Turkey is a state with a rich history, and we can say with complete confidence that it was here that modern European civilization was born, even despite the fact that modern Turkey is a country far from European traditions.
Turkey is a large and densely populated state located in Asia and Europe. Most of the country is located on the Asia Minor Peninsula, which Turkey occupies entirely. The European part, together with Istanbul, form the historical region of Rumelia, whose name means Rome, since these territories were once part of the Byzantine Empire (Eastern Roman Empire). In terms of territory, Turkey ranks 36th in the world, and together with the island possessions, the area of this country is 783,562 square kilometers. The capital of the Republic of Turkey is the city of Ankara, located in the center of the country. Most of Turkey is occupied by hills and mountains, forming two large mountain systems: the Armenian and Anatolian highlands. The Republic of Turkey has official state borders with eight states. In the west, it borders with Greece and Bulgaria, and in the east with Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan. In the south, the country has a state border with Syria, Iran and Iraq. Turkey is washed by the Mediterranean Sea in the south, the Black Sea in the north and the Aegean in the west.
Most of the monuments of ancient Roman and Greek architecture are located on the coast of the Aegean Sea. For example, here you can visit the ancient city of Izmir, founded 3000 BC.
Byzantine heritage of Turkey
Almost the entire territory of Asia Minor until the 15th century was under the control of the Byzantine Empire and was called Anatolia, which literally meant "eastern province". Many events of the ancient Greek world took place on the territory of modern Turkey. For example, the ruins of the legendary Troy are today located at the Hisarlik hill on the shores of the Dardanelles in the northwestern part of Turkey. It is also necessary to remember that the legendary city of Constantinople, on the gate of which the Russian prince Oleg nailed his shield as a sign of victory over the Greeks, is modern Istanbul. In Istanbul, there is an Orthodox church of Hagia Sophia (Hagia Sophia), converted into a mosque, where the Kiev princess Olga, the mother of Svyatoslav the Great, was baptized.
On the lands of modern Turkey, there were many highly developed states. The material culture of the Hittites, Luwians, Greeks, Armenians and Urartu can be appreciated at the first-class Museum of Anatolian Civilizations in Ankara.
Where is Turkey and how to get there
Airplanes from many cities of Russia regularly fly to Turkey. There are direct and regular flights to Istanbul from Moscow (daily), Kazan, Ufa, Rostov-on-Don. In summer, the season of charter flights begins, when you can fly to Antalya, Istanbul, Izmir or Side from almost any regional center of the European part of Russia. You can get from Ukraine to Turkey even by sea transport. Ferries depart with enviable regularity to Istanbul from Odessa, Evpatoria and Sevastopol. In Turkish Elinge, sea transport departs from Odessa. You can go from Kazakhstan to Istanbul by flights from Astana and Alma-Ata by aircrafts of the Aik Astana company.
