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Turkey is like a mosaic made up of many different reliefs and formations: paralel mountain ranges, extinct volcanoes, plateaux fissured by valleys and plains. Surrounded on its three sides by warm seas, it falls in the temperate climate zone. The climate varies considerably however from region to region.
Any visitor to Turkey will be struck by the plethora and variety of religious buldings and ancient shrines. There are temples dedicated to ancient gods, churches of many denominations, synagoes and of course mosques. As civilisations succeeded each other over a period of 8000 years, they each left their religious legacy and, after the monotheistic domination of Anatolia, Islam, Christianity and Judaism co-existed in harmony.
Turkey is the land where the first Christain state, Byzantium, was founded-a state that lasted for one thousand years.
The tourism sector is now moving ahead rapidly in this country endowed with natural beauties, mountains, thousands of kilometres of sea shore, lakes long summers, plenty of sunshine in summer and plenty of snow in some areas in winter, with an incomparable wealth of archeological and historical sites and cultural treasures.
The tourism industry has followed all the technological developments to meet the expectations of tourists, and has become competitive in international markets.
The summers in Turkey are long, lasting as long eight months in some areas. With the beaches, shores and markets, restaurants, discos and clubs at night Turkey has many touristic cities. These are very famous overall the world for their natural beauties, coves, ship trips, yatch ports, luxurious hotels and summer houses.
The Blue Cruise refers to the cruises between Bodrum and Antalya, taking in coves which can only be reached by sea. Drifting in absolute peace in the pristine waters of the Turkish Mediteraneean Sea can be an unforgettable experience.
Because of the geological and morphological structure of its soil, Turkey is extremely rich in therapeutic waters. There are 1300 varieties of these waters, hot and cold, whose curative qualities have been celebrated since antiquity.
For centuries, peoples of diffrent religions, or from different ethnic groups,have coexisted peacefully and harmoniously in Anatolia. Religious freedom is accepted throughout the Republic of Turkey, just as it was during the Otoman period. Today, the majority of the population is Muslim,but Christian and Jewish shrines are preserved and respected in line with the Islamic tradition of tolerance. More than 5000 places of worship serve Muslim, Christian and Jewish belivers under the shelter of the secular Turkish state, and every year more and more foreign tourists visit these sacred places.
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The majestic mountains of Anatolia offer great opportunties for mountain climbers. The Black Sea region offers treks through dense forest. Canoeing and rafting fans will love the Black Sea and Antalya region. The seas that surround the three sides of Turkey attract scores of divers and underwater photographers. In some areas the sea is rich with hidden treasure buried in ships that sunk centuries ago. Windsurfing is also becoming more and more popular in Turkey.
The ski slopes in Turkey offer a new vista for skiers who would like to explore an environoment different from the familiar European winter resorts. What’s more, snow is virtually guaranteed throughout the season.
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