Wednesday, January 21, 2009

Kusadasi Travel Guide

Kusadasi is one of the most popular holiday resorts of Turkey, located at 90km south of Izmir, in the Aegean region and close to the famous ancient city of Ephesus. Kusadasi is a famous tourist destination for its sandy and golden beaches and for its sunny and template days. The city also boasts one of the largest and modern marinas in Turkey, with a capacity for 600 boats.

Around the city there are still remains of Ottoman and Turkish mosques, like the "The Fortress Mosque" that is the most impressing mosque of the city where is possible to appreciate fine works in wood. The “Hanim Mosque” is another good example of the finest work of the Ottoman architecture. Also to the south of the city there are many historical cities to visit like the Ephesus, Temple of Artemis, Goddess Artemis, House of Virgin Mary, Seven Sleepers, Didyma, Priene, Miletos.

Thank to the tourist development, the city grew considerably and today has many facilities for the visitors as well as a great environment to enjoy the holidays. Around the city is possible to find many hotels, restaurants, shops, also counts with an increasing and lively nightlife.

Kadinlar Denizi beach is the most famous in the city and is located at 3km south from the town, but it is very crowded in high season, also is the Pamucak beach at 15 km north of the town on the road to Selcuk.

Izmir Travel Guide

The city of Izmir is located in the Aegean region in western turkey, at the gulf with the same name Izmir. Called as “the Peal of the Aegean”, is the third largest city and one of the most important commercial and industrial centre in the country. Izmir is also the second largest Turkish sea port.

Studies and excavations prove that Izmir dates back to 3000 B.C. During the ancient times Izmir was known as Smyrna and was initially built on the Tepekule site today as Bayrakli. Later, in the Turkish era the city of Smyrna was re-named Izmir...

Ankara Travel Guide

Ankara is Turkey’s capital and the second largest city after Istanbul. Located in the center of Anatolia on the eastern edge of the great, high Anatolian Plateau, in the province of the same name, Ankara is a lovely tourist destination. Besides its cultural and architectural heritage, the city has a major European appearance than most of the other cities in Turkey, with wide-open roads, large hotels, restaurants and museums…

Istanbul Travel Guide

Istanbul is located in the north-west Turkey extending into the Marmara region and surrounded by the provinces of Tekirdag to the west, Kocaeli to the east, the Black Sea to the north and the Sea of Marmara to the south.

Istanbul famous for its history and its importance for the country as one of the most principal commercial centre today is a huge cosmopolitan metropolis connecting continents , cultures, religions and home of around of twelve millions of inhabitants. The Bosphorus (Bogaziēi) Strait divides the province in two parts: the European side and the Asian side, and that is why Istanbul is described as "the crossroads of Europe and Asia".

Istanbul along its history was the capital of three successive empires: Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman. Today Istanbul still maintains remains of its glorious past which contrasts with the development of the region and the modernity. Turkey is worth to visit and where travellers will not be disappointed.

Turkey Travel Guide

Turkey considered as the gateway between Europe and Asia is an Eurasian country located on the Mediterranean stretching across the Anatolian peninsula in southwest Asia and the Balkan region of southeastern Europe. It is bordered by the Black Sea, the Marmara Sea, the Aegean Sea and Mediterranean Sea.

Turkey is a fascinating country where many important civilizations have flourished since 9,000 BC. Turkey was home from the ancient Hittites, Persians, Macedonians, Romans, Byzantines to the Ottomans which have left behind them superb architectural, archaeological and historical heritage.

Modern Turkey is a secular and democratic Moslem country, founded in 1920 by Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, and from that time, Turkey has been suffering big changes and one of the most notable is its rapidly economic development. Despite of its traditional and Islam roots, Turkey is decidedly western oriented country and today is considered as a candidate to be part of the European Union, which will permit to the country grow up more.

Istanbul and Ankara are the most important cities in Turkey, the first is a city of mosques, palaces and fabulous treasures, sultans and mysterious harems; and Ankara the capital of the country.

Turkish people are very friendly and hospitable, welcoming people of many races and religions, certainly in this country coexist harmoniously the Islam and Christianism. Visitor can find in Turkey dozens of things to do and see then they never would be disappointed. Historical ancient cities such as Troy, Ephesus, Tarsus, Konya, and many other more are very interesting places to visit.

Turkey boasts peaceful harbours, quiet gardens, golden sandy beaches and lively nightclubs and hectic bars, is also the perfect place for leisure and sports. Turkey also has an enviable Mediterranean climate, not for nothing it is said that you can find the four seasons simultaneously.

Discover the Architecture of Ukraine

Most of Ukraine's cities will give you a glimpse into the country's grand architectural history. Architecture in Ukraine ranges from buildings dating back hundreds of years to massive contemporary high-rise structures. An outstanding sample of Ukrainian architecture can be seen in the Cathedral of Saint-Sophia in Kyiv, which dates back to the 11th century. Visit Lviv if you are interested in medieval architecture or stop in Chernihiv to view its stunning buildings of long ago.

Ukraine's architecture began developing during the 9th century during the Kievan Rus era. Buildings from this time period were constructed out of wood and included churches, fortifications and palaces. Timber was placed in horizontal sections with a hipped roof, providing a base for further construction. An example of a residential home in this style is seen in Chernihiv. At around the same time the Byzantine style began to take root in Kievan Rus. Both architectural styles had an influence on each other. Byzantine domes were reformed and colors used in decorating became more Rus.

From the 12th to the 15th century defensive structures such as castles, fortresses and protected monasteries were constructed in populated areas. Decorative patterns can be seen on the massive walls of these buildings in the form of red brick plakhta. Fortified monasteries closely resembled castles as they were carefully adapted to guard against attack.

Between the 16th and 17th centuries a new form of architecture arose in Ukraine – Renaissance. This is clearly seen in the the architecture of Ukraine's Lviv. Renaissance style greatly developed Ukraine's Baroque style. Soon a completely Ukrainian form of Baroque architecture was born. During the 18th century Ukraine's architecture began to feature plastering. Classicism came to the fore at that time and more public buildings and palaces were built. Ukraine's architecture of the late 1800s and early 1900s took on a variety of styles such as modern, neo-classicism, neo-Gothic and Moorish.

Sadly, numerous stunning buildings were destroyed during the communist regime. Despite this many exquisite examples of Ukrainian architecture can be viewed throughout the country.

The Geography of Ukraine

The stunning country of Ukraine is located in Eastern Europe and is bordered by the black sea, Poland, Russia, Belarus, Hungary, Moldova, Romania and Slovakia. If you had to look on a map, you would find Ukraine at 49 00 N, 32 00 E. Ukraine is a geographically interesting country with many variations of climate and terrain taking place in an area which is only slightly smaller than the state of Texas. Ukraine Geography is worth taking note of.

Ukraine enjoys some 2 782 km of varied coastline – from stunning white beaches to rocky shores. It has no inland bodies of water but enjoys a large number of fertile plains or steppes nonetheless. The vast majority of the country consists of grassy, fertile plains and plateaus. The only mountains in Ukraine can be found in the west and extreme south of the country. The Carpathian Mountains are in the west and the Crimean Peninsula is in the south.

Generally speaking, Ukraine enjoys a temperate continental climate. On the southern Crimean coast it becomes somewhat Mediterranean. Winters along the coast may be cool and temperatures drop the further inland you go. Summers are warm to hot depending on what part of the country you are visiting. Ukraine enjoys a large variety of natural resources which are constantly mined and sourced for both local use and exporting. Some 57.1% of the countr'ys landmass is considered to be very arable and a large portion of this is already being farmed.

There are almost 23 000 rivers within the borders of Ukraine. Its longest river is the Dnieper which is some 966 kilometers long. Other notable rivers include the Dniester, Donets Danube and Southern Buh. Lake Svityaz is one of the largest natural lakes in the country. Water is used for drinking, transportation and hydroelectricity and is considered to be a very important natural resource in the country. As the second largest country in Europe, Ukraine’s geography is varied and picturesque. Don’t forget to take your camera with when visiting this beautiful country.