Get your bearings
Spanning Europe and Asia, Turkey borders seven countries and four seas. Bustling
Istanbul in the far northwest bridges the two continents, split by the Bosphorus waterway. Linking Istanbul to the Georgian border is the laid-back
Black Sea coast with high-pasture villages. Along the western coast, Lycian tombs dot the
Aegean Sea around port city
Izmir. In the centre of Turkey is modern-day capital
Ankara, just north of the vast, windswept Anatolian plateau. Mountains dominate the country’s rugged, undeveloped East.
Rich history
Explore a wealth of history on your holiday in Turkey. See Ottoman riches in Istanbul’s Topkapi Palace and glittering Byzantine frescoes under Hagia Sofia’s dome, then trawl the Grand Bazaar for painted ceramics. In the first Ottoman capital
Bursa, Yesil Cami mosque dazzles with its carved marble work and green tiles. Devout
Konya is famed for being the home of the whirling dervishes.
Şanliurfa’s carp-filled pools ooze biblical history. Capital
Ankara honours modern Turkey’s founder Atatürk at the Anitkabir monument.
Seaside attractions
Take a trip along the Turquoise Coast on a wooden
gület boat and drift between busy resort
Bodrum and quaint
Kaş. Scuba-diving at
Fethiye brings you close to dazzling coral. At nearby
Ölüdeniz, paragliders swoop over the azure lagoon. Search for unspoilt beaches, like Patara with its nesting caretta caretta turtles. The town of Kaleiçi in
Antalya is home to a picturesque harbour. For a more lively holiday, book a Turkey hotel in
Marmaris or
Kuşadasi on the Aegean coast.
Turkish delights
Cosmopolitan residents of Istanbul
enjoy swanky sushi bars and noisy
meyhanes (taverns) serving grilled
palamut and
hamsi fish. Regional meaty specialities include
Bursa kebap, served with yoghurt sauce, and Arabic-influenced spicy
Adana kebap. Kick off dinner with
meze, garlic dips and starters like smoked aubergine or fried cheese pastries. Then wash it down with aniseed-flavoured
raki followed by sweet black tea.
Landmark landscapes
At the peak of remote mountain
Nemrut Dagi, colossal statues were built by a pre-Roman king. Today, only the two-metre heads remain.
Cappadocia’s rock-hewn dwellings, once centre of the Hittite Empire, date back millions of years. Gaze at
Mount Ararat’s twin peaks, where Noah’s Ark is said to have rested, and
Lake Van, Turkey’s largest lake. The ancient eternal flames of
Chimaera flicker out of the rocks near
Olympos. Bring comfortable shoes to explore
Gallipoli’s First World War battlefields.
Cultural highlights
In winter,
camel-wrestling festivals take place in Aegean villages, and summer sees traditional
yağli güreş (
oil wrestling) around the south coast. Istanbul enjoys year-round contemporary culture, and
Babylon nightclub is home to Turkey’s best fusion bands. Look out for live music events and international film festivals. Village agricultural festivals are usually accompanied by costume-clad folk dancers.
