Turkey General
TURKEY— A CENTER OF ATTRACTION FOR ALL TASTES
Turkey has become one of the most popular tourism destinations in the world, because Turkey has so much to offer her visitors;
— Unique landscapes and natural wonders,
— Historical and archaeological sites,
— Travelling facilities,
— Good value prices, wide range of accommodation alternatives & must see destinations.
Due to Turkey’s diverse geography, one can experience four different seasons in any one day. The summers are long lasting as long as eight months in some parts.
The rectangular shaped of country is surrounded by three different seas. Turkey hosts indescribable beaches, bays, straits and islands. Turkey is also embellished with great mountains, valleys, lakes, canyons and waterfalls perfect for winter and summer tourism and sports of all kind including; trekking, rafting, paragliding, balloon travelling, bird watching, hunting, mountain climbing, golfing, valley tourism, cave touring, scuba diving, boating and also suitable for youth and congress tourism.
Turkey is a stupendous open-air museum and the cradle of different civilizations and home to different religions for centuries.
Health tourism has also developed as so many healing waters, hot springs and mud are highly recommended by the authorities as a remedy for many diseases.
Turkey is an immense peninsula extending with an area of 814,578 km2 and connecting Asia to Europe through the Sea of Marmara and the Straits of Istanbul and Dardanelles. Anatolia is almost rectangular in lay out; 1500 km long and 500 km wide.
Turkey has 300 natural and 130 artificial lakes.
Turkey has different geographical formations including parallel mountains, extinct volcanoes, valleys splinted by ravines and plateaus. This geography leads to moderate climate in the Black Sea region, Mediterranean climate on the southern coast and arid climate in the central part and a harsh mountain climate in eastern side. Due to climate variations, the fauna and flora are some of the richest. The Aegean coastline is considered an important nursery ground for Mediterranean monk seals and turtles Caretta caretta. Dalyan Iztuzu Beache is the breeding ground of caretta carettas.
Turkey is divided into seven geographical regions, which are ordered by area; East Anatolia (21%), Central Anatolia (20%), Black Sea (18%), Mediterranean (15%), Aegean (8,5%) and Southeast Anatolia (7.5%).
Turkey is fairly easy to travel. Public transportation including air, land, sea and railways are well established and maintained. There are many travel agents and tour operators both for domestic and international arrangements.
Turkey, known officially as the Republic of Turkey, founded in October 29. 1923 by Mustafa Kemal Atatürk. Ankara is the capital.
Istanbul, Ankara, Izmir, Adana, Antalya and Bursa are most populated cities.
Islam is the predominant religion with about 99% of the population. Turkey is a democratic, secular, unitary and constitutional republic rooted with cultural heritage. Turkey is the only secular state in Islamic world; welcoming and being home to different religions as well. There are 234 Churches and 24 Synagogues throughout the country.
People wear modern dresses like any western countries, but dress coding in rural areas are more traditional style.
Solar calendar is used in Turkey.
Turkish is the sole official language throughout Turkey; also English is widely spoken in the touristic spots.
Turkish Lira is the currency. Convertible hard currencies are accepted in most places. The local banks’ ATMs are abundant and work efficiently. Major credit cards are commonly accepted. Isolated coastal restaurants prefer cash, you should be prepared with Turkish currency when you are dining or shopping in more remote cruising areas.
There are three GSM operators in Turkey, providing 3G services.
Most places have a post office, where local and international calls can be made. Telephone cards can be purchased as well. In the post offices and hotels calls are metered and payment is made at the front desk.
There is a roaming agreement between Turkish and Greek service providers—along the coast the signal is picked up by either country depending on proximity.
Internet connections are available in the marinas. Most towns have Internet cafes.
Facsimile connections from digital phones are available with the proper PC card for specific cellular phones.
Bank Hours and public services
(May vary in summer in resort areas)
Monday to Friday 08:30 – 12:00
13:30 – 18:00
Weight and Measures
The metric system is used.
Electricity
220 volts all over Turkey. 380 volts available in most marinas.
Time
GMT 2 in winter, and GMT 3 in summer (from the end of March to the end of October).
National Holidays:
January 1 New Year’s Day
April 23 Children’s Day
May 1 May Day
May 19 Youth and Sports Day
August 30 Victory Day
October 29 Republic Day
Religious Feasts:
The dates of religious holidays come 10 days earlier each year according to Lunar calendar. Ramadan holy Days (Şeker Bayramı) lasts 3 days and symbolizes the end of the Ramadan, a 30 day period of fasting.
Holy Day of Sacrifice (Kurban Bayramı) follows 10 weeks after Şeker Bayramı. The feast of the sacrifice lasts 4 days. Banks and public services are closed on religious feasts and national holidays.
Turkish hospitality is a widely known trait for Turkish people. Traditional Turkish customs still survive. Body language and personal space resemble more to Eastern cultures (such as Turkish men kissing each other on both cheeks when greeting).
Turkish people respect the national flag as sacred. Therefore one should avoid insulting or showing disrespect.
There is no doubt that Turkish food now ranks among the greatest and most distinct cuisines of the world because of the variety of its recipes & ingredients. Turkey is one of the world’s self-sustaining countries—it produces all of its food, thus everything is made from fresh and local ingredients. Turkish cuisine is originated from Asia and then evolved with Mediterranean tastes.
Restaurants open for lunch at 11:00 and remain open through dinner time. The menus and prices do not change between lunch and dinner. Usually you seat yourself, except in upscale restaurants, and even in such establishments you are usually given a choice of tables. Tipping, as it is in other countries, is expected; around 10 to 15% of the bill is customary.
Visitors should be aware that there are strict penalties for using and carrying drugs (hashish, etc...).
