Fun and festivities in Turkey - celebrations, festivals and cultural events

Turkey regularly hosts many music and cultural festivals, sports competitions, and exciting entertainments for the whole family. Turkey is a large cultural center and is one of the most visited countries in the world. Whether it is winter or summer, there are always interesting events and festivals all year round. Celebrate the winter season by skiing in snowcapped mountains and visiting premiers, festivals or live concerts right on snowy fields. The northern coast of the country has a relaxed resort lifestyle. There are also many interesting annual events connected with farming and business.

National cuisine of Turkey - specialties, recipes and restaurants

It took centuries to form the national cuisine of Turkey. For more than 500 years, the Ottoman Empire was involved in different wars that expanded its …
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Istanbul is the famous center of all festivals in the country. In summer, the capital hosts many music events. The majority of them are connected with famous performers and musicians. For example, The Pamukbank Dance Days event brings many famous dance groups to the country’s capital. Blues Efes Pilsen Blues, which celebrated its 20th anniversary in 2016, attracts many popular blues and jazz bands. This is a truly international holiday of jazz music and a unique opportunity to see improvisations and jam sessions of jazz music stars of international level and Turkish musicians. Kredi Art Festival is recognized for its concerts of different music genres, from rock and roll to classical music.

Spanish people have bullfighting, Italians have rooster fighting, the British hunt with dogs, and Turkish people have camel wrestling. As a rule, camel wrestling is adopted only in the Aegean region, but it is also possible to see this sport in Anatolia. In winter, tourists can see carefully saddled animals that walk in villages. Owners of these animals offer other camel owners to take down a challenge and try to wrestle with the animal. Only special camels that were raised as fighters are used in this sport. However, these wrestling sessions often look more like a comedy rather than a bloody sport. There is no sport in this tradition because it is very expensive to raise, keep, and train a wrestling camel. Only rich people can afford that. Copyright www.orangesmile.com

National traditions and mentality of people in Turkey

The peculiarities of the national character, traditions, and customs in Turkey formed more than six centuries ago. This is the time when the Ottoman …
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Jereed (Cirit or Gokboru in Turkish) is a traditional sport in Turkey. Local people have played it since the Turkic Khaganate period. Horses have always been sacred and irreplaceable animals for Turks. They were virtually born, raised, fighting, and died on a horse. Turkish people even drank kumis made from mare’s milk. Javelin was the main game of Turkish people during ceremonies and was considered the oldest horse sport in the country. For the first time, Javelin was introduced in Anatolia by Alp Arslan, Sultan of Great Seljuk. The celebration is held every spring. When the game ends, the winner is selected by a council of professional players depending on points won by each team.

Handicrafts Festival is a traditional summer event in Turkey. Perhaps, the art of embroidery was brought to the country from Central Asia by Turk nomads. Seljuk and Ottoman Empire soldiers had camps, holsters, and many other decorated elements. Decorative elements in mosques, such as chests for Quran or praying carpets, were covered with elegant embroidery, as well as gold and silver details. Many household items were decorated in a similar way – towels, bedding, and veils. Embroidery was based on geometric and floral patterns that were used in ceramics and silk, even though motifs and styles were different in different villages.

Turkey cultural sights. What to see?

For the majority of people, Turkey is a synonym of endless beaches and quite inexpensive but quality vacations. This is true, but this is also a …
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Turkish music is alive in many old courses. It develops its own style that skillfully combines Central Asian folk melodies from the Seljuk period with Ottoman, Byzantine, Persian, Arabian, Balkan, and gypsy music. These traditional melodies sound in a new and interesting way when mixed together with popular American and European music styles. For centuries, Turkish folk music was developed by Anatolia locals who were also involved in the development of religious and military music, such as Sufi music of whirling dervishes, and music of janissaries of the Ottoman Empire.

Izmir is famous as the home of some of the oldest festivals in the country. At the beginning of September, the city hosts the International Trade Fair that is organized with the help of Izmir’s city administration. Music and other cultural events, which take place at the same time with the fair trade, were initially started as support activities. However, they slowly turned into very popular festivals. Every year, thousands of guests from all over the world come to enjoy positive emotions.

Things to do in Turkey - active leisure

Turkey is famous for its fantastic resorts and beaches, but the country can offer much interesting to fans of active recreation. Not far from Bursa, …
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Everyone thinks that tulips originally came from the Netherlands. In reality, these flowers are native to Central Asia and Turkey. Tulips were brought to the Netherlands in the 16th century and quickly became popular there. Tulips are an important element in local art, folklore, and everyday life. Every year, the Islamic country hosts a unique holiday dedicated to this beautiful spring flower.

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Fantastic City Tours and Excursions in Turkey

Uniques spots of Turkey

Kayakoy

From the series “Abandoned Places of the Earth with Distinct Marks of Civilization”

In the south-western part of Turkey, at the foot of the Taurus Mountains, there is Kayakoy ghost town. Today, only ruins remind about its once vivid life. A hundred years ago, this city was home to a large Greek community; a number of residents was about 20 000 people. The town was deserted during the civil war. Locals have been forcibly resettled during the land redistribution and, after that, their homes were destroyed. Today, you can see about 350 stone buildings in the ruined city. There are also ruins of the two churches.

A few years ago, a museum dedicated to tragic history has been opened in Karakoy. Every year, this deserted place is visited by more and more tourists. Before the city was deserted, there have been about 3 000 homes. There have been pharmacies, plenty of shops, and … Read all

Valley of Thousand and One Tales

From the series “10 Natural Wonders of the World”

In Turkey, a lot of amazing natural attractions are concentrated in Cappadocia. It is the mountainous region featuring rocky formations of the most incredible shapes and sizes. Here, you can see the huge stone tower with a cap reminiscent of mushrooms, and incredible formations resembling tents. There are several picturesque valleys in Cappadocia. They own romantic names like the Love Valley, the Valley of the Elves, the Rose Valley and the Valley of Thousand and One Nights.

The latter is one of the most interesting and visited. There you can see hundreds of stone tents that are so reminiscent of illustrations for the Oriental fairy tale. The history of the unique landscape is very amazing; it goes back more than 70 million years ago. In those days, the modern district of Cappadocia was … Read all

All unique sightseeing Turkey

Attractions and entertainment in top cities of Turkey

Istanbul

Istanbul never ceases to attract fans of nightlife. Here you will find clubs and discos for every taste. Reina club is considered a popular holiday destination. Besides a dance floor area here work several restaurants. The dance floor of the club is equipped on the roof of the building, so visitors can fully enjoy the panoramic views of the city. The opening of Babylon nightclub took place in 1989. The club has immediately become a favorite place of rest among jazz fans. During its long history … Read more

Antalya

Antalya is a paradise for shoppers. It’s really hard to find such a large number of interesting shops and shopping centers in any other city of the country. Some shops offer visitors to purchase best Turkish coffee, while the others sell interesting souvenirs, cosmetics and perfumes. The number of jewelry boutiques, clothing and footwear shops is even hard to calculate. The majority of most famous shops are located on Ataturk Street. Here you will also find several restaurants and kebab … Read more

Ankara

The famous Club Bull Bar is located near Kadir's Treehouse Hotel. The club is characterized by exotic and romantic atmosphere. There is a large fire right in the center of the dance floor, and all guests dance around it. There is no dress code in this club, so visitors can easily choose an outfit that fits their own taste and mood. Lunar Park is the location of Club Aura, which welcomes guests during the warm season. This is the place where you can enjoy energetic open-air discos. As a big part … Read more

Alanya

Incekum is known as the most popular beach of the city. The length of the beach estimates more than a mile. It is perfectly suitable for family recreation, sports and entertainment. Beach area of the resort is divided into two parts – an east part and a west one. The latter one is sometimes called Cleopatra's beach. Tourists with children are recommended to go sunbathing to the eastern beach, which is calmer and shallower. Cleopatra's Beach will be liked by fans of sports entertainments. At … Read more

Kusadasi

The great water park, Aqua Fantasy Land, works in the town. It is very popular among tourists, who are staying on holiday with their families. The youngest visitors will enjoy the colorful playground, the older children will be able to try out the roller coaster and amazing rides, and adults could relax on the beautiful terrace by the pool or enjoy a cocktail at the bar. Adaland water park also offers a lot of interesting entertainment scenarios; relaxing pastime there takes visitors away from … Read more

Fethiye

No less attractive is the Calis Beach, in which there are both sandy and rocky areas. The water is always warm there, and the sea is very calm and soothing, so the beach is especially in demand among families with children. On the beach there is a mud bath and a modern spa, a variety of sports fields and eating places. One of the most popular and recognizable objects in Fethiye is a beautiful Butterfly Valley. It is a pristine reserve area with an abundance of exotic plants and waterfalls. … Read more

Bodrum

Fans of energetic dances and parties until dawn simply have to visit Club Bianca Beach, which is located in the territory of one of the city's beaches. The music doesn’t stop here until early in the morning, and visitors enjoy cheerful and serene atmosphere of this club, try delicious meals and various cocktails. Campanella definitely stands out from the numerous bars of Bodrum. In addition to a rich selection of food and drinks that are typical for institutions of such level, this bar offers … Read more

Izmir

Simply no description of the city is possible without mentioning its shops. Alsancak district is considered “the heart” of shopping of Izmir. Simply each building here houses a shopping pavilion or craft shop, an antiques shop or cozy restaurant. Connoisseurs of designer clothes and people who wish to bring national jewelry and best souvenirs from their trip to Izmir will certainly find everything they need here. Dantel Sokagı Street is the best place to purchase handmade lace, which has … Read more