Marmara - Metropolis of Istanbul, Bosphorus and Dardanelles

tuerkei marmara

Located in northwestern Turkey, the Marmara region is the country's bridge and connection to Europe, with Turkey's largest city, Istanbul, at its heart. The area has been inhabited for thousands of years and is home to a variety of archaeological sites and relics from the past. The present offers everything from water sports to skiing, or even relaxing on the beach.

Tekirdağ on the Marmara Coast is famous for its local meatballs and raki. Edirne (Adrianople) near the Bulgarian border is a former Ottoman capital with many attractions. The long peninsula to the south leads to Gallipoli, the site of the 1915 landings, which is now dotted with First World War memorials. Ferries run to Gokceada, a mountainous island with semi-abandoned Greek villages.

Istanbul's industrial sprawl extends as far as Izmit. The landscape improves to the south: Iznik am See was ancient Nicaea, the site of Christianity's first and seventh ecumenical councils. Yalova, on the coast, is surrounded by green mountains dotted with thermal springs and waterfalls.

Çanakkale, on the shores of the Dardanelles, is the starting point for visiting ancient Troy and the beautiful island of Bozcaada. It is also the route to ancient Pergamum further south, and an alternative route to Gallipoli. The Marmara Islands lie in Turkey's "Inland Sea" and offer a wide range of resorts to remote escapes. Inland, Balikesir is basically just a transport hub. The highlight of this area is Bursa, a former Ottoman capital with much early imperial history and the nearby national park and ski resort of Mount Uludağ. The routes to the east lead back to Istanbul via Iznik.

Adapazarı at the delta of the Sakarya River

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Adapazarı at the delta of the Sakarya River

Originally, Adapazarı was a small village that was located on a branch of the Sakarya river and was simply called Ada after the Turkish occupation under Sultan Orhan I in 1324.

Yalova on the Sea of Marmara - Istanbul by ferry

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We were coming from Bursa on the D 575 towards Yalova. Since we only want to go on a day trip to Istanbul this time, we decided to take the speedboat ferry across the Sea of Marmara to avoid having to drive the much longer way around the bay of Izmit.

Sapanca Gölü - local recreation near Istanbul

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Sapanca Gölü - local recreation near Istanbul

We were driving on the highway from Istanbul towards Ankara about 15 kilometres after passing Izmit, when we have seen the Sapanca Lake in all its beauty, shimmering blue, on the left.

Souvenirs of Popular Craftsmen from Turkey

Souvenirs of Popular Craftsmen

A Journey to Turkey means a journey into the history, culture, trade and pleasure. You can remember about this admiring souvenirs worth bringing from Turkey by anyone who will go to this country.

Tekirdag - Ancient temple in Heraion-Teikhos unearthed

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Tekirdağ - antiker Tempel in Heraion-Teikhos ausgegraben

Ongoing excavations at the Heraion-Teikhos ancient city in the western province of Tekirdağ have unearthed a temple at the city's acropolis. The temple, belonging to the ancient Thracian civilization, was thought to have disappeared in a fire that occurred in 2 BC.

Tekirdağ - Wine and Raki from Thrace!

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Tekirdağ - Wine and Raki from Thracia!

The picture-perfect bay of Tekirdağ is framed by high mountains, which gave the city its name: Tekir Dağı, in ancient times the mountain Combos. The city was already mentioned by Herodotus.

Çatalca - Population Exchange Museum

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Çatalca - Population Exchange Museum

The establishment of a new museum in an old warehouse with the permanent exhibition on the history of the resettlement of Turks and Greeks from 1922-24 prompted us to visit the city of Çatalca in Thrace, about 50 minutes by car from Istanbul on the European side.

Istanbul - fish market and spice bazaar

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Istanbul - fish market and spice bazaar

At the foot of the new Galata Bridge, numerous fisherman stand in a line along the shore - sometimes with a small piece of iron wire instead of a fishing rod.

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