Turkey

Hotel prices in Turkey

Turkey can be called a country of tourism as it is full of archaeological and historical sites worth of seeing, is situated on the coastline of two seas and is rich in seaside resorts along its Aegean and Mediterranean coasts. In the recent years, this country is becoming a popular place of interest, as it is a famous SPA and health care centre. Turkey's largest city, Istanbul derives a number of major attractions from its huge historical status as the capital of the Ottoman Empire. Today Istanbul is also one of the biggest shopping centers of European trade with such places like Metrocity, Akmerkez and Cevahir Mall (the biggest malls in Europe and 2nd largest shopping center in the world). Major cultural and historical attractions of the country include such sites as Troy, Pergamon, House of Virgin Mary, Pamukkale, Konya, religious places in Mardin, and the ruined sceneries of Cappadocia. Most beach resorts that are central for tourism industry are located along the southwestern and southern coast of the Aegean and Mediterranean, especially along the coast of the latter near Antalya. Antalya is also considered the tourism capital of Turkey. Main resort towns include Bodrum, Fethiye, Marmaris, Didim and Alanya. Tourist arrivals increased considerably during 2002-2005, which helped Turkey to become a top-10 destination for foreign visitors and the top-10 biggest revenue owners in the world.