Saturday, January 17, 2009

Top Five Things To Do In Turkey

A short break in Turkey is an ideal place to go if you are looking for sun, fun and culture. It can be quite difficult to decide what to do on holiday and where the best places to go are especially if you are only on a short break in Turkey. In order to help you decide what the 'must do' things are this list contains all the best parts of a Turkish holiday.

The first thing that you should definitely try whilst on your short break in Turkey is a Turkish Bath. The Turkish bath has been present in Turkey for thousands of years and became popular when local residents didn't have the facilities in their own houses so would go to the local public Turkish bath. It was tradition for people then to view going there as a day out and would prepare picnics to take with them to eat when they finished bathing. Despite the fact that most people now have baths in their own homes, the traditional Turkish bath is still as prevalent as ever and they can still be found in almost every neighbourhood of all the big towns and cities in Turkey.

The magic carpets are definitely something you will come across while on your short break in Turkey. Carpet weaving has long traditions and you can take trips and tours to learn how the carpets are made by hand and what determines their value. Throughout the country you will see carpets for sale in every size, design and colour scheme in stalls, street - side shops and elegant showrooms. No trip to Turkey would be complete without a trip to a carpet shop and many claim that the purchase of a Turkish carpet is number one on their shopping list.

Taking a boat cruise on the Bosphorus (Istanbul) will probably be one of the highlights on your short break. You will see so many sites that you literally won't know where to look including the Selimiye Barracks where Florence Nightingale worked, Topkapi Palace, Rumeli Hisari and many more stunning sites. You can chose whether to take a traditional Istanbul ferryboat or a faster TurYol boat depending on how long you want to stay.

Catch a performance of the renowned Whirling Dervishes for a truly unique experience. Known to the west as Whirling Dervishes, the members of the Mevlevi Order lived in monasteries and their rituals are among the enduring as well as the most exquisite ceremonies of spirituality.

Folk and belly dancing performances are both very popular forms of entertainment in Turkey. Belly dancing is called "gobek dans" and it is still custom for the bride and groom to hire a belly dancer for their wedding. You can still go and see various performances with belly dancers all around Turkey today. Folk dancing normally involves the dancers wearing special costumes and often reflect natural events or daily life. Again, there are many performances you can go and see wherever you are staying.

With so much to see and do a short break in Turkey is ideal for everyone regardless of how old you are or what interests you.

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