What Is Turkey Famous For? (Not Just Kebabs!)

Turkey is one of the only transcontinental countries in the world with part of it sitting in Europe and part in Asia. 

Turkey is famous for a being mixing pot of cultures that has brought European and Asian influences together into one amazing country. It’s also geographically diverse thanks to its high mountains and an expansive coastline that spans both the Mediterranean and the Black Sea.  

Instead of writing an entire book on the subject, we’ll focus on some of the highlights. 

Cappadocia

Cappadocia balloons at sunrise in Turkey

Cappadocia is a semi-arid part of Turkey and is well worth a visit. It’s slap bang in the middle of the Asian side of turkey and is famous for its stunning rock formations. Over hundreds of years, the winds and rains have eroded the rocks into what are now called “fairy chimneys”.  The rocks have become tall and coned-shaped and are all clustered in a place called monks valley. 

The area has been featured in a huge amount of film sets, and walking through the valley does make you feel like you’re not quite on planet Earth. The best way to experience the area is to hop into a hot-air balloon. There are hundreds of hot air balloons to choose from, and during busy times the horizon is littered with them. 

There are also a lot of other historical sites to visit in Cappadocia outside of the “fairy chimneys”. You’ll find homes from the bronze age that were carved into the valley walls by cave dwellers, and if you venture into the Ihlara Canyon you’ll find incredible churches that were carved into the rock faces, like the one at the top of Selime Cathedral. 

It suffices to say, if you’re heading to Turkey, a trip to Cappadocia should be one of the top things on your to-do list. It certainly impressed us during our week there.

Tea

Having tea in Turkey

You have probably heard of Turkish coffee, and you might even think it’s the nation’s national drink, but Turks actually drink way more tea than they do coffee, and it’s probably one of the only things they have in common with the English. 

As you walk down the streets of Turkey, you’ll notice that there is a tea shop on every corner and all the men will be sitting outside getting their fix as often as they can. There are also delightful tea gardens that are worth spending some time in too. 

The tea in Turkey is served black and in pretty little tulip-like glasses, and it’s drunk sweet with at least three spoons of sugar. You can, of course, still, find tasty Turkish coffee everywhere too, and if you’re brave you’ll follow the Turkish tradition of drinking it “black as hell, strong as death and sweet as sugar.”

Mosques 

Thanks to its geographical location, Turkey is full of beautiful Mosques, a lot of which are