Here is a recipe that is at least four thousand years old. Boil three cups of water in a saucepan and add one cup of bulgur (cracked wheat), a knob of butter and salt. Cook until the water is absorbed. This simple dish is extremely nourishing. It is widely used not only in Turkish Cuisine […]
The province of Canakkale which straddles the Dardanelles strait in northwest Turkey is a region rich in legend and myth. According to one of these myths, the Strait linking the Aegean and Marmara seas was created by the sea god Poseidon, who split the land apart allowing the waters to rush through. The city on […]
Tere is one food without which no meal is complete, in Turkey at any rate. That is bread, a food we know so well yet never tire of. It is delicious all by itself when it comes steaming hot and crusty from the oven, and comes in innumerable varieties. We all have our favorites. It […]
One of the earliest Turkish principalities in Anatolia, the Mengucek rulers bore the titles of sah and melik (shah and king respectively). In the 12th and 13th centuries, they constructed magnificent buildings in their capital city of Divrigi in the Turkish province of Sivas. It consists of houses with gardens and orchards spread out over […]
As your plane circles down towards Dalaman, you realize that the view from your porthole has changed from sky blue to pine green. Then, as it straightens, you catch sight of many islands scattered around the innumerable bays of the Gulf of Fethiye, and you imagine yourself sailing before the wind amongst them. As you […]
The town of Didim is one of the prettiest in Turkey’s southwestern province of Aydin. As you enter the seaside town an imposing monument can be seen rising towards the clouds like a mountain peak. This is the Temple of Apollo, a god with Anatolian roots associated with light, music, and prophecy. He was the […]
In the northern foothills of Mount Uludag, 15 km from Bursa, is the picturesque village of Cumalikizik. Set amongst chestnut and fig trees, the village is famous for its Ottoman period rural architecture. The village was originally established under the endowment of the second Ottoman Sultan Orhan Gazi (1324 – 1360), and settled by Turks […]
Date: 6200 BC Location: Konya, Turkey The human activity of graphically translating one’s perception of his world is now generally recognized as a universally acquired skill and one that pre-dates virtually all other forms of written communication. Set in this pre-literate context and subjected to the ravages of time, the identification of any artifact as “the […]
Once you have made the acquaintance of provincial Turkey, you will be hooked. You will fall asleep dreaming of Asia Minor’s hidden valleys and awaken to their call. Birgi is one such little-known delight – a quiet and dignified small town at the foot of Bozdag in western Turkey. Heir to a long series of […]
Summer is warm in Marrakech, but there are ways to get around the heat – and with most properties in low season, an escapade in style to the city will cost you only a fraction of its usual price. Why don’t you consider La Palmeraie, the massive palm grove just outside the city, as the […]
