Turkey

Turkey is the cradle of cultures and civilizations that connects Europe and

Asia

this country has continued flourishing with the migration of various tribes,

and accumulated a large cultural heritage through a line of succeeding

empires and civilizations. Many empires ranging from the Sumerians to the

Hittites, the Lydians to the Byzantines and the Seljuks to the Ottomans

have once thrived and expired n the Turkey.

Proud to possess numerous riches in every corner and territory this country

is blessed also with a wide range of climatic diversity. You can find different

climate zones in different areas of Turkey which is comprised of seven

geographical regions.

From rituals on special days to family relations, Turkish society still largely

adheres to native customs and traditions in many areas of social life.

Birth, marriage, holiday celebrations, as

well as military service sendoff gatherings

are celebrated with great enthusiasm and

special preparations. Reflecting the rich

Anatolian culture, these traditions are

among the most precious heritages of the nation.

Location

Turkey is located in Anatolia and the Balkans, adjacent to the Black Sea, between Bulgaria and Georgia. It also borders the Mediterranean Sea and the Aegean Sea, between Greece and Syria. Its total land area is approximately 783,562 km2 of which 756,816 km2 are in Asia and 23,764 km2 in Europe.

CurrencyThe official currency of the Republic ofTurkey is Turkish lira. The Turkish Lira isdivided into subunits called kuruş. Papercurrency comes in 5, 10, 20, 50, 100 and200 TL money notes and metal currencycomes in 5, 10, 25, and 50 kuruş and1Lira coin money.

LanguageThe official language is Turkish but the most spoken foreign language is English

Turkish CuisineKebabs :Each region in Turkey has different and unique dishes varying from kebabs to vegetable meals with olive oil and soups to desserts, made with area-specific ingredients. Dishes made from a myriad of vegetables and herbs grown on these soils and animal products from grass-fed animals comprise the key components of the Turkish cuisine.

Soups: According to Turkish culture, an enjoyable

meal begins with any of the diverse and nutritious

soups of the Turkish cuisine. Soups made in

various ways with ingredients such as meat,

chicken, vegetables or cereals are determinant of

the quality of the dinner table.

These are made of entirely natural ingredients.

The most common soups are Tarhana, Yayla,

Mercimek (lentil soup), Ezo Gelin, Yuvalama, Sütlü

Mısır unu (corn flour and milk soup) and Ayran Aşı

(yoghurt soup

Pilaf:Is an essential element of the Turkish cuisine,

is made in various ways. Prepared also as inner

mortar for other dishes, pilaf is an essential

component of traditional meals.

Made also with meat, chicken, fish and vegetables,

the measure of delicious rice pilaf is that the grains

are tender and do not stick together.

Vegetable dishes with Olive oil :these constitute the

core of the Turkish cuisine and are served along the

main course or enrich the table as the main dish.

Vegetable dishes with olive oil include a variety of

delicacies such as sarma, dolma (stuffed vegetables),

and similar vegetable dishes made of kidney beans,

artichokes andblack-eyed peas

Desserts: the Turkish cuisine is globally

famous for its delightful desserts. Made

with natural ingredients ranging from

legumes to fruits, Turkish desserts can be

grouped as desserts made with milk, syrup

and dough. Some of them are Baklava,

kadayıf, fıstık sarma, aşure, sütlaç (rice

pudding),kaymaklı künefe, kazandibi,

revani will

Drinks:

• Çay, Turkish tea, is grown along the Black Sea coast but available anywhere and

drunk any time of the day. It is a hot drink that relaxes you and your stomach and

helps digestion.

• Turkish coffee, a traditional drink made of special coffee beans and drunk in small

coffee cups, is served especially at important meetings or after meals. Ayran It is a

refreshing salty drink, prepared with yoghurt and water.

• Salep is a hot drink prepared with milk and served with cinnamon powder on top

while Boza is made from fermented millet, water and sugar and topped with

roasted chickpeas. These two drinks are consumed especially during the winter

months.

• Şıra (cider), made from fermented grape juice, and şalgam suyu (turnip juice)

obtained from the fermented red carrots, are traditional drinks served particularly

alongside kebab dishes enriching the flavor of such type of meals.

Places to stayThere are many hotels in Turkey but the most famous are :

• Delphin Imperial Surmeli Efes Hotel

• Garden Of Sun Hotel Diamond Hill

Tourist

Attractions

Pamukkale, meaning “cotton castle” in Turkish, is an

unreal landscape in western Turkey, famous for its white

terraces. The terraces are made of travertine, a

sedimentary rock deposited by water with a very high

mineral content from the hot springs. People have bathed

in its pools for thousands of years.

Pamukkale

Hagia Sophia

Located in Istanbul, the Hagia Sophia

was originally a basilica constructed

for the Eastern Roman Emperor

Justinian I in the sixth century. A

masterwork of Roman engineering, the

massive dome (31 meters or 102 feet

in diameter) covers what was for over

1000 years the largest enclosed space

in the world. The church was looted by

the fourth Crusaders in 1204, and

became a mosque in the 15th century

when The Ottomans conquered the

city. The Hagia Sophia was converted

into a museum in 1935 and is now one

of the top attractions in Turkey.

With its six minarets and sweeping architecture the Sultan Ahmed or Blue

Mosque in Istanbul impresses from the outside. While still used as a mosque,

the Blue Mosque has also become one of the most popular tourist attractions

in Istanbul. It was built between 1609 and 1616 and like many other mosques

contains the tomb of the founder. Inside the mosque, the high ceiling is lined

with the 20,000 blue tiles with different patterns that give the mosque its

popular name.

Blue Mosque

Olüdeniz

Ölüdeniz is a small village located on the south west coast

on the Aegean Sea. It has a secluded sandy bay at the

mouth of Ölüdeniz, on a blue lagoon. This beach is famous

for its shades of turquoise and remains one of the most

photographed beaches on the Mediterranean. Ölüdeniz is

also regarded as one of the best places in the world to

paraglide due to its unique panoramic views.

ADVANTAGES

• In turkey you can find a mixture of cultures and it has

a very rich history that includes many empires

• Its cuisine is very rich in new flavors and different

combinations

• This country has a lot of museums and historical

places where you can learn many thing from the past

• Its numerous natural landscapes make this place ideal

to get in touch with nature

DISADVANTAGES

• The way that some animals specially dogs or cats are

treated is bad, in this country dogs are seen as

working animals and there are many of them in the

street .

Conclusion Turkey is an amazing place full of history , new

flavors and many museums and beautiful

landscapes, its location allows this country to

have a mixture of Asian and European culture. I

would like to go there because I think it can be a

magical experience and a place where you can

learn a lot.

Glossary

• Adhere:Adherirse

• Comprise :Comprender

• Core: Núcleo

• Cradle : Cuna

• Dough: Masa

• Flourish: florecer

• Looted:Saqueado

BIBLIOGRAPHY • http://www.shelteroffshore.com/index.php/living/more/good-and-bad-

points-living-in-turkey

• http://www.angelfire.com/ca/turkeytales/goodbad.html

• http://www.touropia.com/tourist-attractions-in-turkey/

• http://www.goturkey.com/

English Project

Maria José Vasquez Mahecha

11 B

Presented to : Esther Gloria Gómez

2014