Ramblings on the History, Culture & Food of Turkey (Türkiye)

If you’re interested in learning about the history, people, and culture of unique places, Turkey (Türkiye) is an excellent choice. Every city I visited here was amazing, and exceeded my expectations, but so did its people.

They’re gregarious, frank, engaging, and passionate about their country. Conversations do not feel superficial in any way. You feel like you’re making instantaneous friendships with the people you meet here.

I also learned many things about the history, some of which I had either forgotten, or never learned. Did you know the ancient city of Troy was in Turkey (Türkiye)? That iron was discovered here by the Hittites in the 15th century BC? Or that one of the first known peace treaties was signed here in the 13th century BC? That Istanbul was previously Constantinople ruled by Roman emperor Constantine the Great?

And do you know that Istanbul is the largest European city by population, with over 15 million people! Or that its the only country that sits on two continents, Europe and Asia?

Brief History

Turkey’s history is incredibly rich and diverse. As far back as the 30th and 40th centuries BC, trade routes were established between Anatolia (Turkey) and Mesopotamia. Anatolia was rich in the minerals needed to develop metals and their trade brought wealth and knowledge long ago.

In ancient history, there were various Kingdoms in different parts of Turkey. Too many to get into full details, but some of the important ones (at least that peaked my interest) include the Hittites, who ruled from the 18th to 13th century BC. Adept at metallurgy, they discovered how to make iron around the 15th century BC. This knowledge provided them with a great advantage, allowing them to flourish.

The Hittites also created and signed the first known written peace treaty, the Treaty of Kadesh, with Pharaoh Ramses II in 1269 BC.

Other kingdoms include the Phrygians, with their famous King Midas, who had the curse of turning everything he touched into gold, as well as the Cimmerians, Lydians, and Assyrians. Later, the Persians ruled here, until Alexander the Great defeated them.

Istanbul was Byzantium until Constantine arrived. He named it Constantinople and made it the new capital of the Roman Empire.

In the 15th century, the Ottomans conquered Constantinople and renamed it Istanbul. Ottoman rule continued here until it was occupied by the Allies in WWI.

Turkey became an Independence in 1923 and joined the UN in 1945. Although efforts have been made to become part of the EU, talks are currently stalled.

Language

Turkish is the official language. I expected it to be closer to Arabic, but it does have a few Arabic and Persian words.

English is taught in schools, so it is also widely spoken, especially in the larger cities and tourist towns.

People

Turkey has a close-knit, family oriented culture. I read that in 2016, 50% of the population was under the age of 30, so the average age is much younger than that of Europe. Families and children are everywhere.

The majority of the population is Muslim, but you find a variety of dress here. Men are usually dressed casually, while women can be dressed in modest casual, wear colorful headscarves with long, light topcoats, or wear a full burka.

I mentioned that the people were very kind and engaging. In fact, I found the hospitality one of the best of all my travels.

For example:

• Remzi, and his wife Sulbiya, friends of my brothers family, were amazingly hospitable. Remzi personally toured me around Cappadocia and they invited me to their home for homemade pastry treats and cherry juice. They really went out of their way to make me feel like a special guest.

• The owners of my hostel in Cappadocia invited me to join their dinner my last night. They also fed all of us apricot fresh from their fruit trees daily and let us all be part of their daily life.

• The bus driver that went out of his way and walked me to my hotel at 6:30 in the morning after a 10 hour night bus from Cappadocia to Pamukkale. He even called the hotel manager for me as the gate was locked.
• Then, that manager let me check in at that painfully early hour. He even joined me for breakfast the next morning, just to chat.
• And in Selçuk, a friend of the hostel owners invited me to lunch at a cool little spot.

These are just a few examples of the hospitality that I received everywhere.

Safety As A Solo Female

Even though it’s safe for a woman to walk solo, you do get a lot of male attention, which can be extremely exhausting.

As soon as you find a way to politely escape one person, another is at your side within minutes. All with excuses, ‘just to talk’, ‘practice their English’, ‘help me find something’, yada yada.

I tried very hard to be polite, but at a certain point, you just have to walk away, which feels rude as an American.

Business

When it comes to business the Turkish become very determined and work hard to earn your business. Personal connections are an important part of business here. Everyone wants to know right away where you’re from, so they know the best approach to connect with you.

I had carpet salesmen follow me around Mosques, under the guise of helping me, with the real goal to get me to visit their shop. Unfortunately, I wasn’t in the market for a carpet.

And there is usually someone standing out front of the many restaurants, trying to convince you to eat at their establishment. They’re full of light-hearted jokes, but extremely persistent, hoping that you will feel guilty by not eating there. And you will! But you can’t eat, and shop, everywhere.

Traditional Food

Kebabs are king here. And they’re usually massive!

One of my favorite dishes was Testi Kebap. This is meat and vegetables (or just veges), slow cooked in a sealed, clay pot.

They usually open it at your table with a hammer, although fancier restaurants present it on a flaming plate before opening.

Unfortunately, I can’t remember the name of my absolute favorite dish. It was meat baked in fresh pastry with hummus in the center (below). OMG, I want to go back just to eat this again!

The dough for this dish, and others, was made fresh by these men. You could watch them while you ate.

There are a lot of salads with fresh tomatoes, cucumbers and peppers. And loads of fresh fruit that tasted tree ripened. I had the best apricots I have ever eaten here!

Boiled and grilled corn is a street food, found everywhere, for less than $1.

Roasted chestnuts and bread rings with cheese or Nutella, and rice stuffed mussels were other popular street foods

Turkish Baklava and Turkish delight is presented like high art in immaculately clean shops.

Turkish coffee is everywhere, served in teeny tiny, fancy China, often with chocolate accompaniments. At the end, there is a thick residue of coffee sludge, which some locals read as a fortune.

Tea is also very popular, especially a unique apple tea, which is served everywhere.

Small outdoor cafes are set up with tables outside or up on balconies, and people takes breaks throughout the day to socialize with coffee or tea.

Music

Several street musicians were playing on Istiklal street. These men were my favorites, singing passionate Turkish songs.

And these young ladies with their instruments.

Getting Around

Getting around Turkey is slightly challenging until you understand it. Of course, they want you to use local tours, so you have to search a bit to figure things out.

You can take inexpensive internal flights ($40-80) or night buses ($15 – 25) between major cities, then change to smaller shuttles to get to the tourist spots. I suspect this changes often, so won’t get into details (and frankly sometimes it’s even confusing when you are doing it, but the drivers let you know when you need to change).

The main airport where I landed did not have wifi, which is unusual, but I suspect they do that on purpose to get tourists to book the expensive transfer options. The airport website claimed that you could get a pin to use the wifi, but when I found the appropriate desk, the lady coldly told me no.

This meant that I needed to find my hostel with only an address. Surprisingly, the locals are so kind and helpful (except the lady at the airport), I found people all along the way that helped guide me to my hotel.

This was no easy journey and took two hours, taking a bus, to the metro, the tram, and then walking. A Turkish couple even helped me buy a metro pass. The machine did have a button for translation into English, but still made no sense unless you knew Turkish.

All in all, Turkey is a great stop. If you’re debating where to go for your next vacation, it’s a place I highly recommend. In fact, I hope I can return one day soon as well.

Other Great Sites In Turkey (Türkiye)

Want to know more about Istanbul? Of course Istanbul is its most popular spot, full of exquisite mosques, palaces, and history. Plan to spend 2-3 days there to see the sites.

Other great sites in Turkey include Ephesus, which has the best Roman ruins on the Mediterranean, Cappadocia with its fantastical fairy chimneys and cave dwellings, Pamukkale, with its ‘cotton cloud’ spa terraces, and Antalya, a great seaside escape with even more historical ruins, like the ruins of Perge.

And to plan your trip, see my Turkey Travel Guide, which features the top places to visit, how to get there, safety, scams, logistics, and more to help make your visit epic.