"Turkey" Turkey by Paul2001

Turkey Travel Guide: 29,736 reviews and 65,713 photos

Turkey is a country I always wanted to visit. With its rich collection of ancient ruins, wild landscape and sensational beaches, I knew that it would be a country that I would find delightful in touring. Well Turkey did not disappoint. This is great country to visit, almost to a fault. Some parts of Turkey such as the Mediterranean Coast are grossly overtouristed. However if this bothers you as a traveler, it is easy to get away from the vast numbers of tourists. Places like Konya and Bergama, well not exactly untouched by tourism, are not overflowing.
For the traveler, Turkey has so much to offer. There is an almost unequaled number of stunning ruins from every period of Ancient History in the Eastern Mediterranean. Visiting them is certainly a fascinating and educating experience. Even someome who has an astute knowledge Ancient History will learn something new while touring these spectacular ruins. Turkey, being so rich in history, also will fascinate anyone interested in architectural history with it array of mosques built thoughout the ages. Surprising for me was the wealth of quality museums dedicated to archeology. The Turks have to gone to great efforts to preserve the precious remains of the past of the Anatolian Peninsula. It seems that each city in Turkey has an archeological museum worth visiting.
More people seem to come to Turkey for its beaches rather than for its culture. This is why coast seems so overtouristed. But let me say this, the beaches, especially around Side, are great.
Finally I have rarely come across people so charming and helpful as the Turkish people. While on a tram in Konya, I asked one female student if I was close to a particular hotel, when all of a sudden I had five people pouring over the maps in my guidebook in an effort to set me in the right direction.
All in all, I found touring Turkey to be a fantastic experience and I am sure others will too.

Pros and Cons

Pros:Great Ruins and Historical Sites. Fantastic Beaches. Friendly People
Cons:The Quality of the Food Can Be Hit Or Miss. Overtouristed.
In a nutshell:The Country to Visit if You Want to Learn More About Civilization.

Last visit to Turkey: Oct 2003
Intro Written Nov 16, 2003
Add to Trip Planner (?)
Report Abuse

Reviews (46)

A great place for cheap beer and to see... Nightlife (2)

The Castle Cafe and Bar was one of my favourite place to hang out in Antalya. It is located on top of a cliff, behind... more travel advice

The Agora in Side Off The Beaten Path (12)

One of the more interesting aspects about Side is that there are so many ancient Roman and Byzantine ruins scattered... more travel advice

The Ince Minare Museum in Konya Off The Beaten Path (12)

Konya is rich with wonderful old Seljuk monuments. Amongst the best is the Ince Minare Museum. This was originally a... more travel advice

The Anit Kabir in Ankara Things to Do (17)

The Anit Kabir is more famously known mausoleum of Ataturk or Mustafa Kemal. For those who have yet to visit Turkey,... more travel advice

Hotels (5)
See All Decent mid-plriced resort hotel in Olu...
Transportation (4)
See All The Dolmuses
Restaurants (3)
See All A Great Place for Trout near Tlos

Favorites (2)
See All Side, the Great East Beach
Tourist Traps (1)
Mausoleum of Halicarnassus in Bodrum
Been to Turkey?
Share your travels with the world!

Comments (13)

albaaust Sep 28, 2007 at 10:50 PM Report Abuse

Some great tips as usual Paul. Will continue looking at your other pages on Turkey.
deecat Sep 13, 2006 at 6:56 PM Report Abuse

Amazing job, Paul. Your passion, enthusiasm, detailed descriptions, wonderful photographs, and intelligent insights are astounding. I was so fascinated by your Cappadocia and Karain Cave pages. Just great stuff.
babazula Feb 9, 2005 at 2:25 PM Report Abuse

Very nice tips and photos...Thanks...:)
globetrott Dec 11, 2004 at 2:42 PM Report Abuse

A lot of great infos and excellent pics ! Thanks for sharing !
cbeaujean May 16, 2004 at 10:17 AM Report Abuse

most of us don't realize how turkey is a main birthplace of europe's history and civilization! very good info,indeed!
Canadienne Mar 11, 2004 at 4:37 AM Report Abuse

A small, but very well-written page ~ I've made mental note of how much you enjoyed Cappadoccia. It sounds like a place to allow extra time in. . .
Bwana_Brown Feb 1, 2004 at 1:15 PM Report Abuse

An excellent page on the delights of Turkey! Those museums look really interesting and so does Cappadocia!! That is something that I would love to see as well.
herzog63 Jan 25, 2004 at 8:03 AM Report Abuse

The Ruins of the Temple of Apollo and Athena may be small but they sure look cool in the setting!
traveldave Jan 17, 2004 at 12:18 PM Report Abuse

I've also always wanted to visit Turkey. Cappadocia looks great.
ettenaj Dec 6, 2003 at 7:06 AM Report Abuse

I would love to visit Cappadocia, it looks and sounds incredible