One of the most popular ways to experience the Mediterranean, Turkish gulet cruises are known for their stable and pleasant sailing. They are broad, beamy and heavy and offer a very comfortable ride through the water. It’s often a good choice for those who aren’t so used to the motion of boats, as well as those with sturdier sea-legs. Although the gulets nowadays are sometimes powered by engines rather than being exclusively at the mercy of winds and sails like the vessels of old, there is still plenty of romance in taking to the high seas. Here are a couple of experienced mariner’s tips for those just setting sail:

Avoiding Sea Sickness

As opposed to conditions in the larger oceans, the Mediterranean waters around the Turkish coast generally tend to be much calmer. As well, gulet captains will watch the weather to avoid windy patches, and there are plenty of places to take shelter along the coast in the unlikely event of rough seas on your Turkish gulet cruises. As the Mediterranean is a non-tidal sea, however, this happens only rarely.

Still, it can be wise to take precautions if you know you’re prone to sea sickness. Make sure you’re well stocked with travel sickness pills, or try acupuncture wrist bands. There are even special patches available to wear on the skin in order to combat sea sickness, but sometimes, simply being on deck in the sunshine and fresh air is enough to relieve a troubled stomach.

It’s All About the Timing

If you’re a keen swimmer, and eager to take advantage of a dip in the beautiful Mediterranean, then it’s often a good idea to visit in the summer months – when the sea is warmed to perfection. Although the water is cooler in the spring, those travelling on Turkish gulet cruises at that time will have the benefit of Turkey’s wild flowers in full bloom when they go ashore. They’re easily some of the most beautiful in all Eurasia, and you can see the ancient cities carpeted with poppies and other natives. The entire landscape is lush and verdant in the spring before the full heat of summer has dried it out, and those who aren’t afraid of a little chill on their skin can still enjoy a dip in the Mediterranean without discomfort.

Amongst the destinations, away from the most popular centres of Ankara and Istanbul, on the itineraries of tours in Turkey, the country’s ‘third city’ of İzmir is also well worth a visit, along with the province that surrounds it.  On the western edge of Turkey, reaching out to the Aegean Sea, İzmir is a significant financial and trade centre, with a history as one of the most important and prosperous cities in the Ottoman, when it was known as Smyrna.

One of the first stops on Turkey tours to the area will be a visit to İzmir itself; there is plenty to entertain visitors to this fascinating city. With a recorded history dating back nearly 3,500 years, the city and surrounding area are steeped in the heritage of European civilisation, from Greek and Roman times right back to prehistory. Because of its location and multicultural make up over the years, İzmir has gained a reputation for being open to new ideas and fresh inspirations, giving it a different flavour to many other Turkish cities. Popular sites in İzmir include the ancient Angora, Kemeralti Bazaar, St. Polycarp Church and Konak Square at the centre of the historic city.

Another popular excursion for those on Turkey tours to the area is a trip to Ephesus – locally known as Efes, about an hour’s drive to the south. One of the largest cities in the Roman Empire, Ephesus is located three kilometres from Selçuk and is particularly popular with Biblical scholars and historians visiting the area. Ephesus was the site of the Temple of Artemis, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, of which only a column now stands, and that thanks to restoration. Today, there is an excellent small museum close to the site with finds from the city and surrounding area. In recent years, Ephesus has become an even more magnificent attraction following the opening of the ‘Slope Houses’. These have some of the most stunning Roman wall paintings and mosaics and are a real highlight of any Turkey tour.

Ephesus, photo by Jon Eben Field

The increasing popularity of Turkish gulet cruises means that more and more people are discovering the delights of southern Turkey. Amongst these, the ruins of the Greco-Roman city of Aspendos are a short ride from the coast, and provide a portrait of a fascinating era. If you come as far as Antalya on one of the Turkish gulet cruises then you will find Aspendos about an hour’s drive to the east.

History and Trade

Aspendos was an ancient city built in the province of Pamphylia, on the Eurymedon river, and shared a border with the city of Side, always a rival for the dominant settlement in the region. Founded around 1000 BC by a predominantly Greek population, Aspendos soon became one of the most important cities in Pamphylia due to its location for trade, specifically in commodities such as salt, olive oil, and wool.

Theft and Preservation

The citizens were forced to pay Alexander the Great a huge amount of tribute after having reneged on their promise to surrender. Under the Roman Republic, a notorious governor, Verres, plundered the city making off with a great many of the artworks. Despite the strife in the city’s past, the preservation of the ruins ensures that visitors on their Turkish gulet cruises are guaranteed to be impressed.

Sound and Spectacle

Visitors who stop off in Aspendos on their Turkish gulet cruises are often drawn to the marvellously-preserved theatre. Built during the reign of Marcus Aurelius, by the Greek architect Zeno, the theatre has a diameter of 96 metres and is recognised as the best-preserved ancient theatre in the country, perhaps the best preserved Roman theatre in the world. With its excellent acoustics, even at a low volume voices on the stage can be easily heard in the upper seats. Today it is still used, as the epic venue for a seasonal opera and ballet festival.

Many visitors on tours of Turkey will focus their holidays on the population centers of Istanbul and Ankara, but after you’ve explored these where should you aim for?  Even well-seasoned travellers to the country will find new Turkey tours offering new sights and experiences – not least the rock cut churches and underground cities of Cappadocia.

One of the most popular ways to enjoy Turkey tours in the Cappadocia region is by getting a bird’s-eye view from a hot-air balloon over the region. Famously lunar and alien in its appearance, the Cappadocia region has become one of Turkey’s most impressive natural wonders.  Formed by the eruption of volcanoes around 60 million years ago, it was slowly sculpted by the gradual erosion of the wind and rain.

Of particular interest to those who take Turkey tours to Cappadocia are the towering rock pillars known as fairy chimneys, the enchanting underground cities, and the hundreds of churches that have been hewn from the natural rock.

Göreme is an interesting spot and an essential inclusion on the itinerary of Turkey tours to the Cappadocia region. Known as Korama in the oldest documents, the town is close to the Göreme Open Air Museum, a highly regarded UNESCO World Heritage Site. This incredible museum is home to many churches and monasteries carved into the rock, many featuring examples of Byzantine art, especially paintings on the walls and ceilings of the churches.

Derinkuyu, photo by Elena Pleskevich

Derinkuyu is just one of the many other popular tourist destinations in Cappadocia, and equally worth seeing.  One of the world’s deepest and most elaborate underground cities, it consists of at least eight layers carved into the volcanic rock. As you explore, walking through the labyrinthine passages almost crouched double, it’s hard to imagine large numbers of people using these extraordinary settlements that include multiple stories of living accommodation with storage areas, kitchens, wine presses and much more.

Turkey’s Mediterranean coastline stretches from its border with Syria around to Europe and the border with Greece. There is a wide array of resorts to be enjoyed on a tour of Turkey along the Mediterranean, and few areas of the world have seen as much history as this region.

Asia Minor

The Mediterranean coast framed the South fringe of what was once known as Asia Minor. Archaeological discoveries such as the Karain cave near Antalya show that the area was occupied by humans right back in the Stone age before the beginnings of agriculture. Fertile, strategic and blessed with a large number of natural harbours, the coast became a magnet for ancient settlements from the Bronze age onwards. Today it is littered with the vestiges of these antique cities.

Locations with a Difference

Whenever people begin talking about their plans for Turkey tours, they find it difficult to pin down exactly where to begin when it comes to exploring this vast country. Frequently, a typical itinerary will include Istanbul, Ephesus and Cappadocia. Along the coastal areas, you can almost literally find an ancient site over every hill. The perfect way to explore these is on a cultural gulet cruise.

Ancient and Modern

Turkey is a country far more than the sum of its ancient cities and forgotten eras. Generally speaking, the largest towns are still relatively undeveloped in terms of large-scale tourism, and even the more popular resorts have managed to escape the mega-development that is evident in so many Mediterranean resorts in other countries. Fortunately in Turkey, there are still a great many coastal towns and villages that offer a wonderful glimpse

Holiday readers will find a lot they can enjoy on their Turkey tours. Turkey’s rich literary culture makes enjoying a Turkish novel a real treat, and an excellent way to experience the country beyond architecture, cuisine or history. When you have a moment to yourself, why not put your feet up and enjoy a good read that might just reveal a little more about Turkey and its people.

Orhan Pamuk

Turkey’s best-selling writer, Pamuk has become popular all over the world, and was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 2006. Pamuk will likely be the most familiar author you encounter on your tour of Turkey, as his novels have been translated into many languages. A writer in the post-modernist tradition, much of his work focuses on his home city of Istanbul.

Latife Tekin

One of the foremost female writers in Turkey today, Tekin is also known for her post-modernist work. She is perhaps most widely recognised for her 1983 novel ‘Dear Shameless Death’. Incorporating strong elements of magical realism into her writing, she also focuses on her hometown (like Pamuk above), the city of Kayseri in central Anatolia – another wonderful location to visit on Turkey tours.

Ahmet Hamdi Tanpınar

A lesser-known gem of Turkish literature is Tanpınar’s novel ‘A Mind at Peace’. Although it was originally written in 1949, it was only translated and republished in the English language in 2008. The book is richly interwoven with different strands of Istanbul life, exploring the tensions between Eastern and Western influences within the city on the eve of the Second World War. The rediscovery of Tanpınar’s work has led to a resurgence of popularity in recent years – give his novels a try on your Turkey tours and you will be transported back through Turkey’s 20th century history.

No matter where you go on your Turkey tours, you’re likely to notice some blue eyes watching you. These are called nazar boncugu, or the ‘evil eye bead’, and they take the form of small blue glass charms that seem to look like eyes. They’re a popular amulet in Turkish culture, and they come in many different sizes and forms; hanging over doorways, on rear view mirrors, worn as earrings… the list is practically endless. They’re a common gift item in Turkey. Many families keep some on hand to give guests, and they’re one of the most popular souvenirs on tours of Turkey.

History

Belief in the evil eye appears to date back thousands of years, at least as far back as ancient Greece. The classic nazar boncugu is a typical apotropaic talisman used as a means of protection, thought to ward off the evil forces of envy and bad intent. In Turkey they are given to babies, installed on boats and even put on mobile phones. It is absolutely ubiquitous in Turkey which means you are guaranteed to see a great many on Turkey tours.

Use

Visitors on Turkey tours will quickly learn that attaching the nazar boncugu to anything they value is the most widely-known method of protection. As in the case of many cultures, the Turkish people believe that evil comes from envy and covetousness, whether intentional or not. The eye is intended to ward off any ill-fortune that may come from an envious gaze.

Eyes

Despite the idea of eyes coming in pairs, there’s no limit on how many nazar boncugu can be placed in a specific location or attached to an item or person. Nazar boncugu are traditionally handmade by master craftsmen who pass on the craft from father to son. In some cases, they are even worked into the foundations of buildings, and embedded into the codes of websites.

When it comes to discovering a country’s culture, eating is one of the experiences that can be universally enjoyed. It engages all your senses and, on Turkey tours, it can be experienced every day! With a wide range of different (and delicious) dishes on offer, with endless variations from the different regions of Turkey, the food choices on Turkey tours might be overwhelming. Where to start? Why not try a classic Turkish kebap to get you started.’

Chances are you’ve already enjoyed a kebab or two at home, but it’s almost certain that they’ll be nothing like the kind of authentic kebaps you’ll find on your Turkey tours. Turkish kebaps come in a huge number of forms and varieties, cooked with distinctive spices, flavourings and even differ in how they are presented. There are many regional specialities, so it’s almost possible to eat your way around the country on local kebab dishes. Lamb and veal are popular choices as the meat base, and beef is another mainstay.

The Adana kebap is likely to be one of the first you encounter on your Turkey tours, and it’s a wide-spread, popular variety. Made with hand-minced meat mixed in with chilli on a flat wide metal skewer, it has its roots in the Adana region, close to the Syrian border, but has become popular all over the country. It’s spicy and quite delicious.

Another popular kebap you might end up sampling is the Iskender kebap. Sliced from a typical doner kebab, grilled vertically on a rotating skewer, it is served with yoghurt, tomato sauce and brad. Although it originally came from the Bursa region, it can be found in many places on your Turkey tours.

Those on Turkey tours will quickly realise that haggling is a way of life when it comes to visiting markets and bazaars throughout the country. Many people find haggling for prices a real hassle, but that’s no reason to dismiss it entirely while you’re shopping for souvenirs, and many people discover a real enjoyment to the social aspect of haggling. Here are a few tips to help you haggle comfortably.

Shop around first – it’s important to ensure the product you’re going for is the one you want, but it’s often a good idea to play it cool in front of the vendor. Decide on what you want as a souvenir of your tour in Turkey, but feel free to browse other items. Revealing your enthusiasm will only make the price slower to go down!

Let the seller make the first move. The shopkeeper’s price will certainly be higher than what they expect to receive. Let the shopkeeper bring the price down without naming a price. Ask them if they can be flexible on price, look at other items on offer, begin to walk out of the shop, but don’t offer a price until you get a feeling of how low the shopkeeper is prepared to go. Do it with confidence. If you’re buying small items in bulk on your Turkey tours, such as souvenirs, it’s reasonable to expect a discount.

Don’t be afraid to turn your back and walk away, especially if the shopkeeper is proving to be unreasonable. There’s also a lot to be said for returning after walking away. A shopkeeper may jump at a second chance to sell and lower their price accordingly. Remember that there is no obligation to buy souvenirs of your Turkey tours during the haggling process, even if shopkeepers go to great lengths to ensure a sale. Once you have decided it is something you really do want, only then offer a price that you are willing and happy to pay. An agreed price is a verbal contract between shopper and shopkeeper to buy.

Turkey tours to Istanbul have cemented the city’s reputation as one of the best places to take in classical music and ballet – why not explore a few of the premier cultural attractions on offer in Istanbul when you visit?


The Akbank Culture and Arts Centre

One of Istanbul’s most important venues when it comes to cultural events such as music and theatre, the Akbank Culture and Arts Centre is based in the Beyoglu district. Fully renovated at the turn of the century, it combines modern facilities with striking design, with a 135 seat multipurpose concert hall hosting all kinds of events.

The Atatürk Cultural Centre

Definitely one of the most impressive places to experience high art on your Turkey tours, the Atatürk Cultural Centre is located on Taksim square, and is the main venue for classical music in the city. The Grand Stage has seating for over 1300 people, and with other rooms dedicated to different performance spaces, the venue is never short of a crowd, hosting regular performances of the Turkish State Opera and Ballet. During the summer months, it is home to the Istanbul Art and Culture Festival.

SantralIstanbul

A newer venue with a difference – first opened in 2007, this venue was formerly the Silahtaraĸa Power Plant, and two of the old engine rooms have been turned into the Museum of Energy. The complex today features a modern art gallery, a large theatre, concert halls and a public library – plenty of reasons to make a visit part of your itinerary on Turkey tours.