We spent almost five weeks in Turkey, starting off in Istanbul and then heading pretty much in a circle counter-clockwise, ending up in Van. Although there’s still plenty we didn’t get to see, I feel like we saw a lot and have a good idea of what the country is like and what it has to offer the traveler. Here’s my recap and final thoughts on our trip to Turkey. more»

Our last stop in Turkey was Dogubayazit, a border town close to a pair of amazing tourist attractions: the Isak Pasha Palace and the beautiful, snow-capped Mt. Ararat, supposed resting place of Noah’s Ark. more»

A quick search on backgammon provides some interesting results. backgammon is an ancient game that is played all over the Middle East. more»

After the long month of Ramadan, Muslims celebrate with a holiday called Bayram. Children go door-to-door asking for sweets, and previously fasting adults celebrate by visiting friends and families, eating and drinking in daylight, and taking the day off work. In Dogubayazit on the last day of Ramadan, the pre-Bayram market was heaving, filled with shoppers buying everything imaginable. more»

Van is a modern, mostly Kurdish city on the beautiful Lake Van. It is close to the border with Iran, as well as near several major tourist attractions, including the Isak Pasha Palace in Dogubayazit. more»

The main reason we went to Diyarbakir was so that we could take a day trip to Mardin, a small town less than 200 kilometers away. The main reason to visit Mardin is to walk around the old, sandstone-colored houses and buildings that sweep down the side of a mountain. The mountain is right on the edge of the Mesopotamian plain that stretches into Syria and Iraq. more»

Diyarbakir is an ancient city with a very troubled recent past. Located in the southeastern corner of Turkey, it is mostly Kurdish territory. It was the center of the struggles between the PKK (Kurdish Workers Party) and the Turkish Army during the 1980’s and 90’s. more»

After leaving Gaziantep, we kept heading east, further away from the Mediterranean and the parts of Turkey most often visited by tourists. Our next stop was Sanliurfa, an old city of incredible religious significance. Even without its pilgrimmage status, the city’s mixed population of Kurds, Turks, and Arabs, combined with the lively bazaars and frenetic street life make it an exciting place. more»

From our base in Malatya we went up to the amazing Mt. Nemrut. There are a few places near Nemrut that you could use as a base, like Kahta or even Sanliurfa. The tours run from these places are a little expensive, and Malatya was recommended to us by a guy from South Korea we met in Goreme. more»

Gaziantep is a city you’re not supposed to go to. That’s not what we think, but that’s what the people who live there think. more»