Turkey

Photo Gallery
of Turkey

General information about Turkey

Turkey is country, which have a lot to offer to its visitors: natural beauty, unique historical and archeological sites, hotels on high level, traditional hospitality, and very rival prices. Because of its diverse geography in the country you can enjoy all four seasons in a day. The country borders with three different seas and the coasts are rich on natural beaches, marines, islands and peninsulas. No wonder that Turkey is one of the most famous and visited touristic destinations in the world.

Tourism in Tourkey

Bosphorus
The Golden Horn bay divides the European Istanbul and it's one of the most beautiful and natural bays in the world. It was commercial center and place of the Byzantium and Ottoman navies. Today the bay is full of antique parks and walking areas with very artistic scenery, especially at sunset. Little bit above the Golden Horn are located the Fener and Balat quarters, where you can see old wooden houses, churches and mosques dating back from Byzantium and Ottoman times.

Cappadocia

Cappadocia is wonderful area filled with underground churches and land houses, rocks in different shapes, everything looking like from other world. The area is also famous with its wines and woven carpets. Cappadocia was a refuge for the early Christians who escaped persecution by living and worshiping underground. There are around 3000 rock churches, but not all of them are open for visitors. The touristic heart is the Goreme village, where many of its villagers still live in cave dwellings, some of which have been converted into pensions. There are hundreds underground cities in the area, two of which are most fascinating - Kaymakl? which has 8 levels, and Derinkuyu which reaches down to 55 meters. They were used by the Christians fleeing persecution in VII century who created a self-sufficient environment underground.

Pamukkale

Pamukkale is famous small resort and one of the most fascinating wonders of Turkey, 4 hours drive away from Kusadasi. It is made up of a series of white travertine terraces cascading down a cliff, which is almost 200 meters high. The hard, white mineral deposits, which from a distance resemble snow, are caused by the high mineral content of the natural spring water which runs down the cliff and congregates in warm pools on the terraces. The destination is so popular, that tourist rules had to be established to preserve its beauty, you can no longer walk on the terraces, but you can use the pool if you want to enjoy the hot water. The water's temperature is around 37°C. Pamukkale is in the UNESCO heritage list.

Weather in Turkey

The weather in Turkey is diverse thanks to the diverse topography of the country. The winters are damp and cold, the temperatures in the mountain regions on east can drop down to -40°C and the snow can stay around 120 days of the year. On west, the winter temperatures are around 1°C. During the summer, the weather is dry and hot, the temperatures are usually over 30°C during the day.

Cities and resorts in Turkey

Istanbul

Istanbul is the only city in the world sitting on two continents, it was first capital of Byzantium and after that to the Ottoman empire. Istanbul is commercial, historical and cultural pulse of Turkey, ancient and modern, religious and worldly, mystical and earthly, everything coexists together on one place. The biggest companies and banks, medias and advertisement agencies, have offices here. It is rumored that one of the biggest attractions of Istanbul is its variety: ancient mosques, palaces, museums and bazaars, all of them reflecting on Istanbul's diverse history. The lively bazaar zone of Taksim is full of life and entertainments and the beauty of the Bosphorus is adding peace to the chaotic metropolis.
Istanbul is also capital of the art and culture with rich traditions in the opera, ballet, theatres, concerts art exhibitions, festivals, conferences and unique museums. Being imperial capital for 1500 years, the city got pretty unique facade, on every turn you can see Roman, Byzantian and Ottoman palaces, mosques, churches, monasteries, monuments and ruins. And yet Istanbul isn't city living in the past, it's modern and future oriented metropolis. The bazaar and the super modern shopping centers, the street tradesman, the old buildings and the skyscrapers are giving various and rich look.
The space between Marmora sea and the Golden Horn is sometimes called "the peninsula of history" because of the numerous Roman, Byzantium and Ottoman sites, like the Topkap? Palace, the residency of the Ottoman sultans, St. Sofia, The Blue Mosque (Sultan Ahmed Mosque), everything is located on this meninsula.

Antalya

The Turkish Riviera  is the most fascinating part of the Turkish Mediterranean. Antalya is located high on the cliffs with many hotels looking down the sea. The beach zone Lara, around 12km to the east, is home of the best beaches in the region. Other popular coastal line is Konyaalt? to the west.

Alanya

Alanya is beautiful resting center with beaches, modern hotels and numerous fish restaurants, cafes, clubs and bars. The cafes around the harbor are popular places of gathering with the locals. There is a road starting from the beautiful park going to the harbor full with many shops offering handcrafting, clothes and  jewellery.

Kusadasi

Kusadasi is one of the biggest and cosmopolitan resorts in Turkey, also shopping station for the big cruise ships. The old town ha a inn built in Ottoman times and is popular zone for entertainment and shopping. The antique towns Efes, Milet and Didima, the hose of Virgin Mary, are world famous historical sites around Kusadasi. The national park Dilek to south is other main attraction with its natural beauty.

Bodrum

Bodrum is paradise place with its mild weather, crystal clear sea, nature beauty, wonderful bays, and modern night life until down. In the region around the harbor and the neighbor bay Gumbet, where most of the hotels are located, you will find numerous cafes and night clubs, discotheques and shops. The city is important touristic and yachting center with interesting architecture, all buildings are white with maximum of 3 floors.

Didim and Altinkum

Altinkum translates "golden sand" and is appropriate description for the beautiful beach of the resorts. Popular for family vacation, the resort offers wide variety of hotel accommodation, restaurants and bars, and the center of the town offers numerous shops and attractive street bazaars.
Didim is attractive resort on the Aegean coasts of Turkey with its solitary bays, golden sands, and natural harbors. The important Ionian cities of Miletos and Didyma are also near Didim. The Temple of Apollo in Didim was one of the most sacred places in the antiquity.

Side

The old town of Side is located on peninsula of sandy beaches from all sides, surrounded from ancient walls. There you can see ancient Hellenic theatre with 17000 seats and look to the sea; fascinating museum with the stunning Temple of Apollo, appropriate for romantic sunsets. The accommodation consists mainly pensions and small hotels. Several kilometers along the coastal line outside the Old town is home of numerous 4 and 5 star hotels. Side has anything for everyone, beaches, history, shops, night life and wide variety of restaurants.

Kemer

Kemer is one of the first resorts built with this purpose in Turkey, specially planned to fade in the surrounding area. In the heart of Kemer is the marina. It's full of shops, bars and restaurants, and the beach is clean. The main resort zones are located a little bit further from the town. They are surrounded with green forests and offer all the extras of 5 star hotels.

Izmir

Izmir is decorated with yachts and it has worm weather, the sea breeze doesn't allow the summer heats to capture completely the town. Izmir has 101km of golden sands and natural beaches, offering ideal conditions for water sports. The cities of the Seven churches of the Apocalypse, mentioned in the Revelations are located in Izmir, except one. Efes and Bergama are two of them, cities of the ancient world that are a must for the visitors.

Top