As we get things together to move to our new home in Turkey, the tourist inside of me bought a Lonely Planet guide to Turkey.
While I am smart enough to know that these are probably some of the most touristy things to do while we are over there, I can say with almost certainly that this will probably be where I get most of my travel ideas for Turkey to start off with!
It has been fun so far to look through the book and pick out some of the things we want to do as we plan explorations around Turkey. Here are a few of the most interesting things that picqued my interest:
1. Kirkpinar Oil Wrestling Festival - this seems a little backward from the usual expectation of oily people wrestling - this 'sport' dates back to around the 15th century. Wrestlers rub themselves from head to toe with olive oil and wrestle. (http://www.kirkpinar.com/home.php?link=anasayfa&dil=en)
2. Cappadocian Festivals - perhaps the reason this caught my eye is because it reminds me of Concerts in the Gardens from Ft. Worth. This festival takes place in Cappadocia, an area with lots of interesting rock formations, with live outdoor music (http://www.klasikkeyifler.org/)
3. International Istanbul Tulip Festival - the truth is out! Tulips actually originated in Turkey before being exported to the Netherlands (http://www.wittistanbul.com/magazine/dont-miss-the-international-istanbul-tulip-festival/)
Looking forward to exploring - any other ideas on things to try out in Istanbul or Turkey?
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