Archive for the ‘Turkey’ Category

Ankara – A City Full Of Surprises

Thursday, July 12th, 2007

Turkey is a wonderful place to visit with surprisingly beautiful beaches. If you would like to make a mental picture the beaches of Acapulco and Miami would pale in comparison to the Turkish beaches. However, for unknown reason, these exceptional tourist attractions are somehow underrated locally.

Ankara, the capital of Turkey is also one of the oldest cities of this country. Founded in 2000 BC, this historic city is a tremendous delight to anyone who visits it. Some of the ancient relics that trill the historic tourists are the Tomb of Haci Bayram and the exquisite mosque besides it, the Augustus temple that is standing from the Roman times and the Fortress Kale which stands majestically over the city.

Ankara

A very interesting must-see attraction is the Mausoleum of Kemal Ataturk who is the founder and the first President of Turkey. This is a memorial which contains Kemal Ataturk’s writings, a number of memorabilia and a stunning wax statue of Ataturk. You could also see a great deal of artifacts from Ottoman Era in the Etnography museum.

For those who love the fine arts, there are five theatres and three major symphony orchestras in Ankara which are simply delightful.

The city of Ankara is an excellent blend of modern and ancient architecture. Everywhere you look you would find something that delights you. The food in Ankara is spicy and totally addictive. You should not forget when you are in Turkey to have coffee. Here you will be able to sample some of the most aromatic cups of coffee in the world.

The night life in Ankara is great during the summer with its late night bars, round the clock cafes and clubs with gardens and open courtyards. The center of the town, Kizlay is full of small beer joints which serve some wonderfully spicy food and entertain you with excellent Turkish tunes.

For people who want to sample a real Turkish fare, the best would be to eat at any of the Osmanic style restaurants at Kale. You must taste the kababs and the typical skewered lamb cooked with yoghurt and tomatoes. You will find that grilled meat and fish makes an exceptional snack anytime you want it.

A great place to visit is the Sherlock Holmes pub which offers a typical English setting on the second floor and local extravaganza on the ground floor. If you prefer classier joints, try the Laila Ankara Club on Sogutozu Cd.

As you can see there is a little for everyone in Ankara – and the best part is the surprisingly beautiful natural bounty of the place.

Discovering Turkey and its Culture

Wednesday, June 27th, 2007


Turkey is an amazing place, located at the intersection of two continents: Asia and Europe. Since a Eurasian nation, a strong influence of both western and eastern tradition can be seen here. Officially known as the Republic of Turkey, the country has Armenia and Iran to the east, Syria and Iraq to the southeast, Georgia to the northeast, Greece to the west, and Bulgaria to the northwest. In addition, it is bordered by the Aegean Sea to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and the Black Sea to the north. A wonderful tourist destination – Turkey’s attractions range from archeological and historic sites to recreational and scenic spots, all of them coupled with warm and traditional hospitality of the Turkish people.

Ankara – the capital city of Turkey – is home to an array of impressive attractions such as the Anitkabir Museum, within which has the mausoleum of Kemal Ataturk, apart from a rare ensemble of paraphernalia and memorabilia. Interesting attractions in Ankara also include the Museum of Anatolian Civilizations, the Hisar - a Byzantine Citadel atop a massive hill, Painting and Sculpture Museum, Ethnography Museum, and a collection of archeological remains of ancient attractions like Atakule Tower, Roman Theater and Roman Bath, the Temple of Augustus, and the Citadel.

Istanbul, Turkey

Perhaps the greatest of Turkish attractions would be Istanbul, the largest city in the country as well as the gateway between Asia and Europe. Founded in AD 326 by Emperor Constantine, the place was once the seat of the Byzantine and Ottoman empires. With an illustrious past, Istanbul has to its credit a magnificent network of churches, museums, mosques, and palaces. Among the prime attractions are architectural wonders such as Blue mosque, which is the world’s only mosque with six minarets; Topkapi – the stunning palace of the Ottoman Sultans; and the amazing dome of Aya Sophia, erected in 536. Also, fabulous are the city’s superb parks and gardens.

Apart from this , while your stay at Turkey take a fascinating tour to such ancient Turkish cities as Ephesus, Erzurum, Konya, Samsun, Tarsus, Trabzon, and Troy.

In spite of these aforesaid attractions, Turkey is a summer paradise, with a dazzling array of interesting landscaped and sandy beaches such as Patara Beach, Olu Deniz Beach, Gemile Bay Beach, Turtle Beach, Kaputas Beach, and Cleopatra’s Beach, each of them rendering a host of activities to choose from. Also, fantastic are Turkey’s natural attractions including Cappadocia – a scenic region sandwiched between two volcanoes: Erciyes Dagi and Hasan Dagi, and Pamukkale that is blessed with some rare calcium deposits.

Besides, Turkey offers excellent options for shopping, with a range of modern as well as traditional malls and boutiques such as Covered Bazaar and Spice Market, all of them selling everything from carpet and embroidery items to gold and silver jewelry to copper and bronze artifacts. Above all, worth mentioning is Turkish cuisine, which is one of the best as well as healthiest in the world. Most popular among the Turkish dishes are baklava, kebabs, and pide.