Alanya has a typical Mediterranean climate. The Mediterranean Basin ensures that most rain comes during the winter, leaving the summers long, hot, and dry, prompting the Alanya board of Tourism to use the slogan “where the sun smiles”.

Alanya‘s culture is a subculture of the larger Culture of Turkey. The city’s seaside position is central to many annual festivals. Many tourists, especially Scandinavians, Germans, Russians, and Dutch, regularly vacation in Alanya during the warmer months. They are drawn to the area because of property prices, warm weather, sandy beaches, access to Antalya’s historic sites, and fine cuisine.

Fethiye is located on the Lycian and Carian border and was called Telmessos in ancient times. The city was very prominent and a centre of prophecy, pledged to Apollon. That the city life was rich and highly cultured during the Hellenistic and Roman periods is evident from the existing monuments. Today the majority of ancient ruins in Telmessos are rock-tombs, Lycian-type sarcophagi, the fortress and the Roman Theatre.
The peninsula lying between Fethiye and Antalya was known as Lycia in the ancient times. Lycians were natives of Anatolia and ea-faring people as mentioned in Homer’s Iliad and Kadesh War Peace Agreement document. The tomb of Amyntas, which could be considered as the insignia of Fethiye, strikes the eye with its grandeur on the slope as you enter the bay. This tomb, whose façade was built as an Ionic temple based on the plan of in antis, belonged to Amyntas is believed to be a king or a governor of Telmessos during
the Hellenistic period.
Within the city there are quite a number of Lycian-type sarcophagi. On these there are epitaphs in the Lycian scripture. Especially the sarcophagus near the government house is worthy of notice, with its relieves depicting warriors.

Fethiye is one of Turkey’s well-known tourist centres and is especially popular during the summer.
In the last ten years Fethiye has become a magnet for British citizens. Apart from its climate and natural beauty, the Britons are attracted by its less expensive lifestyle and the hospitality of the local people. The British population in Turkey is between 34,000 and 38,000. As a result of the large British population and the high numbers of Britons going there for holiday, Fethiye-Öludeniz was chosen as the best tourism centre in the world by The Times and The Guardian newspapers in 2007. Over 7,000 British citizens permanently live in Fethiye, while approximately 600,000 British tourists visit the town every summer.

Previously named Halicarnassus, Bodrum has a history dating back before the 7th century B.C. Boasting impressive historical sites from different ages, a few of the most popular are the Monumental Tomb of Mausolos and the Castle of the Knights of St. John.

Named as one of the seven wonders of the ancient world, the Tomb of Mausolos once stood over 50 meters high and is described as a white marble tomb with ionic columns. Intact for almost 19 centuries, it was destroyed in 1304 by an earthquake. Containing a famous frieze, the original was sent to the British Museum in London in 1846.

Dominating the harbor, Bodrum Castle was built by The Knights Hospitallers in the 15th century to defend the city. In 1961 the castle became a museum, which includes the Museum of Underwater Archeology. For those planning a tour, appropriate footwear should be taken into account as there are unexpected dips and rises between steps and ramps.

Travelers from throughout Europe as well as the United States on Turkey holidays will find a escape to a beach on the Bodrum Peninsula will be rewarded with peaceful views of the castle while relaxing on warm sand. Engage in a variety of water sports or walk a short distance to numerous refreshment stands to enjoy a cold drink.

After a day of sightseeing or relaxation, try a traditional meal at one of Bodrum’s many authentic Turkish restaurants. In addition to great food, the nightlife in Bodrum is considered to be sophisticated. Located opposite the marina and referred to as BARSTREET by the locals, a maze of streets will lead patrons to a long list of choices for adult conversation and dancing. One of the most popular is the catamaran that doubles as a disco on the water.

Explore the Aegean coast by taking a boat tour. Most organized tours include lunch and pass by small secluded bays. Indulge by soaking up the sun while viewing breathtaking landscape.
If hiking is on the itinerary, a trip up Kizlar Sivrisi Mountain takes about a day and allows visitors to see Antalya City and the Mediterranean.
While on holiday in Bodrum, Turkey, take advantage of everything this old city has to offer.

Years ago, one of Turkey’s most famous pop-rock groups, MFÖ released a song entitled, “Bodrum, Bodrum”; “How do I describe it, where do I begin, Bodrum, Bodruuuum,” was how it started. Since then, it has become the unofficial anthem of this popular summer resort.

Most Turks have a Bodrum memory; the town is like an autonomous region inside Turkey, with its own private set of rules, one of which is that the evening doesn’t start until misnight!

A wonder of the ancient world

Bodrum Village

Bodrum’s original name was Halicarnassus. According to the celebrated historian Herodotus, who was a native of this town, the city was first founded by the Dorians. In 650 BC, the Megarans took it over, expanded it, and renamed it Halicarnassus. In the 4th century BC, the city became the capital of Caria, and went on to become prosperous and successful. One of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, the Mausoleum of Halicarnassus was built by Queen Artemisia in honor of her husband Mausolus, who died in 353 BC. Today, only scant ruins of the great tomb remain.

An ancient theater beside the road to Turgutreis has been beautifully restored and is worth a quick look. Work on it started during the reign of Mausolos, although it was extended by the Romans.

Later, Bodrum was conquered by the Romans and Byzantines. In 1415, it was captured by the Knights Hospitaller of Rhodes, and in 1522, during the reign of Sultan Süleyman the Magnificent, it became a part of the Ottoman Empire.

Turkey’s largest lake, Lake Van, sprawls over an area of 3,750 square kilometers. It’s a beautiful and mesmerizing place that retreats into silence once the sun goes down. On its shores stands the modern town of Van, which was probably founded by the Assyrian queen Semiramis, nearly 4,000 years ago.

The mosaic of civilization that has created Turkey is very colorful. Wherever you go, you come across yet another all but forgotten civilization, or even several different civilizations piled on top of one another. Van is typical of these palimpsest locations, having played host to a wide range of ancient civilizations, from the Hurris to the Urartians, and from Alexander the Great to the Romans. The Urartians called Van, Tuşba, and made it their capital in 832 BC. Otherwise, very little is known about them, although they carved long cuneiform inscriptions into the walls of Van Castle.

Van Cat

In recent years, Van has had to cope with considerable migration from the surrounding countryside. It has also been enlivened by the creation of . Yüzüncü Yıl University. If you arrive here by boat from Tatvan to the west, you will be amazed by the size of the modern city. The newer suburbs are almost four kilometers further inland than the old lakeside town.

Right at the heart of Van, Cumhuriyet Caddesi serves an “all roads lead to Rome” function. From hotels to breakfast shops, from the museum to the main market, it all seems to be happening along Cumhuriyet Caddesi.

What to do ?
Van Museum has some magnificent items on display. As you trace a historical, journey that started araund 9,000 BC, be sure to note the rare tombstones from Hakkari.

Pay visit to Van University’s Cat House to see white Van cats, which are supposedly able to for their, mismatched eyes ( one blue and one yellow ), in some cases they two blue eyes.

After Şems disappearance, Mevlana retreated further into the world of Sufism and began writing his 25,000-verse masterpiece, the Mesnevi. For him, death was merely reunion with God and so a cause for celebration. Thus, 17 December, the date of his death (or his “nuptial night”, as it is referred to) is celebrated with semas (ceremonies) at which Mevlevi dervished perform their famous whirling dance. With their wide white skirts and conical headdresses symbolizing the ego’s shroud and tomb respectively, the dervished slowly revolve, passing divine energy from the Creator to his creations.

Antalya was founded by the Pergamum King Attalos II in the 2nd century BC. Legend has it that Attalos instructed his soldiers to find “heaven on earth” and that after a long and tedious search across the world, his men offered the king this city, which he named Attaleia. Today, Attalos statue stands across from the Clock Tower. The magnificent Hadrian’s Gate, on the other hand, is named after the Roman Emperor Hadrian, who visited the city in 130 BC.

Antalya, Oludeniz, Turkey

Antalya was an important harbor during the Crusades and served as a base for soldiers on their way to the Holy Land. Conquered by the Ottomans during Sultan Bayezid’s reign, the Italians in 1918. It’s a city that has attracted travelers throughout history and Ibn Battuta, who visited in the 14th century, wrote that the Egyptians called lemons “Adalia” because so many were exproted from Antalya. Having traversed the area in 1671. Evliya Çelebi noted that the city walls were 4400m in length, and had 80 bastions, and that the 200 fountains received their water from the Düden Creek.

Famous for the Kaleiçi (Old Town) with its lovely old Ottoman houses, the Yivli Minare (Fluted Minaret) and the beaches along the coast, Antalya also has a wonderful museum.An incredible collection spans a wide time frame with exhibits from the Stone Age to the Ottoman period. The most outstanding pieces are from the Roman era; the statuary alone would be enough to rank the museum among the top five in Turkey. In ancient times, Antalya was surrounded by Pisidia in the north. Pamphylia (”the land of all tribes”) in the east, and Lycia in the west.

Because of its position at the crossroads of all the most important transport routes, the city acquired an incredible historical heritage, and the museum doesn’t have enough space to accommodate all the finds from local archaeological sites.

There are many things to do in Antalya and its environs; ski in Saklıkent in the winter, go to the ancient city of Selge near Köprüçay (which is perfect for rafting), visit Sillyum, see Side, get some rest in Manavgat, discover the ruins of Olympos, and wander amid the cedar trees in the ancient city of Idebessos on the northern slopes of Aykırca Creek. With time to venture a bit further, you can also admire one of the most beautiful Greek theaters in the world at Arycanda near Finike, and enjoy some trout at one of the many local fish farms.

The site of a famous love affair…
Some sources say that Side originally meant “pomegranate”, and the pomegranate is the symbol of abundance and wealth. The city experianced its period of greatest prosperity in Roman times when it was a flourishing trade center with a large slave market. Some sources also suggest that it served as a lovenest for Cleopatra and Mark Anthony.

As you walk towards the bazaar from the bus station you will pass a beautiful, newly excavated Roman fountain and then the remains of a colonnaded street once lined with ancient shops. The theater, which has a seating capacity of 15,000, is still used today. Side Museum is housed in what was once the old Roman bath-house; it has a delightful back garden full of stone sarcophagi. The Temples of Apollo and Athena overlooking the sea were built in the 2nd century AD. Few things could be nicer than sipping an evening drink at once of the cafes beside the temples. Protected by its land and sea walls, the ancient city of Side survived the Hellenistic and Roman periods. Unfortunately, the aesthetic beauty of the ancient buildings has not found echoes in many of the structures thrown up in recent years.

Side, Turkey

Side’s historic sites are some walk from the bazaar in the heat, but the Municipality provides a Disneyesque tractor and trailer to get people from place to place in summer.

More local tourists
Traditionally, Side has been favored by the Germans and the Dutch, but ever since the five-star resorts lowered their prices for dometic tourists, the town has seen an increase in turkish visitors.

Beautiful Night in Alanya

Modern Alanya is dominated by a huge plug of rock topped off with the remains of a Seljuk castle. This is by far the most interesting part of what is a predominantly modern city. Make it easy on yourself by taking a bus or taxi up and then walking the three kilometers down again to take advantage of the wonderful sea views and to visit the other minor sites on the rock, including a fine Ottoman mosque and bedesten (covered market). Some lovely old Ottoman houses still cling to the hillside as well.

Of Alanya’s several caves, the most famous is the Damlataş Mağrası (Dripping Stone Cave), whose humid atmosphere is supposedly good for asthmatics. Some people will prefer the less crowded Dim Mağarası (Cave), known as the “Gavur İni” (Cave of the Infidel) to the locals. Being the seaside resort it is, Alanya offers a great choice of daily boat tours which visit the Korsanlar, Aşıklar, and Fosforlu Caves, as well as the Cleopatra and Ulaş beaches.

The local museum contains small but interesting archaeological and ethnological collections. The house in which Atatürk stayed overnight on 18 February 1935 is also open to the public.

Kızılkule is the symbol of the city
Although the city of Alanya dates back for many centuries, it never played a major role in history. However, when Alaeddin Keykubat commissioned a Syrian architect to build the aptly-named Kızılkule (the Red Tower) in 1226, he put the city on the world map. Eighty-seven steps lead to the top and a spectacular view out over the sea. The Tersane is another local attraction. Also commissioned by Keykubat, this dockyard, built in 1228, is the only example of its kind to survive from the Seljuk period. The tower next to it is known to have been used as an armory.

A thriving modern town
Originally called Dorylaeon by the Greeks and Dorileaum by the Romans, Eskişehir was probably established near an old Phrygian settlement on the banks of the Porsuk River. Famed for its thermal baths, the city prospered through trade and acquired city status in 1925. Through trade and manufacturing, it has always been a prosperous city; it was also the cradle of civil aviation in Turkey and is home to the Anadolu University, one of the country’s biggest institutions of higher learning. After years of hard work, Eskişehir’s star is once again in the ascendant, the new tram (”the Estram”) a symbol of its go-ahead outlook.

Eskisehir, Turkey

Eskişehir may be an “old town” in name, but there’s not a great deal left to see of its past in the town center which was badly damaged during the Turkish War of Independence. Recently, the surviving 19th-century pastel-colored houses in the Odunpazarı (Wood Market) neighborhood have been given a makeover, making it one of the most enjoyable areas to explore.

It’s worth taking a stroll along bustling, pedestrian Hamamyolu Caddesi, where every other shop seems to sell sweets. The large 16th-century Kurşunlu and Haznedar Camii (Mosques) are also worth a visit; the former might be a work of the famous architect Sinan. Spare some time, too, for the museums: the Archaeological Museum, which contains some of the finds from Dorileaum; the Atatürk and Culture Museum; and the Beylerbeyi Konağı, an Ottoman House which is sporadically open to the public.

Don’t leave town without taking a dip in one of the thermal baths. Public baths can be found at the junction of Hamamyolu and Savtekin Caddesis (street), or you can book into a hotel which boasts its own thermal waters.

Meerschaum country
Eskişehir is famous for its light, white meerschaum stone, a substance which is not common elsewhere in the world. It has been mined and processed here for nearly 5,000 years, and many beautiful pipes and other astonishingly elaborate objects made from meerschaum (which means “sea foam” in German) are on display in the small Lületaşı Müzesi (Meerschaum Museum).