🇹🇷 Türkiye

Hej! I share an extract of my experience of visiting magnificent Türkiye. I was there in 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2019, 2023 and 2024. Below are some notes on what I tasted, saw and listened to.
Important: I only share my own experience and recommend the things I personally tried and liked. Therefore, everything written below is extremely subjective, and also does not cover all the wonderful local attributes and places ☺️.

🗺 Places: İstanbul, Side, Belek, Kemer, Demre, Marmaris, Selçuk, Pamukkale, Antalya.

🏛 Top sights visited:

1. İstanbul
   • Hagia Sophia (Ayasofya)
   • Blue Mosque (Sultanahmet Camii)
   • Basilica Cistern (Yerebatan Sarnıcı)
   • Süleymaniye Mosque (Süleymaniye Camii)
   • Galata Tower (Galata Kulesi)
   • Dolmabahçe Palace (Dolmabahçe Sarayı)
   • Topkapı Palace (Topkapı Sarayı)
   • Glata Bridge (Galata Köprüsü)
   • Grand Bazaar (Kapalıçarşı)
   • İstiklâl Street (İstiklâl Caddesi)
   • Taksim Square (Taksim Meydanı)
   • Gülhane Park (Gülhane Parkı)
2. Antalya
   • Old Antalya (Kaleiçi)
   • Düden Waterfalls (Düden Şelalesi)
   • Hadrian’s Gate (Hadrian Kapısı)
   • Karaalioğlu Park (Karaalioğlu Parkı)
   • Hidirlik Tower (Hıdırlık Kulesi)
3. Marmaris
   • Marmaris Marina (Marmaris Yat Limanı)
   • Marmaris Centre (Marmaris Merkez)
   • Marmaris Mountains (Marmaris Dağları)
   • Dalyan Mud Bath (Dalyan Çamur Banyosu)
   • Carian Rock Tombs (Karya Kaya Mezarları)
4. Kemer
   • Phaselis Ancient City (Faselis)
   • Göynük Canyon (Göynük Kanyonu)
   • Lycian Way (Likya Yolu)
   • Beldibi Beaches (Beldibi)
   • Kiriş Beaches (Kiriş)
5. Selçuk
   • Ephesus Ancient City (Efes)
6. Pamukkale
   • Travertines of Pamukkale (Pamukkale Travertenleri)
   • Hierapolis Ancient City (Hierapolis)
7. Demre
   • Myra Ancient City (Myra)
   • Kekova Island (Kekova Adası)
8. Belek
   • Belek Beaches (Belek)
9. Side
   • Side Beaches (Side)

🎧 Local musicians:

• 🇹🇷 Tarkan (singer). Genre: pop
• 🇹🇷 Emre Altuğ (singer). Genre: pop
• 🇹🇷 Soner Sarıkabadayı (singer). Genre: pop
• 🇹🇷 Serhat Durmus (DJ). Genre: house
• 🇹🇷 Zerrin Temiz (singer). Genre: pop
• 🇺🇳 Burak Yeter (DJ). Genre: house
• 🇺🇳 Mahmut Orhan (DJ). Genre: house
• 🇺🇳 Ummet Ozcan (DJ). Genre: progressive house

🥘 Local food & drinks:

• Döner Kebab (Döner Kebab)
• Baklava (Baklava)
• Gözleme (Gözleme)
• Muhlama (Mıhlama)
• Ashure (Aşure)
• Kazandibi (Kazandibi)
• Sekerpare (Şekerpare)
• Burek (Börek)
• Turkish Ice-cream (Dondurma)
• Turkish Tea (Türk Çayı)
• Pide (Pide)
• Turkish Turnip Water (Şalgam Suyu)
• Turkish Raki (Brand: “Yeni Raki”)
• İstanbul (Regional Special): Balık Ekmek (Balık Ekmek)
• Antalya (Regional Special): Shish Kofta (Şiş Köfte)

🎬 Local movies:

• Winter Sleep (Kış Uykusu). Year: 2014. Genre: drama
• Distant (Uzak). Year: 2002. Genre: drama

🪔 Authentic artifacts:

• Turkish Hammam (Hamam)
• The Halay Dance (Halay)
• The Bağlama (Bağlama)
• Turkish Television Drama (Türk Dizileri)
• Authentic Garb: Kaftan and Shalvar and Yelek (Kaftan ve Şalvar ve Yelek)
• The Meddahs (Meddah)
• Turkish Architecture (Türk Mimarisi)
• İstanbul (Regional Special): Byzantine Culture (Bizans Kültürü)
• İstanbul (Regional Special): Shoeshiners (Ayakkabı Boyacısı)
• Antalya (Regional Special): The Culture of Tahtaci (Tahtacılar / Tahtacı)

🦉 Local wisdom: “A wise man does not say what he knows; The stupid man does not know what he is saying” / “Akıllı adam bildiğini söylemez; salak adam söylediğini bilmez” — Turkish proverb

👨‍🎓The oldest university: Istanbul University (İstanbul Üniversitesi), Istanbul, est. 1453.