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Fusion of East and West – Initially strange to the outsider, Turkey is an amazing fusion of Europe and Middle East. Intermingled in the streets of Turkey are shops selling fashionable western brands with old Arabian style bazaars, girls in mini skirts walking next to women clad in burkas and headscarves, old fashioned men-only coffee shops and nightclubs full with revellers until the early hours of the morning.
Art and crafts – hand-woven carpets, pottery and tilework with the Iznik blue muslim floral patterns, and ancient Hittite designs, as well as countless other regional craftworks.
Contrasting landscapes – snowcapped mountains, lush valleys with fertile fields, barren Anatolian steppes, the lunar landscape of the amazing Cappadoccia region.
Patriotism – Pictures of Ataturk, the country’s founder, hanging in almost every home and shop, and 50-ft high portraits hanging off office blocks and government buildings. Turkish flags hung out by citizens from balconies on public holidays.
Food – Great cuisine with lots of variety, we couldn’t get enough of it. Turks love their food and there is plenty of it around! Patisserie shops are at every corner, selling a large variety of traditional Turkish milk and pastry based desserts, as well as gateaus and icecream. Sad to see American fast food and coffee shops replacing the more traditional establishments though – probably a problem inherent in all Western societies, homogenisation of cultures.
Funny signs – Turkish is so different from European languages that misinterpretation of Turkish words is all too easy! Also signs in English often not do not convey the intended meaning, quite the opposite sometimes! Here are some of the ones we have come across!
