Phaselis

Located between the Bey Mountains and the forests of Olympos National Park, this ancient Lycian city is famous with the sun-seekers for its clear blue waters and sandy beaches.

Phaselis has three harbours - the Northern Harbour, the Battle Harbour, and the Protected (Sun) Harbour which made the area into a popular stopping off point for yachts. Phaselis and the other ancient towns around the shore can also be easily accessed from the sea by daily yacht tours. The remains that can still be seen in some areas within Phaselis are the scattered ruins of old public places such as the Roman baths, agoras, aqueducts, theaters and an acropolis.

There are also ruins of shops and stores scattered along the sides of the 24-metre-wide ancient street (see photo above) which runs through the middle of the city.

Perge

Situated just about 18 kms from Antalya on the southwestern Mediterranean coast of Turkey, the ancient city known as Perge (Perga) can easily be recognized by its age-old lofty towers, theatre, and old baths flanking around its city gate. 

Perge - one of Pamphylia's foremost cities was founded on a wide plain between two hills just a few kilometers away from the Kestros (Aksu) river. This ancient city was also visited by St. Paul during his missionary journeys. Perge was one of the richest and most beautiful cities during the Hellenistic period and was also known for the famous temple of the Anatolian goddess called the Temple of Artemis.

Demre

Demre is a district of Antalya located on the Mediterranean coast of Turkey. The ancient city of Myra is what makes Demre - a Lycian town famous for its connection with St. Nicholas. 

Formerly known as Kale, Demre was the home of St. Nicholas who once was a bishop in this ancient town during the 4th century. Today, St. Nicholas' church is the focus of the annual ceremony which takes place in the area to commemorate him on or around his feast day of 6th December. It is well worth seeing the Roman theatre which remains here, overlooked by spectacular rock tombs which dates back from the 4th century BC.

Aspendos

Situated just about 50 km east of Antalya is Aspendos which once was an ancient Greco-Roman city more popularly known for having the best preserved and stunning theater of antiquity - the Aspendos Theater. 

Built during 162 A.D, this 15,000 seater ancient theater has been well-preserved throughout thousands of years and has become one of the most visited and attractive historical sites to visit in Turkey. 

Until today, the Aspendos Theater of Antalya still hosts some of the province’s major festivals, concerts and other events every year such as the Aspendos International Opera and Ballet Festival usually held in the months of June and July.

Aspendos is also one of the earliest cities to mint coins. It began issuing coinage around 500 B.C

Tourism Offices

LIST OF TOURISM OFFICES OF TURKEY & CONTACT INFORMATION WORLDWIDE

AUSTRIA
Singerstrasse 2/8 A-1010 Wien / AUSTRIA
Tel: 43 1 512 21 28 - 29 Fax: 43 1 513 83 26
Email: office@turkinfo.at wien@goturkey.com
Web: http://www.turkinfo.at  

Foreign Consulates

FOREIGN CONSULATES IN TURKEY

Consulate General of AUSTRIA 
Address : Koybasi Caddesi 46, 80870 Yenikoy Istanbul
Phone : (212) 262 93 15, 262 49 84, 262 49 88
Fax : (212) 262 26 22
E-Mail :  

Turkish Embassies Worldwide

CONTACT INFORMATION OF TURKISH EMBASSIES WORLDWIDE

The Turkish Embassies located worldwide is where you can obtain information regarding Turkish Visa Requirements, Visa Application forms for Turkey, telephone area codes, travel and tourist information about Turkey.  Below is a list of all the Turkish Embassies around the world (in alphabetical order) with their corresponding addresses and contact information.  

Pamukkale

Turkey's Cotton Castle, a breathtaking natural wonder.

The cascading snowy white limestones and natural springs of thermal water in this famous world heritage site known as Pamukkale is undeniably one of Turkey’s most spectacular and breathtaking sights. 

Pamukkale, which literaly means "cotton castle" in Turkish is one of the world’s natural wonders.  Located in the inner Aegean region of Turkey in the province of Denizli, the city is rich with natural hot springs, travertines, and stunning terraces of carbonate minerals left by the flowing water.

Kusadasi

Turkey's Bird Island

Known as one of the most attractive tourist spots in the Aegean Region of Turkey, Kusadası which literally means “bird island” is a resort town which boasts many of its sun-kissed sandy beaches, clear blue waters, authentic seafood and kebab restaurants, active nightlife, and other forms of recreation and entertainment for holidaymakers.

Istanbul

The only city in the world connecting two continents.

With Istanbul’s thousand year old past, it’s not surprising for one to easily lose himself with this megacity’s grandiose history. Constantinople, the centre of the Byzantine Empire which lasted for over a thousand years is the city which we now call Istanbul - the capital of the great Ottoman Empire for almost 500 years.

Fethiye

Submerge yourself in one of nature’s most breathtaking scenery. 

Beautifully located on Turkey’s Mediterranean coastline, Fethiye boasts of an extraordinary natural beauty and a perfect climate which makes it an ideal holiday destination.  For those who haven't yet visited this coastal city,  Fethiye is one of the most famous holiday destinations in Turkey in the district of Muğla Province with about 68,000 inhabitants.

Cappadocia

The Land of Fairy Chimneys & Ancient Underground Cities

For those who love to explore the earth’s natural beauty unfolded by stunning rock formations, ancient underground cities and dwellings, subterranean churches, and other worldly rock formations which include the mystical Fairy Chimneys, then you shouldn't miss to visit Cappadocia.

Bodrum

A favorite holiday destination for yachting enthusiasts.

In the southwestern Aegean Region of Turkey lies a beautiful port town in the province of Muğla known as Bodrum.  Formerly known as Halicarnassus in ancient Greek or Halikarnas in Turkish, Bodrum is a very popular resort and a favorite holiday destination in Turkey for yachting enthusiasts.  It has a Mediterranean climate with usually hot, humid summers and mild winters.

Antalya

The Turkish Riviera

Popularly known for having the cleanest, most beautiful resorts and stunning beaches along Turkey’s Mediterranean coast, Antalya is also a thriving modern city set on high cliffs and rugged mountains highlighted by the richness of its history and ancient past.

Festivals in Turkey

Every year, there are more than 100 national and international festivals that are being organized in the different regions and cities of Turkey.  Most of the major festivals are usually held in the big cities such as Istanbul, Ankara, Antalya, and Izmir among many other cities.

Istanbul – being the center of Turkey’s national and international culture and arts festivals, Istanbul holds several major festivals within the city itself.  For instance, the Istanbul Culture and Arts Foundation alone holds the famous International Istanbul Film Festival or Uluslararası İstanbul Film Festivali, the first and oldest international film festival in Turkey.  They also hold several other popular festivals known as the International Istanbul Theater Festival, the International Istanbul Music Festival, and the very lively International Istanbul Jazz Festival every year as well as the International Istanbul Biennial which is being held once in every two years.

Turkish Cuisine

Turkish cuisine is renowned as one of the world's best.   It is considered to be one of the three main cuisines of the world because of the variety of its recipes, its use of natural ingredients, its flavors and tastes which appeal to all palates and its influence throughout Europe, Asia, the Middle East and Africa.  

History of Turkey

The Melting Pot of Civilizations

The history of Turkey tells of a 10,000 year-old civilisation.

THE EARLY AGES

Anatolia is a melting pot where cultures from Sumer, Babylon and Assyria interacted for centuries with peoples such as the Hattis, Hittites and Hourrites. The result was a unique Anatolian civilisation which has long inspired the thoughts and legends of the West. The ancient Bronze Age witnessed the establishment of the first independent city states. At that time, the centre and southeast of Anatolia were inhabited by the indigenous Hattis. The most spectacular findings from this time are those of Alaca Hoyuk in the Kızılırmak region and of Horoztepe near Tokat, in the Black Sea region. They are contemporary with the royal tombs of Mycenae in Greece.

Facts & Info

TURKEY

Basic Facts & Information

Official Name: Republic of Turkey

Capital: Ankara

Official Language: Turkish 

Turkey is geographically located in the Southeastern Europe and Southwestern Asia (the portion of Turkey west of the Bosphorus is geographically part of Europe), bordering the Black Sea, between Bulgaria and Georgia, and bordering the Aegean Sea and the Mediterranean Sea, between Greece and Syria.

Travel Destination Turkey

Welcome to one of the best travel destinations in the world!

Turkey is not just a historic-rich country, but its also a beautiful wonderland that has so much more to offer than just ancient buildings, archaeological sites, historical palaces, and summer escapades, cultural breaks or holiday vacations. Its not even enough to just have a week’s escape for a sun-soaked vacation with your loved ones or an adventure break with your friends and family. Anyone who has been to Turkey knows that this lively and vibrant Eurasian country has so much more to offer than just that.

Come, visit and explore Turkey to see and experience what this wonderful country has in store for you. Get a taste of one of the world’s biggest cuisines – the Turkish cuisine. Enjoy the enchanting and scenic spots with a tint of history that ranges back from centuries ago. Rent an apartment in Istanbul and explore all the historical sites and beautiful places of this Eurasian city bridging the two continents - Asia and Europe.

Take your whole family and especially the kids for a swim in the famous beaches of Alanya and Antalya– the Turkish Riviera of Turkey’s Mediterranean coast. The best beaches of Lara boasts of golden sands while the popular stretch of Konyaaltı's long pebble beach backdrops a stunning mountain scenery. You can also take them to a perfect summer holiday in Fethiye where you can spend a laid-back beach holiday over a stunning blue lagoon that has been well-preserved for its natural beauty. Let your family enjoy the scenic and postcard-perfect Ölüdeniz beach resort. And if you're in for some adventure, you can hop over to the surrounding coasts and paraglide with a slow descent from the Babadağ mountains to marvel Belcekız’s spectacular beach scenery which is recognized as one of the best beaches in the world.

Still looking for more seaside fun under the sun? Turkey always has something great to offer when it comes to turquoise beach adventures.

Go to Bodrum, Marmaris, Gökova, Kuşadası, and Kalkan. Visit Denizli and take a look at the famous cotton castles in Turkey known as Pamukkale - a natural wonder of the world where both nature's beauty and history are combined. Soak yourself at the nearby hot springs in the ancient city of Hierapolis which is known for healing powers. Bodrum - a famous holiday destination perfect for taking your family to a Blue Cruise (Blue Voyage) where you can enjoy recreational boating tours of beautiful coves and bays reached only by sea.

Now if you're ready to head out to somewhere slightly different, try exploring the underground dwellings, cities, and subterranean churches in Cappadocia. It’s a stunning place of age-old caves, fairy chimneys, and other wordly rock formations. Fly short haul to the beautiful Izmir, a coastal city decorated with yachts, gulf steamers, passenger ships and home to world-famous historical sites such as Ephesus (Efes) and Pergamum (Bergama) – the cities of the ancient world of the Seven Churches of the Apocalypse (mentioned by St. John in the Book of Revelation).

Or why not visit Istanbul - Turkey's world-famous megacity and the only city in the world built on two continents. Istanbul is also home to two powerful empires – the Byzantine and the Ottoman Empires making it not just Turkey's cultural capital but of Europe's. With Istanbul’s enchanting natural beauty combined with a rich and diverse history, this imperial yet modern city has so much more to offer than just mosques, monasteries, churches, monuments, Ottoman palaces, walls, and ruins. Istanbul is a vibrant, modern, and muti-faceted metropolis with high-rise buildings, skyscrapers, ultra-modern shopping centers, world-famous bazaars, and a nightlife that’s truly a "night-life".

With so many beautiful places to go and so many wonderful things to do, you won’t get short of great destinations in Turkey. It has all it takes to make your dream holiday perfect and for anyone to say... wow Turkey! 

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