Ephesus is probably the most...
by voyageur2
Ephesus is probably the most popular ancient site in Turkey. We have so much historical values underground but i believe future techniques of archaeology will bring us new discoveries. I visited House of Virgin Mary close to Ephesus. Every visitor to Ephesus must see there. You felt the peace and purity of that holy place. Ephesus is Biblical and it has a special place in Christianity. It is believed that Mary spend her last years and died there. Now a small chapel stands.
Nargile or Hubble-bubble
by Aggeliki
Nargile is one of the oldest traditions in Turkey. The original nargile came from India, but it was primitive and it was made of coconut shells. Nargile came to Anatolia in the 17th century and it was an important part of coffee houses. Even today the nargile continues to give a special pleasure to the smokers. Smoking nargile is quite different than smoke a cigarette. Smoking nargile takes many hours, so its a relaxing time, to think, to talk with friends. This habit doesnt suit to the modern style of living.
However all over Turkey this custom continues to exist and there a lot of nargile cafes, where you can see many people (not only tourists) who enjoy this old pleasure.
A small coffee shop
by Aggeliki
When i saw this small coffee shop , i felt like i came before. I went this summer there and of course they had the most nice turkish coffee i drank in Izmir. It is near the central entrance of Kemeralti Bazzar , but i dont remember the name of this shop. I was so exciting that i was talking photos from every corner of the shop!:)
Kula - The First Geothermal Park of Turkey
by Pinat
Kula is a small town in the province of Manisa and 150 km. from Izmir city center. In that sense, it is truly off the beaten path for Izmir (It requires 300 km of driving assuming you don't want to sleep over). If you have time, believe me it is worth the effort.
I wanted to put Kula in my Izmir pages anyway with pure marketing idea in mind: Izmir pages are more popular than those of Manisa so the probability of clicking on Kula link via Izmir is quite high. When I was surfing VT for the name Kula, I also saw and was quite surprised to discover that there are a lot of places in the world with the name Kula. Another advantage for my little town as some might click on it anyway assuming that they are clicking Kula in Pakistan or Afghanistan or Bosnia:)
Enough of my Kula-marketing efforts, you can find more on my Kula pages:). It is a monument town with its interesting architecture (You can see both Byzantine and Ottoman houses), its dead volcanoes, its very own fairy chimneys (similar to those in Cappadocia), its fossile footprints, its very own mineral water, its very own rugs & carpets, and many many more. It is under UNESCO protection now and is proud to be the first geothermal park of Turkey. Wanna learn more: Go to my Kula pages:)
Izmir Tip
by Arkeolog
Vine Leave Wraps with Olive Oil (Zeytinyaðlý Yaprak Sarmasý)
It is a very popular dish in all regions. It is a favourite at tea and coctail parties and picnics. The vine leaves can be pickled in brine and used out of season. In that case, they should first be soaked in warm water to reduce the salt ,and the amount of salt used in the recepie should be halved.
Saat Kulesi (Clock Tower)
TURKISH SWEET, LOKMA
Izmir
cafe at the waterfront
