Turkey Traveller

Çanakkale (pot fortress) is a small seaside town in the Çanakkale province; the town is located on the Asian side of the Dardanelles straits that connect the Sea of Marmara to the Aegean. Çanakkale's most famous landmark is the nearby ruined city of Troy (Truva) because of this you will see a large wooden horse as you walk along the promenade originally used for the film version of Troy and later donated to the town.The promenade is pleasant for a stroll and there are many cafes and restaurants in which you can sit and watch nautical traffic meandering up and down the Dardanelles, which is one of the busiest shipping lanes in the world. The Dardanelles straits have always been of huge strategic importance as it provides the only access to the black sea. You can get frequent ferries from Çanakkale to the Gallipoli peninsular (Gelibolu) on the opposite side of the straits, the site of the tragic battle of Gallipoli in WWI. The town’s hotels fill up around April the 25th every year ...

Without doubt the one thing you should not miss on any trip to Istanbul is the opportunity to grab a bite to eat as Eminönü quayside. The quayside & the adjacent Galata bridge is lined with anglers catching fresh fish which is quickly grilled and sold by the vendors who have parked their barbecues in a line behind the anglers. The grilled fish is served in a crusty bread roll with a little salad and is very reasonably priced. Unless you eat it raw this is about as fresh as fresh fish can get. You may have to stand as it’s often difficult to find a seat amongst all the hustle and bustle, but it’s normally easy enough to find a comfortable place to lean. If fish is not your thing there is also a kiosk there that sells the most fantastic to die for doner kebab in a bread roll with salad, the kiosk has some plastic tables and chairs so there is even an opportunity to eat sitting down. For those who want to take their time and eat in a more relaxing environment the base of the Galata ...

The Basilica Cistern (known in Turkish as Yerebatan Sarnıcı or sunken cistern) is located near the Hagia Sophia in the Sultanahmet district of Istanbul. It is a popular tourist destination but is easy to miss due to its underground location. However we found it fairly easily due to the tout who kindly showed us the entrance, albeit after he took us to his leather warehouse and showed us some jackets whilst we imbibed in some free apple tea. Once there we paid 10 YTL entrance fee and then descended the steps into the darkness. The Basilica Cistern is sometimes referred to as The Sunken Palace and it’s easy to see why. As you walk down the stairs you will see a large reservoir stretching further than you can see in the darkness, between the water and the ceiling there is a forest of 336 30ft high marble columns stretching up to a brick made domed ceiling, the columns are arranged in 12 rows each 28 columns long. The air is cool and damp (perfect respite from the hot sun outside) and eac...

Sivrihisar (meaning pointed castle) is a charming little town in Eskişehir Province, the name is derived from the ruins of Sivrihisar castle and the pointed rocky granite hills that surround the town on three sides.The town has a long history and has been occupied by the Hittites, Phrygians, Seljuks and Ottomans. Sivrihisar has many beautiful (and some decaying) Ottoman houses and haphazard twisty roads. Like many other parts of Eskişehir Province recent times have allowed for some renovations so some of the Ottoman house have been recently restored to very high standard. The town is quiet and has an air of sleepiness about it as if no one is in much of a hurry, the centre usually has a few locals hanging around swopping pleasantries who are likely to show friendly curiosity in any visiting strangers. Sivrihisar is famed for its beautiful kilim rugs although you are unlikely to be able to buy one in the town, although I understand it is possible to buy new ones in one of the nearby vi...

The Yazılıkaya Platform also known as Midas city is in the county of Eskişehir in the Yazılıkaya (written rock) village, maps of the area marked with all the areas of cultural and historical interest in Eskişehir are available at the Eskişehir tourist information centre. The Yazılıkaya platform was first occupied by man in the early Bronze Age, there are considerable archaeological remains from the Hittite period and the whole platform is like a preserved Phrygian settlement. The Phrygians occupied the area after the decline of the Hittite empire and the Yazılıkaya Platform is thought to be the 7th century BC religious centre of the Phrygian culture. On the site there are approximately 33 ruins from the Phrygian period including the Midas monument (a monument built to the goddess Cybele at the behest of King Midas), Phrygian rock tombs, altars, ancient roads, fountains, gigantic underground cisterns, rock thrones, Phrygian monuments, inscriptions and a massive stone fortress. The Mi...

Eskişehir (meaning old city) is located on the banks of the river Porsuk in north-western Turkey in Eskişehir province on the main road and rail route between Ankara and Istanbul. Eskişehir is currently largely ignored by western tourists (although has a thriving tourist industry of visitors coming from the east) presumably due to its landlocked location and sometimes harsh climatical conditions. However Eskişehir is truly one of the gems of central Turkey, the city itself is very modern and beautiful and offers a range of eateries, shopping destinations, Turkish baths, nargile houses, museums and Ottoman architecture. The two universities give the cosmopolitan city a lively and youthful vibe; it’s a fantastic destination for foodies as the quality of the restaurants here is very high. The city has a few local delicacies including helva, boza and my personal favourite çiğ börek, a fine pastry mixture filled with ground meat, spices and onions then pan fried in hot oil and chased down ...

The Grand Bazaar (or covered bazaar known as Kapaliçarsi in Turkish) is an experience not to be missed it is comprised of 58 streets incorporating about 4,000 shops. The Grand Bazaar was built over many centuries and the end result is a kind of gigantic, beautiful and overwhelming shopping labyrinth. The Bazaar caters for both tourists and locals so you will find a good mix of authentic goods squeezed in between the stuff that’s really just for tourists, there are also plenty of eateries and it can be a fascinating place to sit and enjoy a cup of çay for anyone that’s into people watching. There are four main entrances to the Bazaar and plenty of smaller ones but it matters very little because once inside you will almost certainly become lost, my advice is to just relax and enjoy the atmosphere and shopping, eventually you will come across another exit and it’s always easier to work out where you are on the outside than the inside. Asking the locals for directions can often be quite f...