Tuesday, December 25, 2012

Amasya

Amasya
Amasya

Located at the foot of a rock in a narrow valley through which flow the torrential waters of the Yeşilırmak river, this charming town has a prestigious past: occupying a strategic and economic position on the route between Mesopotamia and the Black Sea, the ancient city of Amaseia was the capital of the kings of Pontus (Euxeinos Pontos is the Greek name given to the Black Sea and the North-Eastern region of Anatolia) during the Hellenisticperiod, a county town during the Roman period, the homeland of geographer Strabon, a Byzantine fortified fortress, the capital of the last kingdom of eastern Armenia, a Turkish emirate and a Mongol base before it was finally conquered by Ottoman Sultan Bayezit I in 1392.

The Ottoman houses lining the banks of the Yeşilırmak river create a picturesque atmosphere. The beauty of Amasya’s surroudings and its architecture legacy have contributed to make Amasya of the the most attractive city in Turkey.



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Salt Lake

Salt Lake
Salt Lake
It is located 120 km/75 miles to the south of Ankara on the way to Cappadocia. It is the second largest lake in Turkey but its surface and water level vary according to the seasons. It reaches its higher level, 1-2 m/3-6 inches at the end of winter, and in summer after evaporation the lake dries out and a wide marsh covered with a 30cm/12 inches salt layer forms. Due to its high salinity (33%), 300 thousand tons of salt are obtained per year.

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Gordion

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Gordion

The site of ancient Gordion is located 100 km/ 62 miles west of Ankara in the village of Yassıhöyük, near the point of confluence of the Sakarya (old Sangorius) and Porsuk rivers. The origins of Gordion date back to the Bronze Age. It was a Hittite city which later became the capital of the Kingdom of Phrygia. The city reached its apogée between 725 and 696 BC, under the reign of king Midas, the king of the "golden touch and the ass's ears". Two pleasant mythological stories tend to make forget that Midas was a real and important king. According to the first legend, Midas rescued Silenus, the favorite companion of Dionysos as he was completely drunk, and treated him well. Therefore Dionysos, to thank him, granted him one wish. Unwise Midas asked to be given the capacity of turning everything to gold.

Source  guide-martine


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Saturday, December 8, 2012

Istanbul

Istanbul
Istanbul

Istanbul is the largest city in Turkey, constituting the country's economic, cultural, and historical heart. With a population of 13.5 million, the city forms one of the largest urban agglomerations in Europe and is among the largest cities in the world by population within city limits. Istanbul's vast area of 5,343 square kilometers (2,063 sq mi) is coterminous with Istanbul Province, of which the city is the administrative capital. Istanbul is a transcontinental city, straddling the Bosphorus—one of the world's busiest waterways—in northwestern Turkey, between the Sea of Marmara and the Black Sea. Its commercial and historical center lies in Europe, while a third of its population lives in Asia.
Founded on the Sarayburnu promontory around 660 BC as Byzantium, the city now known as Istanbul developed to become one of the most significant cities in history. For nearly sixteen centuries following its reestablishment as Constantinople in 330 AD, it served as the capital of four empires: the Roman Empire (330–395), the Byzantine Empire (395–1204 and 1261–1453), the Latin Empire (1204–1261), and the Ottoman Empire (1453–1922). It was instrumental in the advancement of Christianity during Roman and Byzantine times, before the Ottomans conquered the city in 1453 and transformed it into an Islamic stronghold and the seat of the last caliphate. Although the Republic of Turkey established its capital in Ankara, palaces and imperial mosques still line Istanbul's hills as visible reminders of the city's previous central role.
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Istanbul
Istanbul's strategic position along the historic Silk Road, rail networks to Europe and the Middle East, and the only sea route between the Black Sea and the Mediterranean have helped foster an eclectic populace, although less so since the establishment of the Republic in 1923. Overlooked for the new capital during the interwar period, the city has since regained much of its prominence. The population of the city has increased tenfold since the 1950s, as migrants from across Anatolia have flocked to the metropolis and city limits have expanded to accommodate them. Arts festivals were established at the end of the 20th century, while infrastructure improvements have produced a complex transportation network.
Seven million foreign visitors arrived in Istanbul in 2010, when it was named a European Capital of Culture, making the city the world's tenth-most-popular tourist destination. The city's biggest draw remains its historic center, partially listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, but its cultural and entertainment hub can be found across the city's natural harbor, the Golden Horn, in the Beyoğlu district. Considered a global city, Istanbul hosts the headquarters of many Turkish companies and media outlets and accounts for more than a quarter of the country's gross domestic product. Hoping to capitalize on its revitalization and rapid expansion, Istanbul is currently bidding for the 2020 Summer Olympics.

Source: wikipedia
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