There is a saying: "He who has not been to Pamukkale has not been to Turkey." This fantastic place - even called the eighth wonder of the world - was the very first tourist zone. Translated from Turkish, Pamukkale means "Cotton Castle". The area got this name because of its exotic natural landscape: calcium terraces-travertines formed here over hundreds of thousands of years. Pamukkale is mineral springs containing large amounts of calcium bicarbonate, magnesium, and hydrocarbon. After half an hour of rest in such a pool, your fatigue will disappear as if by hand.
The next geological wonder - Cappadocia - is an open-air museum created by the amazing imagination of nature and the talented hand of man. As a result of volcanic eruptions in Cappadocia (this was 8 million years ago), bizarre canyons and hills of peculiar shapes were formed, reminiscent of the landscapes of our neighboring planets. It was from these stones that people created unique creations, among which the underground city of Derinkuyu deserves special attention. To date, seven floors have been discovered with rooms, corridors, bedrooms, meeting halls, storerooms, and churches. Also in Cappadocia, on the territory of Göreme, the Church of Saint Barbara has been preserved - yes, the very one whose relics are kept in the capital city of Kiev, in Vladimir Cathedral.
Do you know where the Chimera lived - the mythological monster with the head of a lion, the body of a goat, and the tail of a dragon? Also here - not far from the resort town of Kemer, on Mount Yanartas, whose name translated from Turkish means "burning stone, volcano." There is a hypothesis that the city of Kemer got its name precisely because this animal, born of the terrible Typhon and the giant Echidna, lived here.
One of the most beautiful and significant cities of the ancient world is also in Turkey - Ephesus. It is better to take a tour of it, which lasts at least three hours, early in the morning, as it is very hot at the excavations during the day. It is here that the Temple of Artemis of Ephesus, the goddess of nature and patroness of motherhood, and the house of the Virgin Mary, who spent the last years of her life there, are located.
You probably know that the prototype of Grandfather Frost, our New Year character, was Saint Nicholas, who lived in the 4th century. But the fact that Turkey is his homeland is surely not known to everyone. Saint Nicholas was born in Patara, in the southwest of Asia Minor, and now this city is located on the territory of modern Turkey.
Finally, the history of European literature originates from here, because to the south of the Dardanelles Strait lie the ruins of legendary Troy, sung by Homer.
Now you are convinced that you must definitely visit Turkey? Why not this season? And it is best to stay in the Antalya area. The Antalya coast is called the Turkish Riviera, and its region is recognized by UNESCO as the most environmentally friendly coast. It is the largest tourist center of the Mediterranean, worthy competition for Spain, Italy, and Cyprus. Hotels here are offered for every taste and wallet: from small bungalows to luxurious five-star palaces that have everything needed for a real vacation. By the way, among the latter, we recommend the Rixos hotel group, created three years ago and offering service under the "All Inclusive, All Exclusive" system ("All inclusive, all exclusive"). Serious investments have been made here, and they ensure a world-class standard, meeting the highest demands of guests. It seems that all the hotels on the coast compete with each other, as if checking whether they have forgotten to include something in the service. At any resort you can find a full set of entertainment: yachting, diving, riding "bananas," water scooters, paragliders, tennis, computer game rooms, fitness centers, saunas, and, of course, Turkish baths.
Hammam - a Turkish bath - is a cleansing not only of the body, but also of the soul. It was created on the basis of Roman baths, and its foundation is the palm principle. In the middle of the bath there is always a marble "gobek tasi" - a stone for the belly. The floors and walls are heated with hot water. The temperature in the bath is not very high - 80 degrees, but the humidity is high. Usually Turkish baths work daily from 7:00 to 22:00, you can also purchase bath products here, and the cost of the visit itself is $10-20. But a Turkish bath is not a bath without the "kese" peeling massage ($10-25). Imagine: you are languidly lying on a pleasantly warm stone, and a Turkish man (if you belong to the fair half of humanity) or a Turkish woman (if you belong to the strong sex) is sedately giving you a full-body massage with a silk glove, then slowly envelops you in incredibly airy foam, and finally brings you back to reality by washing you with cool water...
Antalya is the country's main resort. On one side the city is surrounded by the Taurus Mountains, on the other by the Mediterranean Sea. Since Antalya is located on a rocky coast, the beaches of many hotels are placed on artificial concrete platforms, and only near the city's pebble beach does the shore become gentle. To the west lies the wide pebble city beach of Konyaalti, the longest on the Mediterranean coast - 7.5 kilometers. To the east is the sandy Lara beach with hotels of various categories. To the east of Lara beach, the Duden River flows into the sea, forming the beautiful waterfall Kalyus Kaldiran (translated from Turkish as "able to lift a watermelon").
By the waterfall, by the way, you can have a nice lunch at the Antalya Ballkevi fish restaurant. If after mussels, oysters, lobster and trout you feel like ordering a cup of coffee, then specify which one you prefer - without sugar (sade) or sweet (sekereli) - because sugar is put into cold water at the very beginning of coffee making. Very finely ground coffee and sugar are poured with cold water and cooked in a small copper pot called a cezve. The trick is to pour the coffee very slowly until it foams. Turks never dilute coffee with milk; for them it is "black as night and hot as love," and it is served with a glass of cold water. Many traditions are associated with coffee in Turkey. For example, when the groom's matchmakers come for their first visit to the bride's house, she serves them coffee she has brewed herself. Cups drained to the bottom mean the bride is to their liking, and by the taste of the coffee they judge the culinary abilities of the future wife. But the national drink is still tea, drunk throughout the day, and fruit and flower teas are often found. Tea is served in small pear-shaped glasses called "bardak." By the way, samovars exist in Turkey, and they are called "semaver." Don't forget about sweets, because exotic oriental names (woman's navel, beauty's lips, vizier's finger) and no less exotic taste have brought worldwide fame to Turkish confectioners. You won't believe it, but a sweet that resembles milk pudding in appearance, called "tavuk göğsü," is made from chicken meat!
The most interesting quarter of Antalya is the Old City. Almost all the sights are concentrated there - the picturesque harbor and monuments of Roman and Seljuk buildings. Most of the houses in the Old City are guesthouses, hotels, restaurants, and shops. In the upper part of the Old City is the Yivli Minaret. It is a symbol of Antalya and the oldest Seljuk monument. On Atatürk Street (Mustafa Kemal Atatürk - the first president of Turkey; under his leadership, democratic reforms were carried out, the caliphate was abolished, religious schools were closed, compulsory education was introduced; the Arabic alphabet was replaced with Latin, and women were given equal rights with men) stands Hadrian's Gate - a majestic structure of three arches, built in honor of the city's visit by this Roman emperor.
In the center of the city a bazaar bustles, where you can find everything. But most famous are leather goods, cotton, and gold jewelry. Several centuries ago, ceramics and faience were of great importance in Turkey, and even now you can buy decorative plates and vases dating from that period. One of the most popular souvenirs is the "nazar" (a blue eye that protects against the evil eye and bad thoughts) and the Turkish carpet. Turkish carpets are primarily famous for their quality. Only natural dyes are used to color them. They are woven with a double knot, which to this day remains the strongest of all known ones. Sometimes it is even called the "Gordian." This is because Phrygia, ruled by King Gordias (on whose chariot an intricate knot of dogwood bark was tied; it was believed that whoever untied the knot would become the ruler of Asia Minor; Alexander the Great tried to untie the knot, but could not and cut it with his sword) was located on the territory of modern Turkey. Today, hand-made Turkish carpets made of cotton, wool, and silk are highly prized.
The Antalya Archaeological Museum deserves a visit - it is among the top five most famous museums in Turkey, where genuine objects are exhibited in chronological order - starting from the prehistoric era. The museum has a rich collection of unique historical materials: tombs, statues, architectural frescoes, ceramics.
If you have brought children with you, be sure to visit the water park. $10 - and you can have fun there all day long. Dedeman Aquapark, besides interesting water rides, is famous for the most beautiful park with tropical and ornamental plants. In the water park, your children, and you too, will frolic on multi-level slides and steep tubes, the "kamikaze" and the "crazy river," the "black hole" and the "jumbo." In the mountains near Antalya, the Atlantis water park was built according to an American design. It has the longest descent in Antalya - 29 meters.
In principle, Antalya is quite small - everything worth seeing can be explored in a couple of days. And if you get bored of the beaches, go ahead to the ruins of the ancient world! Antalya is the starting point for such excursions. Most travel agencies organize trips to Perge, Aspendos, Termessos, Side, Olympos, and Phaselis. Some companies, such as Altair, arrange any individual tours with personal guides.
We thank the travel companies Gamaliya and Altair for organizing the trip.