Türki̇ye

Overview

Turkey ( Turkish : Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( Türkiye Cumhuriyeti ), is a bi-continental country: an oft-repeated cliché about Turkey is that it is the bridge between Europe and Asia . This is true not only geographically, but also culturally, and many Turks value their European and Asian identities equally. Therefore, Turkey is the ultimate "exotic — but with a twist" destination for many: plenty of travellers to the country will find a charming novelty in every corner, yet at the same time, will have a feel of comforting familiarity, regardless of which direction or how far they are arriving from. Add the Turks' legendary warmth towards the visitors to the mix, and you get the idea.

From the dome-and-minaret filled skyline of Istanbul to the ancient ruins alongside the western and southern coasts, heavily indented against a craggy backdrop in Lycia and wide and sunny in Pamphylia , to the cold and remote mountains of the East , Turkey offers a wealth of destinations. Crazy "foam parties" in Bodrum running wild find their place with the Middle Eastern-flavoured cities of Southeastern Anatolia in the same country. The lush and misty mountains of the Eastern Black Sea are only a few hours away from the vast steppe landscapes of Central Anatolia . So there is something for everyone's taste — whether they are travelling on an extreme budget by hitchhiking or by a multi-million yacht.

Turkey hosts two (Museum of Halicarnassus – Bodrum and Temple of Artemis – Ephesus ) of Seven Wonders of the Ancient World . Also is 'claimed' home to both birthplace (like Santa Claus – Demre and Abraham – Urfa ) and deathplaces (like Hannibal – Gebze and Joshua – Beykoz ) of some historical figures.

Sights and landscapes

Although Çatalhöyük and Göbekli Tepe , respectively the earliest settlement and the earliest temple ever found to the date in Turkey precede them, the Hittites were the first indigenous people that rose to found a state in Anatolia. They left the proof of their existence at the ruins of Hattuşaş , their capital. The Hittites spoke an Indo-European language (the oldest one attested in writing) and were contemporaries of the "New Kingdom" of Ancient Egypt , engaged in extensive correspondence and diplomacy with the eastern Mediterranean world.

The ancient Greeks and the following Romans left their mark mostly in the Aegean and Mediterranean Regions , leaving behind the marble ruins of hundreds of cities, temples, and monuments . Some such as Ephesus and many others along the Aegean are largely restored to their former glory — many of these are on the checklist of most travellers to Turkey. Some more obscure ones off the beaten path such as Aphrodisias and Aizanoi are also well worth visiting.

In the meantime, some other indigenous peoples, such as the Lycians , were carving beautiful tombs for their dearly departed ones onto the rocky hillsides. Many are fairly well preserved and can be seen all around Lycia .

Legendary Troy stands out as an example of different civilizations literally living on the top of each other. While what is visible today is clearly Hellenistic, the place has its roots as Hittite Wilusa , and later re-built many times over by the ancient Greeks.

Culture and food

Turkey's best known culinary export is arguably the kebab ( kebap ), grilled meat in various forms including the famous döner kebap (thin slices of meat shaved from a giant rotating spit) and şiş kebap (skewered meat), and a lot more others. A full meal at kebap restaurant starts with a soup, often lentil ( mercimek çorbası ), and a set of meze appetizers featuring olives, cheese, pickles and a wide variety of small dishes. Meze can easily be made into a full meal, especially if they are consumed along with rakı.

Eating on the cheap is mostly done at kebab joints, which can be found everywhere in Istanbul and other major cities. For the equivalent of a couple dollars, you get a full loaf of bread sliced down the middle, filled with broiled meat, lettuce, onions, and tomatoes. Visitors from the Europe are probably well acquainted to this, although for North Americans who are familiar with "shawarma" (in turn linguistically derives from Turkish çevirme ) wrapped in pita bread or wraps, you should look for the word dürüm or dürümcü on the windows of the kebab stands and ask for your kebab to be wrapped in a dürüm or lavaş bread depending on the region.

Planning your route

By European standards, Turkey is a huge country, with mountains impeding the highways and railways, so domestic air travel is well-developed. Especially on routes to Istanbul it's also very competitive, with Turkish Airlines , and low-cost companies AJet , Pegasus Airlines and Sunexpress Airlines fighting for your custom. They operate flights from Izmir and Antalya regions to the Eastern and Black Sea regions. There are flights between Istanbul and Ankara hourly; Izmir and Adana have several flights a day to Istanbul (both IST and SAW) and Ankara, and every city has at least a daily flight. Turna is a convenient platform to check tickets.

Regional airports usually have a connecting Havaş bus to the city centre, which will wait, within reason, for incoming flights. Buses and minibuses also fan out from the airports to other nearby towns.

Travel guide text compiled and adapted from Wikivoyage article (contributors). Sections were selected and reordered for this guide. Text is shared under CC BY-SA 4.0. Check current arrangements with your travel consultant.