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I was in Fethiye, an idyllic town on a placid harbor in Western Turkey. On my way down to catch a boat, I stopped into a small convenience store to get a drink. When I arrived at the counter, the owner smiled as I handed him a larger Turkish lira bill. “Oh,” he said through a pushbroom mustache in English. “Do you have anything smaller?” I checked my pockets, then shrugged uneasily. “No, I don’t. Sorry.” He smiled again, brightly. “That’s okay. Take the drink. Can you bring me the money the next time I see you?” I nodded, smiled and thanked him as I left.
And that’s Turkey. Sure, it is the epicenter of empires. Yes, it has a rich variety of topography, from the balmy beaches of the Mediterranean to the otherworldly moonscape of Cappadocia. And okay, it holds significance to Muslims and Christians, archeologists and historians, epicureans and bacchanalians. But it’s the friendliness and affability of its people that makes Turkey a place you want to visit again.
Why to go:
Compared many of its European counterparts, you can travel well here pretty inexpensively. Plus, straddling two continents as it does, Turkey can offer a travel experience very few other places can. You can wander the Grand Bazaar in Istanbul, and the archeological bonanza of Ephesus. You can get a sense of Muslim culture in an open, secular and much-traveled country. Watch belly dancers writhe to the rhythm, and watch whirling dervishes… well, whirl. Turkey offers you a taste of the East while still clinging to the comforts of the West.
When to go:
Fall and Spring are the best times to go—temperatures throughout the country are at their best, and crowds are reasonable.
Where to go:
Istanbul. A city at the crossroads—of continents, of cultures, of history—Istanbul’s like no other place in the world. A seat of both the Roman and Ottoman empires, it retains vestigial glories of both. The ancient Hagia Sophia, which has been both a church and a mosque, is still considered the masterpiece of Byzantine architecture. Facing it, the six minarets and many domes of the massive Blue Mosque help to make it Istanbul’s postcard darling. If you’re not impressed after seeing these two, then you’re either catatonic or a stoic. Make your way to Topkapi Palace, where the Ottoman sultanate lived a life of imperial excess for centuries. A huge ornate compound that once housed over 4,000 people, Topkapi was the center of the empire. The stories of the palace alone are worth the visit—tales of harems, eunuchs and an insane prince using his pages for target practice.
Cappadocia (see above photo). This is about as close as you can get to another planet while you are on this one. Set near the center of Turkey, Cappadocia is a region defined by its singular landscape—the jaw-dropping result of thousands of years of Mother Nature’s sculpting. Volcanic rock formations, eroded over time, become what is called ‘fairy chimneys’: tall, stone towers colored in stratified earth tones. The area is also a center of Christian lore, where sects facing persecution would escape to elaborately carved chapels in the mountains, and create entire underground towns. It’s a fascinating area, and the stories of living in an underground cave living may put your Lilliputian apartment space in perspective. To get the most from the experience, take a hot-air balloon ride and spend the night at a guesthouse that is actually built into one of the fairy chimneys.
The Mediterranean Coast. On the southern coast, there’s heavily-touristed Antalya. But if you’re looking for younger, cheaper and less gaudy surroundings, check out nearby Olympos. In addition to its impressive ‘Eternal Flames’ (a mountain in Olympos has inexplicably produced flames from exposed cracks for millennia, and the flames can’t be permanently extinguished), the local scene is laid-back and welcoming. Most of the local pensions provide unique ‘treehouses’ for you to sleep in, and you’re only a short walk to the beach. From there, you can hop on one of the relatively inexpensive Blue Voyage cruises up the Lycian Coast, stopping in quaint villages, swimming in turquoise coves and sitting in amphitheaters from the first century A.D. Make it all the way up to Kusadasi, and you can check out Ephesus, one of the best-preserved examples of life in the Roman Empire where Antony and Cleopatra once roamed.
If you go:
• Be prepared for a good-natured invasion of your space. Turks are friendly and affectionate, and don’t have the imaginary lines delineating personal space that we have here in the States.
• Although you are not as likely to see prostrate Muslims on prayer rugs as you would in other countries, Turks do take their religion seriously. Always be respectful when visiting mosques, and take some time to read up on Islam’s traditions and culture.
• Someone, somewhere, is going to try to sell you a rug. If you’re not interested, simply be friendly but firm. After they’ve done their pitch there’s a good chance that they’ll invite you to their shop for tea, and you’ll walk away with a new friend.
• Always pay back friendly convenience store owners when they give you drinks for free. They’ll have forgotten about it, but they’ll appreciate it just the same, giving you a hearty “Tesekkur ederim” (thank you) as you walk out the door.
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