Articles

Turkey Destinations

Istanbul

One of the most historically significant cities in history, Istanbul has remained a major urban centre throughout its lifetime under a number of different names. Once the imperial capital of the Roman Empire under the name of Constantinople, it retained this function during the lifetime of the Byzantine Empire and the Ottoman Empire under the name of Byzantium and eventually its current identity of Istanbul. A major urban centre due to its positioning along the Silk Road, Istanbul has been a thriving trade centre for over nearly 2000 years with access to the Mediterranean and Black Seas. In the present day, Istanbul is a global capital. A thriving cosmopolitan city with a diverse population, it is known for its souks and beautiful temples, it is very much a bridge between East and West, a function it has retained throughout its lifetime.

 

Eastern Anatolia:

In Eastern Anatolia the landscape changes and becomes more mountainous and sparsely populated. Kharta is a dusty town at the foot of Nemrut mountain. The population’s almost entirely Kurdish. In all there’s some ten million Kurds in Turkey – a significant ethnic minority who’ve only recently been granted the freedom to use their own language.

 

Nemrut Dag

Only visit Nemrut Dag between May and October, the rest of the year the road is impassable in the snow. The attraction of Nemrut Dag is the colossal statues on the mountain summit placed here by a pre-Roman king. Earthquakes have toppled heads, but it’s still an awesome sight. A sight to see is the statues of ancient egotist Antiocis. Even though he wasn’t a very powerful king, he had delusions of grandeur and thought himself a visible god and surrounded himself by them. Antiocus claimed to have both Persian and Greek ancestry, so he erected statues of Hercules and Zeus. Here is the largest Zeus sculpture in the world. A guardian eagle was set here to protect the tomb and Antiocis decreed that if his cult were not celebrated twice a months, the gods would reek their vengeance.

South east from Nemrut Dag, Kurdish rebels are waging a war of independence. If you’re heading this way, keep to major roads and try not to travel at night.

 

Troy

According to Greek Mythology, Paris abducted the most beautiful woman in the world, Helen, daughter of the King of Sparta, from her huband and whisked her away from Greece to Troy. When the Greeks came to claim Helen it sparked a ten year war in which, according to the mythology, the Spartans beat the Trojans by tricking them into taking a wooden horse into their city which had Spartan soldiers hidden inside. In the night they climbed out, killed the guards and opened the gates letting their armies into the city. Hence the saying beware Greeks bearing gifts! It was proved in the 19th Century that Troy was not a mythical place when a German businessman plundered jewellery thought to be from Helen’s Troy. It proved much older, from the Byzantium period, proof that Troy did exist.

 

Erdine

Divided between Bulgaria, Turkey and Greece, the region of Thrace is situated on a limb in the north west Turkey. It’s main city of Edirne is a great stop off point on the way to Istanbul. It has a number of fine mosques like the Ucserefeli Cami and Esk Cami mosques from the 15th century, a perfect example of Ottoman architectural style seen also in Istanbul. The old town of Erdine is a great slab of Turkish life, a medieval Byzantine city full of bazaars and colourful characters. South of the city is the peninsula of Gallipoli, most famed for its bloody battle during World War II.

 

Iznik

Situated just south of the sea of Marmara, the ancient city of Iznik was founded in 1000BC and is known for its fruit orchards, the huge Iznik lake and the ancient Byzantine city walls. Highlights include a visit the the Aya Sofya Church of the Divine Wisdom, the Persian styled Green Mosque made in green-glazed bricks.

 

Bursa

Bursa south of the sea of Marmara and close to Istanbul is Turkey’s first capital of the Ottoman Empire and is the birth of modern Turkish culture. It was an important marker on the silk trade and an early thermal bath was developed here. It makes a great day trip out from Istanbul for visits to Mosques like the Ottoman Rococo Emir Sultan Camii, the beautiful Yesil Cami mosque with carved marble work, and the bedesten covered bazaar from the 14th century. Its also famed for its mineral baths on the slopes of the Uludag which is also a ski resort.

 

Aegean Turkey

Aegean turkey in the west is a rich region, great for water sports, west coastal fishing villages and known for its farming. It is rich in Ionian cities like Ephesus, Didyma and Labranda. Canakkale is a crossroads and trade point, which can be a great stop off point for visits to Gallipoli and Troy. Bodrum in south Aegean is known for holidays, water sports and nightlife. The Bodrun peninsula is great for day trips to beach village to get a taste of local life. The Aegean Hinterland is the epicentre of sun holiday tourism in Turkey.

 

Izmir

Located on the coastline of western Aegean Turkey, Izmir is the country’s third largest city and the major sea port. Set on a huge bay surrounded by mountains, it is a dramatic yet modern city of apartment blocks, offices, and streetside cafes. The relics of its turbulent history have all been destroyed by war, fire and earthquake but its 2000 year old castle still remains. It has a great bazaar in the central Konak quarter of the city.

 

Mediterranean Turkey

On the south west coastline of the Mediterranean, this region is relatively undeveloped for tourism and makes for a charming beach holiday. There are numerous small to large resorts scattered along the coast. The main city in the region is Antalya, a boom town with a pebble beach, and history dating back to the Paleolithic period. It’s a good base to explore the nearby beach towns. The nearby town of Aspendos holds one of the greatest roman ampitheatres. The large commercial city of Adana is more of a business centre than for visitors, but it has good air links.

 

Ankara

Ankara is the capital of the Turkish Republic and government. It sits at the heart of the Central Anatolia region which occupies most of central west Turkey, a beautiful region of grasses, lakes and wildflowers. Old Ankara is a roman construction and you can find here the Temple of Augustus and Rome and roman baths which cost $1 US to enter.

 

Cappadocia

Cappadocia, an area bordered by ten extinct volcanoes, is one of the most visited parts of Turkey and it is nestled between the Black Sea and the Taurus Mountains in Central Anatolia. It’s within easy reach of the major city of Ankara. You will pass through the town of Nevsehir on the way to the underground cities of Kaymakli and Derinkuyu.

Hidden in the Cappadocia valley is the land of the famous “fairy chimneys” Thousands of years ago, Goreme and its surrounding villages were settled by people who made their homes by burrowing into the soft volcanic rock. Around Goreme there are entire valleys of ‘fairy chimneys’, so-called because the wind whistling round them sounds like fairy voices.

When threatened by persecution early Christians would retreat to vast underground cities for months at a time. One of the most dramatic examples is the city of Kaymakli which had a population of 20,000 people. A personal tour of the tunnels will only cost you a few dollars and the guides are very informative. The nearby town of Derinkuyu, meaning “deep well”, is just 6 miles south of Kaymakli and has underground buildings on 8 levels.

Goreme’s tunnels attract plenty of tourist but few venture far out onto the plains of Cappadocia. If you are looking to buy a carpet, then do it in Cappadocia, as you are likely to get less hassled than you are in Istanbul.

Uchisar in the Cappadocia valley hosts the Kale, a tall rock with tunnels and windows with panoramic views of the vlley which is a pay for tourist attraction.

The Soganli valley is know for its churches like the Buckle Church or the Black Head, covered in paintings of Christ and Avanos, know for its pottery.

The capital of the Cappadocia region is Kayseri, a farming and textile centre. If you pass through, visit the former 6th century Citadel which is now a bazaar.

 

Black Sea Coast

The black sea coast is a luscious green land full of cherry orchards, farms and old Ottoman houses. It’s a popular national holiday resort for Turks. It has a beautiful coastline around the black sea and unspoilt rural scenery. The largest city on the coast is Samsun, a grim commercial port. Trabzon is a more interesting port city to visit, and full of traders and whores from Georgia and Armenia and Russian tourists. It has a lovely medieval church of Aya Sofya and his home to Ataturks villa. The Kackar Daglari mountain range is great for organised treks where you can conquer the 13,000ft Mount Kackar.

By Susi O’Neill

 

Destination – Turkey