Aegean
The blue waters that caress Turkey's western coastline have given their name to the entire region, known as the Aegean. These lands were once home to many great civilizations, empires and states, out of which sprung some of the world's finest mathematicians, scientists, architects and sculptors.

The mountains of the Aegean drop vertically into the sea, crossing fertile plains and ensuring a temperate climate. The people who once lived here were mostly engaged in agriculture and commerce through which they achieved a certain prosperity. They built beautiful cities and monuments and developed new techniques of both farming and construction. A visitor wandering through the ruins of the region today, spread like an open-air museum, can sense how this land was once a cradle of civilizations, inspiring admiration and fascination throughout the ages. Indeed, the Aegean and Mediterranean coasts of Turkey encompass the world's richest collection of ancient ruins and monuments. The people who live in the region today, now the second most developed area of Turkey, continue to be blessed by nature. The inland cities have also experienced a remarkable growth in recent years.

Black Sea
The mountain range which runs parallel to the coast in northern Turkey has erected a veritable wall between the Black Sea and the plateau of Anatolia. The geographical formation of this past of Turkey is quite different from that of western Anatolia, where mountain ridges radiate from the central plateau like the fingers of a hand. Here, a single range virtually hugs the coast, with often no more than 50 kilometers between the two. Rivers have conformed in configuration and flow parallel to the coast, until rifts in the range open a way of escape to the sea.

On crossing the Black Sea Mountains, one suddenly descends into a world of dense forest vegetation and flowers, into rich foliage from alder, lime, walnut, elm, beech and chestnut trees. The cities, towns and villages are squeezed along the narrow coastal strip. It is perhaps for this reason that the inhabitants of the region are known for their temper, obstinacy, fighting spirit and a self-deprecating sense of humor.
Nevertheless, these coastal lands are productive. The region's hazelnut production is the main source of supply to the European market and practically all the tea consumed in Turkey is grown here. Because of its geographical peculiarities and turbulent history, a somewhat different and interesting culture has emerged in the Black Sea region. The animated energy of the Black Sea inhabitant is reflected in the rhythm of the music and the playful movements of their dances.

The local cuisine is mainly composed of a variety of corn-based meals and hamsi, a kind of local anchovy; salmon farming has also developed considerably over recent years. The bread here is made of corn and an important ingredient of the local cuisine is black cabbage.

An Important Crossroads
Human settlements in the Black Sea region started as early as the 12th century BC. Situated on the transit routes between Europe and Asia, this region has always been a highly coveted land. It has changed hands frequently, with the Romans, the Greeks of Pontus, the Romans, the Turkish tribes and the Mongols all competing to take control of the area and actually ruling it for some time in turn. After the conquest of Istanbul in 1453, the region was gradually absorbed by the Ottomans.

All these cultures have left their mark on the shores of the Black Sea, cultures which are reflected in the lifestyle and traditions of the inhabitants.

Central Anatolia
With yellow wheat fields, its young volcanoes and its infinite steppe, the plateaus of Anatolia offers a stern landscape. But a look at this history reveals millennia rich with emotive episodes. Because of its location in the center of the country, the region has been a historical junction of major trade routes and a crossroads of the migrations of people and nations.

The two superpowers in antiquity were Egypt and the Hittite Empire that emerged in Central Anatolia. The Hittites distinguished themselves not only through the civilizations they created, but also through the state structure they evolved and their tolerant respect for human rights.

Throughout history, the steppes of Anatolia have witnessed battles between powerful armies in quest of domination. It has been invaded by Alexander the Great as well as Timurlane. The Seljuk Turks left their mark in Central Anatolia through their remarkable architecture and decorative arts. In recent history, the struggle for independence was launched here and the first National Assembly met in Ankara, a landmark in the history of Turkey and of the region. Finally, after the turbulence of thousands of years, Central Anatolia achieved peace and stability. Now, this region, with Ankara as its capital and other booming cities, is rapidly catching up with the developed world.

Eastern Anatolia
Some of the oldest and most remarkable civilizations that history has recorded were founded in Eastern Anatolia, a rugged area covered by high mountains and plateaus. The altitude in this part of Turkey starts at 1,600 meters, reaching 5,165 meters on the peak of Mount Ararat. Not surprisingly, the people living here are aware of the dominant position they occupy; they call it "the roof of the world". In such high and rugged lands, the winters are long and cold. But nature, while inflicting hardship on men with its severe climate, also endowed them generously with rich resources. Rivers bringing fertility not only to Turkey, but also to neighboring countries, have their sources in the region. The Kura, Aras and & Coruh, flowing northward, and the Euphrates and Tigris reaching the sea in the south at Basra on the gulf, are powerful rivers which move immense volumes of water. They lend themselves marvelously to the construction of dams and hydroelectric power plants.

The Heritage of Urartu of Lake Van
A plain which can be irrigated, the greatest lake of Anatolia and a nearby mountain facilitating the defense of the city. With these advantages, Van has been a major center of population since prehistoric times. The city itself, founded many centuries before Christ, is like an oasis in this semiarid region. Van, renowned for the beauty of its gardens, was the capital of the kingdom of the powerful state of Urartu. The citizens developed a rich agriculture by building excellent irrigation systems. Some of the canals built by the Urartus are still used in the city of van.

Monuments and Churches
Eastern Anatolia has been, since the dawn of time, the cradle of civilizations whose magnificence is visible in Byzantine monasteries and churches, Seljuk monuments and caravansaries, elegant Ottoman mosques and monumental palaces.

Living off the Land
The generosity of nature is also reflected in the mineral riches of the region such as copper. The main economic activity however, is still stock-breeding. Shepherds playing pipes, enveloped in cloaks and leading their large flocks, are among the most picturesque sights in the area.

The Taste of Golden Fruit - The Apricot
In some regions of Anatolia, people believe that three apricots a day keep the doctor away. This belief is reinforced by medical views which recognize the virtues of the apricot. The apricot is virtually synonymous with the city of Malatya, where more than half Turkey's apricots are grown. A source of income for a large number of families, the apricot, fresh or dried, has become an important export item. Of course, Malatya is not just an apricot producer. It has enjoyed its fair share of the general development in Turkey over recent years, particularly in the field of health services. This city is on its way to becoming one of the important medical service centres in the Middle East.

Year Round Snow
Palandoken must be one of the closest ski resorts to an airport. Five minutes after your plane has arrived at Erzurum, you reach the slopes of Palandoken where the quality of snow is considered to be on a par with that of the Swiss Alps. Palandoken offers many opportunities to winter sports lovers, and is covered with snow for eight months of the year, from November to early June. For, a great danger for skiers, is unheard of here. The weather is clear, the pistes are the longest in Turkey and ski fanatics can marvel at the savage landscape of Palandoken. It is an ideal place to forget the stress and pressures of daily life.

Marmara
The Marmara Region forms a passage between the Balkan Peninsula and Anatolia. Europe and Asia are connected to each other in this region. It covers 8.5 percent of the country with a surface area of 67,000 km2. It gets its name from the internal sea with the same name, which is entirely surrounded by land and connected to the Black Sea and the Aegean Sea through the straits. The islands of Bozcaada and Gokceada (Imroz), situated in the open sea off the Aegean coast, are also located in the Marmara Region.

The Marmara Region is surrounded by the Black Sea and Central Anatolia Regions to the east, the Aegean Region to the south and Greece and Bulgaria to the northwest. The borders of the Marmara Region are not in conformity with the provincial borders in many places just as in the other regions. Edirne, Kirklareli, Tekirdag, Istanbul, Kocaeli and Yalova Provinces are completely within the borders of the region. Some lands in Sakarya, Bilecik, Bursa, Balikesir and Canakkale Provinces are located within the borders of the Aegean and the Black Sea Regions.

Mediterranean
The southern coast of Turkey is one of the world's most beautiful regions: sandy beaches offering eight months of swimming, magnificent landscapes and a multitude of historic sites.

The region, which unfolds along a belt 100-200 kilometers wide between the Taurus mountains and the sea, has been a focal point of interaction, commercial relations and political confrontations throughout history. Since early times, this region has seen the founding of heavily populated cities and the area as a whole became rich and prosperous. A period of decline set in due to the decreasing importance of the Mediterranean in world trade, the devastation caused by earthquakes, the deterioration of waterways and the spreading of malaria. The fertile plains were abandoned and became little more than winter quarters for nomads. In recent decades, this region has regained its former importance with the development of commercial agriculture and tourism.

Adana, the metropolis of the eastern Mediterranean coast of Turkey, Mersin, Tarsus, Iskenderun and Antalya have all developed and expanded rapidly. The peaks of the magnificent Taurus mountain range, covered with snow in summer as well as in winter, form the southern border of Central Anatolia and extend towards the east, hugging the shores of the Mediterranean itself. To the south of these mountains, the long white sandy beaches, the bays and coves surrounded by pine forests and the turquoise colored sea make this one of the most prominent tourism resorts of Turkey. But tourism is not its sole economic activity. Thanks to its temperate Mediterranean climate, the region has a rich and abundant agriculture and produces citrus fruits, bananas, avocados, cotton, vegetables and flowers.

Patara, Xanthos, Letoon
These three Lycian cities are found where the Mediterranean meets the Aegean. Patara, renowned in ancient times for its fortune-telling Oracle, was the principal port of Lycia. The theatre, the Temple of Athena, the triumphant arch and the bath houses still stand in all their majesty. Patara is the birthplace and home of St. Nicholas. Today, its 18-kilometer sandy beach is under environmental protection to safeguard the native sea turtles. Xanthos was also the capitol of Lycia. Here you can visit the monument of the Nereids, whose magnificent friezes have found their way to England, an acropolis, tombs carved in rocks, a well preserved theatre and a large basilica. The third antique Lycian city is Letoon. According to legend, after the Goddess Leto had given birth to two children, fathered by Zeus, she wanted to bathe them in the thermal waters of Letoon. When the local people tried to stop her, she turned them into frogs.

Thousands of years later, Letoon is still under water and hundreds of frogs live all over the vicinity. In the center of the city are the ruins of three temples dedicated respectively to Leto, Artemis and Apollo.

Kekova
Tourism is a relatively recent industry in Kekova, a town accessible only by sea for centuries. Today it is a meeting place for cruise boats and yachts. Through the crystal clear waters you can see the traces of a sunken antique city.
Kekova's history dates back to the first millennium BC. The Lycians had developed an original civilization here, a civilization which was later enriched through interaction with the Hellenic culture and way of life.