Browsing tag:
Turkey
One of the main reasons I like Istanbul is its extraordinary history. Originally known as Byzantium, later Constantinople and finally Istanbul, this city was the centre of power for the Byzantine and Ottoman Empires for nearly 16 centuries. While remarkable Byzantine monuments such as Hagia Sophia and the Theodosian Walls still stand, it is the Ottoman heritage that most visibly defines the city today - ...
Why do I like Istanbul? I’ve been asking myself this question for weeks. My first trip to Istanbul was in December 2002. My memories of that visit are vague, but I remember being fascinated and wanting to return. Since then, I’ve visited nine times, each visit as enjoyable as the last. And every time I leave, I feel like I haven’t seen or done enough.
My most recent trip was in July 2025, the starting ...
I first published this post on Istanbul in 2019, after spending five weeks traveling across Turkey. I returned in June 2024 for another week and, in July 2025, I began a three-week journey through Turkey once again in this incredible city.
So, I decided it was time to refresh the post and give it more prominence, a homage to a place that continues to captivate me. Of course, no single article can truly ...
In my post “Food for Healthy Life” I shared my dietary habits, what I choose to eat and what I avoid, to maintain good health. Sticking to my routine is relatively easy when I’m at home, where I control the food that I buy, prepare and cook. But is it still possible to maintain healthy nutrition when we travel? Let’s take a look at my past travel experiences. Back then, I didn’t pay much attention to my ...
When we talk about the Byzantine heritage in modern-day Istanbul, certainly magnificent Hagia Sophia immediately comes to mind. But there are also former Christian Orthodox churches that you can see in the city, which are all mosques now. However, the Byzantine legacy doesn't end there. The Theodosian Walls protected the city for 1000 years, while the only remaining Byzantine imperial palace is the Tekfur ...
In this post, I'd like to reflect on my travel around Turkey. I was there for 5 weeks and visited 8 different cities - Istanbul, Bursa, Izmir, Kusadasi, Aydin, Antalya, Konya and Ankara. I spent two weeks in two of Turkey's most popular summer resorts. Additionally, I explored Ottoman and Seljuk heritage and saw many wonderful historical sites that I've written about in my previous posts. I travelled by bus ...
Is Turkish food healthy? Perhaps, the right question to ask should be whether the food that I had in Turkey was healthy and whether I made healthy choices. Truthfully, the same as everywhere else, it's not really the food in a particular country that's good or bad. It's what we choose to eat that's either good for us or not.
But first, let's once again have a look at my nutritional ideology. I've written ...
While Ankara is not rich in historic monuments like Istanbul, there are several sites that you can visit there. Undoubtedly, one of them is the monumental Ataturk Mausoleum, dedicated to the Father of the Nation. Within the mausoleum, the Ataturk and War on Independence Museum is the best place to learn about the creation of the modern Turkish Republic. But, another fascinating place and a must see in ...
Anitkabir or the Ataturk Mausoleum, dedicated to the Father of the Nation - Mustafa Kemal Atatürk - is possibly the most important historic place in Ankara. Within the mausoleum complex, apart from the Ataturk's tomb, the Ataturk Museum is what everyone should visit.
MUSTAFA KEMAL ATATURK
I don't want to get into too many details about Ataturk. There is ...
MUSTAFA KEMAL ATATURK
I don't want to get into too many details about Ataturk. There is ...
Of all places that I visited in Turkey, perhaps, I could've skipped Ankara. Although, it made sense to stop there within the context of my travel. I was in Konya and wanted to go back to Istanbul. One way to travel from Konya to Istanbul is by bus via Ankara, and that's what I did.
But let me explain my earlier comment. Ankara is not a tourist destination the way, for example, Istanbul is. It came to ...
