Turkey - where tradition meets modernity

Turkey is a very interesting country located on two continents: part of Turkey is in Europe and part of Turkey is in Asia. It is a mix of cultures, traditions, people, etc. You can find anything in Turkey - from tradition to modernity, from fully covered people to people in shorts, from mosques to parties. This mixture is what makes Turkey so interesting. And of course the delicious food!

Istanbul - a city between 2 continents


I lived in Istanbul, Turkey in 2022 for almost 3 months. Istanbul is amazing! There are many things to see and explore. Here are some things to do:

 

  • Visit the old city including Hagia Sofia Mosque and Blue Mosque (which are opposite each other): To visit you have to wear appropriate clothes and cover your head as a woman. Don’t worry! There are clothing cabins where you can borrow clothes and head scarves for a low price. And be ready for long queues!
  • Have Turkish Tea on a Rooftop with a view over the two mosques and the sea: This is an amazing experience, especially for sunset. Very recommendable!
  • Take a walk through Gülhane Park: This park is amazing to walk around or just relax. It is located next to the old city and near the sea
  • Have Turkish Breakfast on one of the rooftops near Süleymaniye Mosque. - enjoy the amazing breakfast and the view over the entire city. One of the best breakfasts I have ever had.
  • Watch the sunset next to the sea: one of the most beautiful sunsets I have ever seen in my life. You will see the sea, the boats, the gulls, the mosques – magical!
  • Visit the Galata Tower. From this tower, you have an amazing view of the entire city.
  • Visit Taksin Square for shopping or nightlife. If you want to go to a good party or just for shopping or food this is the place in the city. It is usually very crowded and you have to be careful with the tram.
  • Take a boat tour at night. Unfortunately, I didn’t have time to do that but it was recommended to me by so many people. Next time I will for sure!

Izmir

Izmir is located 5-6 hours from Istanbul. In Izmir, you can visit the city center, the clock tower, and the market around this area.

Ephesus

Ephesus is an old Greek city located in Turkey. You can get there from Izmir by train, but be careful. It might take 2-3 hours because of the train timings. We didn't make it in time. From Izmir, you need to take the train to Seljuk and then you can take buses to Ephesus. This picture was taken in Seljuk.

Pamukkale

Pamukkale is located near Denizli. It is a really impressive place with natural hot springs. The white thing is not snow as many of you may think - it is a special kind of stone. You can walk on it and also take a bath in the hot springs! After the hot spring area, you have other attractions as well. There is the old city of Hierapolis and also a Greek theater.  

Konya

Konya is located 5 hours from Istanbul by train. It is the city of Rumi, the famous Persian Sufi poet, and scholar. In Konya, you can visit his tomb as well as Shams-i-Tabrizi's tomb, who was his teacher. 

Kapadokya


Kapadokya is a must-see if you go to Turkey. There is so much history and amazing views! Very recommendable is the sunrise because you can see all these hot air balloons. I would recommend you to stay in Göreme and visit all the other places from there. For the sunset and sunrise, I would recommend you to go to Lovers Hill - the view from there is great! Other places that you can visit:

 

  • Göreme Open Air Museum: located 20 minutes outside of Göreme. Over here you can find old churches with amazing frescos
  • Red Valley/Rose Valley: a beautiful place for sunset as well
  • Uchisar Castle: located in Uchisar and with a beautiful view
  • Kaymakli Underground City: One of the two big underground cities in the area (the other is Derinkuyu). These cities were built between the 7th and 11th century by Christians who feared the Arab invasion so they started living completely underground. Kaymakli has 5 floors going "downwards". It is so impressive!