15 reasons to put Turkey on its list of travel

As a large history buff, I have had in my bucket Turkey for some time. I have "so close" (think of me holding her fingers a millimeter apart) last month, but at the last moment decided to Sicily. So once again Turkey is on the list of tasks in lieu of going to the be-there list.
What fascinates me about a holiday in Turkey? It seems exotic, so different that most of the countries I visited, & filled with history & culture right along with impressive architecture & great food. This is for me there, but I recognize that a number of you may take a tiny convincing.



He had family members living in the capital city of Ankara again in 1960-1970, and I can remember getting mail from them telling me about the city and country. Fascinated me then, and never exceeded that fascination.

So here are 15 reasons why Turkey should put on your must-see list:

• 1. Mount Ararat, in the far east, is the legendary landing place of Noah's Ark How cool is that?!
• 2. There is water almost everywhere you look - the Mediterranean Sea (south), the Aegean Sea (west) and the Black Sea (north), and the Sea of Marmara, the Bosphorus and Dardanelles straits linking the Black and Mediterranean Sea. Water, water everywhere!
• 3.March. The country is partly in Asia and partly in Europe, which means that it is possible that two continents in a single visit.
• 4. It has a secular government which means that while it is an Islamic country, are not problems that can arise in other parts of the Middle East.
• 5. The country has 9 UNESCO World Heritage Site, with rock sites of Cappadocia (pictured above) and the archaeological site of Troy, which has more than 4,000 years old, senior in my to-do list.
• 6. Amazing ruins, including Troy (see above), Monumentum Ancyranum in Ankara, the Celsus Library in Ephesus.
• 7. Turkish baths, and a visit to the hammam ritual.
• 8. Schooner sailing in Turkey you can take a schooner cruise in a traditional two-masted sailboat, charter for the day or week. Many diesel engine, but you can still find some sailing in the wind only.
• 9. Beautiful architecture. Topkapi Palace, Blue Mosque of Sultan Ahmed Mosque, Selimiye Mosque and are just a few examples.
• 10. Sirkeci Terminal in Istanbul was the last stop on the famous Orient Express.
• 11. Fascinating places to stay, from hotels of the modern city to a cave hotel in Cappadocia, there is something for all tastes.
• 12. Dervishes, a cultural dance experience unlike anything you'll ever see.
• 13. Shopping in the Grand Bazaar of Istanbul, perhaps more as a sensory experience of shopping (although I have heard in Ankara shopping offers better value).
• 14. Turkish coffee and baklava.
• 15. The currency is the New Turkish Lira, currently trading at $ 1 = 1.5 TL. With that kind of exchange rate