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This
web site is an introduction to help you discover
the many dimensions of
Turkey, to grasp the splendours of
the country's past and its cultural wealth, to understand the achievements and problems
modern Turkey and the connection between her past and the present. It is not the kind of travel hook
where you will find descriptions of
places and information to help you
plan your trip to Turkey. Nor does it pretend to be a
web site
offering a detailed
study
of the history and culture of the country.
Turkey, a bridge between
Europe and Asia, has an extremely rich cultural heritage. Perhaps no other land
has witnessed so many diverse civilisations over the last nine thousand years.
After the great Mesopotamians, the Hittite and Urartu kingdoms flourished, and
in Western Anatolia the Ionian and Roman civilisations
predominated. Istanbul holds
the honour of having been the capital of two huge empires first
the Byzantine then the Ottoman.
Anatolia itself became a crossroads
of peoples, cultures and religions.
Christianity, for example, thrived
here, and Islam was glorified by the Seljuks and Ottomans.
Turkey today still
holds a
very strategic position on the world map.This
vast land of
67.8 million people has tackled the challenges of the future
through its journey along the
road towards modernisation, secularism and democracy. Today, it has a vibrant
society, a dynamic economy, an active political lire and great confidence in its
future.
A visit to Turkey should not only
take in all the great sights and monuments; it should leave plenty of
time for leisure and pleasure. Turkey offers immense resources in these
areas: Majestic mountains ideal for climbers, bikers and skiers;
over 7,800 km of
coastline laced with picturesque bays and coves; lakes; year-round summer in
some areas; yet plenty of snow in others; a solid and expanding tourism
infrastructure; one or the world's healthiest cuisines and an extremely
hospitable people.
A trip to Turkey is an enchanting experience and an
unforgettable adventure. We
hope this web-site encourages you to come. Even if you
can't, we hope that by reading the text and looking at the photographs you will
have a better idea of Turkey and what she represents.
Turkey is like a mosaic made up
or many different reliefs and formations: parallel mountain ranges, extinct
volcanoes, plateaus fissured by valleys and plains. Surrounded on its three
sides by warm seas, it rails in the temperate climate zone. The climate varies
considerably however from region to
region: a temperate climate in the
Black Sea Region, a Mediterranean climate on the southern coast and the Aegean,
a continental and arid climate on the central plateau and a harsh mountain
climate in eastern Turkey. Because of these variations in climate, the fauna and
flora are some of the richest in Europe and the Middle East.
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