Türkiye Halal Travel Guide
Türkiye (Turkish: Türkiye) is a transcontinental country, consisting of the Anatolian region of West Asia, and Eastern Thrace on the Balkan peninsula in Europe. These lands are separated by the Turkish Straits (Bosphorus, Sea of Marmara, and Dardanelles). With the Black Sea to the north and the Aegean Sea in the west and Mediterranean Sea to the southwest, Turkey borders Bulgaria and Greece in the west, Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia to the northeast, and Syria, Iraq and Iran to the southeast. While geographically most of the country is situated in Asia, most Turkish people consider themselves to be Europeans.
Turkey offers a wealth of destination varieties to travellers: from dome-and-minaret filled skyline of Istanbul to Roman ruins along the western and southern coasts, from heavily indented coastline against a mountainous backdrop of Lycia and wide and sunny beaches of Pamphylia to cold and snowy mountains of the East, from crazy “foam parties” of Bodrum to Middle Eastern-flavoured cities of Southeastern Anatolia, from verdant misty mountains of Eastern Black Sea to wide steppe landscapes of Central Anatolia, there is something for everyone’s taste—whether they be travelling on an extreme budget by hitchhiking or by a multi-million yacht.
| Aegean Turkey Greek and Roman ruins between azure sea on one side and silvery olive groves on the other |
| Black Sea Turkey Heavily forested mountains offering great outdoor sports such as trekking and rafting |
| Central Anatolia Tree-poor central steppes with the national capital, Hittite and Phrygian ruins, and moon-like Cappadocia |
| Eastern Anatolia High and mountainous eastern part with harsh winters |
| Marmara Region The most urbanized region with Byzantine and Ottoman monuments in some of the country’s greatest cities |
| Mediterranean Turkey Mountains clad with pine woods ascending right from the heavily-indented coastline of the crystal clear sea |
| Southeastern Anatolia Semi-desert Middle-Easternmost part of the country |
2 Other Muslim friendly Cities in Turkey
- Ankara the capital of Turkey and its second largest city
- Antalya the fastest growing city, hub to an array of beach resorts
- Bodrum a trendy coastal town in Southern Aegean which turns into a crowded city in season when it serves as a playground for Turkish and international holidaymakers alike, featuring a citadel, Roman ruins, trendy clubs and a number of villages surrounding the peninsula each with a different character from classy to rustic
- Edirne – the second capital of the Ottoman Empire
- Istanbul — Turkey’s largest city, the former capital of both the Ottoman and Byzantine Empires, and the only major city in the world to straddle two continents
- Izmir — Turkey’s third largest city, hub to an array of beach resorts
- Konya – a quite large city that is the heartland of mystic Sufi order, the site of Rumi’s tomb, and with some elegant Seljuq architecture, all surrounded by vast steppes
- Trabzon – the wonderful Sumela Monastery is just outside the city and it is a great gateway to exploring the Turkish Northeast
- Urfa — a city with beautiful architecture and extremely friendly locals at the gates of Eastern World; where Turkish, Kurdish, Arabic, and Persian cultures mingle
3 Other Muslim Friendly Destinations in Turkey
Ani impressive ruins of the medieval Armenian capital in the far east of the country; known as the city of 1000 churches
Cappadocia an area in the central highlands best known for its unique moon-like landscape (the “fairy chimneys”), underground cities, cave churches and houses carved in the rocks
Ephesus – well-preserved ruins of the Roman city on the west coast
Gallipoli site of 1915 Anzac landing and many WWI memorials
Mount Nemrut a UNESCO site with head statues dedicated to ancient gods on its summit
Ölüdeniz — incomparable postcard beauty of the “Blue Lagoon”, perhaps the most famous beach of Turkey which you will see on any tourism brochure
Pamukkale “the Cotton Castle”, white world of travertines surrounding cascading shallow pools filled with thermal waters
Sümela — stunning monastery on the cliffs of a mountain, a must-see on any trip to the northeast coast
Uludağ a national park featuring school textbook belts of different types of forests varying with altitude, and the major winter sports resort of the country
Last Updated on Mon 14 Shaban 1444AH 6-3-2023AD
