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A
country where people form different cultures, religions and
ethnic backgrounds come together! A geography, as ancient as the
human culture, where the ancient continents of Asia and Europe
meet.
Turkey is a paradise
of sea, sun and mountains, at the same time offering the
visitors the pleasure of historical treasures of magnificent
ancient cities. From April to October, most parts of Turkey have
an ideal climate providing perfect conditions which a visitor
can enjoy the comfor |
of
sandy beaches and also the unique atmosphere of Ancient Cities.
It is
doubtless that just one visit will not be enough, one will want
to come back time after time as the extraordinary places and
tastes are discovered.
Turkey, exotic, colorful, many-faceted, romantic, ever-old and
ever-new, is the gateway and the key to the fabled East. Turkey
has a magnificent past and is a land full of historic treasures. |
GEOGRAPHY
Modern Turkey is a
country of 780,576 square kilometers, somewhat larger than the
state of Texas or France and Great Britain combined. It is
bordered by the Mediterranean, Aegean and Black Seas. In
clockwise order, Turkey shares borders with Greece, Bulgaria,
Georgia, Armenia, Iran, Iraq and Syria. About three percent of
the country is in Europe. South and east of the Dardanelles, the
Sea of Marmara and the Bosphorus stretches the peninsula known
as Asia Minor or Anatolia. Fertile plains fringe the coast;
mountain ranges separate them from the high central plateau.
Nineteen mountains are over 4,100 meters (13,800 feet) high; of
them Mt. Ararat (Agri Dag) is the highest at 5,073 meters
(16,910 feet). Both the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers (Dicle and
Firat) rise in Anatolia.
HISTORY
Turkey has been called ‘’the cradle of civilization’’ and by
traveling through this historic land the tourists will discover
exactly what is meant by its phrase. The world’s first town, a
Neolithic city at Catalhoyuk ( by Konya ), dates back to 6,500
BC. From the days of Catalhoyuk up to the present time Turkey
boasts of a rich culture that trough the centuries has made a
lasting impression on modern civilization. The heir many
centuries of cultures makes Turkey a paradise of information and
cultural wealth. Hattis, Hittites, Phrygians, Urartians, Lycians,
Lydians, Ionians, Persians, Macedonians, Romans, Byzantines,
Seljuks, and Ottomans have all held important places in Turkey’s
history, and ancient sites and ruins scattered throughout the
country give proof to each civilization’s unique distinction.
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 by occupation but a great visionary in
character, took the defeat of World War I and turned it into a
shining victory by liberating Turkey of all foreign invaders.
Mustafa Kemal Ataturk founded the Republic of Turkey on the 29th
of October, 1923. He led his country into peace and stability,
with tremendous economic growth and complete modernization.
Through decades of change and growth Turkey still boasts of this
success by effectively living by their adopted motto of ‘’Peace
at Home, Peace in the World’’.
POPULATION
The current population of Turkey is over 65 million people, of
whom 60% live in the cities. Then ten most populous cities in
order are Istanbul, Ankara, Izmir Adana, Bursa, Gaziantep,
Eskisehir, Kayseri and Diyarbakir. More than half the population
is under the age of 20.
LANGUAGE
The Turkish Language belongs to the Ural Altaic group and has an
affinity to the Finno Hungarian languages. Since 1928 Turkish
has been written in a phonetic, Latin alphabet of 29 letters and
is spoken by some 150 million people around the world.
RELIGION
While Turkey is a secular state, about 98% of the people are
Muslims; their faith is that of Islam. ‘Islam’ means ‘submission’;
a Muslim is one of who submits himself to God. Islam is the most
recent of the three great monotheistic religions, having
developed from the revelations by God to the Prophet Mohammed.
He was born in Mecca and lived from about AD 570 to June 8,632.
His activity as a Prophet encompassed the ten years before his
death. The holy book of Islam is the Koran; it is believed to be
the revelation of God to Mohammed. It contains 114 suras (chapters)
and 6,666 ayets (verses). Allahuekber (God is incomparable) are
the words calling the people to prayer. The non-Muslim minority
people are concentrated in Istanbul. There are Sephardic Jews
and Christians of several backgrounds: Greek Orthodox, Armenian
Orthodox, Greek Catholic, Syrian Orthodox, a few Protestants and
some others.
MUSTAFA KEMAL ATATURK AND HIS REFORMS
In 1919 Turkish forces defended the Gallipoli peninsula
against attack by the British and French armies. Out of that
emerged the figure of the Turkish colonel Mustafa Kemal as a
dynamic and charismatic leader. Starting in eastern Turkey,
Mustafa Kemal organized resistance to the foreign occupation and
inspired the nationalist movement that established the political
borders of the new
 |
Republic of Turkey. With the signing of the Treaty of
Lausanne in July 1923, Turkey was recognized as an
independent equal among the world nations. On October 29,
1923 Mustafa Kemal was elected by the Grand National
Assembly to be the first president of Turkey in its new
capital Ankara. Many of the reforms can be listed under the
general heading of secularization. In addition the state
being proclaimed a secular one in 1928, the caliphate (the
office of the spiritual and civil head of Islam) was
abolished in 1924, all schools (religious and otherwise)
were put under the ministry of Education, dervish orders
were banned. Islamic canonical law (sheriat) was replaced by
Turkish law which was a combination of European codes. In
1928 a modified Latin alphabet was introduced and in 1932
the Turkish Linguistic Society was founded to purify and
simplify the language in the interest of helping unify the
people. Surnames were required in 1934 and old titles
indicating professions and classes were dropped. |
POLITICAL STRUCTURE
The Turkish Republic is based on secular democratic,
pluralist and parliamentary system, where human rights are
protected by law and social justice. The 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 and the European Parliament, and an associate member
of the European Community.
ECONOMY
Tourism: In recent
years Turkey has become a major tourist destination in
Europe. With the rapid development of both summer and winter
resorts, more and more people from all over the world are
able to enjoy the history, culture, and beautiful sites of
Turkey.
Agriculture: Has got a very important place in the Turkish
economy. The main crops are wheat, rice, cotton, tea,
tobacco, hazelnuts, and fruit. Sheep are Turkey’s most
important livestock, and Turkey is one of European wool and
cotton producer. Southeast Anatolia Project (Gap) is a
multipurpose, integrated development project comprising of
dams, hydroelectric power plants and irrigation facilities,
that are to be built on the Firat (Euphrates) and Dicle (Tigris)
rivers. It will affect agriculture, transportation,
education, tourism, health and other sectors.
Natural resources: The principal minerals extracted are
coal, chrome (an important export), iron , gold, copper,
bauxite, marble and sulfur.
Industry: Industry is developing rapidly and is directed
mainly towards the processing of agricultural products,
metallurgy, textiles, and the manufacture of automobiles and
agricultural machinery. Tourism: In recent years
Turkey has become a major tourist destination in Europe.
With the rapid development of both summer and winter resorts,
more and more people from all over the world are able to
enjoy the history, culture, and beautiful sites of Turkey.
Agriculture: Has got a very important place in the Turkish
economy. The main crops are wheat, rice, cotton, tea,
tobacco, hazelnuts, and fruit. Sheep are Turkey’s most
important livestock, and Turkey is one of European wool and
cotton producer. Southeast Anatolia Project (Gap) is a
multipurpose, integrated development project comprising of
dams, hydroelectric power plants and irrigation facilities,
that are to be built on the Firat (Euphrates) and Dicle (Tigris)
rivers. It will affect agriculture, transportation,
education, tourism, health and other sectors.
Natural resources: The principal minerals extracted are coal,
chrome (an important export), iron , gold, copper, bauxite,
marble and sulfur.
ndustry: Industry is developing rapidly and is directed
mainly towards the processing of agricultural products,
metallurgy, textiles, and the manufacture of automobiles and
agricultural machinery.
CUISINE
The Turkish Cuisine is one of the best in the world.
It has a wide variety of dishes many prepared with fresh
vegetables and olive oil. Turkish food is very healthy as
well as delicious. The fresh fruits are plentiful and very
tasty.
TIPPING
Tipping is customary at hotels and restaurants and for
guides and drivers during tours.
CUSTOMS
Turkey has a strict antiquities law and prohibits
exportation of certain items. One may need to clear some
items with the appropriate authorities if in doubt.
VISAS
Visas are required by
many countries in order to visit Turkey and therefore one
must check with the appropriate Embassy or Consulate in your
country of residence to learn what is required For US
citizens, no prior request is necessary, but a visa must be
purchased upon arrival in Turkey. Usually it is issued just
before passing passport control and is valid for 90 days.
ELECTRICITY
Electricity in Turkey is supplied at 220 Volts, 50 cycles,
as in Europe. Adapters are not available.
The Climate
Although Turkey is
situated in a geographical location where climatic
conditions are quite temperate, the diverse nature of the
landscape, and the existence in particular of the mountains
that run parallel to the coasts, result in significant
differences in climatic conditions from one region to the
other. While the coastal regions enjoy milder climates, the
inland Anatolia plateau experiences hot summers and cold
winters with limited rainfall.
IS IT SAFE TO VISIT
TURKEY ?
Absolutely! Turkey is an Extremely safe country to visit and
especially for tourists. The Turks are very proud people and
welcome visitors and are honored to see foreigners exploring
their land. Therefore all visitors are special guests and
are treated like royalty. Crime is low compared to many
countries and the Ministry of the Interior has established a
special squad of police that are assigned to the major
tourist
areas. We believe that Turkey in general is safer than
most any other country in the region. |
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