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pietillidie
Joined: 07 Jan 2005
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Post subject: What do you know about Turkey? | |
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That's Turkey with a capital "T"!
I have never been there, though almost unanimously folks who have traveled there have loved it. Certainly, it is a mainstream travel destination now, but has anyone lived there and engaged with Turkey for a significant period of time? IIRC, we have some Turkish folk amongst us, as well.
I have started to track it politically, and the photo attached below from this article really caught my eye as an outstanding shot. Pity about the water cannons, although perhaps not if it results in progress with minimal harm.
That said, I don't know enough about it yet to comment too much, so over to you. Feel free to go in any direction you wish: Travel, culture, politics, history—whatever.
Fantastic original photo here: http://qz.com/440054/photos-istanbuls-pride-parade-was-brutally-dispersed-with-water-cannons/ |
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Tannin
Can't remember
Joined: 06 Aug 2006 Location: Huon Valley Tasmania
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I'm not too bad on Turkey (as we call it now) between about 300 and about 1500 or so. A bit hazy after that! Well, almost completely blank after that. Ten years ago I bought a long and apparently worthy scholarly biography of Atatürk, but none of that substantial store of knowledge seems to have rubbed off on me, perhaps (although I only mention this as a possibility) because I haven't opened it yet. _________________ �Let's eat Grandma.� Commas save lives! |
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Morrigu
Joined: 11 Aug 2001
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Loved it!!
Istanbul is fantastic as was Ephisus ( made the Roman forum look second rate), Capadoccia and of course Gallipoli.
Took local buses to some of the villages which were brilliant.
In Istanbul we sat on the roof top bar of our hotel overlooking the Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia playing backgammon with the Kurdish guys who worked there most evenings. They bought me a beautiful pashmina which after getting hubby's permission they presented me on our last night there - one of my most favourite things still!
People were great, food was great, beer was great - would go back in a heart beat _________________ “The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated.†|
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sixpoints
Joined: 27 Sep 2010 Location: Lulie Street
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Went to Turkey 25 years ago. Spent most of our time in Istanbul and then journeyed down to Bursa, Ephesus, Bandirma, Erdek.
One of the best holidays I've ever had.
The people were amazingly friendly. Istanbul needs no explanation. One of the worlds great cities. A real mix of East and west. I can recall a man walking a bear down the street our hotel was on. Completely nonchalant, he had a six foot bear on a leash, calmly weaving through a densely crowded suburban Istanbul street.
We stayed for a week at a small beachside town called Erdek. We discovered we were the only English speakers around. The locals were half bemused, half delighted we were there (this is at an age just before mass tourism to Turkey well and truly took off). They were even more amazed that we were Australians!
We were feted. Families would sit with us on the beach, the kids found instant playmates, we were invited into to local houses. We swapped addresses at the end and kept up correspondence with one family (in their broken English) for many years. Even back then, those who could manage some English would let you know how proud they were of Ataturk's reforms and how a secular, modern Turkey was their aim.
Never been back........funny how life's like that. But recommend it, of course I do! But remember any first hand knowledge I had is now 25 years past.
My nephew has married into a Turkish family and again you could not meet more nicer, welcoming or hospitable people.
Plus the food. Everywhere the food!!
Last edited by sixpoints on Wed Jul 01, 2015 11:13 am; edited 1 time in total |
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HAL
Please don't shout at me - I can't help it.
Joined: 17 Mar 2003
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That seems like quite a long time. |
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watt price tully
Joined: 15 May 2007
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Mrs WPT & I spent a good few weeks there in 1982.
We took a fishing boat from the Greek island Rhodes & went to Marmaris then took a bus up the coast a bit then a bus to Ankara. From there to Capadoccia (loved it) then went to Konya (the home of pide & the whirling dervishes - Sufi Islam) & then onto a place by the coast ? Anatalia or some such place. We then took a flight to Istanbul.
Turkey is a huge country, vast & enormous. We had a great time & enjoyed almost all of the places we visited. _________________ “I even went as far as becoming a Southern Baptist until I realised they didn’t keep ‘em under long enough†Kinky Friedman |
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King Monkey
Joined: 15 Apr 2009 Location: On a journey to seek the scriptures of enlightenment....
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Too dry. Prefer Chicken. _________________ "I am a great sage, equal of heaven.
Grow stick, grow.
Fly cloud, fly.
Oh you are a dee-mon, I love to fiiight." |
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King Monkey
Joined: 15 Apr 2009 Location: On a journey to seek the scriptures of enlightenment....
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Oh Tuuurkey........
Turkish Baklava is better than Greek and Lebanese Baklava! _________________ "I am a great sage, equal of heaven.
Grow stick, grow.
Fly cloud, fly.
Oh you are a dee-mon, I love to fiiight." |
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HAL
Please don't shout at me - I can't help it.
Joined: 17 Mar 2003
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King Monkey wrote: | Too dry. Prefer Chicken. | Too what? |
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Jezza
2023 PREMIERS!
Joined: 05 Sep 2010 Location: Ponsford End
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I've never been to Turkey but all the reactions from those I know who have been have said that it's a beautiful country and worth travelling to one day to visit.
The one place I'd like to see apart from Istanbul is Gallipoli for obvious reasons relating to the ANZACS a century ago and I would love to check out a football (soccer) match involving one of Galatasaray or Fenerbahce where the atmosphere of these matches is electric in contrast to say the UK where the crowds are very watered-down and highly regulated sadly.
Lately, I've taken an interest in the state of Turkish politics mainly due to the fact that the ISIS conflict is very close to the borders of southern Turkey and there's been much political issues and debate regarding Turkey's involvement in the Syrian civil war, it's ongoing issues with the Kurds and it's border control that has been exploited by foreign fighters to get into Syria in the first place. Also, Turkish history is very interesting to read up on and what the state was like before the Ottoman Empire disintegrated at the end of WWI and Turkey became a largely secular state. _________________ | 1902 | 1903 | 1910 | 1917 | 1919 | 1927 | 1928 | 1929 | 1930 | 1935 | 1936 | 1953 | 1958 | 1990 | 2010 | 2023 | |
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stui magpie
Prepare for the worst, hope for the best.
Joined: 03 May 2005 Location: In flagrante delicto
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Apparently smoking is compulsory, as are mustaches. _________________ Every dead body on Mt Everest was once a highly motivated person, so maybe just calm the **** down. |
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watt price tully
Joined: 15 May 2007
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stui magpie wrote: | Apparently smoking is compulsory, as are mustaches. |
You're not confusing Turkey with Moustachistan? _________________ “I even went as far as becoming a Southern Baptist until I realised they didn’t keep ‘em under long enough†Kinky Friedman |
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Tannin
Can't remember
Joined: 06 Aug 2006 Location: Huon Valley Tasmania
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For men too? _________________ �Let's eat Grandma.� Commas save lives! |
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stui magpie
Prepare for the worst, hope for the best.
Joined: 03 May 2005 Location: In flagrante delicto
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Tannin wrote: | For men too? |
Highly encouraged
watt price tully wrote: |
You're not confusing Turkey with Moustachistan? |
No confusion whatsoever, and please spell it correctly
http://micronations.wikia.com/wiki/Mustachistan _________________ Every dead body on Mt Everest was once a highly motivated person, so maybe just calm the **** down. |
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Mugwump
Joined: 28 Jul 2007 Location: Between London and Melbourne
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^ never been there would like to go. Will go to Gallipoli next year when the crowds have subsided, but Gallipoli is not the living nation of Turkey, which is by all accounts a damn fine place with many people to match. _________________ Two more flags before I die! |
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