Istanbul is not Constantinople anymore!

Its pitty! I wish it could be Constantinople and I were able to see the most powerful years of the Eastern Roman Empire. Imagine walking through the beautiful architectural buildings, Roman forums, see the original Hagia Sophia, join in a  horse race in the Hippodrome, sail from Europe to Asia by a Byzantine style wooden boat. Wow what a dream it is!

Walking in the Old Town, View of St Sophia

Anyway, I born too late to see all these and I have to bear with the traffic of Istanbul. But I still love living in this city. I can still cross the Bosphorus with my super yacht. 

For me, Istanbul is unquestionably one of the world’s great metropolises. It has served as a capital of great civilizations including the Roman and Ottoman Empire. Straddling Europe and Asia on both sides of the Bosphorus, it is an endlessly and compelling blend of East and West.

Crossing The Bosphorus By Ferry, Europe is on the right and Asia on the left so Where am I?

Historic sites such as the Blue Mosque and Topkapı Palace are vivid reminders of the city‘s long run of glory, while teeming bazaars (Grand Bazaar, Spice Market and Arasta Bazaar) and ancient Turkish Baths also offer a window into the past.

Its history is not the only lure. International press have been talking up Istanbul for many years. There are numerous innovative boutiques, bars, galleries, clubs, and restaurants as there are Ottoman mosques. 

So the question : where to start?

Tourist Map of Istanbul, Anybody has GPS??

Reasons to visit Turkey this year.

You want to prepare your Christmas Turkey and checking for the best recipes. Googling and checking on youtube. Then you see some amazing pictures showing wonderful places named Istanbul, Cappadocia, Antalya, Turquoise Coast, Ephesus and many more. You suprised! Dont you? Because you only used to hear and see it on recent news as a country which in chaos. Its not true! So "Why should I go to Turkey?". Here are first five reasons to visit Turkey.

Sultanahmet Square, Sophia Museum and Topkapi Palace along with Bosphorus Strait

Visit World-famous historical sites; Definitely Turkey has more ancient sites than Greece. Whatever you learn in your history lessons and hear regarding Greek Mythology lived in Anatolia. The Temple of Artemis, Mausoleum of Halicarnassus, Zeus Altar are three Seven Wonders of the ancient world are in Turkey. Historical peninsula of Istanbul called Sultanahmet is one of the must visited places to see St Sophia Church, Blue Mosque, Underground Cistern which is recently mentioned in Dawn Brown's Inferno. 

Enjoy Shopping in World's oldest malls; Turkey is shoppers paradise with open-air markets, covered Turkish bazaars, and chic boutiques everywhere. From scarves and textiles to ceramics, gold and carpets, whatever you look for is in Turkey.

Turkish Food & Cuisine; Meat lovers, vegetarians or gourmets, Turkish cuisine has everything you look for. Delicious kebabs, tasty mezes and amazing desserts is waiting for you to taste.

Shopping in the Spice Market

Affordable Holiday: Turkey offer great alternative holidays for families, students, elders or couples. From budget to luxury you can find all type of holidays together with endless activities. 

Easy to Travel: Turkish airlines have direct flights from all EU countries beside direct flights from USA, Canada and Latin America to Istanbul. Many countries do not need visa while some others can get it easily on arrival. Unfortuanetely some need to apply for visa to Turkish Embassy in their town. With the current power of US Dollars and EURO against to Turkish Liras, Turkey is a alternative destination to all other European countries. You should not miss early booking deals!

"Turkish Coffee" Ever tasted one?

You are in Turkey and you can not wake up without drinking my coffee! You want your coffee... You want caffeine now, right now! Alright, you are a coffeecholic and can not start the day without a cup of coffee. So good new for you that you can drink your coffee in your hotel or any cafeteria and restaurant close to your hotel. Bad news ; You must get used to drink Turkish style of coffee as you can not find a Starbucks everywhere.

Turkish word for coffee : Kahve

Turkish coffee refers not to a type of coffee, but to the way in which it is prepared. Unfiltered, the coffee grounds are never completely dissolved.

When drinking Turkish coffee, the trick is to keep gently swirling your cup. Otherwise, you will drink weak coffee and end up with a thick layer of grounds at the bottom of the cup or in your final gulp.

Locals prefer Turkish coffee without sugar but if it is your first time tasting the coffee; it is wise to add sugar because it is very bitter and a strong taste.

How to make Turkish Coffee?

Traditionally, ground coffee is  added to cold water in a copper pot (some use hot lukewarm water, to speed up the process, but the difference in taste is obvious. Turks call this hasty version “dishwater.”

The coffee and water mixture is stirred and slowly heated over medium heat. Just before the water boils, the pot is set aside and its contents are allowed to settle.

Then the pot is put back on boil. This time, half is poured into a cup, while the rest is reheated and then used to top off the drink.

 

Locals have a traditional saying to indicate whether the coffee is of decent quality.

“If the horseshoe floats, you know its good coffee.”

In some regions, an age-old tradition when choosing a bride was to judge her on the quality of her Turkish coffee. The intended family of the groom would be invited to her family’s house and she would serve everyone coffee. An engagement and wedding would only be agreed to if the coffee tasted delicious!

Turkey ? Not the bird for your Christmas Dinner!

Hi there!

I hope you are as excited as I am, and ready to explore Turkey. I cannot wait to share my passion with you so have prepared this blog detailing fun and interesting facts about Turkey.

Turkey is a very large country with 75 million population, 7 different regions and colourful neighbours such as Greece, Bulgaria, Georgia, Iraq, Iran and Syria. Althought the culture is different from those, you can still feel the influence in food and language.

Balloon Ride in Cappadocia

Historical bacrground :

- No idea who came first 

- They discovered settlement of Gobeklitepe in Southestern Turkey and its dated back to 11000 BC ( I hear you say "Wowowow!" because its older than Stonehenge.

- Catalhoyuk is a Neolithic settlement which is close to Konya, Central Turkey so there were people doing agriculture in Turkey in 5000 BC. Dont be suprised but they were doing also brain surgery in Asiklihoyuk which is near Cappadocia again in Turkey. Well, appearantly they were very clever and not sure if we have any blood connection with these people.

Gobeklitepe, Southeastern Turkey

- Then the Hitties came on stage. Have you ever heard about Battle of Kadesh or Treaty of Kadesh? Yes these were Hitties kicked the Ramses II out of Mesopotamia.

- Assyrians, Phrigians (remember King Midas?)

- Of course, Greeks! They created the base of our modern life and democracy but why somebody did not tell them Capitalism and economy will mean everything in 21st century.

- Romans and then Byzantine Empire

- Finally Turks came from steppes of Central Asia passing through Caucasia, Persia and Mesopotamia. Then the challange began between Turks and Greeks which finalized with the conquest of Istanbul in 1453AD. New era started with Ottoman Empire.

Turks & Greeks Forever

- In 1923 Modern Turkish Republic of Turkey founded by Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, a national hero and means a lot for Turkish people.

This was the brief history of 13000 years. Of course, millions of books can be written this history but I would not dare this now !