G Turkiye

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  • Preserved Areas in Turkey

    A recent notion have been spread out all around the world to stop the hazards that the natural life faces due to the destructive effects let by the unconscious employement of developing technologies. Acording to the data of The World Conservation Union(IUCN),while %5 of the total surface area of the world seperated as preserved area,this reaches to %10 among considerate countries.

    In Turkey a policy of protection and conservation of the stunning natural and cultural assets and the fields symbolizing our victorious battles has already been established on national and international bases; and preserved areas of different statues have been designated in order to be bequeathed to the future generations. With in the frames of the law that has been come into force in 1883, 4 types of definition of preserved areas come to the ground as; National Parks, Preserved Areas, Nature Parks and Nature Monuments.

    • National Parks
    • Nature Parks
    • Nature Monuments
    • Natural Protection Areas

  • Archaeology in Turkey

    Mylasa Iassos Euromos
    Mylasa, which was the former capital of Caria, houses monuments bearing witness to great past of the town. From the ending of the name “asa”, we understand this was an Anatolian name and it is suggested it was one of the early cities established in the region… Due to its privileged location, its marble and fishing, Iassos had been inhabited since the earliest days of the history. The city was founded by the Greek colonist coming from Argos nearly 9th BC and then inhabited by the immigrants from… Located in the north of Bodrum, the ancient city of is Euromos worth visiting because of her temple. The city got its name 4th century BC when Caria became under the Greek rule. It is suggested that the name Euromos was also used for the district…
    Miletus Didyma Ephesus
    Miletus, the queens of the Ionian cities, was first founded 3000 years BC. It was first inhabited by the Minoens and the by the Mycenaeans. Ionians came to Miletos 1000 BC. according to the a legend, sacred fish of Apollo dolphin guided Ionians towards present day… This impressive Ionic temple was one of the greatest oracle temples of the ancient world. During the archaeological research done, German archaeologist discovered the remains of an earlier temple, dating back to 8 century BC. But first temple in monumental portions Located in the south of Izmir, Ephesus was the capital city of Roman province of Asia. It was the largest harbor on the Aegean Sea and city with great population reaching nearly 250.000 people in the Roman times. In the days of the Apostle John, Ephesus was the
    Caunos Cnidus Labranda
    Caunos, a Hittite or Lelegian city, was hellenised in the IVth BC and became a part of the satrapy of Caria governed by Hecatomnos and his successors. After having been ruled by the successors of Alexander the Great, the city finally was freed by the Romans from the Rhodian yoke… Cape crio, feared by ancient mariners, marks the western extremity of the headland that protects the harbor of cnidus, an ancient city now excavated to reveal some of its former grandeur. The city’s greatest claim to fame was its statue of naked aphrodite sculpted … The city is situated on the slopes of impressive hill. Labranda was the site of the most sacred shrines of Caria. The shrine was dedicated to Zeus Straticus, whose festival was celebrated here by whole Carian population. A sacred road of which we see the remains…
    Priene Hieropolis Pamukkale Lycia
    Located in the south of Ephesus, The city of Priene offers the marvellous features of a 4th century Greek city. Priene was designed by famous town planner, Hippodamos of Miletus.who designed the city in chess board plan with the strait streets cutting each… Although Herodotus mentions a town called “watery” in this region, we don’t have the mention of the city down to Hellenistic Period. Hieroplis was founded by one of the Pergamon Kings in the memory of his mother or wife. The city became so popular because of hot The earliest known burials were carried out by Neanderthal man who lived between 150,000 and 60,000 years ago. These early human beings discovered how to use tools and control fire, and that they also buried their dead was proved by excavations in the Zagros Mountains…
    Magnesia Heraclia
    Located in the south of Ephesus, Magnesia is an impressive site. Buried under the sand, brought by Meander River, Magnesia still houses outstanding monuments for shedding light upon history and architecture of the region.According to tradition Situated at the head of Latmian Gulf, Heraclia was called Latmus at the beginning taking its name from the impressive mountain reaching the height of 1300 meters above the sea level. Hearclia, which was located at the head of the gulf never, became an…

  • Islam in Turkey

    Visitors to Turkey are often touched by the call to prayer from lofty minarets. The call is heard five times a day, inviting the faithful to face towards Mecca and pray from the Koran. Although Turkey is a secular democracy which guarantees freedom of religion for all people, Islam is the country’s predominant religion. People of all faiths may visit Turkey’s mosques.

    Islam’s roots in Turkey date to the 10th Century. In the ensuing centuries Seljuk and Ottoman Turks constructed impressive mosques with elegant interior decorations and imposing domes and minarets. Virtually every Turkish city has a mosque of historical or architectural significance. Sultanahmet Mosque in Istanbul stands as perhaps the most impressive. Built between 1609 and 1616 in the classic Ottoman style, the building is more familiarly known as the Blue Mosque because of its magnificent interior paneling of blue and white Iznik tiles. The Suleymaniye Mosque is the largest in Istanbul.

    It was built between 1550 and 1557 by Suleyman the Magnificent, the greatest sultan of the Ottoman Empire. Other cities also have impressive Islamic architecture. The Ulu Cami (Grand Mosque) with its 20 domes and Yesil Cami (Green Mosque) in Bursa, was constructed between 1419 and 1420. The mosque derives its name from the exquisite green and turquoise tiles in its interior. Haci Bayram Mosque in Ankara was built in the early 15th century in the Seljuk style and was subsequently restored by the master Ottoman architect Sinan in the 16th century. Selimiye Mosque in Edirne reflects the classical Ottoman style and Sinan’s lasting genius.

    Konya ranks as one of the great cultural centers of Turkey. As the capital of the Seljuk Turks from the 12th to the 13th centuries Konya was a center of cultural, political and religious growth. During this period, the mystic Mevlana Celaleddin Rumi founded a Sufi Order known in the West as the Whirling Dervishes. Mevlana’s striking green tiled mausoleum is Konya’s most famous attraction. Attached to the mausoleum, the former dervish seminary now serves as a museum housing manuscripts of Mevlana’s works and various artifacts related to the mystic sect.

  • Christianity in Turkey

    More and more people are discovering the important role Turkey played in the history of Christianity. Travelers can discover many magnificent churches, some nearly as old as Christianity itself, and can retrace the footsteps of Saints Peter and Paul from the Biblical city of Antioch to the underground churches of Cappadocia. Many of the most important events in Christian history occurred in Turkey.

    Born in Tarsus, the Apostle Paul spread the word of Jesus Christ across Anatolia, expanding Christianity’s reach from a predominantly Jewish base to Gentile communities. Not far from Tarsus on Turkey’s Eastern Mediterranean coast is Antakya, known in biblical times as Antioch. This ancient city was founded around 300 B.C. and was home to the first important Christian community, founded in 42 AD by St. Paul. Jesus’ followers were first called "Christians" in Antioch and from here Christianity spread to the world. St. Paul departed from Antioch on his three missionary journeys.

    The city holds the Church of St. Peter, a cave-church where the apostles Peter and Paul are believed to have preached. In 1963, the Vatican designated the site a place of pilgrimage and recognized it as the world’s first cathedral. The "Seven Churches of Asia Minor," a series of communities located near the Aegean coast, is where St. Paul visited, preached and built the early church. Their ancient names – Ephesus (Efes), Smyrna (Izmir), Thyatira (Akhisar), Sardis (Sart), Philadelphia (Alasehir), Laodicea (Eskihisar) and Pergamon (Bergama) are familiar from the New Testament’s Book of Revelation.

    Ephesus, perhaps the most prominent of the Seven Churches, is where St. Paul wrote his letters to the Ephesians, and where St. John the Evangelist brought the Virgin Mary to spend her last years. The Vatican recognizes the Virgin Mary’s house, located in the hills near Ephesus, as a shrine. Just outside Ephesus, in Selcuk, is the Basilica of St. John where he preached and is believed to be buried. Many other regions in Turkey offer a wealth of attractions to the Christian traveler. St. Nicholas was born and lived in Demre on the Mediterranean coast. A church dedicated to the original Santa Claus still stands.

    Visitors to the biblical area of Cappadocia, located in Central Anatolia, can explore more than 200 carved rock churches beautifully decorated with frescoes depicting early Christian motifs, and a seven story underground city where Christians took refuge from their persecutors. The stunning Monastery of the Virgin Mary located near the Black Sea in Trabzon is a well-known monastic center dating to the 4th century. Built on the edge of a l200 foot cliff and accessible only by foot, it housed some of the Orthodox Church’s greatest thinkers.

    Istanbul became the center of Christianity in 330 AD and it was here that the largest church in Christendom at the time, Haghia Sophia or the Church of the Divine Wisdom, was dedicated by Emperor Justinian in 536 AD. The Kariye Museum, a Greek Orthodox Church from the 11th and 14th centuries, is famous for its incomparable Byzantine frescoes and mosaics.

  • Religions in Turkey

    What attractions does Turkey offer related to religious history and issues of faith?

    History has been incredibly generous to Turkey, which has been vital in the history of the three major Western religions – Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Turkey is one of a few countries where all three religions have co-existed peacefully for centuries. There are a many important sites in Turkey of interest to people of all faiths.