TURKEYFATHIMA ZEHBA A9012

Location•Turkey is the only country in the world that is on two continents, i.e.., Asia and Europe.•Located in Western Asia with the portion of Eastern Thrace in South-eastern Europe. •It is bordered by eight countries: Bulgaria to the northwest, Greece to the west, Georgia to the northeast, Armenia, Azerbaijan and Iran to the east, and Iraq and Syria to the southeast.

Facts•Population :75.6 million(Turkstat, Turkish Statistical Institute, 2012 )•Official Language : Turkish•Administrative Type : Democratic Republic• Capital City :Ankara, but most populated city is Istanbul•Currency: Turkish Lira

History Turkey has been the home of many civilisations. Ancient

people who lived in the area include the Hittites of Hattusha, Phrygians and Lydians.

The Persians ruled between 545-383 BC, followed by the Greeks (333-30BC) and the Romans(30BC-395 AD).

In the 10th century, the Seljuks started migrating from their ancestral homelands towards the eastern regions of Anatolia, which eventually became the new homeland of Oğuz Turkic tribes following the Battle of Manzikert (Malazgirt) in 1071.

In the fifteenth century it was conquered by the Ottoman arm (the capital city was renamed Istanbul).

Turkey is a democratic, secular, unitary, constitutional republic whose political system was established in 1923 under the leadership of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, following the fall of the Ottoman Empire in the after World War I.

Since then, Turkey has become increasingly integrated with the West through membership in organizations such as ; The Council of Europe, NATO, OECD, OSCE and the G-20 major economies.

History

Tourism Turkey is focused largely on a variety of historical sites, and

on seaside resorts along its Aegean and Mediterranean Sea coasts.

In the recent years, Turkey has also become a popular destination for culture, spa, and health care tourism.

In 2011, Turkey attracted more than 31.5 million foreign tourists, ranking as the 6th most popular tourist destination in the world.

Reasons to Visit Turkey is one of the top ten destinations in the world,

according to number of visitors and revenues.• Sun and Sea Lovers' Paradise: The unique Mediterranean climate and beautiful nature of Turkey allows almost 6 months of summertime in southern parts, especially in Antalya and Bodrum which are the most popular "sun and sea" tourist destinations.

• History: Turkey is extraordinary rich in history.•Turkey hosts the most archaeological sites in the world.•Anatolia is the birthplace of many civilizations, empires, historic figures and legends. One of the oldest known human inhabited areas is in Çatalhöyük, Konya dating back to 6500 BC.

Istanbul  The most-populous city of Turkey, serving as the place

of residence of over 18% of the county's inhabitants Istanbul is a transcontinental city in Europe and Asia,

located between the Black Sea and the Sea of Marmara in north-western Turkey, 64.7% of whose residents live on the European and 35.3% on the Asian side.

 Istanbul is one of the world's most populous cities and ranks as world's 5th-largest city 

Bosphorous Bridge

Major attractionsHAGIA SOPHIARenowned as one of the most beautiful buildings in the world, the spellbinding Byzantine glory of the HAGIA SOPHIA Museum is not only Istanbul's top sightseeing attraction, but also one of the top sites in Turkey.

The staggering bulk of its exterior is rimmed by the delicate minarets added after the Ottoman conquest while the sumptuous and cavernous frescoed interior is a grand reminder of old Constantinople's might and power.

Ephesus

The mighty ruin of Ephesus is a city of colossal monuments and marble-columned roads. One of the most complete, still-standing Roman cities, this is the place to experience what life must have been like during the golden age of the Roman Empire.

CappadociaCappadocia, a semi-arid region in central Turkey, is full of otherworldly natural sites, most notably the “fairy chimneys,” tall, cone-shaped rock formations clustered in Monks Valley and elsewhere. Popular for exploration are Bronze Age homes carved into valley walls by troglodytes (cave dwellers) and later used as refuges by early Christians. The 100m-deep Ihlara Canyon houses numerous rock-face churches.

Topkapı Palace

The Topkapı Palace is a large palace in Istanbul, Turkey, that was the primary residence of the Ottoman sultans for approximately 400 years of their 624-year reign.

Pamukkale

Pamukkale, meaning "cotton castle" in Turkish, is a natural site in Denizli Province in southwestern Turkey. The city contains hot springs and travertines, terraces of carbonate minerals left by the flowing water.

Mount Nemrut

Nemrut or Nemrud is a 2,134 m high mountain in south-eastern Turkey, notable for the summit where a number of large statues are erected around what is assumed to be a royal tomb from the 1st century BC.

AspendosAspendos or Aspendus was an ancient Greco-Roman city in Antalya province of Turkey. It is located 7 kilometres northeast of central Serik.

FethiyeFethiye, is a district of Muğla Province with a typical Mediterranean climate. The weather is hot and dry in the summer and mild and rainy in the winter. The ancient city is almost like an open-air museum with a wide range of historical monuments and archaeological sites and fascinates visitors with its natural beauties.

Other cities of interest

Mugla

Izmir

Aydin

Trabzon

ALTERNATIVE TOURISMTurkey offers a variety of alternatives and services ranging from eco-tourism as a means to commune with nature to congress organizations with business partners and health tourism in addition to honeymoon packages.SPELUNKING TOURISM

HUNTING TOURISM

MOUNTAINEERING 

FLYING & BALLOONING

Tourism Statistics•Tourist Arrivals in Turkey increased to 3804158 in May of 2015 from 2437263 in April of 2015.

•Tourist Arrivals in Turkey averaged 1542900.23 from 1993 until 2015, reaching an all time high of 5296323 in August of 2014 and a record low of 213998 in January of 1993.

• Tourist Arrivals in Turkey is reported by the Turkish Statistical Institute.

•Foreign tourist arrivals increased substantially in Turkey between 2002 and 2005, from 12.8 million to 21.2 million, which made Turkey a top-10 destination in the world for foreign visitors.

•2005 revenues were US$17.5 billion which also made Turkey one of the top-10 biggest revenue owners in the world.

• In 2011, Turkey ranked as the 6th most popular tourist destination in the world and 4th in Europe, according to UNWTO World Tourism barometer. 

• Also Turkey has been chosen second in the world in 2015 with its 436 blue-flagged beaches, according to the Chamber of Shipping.

Top 10 countries whose residents provided the most

visits to Turkey (2012 est.)

Country Number United States 0.8 million

 United Kingdom 2.4 million

 Syria 0.7 million Russia 3.5 million

 Netherlands 1.2 million Iran 1.1 million

 Germany 5.0 million Georgia 1.4 million France 1.0 million

 Bulgaria 1.5 million

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