ENTRY VISA
When visiting Turkey you need a tourist visa to enter the country. In previous years one has been able to purchase these on arrival in the country … and whilst this arrangement is still in place, people are encouraged to purchase an “e-visa” online prior to travel. This system is easy to use, convenient and cheaper than purchasing a visa on arrival.
To get an e-visa, please click on the following link https://www.evisa.gov.tr/en/
TRAVEL TO TURKEY
There has been much in the world press about travelling to Turkey, due to the fact that it borders both Syria and Iraq, which are currently in turmoil due to IS militants.
However, travelling to Turkey is no more dangerous than travelling to other country in the world.
The Syrian border is over 1,000 km from Kalkan – which is nearly the same distance as from London to Berlin; it would take about 17 hours to drive from Kalkan to Syria.
Sadly, as we know from January 2015, atrocious acts of terroism can happen anywhere in the world.
The UK Foreign & Commonwealth Office regularly update their travel advice for visiting Turkey. Please click on the following link to see the latest information https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/turkey
ABOUT TURKEY
Turkey has a wealth of culture and history, from Ephesus to Whirling
Dervishes, mosques to belly dancers, there is something for everyone.
The country boasts a diverse range of cuisines – with exotic spiced
dishes, sweet pastries and an abundance of sea food, every palate is
catered for here. There are thousands of miles of beaches in the country with azure blue
waters lapping against its shorelines, and many National Parks which
are full of trees and shrubs.
It truly is the country where East meets West!
Turkey has been, and continues to be, a very pivotal country – politically, socially and culturally. Too much to detail on this website, but here are some of the very basic details and terms about this fascinating country
Rumelian
This Turkish word meaning the land of the Romans, and has been used since the 15th century to describe the southern Balkan regions of the Ottoman Empire. Today the word has largely been replaced in Turkey by Trakya when referring to the part of Turkey which is in Europe.
Ottoman Empire
It is difficult to try and summarize this vast period of history, with so many different influences, leaders and encompassing so many countries, but this short paragraph goes some way to trying to do so.
The era of what was known by some as the Turkish Empire spanned the years from 1293 – 1922, and was finally brought to a close by the Turkish War of Independence led by Mustafa Kemal Ataturk. Due to the unique geographic position of Turkey – and more importantly, Istanbul – the Empire became pivotal in relations between the West and the East. During the 16th and 17th centuries, when the Empire was at its height, it was spread across 3 continents and controlled South Eastern Europe, the Middle East and North Africa. Constantinople was its capital and the Empire was headed by a succession of Sultans and their courts.
The Empire was created in order to bring together the many Turkish independent states which existed at the time in what used to be known as Turkish Anatolia.
When the Empire conquered Constantinople in 1453 it stamped its mark on the globe as a force to be reckoned with both in military and trade terms. The Sultans ensured that the Empire grew and prospered, and thanks to the trade routes it was a wealthy Empire.Many enemies of the Empire tried to quash it, but the attempts failed by and large. The decline of the Ottoman Empire was largely brought about by the quest of the Sultans to modernize the Empire. This happened gradually over a period of about 50 years, and left the people disillusioned as was the case for many countries towards the latter part of the 19th century. Ultimately the change in the country’s economic structure coupled with World War I created the backdrop for Ataturk to lead the War of Independence and abolish the Ottoman Empire.
Justinian
Justinian was a Byzantine Emperor was born in Macedonia in the late 5th Century and died in the mid 6th Century A.D, after having survived a bout of the plague some 20 years before. He was known as the “the Emperor who never sleeps”, due to his capacity for work – which included a considerable amount of building work including St. Sophia in Istanbul.
Constantine I (or Constantine the Great)
This influential Roman leader was born in the late 3rd Century and was responsible for moving the Roman capital to the River Bosporus – thus giving the name Constantinople, which lasted for nearly 1,000 years. It literally meant Constantine’s City. Much has been written about this leader and famous warrior, who was the first Christian Roman Emperor. A mosaic of Constantine can be found in St. Sophia, Istanbul.
Republic of Turkey
The political system of modern Turkey, founded in 1923 under the leadership of Kemal Mustafa Ataturk, is a democratic, secular, unitary, constitutional republic. Bordered by eight countries (Bulgaria, Greece, Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Iran, Iraq and Syria) and has a population of approximately 70 million, and is the only country in the world which has a city on two continents (Istanbul stands both in Europe and Asia). The country has a unique blend of Eastern and Western traditions due to its transcontinental position, and is also a member of NATO, the United Nations and the Council of Europe. At present it is not a member of the EU, but talks continue as to its proposed membership – the country has been an associate member for 25 years now. The capital of Turkey is Ankara (in the Ottoman times Istanbul was the capital) and it has 81 administrative districts. This vast country is 780,580 km² in size, which makes it 37th largest on the list of countries in the world (by area).
Ataturk
Mustafa Kemal Ataturk was the founder of the Republic of Turkey. He is still held in extremely high regard in Turkey, and there are statues, monuments and reminders of him throughout the whole of Turkey. He was a military commander and following on from World War I he led the Turkish nationalist movement in what was to become the Turkish War of Independence and the fall of the Ottoman Empire. His influence, as the first President of the nation, was massive and created the modern Turkey we know now being a democratic and secular country. He died at 09.05 on 10th November 1938 – and at this time every year since the date of his death people will stop for a 1 minute silence to remember Ataturk.