It's friendly, beautiful, culturally rich and good value for money. It's modern enough to be comfortable yet traditional enough to be interesting.
Turkey is the 6th most popular travel destination in the world, welcoming 42 million visitors per year.
History, Culture & Art
Turkey's history of human habitation goes back more than 25,000 years. The world's first temple was built in Neolithic times at Göbekli Tepe. Some of the earliest-known human communities are here. Hittites, Phrygians, Greeks, Romans, Byzantines, Crusaders, Seljuks, Mongols, Ottomans and others have all left their works of art, architecture and culture in what is now the Turkish homeland.
Cuisine
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| Library of Celsus, Ephesus |
Turkish cuisine is now world-famous, and rightly so. The abundance of its fields, farms, orchards, flocks and fishing boats is exceptional, and Turkish chefs take full advantage of this bounty. Everyone comments on how good the food is. Then there's Turkish tea....
Special-Interest Activities
Everyone wants to experience a Turkish bath. With nearly 8400 km (5200 miles) of coastline, beaches, water sports and yachting are big favorites. Hiking, white-water rafting, mountain-climbing and bicycling are all important and growing, as is skiing. My favorite of all is hot-air ballooning. More...
Good Times
Sit at a long table in a meyhane (taverna) in Istanbul, Kuşadası, Bodrum, Antalya, order a glass of beer, wine or pungent rakı and join in the songs and stories. Turks revel in good food, good friends, good times, and good nightlife.
For stories of life and travel in Turkey, read the excerptsfrom my travel memoir Bright Sun, Strong Tea.
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