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GENERAL
INFORMATION
Turkey, where the East meets the West and cultures have reached a fascinating
synthesis, is also where nature has amalgamated with history to create a land of
fantasies.
It has been the cradle for nume-rous civilizations since the begin-ning of
history. The seeds of the Classical Age whose harvest has opened new gates to
the history of the world have been sown on this land.
Anatolia (the Asian portion of Turkey)
is also the land where many literature and
science geniuses grew up. The poet Homer, the historian Herodotus were born here;
Aesopus, the famous writer of fables has lived in this country and Socrates has
completed his education in Anatolia. Later again on this land lived Mevlana
whose universal philosophy calls all the people to be brothers and sisters.
The country is a very rich open-air museum regarding archaeology. Starting with the
Paleolithic Age, it houses antique sites and remains. The sky is still ornate
with the delicate minarets rising from the mosques of the famous architect Sinan.
Turkey is the only and largest peninsula in the world encircled by three seas
and laying one foot on Asia and the other on Europe.
Covering an area of approximately 780.000 km2 , it is one of the rare
countries where three seasons are lived at the same time.
Turkey is a country of
surprising contrasts, where the past and the present, the Oriental and the
Western live together in harmony.
This country is a cradle of
civilization, where history, legends and nature have knitted a bridge between
Europe and Asia, a land unlike any other in the world having a glorious past of
3.000 years, the relics of seventeen different civilizations, a temperate
climate, surrounded on three sides by turquoise waters, miles and miles of
beaches either in their natural state or developed to suit the needs of
travellers, people generous by nature, one of the three most acclaimed cuisines
in the world and the traditional Turkish hospitality...
In a single moment it can take you back to the way of life
of thousands of years ago..
You stay together with these memories for hours. You breathe the air of ancient
times and live the life of those who lived then. And in the evening you are back
again in the modern comfort of the 21st century. It makes one feel as if
the events
of the day were all a dream.
With a population of
over 70 million on its 296.503sq. miles of which 96.88 percent lies in
Asia and 3.12 percent in Europe, Turkey is characterized by the variety
of its landscapes and the widely differing climates. On its coasts of
the Mediterranean and the Aegean seas, the hot and dry summers are
extremely convenient for swimming and the springs and long falls are
always pleasant wheras the mild winters of these regions present a
year-round traveling possibility to the historical and natural
beauties. The Thrace region offers distinct winters, warm and pleasant
summers. As you move to the east across Anatolia, winters become
considerably more severe owing to the high altitude and the
summers are cool and mild. Seasonal events that attract foreign
visitors to Turkey 365 days a year include a full program of festivals,
folklore events, all sorts of sports and many other cultural
attractions.
Click to enlarge picture (527K)
DESTINATION DETAILS:
1. Country Headline
TURKEY
2.Animative Headline for the destination
The meeting point of two
continents-Europe&Asia
3.Unique selling features/Sales arguments
* The bridge between east and west; past and
present
* The home to countless civilizations
* The Place of Pilgrimage for Roman Catholics (The house of Virgin Mary on Mount
Koressos)
* One of the safest countries in the world according to comparable statistics
* Full range of accommodation and
conference facilities
* The sandy beaches of the Mediterranean Sea
* One of the world's 3 most acclaimed cuisines
* The location for two of the Seven Wonders of the world; The temple of Artemis
and The Mausoleum at Halicarnassus
* Best shopping possibilities at the world's largest Covered Bazaar
4.Accessibility
Easy to reach by sea or air. International
airports in Istanbul, Antalya, Izmir, Ankara and
Dalaman
5.Main Geographical Area
All of Turkey; mainly Istanbul, Izmir (Kusadasi)
and the Mediterranean region
6.Itinerary Highlights
* Special visits to archaeological sites,
museums and Churches
* Day excursions
to the Greek Island of Samos from Kusadasi (May to October)
* Visits to the Seven Churches of Asia
* On the footsteps of St. Paul
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