Hello everyone! I’m Ege and I will be in Lublin for a 3 months internship programme at the Rule of Law Institute Foundation. I come from Turkey and about my country, probably everyone has heard of the historic Istanbul, Cappadocia and Turkish coffee. Yet, there are still a lot to learn and discover about Turkey.
Turkey is a transcontinental country located mostly in Western Asia and also has a small part of Thracia located in southeast Europe. The Republic of Turkey was established in 1923 as a secular, unitary and former parliamentary republic until the adoption of a presidential system in 2017. The official language is Turkish whereas Kurdish and Arabic are the also commonly spoken languages. Inhabited by 82 million people, the land covers an area of 783.562 km2 surrounded by the Mediterranean to the south, Aegean Sea to the west and Black Sea to the north. It is neighboured by Greece and Bulgaria to the northwest, Georgia to northeast, Armenia, Iran and Azerbaijan to the east, Syria and Iraq to the south. Ankara is the capital city while the largest city is Istanbul with more than 17 million inhabitants. In Istanbul, you can enjoy great eastern and western historic views all around the city and enjoy Turkish hospitality in local restaurants. Also, major port cities like Antalya and Izmir (Smyrna) have a lot to offer too, being other popular travel destinations.
Since 2005, Turkey has been among top 10 destinations of tourists. During summertime, you can enjoy all along the western and southern coast not only for a Blue Voyage but also because the region hosts many landmarks including ancient Greek cities, amphitheatres, rock tombs, unique nature like Pamukkale (The Cotton Castle) and much more. You can also visit Uludag and Kartalkaya during the winter for skiing and other winter sports as they are quite popular.
As Anatolia has a long history. Іt has hosted many ancient civilizations like Ionians, Phyrgians, Urartians, Hittites and their ruins are partially still remaining. Тhe archaeological site Göbekli Tepe, Library of Celcius and ruins of Mount Nemrut are just few of thоse that you definitely should visit.
This cultural diversity throughout history contributed a lot to one of the richest cuisines of the world, varying from Mediterranean to Middle-Eastern tastes. Kokoretsi, adana kebab, seafood, tripe soup and kunefe are few of the most popular dishes, so if you are going to visit Turkey, prepare yourself to overeat as well!
Common misconceptions about Turkey:
- Unlike from its neighbours in the Middle-East, the Turkish alphabet is Latin based, not Arabic.
- Men don’t wear the fez anymore and women do not have to wear hijab.
- Alcohol is not illegal as there are also Turkish drinks such as “raki”.
- There are no deserts in Turkey as it is not a landlocked territory.
Some interesting facts about Turkey:
- Turkey is home to two of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World and has 17 UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
- Mostly located in south and east, Turkey has 436 blue-flagged beaches (2nd in the world according to 2015 Blue Flag program report).
- Turkey is one of the first countries that allowed women to vote.
- Istanbul is the only city that is part of two continents.
- Football is almost like religion in Turkey. During the weekends in Istanbul and Izmir you can join to thousands of fans.
- Today, Turkey hosts the largest number of refugees in the world (around 4 million).
- Turks are the largest tea consumers in the world (According to WorldAtlas research).
- In most of the cities, you will see thousands of cats and dogs who are fed on the streets and they are not wild at all.
Ege Güder