Turkey is the only country in the world to sit astride two continents: a unique position that has given rise to a culture that reflects both East and West. It is a country where European aspirations sit comfortably alongside Asian traditions and the volatile atmosphere of the Middle East morphs seamlessly into the relaxed outlook of the Mediterranean world.
Turks have only lived here since medieval times when they arrived as land-hungry nomads from Central Asia. Before that it was Byzantine territory and Istanbul - then Constantinople - was the political centre of a vast Christian empire. Romans, Persians, Lycians and Phrygians were former occupants of the same territory, and earlier still, Hittite tribes had built an Anatolian empire before collapsing around the time of the Trojan Wars. Such a rich history has left an indelible mark and Turkey abounds with historic sites and archaeological wonders set in a varied and beautiful landscape. The Mediterranean coastline is punctuated with well-preserved Greco-Roman cities such as Pergamon and Ephesus, while the austere and rugged Anatolian plateau has cave churches hidden away in the improbable fairytale landscape of Cappadocia. Istanbul, still very much the pulse of the nation, has, even more, to offer, with Roman aqueducts, Byzantine churches and Ottoman mosques and palaces.
Turkey borders the Black Sea and Georgia and Armenia to the northeast, Iran to the east, Iraq to the southeast, the Syrian Arab Republic and the Mediterranean to the south, the Aegean Sea to the west and Greece and Bulgaria to the northwest. Asia Minor (or Anatolia) accounts for 97% of the country's area and forms a long, wide peninsula 1,650km (1,025 miles) from east to west and 650km (400 miles) from north to south. Two east-west mountain ranges, the Black Sea Mountains in the north and the Taurus in the south, enclose the central Anatolian plateau, but converge in a vast mountainous region in the far east of the country. It is here that the ancient Tigris and Euphrates rivers rise.
The modern republic's first leader, Kemal Atatürk, saw to it that Turkey was reinvented as a modern secular state following the demise of the Ottoman Empire. What you see today, thanks to Atatürk's comprehensive modernisation, is a healthy combination of ancient tradition and contemporary outlook. The Turkish people have an unrivalled reputation for hospitality, the cuisine is to die for, the coastline is a dream, and many Turkish cities are dotted with spectacular mosques and castles. And while costs are rising, Turkey remains one of the Mediterranean's bargain-basement destinations.
KEY FACTS
Location: Southeastern Europe/Asia Minor.
Population: 70.6 million
Capital: Ankara
Language Spoken: Turkish. Kurdish is also spoken by a minority in the southeast. French, German and English are widely spoken in major cities and tourist areas.
Country Dialling Code: +90
Currency & Money: New Turkish Lira (TRY; symbol YTL)
Cash can usually be exchanged commission free in currency exchange offices (döviz bürosu). Banks usually charge commission. Traveller's cheques can only be exchanged in banks with a passport. Travellers planning to exchange currency back before leaving Turkey, or making a major purchase which may need to be declared to customs, must retain transaction receipts to prove that the currency was legally exchanged. Visa is the most popular, closely followed by MasterCard. American Express is accepted in top-flight hotels, restaurants and some gift shops. ATMs are widely found in most areas. Traveller's cheques can only be exchanged in banks. To avoid additional exchange rate charges, travellers are advised to take traveller's cheques in Pounds Sterling or US Dollars. Credit cards are far more convenient.
Weather: The Aegean and Mediterranean coasts have mild, rainy winters and hot, dry summers. In İstanbul, summer temperatures average around 28-30°C (82-86°F); the winters are chilly but usually above freezing, with moderate rain and perhaps a dusting of snow. The Anatolian plateau is hotter in summer and very cold in winter. The Black Sea coast is mild and rainy in summer, and chilly and rainy in winter. Mountainous eastern Turkey is very cold and snowy in winter and only pleasantly warm in high summer. The southeast is dry and mild in winter and very hot in summer, with temperatures above 45° C (113° F) not unusual.
WHEN TO GO
Spring and autumn are the best times to visit, since the climate will be perfect in İstanbul and on the Aegean and Mediterranean coasts. It will be cool in central Anatolia, but not unpleasantly so. Visiting before mid-June or after August may also help you avoid mosquitoes. The Black Sea coast is best visited between April and September; there will still be rain but not so much of it. With the exception of İstanbul, Turkey doesn't really have a winter tourism season. Places catering to backpackers usually see Anzac Day as the official start of the season; those catering to package holiday-makers get going in early May. Peak season is from July to mid-September, when most Turks take their holidays. The best time to visit eastern Turkey is from late June to September. Don't plan to venture east before May or after mid-October unless you're prepared for snow. Try to avoid travelling during Kurban Bayramı, Turkey's most popular public holiday.
TOP THINGS TO DO
• Shop in the world's largest covered market, Istanbul's Grand Bazaar, then head uptown to browse for cut-price fashion goods and clothing in the department stores along Istiklal Caddesi or upmarket Nisantasi.
• Take a ferry from the Eminönü dock in Istanbul to the Princes' Islands, a tranquil summer getaway popular with Istanbulis where cars are banned and horse-drawn carriages and bicycles are the transport of choice.
• Sip tea or smoke a nargile as you watch the sunset at one of the traditional cafes beneath Istanbul's Galata Bridge.
• Trek the Lycian Way, which stretches for 500km (311 miles) between Fethiye and Antalya, providing a month's walking through some of Turkey's most spectacular scenery (website: www.lycianway.com).
• Experience white-water rafting on the Dalaman River (website: www.oludenizbeach.com/rafting.html, the Köprülü River, the Zamanti River or the Coruh River, which is rated by professionals as one of the top rafting descents in the world.
• Relax in a steamy Turkish bath, known as a hammam, and have a scrub and massage. In Istanbul, the most popular historic baths are the Galatasaray Hammam in Beyoğlu and Cağaloğlu Hammam in Sultanahmet, though local baths are often just as good.
• Catch a ceremony by the renowned Whirling Dervishes (website: www.whirlingdervishistanbul.com), who are members of the Mevlevi Order and who perform the famous whirling dance (Sema). Their amazing ceremony can be seen in Konya, where the Order originated, or in Istanbul.
• Go trekking in the wild Kaçkar mountain range of Turkey's northeast, close to the Georgian frontier
• Bathe in the warm therapeutic waters of natural travertine pools at Pamukkale near Denizli in the Aegean region (www.pamukkalethermal.com).
• Wander through the very Middle Eastern-feeling bazaar at Şanliurfa in the southeast, close to the Syrian border, and pay a visit to the cave where Abraham is said to have been born.
• Escape the foreign tourist hordes and join holidaying Turks at one of the small Black Sea coast towns like Ünye or Giresun - less crowded, cooler and greener than the Mediterranean coast.
• Take an early morning hot-air balloon flight over the stunning, other-worldly moonscape of Cappadocia in central Anatolia (website: www.kapadokyaballoons.com).
• Look for fragments of Noah's Ark, reputed to have washed up here, on the slopes of 5,165m (16,945ft) Mount Ararat in Turkey's far eastern region (website: www.ararattrek.com).
• Examine the Ottoman architect Sinan's finest achievement at the 16th-century Selimiye mosque at Edirne in Thrace close to the Bulgarian border.
• Charter a gulet, a traditional wooden boat (website: www.boatingturkey.net), for a leisurely cruise along the Aegean or Mediterranean coast. Itineraries of a week or more are possible, with a variety of destinations and ports of call.
TOP THINGS TO SEE
• Discover Istanbul's Old City which was the capital of the Christian Byzantines and then the Islamic Ottoman empire. Highlights include the Blue Mosque, the Topkapi Palace, Aya Sofya Museum and the city's Archaeological Museum.
• Explore the northern suburbs of Istanbul by ferry-boat, criss-crossing the Bosphorus to visit villages that stretch up to the mouth of the Black Sea.
• Visit the old Ottoman city of Bursa south of Istanbul, with its beautiful 15th-century Green Mosque, covered bazaar and Islamic Art Museum. Close to the city is the 2,543m (8,343 ft) mountain of Uludağ with glacial lakes and a winter ski resort.
• Witness the bizarre sport of grease wrestling at the Kirkpinar Festival (website: www.kirkpinar.com) outside Edirne in early summer, or the even stranger spectacle of camel wrestling that takes place in mid winter at Selçuk on the Aegean coast.
• Tour the WWI battlefields and the memorials commemorating the 250,000 British, Turkish and ANZAC troops that died on the Gallipoli Peninsula. Cross the Dardanelles, the straits dividing Europe and Asia, and visit the ruins of ancient Troy.
• Take in the grandeur of the remains of the Hellenistic and Roman city of Ephesus (modern Selçuk). Founded in the 13th century BC, it has been carefully restored and is now one of the most spectacular ancient sites in the world.
• Visit Bodrum (website: www.bodrum-info.org), site of one of the Seven Wonders of the World, the Mausoleum of Mausolus, and now Turkey's finest Aegean resort. Dominated by the Castle of St John, the town is renowned for its shopping, dining and nightlife.
• Experience the charm of the Mediterranean city of Antalya, with its atmospheric old town and harbour, Kaleiçi. Visit the superb Archaeological Museum and tour the many historic sights surrounding the city.
• See the mysterious Lycian tombs that litter the coastline around the resorts of Kaş and Kalkan.
• Seek out the superb Museum of Anatolian Civilisations and the Ethnographic Museum in Ankara. The Turkish capital is overlooked by many visitors but has some excellent museums.
• Visit the historic town of Safranbolu, between Istanbul and Ankara, which is a UNESCO World Heritage site renowned for its Ottoman architecture.
• Tour Konya, capital of the Selçuk empire and one of Turkey's great religious centres. The city is home to the Mevlana Tekkesi, the monastery and mausoleum of Mevlana Celâddin Rumi, one of Islam's most celebrated mystics and founder of the Whirling Dervishes (website: www.whirlingdervishistanbul.com).
• Do not miss Cappadocia. Marvel at the spectacular landscape of rock cones, pinnacles and ravines. There are cave houses, underground cities and subterranean churches to explore, plus visitors can stay in a cave hotel too.
• See the spectacular 14th-century Greek Orthodox Sumela Monastery, 54km (34 miles) from Trabzon. Set into a sheer cliff, 300m (1,000ft) above the valley floor, it contains some magnificent frescoes.
• Use the far eastern city of Van as a base to travel along the south shore of Lake Van and catch a boat out to the 10th-century Armenian church (website: www.akdamarkilisesi.com) on Akdamar island, famous for its intricate stone reliefs depicting biblical scenes.
TRAVEL TO TURKEY
The national airline is Turkish Airlines (TK) (website: www.turkishairlines.com). From London to Istanbul is 3 hours 45 minutes and from New York is 9 hours 50 minutes.
Main Airports
Ankara (ESB) (Esenboga) (website: www.esenbogaairport.com) is 33km (21 miles) northeast of the city. To/from the airport: Havas buses (website: www.havas.net) travel every 30 minutes between the airport and the city centre from 0430 to 2400 (journey time - 50 minutes). Taxis are also available. Facilities: Duty-free shops, bank/bureau de change, restaurants and bars.
Istanbul (IST) (Atatürk, formerly Yeşilköy) (website: www.ataturkairport.com) is 24km (15 miles) west of the city (journey time - 30 to 50 minutes). To/from the airport: Havas runs a regular bus service between the airport and the city centre. Taxis are available. Facilities: Duty-free shops, bank/bureau de change, bar, restaurant and car hire.
Sabiha Gökçen (SAW) (website: www.sgairport.com) is 40km (25 miles) from Istanbul, on the Asian side. To/from the airport: There are shuttle bus services to Taksim Square in the city (journey time - 45 minutes) and to Atatürk International Airport (journey time - 60 to 70 minutes). Taxis are available 24 hours. Facilities: Duty-free shops, bank, ATMs, business centre and restaurants/cafes.
Izmir (IZM) (Adnan Menderes) (website: www.adnanmenderesairport.com) is 18km (11 miles) south of the city. To/from the airport: Havas buses meet domestic flights and travel hourly from the city centre (journey time - 50 to 60 minutes). Facilities: Bank/bureau de change, ATMs, duty-free shops, bar, restaurant and car hire.
There are other international airports at Adana, Antalya, Bodrum, Dalaman and Trabzon.
Departure Tax
US$50 is levied only on Turkish nationals not resident overseas departing from Turkey.
Ferry
Main ports: Antalya, Bandirma, Çeşme, Istanbul, Izmir, Marmaris and Mersin.
To/from Italy: Marmara Lines, sales agent in Germany; website: www.marmaralines.com) operates direct ferries in the summer from Ancona-Çeşme and from Brindisi- Çeşme. MedEuropean Seaways (tel: (216) 392 8346; website: www.mesline.com) runs a ferry between Brindisi-Çeşme.
To/from Cyprus: There are three routes with sea buses, car and passenger ferry services: Alanya-Girne, Tasucu-Girne, operated by the Fergün Shipping Company (website: www.ferries-turkey.com) and Gazimagusa-Mersin.
To/from Greece: There are privately operated ferry lines between Turkey and the Greek islands: Lesbos-Ayvalik, Chios-Çeşme, Samos-Kuşadasi, Cos-Bodrum, Rhodes-Bodrum, Rhodes-Marmaris and Rhodes-Fethiye.
To/from Ukraine: Ukrferry in Ukraine; website: www.ukrferry.com) operates ferries between Odessa-Istanbul and Ilyichevsk-Derince.
Cruise ships stop in Istanbul, Kuşadasi and Antalya.
Note: All ships, including private yachts, arriving in Turkish waters must go to one of the following ports of entry: Akçay, Alanya, Anamur, Antalya, Ayvalik, Bandirma, Bodrum, Botas (Adana), Çanakkale, Çeşme, Datça, Derince, Didim, Dikili, Fethiye, Finike, Giresun, Güllük, Hopa (Artvin), Iskenderun, Istanbul, Izmir, Kaş, Kemer, Kuşadasi, Marmaris, Mersin, Ordu, Rize, Samsun, Sinop, Söke, Tasucu (Silifke), Tekirdağ, Trabzon and Zonguldak.
Rail
Train journeys can be made to Istanbul via some of the major European cities. The journey from London takes three days: Eurostar to Paris, Orient Express to Vienna (overnight), Avala to Budapest, overnight Ister to Bucharest and finally the Bosfor to Istanbul. There is also a less comfortable couchette car from Budapest to Istanbul. Other international rail routes go to Bulgaria, Greece, Georgia, Germany and Serbia. For more information contact Turkish Railways (TCDD) in Istanbul; website: www.tcdd.gov.tr).
Rail Passes
InterRail: offers unlimited first- or second-class travel in up to 30 European countries for European residents of over six months with two pass options. The Global Pass allows for 22 days or one month continuous travel, five days in 10 days or 10 days in 22 days across all countries. The One-Country Pass offers travel for three, four, six or eight days in one month in any of the countries except Bosnia-Herzegovina and Montenegro. Travel is not allowed in the passenger's country of residence. Travellers under 26 years receive a reduction. Children's tickets are reduced by about 50%. Supplements are required for some high-speed services, seat reservations and couchettes. Discounts are offered on Eurostar and some ferry routes. Available from Rail Europe (website: www.raileurope.co.uk/inter-rail).
Road
There are entry points by road from Bulgaria, Georgia, Greece, the Syrian Arab Republic and Iran. From London, drivers may either choose the northern route via Belgium, Germany, Austria, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, or the southern route through Belgium, Austria, Italy with a car-ferry connection to Turkey.
Coach: There are regular services between Turkey and Austria, France, Germany, Greece and Switzerland, as well as Jordan, Iran, Saudi Arabia and the Syrian Arab Republic. It is possible to travel by coach from London to Istanbul, changing in Frankfurt (journey time - approximately 70 hours). Tickets are available from National Express; website: www.nationalexpress.com).
TRAVEL AROUND TURKEY
Flying
Turkish Airlines (website: www.turkishairlines.com) provides an important network of internal flights from Istanbul, Ankara, Adana, Antalya, Dalaman, Izmir and Trabzon to all of the major Turkish cities. Recent liberalisation of the domestic air industry has allowed the proliferation of cheap, no-frills carriers operating routes from Istanbul, Ankara, Antalya and Izmir to the main regional airports. Private airlines include Atlasjet (website: www.atlasjet.com), Corendon Airlines (website: www.corendon-airlines.com), Onur Air (website: www.onurair.com.tr), Pegasus Airlines (website: www.flypgs.com) and SunExpress (website: www.sunexpress.com.tr).
Ferry
A frequent car ferry crosses the Dardenelles at Gallipoli, from Çanakkale to Eceabat and Gelibolu to Lapseki. Istanbul Fast Ferries; website: www.ido.com.tr) operates frequent seabus services from Bostanci, Kadiköy, Kartal, Yalova and Büyükada Island to Bakirköy, Karaköy, Yenikapi, Yalova, Avcilar and Bandirma. Deniz Cruise & Ferry Lines; website: www.denizline.com.tr) serves the Istanbul-Izmir route. Local travel agents can make reservations.
Rail
Many trains of the Turkish Railways (TCDD); website: www.tcdd.gov.tr) have sleeping cars, couchettes and restaurant cars. Some are air-conditioned. Fares are comparatively low, but are more expensive for express trains. Discounts of 20% are available for students (though a Turkish student card may be required), groups, round-trips and passengers over 60. Children aged seven and under travel free. Tickets can be purchased at TCDD offices at railway stations and TCDD-appointed agents. The journey from Istanbul to Ankara takes between 6 hours 30 minutes and 10 hours, depending on the type of train.
Rail Passes
A Train Tour Card issued by TCDD allows for 30 days' unlimited travel on the Turkish train network. Tour cards are available for express trains and sleeping car trains. Validity begins on the first day that the card is used.
InterRail One-Country Pass: offers travel for three, four, six or eight days in one month within Turkey. Travel is not allowed in the passenger's country of residence. Travellers under 26 years receive a reduction. Children's tickets are reduced by about 50%. Supplements are required for some high-speed services, seat reservations and couchettes. Discounts are offered on Eurostar and some ferry routes. Available from Rail Europe (website: www.raileurope.co.uk/inter-rail).
Road
Road conditions and standards of driving in Turkey can be poor. Serious road accidents are common. Traffic drives on the right. In case of an accident, call the traffic police (tel: 154) and do not move your car until they have arrived. The Turkish Touring and Automobile Club; website: www.turing.org.tr) provides insurance and advice for foreign drivers.
Coach: Many private companies provide frequent services between Turkish cities. Services are generally faster than trains. Tickets are sold at the bus station or the companies' offices in town centres. Shop around for the best prices and most convenient departure times. Coaches depart from the bus stations (otogar) in large towns and from the town centre in small towns. There is generally a service bus (servis) from the centre to the bus station. The best coach operators are Vara; website: www.varan.com.tr) and Ulusoy within Turkey only; website: www.ulusoy.com.tr).
Car hire: Both chauffeur-driven and self-drive cars are available in all large towns and resorts. All international companies are represented.
Regulations: The minimum driving age is 18 and front seat belts are compulsory. Children under 12 may not sit in the front. The speed limit is 120kph (75mph) on dual carriageway, 90kph (56mph) on highways and 50kph (31mph) in built-up areas.
Documentation: An International Driving Permit or photo-ID licence is necessary. Green Card International Insurance, endorsed for all Turkish territory (or Turkish third-party insurance obtained at a frontier post) and car ownership documents are also required. A ‘carnet de passage' is required for those continuing to the Middle East. Cars can be brought into Turkey for a maximum of six months in any year. For longer stays, it is necessary to apply to either the Ministry of Finance and Customs or the Turkish Touring and Automobile Club.
Town and City Transport
Bus and trolleybus: Extensive conventional bus (and some trolleybus) services operate in Istanbul, Ankara and Izmir. There are buses in all other large towns. These are generally reliable, modern, and easy to use. Tickets are bought in advance from kiosks and validated on board. In Istanbul, an Akbil electronic pass can save money on bus, tram, ferry, and metro journeys.
Taxi: There are many types of taxi, share-taxi, and minibus in operation. Taxis are numerous in all Turkish cities and towns and are recognisable by their chequered black and yellow bands. All taxis have a meter that must be switched on at the start of the journey. For longer journeys, the fare should be agreed beforehand. A dolmuş is a collective taxi or minibus which follows specific routes. Each passenger pays according to the distance traveled to specific stops. The fares are fixed by the municipality. The dolmuş provides services within large cities to suburbs, airports and often to neighboring towns. This is a very practical means of transport and much cheaper than a taxi. Taxis may turn into a dolmuş and vice versa according to demand.
Ferry: There are extensive cross-Bosphorus and short-hop ferries in Istanbul.
Metro: Ankara has a two-line metro system, as does Istanbul. Further expansion is planned in both cities.
POPULAR PLACES TO VISIT
Istanbul: has a skyline studded with domes and minarets, and is one of the truly great romantic cities. Its history tracks back from Byzantium to Constantinople to its place at the head of the Ottoman Empire. Today it hums as Turkey's cultural heart and good-time capital. In this sprawling, continent-spanning city you can tramp the streets where crusaders and janissaries once marched; admire mosques that are the most sublime architectural expressions of Islamic piety; peer into the sultan's harem; and hunt for bargains in the Kapalı Çarşı (Grand Bazaar).
Amasya: is set in a ravine hemmed in between two ridges of rock, bisected by the Yeşilırmak River and lined with fairytale Ottoman houses. This city has a fantasy air about it, an ethereal quality to the loveliness of the location that makes it feel almost as if it shouldn't exist at all. As for natural beauty, Amasya is set apart from the rest of Central Turkey in its tight mountain valley and hides its own secret beauty. It has a past of 3000 years during which many civilizations left priceless remains of their times which can be seen in the presence of the cities historically and architecturally precious buildings.
Ankara: Turkey's capital is a sprawling urban mass in the midst of the Central Anatolian steppe. It's very different from the Ottoman town of Angora which preceded it on this site, a quiet place known for its fluffy jumpers of knitted goat fleece. Ankara is generally a formal city because of the parliament and heads of the state residing here. But there are many interesting museums and sites to visit in Ankara, a skiing center nearby, and a fine nightlife.
