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Istanbul historically Byzantium and later Constantinople is the largest city and cultural and financial center of Turkey. It is the largest city proper and second largest metropolitan area in Europe, and the fourth largest city in the world.
Istanbul means to explore; to explore means to enjoy... Wait no longer! In order to experience this beautiful city in the most thorough way possible.
To sip a sugary, frothy coffee while sitting next to the sea, enveloped by the incredible grasp of the Bosphorus, to capture both today and yesterday in the same embrace, to inhale this unparalleled city from the sky above, or to the sole hero of this enormous city yourself. But how? We have some recommendations that include sightseeing old and new, a scenic boat ride. experience a visit to a 300 year old Turkish Bath House and sample Turkish cuisine with a cooking lesson where you prepare and eat your lesson for lunch.
The city covers 27 districts of the Istanbul province. It is located on the Bosphorus Strait and encompasses the natural harbor known as the Golden Horn, in the northwest of the country. It extends both on the Europe (Thrace) and on the Asia (Anatolia) side of the Bosphorus, and is thereby the only metropolis in the world which is situated on two continents.
The first human settlement on this site has been tracked back to 6500 BC. In its long history, Istanbul known as Byzantine served as the capital city from 667 BC till it was part of the of the Roman Empire (330–395) and was named Constantinople till Turkey approved Istanbul in 1930.
Constantinople became the capital of the Eastern Roman (Byzantine) Empire in 395. In 1204, the Fourth Crusade was launched to capture Jerusalem, but had instead turned on Constantinople, which was sacked and esecrated. The city subsequently became the centre of the Catholic Latin Empire, created by the crusaders to replace the Orthodox Byzantine Empire, which was divided into a number of splinter states.
Ottoman Turks began a strategy by which they took selected towns and smaller cities over time in the 1300's. This cut off Constantinople from its main supply routes, strangling it slowly. In May 1453, Sultan Mehmed II "the Conqueror" captured the city and proclaimed that Constantinople was now the new capital of the Ottoman Empire creating the Grand Bazaar and inviting the fleeing Orthodox and Catholic inhabitants to return. Captured prisoners were freed to settle in the city while provincial governors in Rumelia and Anatolia were ordered to send four thousand families to settle in the city, whether Muslim, Christian or Jew, to form a unique cosmopolitan society.
The urban landscape of Istanbul today is shaped by many communities. The religion with the largest community of followers is Islam. Religious minorities include Greek Orthodox Christians, Armenian Christians, Catholic Levantines and Sephardic Jews who were invited to emigratefrom Spain to Turkey over 500 years ago during the Spanish Inquisition.
According to the 2000 census, there were 2691 active mosques, 123 active churches and 26 active synagogues in Istanbul; as well as 109 Muslim cemeteries and 57 non-Muslim cemeteries.
Some districts have sizeable populations of these ethnic groups, such as the Kumkapı district which has a sizeable Armenian population, the Balat district which has a sizeable Jewish population, the Fener district which has a sizeable Greek population, and some neighbourhoods in the Nişantaşı and Beyoğlu districts which have sizeable Levantine populations. In some quarters, such as Kuzguncuk, an Armenian church sits next to a synagogue, and on the other side of the road a Greek Orthodox church is found beside a mosque.
Istanbul has always been the center of the country's economic life because of its location as an international junction of land and sea trade routes and today is Turkey's largest industrial center producing cotton, fruit, olive oil, silk, and tobacco. Food processing, textile production, oil products, rubber, metal ware, leather, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, electronics, glass, machinery, automotive, transport vehicles, paper and paper products, and alcoholic drinks are among the city's major industrial products and
Istanbul is one of the most important tourism spots of Turkey.
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Izmir - "Beautiful Izmir", also once called Smyrna -- the "Pearl of the Aegean" -- is Turkey's third largest city and second most important port. A city of palm-lined promenades, avenues and green parks set in sweeping curves along a circular bay, Izmir has an exceptionally mild climate and many fine hotels.
İzmir has almost 3,500 years of urban past, and possibly that much more of advanced human settlement. By 1500 BC the region fell under the influence of the Central Anatolian Hittite Empire. From then on - in the 1200's invasions from the Balkans destroyed Troy - The oldest house discovered in Bayraklı is dated to 925 and 900 BC - Greek settlement in Old Smyrna is attested by the presence of pottery dating from about 1000 BC onwards and the most ancient ruins preserved to our day date back to 725-700 BC. The most important sanctuary of Old Smyrna was the Temple of Athena, dates to 640-580 BC - The Persian Emperor, determined to punish the cities that refused to give him support in his campaign against the Lydians and as a result, old Smyrna was destroyed in 545 BC - Alexander the Great re-founded the city around 340 BC - under Roman rule, Smyrna enjoyed a golden period for the second time and persecution of Christians continued into the second century - Turks first captured Smyrna in 1076 - Smyrna was captured by the Ottomans in 1389 - Two notable events for the city during the rest of the 15th century were a Venetian raid in 1475 and the arrival of Jews from Spain after 1492, who later made İzmir one of their principal centers in Ottoman lands - in 1620 İzmir set out on its way to become one of the foremost trade centers of the Empire and succeeded - a 1676 plague, an earthquake in 1688 and a great fire in 1743 and continued to grow - Following the defeat of the Ottoman Empire in World War I. In May 1919 the Greek Army occupied İzmir - the Turkish Army retook possession of İzmir on 9 September 1922 ending the Greco-Turkish War (1919-1922) in the field - the war, and especially its events specific to İzmir, like the fire that broke out on 13 September 1922, one of the greatest disasters İzmir ever experienced, influence the psyches of the two nations to this day - the lack of comprehensive and reliable sources from the period, combined with nationalist feelings running high on both sides, and mutual distrust between the conflicting parties, has led to each side accusing each other for decades of committing atrocities during the period - the city was, once again, gradually rebuilt after the proclamation of the Turkish Republic in 1923.
Today the city is a busy commercial and industrial center as well as the gateway to the Aegean Region. Turkey's Aegean shores are among the loveliest landscapes in the country. The magnificent coastline, lapped by the clear water of the Aegean Sea, abounds in vast and pristine beaches surrounded by olive groves, rocky crags and pine woods. Dotted with idyllic fishing harbors, popular holiday villages, and the remains of ancient civilizations, this region offers an exceptionally attractive venue for meetings, incentives and conferences. Izmir is also a good starting point to explore the many sights in the region. The city itself is of course absolutely worth a visit. Konak Square and Konak street are the best points to start your visit. The famous clocktower, symbol of the city, is on Konak as is the Asansor - the elevator used to transport goods from the harbour to the Halil Rifat quarter.
Kusadasi/Ephesus, one of Turkey's principle holiday resorts, offers an excellent environment for an unforgettable holiday. Situated on the west coast of Turkey- 90km south of Izmir, Kusadasi, is reputed for one of the most attractive city of the Aegean, as it is close to the important historical sites including Ephesus, Didyma, Priene, Miletos-the principals of ancient times, and ideal for sightseers..
Kusadasi has a typical Mediterranean climate with hot summers and mild winters, providing a long tourism season.The city is bathed in sunshine for 300 days of the year.
Ephesus was one of the seven churches of Asia cited in the Book of Revelation. The Gospel of John might have been written here and the site of a large gladiator graveyard. Legend says that Ephesus was first founded by Women Warriors of the Amazon in the 11th century B.C. and later inhabited by Ionians
Today's archaeological site lies 3 kilometers south of the Selçuk district of İzmir Province, Turkey. The ruins of Ephesus are a favorite international and local tourist attraction, partly owing to their easy accessibility from Adnan Menderes Airport and via the port of Kuşadası.
Ephesus was an ancient Greek city on the west coast of Anatolia, in the region known as Ionia during the period known as Classical Greece.
The city was famed for the Temple of Artemis (completed around 550 BC), one of the seven wonders of the ancient world, which was destroyed by a mob led by St. John Chrysostom in 401 AD. The emperor Constantine I rebuilt much of the city and erected new public baths. The town was again partially destroyed by an earthquake in 614. The importance of the city as a commercial centre declined as the harbor slowly filled with silt from the river Cayster (Küçük Menderes).
The area has been a centre of art and culture since the earliest times and has been settled by many civilizations since being founded by the Leleges people in 3000 BC. Kuşadası was a minor port frequented by vessels trading along the Aegean coast. In antiquity it was overshadowed by Ephesus until Ephesus' harbor silted up.
he Roman Empire took possession of the coast in the 2nd century BC and in the early years of Christianity, Mary (mother of Jesus) and St John the Evangelist both came to live in the area. Later as Byzantine, Venetian and Genoese traders began to work the coast the port was founded (as Scala Nuova "new port"), a garrison was placed on the island, and the town centre moved from the hillside to the coast.
From 1086 on the area came under Turkish control and Kuşadası was brought into the Ottoman Empire in 1413 and during the Turkish War of Independence Kuşadası was occupied from 1919-1922 by Italian, then by Greek troops. It was eventually captured on September 7th 1922.
Under the Turkish Republic the Greek population was exchanged for Turkish people as part of the Population exchange between Greece and Turkey in 1922. It was a district in Izmir Province until 1954 and become the district of Aydın Province. Until the first holiday apartments were built here in the 1970s Kuşadası was a fruit-growing rural district, it then grew into a small resort town with holiday flats. These were built as housing co-operatives, membership sold to families in Ankara, Izmir, Denizli and other Turkish cities. From the mid 1980s Kuşadası grew again into the centre of mass tourism of today.
Kusadasi has a typical Mediterranean climate with hot summers and mild winters, providing a long tourism season.The city is bathed in sunshine for 300 days of the year
Kuşadası caters to tourists, arriving by land, and as the port for cruise ship passengers heading to Ephesus.
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Ephesus was an ancient Greek city on the west coast of Anatolia, in the region known as Ionia during the period known as Classical Greece.
The city was famed for the Temple of Artemis, completed around 550 BC, one of the seven wonders of the ancient world, which was destroyed by a mob led by St. John Chrysostom in 401 AD. The emperor Constantine I rebuilt much of the city and erected new public baths. And again partially destroyed by an earthquake in 614. The importance of the city as a commercial centere diminished as the harbor slowly filled with silt from the river Cayster.
Ephesus was one of the seven churches of Asia cited in the Book of Revelation. The Gospel of John might have been written here and the site of a large gladiator graveyard. Legend says that Ephesus was first founded by Women Warriors of the Amazon in the 11th century B.C. and later inhabited by Ionians
Today's archaeological site lies 3 kilometers south of the Selçuk district of İzmir Province, Turkey. The ruins of Ephesus are a favorite international and local tourist attraction, partly owing to their easy accessibility from Adnan Menderes Airport and via the port of Kuşadası.
Excavations in recent years have unearthed settlements from the early Bronze Age at the Ayasuluk Hill. In 1954 a burial ground from the Mycenaean era (1500-1400 BC) with ceramic pots was discovered close to the ruins of the basilica of St. John. This was the period of the Mycenaean Expansion when the Achaioi (as they were called by Homer) settled in Ahhiyawa during the 14th and the 13th centuries BC. Scholars believe that Ephesus was founded on the settlement of Apasa (or Abasa), a Bronze Age-city noted in 14th century BC Hittite sources as in the land of Ahhiyawa.
Ephesus was an ancient Greek city on the west coast of Anatolia, in the region known as Ionia during the period known as Classical Greece.
The city was famed for the Temple of Artemis (completed around 550 BC), one of the seven wonders of the ancient world, which was destroyed by a mob led by St. John Chrysostom in 401 AD. The emperor Constantine I rebuilt much of the city and erected new public baths. The town was again partially destroyed by an earthquake in 614. The importance of the city as a commercial centre declined as the harbor slowly filled with silt from the river Cayster (Küçük Menderes).
When Alexander the Great defeated the Persian forces at the Battle of Granicus in 334 BC, the Greek cities of Asia Minor were liberated and Alexander was greeted warmly in Ephesus when he entered it in triumph.
After the death of Alexander in 323 BC, Ephesus came under the rule of Lysimachus, one of Alexander's generals.
As the river Cayster was silting up the harbour, the resulting marshes were the cause of malaria and many deaths among the inhabitants. The people of Ephesus were forced to move to a new settlement 2 kilometers further on, when the king flooded the old city by blocking the sewers.
Ephesus became subject of the Roman Republic. When Augustus became emperor in 27 BC, he made Ephesus instead of Pergamum the capital of proconsular Asia, which covered the western part of Asia Minor. Ephesus entered an era of prosperity. It became the seat of the governor, growing into a metropolis and a major center of commerce. It was second in importance and size only to Rome. Ephesus has been estimated to be in the range of 400,000 to 500,000 inhabitants in the year 100, making it the largest city in Roman Asia and of the day.
Ephesus remained the most important city of the Byzantine Empire in Asia after Constantinople in the 5th and 6th centurie. The importance of the city as a commercial centre declined as the harbour slowly filled with silt from the river despite repeated dredges during the city's history. Today, the harbor is 5 kilometers inland. When the Seljuk Turks conquered it in 1071-1100, it was a small village. They were incorporated as vassals into the Ottoman Empire for the first time in 1390. the region was again incorporated into the Ottoman Empire by sultan Mehmed II in 1425.
Ephesus was eventually completely abandoned in the 15th century and lost her former glory. Nearby Ayasluğ was renamed Selçuk in 1914.
Today's archaeological site lies 3 kilometers south of the Selcuk district of İzmir Province, Turkey. The ruins of Ephesus are a favorite international and local tourist attraction.
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Bodrum - is a village on the Aegean coast of Turkey, popular with tourists from all over the world. Bodrum is the site of the ancient city of Halikarnassus, the location of the famous Mausoleum of Halikarnassus (built after 353 BCE) - one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Unfortunately, the ancient monument was destroyed by earthquakes in the Middle Ages - some of the remnants can be seen in London's British Museum. Today, it is an international center of tourism and yachting.
Bodrum Castle, built by the Crusaders in the 15th century, overlooks the harbor and the International Marina. The castle grounds includes a Museum of Underwater Archeology and hosts several cultural festivals throughout the year.
Bodrum is a fascinating place as it has a pleasing contrast between the Ancient city - where there are discernable fragments everywhere in the town, and a playground for rich Turks and an array of foreign visitors. It is one of the centres of the Turkish Tourist industry and is the market town for the Bodrum Peninsula which consists of a number of towns and villages nestling on the edge of the Coast.
Until the 1960's the town was a fishing village which changed when a number of Turkish intellectuals gathered and wrote about Bodrum. Most notable of the these was Cevat Sekir 'The Fisherman of Hallikarnassus', an Oxford Educated Turk who devoted his time to writing and planting numerous plants and trees which continue to dot the landscape of the Town. His book the 'Blue Voyage' describing gulet trips around the Turkish coast, and his descriptions of the astoundingly clear Blue Seas of the Aegean and the delights of a trip around the coasts adjacent to Bodrum inspired a whole generation who have come to emulate his trips. Bodrum has therefore grown as a sailing destination and thanks to it's warm but not humid climate has become a top destination for visitors who enjoy the combination of the ancient past together with all the usual tourist paraphernalia. There are large numbers of shops and restaurants - from humble cafe's to exquisite Turkish cuisine served by an array of waiting staff.
Modern Bodrum strangely seems to have two contrasting sides to it.
The east half of the town has a long thin but reasonable beach, which has been added in the last few years, with the Authorities trying and largely succeeding in creating a good beach. Behind the beach lay all the bars restaurants and night clubs that are typical of Mediterranean resort towns. This means open fronted bars that do not come alive until 10pm when everybody goes out. As well as some nice beach fronted bars (e.g. Cafe del Mar being a reasonably chilled out and attractive bar, with attractive staff so that helps) it also has some terrible ones, if you do not like the hard drinking culture of some Tourists. It does have some reasonable clubs. Halikarnas being the obvious one as it is huge (4000 people). It also is mostly outdoors and hosts foam parties on regular occasions.
The other half of the town is the west side. This manly revolves around the Marina and Yacht Club. Here life is a little more sedate with shops catering mainly to those who have stepped of their boats. Expensive supermarkets with proper wine and olive oil as well as the obligatory Helley Hanson to be able to purchase your new jacket. There are a number of nice restaurants if you look hard enough and some good clothes shops. Like all resorts being directly on the sea front increases the prices. During the evenings there is a wonderful atmosphere as the locals and tourists all seem to promenade along the sea front.
There are many cultural events - notably the Ballet Festival in August, a wide range of pop concerts at the Castle or in the Amphitheatre which has been restored in the last few years, having been built some 2,000 years ago.
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