Brief Intro
| Brief Introduction to Turkey |
Brief History
The heir to twenty six centuries of consecutive but widely different cultures have made Turkey a varitable paradise of cultural wealth. Some of the exotic visitors including Hittites, Lydians, Persians, Romans and Byzantines - all contributing to the richness of Turkeys culture, much of which is still very much alive today. The present republic was born out of the decline of the Ottoman Empire, considered one of the greatest Empires the world has ever known. Brief Geography
Often described as a bridge between Europe and Asia, Turkey has a huge land mass of some 740,000 sq. kms. (About 457,000 sq. miles). Bordered by the Black Sea to the north, the Aegean to the west and the Mediterranean to the south and with a coastline more than 6,000 km long, Turkey truly offers the " best of both world's - east and west. The European part of Turkey is separated by the Bosphorus straits, the sea of Marmara and the Dardanelles straits. Two of the longest rivers of the world, the Biblical Tigris and Euphrates have their headwaters in the high mountains of Eastern Turkey. Mediterranean CoastAn important citrus - growing region, the Mediterranean coast of Turkey is bathed in sunshine for 300 days a year. The Taurus Mountain range running immediately behind the whole lenght of the coast shelters the from any cold north winds, and has helped the region claim to be the warmest coastline in the Mediterranean during the winter months. Stretching south from Fethiye, the coastline largerly comprises superb beaches, with photogenic towns like Kalkan nesting in the foothills of magnificent mountains. The sunken city at Kekova is a particularly intriguing signpost to the turbulent past of this fascinating region. Everywhere you will find a very mild winter, warm spring and autumn and a typical southern Mediterranean summer. Aegean Coast
Dotted with idyllic fishing harbours, unspoilt beaches surrounded by olive groves, secluded bays and popular holiday resorts, the Aegean region is especially rich in history's relics - accumulated over 5,000 years. This area of Turkey enjoys a very pleasent mild climate with soft, verdant springs, hot summers, sunny autumns and warm winters with little bit rain. |
A villa was originally an upper-class country house, though since its origins in Roman times the idea and function of a villa has evolved considerably. After the fall of the Republic, a villa became a small, fortified farming compound, gradually re-evolving through the Middle Ages into luxurious, upper-class country homes. wikipedia.org
Turkey has been described as "the cradle of civilisation" and a visit will reveal why this is literally true. Sings of the distant past are everywhere, and a Neolithic city; Catalhöyük in central Turkey, dates back to 6,500 BC and is believed to be the world's first town.
The glorious Aegean coastline of Turkey, lapped by the clear blue waters of the Aegean sea, starts near Troy at the southern end of the straits of the Dardanelles and continues all the way down to Fethiye.
