Turkey: Land of the Turks!

“Turkey is a European country, an Asian country, a Middle Eastern country, a Balkan country, a Caucasian country, a neighbor to Africa, Black Sea country, Caspian Sea, all these -Ahmet Davutoglu”

#Wishlistseries

After I read Dan Brown’s Inferno, it triggered me to research more on Turkey and that’s when I ended up with a list of places that I want to visit:

Constantinople/Byzantium(Istanbul): I think visiting Istanbul itself needs another post. I tried to narrow it down based on my wishes and popular opinions.

(i)Hagia Sophia: Architectural beauty

(ii)Bazaar: Are you are a shopping fan? This is the perfect place to check things around, you get tired walking around 5000 shops.

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_Bazaar,_Istanbul#/media/File:Grand-Bazaar_Shop.jpg

(ii)The city beat — Istiklal Avenue: cinemas, boutiques, cafes, clubs all are here.

(iv) Try Backgammon game — you find the game in any cafe.

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Backgammon#/media/File:Backgammon_lg.png

Cappadocia: Hot air balloon ride is one of the things I always wish to do and all the reviews I have read so far said that this was the best experience. Also, this is the most seen picture on Instagram in recent times.

Source: https://wallpaperaccess.com/cappadocia

Pamukkale(means Cotton castle in Turkish)Springs: One of the dreamiest places to visit, the pools filled with mineral salts

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pamukkale#/media/File:Pamukkale4.jpg

Paragliding over Oludeniz: If you are an extreme sports enthusiast like me, you will love paragliding and see the famous Blue Lagoon below. It is very popular for paragliders as it is said that Oludeniz has the best weather conditions throughout the year.

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C3%96l%C3%BCdeniz#/media/File:Oludeniz.jpg

Cuisine: I usually try a few things when I visit a place but reading through what I can try in Turkish cuisine, i made a list. I would try more than what I have mentioned here, however, these are the must ones that you must try.

i)The first thing is Turkish coffee and Turkish Tea.

(ii)Lahmacun: Fan of pizza? Try the Turkish Pizza

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lahmacun#/media/File:Lahmacun.jpg

(iii)Kebabs, of course!

(iv)Turkish Desserts: There are so many unique desserts to try. One of my favorites is Baklava — it’s a sweet dessert, nuts, and honey.

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baklava#/media/File:Baklava_SiBon_Dekouan%C3%A9_Beyrouth_Liban.jpg

The choice you need to make is how much time you want to spend visiting this beautiful country -whether its days/weeks/months

“The beauty of a landscape resides in its melancholy -Ahmet Rasim”