Turkey photos

Straddling the continents of Europe and Asia, Turkey tries to be a bridge between West and East. The portion of Turkey's land in Europe may be small (about 5 %), but the country's largest city Istanbul (13 million people), is there. The Asian part of Turkey is dominated by the dry plateau of Anatolia. The coastal areas of Anatolia consist of fertile lowlands. Mount Ararat, the highest point in Turkey at 5,137 meters (16,854 feet), is the biblical resting-place of Noah's ark. In 1923, following the decline of the Ottoman Empire, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk (1881-1938) founded the Republic of Turkey and became Turkey's first President. His aim was to transform Turkey into a modern, secular state which could compare with Western European nations. Today, Turkey is a member of almost every Western European international organization. Turkey is the fifth largest tea drinking country in the world, consuming mostly rich black tea. It's served strong, dark and piping hot in thin, small, tulip-shaped glasses called ince belli. Turkish cuisine is rich and very delicious. Definitely try original Turkish halva - a crystalized paste of sesame seeds (tahini) and sugar. There are often other additions, such as nuts, dried fruit or chocolate. It can be further dressed up and dipped in chocolate or rolled in nuts :) TURKEY TRAVEL GUIDE