Turkey is located in the West Asian part of the world and is on the Mediterranean Sea. It was originally a part of the Ottoman Empire, but in 1923, became its own country and later even separated from the traditionally religious based system of government. When traveling in Turkey, it is important to understand that the sole official language of the country is Turkish and for your convenience, you should learn to speak at least a little bit of this language. Other slightly commonly spoken languages include Kurdish, German, French, and in some cases, especially with the younger generation, English.
When traveling to Turkey, you should look into which type of Visa program Turkey has with your home country because depending on where you are from you may be able to get a one, two or three month visa. Citizens from Germany don’t even need a visa to enter and stay in the country for up to 3 months, they merely need a passport or an ID card. When entering Turkey from another country, you will probably be doing so into the main airport in Istanbul. When traveling within the country, the smaller airports and the extensive bus networks are your best bet. They are both very reliable in general and can be very affordable. In order to pay for your travel, you will need to exchange your home country’s currency for that of Turkey, which is the New Turkish Lira.
