Turkey -Introduction
Turkey is a rapidly modernizing country with a blend of custom and tradition with new thought. Its people are friendly and accommodating and its the cities are full of majestic old buildings. There are a variety of things to see and do in Turkey, like aqua sports, mountain trekking, archaeology, night clubbing, etc.
Turkey covers a total square area of 779,452 sq km and is 65.7 million people strong. The population is a mix of Turks, Kurds, other Islamic peoples, Armenians and Jews. The national language is Turkish and the main religion is Islam.
Major Tourist Destinations
Istanbul
Istanbul is the center of most activities in Turkey. The Topkapi Palace, residence of the sultans
from the 15th century to the early 1800s, the
palace's harem housing up to 500 people, including
up to 300 concubines and the imperial treasury are a must see.
Aya Sofya, the Church of the Divine Wisdom, has an immense impressive. The Blue Mosque is another very elegant and impressive monument you must not miss. The Grand Bazaar is a maze of narrow streets where you can buy anything that catches your fancy.
Ankara
In Turkey's capital, Hisar, the Byzantine citadel atop a hill, and the nearby Museum of Anatolian Civilsations are favorite tourist spots.
The Atatürk's mausoleum is a beautiful monumental building that reflects the architecture of the great Anatolian empires.
The Presidential Mansion is preserved as Atatürk used it, with decor and furnishings of the 1930s
including billiard table and cigar-and-brandy nook.
Ephesus
Ephesus is the grandest and best preserved of Turkey's ruins. Erstwhile Ionia, its Temple of Diana was counted among the Seven Wonders of the World.
Selçuk is the main tourist centre for the region. There is a beautiful museum located here, as well as a Byzantine Aqueduct.
Bodrum
Bodrum is a beautiful resort with a yacht harbour and a port. There are complete facilities for boating, swimming, snorkelling and scuba diving. It has an active night life with discltheques throbbing with music until dawn.
Antalya
Antalya is the chief city on Turkey's central Mediterranean coast. Antalya gives you the opportunity to explore quieter beach towns and ancient cities of the region.
Side is popular beach town that is believed to be the rendezvous of Mark Antony and Cleopatra for a romantic tryst. Patara is a party town with an excellent beach that has Roman ruins amongst the dunes.
Gallipoli Peninsula
Momentous battles have been fought on the battlefields of Gallipoli, . Çanakkale and Gelibolu are the best bases to visit and several companies run tours from here.
Turkey
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