“Turkey has been a crossroads of civilisations as long as civilisations have existed”
The middle-eastern country of Turkey has much to tell and so much to give. A trip to this magnificent ancient nation should definitely make it to your bucket list!
From beautiful ancient ruins, intriguing civilization history, friendly Turkish culture to magnificent beaches, Turkey offers everything that you hope for in a vacation destination.
Bordered by eight countries of Greece, Bulgaria, Iran, Iraq, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia and Syria, Turkey is the only trans-continental nation in the world. One half of Turkey experiences the European style of living whereas the other half experiences the Asian style. Isn’t that fascinating?
Turkey is also quite unique in the sense that Turkish culture is a mix of Ottoman, Greek and western influences.
Lying literally in the centre of the world, Turkey has played a major role in the silk route trade. It has been acting as a passage to the Asian land since forever now. And oh! the best part, you can fly to just about any and everywhere from Istanbul Atatürk Airport.
Turkey is one of the oldest permanently settled regions in the world, which explains the beautiful ancient ruins that you are certain to encounter once you visit. Packed with cultural heritage, Turkey has a total of 13 spots inscribed on UNESCO’s list of World Heritage Sites, and a whopping 62 on the tentative list. These sites range from a Mesolithic temple (Göbekli Tepe) to a Biblical city (Ephesus) to a World War One battlefield (Gallipoli), and all contribute to make Turkey the sixth most-visited destination in the world.
To prove that there is more to Turkey than just the ruins and Hagia Sophia Mosque, here are just a few things you can do when in Turkey-
You have the Grand Bazaar or Kapalı Çarşı. Dating back to 1455 and occupying 333,000 square feet, it surely wins the award for the oldest and biggest malls in the world.
You have the unique and mesmerizing Turquoise coast, you can sit for hours looking or just take a boat ride to savour its beauty.
A hot air balloon ride over the barren but beautiful land of Cappadocia is a must.
Try out the traditional Turkish street food and desserts ( they will blow your mind!).
And, when in Turkey you have to visit the home of the rulers of the Ottoman empire, Topkapi Palace.
The must-visit cities in the country are- Istanbul (obviously), Ankara, Cappadocia, Antalya, Bodrum and Ephesus.
The historical nation of Turkey just has so much to offer that it is even hard for us to mention everything. Getting to know everything there is about Turkey is truly a wonderful enriching experience, it HAS TO BE on your bucket list guy!
(But no matter how much time you visit Turkey for, you just cannot explore it all. You will need a trip to Turkey again.)
