Archive for the ‘Turkey’ Category

Antalya

Friday, August 14th, 2009

Antalya is a popular beach city in the southwest of Turkey on the Mediterranean coast. The city has more than 777.000 people living in it. The province and city Antalya are part of the Turkish Rivera and mostly known for its beaches and nightlife. It is definitely a popular destination for travelers. Due to this fact Antalya has a great infrastructure and many restaurants, shops and clubs.

Antalya is situated on coastal cliffs on the Mediterrenean Gulf of Antalya. It is surrounded by mountains on three sides and the sea on the other side. The town center is located on the rocky plain closest to the coast. The old center of the city is called Kaleici with narrow winding streets. The city also houses the Katel, the Ottoman citadel, and marina Yat Limani, which was once the old harbor.

Most tourists come to Antalya to enjoy the beaches. But the city also offers tourists places of ancient Greek and Roman times. Traveling to the ancient sites of Aspendos, Perge, Phaselis, Manavgat, Side and Termessos is easy. The city has one of the most impressive archaeological museum. Adventurous people can go scuba diving, sailing, paragliding, rafting, mountain climbing and tracking.

Travelers to USA or European travelers to Antalya need a valid passport and visa. This visa need to be bought on arrival at the airport, the VISA can be bought with your own currency, the visa is valid for a period of 3 months.

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Istanbul

Friday, August 14th, 2009

Istanbul is the cultural and financial city of Turkey as well as the largest and most popular in this country. The city with its different districts has a population of 12.6 million registered people. It is believed that there are over 6 million non-registered people. Istanbul is strategically situated in the west of Turkey on two continents with the western portion in England and the eastern portion in Asia, divided by the Bosphorus Strait.

Istanbul has a long history since it has been part of many empires. It began as a part of the ancient Greek colony of Byzantium. After this colony formed an alliance with the Roman Empire, emperor Constantine made it into the capital city of his Roman empire. The city then became known under the name of Constantinople and turned into a magnificent city. Under the leadership of Ottoman Sultan Mehmed in 1453 the city became a major cultural, political and commercial center. The city stayed capital city until Kemal Ataturk moved the capital of the Republic of Turkey, founded in 1923, to the city of Ankara.

Istanbul offers tourists many museums, parks, bazaars, old mosques and palaces, such as Hagia Sophia, Topkapi Palace and the Sultanahmet Mosque. There are also many beautiful waterside palaces around the Bosphorus. Tourists can take a boat trip along the Bosphorus. It is always recommended to visit a special Turkish bath, known as a hamam. The city of Istanbul is crowded with restaurants, bars, galleries and clubs. The transport system of the city may be difficult to figure out as maps are rare and transferring is often necessary. Tourists can easily use the Turkish Smart Tickets, AKBIL, to get around the city.

Travelers to Istanbul need a valid passport and visa. Tourists from the USA or the European Union can buy their visa directly on the airport of Istanbul, before queuing for passport control. This visa can sometimes be bought with own currency and cash money is required, since there is almost no change available. It is valid for three months. The city of Istanbul can be reached by airport bus, metro and tram or taxi, by train or by ship.

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Ankara

Saturday, December 20th, 2008

Ankara is the capital of Turkey and the country’s second largest city after Istanbul. Ankara and its eight districts have a total population of 4.5 million people. Ankara is strategically located for the crossroads of trade, highway and railway networks which serves as the marketing center. As well Ankara is the center of the Turkish Government and houses all foreign embassies.

Ankara is situated upon a steep and rocky hill which rises 150 m above the nearby situated Sakarya (Sangarius) river. The hill which overlooks the city is crowned by ruins of the old castles of many different civilizations which adds value to the already breath taking view, but due to the fast modern growth only a few of the many historic structures have survived till today’s date.

Today’s modern Ankara has diversity for tourists. Other than regular family shopping on markets, Ankara has 9 top attractions that must be seen by travelers including; Museum of Anatolian Civilizations (Anadolu Medeniyetleri Muzesi), Arslanhani Camii, Ataturk Mausoleum (Anit Kabir), Caracalla Baths, Citadel (Hisar), Temple of Augustus and of Rome (Ogust Mabedi), Beynam Ormani, Soguksu Milli Parki and the Genclik Park.

Travelers to Ankara need a valid passport and visa. American citizens are being issued 90 days visa upon arrival. The most used form of transportation for tourists is the Dolmus minibus taxi system; flag a taxi on the street to get on, fares depend on the distance covered. Another quick and cheap method is using the underground metro network (which has only two lines). The metro network operates from 6am till midnight. There are also regular metered taxis available, be aware the meter is working while driving.

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