Turkey also has a very fascinating recent history. Upon the decline of the Ottoman Empire a young man named Mustafa Kemal, who was a soldier and a great visionary, took the defeat of World War 1 and turned it into a shining victory by liberating Turkey from all occupying forces. Mustafa Kemal Ataturk founded the Republic of Turkey on October 29 1923. He led his country towards peace and stability that brought about tremendous economic growth and increasing success, living by Ataturk’s motto of “ Peace at Home, Peace in the World.”

 Climate

  Climate in spite of Turkey being located in a moderate climate belt, due to the fact that the mountains are parallel to the coasts and the diversification of the surface morphology, differences in climate are observed among the regions. The coastal regions have a moderate maritime climate while the internal regions surrounded by mountains have a continental climate. The Mediterranean Region which is under the influence of the Mediterranean climate, has hot and arid summers and mild and rainy winters. The Mediterranean climate also manifests itself in the Aegean Region and in the south of the Marmara Region. The Black Sea Region is dominated by a more moderate and rainy maritime climate.

  
In the interior regions, the summers are hot and slightly rainy and a steppe climate is observed in the winters which are cold and snowy. In the Eastern Anatolia Region, the summers are cool and the winters are very cold and snowy. In the Southeastern Anatolia Region, while the summers are hot and arid, the winters are not very cold. 

Country and People 

  The Republic of Turkey, which is located in an area where the Asian, European and African continents come very close to each other, is surrounded by Georgia, Armenia, Nakhichevan and Iran to the east, Bulgaria and Greece to the west and Syria and Iraq to the south. The majority of these borders were determined by agreements after the collapse of the Ottoman Empire. Turkey is a passage way for the old Asian Turkish cultures to reach Europe due to her location and is at the same time the window of the west opening to the east. Turkey's coastlines, which encompass her on three sides with the Mediterranean Sea to the south, the Black Sea to the north and the Aegean Sea to the west, make the country not only a neighbor to the nearby regions, but to the entire world as well. Turkey has become the center of the great trade and migration routes due to these long shores and her place as a bridge between continents. Turkey is a NATO member country and at the same time plays an active role on the subject of developing multilateral economic cooperation among the Islamic countries. 

  The area of the Republic of Turkey is 814,578 km2. A total of 3 percent of the area is located in Thrace on the European continent. The remaining 97 percent, which is located on the Asian continent, is usually called Anatolia. Turkey, which resembles a rectangle, has a width of approximately 550 km and a length of about 1,500 km. The most distant point to the east is the point that intersects with the borders of Iran and Nakhichevan. The point farthest to the west is the Avlaka Cape at Gokceada, farthest to the north is the Inceburun Cape at Sinop Province and to the south is the Beysun Village at Hatay Province. The length of the coastline is 8,333 km and the length of the land borders is 2,875 km. Turkey, with this area, the population of the Republic of Turkey is approximately 64 million. It is estimated that the population will be 65.5 million in 2000 and 74 million in 2010. The geographical regions in Turkey display different characteristics from the aspect of the distribution of population. Almost half of the population in Turkey is concentrated in the coastal regions. The interior regions usually have less population. Turkey has abandoned her population increase incentive policy as of the 1950s and started family planning.  

Geography 

  Turkey straddles the borders of Europe and Asia with the majority of the country in Southwest Asia. It has a total area of 780,580 sq. km. that lies within Europe. The country is bordered at the east by Georgia, Armenia and Iran with Iraq, Syria and the Mediterranean Sea on the south. The Aegean Sea, Greece and Bulgaria are to the west, and the Black Sea forms the northern border. Turkey's geographical coordinates are 36o 00' to 42o 00' north latitude and 26o 00' to 45o 00' east longitude.
Turkey, which has 80 administrative provinces, is divided into seven geographical regions; the Black Sea region, the Marmara region, the Aegean region, the Mediterranean region, Central Anatolia, the East and Southeast Anatolia regions. 

Coastlines

  Turkey is surrounded by sea on three sides, by Black Sea in the north, the Mediterranean Sea in the south and the Aegean Sea in the west. In the northwest, there is an internal sea, the Sea of Marmara, between the straits of the Dardanelle's and the Bosphorus, which are important waterways that connect the Black Sea with the rest of the world. The coastline of Turkey (excluding islands) is 8333 km.  

Rivers

  Most of the rivers of Turkey flow into the seas surrounding the country. The Fırat (Euphrates) and Dicle (Tigris) join together in Iraq and flow into the Persian Gulf. Turkey's largest rivers, the Kizilirmak, Yesilirmak and Sakarya, flow into the Black Sea. The Susurluk, Biga and Gonen pour into the Sea of Marmara, the Gediz, Kucuk Menderes, Buyuk Menderes, and Meric into the Aegean and the Seyhan, Ceyhan and Goksu into the Mediterranean.  

Mountains

  In the Marmara region the most important peak is the Uludag (2543 m) at the same time it is a major winter sports and tourist center. In the Aegean region, the mountains fall perpendicularly to the sea. In the Mediterranean Region, located in the south of Turkey, the western and central Taurus Mountains suddenly rise up behind the coastline. The Central Anatolia Region is exactly in the middle of Turkey and gives the appearance of being less mountainous compared with other regions. The main peaks of the region are Karadag,  Karacadag, Hasandag, and Erciyes (3917 m). The Eastern Anatolia region is Turkey's largest and highest region. About three-fourths is at an altitude of 1500 - 2000 metres. There are numerous inactive volcanoes in the region, including Nemrut, Suphan, Tendurek and Turkey's highest peak where Noah's Ark was landed, Mount Agrı (Ararat) is 5165 meters high.  

Lakes

  In terms of numbers of lakes, the Eastern Anatolia region is the richest. It contains Turkey's largest, Lake Van (3713 esq..). There are also many lakes in west Tourus Mountains area; the Beysehir and Egridir lakes. Important lakes are; the second largest lake in Turkey, Tuzgolu, Burdur, Sapanca, Iznik, Ulubat, Manyas (bird sanctuary), Aksehir, and Eber. As a result of the construction of dams during the past thirty years, several large dam lakes have come into existence in the Eastern Anatolia such as, Keban, Karakaya, and Ataturk.  

Religions

  Although Turkey is 99% Muslim, it is a secular state that guarantees complete freedom of worship to non-Muslim. 

Political Structure 

  The Republic of Turkey is based on a secular, democratic and parliamentary system, where human are protected by law and social justice. The Grand National Assembly is elected by popular vote and the nation is governed by the Council of Ministers headed by the Prime Minister. Turkey is a founding member of OECD, the Black Sea Economic Cooperation Organization, a member of NATO, the European Council, the Islamic Conference Association and an associate member of the European Union. 

Turkish carpets 
First in general, what is it we call a carpet? In Turkey we differentiate between the knotted carpet, which is called HALI, and the woven carpet, the Kilim. Carpets are the most well-known souvenirs you can bring home from Turkey. And even if you have had just the bad luck of being cheated, they are still a lot cheaper than in your own country.
A serious seller tells you and informs you about some basic values in carpet making. The closer together and tighter the knotting, the finer, stronger and more precious the carpets becomes. The number of knots varies from 150,000 per sq. mt. to 1,000,000 per sq. mt. in the finest silk carpets. Thus, a 1,5 to 2 mt. carpets can take from 3 months to one year to complete. In the villages around Bodrum, Milas and Mumcular, rugs are still woven by hand in the traditional way.
A well made carpet can last for well over a hundred of years but it should be cherished correctly as a piece of art.

Water pipe - nargile
  Its a ceremony to smoke from the Nargile, the Turkish water pipe. Tobacco, or better only the best leafs of tobacco are laid on the pipe and then topped with a piece of hot charcoal. The water in the pipe cools it down and absorbs the nicotine.

The Boncuk
  There is one typical item, an equity of this region you should take home as a souvenir, it's called the Boncuk, the Little Magic Stone that protects one from the *Evil Eye* (pronounced 'bon-dschuk'), you will see this blue glass piece everywhere here in this area. But read the                                                                                                 "  Water Pipe "

                                                                                                                                    

Turkish Folk Traditions 

Folk Music 

  The lively Turkish folk music, which originated on the steppes of Asia is in complete contrast to the refined Turkish classical music of the Ottoman court. Until recently, folk music was not written down and the traditions have been kept alive by take “aşıklar” (troubadours). Distinct from folk music is Ottoman military music, now performed by the “mehter takimi (Janissary Band” in Istanbul, which originated in Central Asia and is played with kettle drums, clarinets, cymbals, and bells. The mystical music of the Whirling Dervishes is dominated by the haunting sound of  the reed pipe or “ney” and can be heard in Konya during the Mevlana Festival in December. 

Folk Dance 

 Each region in Turkey has its own special folk dance and costume. The best known of these are: 

a)    Horon : This Black Sea dance is performed from by men only, dressed in black with silver trimmings. The dancers link arms and quiver to the vibrations of the “ Kemence” (a primitive kind of violin”.) 

b)    Karisik Oyun : The Spoon Dance is performed from Konya to Silifke and consists of gaily dressed male and female dancer “clicking” out the dance rhythm with a pair of wooden spoons each hand.  

c)    Kilic Kalkan : The Sword and Shield Dance of Bursa represents the Ottoman conquest of the city. It is performed by men only, dressed in early Ottoman battle dress, who dance to the sound of clashing swords and shields, without music. 

d)    Zeybek : In this Aegean dance, colorfully dressed male dancers “ efe “ symbolize courage and heroism.  

   
          
               " Efe and Efe Folk Dance "

Traditional Sports 

      Yagli Gures: “Grease Wrestling” is the Turkish national sport and every year, in July , wrestling championships are held in Kirkpinar, outside Edirne. The contest is made more difficult by the fact that wrestlers smear themselves with oil. 

( Grease Wrestling )                                                   ( Javelin Game )
  Cirit Oyunu : The “javelin game” of daredevil horsemanship is a sport where wooden javelins are thrown at horsemen of opposing teams to gain points. The game is played mainly in Eastern Turkey. 

  

Hospitality

  Hospitality is one of the cornerstones of the Turkish way of life. Following Koranic tenets and naturally friendly instincts, the Turk is a most gracious and generous host. Even the poorest peasant feels bound to honor his guest in the best possible manner. Hospitality is taken to such lengths that a foreigner often feels he is suffering from an overdose of it after being plied with food and drinks for hours and being unable to refuse anything, lest he hurt his host’s feelings. In addition to ensuring a guest’s material well-being, the Turks makes every effort to converse, no matter what linguistic barriers might exist. While most middle-class urban-dwelling Turks speak at least one European language, even the uneducated bravely struggle to make themselves understood, with remarkable success. 

Turkish Cuisine and Dining Out 

 Would someone come to Turkey just to eat out? Yes, they would. Turkish food is famous throughout the world. The painstaking preparation of simple, but ingredients brings out the richness of their flavors in a way that never fails to delight. The range is enormous, from the many soups to an astonishing variety of hours d’oeuvres followed by meat and fish dishes.

The pause awhile to contemplate the famous Turkish sweets and pastries before a finishing with Turkish coffee. All Turkish food is prepared from fresh ingredients. The country produces a wide variety of fruits and vegetables and being surrounded on three sides by sea, the range of fish to be found is considerable.    Among alcoholic drinks are the Turkish beer, local wines and the national drinks, “raki” which clouds when water is added, giving it the popular name of “lion’s milk”. The drinks Turkis Raki is a rite in itself, and it is traditionally accompanied by a variety of “meze” hors d’oeuvres. Wherever you go, coffee or tea will be offered to you. Bottled drinking water and mineral water are easily found everywhere.

Night Life  

  If you like that night life Turkey is for you. For a different view of nightlife in Turkey, there are night clubs and colorful shows. Wherever you are, you will be able to go into a night club and taste some Turkish food while enjoying yourself until morning. The disco in resort areas and large cities have the latest facilities. 

Shopping 

  Shopping is one of the great pleasures of a trip to Turkey and rich variety of Turkish crafts makes it almost impossible to resist buying something. The best buys in Turkey are leather and suede coast and jackets, copper and brassware, rugs and embroideries, meerschaum pipes and ornaments and of   course. Turkish carpets. For those of you who love to “bargain” Turkey is a fun place to shop. Shop are generally open from       9 : 00 am – 1 :00 pm and 2 : 00 pm  - 7 : 00 pm. The day of rest Turkey is Saturday and Sunday. 

Phone Calls and Postal System 

  Turkish post and telephone office are open 8 : 00 - 24 :00 and Sat. 9 : 00 - 19 :00. All post office offers post           ret ante, this services is for sending or receiving documents from other countries. Fax office is available for sending receiving documents from other countries. Phone calls for local, inter city and international calls can be pursed from all PTT offices. Telephone cards are also available. 

Official Holidays 

Jan. 1 – New Year’s Day. 
Apr. 23 – National Independence and Children’s Day. 
May. 19 – Atatürk Commemoration and Youth and Sport Day. 
Aug. 30 – Victory Day. 
Oct. 29 – Republic Day. 

Museum  

  Most Turkish museums are open every day of the week, except Mondays. Palaces are also closed only on Mondays. The famous Topkapi Palace is closed Tuesdays instead of Mondays. In other to receive permission for photos or films in museum or at ancient ruins, a fee which varies according to the entrance is charged. The photographing or filming for commercial use, of yet unpublished objects which are copyrighted, requires a special permit from the general Directorate of Antiquities and Museum.  

Health

Doctor : You can find experienced doctors and their phone numbers on yours tour operator’s info-board at the hotel.  

Pharmacy : Pharmacies are open to from 9:00 AM to 9:00 PM. When they are closed, a sign on the door will point you in the direction of the nearest 24 hours open pharmacy.