Turkey (Turkish: Türkiye) is on the Mediterranean, in
the Anatolian region of West Asia, with a small
section in Southeastern Europe separated by the Turkish Straits (Bosphorus,
Sea of Marmara, and Dardanelles). With the Black Sea to the north and the Aegean
Sea in the west and Mediterranean Sea to the southwest, Turkey is surrounded
by Bulgaria and Greece to the west, Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia to the northeast, Syria, Iraq and Iran to the
southeast.
genuineptr.com
Understand
There is
evidence that the bed of the Black Sea was once an inhabited plain, before it
was flooded in prehistoric times by rising sea levels. Mount Ararat (Ağrı
Dağı), at 5,165 meters, is the country's highest point and legendary landing
place of Noah's Ark, lies in the mountains on the far eastern edge of the
country.
Turkey
was founded in 1923 from the remnants of the Ottoman Empire. Soon thereafter the
country instituted secular laws to replace traditional religious fiats. In 1945
Turkey joined the UN, and in 1952 it became a member of
NATO.
Turkey
offers a wealth of destination varieties to travellers: from dome-and-minaret
filled skyline of Istanbul to Roman ruins along the western and southern coasts, from heavily indendated coastline
against a mountainous backdrop of Lycia and wide and sunny beaches of Pamphylia to cold and snowy mountains of the East, from crazy "foam
parties" of Bodrum to Middle Eastern-flavoured cities of Southeastern Anatolia, from verdant
misty mountains of Eastern Black Sea to wide steppe landscapes of Central Anatolia, there
is something for everyone's taste—whether they be travelling on an extreme
budget by hitchhiking or by a multi-million
yacht.
Geography

Culture
While it
may sound like a tourism brochure cliché, Turkey really is a curious mix of the
west and the east—you may swear you were in a Balkan country or in Greece when in northwestern and western parts of the country (except that
Byzantine-influenced churches are substituted with Byzantine-influenced
mosques), which are indeed partly inhabited by people from Balkan countries, who
immigrated during the turmoil before, during, and after WWI, while southeastern reaches of the country exhibit little if any
cultural differences from Turkey's southern and eastern neighbors.
Influences from the Caucasus add to the mix in the northeast part of the country. It can be simply put
that Turkey is the most oriental of western nations, or, depending on the point
of view, the most occidental of eastern nations.
Perhaps
one thing common to all of the country is Islam, the faith of the bulk of the
population. However, interpretation of it varies vastly across the country: many
people in northwestern and western coasts are fairly liberal about the religion
(being nominal Muslims sometimes to the point of being irreligious), while folk
of the central steppes are far more conservative (don't expect to
find a Saudi Arabia or an Afghanistan even there, though). The rest of the country
falls somewhere in between, with the coastal regions being relatively liberal
while inland regions are relatively conservative as a general rule. The
largest religious minority in the country are the Alevites, who
constitute up to 20% of the population and who subscribe to a form of Islam
closer to that of the Shiite version of Islam and practice Shamanistic rituals
of ancient Turks. Other religious minorities—the Greek Orthodox, Armenian
Apostolic, Jews, Syriac Oriental Orthodox, and Roman Catholics, the latter of
whom mainly settled in Turkey within the last 500 years from Western European
countries—once numerous across the country, are now mostly confined to the large
cities of Istanbul and Izmir, or parts of Southeastern Anatolia in the case of the Syriac Oriental Orthodox.
Despite its large Muslim majority population, Turkey officially remains a
secular country, with no declared state religion.
Holidays
The
savvy traveler should remember that when traveling into, in or around Turkey
there are several holidays to keep in mind as they can cause delays in travel,
traffic congestion, booked up accommodations and crowded venues. Banks, offices
and businesses are closed during official holidays and traffic intensifies
during all of the following holidays so do your research before you visit. Do
not be put off by these holidays, it is not that difficult and often quite
interesting to travel during Turkish holidays, simply plan ahead as much as
possible.
Official holidays
- Jan 1: New Year's Day (Yılbaşı)
- Apr 23: National Sovereignty and Children's Day (Ulusal Egemenlik ve Çocuk Bayramı) — anniversary of the establishment of the Turkish Grand National Assembly
- May 1: Labour and Solidarity Day (Emek ve Dayanışma Günü, also unofficially known as İşçi Bayramı, i.e. Worker's Day) was long banned as a holiday for almost 40 years and only restarted as a national holiday in 2009 because in years past it usually degenerated into violence. The wary traveler would be advised to not get caught in the middle of a May Day parade or gathering.
- May 19: Atatürk Commemoration and Youth & Sports Holiday (Atatürk'ü Anma Gençlik ve Spor Bayramı) — the arrival of Atatürk in Samsun, and the beginning of the War of Independence
- Aug 30: Victory Day (Zafer Bayramı) — Celebration of the end of the war for Turkish Independence over invasion forces. A big Armed Forces day and display of military might by huge military parades.
- Oct 29: Republic Day (Cumhuriyet Bayramı or Ekim Yirmidokuz) is anniversary of the declaration of Turkish Republic. If it falls on a Thursday for example, Friday and the weekend should be considered in your travel plans. October 29 is the official end of the tourist season in many resorts in Mediterranean Turkey and usually there is a huge celebration at the town squares.
- Nov 10, 9:05 AM — Traffic usually stops and sirens blare for two minutes starting at 9:05 AM, the time when Atatürk, founder of the Turkish Republic, died in Dolmabahçe Palace in Istanbul in 1938. That moment in time is officially observed throughout the country but businesses and official places are not closed for the day. However, do not be surprised if you are on the street, you hear a loud boom and all of a sudden people and traffic stop on the sidewalks and streets for a moment of silence in observance of this event.
Religious holidays
Ramadan dates
The
festival of Eid ul-Fitr is held after the end of Ramadan and may last several
days. Exact dates depend on astronomical observations and may vary from country
to country.
|
Ramadan (Ramazan in Turkish) is a month long time of fasting,
prayer and celebration during which pious Muslims neither drink nor eat
anything, even water, from sun up to sun down. Businesses, banks and official
places are not closed during this time. In some parts of Turkey, such as most
of inland and eastern locations as locals are more conservative
than people in the rest of the country, it is considered to be bad taste to eat
snacks or drink sodas in front of locals in public places or transport—to be
completely on the safe side, watch how local folk act—but restaurants are
usually open and it is no problem to eat in them as usual, though some
restaurant owners use it as an opportunity for a much-needed vacation (or
renovation) and shut their business completely for 30 days. However, you will
unlikely see any closed establishment in big cities, central parts of the
cities, and touristy towns of western and southern Turkey. At sunset, call for
prayer and a cannon boom, fasting observers immediately sit down for iftar, their first meal of the day.
Banks, businesses and official places are NOT closed during this
time.
During Ramadan,
many city councils set up tent-like structures in the major squares of the
cities that are especially aimed and served for the needy, for those in poverty
or who are elderly or handicapped, and are also served for passers by, with warm
meals during the sunset (iftar), free of charge (much like soup kitchens,
instead serving full meals). Iftar is a form of charity that is very rewarding
especially when feeding someone who is needy. It was first practiced by the
Prophet Muhammad during the advent of Islam, for that purpose. Travellers are
welcome to join, but do not take advantage of it during the entire fasting
period, just because it is free of charge.
Immediately following Ramazan is the Eid-ul Fitr, or the three-day
national holiday of Ramazan
Bayramı, also called Şeker
Bayramı (i.e. "Sugar" or more
precisely "Candy Festival") during which banks, offices and businesses are
closed and travel will be heavy. However, many restaurants, cafes and bars will
be open.
Kurban Bayrami (pronounced koor-BAHN bahy-rah-muh) in Turkish,
(Eid el-Adha in Arabic) or
sacrifice holiday is the most important Islamic religious festival of the year.
It lasts for several days and is a public holiday in Turkey. Almost everything
will be closed during that time (many restaurants, cafes, bars and some small
shops will be open however). Kurban
Bayrami is also the time of
the annual pilgrimage (Hajj)
to Mecca, so both domestic and international travel is intense in Turkey at
this time. If you are in smaller towns or villages you may even observe an
animal, usually a goat but sometimes a cow, being slaughtered in a public place.
In recent years the Turkish government has cracked down on these unofficial
slaughterings so it is not as common as it once
was.
The
dates of these religious festivals change according to the Muslim lunar calendar
and thus occur 10-11 days (the exact difference between Gregorian and Lunar
calendars is 10 days and 21 hrs) earlier each year. According to
this,
- Şeker/Ramazan Bayramı falls Half-day on Thursday, September 9th, full-days on September 10th, 11th & 12th (Friday-Saturday-Sunday) in 2010; half-day on Tuesday, August 30th, full-days on August 31st, September 1st & 2nd (Wednesday-Thursday-Friday) in 2011; and half-day on Saturday, August 18th, full-days on August 19th, 20th & 21st (Sunday-Monday-Tuesday) in 2012.
- Kurban Bayramı falls on November 16th , (Tuesday), and continues for four days until the evening of November 20th (Saturday) (but be aware that people will be traveling through Sunday, November 21st) in 2010; November 6th, (Sunday), and continues for four days until the evening of November 10th (Thursday) (but most Turkish people will still be on holiday or traveling on Friday, November 4th, through Sunday, November 13th) in 2011; and October 25th (Thursday), and continues for four days until the evening of October 29th (Monday, Turkey's Republic Day, a major patriotic holiday), with travel effects through October 30th (Tuesday) in 2012.
During
both religious holidays, many cities (but not all) provide public transport for free (but note that these do not include
privately owned minibuses, dolmuşes, taxis, or inter-city
buses). This depends on the place and time. For example, Istanbul's public transport authority
provided free transport in Eid-ul Fitr 2008, but not in Eid-ul Adha 2008 when it
passengers have to pay a discounted rate. For some years, it was all free in
both holidays, while in some others there was no discount at all. To be sure,
check whether other passengers use a ticket/token or
not.
Climate
The
climate in Turkey has a vast diversity depending on the diverse topography and
latitude.
Aegean and Mediterranean coastal areas enjoy the typical Mediterranean climate.
There is hardly a drop of rain during the sunny and hot summer (May to October).
Winters are mild and rainy in these regions, and it very rarely snows at coastal
areas, with the exception of mountainous areas higher than 2000 metres of these
regions, which are very snowy and are frequently not passable. The water
temperature in the Aegean and Mediterranean Seas is warm during the long summer
season (May to October) which constitutes the swimming season and fluctuates
between 23° and 28°C from north to south.
The region around the Sea of Marmara,
including Istanbul, has a
transitional climate between an oceanic climate and a semi-Mediterranean
climate, but it does rain, albeit not a lot, during the very warm summer (as
showers which tend to last for 15-30 minutes). Its winters are colder than those
of the western and southern coasts. Snow is common at coastal areas, although it
doesn't stay on the ground for long and is limited to only a few days every
winter. The water temperature in the Sea of Marmara is also colder than the
Aegean and Mediterranean Seas, with the water temperature reaching only between
20° and 24°C during the summer (June, July and August) and the swimming season
is restricted to those summer months.
The Black Sea region has an oceanic climate (thanks to the
protective shield effect of Caucasus mountains) with the greatest amount of
precipitation and is the only region of Turkey that receives high precipitation
throughout the year. The eastern part of that coast averages 2,500 millimeters
annually which is the highest precipitation in the country. Summers are warm and
humid while the winters are cool and damp. Snow is common at coastal areas,
although it doesn’t stay on the ground for long and is limited to only a few
days every winter, though mountains are very snowy as it is expected to be and
are frequently not passable, there are glaciers around the year in the highest
zones. The water temperature in the whole Turkish Black Sea coast is always cool
and fluctuates between 10° and 20°C throughout the year, and is even less
suitable for swimming during the summer than in the Sea of
Marmara.
Most of
the coastal areas have a high level of relative humidity during most of the year
which makes hot weather feel hotter and cold weather feel colder than it
actually is.
Interior
areas like Ankara, generally
have hot summers (though the nights are cool enough to make someone who is
wearing only a thin t-shirt uncomfortable outdoors) and cold and snowy winters.
The more easterly the location is, the colder the winters are and the heavier
the snow is. The northeastern part (around Erzurum and Kars) is the only inland area which
has cool and rainy summers.
The southeastern region near the Syrian border has a desert-like climate,
temperature is frequently above 40°C during summers with no rain. Snowfall is
occasional in winter.
Cities
- Ankara — the capital of Turkey and its second largest city
- Antalya — the fastest growing city, hub to an array of beach resorts
- Bodrum — a trendy coastal town in Southern Aegean which turns into a crowded city in season when it serves as a playground for Turkish and international holidaymakers alike, featuring a citadel, Roman ruins, trendy clubs and a number of villages surrounding the peninsula each with a different character from classy to rustic
- Bursa — the first capital of the Ottoman Empire
- Edirne — the second capital of the Ottoman Empire
- Istanbul — Turkey's largest city, the former capital of both the Ottoman and Byzantine Empires, and the only major city in the world to straddle two continents
- Izmir — Turkey's third largest city
- Konya — a quite large city that is the heartland of mystic Sufi order, the site of Rumi's tomb, and with some elegant Seljuq architecture, all surrounded by vast steppes
- Trabzon — the wonderful Sumela Monastery is just outside the city and it is a great gateway to exploring the Turkish Northeast
- Urfa — magical city with beautiful architecture and extremely friendly locals at the gates of Eastern World; where Kurdish, Arabic, and Persian cultures mingle
Other destinations
- Ani — impressive ruins of medieval Armenian capital in the far east of the country
- Cappadocia — an area in central highlands best known for its unique moon-like landscape (the "fairy chimneys"), underground cities, cave churches and houses carved in the rocks
- Ephesus — well-preserved ruins of the Roman city on the west coast
- Gallipoli — site of 1915 Anzac landing and many WWI memorials
- Mount Nemrut — a UNESCO World Heritage site with head statues dedicated to ancient Gods on its summit
- Ölüdeniz — imcomparable postcard beauty of "Blue Lagoon", perhaps the most famous beach of Turkey which you will see on any tourism brochure
- Pamukkale — "the Cotton Castle", white world of travertines surrounding cascading shallow pools filled with thermal waters
- Sümela — stunning monastery on the cliffs of a mountain, a must-see on any trip to the northeast coast
- Uludağ — a national park featuring school textbook belts of different types of forests varying with altitude, and the major wintersports resort of the countr.
No comments:
Post a Comment