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Turkey - Not Just For Christmas

Tuesday, October 21, 2008

Turkey is a country with a variety of things to appreciate: beautiful coasts, tasty cuisine, a mild climate, a rich culture, numerous sporting activities and an unrivalled reputation for hospitality that dates back to the Ottoman Empire.

There is so much to choose from in Turkey, especially recreational and sporting activities. The country is a year round destination, with many golf courses to practise your swing during the warmer months and a number of ski resorts in the mountains to wind away the winters.

With over 8,000 kilometres of coastline and surrounded by sea on three sides, Turkey offers lovely beaches, world class marinas and the opportunity for numerous water-sports. In addition, there are over a thousand natural thermal springs and mineral waters scattered over western Anatolia that are renowned for their health-giving, therapeutic properties.

Due to its strategic location astride two continents, Turkey's culture has a unique blend of Eastern and Western traditions and values.

The country's varied cultural history is also evident in the extensive array of museums, churches, palaces, mosques and markets, with architectural influences from Hellenic, Hellenistic, Roman, Byzantine, Seljuk and Ottoman periods.

Turkey's capital, Istanbul, had its cultural area added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1985 and it has also been chosen as joint European Capital of Culture for 2010.

As Turkey is such a vast area, the weather varies from region to region, but most of the year the weather is so pleasant that alfresco dining is popular and even on colder days, people switch on a terrace heater, take a bite to eat and enjoy the cooler climate.

Turkish cuisine is very popular and eating together as a family is traditional.

Although the country produces its own red and white wines, the national drink is the anise flavoured raki. This is often drunk with meze, a selection of small dishes eaten before the main meal, similar to Spanish tapas.

Meze includes dishes such as honeydew melon, hummus, seafood salads and savoury pastries. This is then followed by the main course which is generally a fish, grilled meat or kebab dish.

After the main meal, sweets are served, the most famous being lokum (also known as Turkish delight) and baklava.

Turkey is a mouth-watering place, stuffed with things to do, as well as being blessed with great weather, good cuisine and warm and welcoming people, making it hard to resist at any time of the year.

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