Turkish Vignettes

Cappadocia is a strange and wonderful region in Central Anatolia in Turkey that dates back to the 2000 BC. It is famous for its out-of-the world desert landscape, rock formations, and caves, which were formed by thousands of years of erosion. There are so many things to explore here, and the caves offer endless opportunities to see remains of the cultures, now long gone, that had inhabited the surrounding regions. The foremost are the underground cities of Kaymakla, Derinkuyu, Ozkonak and Mazakoy. You should also check out the pottery town of Avanos

Istanbul is legendary.

Famous the world over for its vibrant amalgamation of cultures, former Constantinople is the pride of Byzantium, that's located on both sides of the Bosphorus, the narrow strait between the Black Sea and the Marmara Sea.

The centre of the old world, Istanbul is an important metropolis famous for its historic monuments and charming natural beauty. The only city in the world that spreads across two continents - Europe and Asia, demarcated by the famous Bosporus! With almost 2500 years to its credit, this beautiful Byzantine city has a rich eventful history. Capital of the Romans, Byzantine and Turkish Ottoman empires, this dome studded city is full with charm of old bygone monuments, ancient squares and streets, excellent eating joints and a length of modern buildings.

Must See
There are endless numbers of monuments to be seen here, and every stone on very streets has an epic tale to tell of battles fought and glories lost. The famous Hagia Sofia towers over the city, with its enormous dome and incredibly tall minarets. Other famous sites include Topkapi Palace, Sultanahmet Mosque, Galata Tower, and the Galata Whirling Dervish Hall. In fact, the entire Bosphorus is lined with numerous waterside palaces, which are all worth visiting. A boat tour will be most rewarding. Also visit a hamam, a Turkish bath, at least once on your vacation there. Other must visits include the Egyptian Spice Bazaar, Rumeli Fortress, Beylerbeyi Palace, Hippodrome, Camlica Hill - the highest point of Istanbul that provides a panoramic view, and the Dolmabahce Palace.

Shopping
Shopping is Istanbul is an experience in itself. Gazing at the stark contrast of the modern with the traditional, explore the Nuruosmaniye Gate of Grand Bazaar (Capali Carsi) browsing through jewellery, pottery, spice, leather and carpets. The bazaar is one of the largest covered markets in the world with more than 58 streets and 4,000 shops, and has between 250,000 and 400,000 visitors daily! Built between 1455 and 1461by Sultan Mehmed, the bazaar contains two sections - domed masonry structures built for storage and safe keeping.

The Spice Bazaar/ Egyption Bazaar (Misir Carsisi) is the second largest covered shopping areas in Turkey an attributes its name to Egypt from where the spices were initially imported. In the Byzantine period, the Spice Bazaar was also the centre of corn trade.

Eating
Turkish cuisine is considered one of the richest and oldest cooking traditions in the world! The authentic Istanbul cuisine is an outcome of the cuisine of Jews, Greeks and Armenians who were an integral part of Ottoman society. Beginning with soups, a traditional Turkish cuisine is a heady cocktail of soups, appetizers, wholesome meals, desserts and distinct drinks.

Kebab, Baklava, Lokum and Raki are the most commonly associated Turkish delicacies. Others include olive oil dishes, rice pilafs, stuffed vegetables, pickles, fruit preserves, compote, sherbet, boza (a thick beverage made of barley) coffee, pastries, puddings and syrupy desserts.

The exclusive Turkish food is a fine combination of wraps with fillings – the classical wrap is meat or rice wrapped in vine, cabbage or collard leaves although lettuce, nut, chestnut, cherry and sometimes violet leaves. There are as many as 15 variants of wraps as of today! There is an a rich variety of meat dishes in the form of grills, fried meats, kebabs, stews cooked in a crock or a pan.

Fast Facts
Main Languages: Turkish, Kurdish, Arabic, Armenian and Greek. English is spoken in the touristy places.
When to Go: September, when the city experiences Spring.
Local Transport: Istanbul is blessed with a good network of transport system. Besides bus, you can travel in a tram, ferry, cabs etc. Try buying an Akbil pass, a pre-buying ticket and avoid those smelly long queues waiting for public transport.
Phone Code: Istanbul (Asian side) +90216 and Istanbul (European side) +90212
Currency: New Turkish Lira (YTL is approximately 48 INR).
Voltage: 230 V/ 50 Hz
Time Zone: UTC/GMT + 2 hours with + 1 hour as daylight saving.