There’s always a mystique that remains every time one visits Turkey for a few days and is about to leave. The charm is always there mesmerizing any visitor, even jaded travelers who have seen so much of the world. But even world-weariness does not make one immune to the riveting awe one feels with every visit to this multifaceted country. There’s something new to see, learn, touch, feel and love about the country. Yet, every visit seems to be not enough. There’s always a reason to come back. And the mystique remains.
Turkey is a big bundle of pleasant surprises to her millions of visitors. It is now one of the world’s most popular tourism destinations, offering a big package of breathtaking natural attractions, unique historical and archeological sites, natural hot springs with reported healing properties, wide range of hotels fitting any budget, an impressive road infrastructure making land tours so pleasant, and friendly and hospitable people.
Turkey is indeed uniquely Turkey! After all, It is perhaps the only country in the world that spans two continents, not only in territory, but also in cultural heritage—very European, yet so much Asian, too. Customs and traditions are very much like Asian’s; and one might even say like Filipino’s, including the kissing of the hands of elders and making it touch one’s forehead as a sign of respect. But the European-Asian fusion of customs and traditions in Turkey—though not seamless—is a harmonious blend adding richness to their culture as a people.
“Turkey’s customs and tradition have the richness of both Asian and European cultures,” says Huseyin Ceyhan, Turkish Airlines director for the Philippines, Hong Kong and Taiwan. “Just look at Istanbul,” he beams, “it is a realistic mirror and dynamic city which reflects the richness of both European and Asian characters. Where else in the world would you be able to find a mosque and a church situated so close to each other? This is something very unique about Turkey.”
Istanbul—the largest city and considered as the cultural and financial center of Turkey—was rated recently as the most dynamic city in the world by The Atlantic newspaper. Surprisingly, no other European city was among the top 30. Based on a report of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), Istanbul is also currently one of the top city-break destinations worldwide.
But again, what is fascinating is that amidst Turkey’s modernization and dynamism is a conservatism and strong will to preserve much of its culture and heritage.”We value our customs and traditions, and we do our best to preserve our heritage and word-famous historical landmarks,” explains Huseyin. The government also enforces measures to conserve all of its natural wonders and archeological ruins. “Turkey makes one feel like traveling through a time tunnel,” Huseyin draws the metaphor. “It is a country full of wonders—nature, history, heritage, culture—that are centuries old.”
Religious fervor and nationalism
Almost 97 percent of the country’s population have embraced Islam. The Turkish religious fervor is admirable and their intense nationalism has probably imbued in them a deep sense of pride in being Turkish and having a rich cultural heritage. Their intense nationalism might initially give a first-time visitor the impression that they could be racially prejudiced, but soon enough as you talk to them a little more, you realize that their being nationalistic extends far beyond their territory, creed or color; as they regard everyone their brothers in humanity, and that they consider themselves as their brother’s keeper.
They deem it their religious responsibility to always extend a helping hand to people in need. This is best exemplified by their spiritual Dervish dance—a whirling trance-like dance wherein the head is tilted to the right, with the right hand raised as if receiving something from above, and the left hand extends downward, palms down, as if to pass on belc what one has received with his raised right hand.
Turkish people treasure relationships. Their family-orientation is also evident. “This can be related more to our Asian than European culture”, Huseyin points out, “and people tend to get married earlier than the western countries in modern society.” In the rural villages, marriages are still arranged by the parents for their young children. “Quite interestingly, mothers look for their sons’ future brides in public baths says Mete Mutluay, marketing and sales tour manager of Plenus—a global destination management and marketing communication company with offices worldwide including the Philippines. Indeed, seeing one of these public baths (hamam), it’s not difficult to imagine why.
By tradition, the hamam is intended to fulfill the Islamic doctrine of cleanliness. But beyond this precept is its additional purposes of socializing, or showing off one’s ornately embroidered towels and creatively inlaid slippers. For young women, it’s a discreetly suitable venue to show off their youthful figures, and for future mother-in-laws to spot them. Going to one of the remaining hamams in Turkey can be one of the interesting things to experience while visiting the country.
Picturesque tourist attractions
To say that Turkey is simply picturesque is a big understatement. From the man-made underground villages in Kaymakli, or the natural volcanic formations in the Cappadocia region, or the travertine hot springs in Pamukkale, or the ancient ruins in Ephesus including the house where Mother Mary spent her last years in life, or the mythical stories of Troy, or the WOW hotels in Antalya providing superb accommodations plus world-class golf courses, all the way to the exotic charm and grandeur of Istanbul with its grand mosques and palaces, and its 5-star deluxe hotels with breathtaking views of the Sea of Marmara or the Bosphorus—one is raptly enthralled, or perhaps entranced is the better word.
Several thousand shots in one’s digital camera do not seem to be enough to capture everything, and one’s effort to delete some pictures becomes a painful and challenging exercise, as every picture carries with it either a lot of history or personal memory. A visitor then realizes that coming to Turkey with a limited camera memory card capacity could be a costly mistake.
The weather was a pleasant Baguio-like soothing balm when we had our familiarization tour with 20 media colleagues and executives of travel agencies. But Turkey weather can be fickle sometimes as we experienced ourselves. After all, she’s a woman, too, and has the right to be fickle! We were warned that there can be four different climates in any one day. So it’s best to always carry an umbrella with you, and even during winter time, to keep yourselves clothed in layers, so you can just take off a piece or two when it gets to be too warm for comfort.
Many tourists have the wrong impression that Turkey might not be a safe place to tour. After this eight-day visit, we can confidently say that nothing can be further from the truth. The Turkish gentlemen may tease and joke a lot, and play some friendly pranks; but they’re warm, thoughtful and hospitable. They go out of their way to walk with you a certain length when you ask for directions. “It’s very safe to travel in Turkey,” assures Huseyin. “It’s probably the safest place on earth,” declares Mete. He says though that just like in any big cities in the world, pickpockets may prey on tourists in Istanbul and other places.
Turkish Riviera
During our drive from Antalya to Pamukkale, we weaved along the Turkish Riviera, a long coastline of pristine beaches, bays, coves and ports. Turkey is actually bathed on three sides by three different seas—the Mediterranean, Aegean and the Black Sea, Mete explains as he rolls down his map behind the bus driver. The country borders the Black Sea between Bulgaria and Georgia. It also borders the Aegean Sea and the Mediterranean Sea between Greece and Syria. If you’re a beach lover and water-sports aficionado, you can’t have more seas than this.
In Antalya, the weather is golf-perfect almost all-year round, Mete entices the golfers in our group. Many troop to this place, especially in the Belek area, to play golf since the area enjoys 300 days of sunshine each year. The golf courses we’ve seen are world class with one being a PGA accredited golf course.
In Pamukkale, we’ve had our share of the country’s booming health tourism. We waded on the famous travertine hot springs of Pamukkale and walked on the immaculate white surface of the travertines, made so by the hardened calcium carbonate mineral deposition on the ground surface. The country is blessed with many hot springs, healing waters and mud which are believed to cure many diseases with thousands of testimonials to back their claims.
Pilgrimage destination
It may seem incongruent or ironical that in a country which is predominantly Islam in religion, biblical shrines abound, making Turkey a popular pilgrimage destination. You can join five to 12-day tours following the footsteps of St. Paul; and visit the seven churches mentioned in the bible. One should not miss the underground villages in Kaymakli where the early Christians hid. Hobbling through the narrow passages can be as challenging as getting one’s 36-inch belly through the constricted Cu-Chi tunnels in Vietnam.
One should also see the well carved churches complete with religious frescos in the rock mountains in the Goreme valley. Kaymakli and Goreme, both in the Cappadocia region, were where the ancient Christians worshipped secretly and escaped the religious persecution. A highlight of a pilgrimage tour could be a visit to the house of Mother Mary in Ephesus where she was believed to have spent her last few years before she died.
Bosphorus cruise
When you’re in Istanbul, a must-do is to take a cruise up the Bosphorus, a natural strait separating the Asian from the European side of Istanbul. Recorded as the world’s narrowest strait used for international navigation, it connects the Black Sea to the Sea of Marmara; hence, it is considered a very strategic waterway.You can take one of the traditional Istanbul ferryboats, or you can do your own private tour renting a smaller, faster boat. Whatever you take, the next hour or so promises to be a feast to your eyes, and will keep your camera clicking.
Among others, you’ll get to see several Ottoman palaces. Along the southern shores of the Bosphorus, nearest to the city are the Topkapi Palace, the mid-Bosphorus Maiden’s Tower, the Selimiye Barracks (where Florence Nightingale worked), Dolmabahce Palace, ciragan Palace, Yildiz Park and Palace, the Ottoman baroque Mecidiye Mosq and the Bosphorus Bridge. Chic coffee shops and boutiques also line up the Bosphorus, as well as expensive mansions of Turkish multimillionaires and international celebrities.
Culinary adventure
For foodies, Turkey can also be a big treat—or feast, one must say. Whether you’re just a simple food-lover, or a gourmet with such high epicurean expectations, the whole trip makes one memorable culinary adventure. With every meal, one is served salads consisting of what seems to be every imaginable green plant and olives, followed by some appetizers or meze, like their eggplant dish. “Turkey is known for an abundance and diversity of foods including vegetables due to its variation of fresh produce in different regions,” says Huseyin. Most of the ingredients used in Turkish cuisine are locally grown.
As you wait for the main dish, you can try their thin pizza-like flatbread or pide. By this time, you’re just about ready for the main dish, and if you’ve not said yet “Afiyet olsun!” (Ah-fee-yet OL-soon),now is a good time to say it. Literally, it means “May it do you good”, but it is the equivalent of “Bon appetit!”
The main dish can be something like unmarinated lean lamb meat roasted evenly, or slowly cooked in a tandoor pot in the meat’s own fat; or a steamed mackerel which literally melts in the mouth; or a mildly spicy shish kebab that’s so tender and juicy. If you’re lucky enough, the restaurant manager himself might even serenade you with old Turkish ballads like two Turkish gentlemen did for us. They happened to be good friends of Mete’s.
“Turkish cuisine tries to satisfy people’s senses while reconfirming the higher order of society, community and culture,” explains Huseyin in a somewhat philosophical note. “The legacy of an imperial kitchen is inescapable,” he adds, “wherein hundreds of cooks specializing in different dishes to please the royal palate were hired in palaces; and such influence still prevails in refining and perfecting Turkish Cuisine nowadays.”
Baklava and Turkish delights
And for desserts? Turkish people are well known for their sweet tooth, which blends well with Turkish cuisine; and reinforces the Turkish adage to “eat sweetly and speak sweetly”. And as Mete claims, “That’s why we’re very sweet and romantic!”
Who hasn’t heard of the baklava, whose peculiar sweetness can be a big tease even for diabetics. No matter how strong your will power is, you’ll likely end up asking for a second serving. Or you might want to ask for Turkish delights, a confection which comes in different forms and often packaged and eaten in small cubes dusted with flour, sugar or cream of Tartar. It also contains different types of nuts and dried fruits; and it comes in flavors such as cinnamon or mint. We went to a store selling them and the store owner graciously offered free samples, which we over-indulged in, such that we could hardly eat dinner anymore that evening.
Turkish delights is quite ‘addictive’ and a temptation so easy to succumb to. It should come with a warning on the package: It can be difficult to control once you’ve started tasting. It is believed that Picasso won’t let a day without eating Turkish delight to improve his concentration. Napoleon and Winston Churchill likewise were believed to be great lovers of Turkish delights especially ones abundantly relished with pistachio and other nuts.
“To experience natural wonder, I’d suggest Pamukkale and Cappadocia. For seaside resort and beach, one must definitely go to Bodrum or Kusadasi which are cities along the Aegean sea; or Antalya, which is along the Meditteranean sea. If people would like to visit an old ancient city and wonder how it looks like, I’d recommend them to travel to Mardin. It’s a city close to Syria in the South. Or, if they prefer doing something more adventurous, they can go to Nemrut Mount and enjoy the best sunrise and sunset.”
It seems that whatever a tourist longs to see, hear, feel, touch, eat and enjoy, Turkey has her version to offer. Our recent eight-day familiarization tour of Turkey showed us so much of what she offers her millions of visitors. We’ve visited Turkey a few times in the past; and with every visit, she shows much, but then there’s simply too much more in store for the next visit. And so, Turkey’s mystique remains, making one excited and looking forward to the next visit.
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Tags: asian fusion, customs and tradition, turkey istanbul, turkish airlines