Turkey

With a foot in Europe and the Middle East, Turkey is an exotic mixture of combined histories, civilizations, cultures, styles, and flavors. The sheer ancient quality of this country, with its shifting empires through the ages, still clings to the fabric of its landscapes, its cities such as Istanbul, Izmir, and Ephesus, its temple and mosque ruins, and its architecture today.

Ankara is the capital of Turkey and its seat of government. While mainly a city for business and little play, it does contain some of the oldest buildings in the country, commissioned by the country’s founder, Atatürk. On a hill east of the city is the Byzantine citadel, Hisar, an incredibly popular tourist attraction. Nearby, you can visit the Museum of Anatolian Civilizations and learn about the 13 successive empires that have passed through Turkey’s lands.

But, of course, Turkey’s most well-known city is Istanbul, a sprawling metropolis of almost 10 million denizens and a cultural hot spot. It’s truly a romantic city, with a skyline consisting of domes and minarets, ancient mosques next to buildings of modern flair. Check out the Hippodrome where exciting chariot races were once held, Aya Sofya, a formerly Christian church turned mosque, Topkapi Palace, the Blue Mosque with its gorgeous Iznik tiled exterior, and the Grand Bazaar teeming with tourist stands, shops, local goods, and traditional items for bargain prices – literally.

South of the city is the site of Atatürk’s mausoleum and Presidential Mansion that he used during his life. Inside the building is 1930s décor and furnishings, including a billiard table and cigar-and-brandy nook.

Bodrum is a beautiful southern Aegean resort town with an almost 24-hour party life. There’s a yacht harbor and a port for ferries to the Greek island of Kos. Famous discos throb music well into the morning hours. Get your fill of entertainment and nightlife here.

Ephesus is Turkey’s best preserved ancient city, where the ruins of the Temple of Diana lie in addition to historic sites where it is said that the saints Paul and John wrote some of their famous doctrines and the Virgin Mary spent her last years. Check out such high-traffic tourist attractions like the huge Harbor Gymnasium, Temple of Hadrian, Grotto of the Seven Sleepers, and the marble-paved Arcadian Way along with several Roman fountains, pools, brothels, toilets, and old libraries.

If the city life proves tiring, check out Antalya, a good foundation for exploring Turkey’s quieter beach towns and ancient sites such as Side, the beach where Mark Antony and Cleopatra held a romantic tryst once upon a time. The beaches are littered with towns, both quiet and upbeat, mingled in with sand dunes and Roman ruins. Just remember that the beaches close at dusk to let sea turtles access their nests.

Trip to Istanbul
Pictures and anecdotes from a group journey to Istanbul. An excellent guide to the city.

Independent Travel Guide to Turkey
http://www.dis.uu.se/~pierref/travel/turkey.guide.html This is an independent travel guide to Turkey, written by a Westerner who spent several years living in Turkey. Lacking in pictures, but there is a wealth of useful information.

Travels in Turkey
My Travels in Turkey—a collection of pictures and brief captions from Istanbul and other areas in Turkey.

Turkey Ride
A very good and thorough site detailing a personal journey through Turkey, including travel advice. The site contains lots of good pictures.

Turkey

More websites about travelling to Turkey