About Turkey | Aegean Coast | History of Turkey

Turkey is a fascinating country where exotic east meets contemporary west

Turkey is a magical place of oriental splendour, intricate woven carpets, sweet Turkish delight and mesmerising belly dancers, it is also a rapidly modernising country developing its tourist centres with a regard to what makes it so special.

A vast country - about 3.5 times the size of the UK - Turkey straddles two continents, with 3% in Europe and the rest in Asia. Sea is found on three sides and the Turkish coastline is 8,333 km (5,178 miles) in length, bordering the Black Sea to the north, the Sea of Marmara and the Aegean to the west with the Mediterranean to the south. Of the country’s 7 regions, that of the Aegean is favoured with the loveliest weather and its most popular seaside towns are found here.

Turkish life is an intoxicating brew of cultures and traditions. At the same time, the country’s determined modernisation means elements are also reassuringly familiar. Turkish is the official language but you will find English is widely spoken in resort areas.

Food served in restaurants and tavernas is invariably fresh as Turkey is one of the world’s few self-sufficient countries. Wheat is a major food crop, but the country is also the world’s biggest producer of hazelnuts, figs and apricots, and the fourth largest for vegetables.

Fashion items often carry a ‘made in Turkey’ label as it is the world’s sixth largest cotton producer, with ready-to-wear clothing and textiles accounting for more than a third of its total industrial exports. Excellent buys can be found in Turkish boutiques, and shopping, whether in smart shops or bazaars, is rewarding and fun with a wide variety of products, traditional and modern, produced on its soil.

A deep impression left on visitors is the warmth and friendliness of the Turkish people, with many of its traders keen to entertain, while selling, so that customers cannot but smile.

Hospitality is central to Turkish culture, from a traditional belief that visitors should be treated as guests of God. Engaging in conversation with holidaymakers is enjoyed by most people you encounter, and complimentary glasses of refreshing apple tea are routinely part of the sales pitch in its carpet shops.