Travel Information on TURKEY

Turkey is a country of exquisite beauty, infinite diversity and, sometimes, amazing contrasts.   Examine it carefully and you will find traces of the many peoples who have lived within its borders.  Ephesus, Nemrut Dagi, Aspendus, Troy, Assos, Van Konya, Ani, Sivas, Perge, Bursa, and other ancient cities, as well as the buildings, statuary, carvings, frescoes, and mosaics are potent reminders of past glories.

Turkey is also a paradise of sun, sea, mountains, and lakes that offer the vacationer a complete change from the stress and routine of everyday life.  From April to October, most places in Turkey have an ideal climate that is perfect for relaxing on sandy beaches or enjoying the tranquility of mountains and lakes.  The 13 successive civilizations that called Turkey home provides countless opportunities for sightseeing within this country blessed with natural beauty.

There is no doubt that one visit will not be enough, and you will want to come back again and again as you discover one extraordinary place after another.  All of them, not matter how different, have one thing in common: the friendly and hospitable people of this unique country.

 HISTORY of Turkey, Anatolia's History

Turkey, known as “the cradle of civilization,” hosted the first human settlement on its soil, which has been dated as 12,000 years old.  Turkey is also the home of ancient cultures, including the Hattis, Hittites, Phrygians, Urartians, Lycians, Lydians, Ionians, Persians, Macedonians, Romans, Byzantines, Seljuks, and Ottomans. 

The Palaeolithic, Neolithic, Chalcolithic, and Early Bronze Ages.
The earliest traces of human habitation in Turkey, found in a cave north of Antalya, date from about the middle of the tenth to the beginning of the seventh millennium BC.  During the Neolithic Period there were settlements southwest of Burdur and at Catalhoyuk south of Konya.  The residents of Catalhoyuk practised agriculture, domesticated animals and left records of their religious practices.  During the Early Bronze Age the first fortified settlement was established at Troy.

The late Bronze Age

Commercial records found at the Assyrian merchant-colony at Kanesh are the earliest examples of writing discovered so far in Anatolia.  Hattusa was the capital of the Hittite empire, which lasted for 400 years. Priam’s Troy, described in Homer’s Iliad, is believed to have been destroyed c 1275 or 1240.  Following the sack of Hattusa, which marked the end of the Hittite Empire, Neo-Hittites states arose in southeastern Anatolia and north Syria.  They continued to flourish until 717 when the Assyrians under Sargon II overran them.

The Greeks in Anatolia.  The kingdoms of Urartu, Phrygia, Lydia, Caria and Lycia

There is some evidence of Mycenaean settlements at Iasus, Miletus, and Tarsus, but tradition ascribes an increase of Greek immigration to the period after the fall of Troy.  The kingdom of Urartu, which occupied an area in eastern Anatolia, Armenia and northwest Iran, resisted the incursions of the Assyrians.  The Phrygians, a horse-rearing, military aristocracy that dominated Central and Western Anatolia, made Gordion their capital.  Lydian invaders established powerful kingdom with Sardis as its capital.  The satrap Hyssaldomus and his successors ruled Caria.  The Lycian people, under their traditional Homeric leaders Sarpedon and Glaucus, settled in the Xanthus valley.  Byzas of Megara founded Byzantium.  The Lydians are credited with having invented coinage in the middle of the 7^th century BC.

Alexander the Great and the Hellenistic Period

Alexander the Great’s whirlwind campaign in 334 and 333 liberated Anatolia from Persian rule.  From his empire the Diadochoi, his successors, carved kingdoms which lasted for almost 200 years.  Great cities like Pergamum, Ephesus and Anitoch were founded and despite bitter wars of succession and the incursions of invaders this was a time when the arts flourished.  Towards the end of the period the influence of Rome began to be felt increasingly in Anatolia.

The Romans in Anatolia

The Roman Province of Asia was established towards the end of the 2^nd century BC.  At first this consisted of the Troad, Mysia, Aeolia, Ionia and the coastal islands, Lydia, most of Caria, part of Pisidia and Pamphylia.  Mithridates VI Eupator, king of Pontus, challenged the power of the Romans.  After defeating him Rome consolidated its position in Anatolia.  Anthony and Cleopatra began their tragic liaison in Tarsus.

Anatolia in the Roman Imperial, and the rise of Christianity

Anatolian cities flourished under the Pax Romana.  The concept of a universal Christian Church was developed in Anitoch (Antakya) and St. Paul and his companions began their missionary journeys through the Roman Empire.  Despite grievous persecution Christianity grew in power and strength.  Church Councils were held Nicaea (Iznik) and Constantinople.  The division of the Roman Empire took place.  Christianity was proclaimed the state religion and paganism was proscribed.

The Rule of Byzantium and the arrival of the Selcuk Turks

The period from the early 6^th century to the beginning of the 13^th century saw the rise and decline of the Byzantine Empire with Byzantine power reaching its apogee in the reign of Justinian I, the Great.  It was also a time of religious controversy and then separated from the Catholic Church.  Following their defeat at the Battle of Manzikert the Byzantines lost most of Anatolia to the Selcuk Turks, a warrior people that appeared in the Middle East in the 10^th century.  The Selcuks established the Sultanate of Rum and defeated the Byzantines at the Battle of Myriocephalon.  Latin Crusaders looted Constantinople and its treasures dispersed throughout Western Europe.

The Ottoman Turks in Anatolia

This period was marked by the decline of Selcuk power and the arrival of the Ottoman Turks, another nomadic people, in Anatolia.  They began to expand into the Balkans and threatened Constantinople.  For a time the Mongols dominated much of Anatolia, defeating the Ottomans at the Battle of Ankara.  The Council of Florence failed to resolve the differences between the Catholic and Orthodox Churches.  The Ottomans defeated first the Serbs, then the Hungarians at the Battles of Kossovo.

The rise and fall of the Ottoman Empire

The Ottomans captured Constantinople.  Popularly known as Istanbul, this became the capital of the Ottoman Empire, which was made up of Greece, the southern Balkans and western Anatolia.  Later conquests extended Ottoman rule to much of southern Europe and north Africa.  The empire reached its high point under Suleyman the Magnificent.  That wine-bibber Selim the Sot added Cyprus to his dominions.  The period between the late 16^th century and the early 19^th century was marked by a decline in Ottoman power.  Greece obtained its independence.  The Janissaries were abolished.  The Tanzimet Period introduced reforms.  A parliament was established.  There were further losses of territory during the Balkan Wars.  Turkey fought on the German side in the First World War.  The Turkish army defeated an allied invasion at Gallipoli.  At the end of the war, the Allies  occupied parts of Turkey.

The Formation of the Turkish Republic

Mustafa Kemal, the hero of the Gallipoli Campaign, led the struggle for independence.  A new parliament, the Grand National Assembly, was set up.  The last sultan, Mehmet VI, was exiled.  An invading Greek army was routed.  The Sultanate was abolished.  The Treaty of Lausanne confirmed the boundaries of Turkey.  A republic was established with Kemal as its president.  Ankara became the capital.  Constantinople was renamed Istanbul.  Kemal then embarked on a series of ambitious reforms to modernize Turkey.  These included abolition of the Caliphate, religious courts, and religious schools, the fez, Islamic law, the Arabic script, religious brotherhoods and polygamy, and the introduction of civil divorce, votes for women, the Roman alphabet for the Turkish language, the Swiss civil code, the Italian Penal Code and the German Commercial Code, and the adoption of surnames.  In 1934 the Grand National Assembly gave Mustafa Kemal the honorific title Ataturk—Father of the Turks.

The Turkish Republic since Ataturk

In the aftermath of the Second World War Turkey began to play a more and more important part in international affairs.  After two periods of military rule, civil government was restored.  Turkey began a time of economic expansion.  New industries were started.  Housing schemes were begun.  New roads were built and two bridges spanned the Bosphoros.  In the 1980s tourists began to discover Turkey and tourism soon became one of the country’s most important sources of income.  The downside of this development was that large stretches of the magnificent Aegean and Mediterranean coastlines were spoiled by unrestricted building.  Despite a very high rate of inflation most people began to enjoy a better lifestyle.  The drift from the Anatolian villages to the big cities continued unabated and this created considerable problems for the municipal authorities which had to provide housing and services like water and electricity for their new citizens.  The continued military campaign against the PKK (Kurdistan Workers Party) in southeastern Turkey made a big drain on government finances. Following the decline of the Ottoman Empire, the modern Republic of Turkey was founded in 1923 by Mustafa Kemal, known as Ataturk is revered in Turkey and is cited as one of the world’s greatest statesmen.

TURKEY’S LITTLE KNOWN FACTS 

• Istanbul is the only city in the world located on two continents, Europe and Asia.  In its 2,000 year history, it has been the capital of three great empires—Roman, Byzantine, and Ottoman.
• The oldest known human settlement in the world is located in Catalhoyuk, Turkey, dating back to 6500 B.C.  The earliest landscape painting in history was found on the wall of a Catalhoyuk house, illustrating the volcanic eruption of nearby Hasandag.
• Two of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World stood in Turkey-the temple of Artemis at Ephesus and the Mausoleum of Halicarnassus in Bodrum.
• Turks introduced coffee to Europe.
• The first coins ever minted were done so at Sardis, the capital of the ancient kingdom of Lydia, at the end of the seventh century.
• The word “turquoise” comes from “Turk” meaning Turkish, and was derived from the beautiful colour of the Mediterranean Sea on the southern Turkish coast.
• Turks first gave the Dutch their famous tulips that started the craze for the flower in England and the Netherlands.  Bulbs brought to Vienna from Istanbul in the 1500s were so intensely popular that by 1634 in Holland it was called “tulipmania.”  People invested money in tulips as they do in stocks today.  This period of elegance and amusement in 17^th century Turkey is referred to as “The Tulip Age.”
• The most valuable silk carpet I the world is in the Mevlana Museum in Konya, Turkey.  Marco Polo’s journeys in the thirteenth century took him here, and he remarked that the “best and handsomest of rugs” were to be found in Turkey.
• Many important events surrounding the birth of Christianity occurred in Turkey.  St. John, St. Paul, and St. Peter all lived and prayed in southern Anatolia.  Tradition has it that St. John brought the Virgin Mary to Ephesus after the Crucifixion, where she spent her last days in a small stone house (Meryemana Evi) on what is now Bulbuldagi (Mount Koressos).  It remains a popular pilgrimage site for Christians to this day.
• Many archeologists and biblical scholars believe Noah’s Ark landed on Agri Dagi (Mount Ararat) in eastern Turkey.
• The Seven Churches mentioned in the Book of Revelation are all found in Turkey: Ephesus, Smyrna, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea.
• A cave known today as the Grotto of St. Peter, or Church of St. Peter, is believed to be where the Apostle Peter preached when he visited Anitoch (Antakya in southern Turkey).  It is widely considered to be one of the earliest Christian house of worship.  In 1963, the papacy designated the site as a place of pilgrimage and recognized it as the world’s first cathedral.  Every year on June 29, a special service held at the church, is attended by Christians from around the world.
• Anatolia is the birthplace of many historic figures and legends, such as the poet Homer, King Midas, Herodutus (the father of history) and St. Paul the Apostle.
• St. Nicholas, known as Santa Claus today, was born and lived in Demre (Myra) on Turkey’s Mediterranean coast.  The village contains the famous Church of St. Nicholas with the sarcophagus believed to be his tomb.
• The first man ever to fly was Turkish.  Using two wings, Hezarfen Ahmet Celebi flew from the Galata Tower over the Bosphorous to land in Uskudar in the 17^th century.

 ISTANBUL

For millennia it was called simply “The City.”  It was understood that there was no greater, richer, or more powerful city anywhere in the world.
Today, although Ankara is the capital of the Turkish Republic, Istanbul is the country’s heart and soul, the center of its history, arts, fashion, commerce, and higher education.  Founded as a fishing village called Byzantium, it later became Constantinople, the capital of the Byzantine (Later Roman) Empire, until captured by the Ottoman Turkish armies of Sultan Mehmet the Conqueror in 1453.  During the five centuries of their reign, the Ottoman sultans allowed the Christian inhabitants to retain some of their churches and encouraged Jewish immigrants driven from Spain by the Spanish Inquisition to settle here.

The historic center of the city, with its Byzantine Hippodrome, is Sultanahmet Square.  The Hippodrome, the scene of chariot races and political riots in Byzantine times, and of horseback-riding games and archery contests during the Ottoman era, is now a pleasant park.  Beneath its northern end lies the eerie Basilica Cistern, a palatial 6^th century underground reservoir supported by 336 columns.  Spread along the east side of the Hippodrome is the famous Blue Mosque (Mosque of Sultan Ahmet I), its domes swelling skyward framed by six slender minarets.  On the west side, the Palace of Ibrahim Pasha, Grand Vezir to Sultan Suleyman the Magnificent, now houses the treasure-filled Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts.

The huge bulk of Ayasofya (Saint Sophia, Church of the Divine Wisdom) looms over the square.  Built by the Emperor Justinian in 537 A.D., this was the greatest church in Christendom for a thousand years, and an architectural masterpiece to this day.  Used as a mosque during Ottoman times, it is now a museum. 

Spreading across Seraglio Point and covering 172 acres, Topkapi Palace is a vast assemblage of garden-filled courtyards, richly decorated chambers, kiosks, pools, and passageways.  It was home to the Ottoman imperial family for 450 years.  Don’t miss the Imperial Treasury, stuffed with incredible wealth including an 86 carat diamond and a 7 lb emerald; the richly tiled Baghdad and Erivan pleasure kiosks; the gilded Council Chamber; the massive kitchens now filled with exhibits of fine Chinese porcelain; and of course the Imperial Harem, the palace’s family quarters.  Walk along Divan Yolu, the imperial road that led to Rome, to reach the Grand Bazaar, a covered maze of some 4,000 shops selling everything from trash to treasures.  Don’t forget Beyoglu, the historic diplomatic district on the north shore of the Golden Horn.  Its cobbled streets are now filled with shops, sidewalk cafes and trendy music clubs.  Also be sure to take an excursion boat up the Bosphorus to enjoy the views of its verdant coasts dotted with imperial palaces and Ottoman-era villages.  But whatever you do, you’ll take away precious memories.

THE ANCIENT AEGEAN

From the Dardanelles and fabled Troy to the fairytale Crusader castle and sunny beaches of Bodrum, Turkey’s Aegean coast offers rich possibilities for sun, fun, and new experiences. 

The Canakkale Bogazi, also known as the Dardanelles or Hellespont, is the strait that connects the Aegean and Marmara seas.  Famous in ancient legends, it was also the setting for the momentous Gallipoli campaign of World War I.  Within view of its shores stands Troy, its fabled walls now excavated and restored.  A  model of the Trojan horse reminds visitors of the legendary battle for the love of Helen.

A short drive south brings you to the resort town of Ayvalik, and not much farther along to Bergama, the ancient Pergamum. The Asclepion of Pergamum, still visitable today, was the famous medical center where Galen (131-210 AD) laid down the fundamentals of medical practice that would last for more than a millennium.

Izmir, one of Turkey’s largest cities and a major port, was once known as Smyrna.  Famous Smyrna figs are still shipped from here (those that aren’t eagerly consumed by the locals), and the bazaar still buzzes with activity.
Drive to Kadifekale (the Velvet Castle) perched above the city for a spectacular sunset, then descend to the waterfront boulevards for its spirited nightlife.  Less than an hour’s drive south of Izmir rise the elaborate ruins of Ephesus, the best preserved classical city on the Aegean.  As the capital of Roman Asia Minor, Ephesus was richly endowed with marble temples, mosaics, and a 25,000-seat Great Theater.  St. Paul spoke here, and later wrote his famous Epistle to the Ephesians.  The Virgin Mary spent her last days here, and ascended to heaven from a neighbouring hilltop.  Not far away, the resort town of Kusadasi provides a good place for swimming and shopping after you’ve toured the ruins.  Take a detour inland along the Menderes (Meander) River valley to Aphrodisia, the ancient City of Aphrodite, in the midst of a fertile fruit-growing region.  This was a city of great sculptors  who worked the local marble into marvellous Roman statues and temples.  A bit farther along, the gleaming white travertine cliffs of Pamukkale, the Cotton Castle, rise above the fertile plain.  The warm calcium-laden mineral waters which cascade over the cliffs, building up fairy billows of snow-white stone, are famous for their curative powers.  Perhaps the most charming town on the coast is the yachting port of Bodrum.  Set on twin palm-lined bays and dominated by the medieval Castle of St. Peter, Bodrum is famous for its world-class Museum of Underwater Archeology, and for the grand Tomb of King Mausolus-the original Mausoleum.  It’s favorite resort for Turkey’s artists, writers, and the yacht set, so the cafes are fashionable and the nightlife vibrant.

The Turquoise Coast

Who could resist the urge to swim from a beach given by Mark Anthony as a present to Cleopatra?  Or to stand in the cave church where St. Peter first called his flock “Christians?”  From rustic fishing villages to sleek resorts, from pine-clad coasts to modern ports, Turkey’s Mediterranean coast has it all. 

Yachts crowd the harbour at Marmaris where Lord Nelson’s mighty fleet once prepared for its great victory over the French at Abukir.  Resort hotels and holiday villages ring the bay. A favorite day excursion by boat is to the placid bay at Knidos, where the renowned sculptor Praxiteles once erected his perfect statue of Aphrodite.  The water in the bay is as warm as a bath, and so clear you can see the bottom.  Speaking of swimming, its why most people visit Oludeniz, the “Peaceful Sea” near Fethiye. Comfy hotels in all price ranges now serve its perfect beach and tranquil lagoon.

For quaint fishing villages, Kalkan and Kas can’t be beat.  Narrow, winding streets descend to small harbors lined with open-air restaurants perfect for whiling away an evening under the stars.  If you don’t order fresh seafood-very reasonable priced—you’ve missed something!

At Demre, stop for a look at the 11^th century Church of St. Nicholas, built in honor of the 4^th century bishop later immortalized as Santa Claus.  The saint, who was buried here, is also the patron of children and sailors.

Capital of the Turquoise Coast, Antalya is a bursting resort and commercial city with an outstanding archaeological museum.  Quaint pensions and posh inns fill the historic district of Kaleici, and good restaurants ring the Roman harbor. You can use Antalya as your base for visits to the sights of the region, including Termessos, the dramatic mountain city which resisted even the armies of Alexander the Great; Perge, with a beautiful theatre, stadium, and grand Byzantine tower-gate; and Aspendos, with its near-perfect Roman theatre which is still used for performances.  At Side (SEE-deh), the ruins of a Hellenistic city are scattered amid a modern resort framed on either side by a mile of perfect sand beach.  Inland, try white-water rafting through the dramatic gorges of Koprulu Canyon, or hiking in the hills above the ancient city of Selge, now called Altinkaya. 

Alanya was a favorite seaside resort of the Seljuk Turkish sultans, and is today one of the liveliest seaside towns on the coast.  East of it, the great castle of Anamur, set right on the shore, marks the beginning of a dramatic winding road which clings to the steep mountainside all the way to Silifke.  Just a bit farther along, the dramatic Kizkalesi (“Maiden’s Castle”) seems to float on the blue waters 500 feet offshore.

Mersin is a modern town and active port.  Not far to the east, Tarsus was the birthplace of St. Paul, and traces of the ancient Roman town are still to be seen.  Bustling Adana is the capital of the fertile Cukurova agricultural region. Antakya, known as Anitoch in ancient times, holds the Church of St. Peter, a cave owned by St. Luke where the apostles Peter and Paul are believed to have preached. The Antakya Museum is filled with some of the finest Roman mosaics in the world.

CAPPADOCIA

The biblical realm of Cappadocia, south of Ankara in Central Anatolia, is a wonderland of unique geographic formations sprinkled with green vineyards and fruit orchards.  Agriculture  thrives in the mineral-rich volcanic soil, making this one of Turkey’s premier wine-making regions.

The most famous sight in the region is the Goreme Open Air Musuem, a moonscape volcanic valley filled with richly-painted monastic churches hollowed from the soft volcanic stone.  In neighboring valleys and villages, local people have dug homes, storehouses, stables, grain, mills, dovecote, and other necessary living spaces right from the rock. 

Tour the region and you’ll find much more.  The nearby valley of Zelve is impressive, and the natural citadel at Uchisar gives visitors a panorama over the entire region.  (The only way to get a better view is to take a hot air balloon ride, for which the region is famous.)  In the valley of the Fairy Chimneys, huge boulders balance precariously atop spindly cones of volcanic turf.  In other valleys the pale yellow stone lays in folds just like cloth, and turns to gold in the late afternoon sun.
The otherworldly beauty of the Cappadocian landscape makes it an excellent place for walks and horseback rides.  Numerous paths have been laid out and marked, going from village to village through the vineyards and across the volcanic hills. 

Dramatic terrain aside, the towns and villages of Cappadocia are attractions in themselves.  Goreme and Urgup are tourist centers, but also authentic local farming towns.  Avanos is famous for its pottery ateliers where pots both artful and useful are made by hand. Neveshir, a provincial capital, has a good museum and a Seljuk-era hilltop fortress.  Kayseri, at the eastern edge of the region, is a carpet-weaving center with an ancient fortress at its center, many monumental Seljuk  Turkish buildings from the 1200s, and lots of carpet shops.  In the southern part of the region, vast underground cities lie beneath the surface.  These labyrinths, which extend as much as eight levels down into the earth, were constructed by peaceful farming peoples who lived under the threat of attack by the warlike Arabic tribes, that often marched across the land bridge of Anatolia.  The farmers could retreat to their underground warren’s, roll stone wheel-doors across the entrances, and live for months on stored food.  Many of the underground cities are now equipped with electric lighting and directional signs, so you needn’t fear getting lost in the labyrinth.

The famous Silk Road passed right through Cappadocia in ancient times.  You can still visit several of the monumental “truck stops” built by the Seljuk Turkish sultan to accommodate these wealthy traders.  The great caravanserais of Sultan Han,  Agzikarahan and Karatay Han included all the services needed by the caravans: strong walls for safety, Turkish baths, mosques, refectories, dormitories and, of course, an accounting office.  Poorer travelers were able to stay there for up to 3 days without a fee as the caravanserais were managed by a pious foundation and a large part of their income came from the donations of the wealthy.

Eastern Turkey 

Gaze at the sunset from a mountaintop aerie designed as a dwelling-place for the gods.  Visit the cave in which, according to legend, the Patriarch Abraham was born.  Snap photos of beehive-like mud houses that took as though they might have been inhabited since the Stone Age times.  Try reading cuneiform inscriptions carved almost 3000 years ago.  It’s all part of a normal day in Turkey’s vast, beautiful, dramatic eastern region. 

Perhaps the single most bewitching sight in the east is Nemrut Dagi, the 1^st-century BC mountaintop tomb-shrine of King Antiochus I of Commagne.  The bare mountain summit is capped with a huge conical rock pile, in reality a man-made mountain peak—beneath which archaeologists believe the king is buried.  On the east and west sides of the peak are temples with gigantic stone statues of the king and his “friends” the gods.  Earthquakes have toppled many of the statues, but the gigantic heads still gaze out across the vast panorama. 

In the east, people and places assume legendary proportions.  We know from the Book of Genesis that Abraham and his family traveled here, staying some years in the village of Harran south of Sanliurfa.  Many centuries later, Harran was the birthplace of Saladin, the great Islamic general both feared and admired by the Crusader armies from Europe. 

Sanliurfa itself is the stuff of legends.  Once called Edessa, the fish-filled pool in its sacred precinct is a place of pilgrimage, and its dusky bazaar preserves the ambience of earlier centuries.  In the region around Sanliurfa the desert is beginning to bloom as a result of the mammoth Southeastern Anatolia Irrigation project. 

Near historic Mardin are Syriac monasteries where the monks still speak and hold services in Aramaic, the language of Jesus.  One of the monastery Bibles, written in Aramaic, is 1700 years old.

Erzurum, the east’s largest city, holds many fine Seljuk Turkish buildings, and a fine museum set up in a 13^th century Mongol theological college.  On the city’s outskirts at Palandoken is Turkey’s fastest-growing ski resort, with several new hotels and increased lift capacity.  A few hours’ ride east at Dogubeyazit the impressive castle of Ishak Pasha, an Ottoman governor of the 1700s, guards a rugged mountain pass in the shadow of biblical Mount Ararat.

The vast inland sea of Lake Van is surrounded by things to see and do.  The 10^th century Church of the Holy Cross, decorated with Bible-story reliefs, broods on Akdamar Island reachable by a short boat ride from the town of Gevas.  Near the lakeshore just outside the city of Van, the Rock of Van bears cuneiform inscriptions in praise of King Sarduri I dating from around 830 BC.  There’s a fine museum in the town as well.

WEATHER

Average Monthly Temperature (Farenheit)

City             Jan.   Feb.   Mar.  Apr.   May.   Jun.   Jul.   Aug.   Sep.   Oct.   Nov.   Dec.

Antalya       50      52     55      61       68       77     82                 82       77      68      59      54

Izmir           48     50      52      61       68       77     82     81       73      64      59      50

Istanbul      41      43      45      54       61      70      73     73       68      61      54      46

Trabzon      43     43      45       52       59     68      72     72       66       59     54       48

Ankara       32      34      41       52      61     68      73      73      64       64      46      36

Erzurum    16      19       27      41       70      59    68       68      59      59      36      23

Diyarbakir 36      36      36      57       66       79    88      88      77      77       50      39

Mugla        49      51     54       61       66      68     81      81      75     75        59      53

Konya       38       40      44     55       65       72     75     75       69     69        50       40

CLIMATE

Turkey has 7 geographical regions 

Black Sea Region: Temperate climate with warm summers, mild winters and relatively high rainfall.

Marmara Region: Typical Mediterranean climate with hot summers and mild winters.

Mediterranean Region: Mediterranean climate with hot summers mild winters. 

Central Anatolia Region: Hot, dry summers and cold winters.

Eastern Anatolia Region: Long snowy, cold winters and mild summers

Southeastern Anatolia Regions: Hot summers with mild, rainy winters.

Tours of Turkey and Aegean Islands cruises   

Religious and Archeology holidays in Turkey

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