The former Greek village of Kayakoy makes a striking impression on visitors, with its stone houses and churches, narrow streets, and spectacular setting. To get to this ghost town in southwestern Turkey, take the road from Fethiye towards Oludeniz Lagoon, and when you reach Hisaronu follow the signposts to Karymlassos. Five kilometers further on, you […]
Reedbeds consist not only of reeds but of a broad diversity of plants that thrive in wetland conditions. This type of vegetation can cover large areas of shallow lakes or just the inshore areas of deep lakes. Examples of the former in Turkey are the Eber, Aksehir, and Karamik lakes, and of the latter Beysehir […]
The earliest known burials were carried out by Neanderthal man who lived between 150,000 and 60,000 years ago. These early human beings discovered how to use tools and control fire, and that they also buried their dead was proved by excavations in the Zagros Mountains in northern Iraq in the 1960s. Analysis of soil samples […]
In Greek mythology, Mount Olympus was the home of the gods, and nearly twenty mountains in Anatolia and Greece were given this name. One of these is Mount Tahtali in the Olympus-Beydaglari National Park. Although at a height of 2374 meters the mountain is not of a great altitude compared to many others in Turkey, […]
Before the arrival of paddle steamers in Istanbul, ferry services on the Golden Horn and the Bosphorus were provided by the long narrow rowing boats of various types known as kayik. These graceful swift boats and their boatmen were a characteristic part of life in Istanbul. The largest and most magnificent of all these vessels […]
Prof. Dr. Ekrem Akurgal is Turkey’s most prominent archaeologist, whose research is closely followed in the world of historical and archeological studies. During his long university career, he trained hundreds of young archaeologists desperately needed by a country overflowing with ancient sites left by scores of civilizations over the past twelve thousand years. As well […]
The city of Bursa, which lies at the foot of a great mountain in northwest Turkey, was once capital of the Ottoman Empire, and its historic buildings bear witness to an illustrious past. Here you can wander through the courtyards of hans where merchants exchanged their wares, and the covered bazaar whose shadowy passages smell […]
When you want to communicate with someone that lives across the country, you get on your laptop or cell-phone. Connections happen instantly without much effort. Imagine if you were alive 2,500 years ago. If you wanted to communicate then, it was difficult. The leaders of the time had to figure out how to spread messages […]
In every language, the word sweet implies not just flavor but pleasant, agreeable and happy things. In Turkey, not just the word sweet but the word halva “Turkish: helva” has a similar metaphorical significance. Helva is foremost among the many sweets and puddings which form such a considerable branch of Turkish culinary culture, and also […]
“Allah Allah illalah May we prosper Our patron is Hamza the wrestler Our ancestors were wrestlers Two valiant men take the field One blond one dark Both seek the prize Do not despair when down Do not boast when uppermost When above do not let go Meet leg trip with leg trip Send a prayer […]
