Introducing Turkey
Turkey might be the world’s most contested country. Its landscape is dotted with battlegrounds, ruined castles and the palaces of great empires. This is the land where Alexander the Great slashed the Gordion Knot, where Achilles battled the Trojans in Homer’s Iliad, and where the Ottoman Empire fought battles that would shape the world. History buffs can immerse themselves in marvels and mementos stretching back to the dawn of civilisation.
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Then again, if you want to simply unwind, spend an afternoon being pampered at a hamam, or let the warm waters off the Mediterranean coast lap at your toes. Adventure lovers can head east to Nemrut Daği National Park. Bon vivants need look no further than İstanbul, where the markets and bars are among the most stylish and atmospheric, and the mod Ottoman cuisine rates as the tastiest, in the world.
The country’s tumultuous history has left a deep legacy. People who’ve never had to suffer for an idea or fight for a patch of land can be overwhelmed by the passion of ordinary Turks for their country. But for ordinary Turks that passion finds its outlet, not in martial ardour, but in simple pleasures: family, food, music, football, and friendship. Turks have an inspiring ability to keep things in perspective, to get on with everyday life and to have a bloody good time in the process. Sharing their joy in the simple things is a highlight for every visitor.
Treat Turkey as that most quintessential of Turkish dishes, the meze, a table piled high with scrumptious treats. Throw away the menu, order a plate of everything and feast till you can’t go on. Afiyet olsun!
Make it happen
Ready to go? These recommended tours make it easy:
- take a journey to capture the diversity of landscapes and cultural pulse of Turkey
- visit Troy and Gallipoli on a tour from Istanbul
- take a boat down the Lycian Coast
Want more? Choose from a wide selection of similar trips in Turkey
Last updated: Jun 8, 2010
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Turkey
Our Top Picks For Turkey
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1 İstanbul
Visit Topkapî Palace, the Blue Mosque and Aya Sofya. Haggle like mad in the Grand Bazaar and the Spice Bazaar. Float along the Bosphorus. And that's just for starters
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2 Safranbolu
Pause to admire an unspoilt Ottoman townscape, then stay in Ottoman style in a restored wooden house
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3 Pergamum
Visit the Acropolis and Asclepion and wonder at the staggering temains of a once-great Anatolian Kingdom
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4 Gallipoli Peninsula
Wander the Anzac battlefields, at once poignant and peaceful
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5 Ephesus
Marvel at the most extensive remains of a Roman city complete with a 25,000-seat theatre
Fast Facts about Turkey
- Popular hangover cure:
İşkembe (tripe) soup
- Home of the tulip:
the flower originated in Turkey and grew popular during the Ottoman Empire, when it was exported to Europe
- Favourite fast-food chain:
Simit Sarayı, which sells the country’s much-loved simit (sesame-encrusted bread ring) to thousands of customers every day
- Head of state:
President Abdullah Gul
- Population:
76.8 million
- Tallest man:
Sultan Kosen, measuring 8ft 1in (2.47m) - the world's tallest man
- Average number of sexual partners in a lifetime:
14; according to a Durex Global Sex Survey, Turkey is the world's 'most virile nation'
- Telling taches:
Turks claim to be able to detect someone’s political affiliations from the shape of their moustache.
- Currency:
What's the Turkish lira worth today?
Related Groups
Our favourite Turkey Blogs (beta)
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Cappadocia – Goreme – Fairy Chimneys and Rock Cut Churches
Blog: Vagobond.com - 2 September 2010
Tweet In Central Anatolia lies a land that looks like it comes from The Lord of the Rings- Cappadocia. Even the name has the ring of a fairy tale Kingdom. “I, Sir Vago of the Kingdom of Cappadocia, do ride forth to seek out new lands and great fortunes.” – or something like that, though [...]
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The Moonlight Cave in Goreme, Cappadocia
Blog: Vagobond.com - 1 September 2010
Before he would tell me the price, the owner insisted on showing me the room. We walked in and I knew it was beyond our range. A beautiful cave room suite with a large flat screen TV, leather sofa, deluxe king size bed, full size jacuzzi bathtub, mini bar, jet shower, white robes, white slippers, and incredible inset lighting. It was gorgeous.
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Fethiye's Old Turkish Bath - The Hamam, Paspatur
Blog: Turkey's For Life - 31 August 2010
After 12 years of umming and ahhing about whether I could handle a visit to the hamam, I finally made it to one on Saturday. I went in a sauna in a gym many moons ago and had to leave straight away because I just hated the heat, so I always thought, 'If I pay my cash and then have to leave because the heat is too much, and everyone will see me and it'll be a big fuss, and I'm not keen on massages anyway...' It's taken a friend who was out this week to finally persuade me.
