The Anatolian Peninsula is in terms of its geographical features, just like a miniature version of the Asian continent. The sun shines in Asia Minor for 200 days of the year, because of this reason some writers refer to it as “the land of sunshine”.....

Even the existence of three seas around the coasts of Asia Minor means three distinct shades of blue, three different ways of life and three different depths and salinity levels...

Turkey's mountains, mineral water springs, lakes, rivers, forests, and features of climate and landscape, which changes from region, mean that a wide variety of shots can be filmed in the same country and also variety and originality of its natural, historical and cultural values...

GEOGRAPHY

Turkey is a big and respectively green country as opposed to what many people may think. It is between 35 and 42 long latitude, and 25 and 44 east longitude. Philadelphia, Tokyo and Beijing are some of the cities around the same latitude as Turkey.

Turkey has 80 administrative provinces and seven geographical regions. The first four of the seven regions are given the names of the seas which are adjacent to them.

Marmara (Marmara) Aegean (Ege) Mediterranean (Akdeniz) Southeastern (Guney Dogu) Eastern (Dogu) Blacksea (Karadeniz) Central Anatolia (Ic Anadolu)

The total area Turkey covers is a bit less than 800.000 sq km ( 774,815 sq km ), which makes it one of the biggest countries in Europe and the Middle East. The neighbours are Greece and Bulgaria on the norhtwest,Armenia and Georgia on the northeast, Iran and Irak on the southeast and Syria on the south. Of all, the Turkish-Syrian border is the longest.Turkey has no direct border with Russia, but the Black Sea on the north.The other seas that cover Turkey are the Aegean on the west and the Mediterrenean on the south. In other words, Turkey is a huge big peninsula wrapped up by seas on three sides that looks like the head of a horse, as a Turkish poet has put it.

The highest mountain of Turkey is the Mount Ararat in the east, on which Noah's Ark is believed to be ,and it is not far from the lake Van , the biggest lake of the country. Other known mountains are Mount Erciyes, Mount Hasan, Bursa Uludag ,and the mountainchain "The Tauruses".

The Asian part of Anatolia comprises a large part of the present day Turkey, although the area mentioned above was only a small portion of the pre World War I. Once the Ottoman Empire had its widest borders from the Adriatic Sea to the Persian Gulf i.e. Indian Ocean. The eastern region of Turkey, Thrace, lies in Europe and has 23,000 sq km surface area. The elevation rises from west towards east and stabilizes at around 800m above sea level in the Central Anatolian Plateau.

Further east, the elevation increases and reaches 2,000-2,200m on the average in eastern Anatolia. In the South, the taurus Mountains lay parallel to the Mediterranean with average elevations around 2,500m, sometimes reaching 4,OOOm above sea level. In Western Anatolia, the mountain ranges lie from east to west, perpendicular to the Aegean Sea creating fertile valleys and fields washed by the rivers of famous ancient times legends such as the Great Meander, Castros, Pactole and Selinus. These mountain ranges, perpendicular to the sea, created many peninsulas and bays and thus, a coastal line full of natural wonders.

The high plateaus east of the sunken salt lake bowl contain many volcanoes with elevations of 3,000-4,OOOm and higher. The highest of these mountains is Mt. Ararat (5,165m). The largest lake in the country, Lake Van (3,600 sq km ) is also in this region. The high plains of Eastern Anatolia are generally large areas for animal husbandry, but there are lower, warmer and more fertile plains such as the Igdir plain. The rivers that originate in this region, like Euphrates and Tigris, flow south as the elevation decreases rapidly. They water the South Eastern Anatolia region and, forming Upper Mesopotamia, they leave Turkey.

In the Black Sea, it is noticeable that the mountains generally lie close to the sea. As a result of this, only several (Carsamba, Bafra, etc.) fertile plains were formed, and other than these plains, the mountains are almost perpendicular to the coastline.

The region around the Marmara Sea, both in Anatolia and in Thrace has very few changes in elevation , and is comprised of large, flat, fertile lands.

CLIMATE and WEATHER

It is commonly said that you can experience each of the four seasons on the same day in some part of Turkey. During the spring months early tourists bask in the Mediterranean sunshine of the south while on the lofty mountain tops above people are skiing. The Black Sea region glistens under spring rains while Southeastern Anatolia still sleeps under a blanket of snow. In some areas the temperature variation over 24 hours can be as much as 20 oC. Average precipation from region to region also varies enormously. For a country located in a temperate climatic zone, this variety is unusual, and is due to the diverse nature of Turkey's landscape, ranging as it does from low-lying plains to towering peaks, and in particular to the existence of mountain ranges running parallel to the coast.

The Mediterranean region, to the joy of the millions of sunworshipers who visit it annually, experiences the hot, dry summers typical of southern Greece and Italy, and its mild winters last only from December to March. The climate of the Aegean is similar though with lower temperatures. The climate of the Marmara Sea and Istanbul, influenced by the Balkan Peninsula, is less appealing. Warm, humid summers are followed by cool, rainy winters with lots of grey sky but not much snow. The Northern slopes of the Black Sea ranges and the narrow strip of land bordering the ‘Pontus Euxine' are misted over with rain year-round and are known for the resulting luxuriant green vegetation. The summers of the Central Anatolian plateau are hot and dry and the winters cold but fairly dry. Further east, the altitude increases and harsh winters with heavy snow between October and May are followed by blazing hot summers. In the Southeast a Middle Eastern influence exerts itself with cool dry winters and torrid summers

MONEY

• The New Turkish Lira or YTL will be effective from 01.01.2005.
• “Y” stands for “Yeni”(“New”) in Turkish
• Conversion: Six zeros to be deleted from existing TL.
• The sub-unit of YTL is YKr (“Yeni Kurus”)
• Both TL and YTL banknotes and coins will be in physical circulation in 2005 for one year.
• “Old” TL banknotes will be withdrawn from circulation as of 1 January 2006.
• After 1 January 2006, the Central Bank of Turkey will convert them to new banknotes for a period of 10 years.
• Eventually, “New” will be dropped from the name of the currency and YTL will be called TL again.

• Banknotes – 1, 5, 10, 20, 50 &100.
• Coins – 1, 5, 10, 25 and 50 New Kurus and 1 New TL.

LANGUAGE

Turkish spoken and Latin alphapet using.

The Turkish language is not an Indo-European language. It belongs to the Altay branch of the Ural-Altay linguistic family. The languages of this family are called Altaic because they are believed to have originated in the high lands around the Altay Mountains of Central Asia. More than 90 percent of all contemporary speakers of Altaic languages speak a Turkish language. The peoples of this region led a nomadic life. Turks, too, for centuries being nomads, took their language along whereever they moved. The Turkish language now stretches from the Mongolian lands and China to the present day Turkey. The far eastern border of the language now is where once the Turkish people have originated from. The Turkish language at present is being heavily spoken in the following countries and regions: Turkey, Northern Cyprus, Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, Ozbekistan, Turkistan, Kazakistan, Kirgizistan, Tajikistan and so on.

The language being spoken in Turkey now is accepted to be the standard Turkish and it is the descendant of Ottoman Turkish and its predecessor, so-called Old Anatolian Turkish, which was introduced into Anatolia by the Seljuk Turks in the late 11th century AD. It basically differs from that of other Turkic origin groups in dialects and accents.

In the period of the Ottomans, many loanwords penetrated into Turkish, and their
influence on the present day Turkish spoken in Turkey can be easily traced. As you can find in the Ataturk section to clean Turkish from foreign words, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk made changes in the language and adopted a Latin based alphabet instead of Arabic script in 1928. Now the Turkish alphabet has 29 letters, 8 of which are vowels and 21 are consonants. The Turkish language is written phonetically which means every letter is uttered while reading.

Accordingly, the Turkish alphabet is designed for the easiest phonetic description: For instance, to describe the sound of "ch" as in "chalk", in Turkish alphabet there is the letter of "c" with a cedilla, a dot under the letter "c". The same applies for "sh" sound as in "shore". In Turkish you simply put a cedilla under the letter "s" and that new letter is one of the 29 letters of the Turkish alphabet. The reason why we do not put these letters right here on this section is that your browser might not support Turkish characters and you may find totally irrelevant letters if not signs instead.

There is one other interesting letter in Turkish and it is the so-called "the soft g". This symbol is created by adding a cedilla this time to the top of the letter "g". The reason why it is called "the soft g" is the fact that you prolong the preceding vowel when there is a "soft g", in a way softening the utterance. To give you an example and let's kill two words, (ooppss) birds with one stone here; every foreigner, at least at the beginning, find it very difficult to say "thank you" in Turkish, "tesekkur ederim". Instead, there is a more friendly and easier way, that is, by saying "sagol", and the " g" here is a "soft g" and it is described with a cedilla dot on its top. So, you read it as " saaol" by prolonging the "a " sound , making it as if it were double. "Saaol", "Thanks".

RELIGION

99 percent of the population is Muslim. Turkey is a secular state that assures complete freedom of worship to non-Muslims.

FOOD and DRINK

Visitors who are not familiar with Turkish cuisine have a delightful surprise in store for them: stemming partly from the spectacular variety of ingredients and partly from the influence of the numerous civilizations which have inhabited Anatolia throughout history, Turkish cuisine is simply delicious.

Regional Specialities

As you visit different areas of Turkey, there are local specialities which must be eaten in their home region to be fully appreciated. Thus Kanlica in Istanbul is famous for its yoghurt, Bursa for its Iskendar Kebab, Gaziantep for its pistachio nuts, the Black Sea for hamsi (fried anchovies) and corn bread and the Syrian borderlands (Urfa and Adana) for spicy shish kebabs.

Starters

A meal out will usually start with a selection of mezes -- appetizers -- from an enormous and very colourful platter brought to your table by the waiter. Cold mezes include stuffed mussels ( midye dolma ), humus, pureed aubergine salad ( patlican salatasi ), stuffed vine leaves (yaprak dolma) and Circassian chicken ( cevizli tavuk ). Among the selection of hot mezes are usually borek, (thin layers of flaky pastry stuffed with cheese, meat or spinach), sautéed lamb's liver with onions and kalamari.

Salad lovers will find a variety of unusual, spicy herbs appearing along with the standard tomato and cucumber, especially in the south. Roka is a bitter herb which translates as rocket in English, and you may also find spiky dereotu (bitter cress), nane (fresh mint) or even kuzu kulla (sorrel). A spinachy-textured vegetable frequently served in garlic-yogurt is called semizotu , known to us as purslane.

Main courses

Main courses are generally fish or meat kebabs, though this word is used in a much wider sense than generally understood in the West. The spices and herbs used to delicately flavor the meat varies from region to region. Guvec dishes are delicious casseroles cooked in earthenware pots . Et sote , a kind of goulash, is very good, as is coban kavurma . The eating of fish has an elevated if not cult status in Turkey. It is best eaten in an open-air restaurant by the sea, preferably Anadolu Kavagi, Rumeli Kavagi or Kumkapi, always accompanied by raki, and enjoyed in the company of good friends. The choice depends on the catch of the day, and may include swordfish ( kilic ), bluefish ( lufer ), turbot ( kalkan ) or lobster ( istakoz ).

The staple of lunch time cafeterias is ev yemek , which translates literally as home food, signifying tasty vegetable and meat-based stews. An interesting aspect of Turkish drinking culture is the all-night iskembe parlor, which serves tripe soup. It is considered medicinal after a night on the town, with crushed garlic from a bowl, red pepper, oregano and vinegar added to taste.

Desserts

In restaurants, dessert is often a beautifully presented selection of seasonal fruits. In spring this may be green almonds and plums, generally an acquired taste for foreigners. There are strawberries in May, cherries in June, melons in July and August and apples, pears and pomegranates in autumn. Winter is the time for Turkish-grown citrus fruits and bananas.

For a wider selection of sweets try the pastane , or pudding shop, where you'll find all the traditional Turkish sweets such as lokum , or Turkish delight, baklava, kadayif , halva and asure (traditionally held to contain the forty different ingredients left in the Ark's kitchen when Noah sighted Ararat). Sutlac , or rice pudding, is also popular, as are profiteroles, best tried at Inci Pastanesi on Istanbul's Istiklal Caddesi.

Breakfast

Turkish breakfasts are dominated by freshly baked bread, eaten with salty white cheese, olives, tomatoes, cucumbers, butter, honey, jam, and often a boiled egg. Deliciously creamy yoghurt is an optional extra. Other breakfast alternatives include pastry shops which serve a variety of flaky pastries with cheese or meat fillings.

Drinks

Turkey produces some excellent dry wines, both red and white, which go well with a variety of foods. Names to look out for include Villa Doluca, Kavakladere Cankaya, Yakut and Dikmen . Efes and Tuborg beers are almost always the only beers available, and both are good. A must is the local aniseed-based drink, raki , drunk with water added and called "lion's milk" by Turks. But heed this tried and tested warning well: “ you must drink the raki and not let it drink you !” A meal is often followed by an espresso sized cup of Turkish coffee, though Italian coffees are becoming increasingly popular.

For day-time and non-alcoholic alternatives, try ayran , a yogurt, salt and water mix. Freshly-squeezed juices are also widely available and cheap, but best in winter when the citrus season is in full force in the South. There is also carrot juice, banana milk and sour apple juice. Strong black tea in tulip shaped glasses will be served any time you are asked to sit and wait, or go visiting, but there is also a strong tradition of herbal teas, some of which (like sage) are unusual to the western palate but very good.

Boza and sahlep are popular drinks in winter. The former is made from mildly fermented millet and tastes rather like eggnog. Sahlep, on the other hand, is served hot on ferry boats and other public places and is made from the pulverized tubers of the wild orchid. It is very sweet and comes sprinkled with cinnamon, and is the perfect companion on a cold winter's day.

ACCOMODATION

Hotels

A certain number of hotels throughout the country are registered with the Ministry of Tourism which means that they abide by certain regulations and standards of facilities, and these are given the name “touristic”. There are other establishments registered with local authorities, and these too, meet a certain standard with regard to facilities and services.

At the seaside resorts and tourist centers on the Mediterranean and Agean which generally offer satisfactory facilities (restaurants, a private beach, and all morning facilities) there are also spacious holiday villages with high standards.

Restaurants

There are many top-notch retaurants in Turkey, particularly in Istanbul and Ankara where international cuisine is quite prevelant. There are also a large number of small, familly restaurants which offer, simple but tasty dishes at moderate prices. The meze (hors d'oeuvres) are often accompanied by raki or wine. Fish and shellfish are fresh and very tampting. At most of the establishments along the road, there is spit-roasted lamb, salads with tasty dressings, and frsh vegetables stuffed with savory rice. If you don't know the names of the dishes, you can always go to the kitchen and choose from the dishes displayed.

TRANSPORTATION

VISAS

Ordinary passport holders of national countries may obtain sticker type visas at the Turkish International Border Gates to enter into Turkey.

Why Turkey

•  Rand currency exchange rate gives unbeatable production value to your budget. %50 below US and Europe with a favourable exchange rates.

•  The Anatolian Peninsula is in terms of its geographical features, just like a miniature version of the Asian continent. The sun shines in Asia Minor for 200 days of the year, because of this reason some writers refer to it as “the land of sunshine”.

•  Even the existence of three seas around the coasts of Asia minor means three distinct shades of blue, three different ways of life and three different depts and salinity levels.

•  Turkey's mountains, mineral water springs, lakes, rivers, forests and features of climate and landscape, which changes from region to region, mean that a wide variety of shots can be filmed in the same country and also variety and orginality of its natural, historical and cultural values.