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Geography |
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Turkey includes the large peninsula of Western
Asia (known as both Asia Minor and Anatolia) and
the European section west of the Bosphorous
strait (called Thrace). It covers an area of
783,500 square kms (300,000 square miles) which
is roughly equivalent to the size of Texas or
the countries of Spain and Italy together. To
the south and west are the Mediterranean and
Aegean Seas respectively and to the north is the
Black Sea. In clockwise order, Turkey shares
borders with Greece, Bulgaria, Georgia, Armenia,
Iran, Iraq, and Syria. Nineteen mountains are
over 4,100 meters (13,800 feet) high; of them Mt.
Ararat (Agri Dag) is the highest at 5,073 meters
(16,910 feet). Both the Tigris and the Euphrates
Rivers (Dicle and Firat) have their source in
Anatolia. |
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Economy |
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The economy of the country is based on
agriculture, industry, tourism and natural
resources. |
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Population |
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The current population of Turkey is over 65
million people, 65% of them live in cities. Over
half the population is under the age of 20. |
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Transportation |
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Inter-city transportation is by airlines, trains
and ferries but by far the most convenient and
economical transport is by taking one of the
modern and comfortable buses that travel almost
everywhere in the country. Within towns and
cities, cost-shared taxis (dolmus) and normal
taxis are easily available. |
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Climate |
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Turkey has a typically hot and sunny
Mediterranean Climate, but it can get cold at
night. |
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Shopping |
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Turkey has many Bazaars and shops. The Turkish
Carpets are very beautiful and are quite
valuable as they are hand-woven with unique
designs and made with wool & silk, coloured with
natural dyes and pigments. Each region of Turkey
has its own design and the silk carpets (kilms)
are of course the most valuable. Some of them
can take one weaver up to eighteen months to
make. Leather and jewellery (gold and silver)
are also favourite purchases. In Turkey you can
haggle to get the prices down and you will find
that there is something to be found within
anyone's budget. |
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Cuisine |
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Turkish Cuisine is one of the best in the world.
It has a wide variety of dishes and is very
healthy as well as delicious. |
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Tipping |
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Tipping is customary at hotels and restaurants
and for tour guides and drivers. |
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Religion |
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99% of the Turkish Population is Muslim although
they are generally not as strict as most of
their Muslim neighbours. Turkey is a secular
republic which grants freedom of worship. |
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Visas & Passports |
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Visas are required from many countries to visit
Turkey. Prior to departure you must check with
the appropriate Embassy or Consulate in your
country of residence. For US citizens, no prior
request is necessary, but a visa must be
purchased upon arrival in Turkey. This is
normally issued before going through passport
control and is valid for 90 days. Please ensure
your passport has at least 3 months validity
before you enter the country |
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Healt & Vaccinations |
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In general Turkey is a pretty healthy country to
travel in although many people experience
stomach upsets. It is best to drink bottled
water and take the usual precautions over food
hygiene. We recommend that you have the
following vaccinations: Diptheria & Tetanus,
Polio, Hepatitis A, Typhoid, Hepatitis B, Rabies
and you may want to take Malaria Tablets if you
are travelling to Eastern Turkey. You should
take out travel/health insurance before you
leave home. |
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Time Difference |
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Turkey is seven hours ahead of Eastern Standard
Time and two hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time. |
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Money & Bank |
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The currency used in Turkey is the Turkish Lira.
Although all credit cards are accepted
throughout Turkey, Visa and Master Card are most
commonly used. Automated teller machines are
normally available in larger cities. It is
important to know that your PIN number must be
all numerals, (no letters), and that the money
dispensed will be in Turkish Lira. Throughout
Turkey, banking hours are 8.30am - 12.00pm and
1.00pm - 5.00pm Monday to Friday. Commission and
exchange rates vary from bank to bank.
Commission rates typically remain within 1% to
3%. Money exchange bureaus usually offer a good
rate for cash, while hotels are as good a place
as any to cash travellers checks. Please note
that a passport is required when exchanging
travellers checks for large amounts of cash. |
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Post Offices |
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Post Offices are easily identified by their
bright yellow facades and PTT (Postal, Telegraph,
and Telephone) signs. The main post offices in
the large cities are open Monday to Saturday
8.00am - 9.00pm and 9.00am - 7.00pm on Sunday.
Smaller post offices are open Monday to Saturday
from 8.30am to 5.00pm. Postal fees fluctuate
according to inflation rates. The cost of
mailing postcards and letters is minimal. |
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Calling the US from
Turkey |
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As throughout the world, hotels in Turkey apply
heavy service fees to international phone calls.
Therefore, we recommend using a long distance
calling card. Although your calling card will be
billed for the call, the hotel will assess a
nominal fee for connecting you with the
international operator. |
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Clothing |
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Turkey is an informal country. Comfortable,
casual clothing is appropriate to wear
throughout. Comfortable clothes and sensible
walking shoes are advisable to wear during
sightseeing. You will be required to remove your
shoes upon entering a mosque. Keep in mind that
shorts, short skirts or bare shoulders are not
allowed in the mosques, and that a head covering
for women, although not required, is greatly
appreciated. |
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Electricity |
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220 Volts. In Turkey, electrical appliances
manufactured in the U.S. require the use of a
standard two-prong adaptor. A converter is also
needed if the appliance does not have dual
voltage as the voltage varies between 110V and
220V at 50Hz. However, many hotels are equipped
with 110V outlets for such items as shavers, and
are clearly marked "For Shavers Only." As the
voltage in the U.S. is considerably lower
(110V), the use of high wattage appliances such
as blow dryers should not be attempted. |
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What is Expensive and
What is Cheap Turkey |
As a general rule, anything sold in Turkey that
is imported is quite expensive.
Camera film, toiletries and anything electrical
are expensive. Whereas cigarettes, local alcohol
(vodka, gin and raki), leather, carpets, clothes,
sunglasses, silver and gold jewellery are cheap. |
