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Turkey Local Customs

Kirsehir

by traveloturc

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Kirsehir
by traveloturc
Boza for take out
by mtncorg
Local Customs
by redrhino12
Local Customs
by smirnofforiginal
Hakkari center
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Most Viewed Local Customs in Turkey

451.

local food Istanbul

33 Reviews This syrupy sweet treat - dessert ring - is made from semolina and deep fried. It's very rich. You can find these in street carts all around Istanbul. Not one of my favorites, but a definite must-try!

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452.

mosques etiquette Istanbul

26 Reviews It was nice to see and hear how Muslims pray in real, how they are invited for a pray, how they clear their bodies before pray, bowing at pray time or putting shoes after going out of mosques. Most...

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453.

clothes Istanbul

9 Reviews Istanbul has all the seasons like winter, spring, summer and fall. So check the weather report before your visit. The city is with more than 14 million people and very cosmopolite. Unlike some...

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454.

tea and coffee Istanbul

31 Reviews Being a coffee lover, I assumed that I was going to love Turkish coffee. But after my first glass of Turkish tea (cay), I was hooked!! We found every excuse to stop in one of the many cafes for a...

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455.

turkish words Istanbul

14 Reviews The Foreign Service Institute is a branch of the US Department of State, so all their materials are copyright-free--anybody can use them without charge. Some generous people who owned the tapes or...

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456.

nargileh Istanbul

11 Reviews This is an old looking teahouse where you also get the chance to try out a nargileh (water smoking pipe which bubbles when you suck air out of it). There are a few establishments inside but the one to...

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457.

raki (drink) Istanbul

8 Reviews In meyhane culture it is very important to stay sober and cool, act reasonable while drinking. I’ve been in meyhanes in which waiters can kick you out if you get drunk and start to sing or talk...

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458.

hospitality Istanbul

15 Reviews Yes, hospitality is a real characteristic of Turkish people, and my room in Dolmabahce Palace was very comfortable. I didn't want to abuse their hospitality, and that's why I didn't accept to stay...

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459.

bargaining Istanbul

12 Reviews In Istanbul, and, I believe, other parts of Turkey as well, it is hard to imagine selling without bargaining. Even in shops, if you see it is like private owned, prices are not always fixed and it is...

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460.

shoes Istanbul

8 Reviews Getting your shoes polished won't be a problem. On the major street you will find men that handle their antique tools with great enthousiasm. My advice is to pick out a seasoned shoe shiner and not...

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461.

phone numbers Istanbul

3 Reviews International telephone access code of Turkey is 90.Then area codes. For Istanbul it is 212 (European side) and 216 (Asian side), Ankara 312 and Izmir 232. All telephone numbers are have seven digits...

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462.

music Istanbul

8 Reviews In Istanbul people listen to all kinds of music, from rock to pop to jazz to metal to electronica, you name it and there's probably a club for it. Every year there is an International Jazz Festival,...

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463.

tipping Istanbul

2 Reviews Turks are generally a welcoming race of people, eager to help and proud to show off their country. Sometimes the help can become overbearing. People here, once they've assisted you in any small...

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Reviews from VirtualTourist Members

religious festivals

by KIZGINdamdakiKedi

The main characteristics of Ramadan and the Feast of the Sacrifice are that people, neighbours, relatives and friends pay visits and go to see each other. Young people kiss their parents’ hands and receive best wishes and blessings from them. It is a tradition to give money or little gifts to those childreen who kiss one’s hands. Candies are served to visitors during Ramadan.The Feast of the Sacrifice is celebrated with less excitement than Ramadan in Turkey. This festival takes place in Islam as a memory of the story in which a ram fell from the sky just at the moment when the Prophet Abraham was about to sacrifice his son to God. The sacrificial animal must be healthy and if it is female, it must not be pregnant. A number of traditions surround animal sacrificing. Some of these come from Islamic rules, while others vary from region to region and nation to nation. For...

Festivals,Ceremonies

by KIZGINdamdakiKedi

National Festivals The only traditional element in the official ceremonies of these festivals (the 30th August Victory Festival, the Rebublic Festival, the Liberation Festival and so on) which are enthusiastically celebrated in cities and towns is the participation of seymens (heroes and dancers from central Anatolia) and zeybeks (the swashbuckling hero of southwestern Anatolian villages) in the celebrations with their special costumes. After the official ceremonies are over, however, in some places workers and artisans gather in the city or municipality hall and organize special entertainments until the late hours of the night, and these entertainments lend a special significance to the festivals. Drums and zurnas are palyed in these celebrations. Small towns in Anatolia have their own folk dances, but in big cities like Istanbul or Ankara these ceremonies turn into a festival of folk...

PROVERBS

by KIZGINdamdakiKedi

As turks We have a lot of proverbs.There are some examples: - A horse leaves the ring behind when it dies, but the hero leaves glory. - A whole is better than a half. - Anyone can make a spoon, but not everyone can make the handle. - Do as the imam says, not as he does. - Do not smell the rose out of gratitude or the thorns will prick you. - Feed a crow and it will pluck out your eyes. - He who earns little earns a lot, he who earns a lot earns nothing. - He who eats honey eventually gets sick of it. - He who falls from a horse does not die, but he who falls from a donkey does. - He who is no use to his father is no use to anyone. - If a fool has a lot of grease he will wipe it on his beard. - If the patient survives, he will oppose the doctor. - If you have a thousand horses ride and rest, if one have only one, get off and rest. - If your enemy is an ant, you be an elephant. - Make hay...

Try narguileh!

by tommix

During a trip to Turkey everyone (and certainly every smoker!) should try at least once to smoke a narguileh - an oriental water-pipe with a long hose. It's a social habit here. In small towns you can see quite often men sitting around a narguileh and discussing loudlly or just enjoing quietly the moment. Turks are saying that "cigarettes are for nervous people, and narguileh teaches you patience and tolerance, and gives you an appreciation of good company"!You are not forced to smoke the tobacco. Every narguileh bar offers usually apple, strawberrys, honey and other "sweet" mixtures to smoke! Another thing - you have to smoke narguileh with somebody, never alone.I'am not a smoker, but I had a lot of fun with it!Nargileh is also sometimes called (depends on country) shisha or hookah.

Uludag soft drink

by AcornMan

Although Coke and Sprite are nearly as common in Turkey as they are anywhere else in the world, I came across a local Turkish soft drink that tasted like nothing else I've ever tried anywhere else in the world. It is a fruit flavored soft drink called Uludag. I can't even describe the flavor because it is so unique, but it was absolutely delicious. And goes down great with the terrific local cuisine.

Turkish Delight

by AcornMan

I had never tried Turkish Delights before I came across them at the Spice Bazaar in Istanbul. And there are tons of them for sale there. They come in all kinds of flavors, and while some are sweetened with sugar, my favorites were the ones sweetened with honey. Of those, the best were the ones covered with fine powdered sugar with bits of pistachio in them. I brought back 5 kg of them and at them all within about three weeks.

Alcohol laws

by AcornMan

Unlike other Muslim countries, alcohol is legal in Turkey. In fact, the country brews its own beer, Efes, which is quite good. However, visitors should know that alcohol is not served within view of a mosque, which in a city like Istanbul that is full of huge mosques, can sometimes limit ones options. However, if your hotel happens to be in view of a mosque, there's nothing wrong with buying your own beer at a local shop and drinking it at the hotel.

Ata Tuerk

by nepalgoods

Famous late leader of Turkey Ata Tuerk (Father of the Tuerks) is still loved by the Turkish people. Ata Tuerk tried to westernize Turkey. On his influence it was, that the Turkish don't use Arabic Characterss anymore. It is also forbidden to wear a scarf in schools and universities.

Ephesus is a must - BUT be careful

by globetrott

Ephesus is a must !BUT be carful, when walking around - you might be approached by local people, offering you anitques they dug out themselves.Mostly its fake anyway, and the price for such a souvenir is much too high.If you get something authentic, you might be in REAL trouble, when caught at the customs in Turkey.Several years in prison will follow !!

Sheep on the roads are rather common

by globetrott

Be careful, when driving !Especially in the high mountains in the east of Turkey, you might meet big herds of sheep in the street.Simply drive carefully and be prepared to stop immediately !!On my pic : On the road up to the top of Nemrud Daghi

Top 3 Hotels in Turkey

Esans Hotel Istanbul

7 Reviews and 181 Opinions a very new hotel. very near to grande museums and sophia dome. sea is very near to hotel. we enjoy...

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Welcome Barut Hotels Lara Spa Antalya

5 Reviews and 511 Opinions This was our first time in Turkey and first time in an all-inclusive hotel. i have to say - we all...

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El Vino Hotel Bodrum

2 Reviews and 272 Opinions This small property is both central (10 min walk to the bazaar and waterfront) and secluded and...

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Questions and Answers

Q: Hi, my wife and I organize trips for high school students (groups of approx. 35 ppl) and our next trip is scheduled for June-July...

A: Hi, Turkey is stable, with broad-minded politians & people. I had never thought about visiting TR, till I all of a sudden & surprisingly decided! Why? A VERY...

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