Welcome back, OC, and thank you for the update. New York Times had a piece on brain drain from Turkey: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/02/w...gtype=Homepage

Something new in Istanbul

#şerefiyesarnıcı , recently restored #Byzantine #cistern in #Istanbul #AllAboutTurkey.com https://www.instagram.com/p/BsTQ-9RHoLA/?utm_source=ig_twitter_share&igshid=16kcobhyzfp2l …

Took a short one hour trip to C(h)andarli village, North of Iznik, at an altitude of possibly 800-1000 meters. The warming weather had melted all snow at lower elevations but the village roads and the surrounding area still had snow. We did not dare enter the village because our car does not have snow tyres, but walked a bit, took a few photohraphs and saw that a B&B made with EU participation was actually operating and had some guests. We could not tell if they were overnighters or day visitors.

The route was well paved except for half a kilometre or so through anothet village, which would be Bursa or Iznik municipality responsibility while the roads in between villages are subject to state highway department care.

If we had a 4WD or AWD we would have been able to expand our trip to cover pther villages higher up and would have enjoyed more snow.

https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...513b27f693.jpg

small slow creek partially frozen
https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...9b06480d92.jpg

Inviting peaks and snowy regions further North and Northeast

Sivas Eastern Central city has a Mars-like area near Egriucak village newly making its way in to the media.

https://img.posta.com.tr/img/78/589x...a97c7f10c4a344





The city is already a tourist destination with its Seljuki and islamic structures; Inns, Islamic schools and mosques and its fame as a stop on the Silk Road
as well as the King's Road.

A further site of interest is the fish spa which is visited by those seeking treatment for psoriasis, because the toothless fish which live in 37 C water are known to nibble the affected skin with their lips and clear it away.

https://www.google.com/search?q=siva...ZbeU8KL32v3JM:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUser...ca-Kangal.html

Sivas is also famous for the sheep dogs bred at Kangal region 90 K North of Sivas near the spa with fish.

Finally, the municipality built some hobbit houses in a park.

Attachment 1756

This may be a good time to give some links on safety.

The US State Department Travel Advisories are always useful but rather too cautious.

Basically, I fully agree with their Level 4 warnings for Southeaster border areas.

Yet, the level 3 warnings for other areas makes me think that either they have some current information they are not sharing with the reader or that they do not wish to be held responsible if something happens.
https://travel.state.gov/content/tra...-advisory.html

The following, published almost a year ago is a good summary. Just concentrate on the positive remarks:
https://www.osac.gov/Pages/ContentRe...aspx?cid=24401

I usually read the UK, Canadian and sometimes the Australian advisories as well as the US ones.

Some good information about the over forty million tourists who visited Turkey last year, despite travel advisories. (Note the high figures coming from UK)

Also, good photographs.

https://www.quora.com/Is-Turkey-worth-visiting

To confirm New York Times, I'll be joining the flock out of here very soon too. Turkey's nice to visit but you don't have many advantages in the ease of visiting compared to any foreigner anyway.

First, thanks so much @otherchelebi for all this info. It is very helpful as I'm a single woman planning to travel to Istanbul in mid-Oct. I will have been coming from the U.S. after a 2 week business trip in London and a 2 week trip through Romania and Bulgaria, so my plan is for 3 days in Istanbul. Do you have any recommendations for a small tour company/guide that could give me a 2-day tour of the sights?

Again thanks for help sorting out the travel advisories!

Dear Lisa, thanks for the thanks.
I really have no experience with tour guides or tour companies except for :
- one we retained for a couple of days when daughter's in-laws arrived from Michigan for the Turkish wedding almost a decade ago ( Burak Sansal - Tour Guide in Turkey )
- and one which is supposed to be brilliant from what I hear of Turkish friends who have taken their tours. This is not a very small company but the founder is still very active. ( FESTTRAVEL )
Neither is inexpensive.

I am never sure of Trip Adviser reviews because I know of at least one person who writes favorable reviews and gives thousands of responses to supplement his finances.

Thanks so much for the info and taking the time to write it. I will check it out. Otherwise, I will do a walking tour or wander on my own.

Thank you for all of these updates, otherchelebi. I've wanted to visit Istanbul for many years, and am planning on making a solo trip (as a young US woman, first time visiting Turkey but I've traveled widely in Europe, often alone) at the end of April/beginning of May for five or six days. I am very excited. I was wondering -- online there is mixed information, some say it's closed or you can't see anything due to renovation, some say as of January 2019 it is open -- do you know if the Rüstem Pasha Mosque is open? Thank you, and take care.

thatazuresea, I will check the news and better still will go there to see since I need to do some shopping for spices and nuts in that area. (much better priced than the Spice (Egyptian) Market)

You will miss the tulips but will catch early green plums and fresh green almonds

Things are fine here in terms of safety. Just check for my updates after March 31 local elections.

Cost of living increasing but still good value for the tourist.

thank you

allergy season
 

Turkey is listed as a high allergy region and Spring is possibly the worst time due to pollen.

If any travelers have history of hayfever or other type of allergy, I recommend that they load up on antihistamines before arriving in Turkey.
If you have not done so and realize that you need to, most allergy medicine like Claritin is readily available in Turkey without a prescription
and at lower prices than elsewhere in Europe and US.

We had a local election which can be the subject of text books on politics of authoritarianism and deceit. So far, five days after the elections, the opposition
appears to have won most of the major cities, including almost the whole Southern and Western coast of the country which has 60% of the total population.

However the government controlled election boards keep on accepting requests of the incumbent for recounts, especially in Istanbul. The opposition MPs and other leaders are sleeping on the sacks of votes to make it impossible for someone to slip in counterfeits.

Other than that, there is, so far, no threat of violence and no safety issues.

Spring and Summer started midday today with Istanbul temperatures rising to 68 F, from 50.
Sea temperature in the South is already 65 F

Tulips have already been planted for the April 13 Istanbul Tulip Festival


Attachment 2313

Did I read this right - the man from the Communist Party has won in Tunceli? I'm gobsmacked.

Croesus, you read it right. He was a very successful mayor of a small district in the same state. A state populated mostly by Alevis, who have suffered under every one of the Ottoman and Turkish sultans. Racially the sate is mostly Kurdish, so HDP, the Kurdish party candidate came second.

He orgnized farmers cooperatives in his district, tarined them in organic agriculture, and how to market their products. Currently they are selling all kinds of interesting stuff, and are famous for their unadulterated natural hive bee honey from high mountains.
https://www.ovacikdogal.com/
He is the chap with one hand up in the photo.

I am sure there will be more stories about him soon.

Communist honey! I must try some of that one day. Well done that man, obviously doing good work.
https://theoutline.com/post/4217/com...=1&zi=r2u2vlih

Sounds like a nice area, Tunceli, but in an "advise against all but essential travel" zone, according to the UK Foreign Office.
One of the few regions that still has ferries across the Euphrates going to it.

It has been a while since I posted.

There is nothing new regarding safety, touristic information, continuing good food, clothing and transport prices.

However, there is a local election for only the mayor of Istanbul on Sunday, June 23, actually a re-election because the government did not like the result of the first one on March 31, which can cause
some unrest, protests or undesired events that night, the next day or maybe even longer depending on the result.

The opposition candidate has garnered huge support and is likely to win by a large margin if the two hundred thousand observers they will have at the ballot stations manage to stop the government .from somehow interfering in the process.

The president has been announcing that he will not allow the opposition candidate to occupy the post. Since he controls the judiciary, the security forces and the Ministry of the Interior, which owns all
local government including governor, people are worried of what may happen, including a sudden large protest if the president.s candidate is declared the winner.

The weather has been wetter than usual, but the sea temperature and the sun shining after and between showers have kept the resorts almost 90% full.

Last week of July and first week of August the occupancy rate may go up to almost 100%, so do not arrive without reservations expect to find any reasonable lodging, especially with decent rates.

Good to hear from you, other! As always, thanks for the update and best to you and your family.

Thank you kja,

Here's an interesting perspective (albeit, rather opinionated) on life in the world's ikdest excavated town, Catalhoyuk in West Central Turkey.

https://www.livescience.com/65759-vi...e=notification
The Rise and Fall of a Neolithic Town | Çatalhöyük Research Project
The West Mound | Çatalhöyük Research Project

This is a site usually missed by tourists because one needs a great deal of imagination and previous study to enjoy the stone walls.

Yet, the region also has interesting sink holes, the Manazan caves, deserts, silk road inns and plush valleys as well as the Islamic sites related to the famous Sufi
mystic Rumi, and may be included in an extended tour.

https://travelatelier.com/blog/taskale-manazan-caves/.

Some of the older sinkholes (Obruk, in Turkish) have caves on their floor and are used for aging cheese.
The Obruk cheese is known internationally and competes with the best French goat cheeses.

https://www.google.com/search?rlz=1C...w=1680&bih=907

I missed the sinkhole at Obruk Han when I visited it.

Croeesus, did you finish your trip or are you about to start it? Please update us.

I changed my mind about Ramazan in Turkey. I went to Crete instead. Nice Minoan palaces.

An eastern Turkey motorbike trip is still on the cards, maybe next year.

Seems the voters were annoyed at the do-over:

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/06/23/w...n-erdogan.html

Glad to see it, hope it sticks.

The Phrygian Valley
 

The Phrygian Valley is shaking its dust of centuries and becoming a new tourist attraction You can drive, cycle, hike and camp in this region where different civilizations have left rtheir works for five thousand years.
Herodotus mentions the Phrygians, confessing that he did not know anything of their religion or language. Homer mentions that they came to aid Troy in Twelve hundred BC. And, they were probably already settled in Western Anatolia as neighbors to the Hittites.

In addition to the Phrygian cities and other remnants, there are Middle Ages fortresses, interesting rock formations, canyons, forests, hills and mountains. Eskisehir a great modern university city is a model of the best of Turkish cities with its parks river boats, a beach,nice statues, walking and bicycling routes and a fun entertainment streets makes a good starting point or base for your visit..

The heat wave that hit most of Europe is making its way to Turkey but it is still within normal range. Istanbul's standard Summer breeze pushes humidity away and makes
it pleasant despite the 28-31 degrees (85-90 F) temperatures.

We are witnessing a record number of tourists in Turkey. moving it into the top ten destinations in the world.
Cruise ships are also returning to istanbul despite the unfinished re-building of the docks.

All the coastal resort cities have modern local government (except for Balikesir which includes Ayvalik and Edremit)
Check for pop, jazz, classical music, opera at Antalya and Cesme, some at antique amphitheatres; and festivals.
There are also a large number of marathons, cross country and endurance races.
We had a wet Spring, so rafting is still doing well.

There are some new archeological discoveries but either they are not available for visiting or they have not been excavated (except for grave robbers
and treasure hunters)

The Black Sea cost has had more than its share of floods and landslides. Be sure to check weather conditions before wandering to Eastern Black Sea coast.

The religious holiday, week of August 12 will be extremely crowded at all resorts but a good time to visit Istanbul where all museums will be open according to their usual schedules.

Turkish Lira values will probably continue fluctuating. Buying TL in your country is never a good idea. The money changers located in the area between the Grand Bazaar and the Spice Bazaar
give the best rates. You will know you get a good deal if you find the display showing not more than 0.8% difference between buying and selling rates of USD and Euro. The margins will be higher for other currencies.
Foreign exchange rates vary by the minute at all banks and money changers.

You can still get a tasty meal at an upscale restaurant for $50 including wine and a large burger meal for less than $5 at fast food chains.

Last summer my wife and I flew to Turkey to rest. Beautiful country with its traditions and mentality. The weather in July was great. We knew how to swim and walk in beautiful places. We flew all inclusive, so not worried about the food.

This is a useful although a bit outdated in terms of costs, prices and also for being in the days of the older airport.

New airport transport does not include a metro or light rail yet.
The bus name is different and the price higher.
taxi from new airport costs more than double.
Istanbul card and single rides are more expensive, and so forth.

If you have any interests in the ancestors of the Celts or Gauls, you may look into the theories that they came from central asia via Anatolia, set up the Hittite Empire in central Anatolia.
And a thousand years after migrating West to Europe some of the Celtic tribes accompanied Macedonian generals back to their Anatolian homeland and set up

Check the web and/or youtube for

Hattusa
Yazilikaya
Alacahoyuk
Galatia
Gordion

This area, to the North of Cappadocia deserves to be visited as much as some of the better known touristic destinations, for its more ancient history if nothing else.

Walking among the rocks of Yazilikaya in dusk brings a chill and goosebumps, reminding one of human sacrifice and fearful deities.

Good news for travelers arriving in Turkey within next weeks. The scorching temperatures which Europe is trying to survive will not be hitting Turkey according to weather reports.

Daytime temperatures expected to be 32-38 degrees Centigrade or 90-99 F, at seasonal normals.

Despite the five million or more refugees (4 from Syria and One from Afghanistan, Iran, Turkmenistan, etc.) there has been no safety concerns. Possibly because, most of the refugees are hoping for a better life and the rest are being controled by the deals of the current Turkish government with Islamist organizations. Kurdish groups targeted by the governmnet in Syria and Iraq are active only against Turkish security forces and civilians have never been threatened.even in the Turkish Southeast which is still not safe to travel as far as I am concerned.

That sounds good, I haven't been there at that time. Hattusa in the late afternoon was atmospheric...

https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...ed5b4fec8f.jpg

I am increasing my warning against visiting the Southeastern provinces, especially Mardin, Van and Diyarbakir, but probably the rest of the region should be considered very risky.

This morning, the government deposed the duly elected mayors of the three major cities mentioned above, replacing them with appointed administrators, not citing any wrong-doing, only five months after the local elections.

Not only the Kurdish party, HDP, but the main opposition party, CHP, is also protesting this move, calling it illegal. A former President and a former PM originally of the same party, also tweeted that this was wrong and undemocraic.

The President is holding the ceremony for the opening of the judicial year in his palace. presidents of Forty two bar associations, representing over 90% of the Turkish lawyers have refused to attend claiming that this is a blatant sign that
the judicial system is governed from the presidential palace.

Governor of Istanbul banned protest marches and public statements in Istanbul, even though peaceful marches and speeches are constitutional rights.

Weather in Istanbul is nice and cool these days.

Inflation is running at over twenty percent. The jaundiced unions for government workers has already accepted four plus four percent every six months in 2020 and three plus three for 2021.
The second one for the government workers is conducting negotiations currently and have been offered terms below those.
These will also result in a rise in unhappiness and possibly reduce quality of civil services.

On the bright side, all three major competitors of my football team suffered losses in the opening week of the league. We play later tonight and will win.!

How I wish you didn't have to watch these many changes to your beloved country, otherchelebi! Thank you for keeping us informed, and of course, wishing your football team (and your family) the best.

otherchelebi Hi, I'm taking my first trip in Oct to Istanbul. It's been a dream of mine to visit.

I just read on another forum that most of the major sites are under renovation including Hagia Sophia, Blue Mosque, Chora Church, Topkapi and some museums. Do you have any info about this? The other traveler said much of these sites were covered or closed.

Thanks so much for all of the great info you post here!
Lisa

Hi Lisa, I will be driving back to Istanbul Thursday evening and can check in person, but will investigate on the web before that.

previously, I checked the restoration at Rustem Pasa mosque and found our that it was still possible to visit a part of it open for prayers.

According to various sources on the net, All sites are open for visitors.
However, restoration work continues and depending on which parts are being worked on, some areas may be covered.

This site lists the work on museum s in istanbul, but unfortunately it is in Turkish :

https://ayasofyamuzesi.gov.tr/en/restorations