Vacation Rentals in Turkey
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Travel destination Turkey.
You can choose from 142 vacation rentals and holiday rentals.
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Destination
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(91)
Altinkum (2), Bodrum (37), Dalyan (4), Gürece (1), Izmir (2), Kusadasi (16), Marmaris (2), Türkbükü (1), Yalikavak (2), Yenifoca (9), Özdere (15)
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Overview of Turkey |
| Size |
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780,580 sq km (301,380 sq mi) |
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| Population |
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69,660 million |
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| Language |
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Turkish (official), Kurdish, Arabic, Armenian, Greek. |
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| Time Zone |
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2 hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time (+2 GMT). |
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| Electricity |
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Turkey operates on 220 volts, 50 Hz, with round-prong
European-style plugs that fit into recessed wall sockets/points. |
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| Clothing |
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In summer wear cool cotton clothing, a hat, and sunblock
lotion, but have a light sweater for cool evenings. In winter you will need
warm woolen clothing and rain gear, even though many days will be sunny. |
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| Religion |
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Muslim 99.8% (mostly Sunni), other 0.2% (mostly Christians and Jews) |
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| Currency |
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Turkish Lira (TRL)
Currency Converter |
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Location of Turkey
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The lands of Turkey are located at a point where Asia, Africa and Europe are closest
to each other, and straddle the point where Europe and Asia meet. The neighbours are
Greece and Bulgaria on the norhtwest, Armenia and Georgia on the northeast, Iran and
Irak on the southeast and Syria on the south. Of all, the Turkish-Syrian border is the
longest. Turkey has no direct border with Russia, but the Black Sea on the north. The
other seas that cover Turkey are the Aegean on the west and the Mediterrenean on the south.
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Climate in Turkey
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Aegean, and Mediterranean coasts: These coasts have a typical Mediterranean climate with
hot summers and wild winters. The swimming season becomes shorter the further north one goes:
Marmaris and North Aegean - June to September, South Aegean and Mediterranean - April to October.
Black Sea Coast: warm summers, mild winters, and relatively high rainfall. Central Anatolia:
Steppe climate with hot, dry summers and cold winters. Eastern Anatolia: Long snowy, cold
winters with mild summers. Southeast Anatolia: Hot summer with mild, rainy winters. |
Best Time to Travel to Turkey
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Spring and autumn are the best times to visit, since the climate will be perfect in Istanbul
and on the Aegean and Mediterranean coasts. The Aegean and Mediterranean coasts have mild,
rainy winters and hot, dry summers. The southeast is dry and mild in winter and very hot
in summer, with temperatures above 45° C (113° F) not unusual. It will be cool in central
Anatolia, but not unpleasantly so. Visiting before mid-June or after August may also help
you avoid mosquitoes. The Black Sea coast is best visited between April and September;
there will still be rain but not so much of it. With the exception of Istanbul, Turkey does
not really have a winter tourism season. In Istanbul the winters are chilly but usually above
freezing, with moderate rain and perhaps a dusting of snow. |
Events in Turkey
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More than 100 festivals are held in Turkey every year. Along with the local festivals
held in almost every city of the country, international culture and festivals also take
place in major metropolitan centers such as Istanbul, Ankara, Izmir and Antalya. Istanbul
is the most important center of festivals. In the summer months, a number of music festivals
are held in the city. The Pamukbank Dance Days brings world famous dance groups to Istanbul.
The Efes Pilsen Blues Festival, which has celebrated its 10th year, hosts well-known blues
and jazz groups. The Akbank International Jazz Festival provides the opportunity of
improvisation and jam sessions between Turkish musicians and jazz masters of the world.
The Yapi Kredi Art Festival with its concerts ranging from rock and roll and pop to
classic music and jazz throughout the year and the Fuji Film World Music Days are other
important music festivals. Secular festivities include camel-wrestling in mid-January,
in the village of Selçuk, south of Izmir; Bursa's Folklore and Music Festival in mid-July. |
Society in Turkey
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Turkey has always been the meeting point for European and Middle Eastern neighbors,
becoming an important link between east and west. While most of the citizens are Islamic,
the government of Turkey is both democratic and secular.
Hospitality is an integral part of Turkish culture. The tradition of hospitality dictates
that visitors are always invited in and offered something to drink, such as tea, coffee, or
soda water, and sometimes something to eat, such as crackers or biscuits. It is impolite to
decline the offer. Turks go to great lengths to make their guests feel comfortable and may
even tolerate behavior that they consider inappropriate. Turks generally use their hands a
great deal during conversation, forming gestures that add meaning as well as emphasis.
Social courtesies are valued in Turkey, and Islamic conventions are observed by many.
For example, it is offensive to point the sole of the foot toward another person, and it
can be seen as an insult to pass an item with the left hand; it is best to use both hands
or just the right one. Deference towards older people, or those with higher status,
is customary, and it is considered disrespectful for young men and women to cross their
legs in front of an older or more senior person. Public displays of affection are not
acceptable. For visiting mosques, dress neatly as you would to visit a church
(no shorts or short sleeves).
Tips are generally modest in Turkey (a few percent of the price paid). For taxi drivers,
don't tip, just round the fare upwards to a convenient amount.
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Food in Turkey
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Turkey is an agriculturally rich country surrounded by the sea - the perfect situation
to supply abundant, high-quality ingredients for the kitchen and the dining table.
Most Turkish dishes are admirably simple and uncomplicated, with one or perhaps two spices
or flavorings used in each dish. But such simple cuisine requires fresh ingredients and
careful preparation to succeed. Turkish cuisine delights in variety, from the dozens of different
meze (appetizers) to the 40 different ways to prepare aubergine/eggplant. Lamb and chicken
are the main meats (pork is forbidden in Islam). The first meal of the day is breakfast.
A typical Turkish breakfast is fresh tomatoes, white cheese, black olives, bread with honey
and preserves, and sometimes an egg. Lunch often will include a rice or pilaf dish, lamb or
chicken baked with peppers and eggplant, and fresh fish grilled with lemon.
A popular lamb cut is prizolla. These are extra thin cut lamb chops which are seasoned with
sumac, thyme, and quickly grilled. Favorites include sucuk, a spicy sausage, and pastirma,
a sun dried cumin-fenugreek coated preserved beef. It is sliced thin much like pastrami.
For lunch or dinner, soups are central in Turkish cuisine. In addition to the famous red
lentil soup, there is a well-known soup with the exotic name of "Wedding Soup" made with
lamb shanks in an egg broth. Dinners will most commonly start with mezes. Roasted pureed
eggplant, fine chopped salads, miniature filled pasta called "manti," pepper and turnip
pickles, mackerel stuffed with pilaf, sardines rolled in grape leaves, and "kofte",
spiced lamb meatballs, all tantalize the diner. Dessert is commonly melon and fresh fruit.
Desserts made with filo dough, puddings of rose water and saffron, are favored.
Another favorite is dried apricots drenched in syrup, stuffed with buffalo milk cheese and
garnished with pistachio nuts. The most well known sweet associated with the Turkish Cuisine
is the baklava. All sweets are usually served with Turkish coffee.
During the day the popular drink is tea, served in crystal tulip shaped glasses.
Chai houses are popular among the village men, while coffee houses cater towards the young
moderns in cities. Two popular winter drinks are: cinnamon flavored sahlep, a drink made
from powdered iris root, and boza, a fermented barley drink. Raki, an anise liqueur
is the national drink of Turkey. Sour cherry juice, turnip juice, rose tea and "elma chai",
apple peel tea are all popular. In southern Turkey, Adana is famous for "Adana kebab"
a spiced minced meat. Istanbul is known for "midye" or pilaf stuffed mussel meze.
The Aegean region near Izmir, is known for its figs, fish, and peaches. |
Visa for Turkey
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Visas required by all except the following:
- nationals of Germany, Argentina, Australia, Bahamas, Bahrain, Barbados,
Belgium, Belize, United Arab Emirates, Denmark, Morocco, Fiji, Finland,
France, Granada, South Korea, The Netherlands, Iran, Switzerland, Iceland,
Jamaica, Japan, Canada, Qatar, Kenya, Kuwait, Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus,
Liechtenstein, Luxemburg, Malaysia, Malta, Mauritius, Monaco, Norway, Oman,
St. Lucia, San Marino, Seychelles, Singapore, Saudi Arabia, Chili, Trinidad-Tobago,
Tunisia, Vatican City, New Zealand, Greece, Ecuador and Sweden for stays of up to
3 months.
The visa will allow the holder to stay in Turkey for a maximum period of
three months and will be valid for multiple entries during that period. Visas not
used within three months from the date of issue will have to be renewed.
Passport must be valid for at least 6 months (if visa is issued on arrival) and
at least 1 year (if visa is issued by the Turkish Consulate).
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