursa in Marmara
region. Its historical background goes
back to 1950 BC, with many Anatolian
civilizations in this Bithynian region
such as Hittites, Phrygians, Lycians,
Persians and Macedonians living here.
Its earliest names are known as Agrilion
and Agrillum. During the Byzantine
Empire the city was called Belokeme.
The province has an area of 4.307 square
kilometers with approximately 200,000
people. Bilecik is worth visiting with
its mausoleum of Seyh (Sheik) Edebali,
who was an important influential person
in the foundation of the Ottoman Empire.
Nearby is the mausoleum of Orhan Gazi.
Every September a festival is held in
his memory. Bilecik played also an
important role during the War of
Independence led by Atatürk.
30 kilometers from Bilecik is the little
town Sogut which got its name from the
numerous willows that surround the town.
Sogut Is the place where the Ottoman
Empire was founded and here are the life
size busts of famous figures of Turkish
history. If you would like to see the
whole of the history of Turkey before
your eyes, then you should visit the
Ethnographical Museum. There are many
historical tombs and mosques in the
province. Onyx handicrafts are
recommended as a souvenir from Bilecik
of which are great value.
Some of the sites of interest in the
province are: Osman Gazi and Orhan Gazi
mosques, Seyh Edebali and Mal Hatun
mausoleums, Köprülü Mehmet Pasha mosque,
Köprülü Caravanserai, Kaplikaya tombs,
Rüstem Pasha mosque, and Gülalan
Pavilion.
Where to Visit
TOWER, CASTLE
The Watch Tower: The Watch Tower is
located at the center of Bilecik
province over a hill dominant to the
city. The Watch Tower is four – sided,
with one clock in each side and was
constructed by Sultan II. Abdülhamit.
Belekoma Castle: The castle is located
at the banks of the Hamsıs Creek on a
steep hill. It was constructed by the
Byzantine in Medieval Ages.
CARAVANSERAIS
Köprülü Mehmet Paşa Caravansary The
caravansary is located on the Bilecik –
Adapazarı highway in Vezirhan Village.
It was constructed by Sadrazam Köprülü
Mehmet Paşa at the beginning of 17th
century. The roof of the building had
collapsed in 1915. Only four walls are
standing in the present day
MAUSOLEUMS
Mausoleums: Most important mausoleums of
Bilecik Province are Şeyh Edebalı
Mausoleum, Malhatun Mausoleum, Dursun
Fakıh Mausoleum and Ertuğrul Gazi
Mausoleum.
THERMAL RESORTS
Osmaneli – Selçik Mineral Waters: This
mineral water resort is located at a
locality 9 kilometers distant to
Osmaneli District. The transportation is
possible via highway and railway. The
mineral water comes out from four
separate fountains. This mineral water
is known to cure the diseases of
stomach, liver, ballast, intestines and
urethra. This water also assists to
dissolve and drop the rocks formed in
kidneys.
Söğüt Çaltı Thermal Spring: The thermal
spring is located at the Çaltı locality
of Söğüt district. The water of this
thermal spring comes from a spring,
which is 30 km. away from the resort.
The water of this thermal spring is used
as bath and drinking. The water is known
to cure the skin diseases, stomach
sicknesses, rheumatic diseases,
neuritis, poli neuritis and
gynecological diseases.
HIGHLANDS
Kömürsu Plateau: The plateau is at 28 km
distance to the center of Bozüyük
district and is covered with fir trees,
black pines, beech trees, juniper trees
and poplar trees. In the summer season,
the plateau is covered with green
meadows and various flowers. The plateau
is also an important location for winter
tourism.
Sofular Plateau: The plateau is at 25 km
distance to the center of Bozüyük
district and is covered with pine and
fir trees. The height of the plateau is
approximately 1600 meters. The plateau
is important for Plateau tourism.
Kamçı Plateau: The plateau is located at
the region of Bozcaarmut village of
Pazaryeri district and is important with
its pine tree forests. This plateau is
used as camping and resting place.
ANCIENT CITIES
Küçükelmalı Small Lake Environ: This
promenade area is located in the borders
of Küçükelmalı village, which is 10
kilometers away from Pazaryeri district.
The area is covered with pine forests
and is a resting place.
Bozcaarmut Small Lake Environ: This
promenade area is at the vicinity of
Bozcaarmut Village, which is 15 km away
from the district. The area is covered
with fir tree and pine forests.
Kınık Waterfall: This waterfall comes
out from Kınık village Alamandere
locality and displays an interesting
appearance. It is approximately 25 km.
away from the city center.
Türbin Promenade Area: This promenade
area is located at 7 km. away from
Bozüyük District. With its waterfall,
the promenade area is an interesting and
preferred area.
Dodurga Dam: The dam is located
approximately 20 km away from Bozüyük
District and is 2 km. southwest of
Dodurga borough. The environ of the dam
is suitable for resting and camping.
Carp and mirror carp fishes are breed at
the dam.
Büyükelmalı Small Lake: The small lake
is located in the borders of Büyükelmalı
village, which is 13 km. away from
Pazaryeri District.. With the natural
beauties surrounding the lake, it is a
suitable area for picnic and resting
activities.
MUSEUMS
Söğüt Ethnography Museum: There are 953
pieces of works in the museum. 75 of
these pieces are archeological, 202
pieces are coins and 677 pieces are
ethnographic works.
Telephone of the Museum: (+90 – 228) 361
30 27 Open hours to visit: 08.00 -17.00
History
The province of Bilecik displays a
characteristic of transition climate
between the severe and low precipitant
terrestrial climate of the Central
Anatolia Region and warm and precipitant
climate of the Marmara and Black Sea
Region. The known history of the Bitinia
Region starts with the nation of Thyns
originated from the nations of Thrace
whom inhabited the region in BC 1950’s.
The region was then entered under the
dominance of Egypt, Hittite, Frig,
Kimmer, Lydia, Persian, Macedonian
civilizations and Bitinya Kingdom, Roman
Empire, Byzantine Empire and Ottoman
Empire. After the settlement of a tribe
leaded by Ertuğrul Bey from the Kayı
Clan of the Turkish nation to the
environ of Söğüt and vicinity, the first
steps of the foundation of the Ottoman
Empire was taken. Where
to Eat
Most of the local food varieties are
composed of pastries. Some part of the
local folk cooks their own breads. Pitta
bread, Twined bread and hodalak are some
of the locally cooked breads.
The local folk also prepares food
varieties like macaroni, soup with dried
yogurt, kuskus macaroni and erişte
(vermicelli) by themselves. Büzme,
nohutlu tavuklu mantı (meat pastry with
chickpea and chicken), keşkek, ovmaç
soup, mercimekli mantı (meat pastry with
lentil), kesme hamur (cut pastry),
keklik kebabı (partridge kebab), köpük
helvası (foam sweat made of cereals)
could be counted among the authentic
food varieties of Bilecik region.
What to Buy
You should buy Kınık village Earthen
Products.
Don’t Leave Without
- Participating the Culture and Art
Festival of Ahilik, Remembrance of
Ertuğrul Gazi and Liberation of Söğüt,
Bilecik from enemy occupation.
- Visiting Şeyh Edebalı, Ertuğrul Gazi,
Dursun Fakıh Mausoleums and Watch Tower
Visiting the Ethnography Museum
