TURKEY/TÜRKIYE
Why Eastern Turkey?
While the western part of Turkey, with Istanbul, the coast, and until Cappadocia, is a tourist hub, Eastern Turkey remains a completely blank region for most travelers, but even many Turkish people never went there. The wild and rugged Anatolian Plateau feels like being a country within a country with a completely different landscape, culture, and history. The southern part of Eastern Turkey is inhabited mainly by Kurds, famous for their hospitality. This is also the region with the world’s most ancient civilizations of Upper Mesopotamia, the land between Tigris and Euphrates, and where people first converted to Christianity. Although domestic tourism thrives in this region, and there can be crowds in the summer months, foreign tourists are still rare. For that reason, you are treated more as a guest than a tourist.
The journey leads through an incredible landscape where snow-capped mountains alternate with hills covered with olive trees. Those who venture here will definitely not regret it.
Quick facts
Population: roughly 85 million
Area: 783 000 km2
Capital: Ankara
Geography: Turkey, surrounded by the Black Sea, the Mediterranean Sea, and the Aegean Sea, spans two continents, Europe and Asia, creating a bridge between them geographically and culturally. Turkey’s highest mountain, Mount Ararat, rises above 5000 meters and is considered sacred, as Noah’s famous ark is believed to have come to rest there after the great flood.
Ethnicity: 70-75% of the population are Turkish. Kurds, Circassians, Bosniaks, Georgians, and Arabs are other ethnic groups found in Turkey/Türkiye.
Highlights
Mardin: the old hilltop town near the Syrian border
Doğubayazıt: the palace of Ishak Pasha and the snow-capped Mount Ararat (5137m)
Göbekli Tepe, the world’s earliest religious center (10-12 000 years old)
Diyarbakır: The Kurdish capital of southeastern Turkey is a vibrant city with a bustling bazaar, one of the most important mosques in the Islamic world, and over 5 kilometers of intact walls
Mount Nemrut with statues of gods on the mountain
Sanliurfa, the pilgrimage city with the cave and pool of Abraham
Ancient Syrian Christian monasteries and churches (Mor St. Gabriel, Deyrulzafaran, St. Jacob)
The ruins of Ani, the former Armenian capital
Cruise the iconic Euphrates River at Halfeti, the Tigris River in Hasankeyf
How to plan your trip to East Turkey?
Find the cheapest flights to Eastern Turkey with Skyscanner or book flights, hotels, and local tours, rent a car, and benefit from immediate cashback through Wayaway! You can sign up for the Wayaway Membership program for only 49.99$! Use my discount code to get extra 10% off the subscription fee: VOG
Also Seach for cheap flights on Google Flights.
Book hostels through hostelworld.com or look for both hostels and hotels in Eastern Turkey booking.com.
Book one or multi-day trips in Eastern Turkey through GetYourGuide or Viator to learn more about the country from somebody who lives there and has a lot to say.
Find a great deal to rent a car with Discover Cars or Rentalcars.
12GO and GetbyBus are great platforms to book your bus, train trips, or domestic flights.
SafetyWing is a recommended and affordable travel insurance.
IATI is another reliable travel insurance that you can use regardless of your nationality in most countries.
