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At Ephesus near Selçuk in Turkey you will see this amazing city requiring several hours to walk around and investigate. It is one of the most fascinating and expansive Roman city I have visited. It should be one of the highlights of your trip to Turkey.
Hopping around towns in Turkey is easy and exciting. Driving in Turkey is pretty much the same as in Thailand. The laws and rules are “suggestions”. There are many police check points as you go from one area to another. But the police and everyone in the country are friendly and helpful so there is nothing to really be worried about when traveling around.
Avilik
This is almost the first Adriatic side town south of istanbul. It is where the front license plate fell off the front car plate frame which I didn’t notice was broken when I rented the car. The broken frame showed up on the photos I took before getting in the car at the rental office which saved me the price of replacing the plate. The police stopped me so many times but I explained the issue and even though most of the time language was a barrier they let me drive on. The police in Avilik told me to continue my trip and contacted the rental company and traffic police. They were very helpful.
Kaş
A cute little town driving south and worth a visit. I gave a ride to 3 girls from Kazakistan waiting for a bus. I learned some interesting things about traveling to Kazakistan.
Konya
Antalya
across the bridge from Topkapi in Istanbul is a very busy area and series of streets called Taksim. It seems this area is extremely popular with everybody looking for something different from the “imperial“ area on the other side of the river with most of the main tourist attractions. But they’re very narrow streets here with some very nice restaurants and coffee shops that make this area feel like a major tourist shopping street but also a very “local“ area. When visiting Istanbul, this is an area you really have to visit and just spend a day or two walking around. There are a couple very fun cable cars which go up steep hills and a street car which goes down the main shopping street with all the famous and expensive brands of imported goods.
The quality of food in Turkey is generally very good. I was surprised how consistent the quality is across all areas of the country. So it is so easy to become A Turkish Foodie. Just point to what you want if you can’t understand what the food is called. Venture in to almost any restaurant and you will find something you will probably enjoy.
Visiting the gods near Selçuk Ephesus Artemis
this is an ancient Roman city in Turkey gradually being rebuilt to show the world how people lived more than 2000 years ago.
this is in Turkey not too far from Ankara. I recommend visiting here to see the history of the Hittites that would be good to hire one of the local tourist guides waiting at the place where you pay for entrance.
when you visit Turkey it’s important to go to one of the greatest sites in Istanbul. The Topkapi palace where the sultans ruled for hundreds of years is a real treasure. One thing you won’t see, however, is the diamond portrayed in the movie “Topkapi”. While you are there remember to spend time Enjoying Topkapi surroundings. It’s a very beautiful and relaxing place to spend three or four hours and maybe more if you’re interested in studying every aspect of the palace.
Just walk around the city and try all different kinds of Istanbul food. It comes from many different countries and definitely has things you will enjoy. These are just some ideas that might be interesting.
as you probably know the Romans set up an eastern empire citadel complete with future religious independence in what is now Istanbul. This cathedral was their main church for the eastern Roman empire. They used religion to gradually gain back their influence over the western world as Rome became increasingly difficult to defend against enemies. And as you know this was the launching pad for what we now call the orthodox church or the Greek Orthodox Church.The incredible Hagia Sophia was later increased in size and embellished with the newer version of the Middle Eastern religions, Islam. The two come together in this very interesting structure. You of course will be told by everyone you need to see this as one of the major two or three attractions in Istanbul.
if you travel to Turkey and decide to go to Cappadocia make sure you visit the historical open air Museum including the best preserved and amazing Cappadocia churches.
