Top Turkey hotels
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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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Fish (Balik)Its better if you can avoid to eat fishes in summer time and the ideal time is september-february period Bluefish (Lüfer), Bass (Levrek), Mackarel (Uskumru), Swordfish (Kilicbaligi), Red Mullet (Barbunya), Small red mullet (tekir), Bonita (Palamut), Turbot (Kalkan), Bream (Mercan), Sole (Dil), Salmon (Som Baligi), Trout (Alabalik).all of them has different way of cooking ...
During our visit in Istanbul in the end of March we met a salesman, Michel Haydar. He runs a shop, Michael´s Leather Showroom, address Divan Youlu Cad 16, Sultanahmet. He sold us two leather jackets, promising that we should get a tax free sales refund in the airport. We expected to get the proper papers to bring to the customs, but he ensured us that his company sends all such papers in time to the customs there, so that we only had to ask for the stamped form in that office to get our money. We were not convinced, so we asked in our hotel and searched in the Internet about the regulations, and found that we had to get the papers from the shop and bring them ourselves. We returned to the shop and demanded the signed form. Michel Haydar refused, and ensured us once again that there were new rules and showed us a bunch of papers for the customs, that he told us was to be delivered to the...
You'll see hawkers selling these, along with corn on the cob (boiled or roasted).Their carts are found around Sultanahmet area, especially beside Hagia Sofia.Sold in various sizes, costing from 5 YTL.
Upon some of my first holidays in Turkey, it became very apparent that Christian holidays are not widely understood. OK, Turkey is Muslim country, which means they really do not have a full understanding of many Christian holidays. But that's so odd though, because they weren't always Muslim... they were part of Constantin's empire, which means at some point there were Christian traditions and holidays, correct? And the similarities between Muslim and Christian religious events are numerous. (western style celebrations go unnoticed here unless you are in a more culturally diverse area)On the topic of Holidays, because of Hollywood movies, many Turks know our western celebrations of Christmas and that's about it. Otherwise, look at many western and/or Christian holidays and compare them with Muslim or Islamic ones. Christmas, Easter, Thanksgiving (not Christian but it goes with the...
If you use the grape vine leaves instead of vegetables in “dolma-stuffed vegetables” recipe, you’ll get “yaprak sarma”. You need to wrap the stuffing into the pickled leaves. A nice “sarma” need to be in 1cm of diameter. Pickled leaves could be salty, so add less salt to the stuffing.Photos are showing how mom does sarma. I also wrapped some but mines were sloppy.
I’m not sure which cuisines have bulgur but it has a very important place in our cuisine.There are many variations of bulgur pilaf. It is hard to write all recipes. I’ll try to write some of my favorites.Pilav is a word we use both the dishes of boiled –not quite- rice and bulgur. And bulgur is more common in central Anatolia.We have many types of bulgur. For making pilaf, you have to but “thick” bulgur. There are several smaller sizes, one of them is using for cigkofte (raw meatballs).Here is my first favorite and the simple one:Chop a big onion in semicircles (Is there a special term for this? We call it “moon shaped”)Chop 1 or 2 green peppers in 1-2 mm thick slicesChop peeled tomatoes in small piecesSaute onions in a pan with vegetable oil (preferably olive oil), add chopped peppers after onions’ color is changed. Add tomatoes after pepper are cooked. Stir them and add 1-1,5 glass of...
I have visited only Marmara and Egean part and I completely agree with you. I have fallen in love with non touristic Turkey and the people. There was a bit more agresive service selling in Istanbul or other touristic places, than in my country- but the people were also very nice (no complains). Even in tourist place restaurants (I prefered to stay where I saw Turks) I had feelings that I had a better service than 'local' people like some snacks or drinks for free (perhaps it's not true, or it was tricks but it worked anyway hahahaha). However it is sad as you speak with the people and you see how society is divided for secular and islam part. Some 'secular' ones say that they even don't speak to 'muslims'. The main distinction for an outsider like me, between these two groups, was the dress code. It happened that I spoke with Turks who where against 'islamic' dress code for women, so I...
Pismaniye, famous flavour from Izmit (a city in the east of Istanbul) used to be made in Ottoman palaces centuries ago. It's known that the Turks got the recipe from Iran or Armenia. In the city of Kastamonu it is known as "cekme helva" and purchased by visitors as souvenirs. In Antalya the same sweet, this time called "keten helva" used to be a feature of get-togethers with friends and relatives.It is believed that Izmit's pismaniye was introduced from Iran and/or Armenia by Armenian confectioners who settled in the town. The first person to produce pismaniye on a commercial scale in Izmit was an Armenian confectioner named Haci Agop Dolmaciyan. Ibrahim Ethem Efendi, who gave Turkish and French lessons to Dolmaciyan's children, learned how to make the helva during his frequent visits to his employ's's shop, and when Haci Agop closed his shop and emigrated during the First World War,...
Coffee came to Istanbul in the mid-16th century during the reign of Suleiman the Magnificent. The coffee began to be drunk initially in the palaces and stately mansions. It soon became a habit as people developed a taste for "drinking fresh coffee from a fresh, young hand". In time the tradition of drinking coffee spread to the population as a whole, reaching as far as the villages and the nomads' tents. Among the common folk as well, coffee was served by young girls.Serving coffee to guests became a tradition with time. Ceremonies such as asking for a girl's hand in marriage, engagements, weddings, and religious feasts always included an hour of coffee drinking. And the words "Come by for a cup of coffee" were an invitation for a brief visit. Such visits often took the form of "morning coffee" gatherings among women. Finishing up their early morning household chores, girls and women...
Mevlana was a mystic who addressed all people, regardless of their faith or ethnic origin, speaking of love of God, truth, humanity and nature. He was born in the city of Balkh in Turkestan in the 13th century, and later settled in the city of Konya in Turkey. He became one of the greatest mystic philosophers of all time, and laid the foundations of modern existentialism that had begun with Heraclitos.All the pleasures which God has granted men should be accepted as life itself, because life is full of extraordinary beauty. The object of existence is to feel that one exists, and experience the presence of God in all existence. The will of God lies in life itself, so making people aware of both themselves and love of God, other people, and the natural world.Mevlana wrote his quatrains for God and dedicated them to Him. He always wrote about the need for true existence. He wrote love poems...
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...
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...
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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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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