TURKEY A CRADLE OF CIVILIZATION

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INTRODUCTION OF TURKEY AS A FANTASTIC INCENTIVE

VENUE

Turkey is a country that bridges two continents, and which for over ten thousand years,

has been the home of the great culture and civilisations of the world!

Turkey is the land of the "Mother Sun" which gives her name to the land ' Anatolia' the

8000-kilometres long seductive coastline displays limitless shades of ' Turquoise' for you

to enjoy. The golden beaches, undiscovered virgin bays, and the whisper of gentle

breezes await you there.

While you are in Turkey, you breath the same air with Homer, who created the Aegean

legacy, Thales who created the western philosophy, Mevlana-Rumi the greatest

philosopher who said " Come again, whoever you are!"; Yunus Emre, the great poet of

universal love; Marcus Antonius and Cleopatra who chose the Mediterranean coasts of

Anatolia for their honeymoon: Noah who made possible "Second Life" of humanity; the

Virgin Mary and St. John, saints who found peace in this land;

You are in a land where the fabulous gods and goddesses of mythology lived their

grandeur. Zeus, Apollon, Aphrodite, Hermes, Dionysus (Bakhus) and many of others.

You may find yourselves one moment you are in the Early bronze Age, another you live

in the richness of the Roman Civilisation, or you may feel yourself like a Sultan in the

glamorous palaces of the Ottoman Empire.

The cradle of civilisations! The most appropriate words describing Turkey which is the

monumental treasure of civilisation that have enlightened the world. Here, an unlimited

number of monuments bear the reminiscence of the cultural evolution of Anatolia. The

ancient cities Pergamum, Ephesus, Aphrodisias, Hierapolis, Didyma, Miletos, Priene

redolent with distant legend and history, dot the landscape.

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AREA AND POPULATION

Turkey is a country located at a point where the three continents of the old world (Asia, Africa and Europe) are closest to each other and where Asia and Europe meet. Because of its geographical location, Anatolia has always been important throughout history and is the birthplace of many great civilizations. The surface area of Turkey is 780.000 km2. Out of the total land, 97% is in Asia and this part is called Anatolia or Asia Minor; 3% is in Europe which is called Thrace. According to the 1997 census the population is 64 million.

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HISTORY

Palaeolithic &Neolithic Ages

The land of Anatolia has seen many civilizations, signs of which are spread all around, beginning from the earliest ages of humanity. Palaeolithic times dating back approximately 500.000 years ago, constitute the first period from which findings from the lives of oldest humans exist. Discoveries have been made by archaeologists at Belbaşı and Beldibi near Antalya, bringing this age to light. The period 8000-5000 B.C., saw the Neolithic Age, when the first settlements with the first communities occurred. Çatalhöyük near Konya which is the world’s first town in this sense, is in Turkey. The more sophisticated characteristics of this period are easily observed from the findings at this settlement and in Hacılar.

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HISTORY BRONZE AGE

Next comes the Bronze Age, between 2500-2000 B.C., during which the Hatti culture developed, and the Hittites followed from 1800 to 1200 B.C. During these periods, Anatolia witnessed more advanced social systems and the establishment of great monuments. Hattuşaş near Ankara, was the capital of Hittites, and at Yazılıkaya, another Hittite centre, hieroglyphic tablets from this period have been found.

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HISTORY

HELENISTIC & ROMAN

Several centuries later, about 800 B.C.; the Carian, Lycian, Lydian, and Phrygian Empires were established, as well as Greek colonies. The signs from this age still remain in ancient cities such as Ephesus, Miletos, Priene, Halicarnassus, Sardis etc. all over the Aegean Coast.

Between 334-323 B.C., Alexander the Great conquered almost all of these ancient cities together with the Persian states founded in the 6th century B.C. The Hellenistic Empire spread over the land, from which period city walls, gymnasiums, theatres and stadiums remain.

By 230 B.C., Romans were crossing the Aegean towards Anatolia, and from this period onwards, the Anatolian lifestyle influenced the Romans. Many changes took place in the land of Turkey during these times, the Cappadocia region still bearing the imprint of Rome to this day.

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HISTORY BYZENTIUM & SELCUK

After the advent of Christianity, the

Roman Empire was divided into

two in 395 A.D.; the Western

Empire eventually collapsed and

the Eastern evolved into the

Byzantine Empire. Constantinople

(İstanbul) was the capital, which

was conquered and pillaged by the

Latin incursion in 1204 A.D. By this

time, Islam had been brought to

Anatolia with the invasions of

Arabs in 654 A.D. They passed

their religion onto the Seljuk Turks

who occupied most of the land

following them and Konya became

the Seljuk capital in this period.

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HISTORY OTTOMAN EMPIRE

After 1243 A.D., Mongols invaded Anatolia, while soon after the Ottoman Turks, advanced and founded the Ottoman Empire in 1299. With the conquest of Constantinople in 1453, the Ottoman Empire enlarged its borders in Europe, Africa and Middle East. Until its official end in 1918, this empire saw many periods of growth, retrenchment and flourishment, leaving its heritage and treasures not only in Anatolia and İstanbul but also all around the Balkans, Middle East and North Africa.

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HISTORY MODERN TURKEY

In 1923, Republican

Turkey was founded by

Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the

national hero of Turkey, and

after witnessing such a vast

parade of civilizations over

its land, Turkey now

constitutes a modern

country working to attain

integration with the whole

world.

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GENERAL INFORMATION WEATHER

Turkey is a big country of a varied topography and so it has many climatic zones. The Marmara, Aegean and Mediterranean coasts display a typical Mediterranean climate of hot summers and mild winters. The swimming season is from June to September along the Marmara and North Aegean coasts, while it is from April to October on the South Aegean and Mediterranean coasts. The Black Sea Region has a moderate climate; the summers are quite warm and winters are mild. There is quite a difference between the coastal regions and the inland regions which are at higher altitudes. The climate reaches its extremes in central and eastern Anatolia with hot, dry summers, and cold snowy winters. Spring and autumn are best for sightseeing and travelling.Anatolia shows all her beauties during this periods.

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GENERAL INFORMATION AVERAGE TEMPERATURES

CITIES JAN

FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC

ANKARA -1 1 5 11 16 18 22 23 18 13 8 2

ISTANBUL 5 6 8 12 16 21 23 24 20 16 12 8

IZMIR 9 9 12 15 20 24 27 27 24 19 14 11

ANTALYA 10 12 14 18 20 25 28 29 25 20 11 10

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GENERAL INFORMATION OTHER NECESSARY INFORMATION

CLOTHING From May to September light preferably cotton

clothing is needed with a jacket or wrap for evenings. In other months heavier clothing is recommended especially in the evenings.

TIME GMT + 2 hours.

ELECTRICITY

AC, 50 cycles, 220 volts.

LANGUAGE

Turkish is the official language. In big cities, many people speak English, German or French. As Latin alphabet is used, it is easy to read street names and signs.

HOLIDAYS

The working week is Monday through Friday for

banks and government offices. All the shops

are open all day Saturday, from 09.00 to

19.000 hours.

OFFICIAL HOLIDAYS

January 1 New Year’s Day

April 23 Children’s Day

May 19 Youth and Sports Day

August 30 Victory Day

October 29 Republic Day

Islamic Religious Holidays, Ramadan Holiday

(3 days), Sacrifice Holiday (4 days) are

movable and commence 10 days earlier than

previous year.

INTRODUCTION OF

ISTANBUL

Exotic and mysterious, Istanbul offers a tempting glimpse of

the East in a relaxed and tolerant atmosphere. A long and

rich history has left many places to visit, from the great

mosques with their soaring minarets, and great churches to

the unique bazaars *in the most spectacular of settings

along the mighty Bosphorus.

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WELCOME TO ISTANBUL A CITY NEVER SLEEPS

Istanbul embraces two continents, one arm reaching out to Asia, the other to Europe. Through the city’s heart, the Bosphorus strait, course the waters of the Black Sea, the Sea of Marmara and the Golden Horn.

The former capital of three successive Empires Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman today Istanbul honours and preserves the legacy of its past while looking forward to its modern future. Considered to be one of the most prominent centres of the world for culture, arts, history, entertainment, trade and business, it is Istanbul’s variety that fascinates its visitors. The museums, churches, palaces, great mosques, very attractive nightlife and entertainment, bazaars and sights of natural beauty seem inexhaustible.

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Places of interest:

Cicek Pasajı ( Cite de Pera)

This historical flower passage now is the outstanding passageway with balconies and ceiling soaring high above are filled with restaurants and bars. Wandering musician’s come and go as those seated among the expanse of tables sample delicious traditional dishes.

Cicek Pasaji connects with the Balik Pazari; Fish Bazaar, which still retains a number of fresh fish outlets, also boasts beautifully laid out fruit and vegetable stalls, and delightful, spice, meat and poultry shops as well as a number of delicatessens. To the rear of the Bazaar Nevizade Street host of series of lively restaurants, where people gather to sit, eat, drink and talk, in the warmer months the activity is all outdoors in the open street.

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Places of interest

The Galata Tower,

Built as an apex of the Genoese

district fortifications, takes us, back to

the Medieval Beyoglu, as well as to its

present. The Galata Tower, which is

now a tourist sight and a night club-

restaurant organizing Turkish night

during evenings, once belonged to the

Genoese. The district itself was

founded in the 5th century A.D..

Narrow streets, characteristic of

medieval times, lead us down to the

Galata Bridge through Dominican

Churches and the Genoese house.

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Places of interest

Hippodrome

The ancient Hippodrome, the scene of chariot races and the centre of Byzantine civic life, stood in the open space in front of the Blue Mosque, although there is not much left from the original building today. Of the monuments which once decorated it only three remain: the Obelisk of Theodosius, the bronze Serpentine Column and the Column of Constantine. Today the square forms the centre of Istanbul’s historical, cultural and touristic activities.

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Places of interest

Sultan Ahmet Mosque (The Blue Mosque)

Facing St. Sophia near the ancient Hippodrome stands the supremely elegant, six-minaret, imperial Sultanahmet Mosque. Built in the early 17th century by the architect Mehmet Ağa, as part of a large complex, the building is more familiarly known as the Blue Mosque because its interior gleams with a magnificent panelling of some 21,000 blue and white İznik tiles.

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Places of interest

St. Sophia

The Basilica of St.Sophia, now called the Ayasofya Museum, is unquestionably one of the finest buildings of all time. Built by Constantine the Great and reconstructed by Justinian in the 6th century, its immense dome rises 55 metres above the ground and its diameter spans 31 metres. One should linger here to absorb the building’s majestic serenity and to admire the fine mosaics. Ayasofya was used as a church for 916 years and as a mosque for 81 years. In 1934, by the order of Atatürk, it was turned into a museum and has since been open to visitors from all over the world.

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Places of interest

Topkapı Palace On a spot of land at the confluence of the

Bosphorus, the Golden Horn and the Marmara Sea stands the Topkapı Palace, the maze of buildings at the centre of the Ottoman Empire between the 15th and 19th centuries. In these opulent surroundings the sultans and their court lived and governed. A magnificent wooded garden fills the outer court. On the right of the second court, shaded by cypress and plane trees, stand the palace kitchens, now galleries exhibiting the imperial collections of crystal, silver, Chinese and Japanese porcelain. To the left,, the Harem, the secluded quarters of the wives, concubines and children of the sultan, charms visitors with echoes of the intrigue of centuries. Today, the third court holds the Hall of Audience, the Library of Ahmet III, an exhibition of imperial costumes worn by the sultans and their families, the famous jewels of the treasury and a priceless collection of miniatures from medieval manuscripts. In the centre of this innermost sanctuary, the Pavilion of the Holy Mantle enshrines the relics of the Prophet Mohammed brought to Istanbul when the Ottomans assumed the caliphate of Islam.

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Places of interest

Süleymaniye Mosque

The cascading domes and four slender minarets of Süleymaniye Mosque dominates the skyline on the Golden Horn’s west bank. Considered the most beautiful of all imperial mosques in Istanbul, it was built between 1550 and 1557 by Sinan, the renowned architect of the Ottoman golden age. On the crest of a hill, the building is conspicuous by its great size, which the four minarets that rise from each corner of the courtyard emphasize.

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Places of interest

Kariye Museum (Chora Museum)

This small Byzantine church which was first converted into a mosque after the arrival of Turks in the 15th century was finally converted into a museum in 1948 leaving no Islamic element in the building except the 19th century minaret outside the corner. Chora went through many restorations the last most significant instigated by Thedorus Metochitus in the beginning of the 14th century. Three most important features of the church, mosaics, frescoes and the funerary chapel (Paracclesion) are from that period. The art of painting in frescoes and mosaics were the indications of a new Byzantine art movement which was parallel to Italian Renaissance started by Giotto. (1266-1337).

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Places of interest

Yerebatan Sarayı (Basilica

Cistern)

This grand Byzantine underground

cistern with its 336 columns most of

which are topped with Byzantine

Corinthian capitals is located next

to St. Sophia and was used to

supply water for the city.

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Places of interest

Kapalı Çarşı (Grand Covered Bazaar)

One could visit Istanbul for the shopping alone. The Kapalı Çarşı, or Covered Bazaar, in the old city is the logical place to start. This labyrinth of streets and passages houses more than 4,000 shops. Shops selling the same kind of merchandise tend to be congregated in their of streets or in hens as this was originally the Ottoman system. With 18 entrances and more than 4,000 shops it is one of the greatest bazaars in the world. The atmosphere of the Grand Bazaar is very interesting for tourists and has consequently become a very popular place not only for foreign but also for Turkish visitors. Still the commercial centre of the old city, the bazaar is the original shopping mall with something to suit every taste and pocket.

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Places of interest

Mısır Çarşısı (Spice Bazaar)

It was built as part of the Yeni

Cami complex which is located

next to it. Misir in Turkish means

Egypt and it is called the Egyptian

Bazaar because the shopkeepers

used to sell spices and herbs which

were brought from or through

Egypt. During the Ottoman period

itt was known as a place where

shops sold only spices. Today

there are only a few spice and herb

specialists. The rest sell dried fruit,

borek, basket work, jewellery,

haberdashery, drapery and

suchlike.

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Places of interest

Dolma Bahce Palace Side of Dolmabahçe Palace, built by Sultan Ist

Abdülmecit during 19th century is lying for 600 m at European coast of the Bosporus. Dolmabahçe Palace, is constructed between 1843 and 1856 as a mixture of European art methods. It is one of the pieces of art of Sultan Abdülmecit's architect, Karabet Balya. There were always lots of palaces of Ottoman Sultans. But main palace is left after completion of Topkapı, Dolmabahçe Palaces.

Dolmabahçe Palace was three leveled and symmetric planned. There are 285 chambers and 43 halls. It has a 600 m long wharf on the sea, and two monumental gates, one is too much decorated on the land. In the middle of this coastal palace, which is surrounded by well - kept and beautiful garden, there is a ceremony and ball hall, which is higher than other divisions. Huge, 56 coloumned greetings hall lost visitors in the amazement with its 750 light illuminating and 4.5 tones of crystal chandelier.

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Places of interest

Princes Islands Islands within Marmara Sea, which is

adorned with nine islands, was the banishing place of the Byzantium princes. Today they are now wealthy Istanbul residents' escaping places for cool winds during summer months and 19th century smart houses. Biggest one of the islands is Büyükada. You can have a marvelous horse carige travel between pine trees or have a swim within one of the numerous bays around islands!

Other popular islands are Kinali, Sedef, Burgaz and Heybeliada. Regular ferry voyages are connecting islands to both Europe and Asia coasts. There is a rapid sea bus service from Kabatas during summers.

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Places of interest

Museum Of Turkish And Islamic Art

Pieces of Turkish and Islamic Art are exhibited in the museum.

Museum of Turkish and Islamic Art was built in 1524 by the Grand Vizier to Suleyman the Magnificent, Ibrahim Pasa, as his residence. It was the grandest private residence ever built in the Ottoman Empire. Today it holds a superb collection of ceramics, metalwork,miniatures,calligraphy, textiles, and woodwork as well as some of the oldest carpets in the world.

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Places of interest

Maiden's Tower

Built on a small rocky island in the middle of the sea near Uskudar, where the Marmara sea meets the Bosphorus, the Maiden’‘s Tower -also called as Leander’‘s Tower- has been used for a variety of purposes since its first construction. First, this small island was used to control the navy traffic and as a customs office in 411 B.C.. In the 12th century, the Byzantines used to protect the Bosphorus and they built a defence tower on the island. Although the Ottoman Empire continued to use it for the same reason after the conquest of Istanbul, Sultan Mehmed the Conqueror replaced the old tower with a new one. Now it is using as a restaurant

PLACES FOR DINNING,

WINING AND FOR FUN

Impact on the land where the rich cultural heritage,Turkey have verry

rich culinary culture.

Beyoglu which is the heart of Istanbul. Bubbling and effervescent

with a rich diversity of cultural and entertainment attractions for all.

This boulevard like a stately old tree branches out into innumerable

narrow side streets and alleyways, which play host to a uniquely rich

social ecosystem. Beyoglu provides some new cultural surprise;

shops, cinemas, theatres, art-houses, culture centers, galleries,

churches, mosques, synagogues, hotels, restaurants, patisseries,

cafes, teahouses and bars.

Fabulous Bosphorus offers you picturesque view an unlimited

entertainment with its world famous open air discos, bars and fine

food restaurants. Especially Ortaköy is the best place in Bosphorus

for nightlife with its nightclubs, jazz clubs, fine seafood restaurants

and bars.

Kumkapi, with its many taverns, bars and fish restaurants, is another

attractive district.

At Eminönü don’t miss an opportunity to see fishermen dressed in

traditional Ottoman clothes and their Ottoman-style boats which you

may board to sample their delicious fried fish.

In Sultanahmet, there are a number of restaurants in restored

Byzantine and Ottoman buildings, which offer a unique setting for an

evening out.

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Prepared by

Bakhus Travel & Tours

Bakhus Travel Industry & Trading Inc. Cinnah Caddesi Farabi sokak 31/4 06900

Cankaya/Ankara/Turkey

Tel: 0090.312.466.15.00

Fax: 0090.312.466.15.25

Email: bakhus@bakhus.com.tr

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