Turkey | AllCheapFares
"Coming in gallop from far Asia stretched forward like a mare‘s head into Mediterranean Sea - this is our country."
This is the way Nazim Hikmet described TURKEY and a look on the map shows you immediately that the country is surrounded on three sides by the sea: The Aegean Sea and the Sea of Marmara on the west coast, the Eastern Mediterranean Sea in the south and the Black Sea in the north. Turkey has little land in Europe (24.000 square kilometers), and most of its land in Asia (756.000 square kilometers) Thrace being the name of the European part and Anatolia being the name of the Asian part. Istanbul is the most important city in Turkey and the population is more than 12 million. The Asian continent is connected to Europe in Istanbul, with two impressive suspended bridges across the Bosphorus, connecting the European and Asian parts of Istanbul.
Istanbul is Turkey's prime attraction. As Frank Sinatra says "I would like to wake up in a city which does not sleep" New York and Istanbul fit that catagory very well, to see that, cross the Bosphorus Bridge or drive along the Bosphorus at midnight!! Istanbul has the most beautiful mosques (Blue Mosque) and palaces (Topkapı and Dolmabahce) of the country, it has Byzantine churches (Kariye and St. Sophia) and Roman temples. Without fear of exaggeration one can say that Istanbul's claim to the title of Eternal city is as justified as Rome's. There are about 12 million people in the city. You can find all kinds of attractions in the city.
Cappadocia is another great sight: it is both a natural wonder and the result of human inventiveness. Soft volcanic rock, called tuffs, formed a landscape of bizarre beauty (fairy chimneys) , but it was man who made their homes, churches, shops and courtrooms in them. All of these are decorated in a highly original style. There are more than 1000 churches under ground. In the South East of Anatolia you find the strange rock statues at Nemrut Dagi, near Kahta, Adıyaman, which could remind you of Easter island, as well as ancient cities like Van, located on lake Van, and Dogubayazit.
On the South coast of Turkey you will find approximately 600 old Greek and Roman ruins, mostly well preserved. About 1 hour west of Kemer there is the wonderfull Roman town Phasalis: this is a museum town, where you can see the remains of a complete Roman city, including a military harbour, an aquaduct, a theater and many more buildings. You will walk on the old Roman roads between those buildings.
Mount Ararat, at 5,165 m the highest point in the country, is said to be the resting place of Noah's Ark. The famed city of Troy is here as well, south of Istanbul. And you must not leave without seeing Ephesus, the legendary city , home to the Temple of Artemis and the city where Saint Peter wandered, spreading his gospel before settling in Crete. There are many other sites of archaeological and religious significance. With such a diversity of things to see, Turkey is a wonderful destination for any traveler.