GENERAL
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 comfort 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.
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.
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.
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. |
