Introducing Turkey

Turkey, a bridge between Europe and Asia, has an extremely rich cultural heritage. Perhaps no other land has witnessed so many diverse civilisations over the last nine thousand years”

After the great Mesopotamians, the Hittite and Urartu kingdoms flourished and in Western Anatolia the lonian and Roman civilisations predominated. Istanbul holds the honour of having been the capital of two huge empires - first the Byzantine then the ottoman. Anatolia itself became a crossroads of peoples, cultures and religions. Christianity, for example, thrived here, and Islam was glorified by the Seljuks and Ottomans

A Vibrant Society

Turkey today still holds a very strategic position on the world map. This vast land of the over 65 million people has tackled the challenges of the future through its journey along the road towards modernisation, secularism and democracy. Today, it has a vibrant society, a dynamic economy, an active political life and great confidence in its future.

A visit to Turkey should not only take in all the great sights and monuments; it should leave plenty of time for leisure and pleasure. Turkey offers immense resources in these areas: majestic mountains, ideal for climbers, hikers and skiers; over 8,000 km of coastline, laced with picturesque bays and coves; lakes; year-round summer in some areas, yet plenty of snow in others; a solid and expanding tourism infrastructure; one of the worlds healthiest cuisines and an extremely hospitable people. A trip to Turkey is an enchanting experience and an unforgettable adventure.

Turkey it vast peninsula, covering an area of 780,000 sq km and linking Asia to Europe through the Sea of Marmara and Straits of Istanbul and Çanakkale. Across the sea of Marmara, the triangular shaped thrace is the continuation of Turkey on the European continent. Anatolia is rectangular in outline, 1600 km long and 600 km wide. It is characterised by a central plateau surrounded by chains of mountains on the north, west and south and a rugged mountainous region in the east with an average elevation of 1050 m.

A Melting Pot Of Cultures

The history of Turkey tells of a 10,000 year-old civilisation. Anatolia is a melting pot where cultures from Sumer, Babylon and Assyria interacted for centuries with peoples such as the Hattis, Hittites, and Hourrites. The result was a unique Anatolian civilisation, which has long inspired the thoughts and legends of the West. The ancient Bronze Age witnessed the establishment of the first independent city-states. At that time, the indigenous Hattis inhabited the centre and Southeast of Anatolia. The most spectacular findings from this time are those of Alaca Höyuk in the Kizilirmak region and of Horoztepe near Tokat, in the Black Sea region. They are contemporary with the royal tombs of Mycenae in Greece.

The Turkish republic has now been a member of the international community for over 70 years. During this period, great changes have occurred and many difficulties have been encountered. But the country remains firmly attached to the policies initiated by Ataturk.

It has established a democratic multi-party political system, developed a vibrant civil society, and embarked on the part of industrialisation and market economy. It has consolidated its ties with the west through membership of NATO and the Council of Europe and Customs Union with the European Union. These trends mark a radical change from the days of the Ottoman Empire. Yet there is also continuity. The Turks have inherited both from the Islamic past and their ottoman past. They have also inherited from their western past, as well as forming a part of the Western present. All these heritages, Eastern and western, Asian and European, are intermingled in the civilisation of modern Turkey. A symbol of this union is the two bridges that span the Bosphorus, linking the two continents with many pasts and one future.

8000 Years of Religious legacy

The plethora and variety of religious buildings and ancient shrines will strike any visitor to Turkey. There are temples dedicated to ancient gods, churches of many denominations, synagogues and of course mosques. As civilisations succeeded each other over a period of 8000 years, they each left their religious legacy and, after the monotheistic domination of Anatolia, Islam, Christianity and Judaism co-existed in harmony

The blue water caress Turkeys western coastline has given their name to the entire region, known as the Aegean. These lands were once home to many great civilisation empires and states, out of which sprung some of the worlds finest mathematicians, scientists, architects and sculptors. The mountains of the Aegean drop vertically into the sea, crossing fertile plains and ensuring a temperate climate. The people who once lived here were mostly engaged in agriculture and commerce through which they achieved certain prosperity. They built beautiful cities and monuments and developed new techniques of both farming and construction

Natural Beauty

Turkey has so much of offer her visitors: breathtaking natural beauties, unique historical and archaeological sites, steadily improving hotel and touristic infrastructure, a tradition of hospitality and competitive prices. It is not surprising therefore that this country has recently become one of the worlds most popular tourism destinations. Due to Turkeys diverse geography one can experience four different climates in any one day.

The rectangular shaped country is washed on three sides by three different seas. It shores are laced with beaches, bays, caves, ports, islands and peninsulas. The summers are long, lasting as long as eight months in some areas. Turkey is also blessed with majestic mountains and valleys, lakes, rivers waterfalls and grottoes perfect for winter and summer tourism and sports of all kinds. Skiing fans, mountain climbers, trekkers, hikers and hunters can enjoy new and unforgettable experiences in Turkey. But Turkey is, above anything else, a huge open-air museum, a repository of all the civilisations by the soils of Anatolia.

Turkish Baths

The tradition of the Turkish bath extends far back.

The Turkish bath was much more than just a place to cleanse the skin. It was intimately bound up with everyday life, a place where people of every rank and station, young and old, rich an poor, townsman or villager, could come freely.

Women as well as men made use of the "hamam", as the bath is known in Turkish, although of course at separate hours.

Kusadasi has many Hamams Some of the best our found on the outskirts of the town, such as the one located in Kustar.

Faith Tourism

For centuries, Turkey has been a crossroads of religions, not only of Islam and Christianity, but also of many others now forgotten by history. Many religious devotees can find a site, a shrine, a monument, a tomb or a ruin connected with their faith or belief. For this reason a “Faith Tourism” programme has been recently introduced.

Recent excavation in the Mountains above Davutlar, by a team of German Archaeologists, have uncovered an ancient Ionian city. A Byzantine monastery built over the site has been carefully preserved and is a site to behold.

Davultar municipality is currently funding this large scale excavation. The Davutlar Muncipality will develop the ancient Ionian site and tours organised from the town. When completed, this will incorporate a visitor centre.