Surrounded by four different seas, Turkey is a beach paradise
with over 8000 km of sunny strips of sand. It also has an abundance of plant and
wildlife species that can be enjoyed while camping or trekking in the many
national parks which are dotted around the country.
Home to more than 20 different fascinating civilisations, Turkey has a 10,000
year-old heritage, much of which is still being uncovered. Its rich history is
very much part of the present, with temples, ancient theatres, churches,
mosques, tombs, statues of gods, palaces and fortresses, and of course the many
detailed and fascination museums which bring the past to life.
Activities
Winter Sports ; Turkey is an important center of winter activities and
attractions with its high altitude mountains covered with snow all throughout
the year.
Faith Tours ; All throughout its history as the homeland of various
religions,Turkey posses monuments worth seeing by people having different
beliefs. Developments in the scope of technology,without an exemption of all
national boundaries, bring people close together. Since the discovery of
writing, perheps 9.000 or 10.000 years ago, certain places in the world were the
grounds for close contacts among different cultures, civilizations and
religions.
The foundations of the various ancient civilizations' on the lands of Anatolia,
the settlement of the disples during the first quarter of Christianity in
Anatolia or that of Jewish people who were subjected to the policy of
annihilation in their homelands during the Mediaeval Ages inevitably provided
the Anatolian region to embody various synagogues and churches besides the
Islamic works of arts belonging to the Turkish nations.
The fact that these works of art have attained to our times as a result of our
nations' notion of respect and high esteem to other religions enable Turkey to
gain an advantageous position among the other countries.
The evaluation of the interests of people to visit religious centers out of the
consideration of regular fulfilments can be identified as Faith Tours in the
scope of tourism phenomenon.
Thermal Resorts ; Because of Turkey’s location on top of a major geothermal
belt, it is among in the top seven countries in the world for quality and
quantity of thermal springs with over 1000, with temperatures ranging from 20ºC
to 110ºC. Most are in the Marmara and Aegean regions and because of their
proximity to popular travel destinations such as Istanbul, Izmir, Pamukkale and
Marmaris, public transport is easy. Many of Turkey’s historical places developed
because of their springs, like the ancient city of Hieropolis which was built
upon the rich mineral springs of Pamukkale, and the ancient Lydian city of
Kaunos, whose people took baths in the rich mineral mud of Lake Koycegiz.
Golf ; Turkey has become an elite golf center where golf players all
around the world meet in an environment of delicacy, quality and prestige...
In Turkey, most courses are in the vicinity of tourist resorts, around the
coastal regions which have the necessary facilities like accommodation,
restaurants and entertainment.
Yachting ; Surrounded by the sea in three directions, Turkey is a
treasure chest of coves, inlets, bays and bays at which yachtsmen can choose a
different and private anchorage each night...
The azure waters of the Mediterranean, Aegean, Marmara and Black Sea surround
Turkey to the south, west and north, making a treasure chest of coves, inlets,
bays and beaches in which yachtsmen can choose a different and private anchorage
each night.
The sailing paradise of Turkey is also home to the Mavi Yolculuk, or Blue
Voyage, an idyllic cruise which travels to the private beach of Cleopatra, the
eternal fires of Mount Olimpos and the remains of thousands of ancient
civilisations.
Sailing in Turkey also allows visitors to experience the hospitality of the
people in the coastal villages and towns. The tempered winds blowing from west
and northwest make the long summers ideal for yachting, and seem to encourage an
appreciation of nature. From some of the turquoise coast's unspoilt and
sheltered bays you can see mountain peaks rising to almost 3000 meters above the
sea level.
The undisputed hot-spot of the Aegean Coast, Bodrum is a swinging, singing,
dancing town and its bohemian atmosphere gathers together Turkey's artists,
intellectuals and lovers of the good life.
An impressive medieval castle built by the Knights of Rhodes guards the entrance
to Bodrum's dazzling blue bay, in which the Aegean and the Mediterranean Seas
meet. The Castle of St Peter (Bodrum Castle) now houses the Museum of Underwater
Archaeology.
One of the best anchorages is the scenic Akbuk, hidden behind a forested hill.
Sedir Island (ancient Cedrai) boasts an incredible beach with fine sand
scattered with fossils, and great views of the Kiran Mountains across the bay.
The town of Datca has become a popular stopover for yachts, and offers many
seafood restaurants, pubs and discos.
In the Gulf of Hisaronu is the peaceful Kecibuku Bay. The mountains and forests
surrounding the Korfez Marina has a rich natural beauty, and the long Kizilkumu
has a natural sand formation. After the Gulf of Hisaronu, the town of Bozburun
is hidden away in its own exclusive inlet, and famous as one of the
gulette-building centres in Turkey. Kumlubuk, a turquoise paradise, lies on the
southern side of the bay, and above the water on the northern side is the
Rhodian city of Amos. The natural harbour at Turunc opens out into a wide
expanse of spectacular blue water, and Marmaris is next port.
Congress Tourism ; Located on the junction point of Europe and
Assia,Turkey is an ideal venue of meetings and congresses..
Air Sports ; Turkey is a country which should be discovered by those fond
of air sports such as, Paragliding, Glider, Parachute and Balloon...
Rafting ; Turkey, with its rich natural resources and hundreds of rivers,
provides great opportunities for water sports like rafting, canoeing and
water-skiing, while always respecting the cultural, historical and environmental
qualities of the country. The most famous is the River Coruh, renowned
internationally as one of the fastest flowing in the world, and venue of the 4th
World Watersports Championships in 1993 which saw 300 competitors from 28
countries.
The Dalaman River, whose ancient name was Indos, begins in the Kocas
Mountain near Dirmil and lies between Marmaris and Fethiye.
The total length of the river is 229 km. Increased by branches from the Goktepe
and Yaylacik Mountains of West Toros (Taurus), it flows through a narrow and
deep valley and reaches the sea 8km south of Ortaca.
As the river is fed with the natural limestone, the turquoise-blue water is
always clear and warm. The Dalaman is near the popular areas of the
Mediterranean and Aegean, so it attracts local and foreign tourists and rafting
is possible throughout the year. For accommodation, there are many guest-houses
in Akkopru village.
Course
The rafting points can be easily reached. The water level of the river, in which
rafting is possible throughout the year, rises the most in September and
October. As flowing water forms small falls, there are passes among the course,
which divert the river into two separate branches over the Akkopru village. The
upper branch is class 5 and the lower is class 3 - 4. Once reaching Akkopru, the
flow rate of the river increases and class becomes higher.
Underwater Diving ; Important submerged things and underwater caverns
within the seas of Turkey are waiting divers for discovery... Within the seas of
Turkey, divers can discover a fascinating submerged world, from underwater
caverns to sunken ships and even the remains of ancient cities. The only areas
prohibited from diving are military zones, those conducting scientific research
and areas under protection.
Mountaineering ; Turkey presents to mountains lovers with an incredible
variety of interesting climbing opportunities that are sure to satisfy the most
demanding hikers, climbers, and winter sports fans. In Turkey, mountains come in
all sizes, geo-morphological and tectonic structures and boast abundant wildlife
and forests teeming with diverse flora and fauna. Every year thousands of
tourists from all over the world come to Turkey for winter sports (especially
skiing), mountains climbing and hiking.
Spelunking ; With an approximate number of 40.000 caves and caverns
present, our country is like a ' paradise of caverns ' when compared to other
countries. An important geologic - geomorphologic fact in the formation of
caverns is karstification (karstic fields) and this karstification is present in
Western and Central Taurus Mountains (Muğla, Antalya, Isparta, Burdur, Konya,
Karaman, İçel and Adana) of our country. The longest (Pınarözü Cavern, 16 km
west of Beyşehir Lake) and the deepest (Çukurpınar Sinkhole, 1880 meters at the
south of Anamur) caves of Turkey are present on this mountain belt.
In our country, the cavern investigations initiated by the Cavern Research
Society (MAD) founded in 1964. Later on, the first university club, Boğaziçi
University Cavern Research Club (BÜMAK) has been founded in 1973. In 1979, Karst
and Cavern Exploration Unit founded under the authority of MTA Geology Studies
Department is executing most of the cavern explorations nowadays.
Hunting ; Geographic structure of Turkey, is appropriate for development
of hunt tourism in connection with its plant cover and wild life. Hunting
grounds, which will be opened to hunting tourism with considering the hunting
animals potential of our country, are determined and announced by Ministry of
Environment and Forests (National Parks, Hunting and Wild Life General
Directorate). Foreign tourist hunters, can hunt with Hunting Tousim Permission
Certificate, issued to A Class Tourism Agencies by Ministry of Forest. Also,
foreign tourist hunters can only hunt species, breed and set free here within
private hunting grounds approved by Ministry of Forest, National Parks and Hunt
- wild Life General Directorate.
Foreign tourist hunters, who can hunt by means of Tourism Agencies, according to
the related decision of MAK (Central Hunt Commission) and regulation related
with the application of 6136 Numbered Law, can bring their hunting guns and
accessories together with them.
