Trip to Turkey #0 ( Packing the suitcase )

Before traveling to a country it is very interesting to inform us about the situation and the history of it as part of the preparation of the trip.

In this way, in addition to being clear about what you should put in your suitcase and what places to visit, you start to get excited about the experiences you will have. You could say that in this way you are traveling 2 times ... and one of them for free!

So if you are preparing your trip to Turkey or considering visiting this country, I hope that this post will be useful to you.

To start, some interesting facts that you may not know about Turkey:

• Turkey (despite being a country with a large Muslim majority) is very present in many of the writings of the Bible. Some examples would be the supposed Noah's ark location in the mount Ararat or the Church of Saint Peter, a church carved in the rock, which is located in the southeast of Turkey and which some believe that it was excavated by the apostle Peter himself.

• The city of Istanbul is according to some sources (yes, I have read it at the wikipedia) behind Moscow and London , the largest metropolis of the European continent. However, we must remember, that the capital of Turkey is Ancara.
  
  
  
  
  

• If you're involved in the "crypto world", you might have read/listened that Bitcoin (and by extension all the cryptocurrencies) are a bubble and about the famous comparison with the tulips bubble , also called Tulipomania. Well, this should already be a reason in itself to visit Turkey, because the tulips are native to the territory that we know today as Turkey. In fact the tulip is the symbol of Istanbul and by extension, of Turkey.

• There is a way to prepare and serve the coffee, known as Turkish coffee. However, turkish favorite drink is tea.
  
  
  
  
  

  Culture:

  
  Many of us remember the feeling of surprise and admiration when listening to the call to prayer for the first time in the middle of the street. This fact, common in Islamic countries, tends to disconcert many tourists. The canticle of the different inhabitants of the city, amplified by loudspeakers and coming from several mosques, is an event that is worth attending once in a lifetime.

  Depending on the religiosity of each one, the experience can also be a moment of reflection or of a deeper and religious feeling. In any case, no matter how atheist we are, it is important to consider the hours of prayer, since mosques can not be visited as tourists from the moment of singing to half an hour later (if you are going to pray you can enter). The exact hours of prayer vary and can be checked at the door of many mosques. In any case, if you are interested, these are the names in Turkish of the calls and when they are made:
  
  

  Imsak: two hours before dawn, to awaken the faithful for prayer.
  Güneş: at dawn, before the sun appears
  Ogle: at noon, when the sun passes through the zenith
  Ikindi: in the afternoon, when the shadows projected by the objects are equal to their height
  Akşam: at sunset, when the sun has disappeared on the horizon.
  Yatsı: when the last light of day has disappeared
  

  
  

  Although Turkey is defined as a lay state more than 90% of its population practices Islam.
  
  

  If for some reason you want to know in advance the exact hours of the prayers during the days that you are in Turkey, there are websites like namazvakti.com where you can look them up.

  History :

  The special location of Turkey and the city of Istanbul between two continents (Europe and Asia) makes it recognized as one of the oldest markets in the world. This fact makes Turkey a place in the world with archaeological objects and ruins of great historical value. In addition, what we know today as Turkey was part of the ancient Ottoman Empire (1300-1650), one of the first civilizations in the world.

  With regard to the most recent history, one of the most relevant facts is that Turkey has hosted more than two million Syrians (mostly minors) fleeing the civil war that began in the border country of Syria on March 29. April 2011
  
  
  
  
  

  Travel:

  
  In recent years Turkey has been the target of numerous attacks. These attacks make it almost inevitable to ask if it is safe to travel to Turkey. In fact, the series of "posts" that I am going to share are from a trip made during Holy Week in 2016, a few months after a suicide bomber killed at least twelve tourists in an attack near the Blue Mosque, one of the most tourist areas of Istanbul. We ended up deciding to make the trip, although I have to admit that we were evaluating if it was worth the supposed risk. In any case:

  Is it safe to travel to Turkey?

  
  
  
  
  
  Today (and maybe not at any time in the history of mankind) can not be assured with complete certainty that a region is safe and free of the threat of terrorist attacks. So, once we have made the decision to travel to a certain country, it is a good idea to be attentive to the security recommendations offered by official agencies. In the case of the website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Spain (my country), the recommendations are currently as follows.

  Low risk: in terms of security in general, such as robbery, crime and crime. In tourist areas you have to pay attention and be careful with your belongings.

  Medium risk: in relation to terrorist attacks in Istanbul, Ankara and in any other tourist city. It is recommended to avoid crowds and demonstrations, while avoiding long lines to enter tourist attractions and be vigilant and take precautions in public transport, other tourist areas and government buildings.

  High risk: these areas are strongly recommended not to visit, such as the provinces bordering Syria, Iraq or Armenia.

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  Tip: If your final destination is not Turkey but you are planning a trip that has a stopover in Istanbul, the Turkish Airlines company offers a free tour around the city for all passengers who make a stopover of more than 6 hours. The service is called touristanbul.

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  Thank you for reading the post, I hope it can be useful if you visit Turkey.

  
  
  

  

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  photos by @jduarte

  Location at @steemitworldmap: