"Turkish delights & Eastern fancies" Turkey by smirnofforiginal

The Republic of Turkey is large - 301,382 square miles/780,580 square km.
It has 8 neighbours: Syria, Iraq, Iran, Armenia, Georgia, Bulgaria, Greece (by land) & and Cyprus (bordered by the Mediterranean Sea .
Istanbul, is the only city to be built of two continents (Europe & Asia).
Most of Turkey sits in Anatolia (or should it be most of Anatoila lies within Turkey?) and Anatolia is one of the oldest (continuously) inhabited regions in the world so I think it is safe to say that Turkey is piled deep with history!
In Europe there are 11,500 species of flowers - 9,000 can be found in Turkey!
It was Turkey who gave tulips to the Dutch....

Turkey holds 2 of the 7 wonders of the ancient world: The Temple of Artemis (Ephesus) & the Mausoleum of Hallicarnassus (Bodrum).

Turkey has 10 UNESCO World Heritage Sites:
01. The historical are of Istanbul
02. The city of Sanfranbolu, Karabuk
03 Corum, Hattusas- the Hittite capital
04. Goreme National Park, Nevsehir, Cappadocia
05. Sivas - Great mosque and hospital of Divrigi
06. Nemrut Dagi, Adiyaman
07. Xanthos Latoon, Antalya
08. Pamukkale & Hierapolis (Denizli)
09. Archaeological site of Troy, Canakkale
10. Selimiye Mosque and its Social Complex

I have found the Turks to be nothing short of warm, friendly, welcoming and genuinely hospitable people and their country to be full of historical and natural wonder. They understand tourism in all its guises - mass market and independent travel, and are able to cater for both remarkably well. If you can look past the painfully long journeys (especially by overnight bus) you will find travelling around Turkey easy and fun and you will be greatly rewarded by the people you meet, the sights you see, the experiences you indulge in and the memories you create.