Türkiye – broad history and mass tourism today
Since the founding of the republic in 1923 as the successor state to the Ottoman Empire, Turkey has been secular and Kemalist in orientation. The country's founder, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, initiated a modernization of Turkey through social and legal reforms modelled on various European nation states.
The current President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has been at the helm of the country since 2003. Since around 2012, he has led the country in an increasingly authoritarian manner. Freedom of expression and freedom of the press in particular are considered to be severely restricted. The currency and debt crisis triggered by its economic policies as well as high inflation have continued since 2018, which makes Turkey quite attractive from a tourist perspective.
The culture of today's Turkey is a fusion of the ancient Turkish nomadic culture of Central Asia and Siberia, the Greco-Roman era, the culture in the Ottoman Empire with its Byzantine, Persian, Arabic, Caucasian, Armenian and Kurdish influences, as well as the strong European direction since the founding of the Republic Ataturk. The cultural centre of the country is the metropolis of Istanbul.
With the political changes, the content of Turkish literature also changed. Early representatives include Fakir Baykurt, Sabahattin Ali, Sait Faik Abasıyanık and Yaşar Kemal, who put ordinary people at the centre of their work. With the turn to describing living conditions, social and political criticism of the state is inevitable. The state reacts with censorship and political violence. Authors like Nâzım Hikmet, Yaşar Kemal and Aziz Nesin spend many years in Turkish prisons because of the persecution of their publications. Kemal therefore referred to the prison as a “school of Turkish literature”.
Turkish cuisine has also influenced Greek and the rest of the Balkan cuisine - including etymology. For example, tzaziki comes from the Turkish cacık, and Ćevapčići comes from kabapcik. Yogurt also comes from Turkish Yoğurt. Doner kebab is made from beef, veal or poultry. In Turkey, but also in other countries, the kebab is also served on a plate.
Myndos Gate to Halicarnassos today Bodrum
- Category: Aegean Region
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There is hardly any place around Bodrum (formerly called Halicarnassus) in which you will not find at least the foundations of a temple or the remnants of an ancient settlement. If you look at lot of the known names of Greek scientists, artists and scientists, you need to learn, that lot of them lived in today's Turkey.
Bodrum - The Archaeological Underwater Museum
- Category: Aegean Region
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Bodrum Museum is the biggest and most important archaeological underwater museum in the world and the only one in Turkey. A great majority of the relics on show consist of those raised during underwater excavations and those brought to the museum by sponge divers, now on display in the museum located in Bodrum Castle.
Datça - pretty, quiet harbour at the Aegean
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- Category: Aegean Region
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Datça is a pretty, quiet harbor where the Aegean and the Mediterrenean Seas meet. It is about 70 kilometres to the west of Marmaris on the south of the Datça Peninsula. The small town is lapped on one side by the waters of the Aegean Sea and on the other side by the Mediterrenean.
A short Bodrum History - formerly called Halicarnassus
- Category: Aegean Region
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Bodrum, ancient Halicarnassus, is famous mainly due to the Mausoleum once located there, a tomb, the Persian satrap of Caria King Mausolus II. erected during his lifetime. The huge mausoleum was considered to be one of the Seven Wonders of the World.
The Great Meander and its little "brother"
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- Category: Aegean Region
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After the Euphrates and Tigris, Seyhan and Ceyhan rivers, the Great Menderes River also belongs to the group of rivers that are extremely important for agriculture and thus for the development of humanity, because when people became sedentary, they were dependent on fertile soil and a constant supply of water.
Miletus at the Bay of Milet next to Menderes river
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- Category: Aegean Region
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Miletus is located (an hour away from Didim) in the city of Soke's Balat village. In ancient times it was on the western coast of Anatolia (currently the province of Aydın), near the Maeander River in ancient Caria.
Akbük-Beaches - surrounded by protected forests
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- Category: Aegean Region
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Akbük is a place with a beautiful bay and surrounded by protected forests and olive groves. Located on the south west coast of the Aegean Region, approximately 19km from the lively resort of Altınkum, 65km from Kuşadası and about 70km from the Bodrum Airport.
Bafa Lake - Stopover for shore observation
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- Category: Aegean Region
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Bafa Lake is situated in southwest Turkey, part of it within the boundaries of Milas district of Muğla Province and the northern part within Aydın Province's Soke district, approx. 30 km from Didim.
Euromos, the delightful city of Antique Caria
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- Category: Aegean Region
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Euromos, one of the antique cities of Carian lands, located between Lake Bafa and Milas town, is about 12 km away from the town center of Milas.
Cotton production in Turkish town of Söke
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- Category: Aegean Region
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The small Turkish town of Söke is located on the A 525 between Kuşadası and Milas. Located as both a city and a district in the province of Aydın on the Turkish Aegean coast, the district had a population of 115,490 in 2008.
Old Doganbey Village • Domatia
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- Category: Aegean Region
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During our visit at some friends in Didim we had the opportunity to see some places next to the touristic spots of Didim. We heard about an old Greek village with old stone houses, we would like to see.
Hellenistic Magnesia on the Meander
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- Category: Aegean Region
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Our journey takes us along the country road between Selcuk and Söke near Izmir, where the ruins of the old Hellenistic settlement town of Magnesia can be seen from afar.
Priene - Ancient City of Carian settlers
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- Category: Aegean Region
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Priene rises just behind the small town of Güllübahçe on the road from Söke to Milet and is one of the most magnificent and best-preserved cities of ancient Ionia and is one of the most beautiful archaeological sites and sights in the region.
Apollon Temple of Didyma and Asylum
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- Category: Aegean Region
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The Apollo temple of Didyma (the Didymaion) is located within the boundaries of the Yenihisar (Didim) district which is in the province of Aydın.
The Lion- and the Snake stone in Phrygian Valley
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- Category: Aegean Region
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Our tour into the valley of the Phrygians (Frig) in Afyon, the valley extending from Döğer (in İhsaniye district) over Alanyurt until after Seydiler, should also lead us to the famous monuments of the Phrygians, the Lion- and the Serpent stone.
One afternoon in Sirince...vineyards to see!
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- Category: Aegean Region
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Sirince is a small Aegean village visited by many people because it preserves its historical architecture. It became famous as being the location where the story of the novel called “Farewell Anatolia” takes place. The novel was written by Greek author Dido Satiriou.
The charming fishing town of Foça near Izmir
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- Category: Aegean Region
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The idyllic fishing town of Foca, just 70 kilometres from Izmir, is a popular holiday destination with beautiful and clean sandy beaches, well-kept restaurants, accommodation and several other attractions.
Kuşadası Beaches -choose between sand and rock
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- Category: Aegean Region
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It is possible to find various sandy or rocky beaches all around the town of Kuşadası. Some of them are private beach clubs where you have to pay an entrance fee to use the facilities and some are free public beaches.
The historically legendary Selçuk camel fight
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- Category: Aegean Region
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The centuries-old tradition of camel fighting in Western Anatolia has its origins in the time when nomadic peoples led their caravans thousands of kilometres across the country on their way from the Orient to the West.
Roman port Limantepe near Urla will be resurrected
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- Category: Aegean Region
- Hits: 1116
Decades ago, a prehistoric settlement from the Bronze Age was found near the city of Limantepe, now Urla, on the west coast of Turkey, which also had an artificial, ancient harbour.