General Travel Information about Turkey
What is the Capital of Turkey?
Ankara is the capital and 2nd biggest city of Turkey. Heart of the ancient Galatia, former Ancyra or Angora.
FLAG
The national flag consists of a white crescent (open toward the fly) and a white star on a red field.
ANTHEM: Istiklâl Marsi (March of Independence).
The İstiklâl Marşı (English: Independence March) is the national anthem of the Republic of Turkey, officially adopted on 12 March 1921 —two-and-a-half years before the 29 October 1923 establishment of the nation— both as a motivational musical saga for the troops fighting in the Turkish War of Independence, and as an aspirational anthem for a Republic that was yet to be established.
Penned by Mehmet Âkif Ersoy, and ultimately composed by Osman Zeki Üngör, the theme is one of affection for the Turkish homeland, freedom, and faith, as well as praise for the virtues of hope, devotion, and sacrifice in the pursuit of liberty, all explored through visual, tactile, and kinesthetic imagery as these concepts relate to the flag, the human spirit, and the soil of the homeland. The original manuscript by Ersoy carries the dedication Kahraman Ordumuza – “To our Heroic Army”, in reference to the people’s army that ultimately won the Turkish War of Independence, with lyrics that reflect on the sacrifices of the soldiers during the war.
The anthem is regularly heard during state and military events, as well as during national festivals, bayrams, sporting events, and school ceremonies. Visual depictions can also be found adorning state or public displays, such as in the form of a scroll displaying the first two quatrains of the anthem on the reverse of the Turkish 100 lira banknotes of 1983–1989
National Anthem: Turkey by Ian Berwick
How big is Turkey?
The total area Turkey covers is a bit less than 800.000 sq km ( 774,815 sq km ), which makes it one of the biggest countries in Europe and the Middle East.
The neighbours are Greece and Bulgaria on the norhtwest,Armenia and Georgia on the northeast, Iran and Irak on the southeast and Syria on the south. Of all, the Turkish-Syrian border is the longest.Turkey has no direct border with Russia, but the Black Sea on the north.The other seas that cover Turkey are the Aegean on the west and the Mediterrenean on the south. In other words, Turkey is a huge big peninsula wrapped up by seas on three sides that looks like the head of a horse, as a Turkish poet has put it.
What are the regions of Turkey?
Turkey is divided into 7 geographic regions :
– Marmara (Marmara)
– Aegean (Ege)
– Mediterranean (Akdeniz)
– Southeastern Anatolia (Guney Dogu Anadolu)
– Eastern Anatolia (Dogu Anadolu)
– Blacksea (Karadeniz)
– Central Anatolia (Ic Anadolu)
What are the places to visit in Turkey
In addition to the museums and monuments of Istanbul, places of interest include the Aegean ports of Izmir and Bodrum; the ancient cities of Troy, Ephesus, Tarsus, Konya, Samsun, Erzurum, and Trabzon, Mt. Ararat, traditionally considered the landing place of Noah’s Ark, the remains of which some expeditions have tried to find; the ski resort of Uludag, 36 km (22 mi) south of Bursa; and the sea resort of Antalya, on the Mediterranean coast.
One of the most exciting things about Turkey is that it is ever-changing and never dull. But because of this continuous flux, it is necessary for travelers to double-check details, particularly regarding prices, which change from time to time.
In 2000, 9,585,695 tourists arrived in Turkey. Tourism receipts totaled $7.6 billion. There were 155,441 hotel rooms and 322,334 bed-places with a 37% occupancy rate that year.
In 2001, the US State Department estimated the cost of traveling in Istanbul at $218 per day; the estimated daily cost of staying in Ankara was $223.
Before COVID-19 pandemic started, In 2019, 51,860,042 tourists visited Turkey. According to Turkish Statistical Institute, tourism receipts totaled $34.5 billion.
It does not matter how you name it : Turkey, Turkei, Türkei, Turkiye, Turkije, Turquie, Anatolia, Istanbul, Istambul or Turkisch Riviera; If you have any queries, comments or useful tips to pass on, contact us so that we can update our files. All correspondence is welcome.
