x0x You're going *where* on vacation?

x0x You're going *where* on vacation?

* Turkey has it all: the ruins of countless civilizations long since
disappeared, sites sacred to all three monotheistic religions,
sun-drenched beaches and crystal-clear water, natural wonders
unlike those seen anywhere else and a world-class city full of
magnificent vistas that fairly exudes its colorful history at
every turn. Add to this its being a shopper's paradise, a sports
enthusiast's dream, a gourmet's delight and home to the most
genuinely hospitable people to be found anywhere, what's there not
to like?

HELEN BETTS

ANKARA - Turkish Daily News

I'm really fed up with my family and friends making up excuses about
why they can't come to Turkey on holiday. A few years ago, my best
friend in the States was intending to combine Ankara with a trip to
Israel. We spent hours on the phone making plans. Then she wrote,
saying she wasn't coming because 1) she was afraid of catching yellow
fever (in Turkey??); 2) she didn't want to get hepatitis (possible,
but not probable if you are careful); and 3) she was concerned about
the terrorism she had heard was "rampant" in the country (obviously
she hadn't realized that Ankara was a fair distance away from the
problems, which by then had pretty much died down). This year she was
again contemplating visiting, but changed her mind after all her
friends at home greeted her plans with, "Why would you want to go
there " Finally someone who had lived here told her she would
probably be OK traveling solo but that she should expect to get
pinched every place she went. In Turkey, a Muslim country?

And then there was my father. He wanted to come, but I think he felt
Ankara was like something out of the Wild West and that even daring to
walk the streets here would be perilous to life and limb. There is
some element of truth to that, but I mean, this is the capital city of
a modern European country, isn't it? Most people do manage to navigate
by foot or taxi and live to tell the tale. And when he was considering
taking a military flight into Incirlik Air Base in Adana, it didn't
even occur to him that Turkey has a national airline with flights
serving all major cities on a daily basis and that Ankara was only a
quick 45 minutes away. So he stayed home. My mother-in-law opted to
visit us in Okinawa, our next posting, instead of in Turkey. Granted,
Okinawa is a nice resort island, but really -- there's no comparison
between the two in terms of things to do and see.

So, you might ask, why should anyone want to come here? The simple
reason is because Turkey has so much to offer; in fact there's
something for everyone.

History at every turn

One of the few places in the world that has been continuously
inhabited since the dawn of mankind, Turkey has witnessed the rise and
fall of civilization upon civilization for the past 10,000 years.
Everywhere you go, you can't help but stumble upon a ruin, a temple, a
mosque, a wall, a castle or an old road, and Turkey is a veritable
treasure trove for history and archeology buffs. To name just a few
well-known sites, there's Ephesus in the Aegean region, the
best-preserved classical city on the eastern Mediterranean and one of
the most ideal places in the world to get a feel for what life was
like in Roman times.

On the Aegean coast the ruins of Troy, made famous by Homer in his
"Iliad," host nine ancient cities, one on top of another, dating back
to 3000 B.C. Further afield and possessing a different flavor, the
funerary tumulus and giant statues of the megalomaniacal Commagene
ruler Antiochus I and his god-relatives sitting atop Nemrut Dagi (Mt.
Nimrod) in the southeastern province of Adiyaman are said to rival the
Pyramids in potential archeological wealth. And in Turkey's
far-eastern reaches, the magnificent 17th century Isak Pasa Sarayi, a
restored palace reflecting the influence of Seljuk, Armenian, Persian,
Georgian and Ottoman architectural styles, guards the ancient Silk
Road in the shadow of Agri Dagi (the legendary Mt. Ararat, where Noah
and the ark were supposed to have landed).

Rich in faith-based tourism

Sitting at the juncture between Europe and Asia, East and West, Turkey
hosts a confluence of religions and is a premier location for faith
tourism of several creeds, one of them being Christianity. Among the
sites important to Christians in Turkey are the remains of the Seven
Churches of Revelation dotting the western region, the final home of
the Virgin Mary and the grave of St. John the Apostle at Seljuk, the
Grotto of St. Peter in Antakya, believed by the Crusaders to be an
early secret Christian meeting place, and the more than 3,500 rock
churches built into Cappadocia's magical fairy-chimneys by third- and
fourth-century monastics.

Completed in 548, Istanbul's Aya Sofya is an architectural wonder --
replete with gorgeous mosaics -- that once reigned as the premier
church in Christendom. It was converted into a mosque after the
Ottoman conquest of Constantinople in 1453 and now serves as a museum.
Also to be savored are the ruins of 10th and 11th century Armenian
churches at Ani, the magnificent Church of the Holy Cross on Ahtamar
Island on Lake Van and the remains of numerous Georgian churches
around Yusufeli in Turkey's East. And a place not to be missed in the
Black Sea area is the spectacular Sumela Monastery, built high into
the side of a mountain near Trabzon.

Sun, sea and relaxation

If it's sun, sea and relaxation you want, head for the Aegean and
Mediterranean coasts -- popular destinations are Marmaris, Bodrum and
Antalya. The beaches are warm and inviting, the sky a brilliant blue,
the sun blazing, the nightlife booming. There's something to suit
every taste and pocketbook, from major hotels offering all amenities
from room service to golf, beaches and pools and marine activities
galore, to frill-less two and three-star hotels providing basic
services, to charming pensions tucked away here and there. Charter a
Blue Voyage cruise on a romantic gulet and spend days lazily exploring
the southern Aegean and western Mediterranean coastlines.

Off the beaten track and less deluged with tourists are smaller towns
such as Fethiye, with its beautiful natural harbor, beaches and nearby
historic ruins; Kas, a pleasant Turkish seaside village that serves as
a good base for excursions to some spectacular hidden spots along the
coast; and Olimpos, fascinating not only for its ruins scattered
amongst a verdant natural paradise but also for its location just
inland from a stunning beach, along the course of a stream running
through a rocky gorge. And the sleepy fishing village of Foca on the
Aegean comes alive during the summer and provides a pleasant sojourn
with its charming pensions, seaside dining and relatively isolated
location.

Urban wonder

If beaches are not your thing and cosmopolitan centers are your
vacation spot of choice, Turkey can more than accommodate your
desires. Istanbul, formerly known as Byzantium and then
Constantinople, is one of the most fascinating cities in the world and
could take a lifetime to adequately explore. Surrounded by the
spectacular waters of the Bosporus, the Golden Horn and the Sea of
Marmara, Istanbul remains the heartbeat of the Turkish spirit, and its
place in the country's history, folklore, commerce and culture is
unchallenged.

The old city, situated in an area known as Sultanahmet, offers such
wonders as Topkapi Palace with its fabulous Ottoman treasures,
exquisite buildings and famous Harem, where the sultans' wives were
sequestered. Suleymaniye Mosque, designed by famous 16th century Chief
Court Architect Mimar Sinan, combines a balance of mass, line and
height culminating in the architect's inspired interpretation of a
place of Muslim worship. Also in Istanbul is the magnificent Sultan
Ahmet Camii (Blue Mosque), completed in 1617, with its six graceful
minarets and blue tiles and frescoes that give the complex its name.
The labyrinthine Kapali Carsi (Covered Bazaar) is a shopper's
paradise, housing 4,000 shops purveying carpets, gold, silver, copper,
leather and just about everything else as well as several kilometers
of streets, mosques, banks, police stations, restaurants and
workshops. Get lost in the exotic aromas of the Spice Bazaar, not far
from which is Rustem Pasa Mosque, a gem that owes its fame to the
fabulous 16th century flowered Iznik tiles that make a heavenly garden
bloom on the walls.

Shopper's paradise

Turkey is also an art lover's paradise, and the visitor will find
Turkish museums to be full of examples of the artistic endeavors of
the Ottoman Empire: beautifully colored tiles and ceramics from Iznik,
delicate glass pitchers and vases from Istanbul, elaborately carved
wooden mosque doors, elegant illuminated Korans, glittering jewelry,
spectacular Ottoman embroidery and sumptuous costumes.

Traditional folk arts also abound in Turkey and include embroidery and
lace-making, carved wooden implements, intricately etched copper
vessels and furniture and boxes inlaid with mother-of-pearl. But above
everything else carpet weaving, Turkey's most famous craft, transcends
the boundaries of folk and fine art. Turkey is heaven for carpet
devotees and novices alike -- the beauty and quality of handwoven
pieces notwithstanding, the sheer number of carpets and kilims
(flat-weaves) for sale -- created in Turkey as well as in Iran, the
Caucasus and Central Asia -- boggles the mind, and it is a rare
tourist or expatriate who returns home without having purchased at
least one (and usually many) woven treasure.

Sportsman's dream

Sports enthusiasts will also find something to their liking in Turkey.
For the active-minded, water sports are phenomenally popular on the
country's endless miles of coastline and include yachting, rowing,
water-skiing, snorkeling and swimming. Mountain climbers will find a
number of good, high mountains to ascend. There is decent skiing on
Uludag near Bursa, in a few resorts near Antalya, on Mt. Erciyes near
Kayseri and at Palandoken near Erzurum, where the snow is good for
nine months of the year. For those preferring spectator sports,
soccer, basketball and oiled wrestling reign supreme. Camel wrestling
during Aydin's winter months provides an interesting diversion, and a
javelin-throwing game known as cirit is played in Konya.

Turkey's treasure: It's people

But Turkey's greatest treasure is its people: warm, friendly, kind,
always anxious to help. Whether they are assisting you in getting to
your destination, trying to sell you a carpet, inviting you into their
home for a taste of Turkey's incomparable cuisine, urging you to come
and join in a wedding ceremony or simply wanting to chat over a glass
of cay, their hospitality is legendary and their pleasure at your
having taken the time to visit their country is unbelievably
gratifying.

No matter what your interests are, the people you encounter and the
places you see here are sure to make your experience in Turkey
unforgettable and one you will be certain to repeat.


__________________________________________________________________
Copyright 2004, Turkish Daily News. This article is redistributed with
permission for personal use of TRKNWS-L readers. No part of this article
may be reproduced, further distributed or archived without the prior
permission of the publisher. Contact: Turkish Daily News Online on the
Internet World Wide Web. www.turkishdailynews.com

For information on other matters please contact tdn-f.RemoveThis@tr-net.net.tr
__________________________________________________________________