2. Location
•Turkey is the only country in the
world that is on two continents,
i.e.., Asia and Europe.
•Located in Western Asia with the
portion of Eastern Thrace in South-
eastern Europe.
•It is bordered by eight countries:
Bulgaria to the northwest, Greece
to the west,
Georgia to the northeast, Armenia, Azerbaijan and Iran to the east,
and Iraq and Syria to the southeast.
Facts
•Population :75.6 million(Turkstat, Turkish Statistical Institute, 2012
)
•Official Language : Turkish
•Administrative Type : Democratic Republic
• Capital City :Ankara, but most populated city is Istanbul
•Currency: Turkish Lira
3. History
Turkey has been the home of many civilisations. Ancient people
who lived in the area include the Hittites of Hattusha, Phrygians
and Lydians.
The Persians ruled between 545-383 BC, followed by
the Greeks (333-30BC) and the Romans(30BC-395 AD).
In the 10th century, the Seljuks started migrating from their
ancestral homelands towards the eastern regions of Anatolia,
which eventually became the new homeland of Oğuz Turkic
tribes following the Battle of Manzikert (Malazgirt) in 1071.
4. In the fifteenth century it was conquered by the Ottoman
arm (the capital city was renamed Istanbul).
Turkey is a democratic, secular, unitary, constitutional
republic whose political system was established in 1923
under the leadership of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, following the
fall of the Ottoman Empire in the after World War I.
Since then, Turkey has become increasingly integrated with
the West through membership in organizations such as ; The
Council of Europe, NATO, OECD, OSCE and the G-20 major
economies.
History
5. Tourism
Turkey is focused largely on a variety of historical sites, and on
seaside resorts along its Aegean and Mediterranean Sea
coasts.
In the recent years, Turkey has also become a popular
destination for culture, spa, and health care tourism.
In 2011, Turkey attracted more than 31.5 million foreign
tourists, ranking as the 6th most popular tourist destination in
the world.
6. Reasons to Visit
Turkey is one of the top ten destinations in the world, according
to number of visitors and revenues.
• Sun and Sea Lovers' Paradise: The
unique Mediterranean climate and
beautiful nature of Turkey allows almost
6 months of summertime in southern
parts, especially in Antalya and Bodrum
which are the most popular "sun and
sea" tourist destinations.
• History: Turkey is extraordinary
rich in history.
•Turkey hosts the most
archaeological sites in the world.
•Anatolia is the birthplace of many
civilizations, empires, historic
figures and legends. One of the
oldest known human inhabited
areas is in Çatalhöyük, Konya
dating back to 6500 BC.
7. Istanbul
The most-populous city of Turkey, serving as the place of
residence of over 18% of the county's inhabitants
Istanbul is a transcontinental city in Europe and Asia, located
between the Black Sea and the Sea of Marmara in north-
western Turkey, 64.7% of whose residents live on the European
and 35.3% on the Asian side.
Istanbul is one of the world's most populous cities and ranks as
world's 5th-largest city
Bosphorous Bridge
8. Major attractions
HAGIA SOPHIA
Renowned as one of the most beautiful
buildings in the world, the spellbinding
Byzantine glory of the HAGIA SOPHIA
Museum is not only Istanbul's top
sightseeing attraction, but also one of the
top sites in Turkey.
The staggering bulk of
its exterior is rimmed
by the delicate
minarets added after
the Ottoman conquest
while the sumptuous
and cavernous
frescoed interior is a
grand reminder of old
Constantinople's might
and power.
9. Ephesus
The mighty ruin of Ephesus is a city of colossal monuments and
marble-columned roads. One of the most complete, still-standing
Roman cities, this is the place to experience what life must have
been like during the golden age of the Roman Empire.
10. Cappadocia
Cappadocia, a semi-arid region in central Turkey, is full of
otherworldly natural sites, most notably the “fairy chimneys,” tall,
cone-shaped rock formations clustered in Monks Valley and
elsewhere. Popular for exploration are Bronze Age homes carved
into valley walls by troglodytes (cave dwellers) and later used as
refuges by early Christians. The 100m-deep Ihlara Canyon houses
numerous rock-face churches.
11. Topkapı Palace
The Topkapı Palace is a large palace in Istanbul, Turkey, that was
the primary residence of the Ottoman sultans for approximately
400 years of their 624-year reign.
12. Pamukkale
Pamukkale, meaning "cotton castle" in Turkish, is a natural site
in Denizli Province in southwestern Turkey. The city contains hot
springs and travertines, terraces of carbonate minerals left by
the flowing water.
13. Mount Nemrut
Nemrut or Nemrud is a 2,134 m high mountain in south-eastern
Turkey, notable for the summit where a number of large statues are
erected around what is assumed to be a royal tomb from the 1st
century BC.
14. Aspendos
Aspendos or Aspendus was an ancient Greco-Roman city in
Antalya province of Turkey. It is located 7 kilometres northeast of
central Serik.
15. Fethiye
Fethiye, is a district of Muğla Province with a typical Mediterranean
climate. The weather is hot and dry in the summer and mild and rainy in
the winter. The ancient city is almost like an open-air museum with a
wide range of historical monuments and archaeological sites and
fascinates visitors with its natural beauties.
17. ALTERNATIVE TOURISM
Turkey offers a variety of alternatives and services ranging from eco-
tourism as a means to commune with nature to congress organizations
with business partners and health tourism in addition to honeymoon
packages.
SPELUNKING TOURISM
HUNTING TOURISM
MOUNTAINEERING
FLYING & BALLOONING
18. Tourism Statistics
•Tourist Arrivals in Turkey
increased to 3804158 in
May of 2015 from
2437263 in April of 2015.
•Tourist Arrivals in Turkey
averaged 1542900.23
from 1993 until 2015,
reaching an all time high
of 5296323 in August of
2014 and a record low of
213998 in January of
1993.
• Tourist Arrivals in
Turkey is reported by the
Turkish Statistical
Institute.
19. •Foreign tourist arrivals increased
substantially in Turkey between 2002
and 2005, from 12.8 million to 21.2
million, which made Turkey a top-10
destination in the world for foreign
visitors.
•2005 revenues were US$17.5 billion
which also made Turkey one of the top-
10 biggest revenue owners in the world.
• In 2011, Turkey ranked as the 6th
most popular tourist destination in the
world and 4th in Europe, according
to UNWTO World Tourism barometer.
• Also Turkey has been chosen second
in the world in 2015 with its 436 blue-
flagged beaches, according to the
Chamber of Shipping.
Top 10 countries whose residents
provided the most visits to Turkey
(2012 est.)
Country Number
United States 0.8 million
United Kingdom 2.4 million
Syria 0.7 million
Russia 3.5 million
Netherlands 1.2 million
Iran 1.1 million
Germany 5.0 million
Georgia 1.4 million
France 1.0 million
Bulgaria 1.5 million
