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DIALLING CODE +90
CURRENCY Lira (YTL)
CURRENCY Lira (YTL)
TURKEY
HIGHLIGHTS
HIGHLIGHTS
WEATHER
The optimum periods are spring (April to June) and autumn (September to November), when the climate is perfect both in Aegean sea and in Istanbul. In summer at resorts on the coast is really hot, but you can solve the problem with a nice afternoon siesta, as do many Turks. From late October to early April, beaches are deserted and not bathing. From May to October there is little rain, except on the Black Sea coast. In mid-May start the big problem of mosquitoes. For eastern Turkey are more suitable three or four summer months because in winter some roads are blocked by snow.
EVENTS
Religious festivals dates are regulated by the lunar calendar and the Muslim authorities communicate them to people every few years. Only two religious holidays are considered public holidays: Seker Bayrami (three days at the end of Ramadan - the thirty days during which a good Muslim should not ingest anything from sunrise to sunset) and Kurban Bayrami, between March and April, which commemorates the sacrifice of Isaac on Mount Moriah. In honor of divine intervention that allowed Abraham to sacrifice a ram instead of his son Isaac, Turks who can afford it buy a sheep, take it home and slaughtering immediately after the dawn prayer. Following a great feast with family and friends. Do not be caught unprepared by Kurban Bayrami: banks close for a week, trains and buses are full and finding a hotel room can be difficult.
Among the non-religious holidays are included: the battle of camels, which is held in mid-January in Selçuk a town on south of Izmir, the National Sovereignty Day, April 23, commemorating the first sitting of parliament in 1920. In summer there are also many kinds of festivals to take place. In early June in Saray, near Edirne, wrestling matches with greasy wrestler that face in the mud; the Kafkasor Festival near Artvin in northeastern Turkey East, during the third week of June; the Istanbul International Festival of Arts (late June to mid July); the Festival of Music and Folklore of Bursa in mid-July and the Pumpkin Fair in Diyarbakir in the second half of September. The whole country stops for a minute at 9.05 am on 10 November to commemorate the death of Atatürk, in 1938.
THE TRIP
The main airport of Turkey is Istanbul, the Ataturk International Airport (www.dhmiata.gov.tr) 23km west of Sultanahmet, the heart of old Istanbul. Terminals for domestic and international flights are side by side. Istanbul also has a smaller airport, Sabiha Gökçen International Airport the (www.sgairport.com), 50km east of Sultanahmet and Taksim Sq on the Asian side of the city. Sabiha Gökçen receives mainly cheap flights from Europe, particularly Germany, and some domestic flights. Throughout the year, but especially in summer, you can take international flights to / from ntalya (www.aytport.com), Bodrum, Dalaman and Izmir. The Turkish flag carrier Turkish Airlines has direct flights from Istanbul for almost all world capitals. The company is reasonably safe and the service is usually very good.
If you want to travel overland, you'll be spoiled for choice, whereas Turkey has eight neighbors. But keep in mind that Turkey's relations with its neighbors are not always friendly and relaxed, so you may have troubles crossing the border. Crossing the border by train or bus is quite simple, but expect delays of one to three hours. To Armenia, there are at least three buses a week going from Trabzon to Yerevan. For Azerbaijan, at least two buses ranging from Trabzon to Tbilisi, where you can catch a connecting flight to Baku. There are many buses that go from Turkey to Bulgaria (from Istanbul to Sofia, Varna and Burgas). There are also links to Skopje, Tetovo and Gostivar in Macedonia and Constanta and Bucharest in Romania. For Georgia, you can take a bus Göktas Ardahan, which links to the Turkish capital and Tbilisi. For Iran, there are links between Ankara and Istanbul to Tabriz and Tehran. For Syria, there are buses from Istanbul to Aleppo and Damascus. From Istanbul you can reach Germany, Italy, Austria and Greece. To achieve these countries: www.ulusoy.com.tr - www.varan.com.tr .
The optimum periods are spring (April to June) and autumn (September to November), when the climate is perfect both in Aegean sea and in Istanbul. In summer at resorts on the coast is really hot, but you can solve the problem with a nice afternoon siesta, as do many Turks. From late October to early April, beaches are deserted and not bathing. From May to October there is little rain, except on the Black Sea coast. In mid-May start the big problem of mosquitoes. For eastern Turkey are more suitable three or four summer months because in winter some roads are blocked by snow.
EVENTS
Religious festivals dates are regulated by the lunar calendar and the Muslim authorities communicate them to people every few years. Only two religious holidays are considered public holidays: Seker Bayrami (three days at the end of Ramadan - the thirty days during which a good Muslim should not ingest anything from sunrise to sunset) and Kurban Bayrami, between March and April, which commemorates the sacrifice of Isaac on Mount Moriah. In honor of divine intervention that allowed Abraham to sacrifice a ram instead of his son Isaac, Turks who can afford it buy a sheep, take it home and slaughtering immediately after the dawn prayer. Following a great feast with family and friends. Do not be caught unprepared by Kurban Bayrami: banks close for a week, trains and buses are full and finding a hotel room can be difficult.
Among the non-religious holidays are included: the battle of camels, which is held in mid-January in Selçuk a town on south of Izmir, the National Sovereignty Day, April 23, commemorating the first sitting of parliament in 1920. In summer there are also many kinds of festivals to take place. In early June in Saray, near Edirne, wrestling matches with greasy wrestler that face in the mud; the Kafkasor Festival near Artvin in northeastern Turkey East, during the third week of June; the Istanbul International Festival of Arts (late June to mid July); the Festival of Music and Folklore of Bursa in mid-July and the Pumpkin Fair in Diyarbakir in the second half of September. The whole country stops for a minute at 9.05 am on 10 November to commemorate the death of Atatürk, in 1938.
THE TRIP
The main airport of Turkey is Istanbul, the Ataturk International Airport (www.dhmiata.gov.tr) 23km west of Sultanahmet, the heart of old Istanbul. Terminals for domestic and international flights are side by side. Istanbul also has a smaller airport, Sabiha Gökçen International Airport the (www.sgairport.com), 50km east of Sultanahmet and Taksim Sq on the Asian side of the city. Sabiha Gökçen receives mainly cheap flights from Europe, particularly Germany, and some domestic flights. Throughout the year, but especially in summer, you can take international flights to / from ntalya (www.aytport.com), Bodrum, Dalaman and Izmir. The Turkish flag carrier Turkish Airlines has direct flights from Istanbul for almost all world capitals. The company is reasonably safe and the service is usually very good.
If you want to travel overland, you'll be spoiled for choice, whereas Turkey has eight neighbors. But keep in mind that Turkey's relations with its neighbors are not always friendly and relaxed, so you may have troubles crossing the border. Crossing the border by train or bus is quite simple, but expect delays of one to three hours. To Armenia, there are at least three buses a week going from Trabzon to Yerevan. For Azerbaijan, at least two buses ranging from Trabzon to Tbilisi, where you can catch a connecting flight to Baku. There are many buses that go from Turkey to Bulgaria (from Istanbul to Sofia, Varna and Burgas). There are also links to Skopje, Tetovo and Gostivar in Macedonia and Constanta and Bucharest in Romania. For Georgia, you can take a bus Göktas Ardahan, which links to the Turkish capital and Tbilisi. For Iran, there are links between Ankara and Istanbul to Tabriz and Tehran. For Syria, there are buses from Istanbul to Aleppo and Damascus. From Istanbul you can reach Germany, Italy, Austria and Greece. To achieve these countries: www.ulusoy.com.tr - www.varan.com.tr .
The train from Istanbul and the Bosphorus Express arrives in Bucharest, where you can take connecting flights to Chisinau (Moldova) and Budapest (Hungary). With the Bosphorus Express you can get up to Dimitrovgrad (Bulgaria), from which you can reach Sofia and Belgrade. The Trans-Asya Ekspres connecting Istanbul to Tehran via Tabriz, Van and Tatvan (www.rajatrains.com). There is also a weekly train that runs from Tehran to Damascus via the Turkish city of Van and Malatya.
There are many ferries that connect Italy to Greece and Turkey, but none arrives in Istanbul. There is also some connection to the Black Sea Ferrylines (www.ferrylines.com) is a good starting point for information on ferry trips in the region. From Italy, Marmara Lines (www.marmaralines.com) Brindisi and Ancona to Cesme. Even Turkish Maritime Lines (www.tdi.com.tr in turkish) has ferries that go from Brindisi to Cesme.
TRANSPORT
There are domestic flights linking about thirty cities around the country often passing by Istanbul airports and Ankara. Atlasjet (www.atlastjet.com) is one of the few companies that offer direct flights between the west coast city of Turkey and Central or Eastern Europe. Even the flag carrier Turkish Airlines (www.thy.com) operates domestic flights.
Buses are frequent, fast and comfortable, for pennies you reach every corner of the country. Most Turkish cities has a central bus station called 'otogar', 'garaj' or 'terminal'. Among best bus companies are Boss Turizm (www.bossturizm.com in turkish), which specializes in super luxury buses that connect Istanbul and Ankara, Kamil Koç (www.kamilkoc.com.tr in turkish) Ulusoy (www.ulusoy.com.tr) and Varan (www.varan.com.tr).
The state turkish railways Türkiye Cumhuriyeti Devlet Demiryollari, TCDD, (www.tcdd.gov.tr) operate a service that covers the entire country. Some bad incidents in the past have, however, raised the suspicion that perhaps the whole system should be reviewed.
If you circulate by car, you have no problems finding a mechanic or an electrician, but maybe you will not support the leadership of the crazy Turks drivers. Do not drive into town if you can, because the traffic is terrible and parking is nonexistent. For short distances it is better to rely on taxis or dolmus (shared taxis). To hire a vehicle must be at least 21 years and have the license from one year. You can rely on large international companies like Avis (www.avis.com.tr / english) or Europcar (www.europcar.com) or one of those places like Decaro (www.decar.com.tr) Car Rental Istanbul ( www.carrentalturkey.info) and Green Car (www.greenautorent.com). Turkey Car Hire Express (turkey.carhireexpress.co.uk) is another good starting point to begin to look for a car.
Istanbul Fast Ferries (Istanbul Deniz Otobüsleri,(www.ido.com.tr) runs a fast ferry service across the Marmara Sea, there are services from Istanbul to Yalova, Bandirma and Mudanya (or Bursa ).
Visit Turkey by bike is a fantastic adventure full of surprises, challenges and lots of sweat. The best map for cyclists is the Koy Koy Türkiye Yol Atlas, easily available in bookstores in Istanbul.
There are many ferries that connect Italy to Greece and Turkey, but none arrives in Istanbul. There is also some connection to the Black Sea Ferrylines (www.ferrylines.com) is a good starting point for information on ferry trips in the region. From Italy, Marmara Lines (www.marmaralines.com) Brindisi and Ancona to Cesme. Even Turkish Maritime Lines (www.tdi.com.tr in turkish) has ferries that go from Brindisi to Cesme.
TRANSPORT
There are domestic flights linking about thirty cities around the country often passing by Istanbul airports and Ankara. Atlasjet (www.atlastjet.com) is one of the few companies that offer direct flights between the west coast city of Turkey and Central or Eastern Europe. Even the flag carrier Turkish Airlines (www.thy.com) operates domestic flights.
Buses are frequent, fast and comfortable, for pennies you reach every corner of the country. Most Turkish cities has a central bus station called 'otogar', 'garaj' or 'terminal'. Among best bus companies are Boss Turizm (www.bossturizm.com in turkish), which specializes in super luxury buses that connect Istanbul and Ankara, Kamil Koç (www.kamilkoc.com.tr in turkish) Ulusoy (www.ulusoy.com.tr) and Varan (www.varan.com.tr).
The state turkish railways Türkiye Cumhuriyeti Devlet Demiryollari, TCDD, (www.tcdd.gov.tr) operate a service that covers the entire country. Some bad incidents in the past have, however, raised the suspicion that perhaps the whole system should be reviewed.
If you circulate by car, you have no problems finding a mechanic or an electrician, but maybe you will not support the leadership of the crazy Turks drivers. Do not drive into town if you can, because the traffic is terrible and parking is nonexistent. For short distances it is better to rely on taxis or dolmus (shared taxis). To hire a vehicle must be at least 21 years and have the license from one year. You can rely on large international companies like Avis (www.avis.com.tr / english) or Europcar (www.europcar.com) or one of those places like Decaro (www.decar.com.tr) Car Rental Istanbul ( www.carrentalturkey.info) and Green Car (www.greenautorent.com). Turkey Car Hire Express (turkey.carhireexpress.co.uk) is another good starting point to begin to look for a car.
Istanbul Fast Ferries (Istanbul Deniz Otobüsleri,(www.ido.com.tr) runs a fast ferry service across the Marmara Sea, there are services from Istanbul to Yalova, Bandirma and Mudanya (or Bursa ).
Visit Turkey by bike is a fantastic adventure full of surprises, challenges and lots of sweat. The best map for cyclists is the Koy Koy Türkiye Yol Atlas, easily available in bookstores in Istanbul.
Turkey can be imagined as the foot of Europe, Asia, or as a bridge between the two continent: the vast territory on east of Bosphorus belongs to the Asian Turkey; on west of the strait lies the small portion of the European Turkey land. Turkey is a country between Asia and Europe, but with a strong cultural identity.
Make a trip to Turkey is an unforgettable experience: its people are very warm and hospitable to foreigners, the food is excellent, cities are full of magnificent buildings and country retains a traditional atmosphere. Furthermore, the country offers countless activities as water sports, trekking, archeological tours, rafting, nightlife. Also when time comes to the end, when you'll be full of carpets or amulets, enthusiastic about belly dancing anf your beautiful tan, you'll feel that you have now Turkey in the heart.
Interesting Places
Istanbul
Capital of the civilized world for many centuries, Istanbul is still the heart of the country. It is an old city, but glorious, of 9,419,000 people living in between Europe and Asia at the Turkey's most historical point and as commercial centre, folklore, traditional culture and as modern.
Ankara
The capital of Turkey is a formless semidesert glomerated in the middle of Central Anatolia. The Ottomans would not recognize their old Angora, once a quiet farming town lived by long-haired sheep, whose wool is famous all over the world
Ephesus
Among thousands of ancient cities that are located in Turkey, Ephesus is certainly the best preserved, even the most beautiful classical city of the Mediterranean. The Greek Ionia was already a flourishing cultural center during the Roman Empire, became an active provincial capital, known for its beauty and its wealth.
Make a trip to Turkey is an unforgettable experience: its people are very warm and hospitable to foreigners, the food is excellent, cities are full of magnificent buildings and country retains a traditional atmosphere. Furthermore, the country offers countless activities as water sports, trekking, archeological tours, rafting, nightlife. Also when time comes to the end, when you'll be full of carpets or amulets, enthusiastic about belly dancing anf your beautiful tan, you'll feel that you have now Turkey in the heart.
Interesting Places
Istanbul
Capital of the civilized world for many centuries, Istanbul is still the heart of the country. It is an old city, but glorious, of 9,419,000 people living in between Europe and Asia at the Turkey's most historical point and as commercial centre, folklore, traditional culture and as modern.
Ankara
The capital of Turkey is a formless semidesert glomerated in the middle of Central Anatolia. The Ottomans would not recognize their old Angora, once a quiet farming town lived by long-haired sheep, whose wool is famous all over the world
Ephesus
Among thousands of ancient cities that are located in Turkey, Ephesus is certainly the best preserved, even the most beautiful classical city of the Mediterranean. The Greek Ionia was already a flourishing cultural center during the Roman Empire, became an active provincial capital, known for its beauty and its wealth.
TURKEY INFO TRAVEL
Flights &
Destination Guides to:
Destination Guides to:
Full name of the country: Turkey
Area: 780,580 sq km
Population: 70,400,000 inhabitants
Capital: Ankara
Language: Turkish (official language), Kurdish, Arabic, Armenian, greek
Religion: 99.8% Muslim, mostly Sunni, 0.2% Christian, Jewish
Type of State: Parliamentary republic
Area: 780,580 sq km
Population: 70,400,000 inhabitants
Capital: Ankara
Language: Turkish (official language), Kurdish, Arabic, Armenian, greek
Religion: 99.8% Muslim, mostly Sunni, 0.2% Christian, Jewish
Type of State: Parliamentary republic
Health Risks
Recommended vaccinations: diphtheria and tetanus, hepatitis A, hepatitis B, typhoid, rabies.
Health hazards: risk of malaria along the border with Syria.
Turkey is not safe to drink tap water, so it is advisable to consume only water in sealed bottles or hot drinks. Alternatively the water can be treated making it boil for 15 minutes, to ensure the most effective purification.
We recommend purchasing health insurance that includes, in addition, to covering medical expenses, including any air ambulance repatriation or transfer to another country.
Timezone: GMT+2
Electricity 220V, 50Hz
Weights and measures metric system
Recommended vaccinations: diphtheria and tetanus, hepatitis A, hepatitis B, typhoid, rabies.
Health hazards: risk of malaria along the border with Syria.
Turkey is not safe to drink tap water, so it is advisable to consume only water in sealed bottles or hot drinks. Alternatively the water can be treated making it boil for 15 minutes, to ensure the most effective purification.
We recommend purchasing health insurance that includes, in addition, to covering medical expenses, including any air ambulance repatriation or transfer to another country.
Timezone: GMT+2
Electricity 220V, 50Hz
Weights and measures metric system
