About Turkey
Turkey stretches across the Anatolian peninsula in southwest Asia and the Balkan region of south-eastern Europe, bordering eight countries. It borders the Mediterranean Sea to the south, the Aegean Sea to the west, and the Black Sea to the north. Turkey also contains the Sea of Marmara, which is used by geographers to mark the border between Europe and Asia, thus making Turkey transcontinental.The region comprising modern Turkey has overseen the birth of major civilizations such as the Byzantine and Ottoman Empires. The culture has a unique blend of Eastern and Western tradition. The history of human habitation goes back 25,000 years. 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 and culture in what is now the Turkish homeland. Turkey is a democratic country whose political system was established in 1923 under the leadership of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk. Since then, it has become increasingly integrated with the West while continuing to foster relations with the Eastern world. It is a founding member of the United Nations and has been a member of NATO since 1952. Turkey has been in negotiations to join the European Union since 2005.
Turkey is friendly, beautiful, culturally rich and good value for money. It's modern enough to be comfortable yet traditional enough to be interesting. It is one of the top 10 travel destinations in the world, welcoming more than 20 million visitors every year. Some of the most beautiful countryside and historic monuments can be viewed in the south-western Mediterranean area. Turkey villas are surrounded by culture and history, offering something from holidays in Turkey for everybody. There is around 8,500 km of coastline, so water sports and yachting are big favourites. Hiking, white-water rafting, mountain climbing and cycling are all increasing and adventure holidays to Turkey are becoming more and more popular. In the winter skiing is also becoming a popular sport.
The shopping is amazing; Turkey is famous for it's carpets, jewellery and ceramics. Turkish carpets and Kilims are wonderful but they are justifiably not cheap, such a purchase should be viewed as an investment as you would for any other handcrafted antique. They have a huge textile and clothing industry and produce a lot of "designer" goods, such a T-shirts, jeans, handbags etc.
Turkish food 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. Everyone comments on how good the food is. Not only that, the £15 gourmet dinner (not including wine) is still easy to do. The Turkish people are incredibly friendly and cannot wait to welcome you and sit and enjoy a drink with you. Enjoy and glass of Raki and accept the hospitality as it is meant. They are very kind people and want to please you, it can seem a bit alien at times but it is genuin