Turkey is an interesting country for tourists and travelers. Having an ancient history and friendly Mediterranean culture makes Turkey different from the other countries. Today, I would like to give information about tours, climate, foods, shopping, nightlife, and historical places around Turkey.

Firstly, I like to talk about general information about Turkey. The country of Turkey is a republic, which was built by Mustafa Kemal Ataturk in 1923. Turkey has mainland in both Asia (755.688 sq Km) and Europe (23.764 sq km). The Turkish population is around 69 million and 98% of the population is Muslim .Unlike the other Muslim countries, Turkey is very democratic country. Any person is able to do what he or she believes. The Turkish lira is the currency in Turkey but it is very common to use U.S Dollars or Euros too. Ankara, which is in the middle of the country, is the capital city of Turkey. Turkish is the main language and Latin letters are used .Especially in tourist places everybody is able to speak English or German.

 Secondly, I want to give information about tours to Turkey. Most tour operators arrange tours from April to October for one or two weeks to Turkey. Visitors must have a  passport, which is valid for at least 3 months from the day of landing in the country .Tourists can will receive tourist visa at the Turkish International airports .There is no limit for amount of the cash, but it is forbidden to bringing in or out ,more than 5000 U.S Dollars in  Turkish lira .

 The Climate and the Turkish Coast are the third things that I would like to give information about. On the Mediterranean coasts, summers are warm, around 35 centigrade, and winter are short and rainy. From April, until the beginning of November tourists can use summer clothes. For the rest of the time, it is much better to bring raincoats. The climate in the north and the east of the country is much stronger. The winters in this area are cold and snowy; summers are very hot and arid. The Mediterranean coast is very interesting place especially for tourists. It has a beautiful, turquoise sea with many historical places. The Mediterranean Sea is little bit colder and saltier than average.

Turkish food is the other important point that I like to talk about. Many tourists recommend that Turkish food. It is one or the best tasting foods around the world .Most foods are spicy but not always hot. There is variety in restaurants, ranging from small kebab restaurants to excellent, full course, luxurious restaurants. Kebabs and Doners are traditional foods, which are meat, eaten with bread. There are many kinds of sauce, which can be added to make doner very delicious.

Let me give information about shopping. In Turkey Shopping is kind of challenging but fun. It is very easy to find the copy of the famous brands on open bazaars. In addition , there are many luxury shops for the tourists, who like to spend money .The Close Bazaar is one of the most famous places in Istanbul .There are over 4000 shops placed in very old building .You could buy kilims or carpets from the bazaar. Bargaining is very common and interesting, but in normal shops, the prices are fixed.

The Nightlife is another thing that I like to write about. In Turkey especially on Mediterranean, coasts and big cities nightlife is very interesting .There are traditional Turkish bars where tourist could have interesting time. Mostly in Turkish bars, there is a belly dancer, who is dancing with traditional Turkish music. This makes the night more interesting especially for tourists. In addition, in big cities international concerns and festivals organized during the summer time. The city of Bodrum is very famous for its nightlife, on the Mediterranean cost.

The historical side of Turkey is one of the most important things, which makes Turkey special. I could say that Turkey has very rich history. There are many historical places all over the country. The Temple of Artemis placed near Bodrum is one of the seven wonders in ancient world.

        In conclusion, Turkey is the combination of historical places with Mediterranean hot culture. Anyone who likes traveling must visit Turkey.

August 2003