Turkiye

Good to know

1. 1Istanbul sits on both sides of the Bosphorus strait, so you can cross from Europe to Asia by ferry in a short ride.
2. 2Turkish is the official language and is written in the Latin alphabet, which was adopted in 1928 under Mustafa Kemal Atatürk.
3. 3The Republic of Turkiye was founded in 1923, after the end of the Ottoman Empire, and its capital is Ankara, not Istanbul.
4. 4The country has some of the oldest known sites of human settlement, including Göbekli Tepe, and Greek and Roman cities such as Ephesus.
5. 5Tea is the everyday drink, served in small tulip-shaped glasses, and offering it to a guest is a basic act of hospitality.
6. 6The currency is the Turkish lira, and the country is known for a breakfast table with cheese, olives, tomatoes, eggs, bread and jam.

Tips for a first visit

• Try regional food rather than only the famous dishes: meze, fresh fish on the coast, and kebab styles that differ from city to city.
• Cards are widely accepted in cities and tourist areas, but carry some cash for small shops, tea houses, markets and rural areas.
• When you visit a mosque, dress modestly, cover your shoulders and knees, and take off your shoes at the door. Women usually carry a scarf for covering the hair.
• Bargaining is normal in bazaars, but do it with a smile and without pressure. Shops with fixed prices are common elsewhere.
• Learn a few words such as merhaba for hello and teşekkürler for thank you. People appreciate the effort, even if they answer in English.
• Distances are bigger than they look on the map, so pick a few regions rather than trying to see everything in one trip.

When to go

Spring and autumn are the most comfortable times for most of the country, with mild days for cities and ruins. Summer is hot, especially inland and in the south, and is the time for the Aegean and Mediterranean coasts. Winter is cool and damp in Istanbul and cold with snow in the interior and the east, while the southern coast stays milder.

Getting around

Domestic flights link Istanbul, Ankara, Izmir, Antalya and many other cities and are the quickest way to cover long distances. Long-distance buses are comfortable, run to nearly every town, and are the most common way for people to travel. Trains, including some high-speed lines, connect Ankara with a few major cities, and ferries are useful in Istanbul and along parts of the coast.