TURKEY

INTRODUCTION

Turkey has exoticism to spare, with its covered bazaars, whirling dervishes, sultans’ treasures and Byzantine mosaics. And it has natural beauty in abundance, with great stretches of sandy beaches and romantic rocky coves. Travelers will find Turks to be exceptionally gracious hosts, which makes sense given the country’s place as a crossroads between Europe and Asia for thousands of years. Over the past two decades, the country has dramatically improved its tourist infrastructure, too.

This appealing mix does have a few drawbacks – increasing prices (though it’s still an inexpensive place to travel); sprawling new development; and growing crowds – but they’re hardly enough to spoil a visit. Our advice is to take your time in discovering the country. It’s best experienced in leisurely excursions to places of remarkable history and beauty (such as Cappadocia and Ephesus ) and in extended visits to fascinating and energetic cities (such as Istanbul ).

Language: Turkish, Kurdish, Arabic, Armenian, Greek
Religion: Muslim (Sunni)

Time Zone: 2 hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time (+2 GMT). Daylight Saving Time is observed from the last Sunday in March to the last Sunday in October.

Voltage Requirements: 220 volts.
Telephone Codes: 90, country code.

Money & Costs

Currency: Turkish Lira

Meals

Budget: US$2-6
Mid-range: US$6-15
High: US$15+

Lodging

Budget: US$6-20
Mid-range: US$20-80
High: US$80+

CLIMATE

The best time for touring is April-May and September-October, when the day temperatures are most comfortable and the least amount of rain falls. For the beach worshipper, June-September is best. Turkey is a big country, and the climate varies from region to region. The coasts are generally temperate, warm and fairly humid in summer with chilly, rainy winters. Central Anatolia has hot, dry summers and cold, rainy winters with snow. The Black Sea gets the most rain, while southeastern Turkey is very dry and very hot (100+ F/38+ C) in summer. Eastern Turkey has short summers and bitterly cold winters with lots of snow. Whenever and wherever you go, take a sweater for cool evenings.

ACTIVITIES

Water sports are big in Turkey because of the beautiful coasts and beaches. Yachting , water-skiing , snorkelling and diving are well represented. Because of the many antiquities in the depths off the Turkish coasts, scuba diving is regulated – check before you immerse yourself in treasure. Turkey has plenty of mountains there for the climbing – the mountain climbing scene is small but enthusiastic. There is decent skiing at Bursa , on Mt Erciyes near Kayseri , and at Palandoken near Erzurum . Equipment can be rented at the slopes, but don’t expect Alps-league facilities. Cycling through Turkey is eminently possible and mostly delightful, but you may wish to bring your own bike (and spares) as renting and selling good bikes is not yet widespread.

Attractions

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 where long-haired goats were raised and their fleece knitted into fluffy jumpers. Since 1920 when Ataturk set up his provisional government here, Ankara ‘s main business has been government but several significant attractions make it worth a short visit.

Most visitors head straight for Hisar , the Byzantine citadel atop the hill east of the old city, and the nearby Museum of Anatolian Civilsations . A couple of km to the south is Ataturk’s mausoleum, a monumental building, spare but beautiful, that echoes the architecture of several great Anatolian empires. The Presidential Mansion is preserved as Ataturk used it, with decor and furnishings of the 1930s including billiard table and cigar-and-brandy nook. There’s a lot of ancient history around too. Roman Ankara was a city of some importance, and Roman ruins are dotted in amongst the mosques and monuments of Muslim Anatolia. Most of the cheaper hotels and restaurants are in old Ankara , a km or so northeast of the train station.

Antalya

Antalya is the chief city on Turkey ‘s central Mediterranean coast. As well as several km of pebble beaches and a historic Roman-Ottoman core, Antalya is a good base from which to explore the quieter beach towns and more spectacular ancient cities of the region. Side, 75km (47mi) east of Antalya , is the increasingly popular beach town once chosen by Mark Antony and Cleopatra for a romantic tryst. Alanya , 115km (71mi) east of Antalya , is another sea-sun-n-sand joint with a mini-Miami feel. Patara is a party town a few hundred km south-west of Antalya . The beach here is a simply splendid 20km (12mi) long and there are Roman ruins in amongst the dunes. You’ll have to do your sunset-watching elsewhere, however, as the beach closes at dusk to give sea turtles access to their nests. The towns along the Mediterranean coast are all linked by bus and dolmus services (especially frequent in summer).

Bodrum

Bodrum is the South Aegean ‘s prettiest resort, with a yacht harbour and a port for ferries to the Greek island of Kos . Palm-lined streets ring the bays, and white sugar-cube houses, now joined by ranks of villas, crowd the hillside. Boating, swimming, snorkelling and scuba diving are prime Bodrum activities. At night Bodrum’s famous discos throb, boom and blare, keeping much of the town awake until dawn. Both Turkish and foreign visitors complain about the ear-splitting cacophany , but the local attitude seems to be, ‘If you wanted peace and quiet, why did you come to Bodrum ?’. If this sounds like your kind of town, you can grab a bus to Bodrum from just about anywhere – it’s 4 hours to Izmir by road. There are frequent ferries to Kos in summer, and a hydrofoil to Rhodes between May and September.

Ephesus

Of Turkey ‘s hundreds of ancient cities and classical ruins, Ephesus is the grandest and best preserved. Indeed, it’s the spunkiest classical city on the Mediterranean . Ephesus was Ionia , a flourishing cultural centre during the Greek Empire, and a busy provincial capital during Roman times. Ionia ‘s Temple of Diana was counted among the Seven Wonders of the World , and the city was generally renowned for its wealth and beauty. Sts Paul and John took up the quill in Ionia and the Virgin Mary is said to have spent her twilight years here. A walking tour of the ruins will take at least half a day, and if you’re here in summer, start early, because it gets stinking hot by high noon. Places you’ll come across include the Grotto of the Seven Sleepers, in which seven persecuted youths slumbered for two centuries, then woke up and ambled down to town for a meal; the colossal Harbour Gymnasium; the grand marble-paved Arcadian Way; the impressive Temple of Hadrian and a scattering of Roman fountains, pools, brothels, libraries and public toilets.

Selcuk , a town of 25,000 people with more than its fair share of nagging touts, is the main tourist centre for the region. There’s a beautiful museum in the centre of town and a fair swag of Roman, Christian and Muslim sights including the St John Basilica and a Byzantine Aqueduct. Izmir is the closest transportation hub. Frequent trains and buses trundle the 1-hour trip to Selcuk which is a mere 3km (2mi) from Ephesus .

Istanbul

Straddling the Bosphorus , its skyline studded with domes and minarets, Istanbul 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.

The heart of historical Istanbul is Sultanahmet , the district centred on the Byzantine Hippodrome in the oldest part of the city. Best explored on foot, most sights are within easy walking distance of each other. If the pace does get too much, a cay bahce (tea garden) is never too far away.

Dining

Turkish food is well seasoned and delicious – reminiscent of what many people think of as Greek food. Menus in smaller restaurants or lokantas (taverns that serve food) are often written in Turkish only, so look around at what others are eating and point at what looks good. Rice, mutton, fish (along the coast), pine nuts, eggplant, onions and other vegetables are common ingredients. Fried, grilled and smoked foods are also common. The produce is great; sample fresh giant cherries and figs, in particular. Excellent yogurt, used in desserts or salads, is also available.

Be sure to try hunkar begendi (eggplant with beef or lamb), izgaralar (grilled lamb or beef), pide (kind of a Turkish pizza – lahmacun was our favorite variety), the many different kinds of kebabs (especially iskender ), kofte (meatballs), ic pilav (fried rice and raisins) and kuzu dolmasi (lamb and rice). You can often make a meal from the numerous appetizers offered, such as yaprak dolmasi (stuffed grape leaves), spicy midye (mussels), peynirli borek (cheese rolled up in flaky pastry) and stuffed vegetables. Many desserts are excellent: Some are milk based, while others are baklava-type pastries. Even if you think you don’t like Turkish Delight, try some – very sweet and crammed with nuts, it’s a real treat.

Maden Suyu is the name for mineral water. Elma cayi (pronounced alma CHA- hy ) is the ubiquitous apple tea. Bira means “beer” ( Efes was our favorite brand). Turkey also produces good wine, the best being yakut , a full-bodied dry red. The local spirit is the aniseed-flavored raki (similar to Greece ‘s ouzo), which is usually mixed with water.

Shopping

Shop for handwoven rugs and kilims , Iznik tiles, leather and suede items, ceramics, silk, jewelry, alabaster, onyx, embroidery, brass samovars, meerschaum pipes and copperware and brassware. Some vendors in the markets are aggressive, so brace yourself. You’ll be offered many “antiquities,” but most likely they’re fakes. If you do want to buy an antique or any item that may be deemed a cultural artifact, make sure you can get an official permit to export it before you purchase it. Those who don’t have a permit sometimes end up in jail (this is increasingly rare), but are most likely to have their treasures confiscated at customs, even when the treasures are of no real antiquity. Some travelers have reported that new pine furniture was confiscated, so always get a certificate – Turkish officials have a great respect for stamped and signed pieces of paper.

Shopping Hours: Monday-Saturday 9 am-1 pm and 2-7 pm .

Banking Hours: Monday-Friday 8:30 am – noon and 1:30-5 pm.

Travel Tips

Don’t enter conversations about politics lightly, especially if you have anything good to say about Greece . Turkey ‘s feud with the Greeks is bitter and deep.

Do check the arithmetic on restaurant and hotel bills – mistakes often occur. Be aware however, that runaway inflation sometimes renders it practically impossible for a vendor to give you exact change. In most cases, the dispute amounts to a negligible amount of money.

Do know at least a few words in Turkish: Tesekkur means “thank you,” nasilsiniz means “how do you do?” and ne kadar means “how much?”

Do be prepared for the hard-sell tactics of touts and commission boys, who will employ any ruse to get you into a carpet shop/restaurant/pension, etc. Women may find themselves constantly hassled by would-be gigolos who comb resort towns looking for likely prospects. We’ve found that the simplest way to get rid of pestering salesmen and coastal Romeos requires no language skills at all – just tilt your head back quickly, close your eyes and lift your eyebrows. It isn’t rude – it just means “not interested” and works like a charm.

Do not back away from a price you’ve offered when bargaining – it’s considered extremely rude not to buy something after stating or accepting a price. Do bargain hard. If you are trying to buy a rug, you should offer 50%-60% of the asking price. If a tout or guide accompanies you, he usually gets 10% of the price (which means you pay 10% more). If you are paying by credit card and you are not asked to pay the credit-card fee, you probably didn’t bargain hard enough.