Over two decades of living in Turkey and we finally get to experience our first Turkish oil wrestling (yağlı güreş) tournament. Our neighbouring province, the Mediterranean Province of Antalya, has a strong tradition in hosting oil wrestling festivals and has produced some of the country’s top wrestlers. The Yeşilyayla oil wrestling festival in Antalya’s Elmalı …
As the sun sets on the final day of the holy month of Ramadan (Ramazan in Turkish), the people of Turkey start to celebrate Ramazan Bayramı. Along with Kurban Bayramı (Eid al-Adha), Ramazan Bayramı (Eid al-Fitr) is one of the most important religious holidays in the Islamic calendar. It is a three day holiday that …
The Holy Month of Ramadan – Ramazan in Turkish – is the ninth month of the Muslim calendar. If you happen to be visiting the country during this special time of the year, here’s a look at what you can expect during Ramadan in Turkey. What Is Ramadan? First of all, what is Ramadan; such …
Each year on August 30th the Turkish Republic celebrates an important national holiday: Zafer Bayramı – Victory Day. The holiday is dedicated to the Turkish Armed Forces. What Happens On Victory Day? If you’re in the country for Zafer Bayramı, don’t be surprised to see an abundance of Turkish flags flying from people’s balconies as …
If you didn’t already know our town of Fethiye has a museum, you could go for years visiting the area and never come across the unassuming premises. Tucked away on a side street opposite a school, the single storey concrete building resembles many of the other smaller municipality buildings in town. And it’s not as …
Sitting above the northwest corner of Eğirdir Lake in the Isparta Province of Turkey lie the ruins of Antioch Of Pisidia. We were in Eğirdir to finally experience the beauty of the vast lake and the mountain scenery. As well as Turkey’s spectacular lakeland scenery, we were also there for the culinary experience – Lake …
Mention Patara, Turkey, to someone and chances are, if they know the south coast of the country, they’ll immediately have an image of Patara Beach. And why wouldn’t they? 18 uninterrupted kilometres of soft, golden sand, tumbling sand dunes and shallow waters. Heavenly… Exploring Patara, Turkey We’ve got a big soft spot for this area. …
It was August, 2008 when the news hit. International news! A huge intact head and lower leg from a statue of Marcus Aurelius had been uncovered by archaeologists at the ancient city of Sagalassos. The height of the complete statue would be 15 feet. We knew of the existence of the Sagalassos ruins in the …
There’s much to see and do in Dalyan. And high up on your itinerary should be an exploration of the ancient ruins of Kaunos. On the UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List since 2014, the Kaunos ruins date from various periods. A real treat for history enthusiasts. But, as well as losing yourself in the ancient …
After a good night’s sleep and a breakfast to set us up for the day, we once again hit the road for the short 2 hour drive towards Selçuk. First stop for the day, the magnificent ruined city of Ephesus. The day before, we’d clambered around the travertines of Pamukkale and explored the haunting ruins …