Discovering Turkey
Living in one of the most amazing countries in the world there is a never ending supply of wonderful places to explore, many who have bought properties here in Fethiye and the surrounding regions are increasingly finding themselves discovering Turkey and taking weekend excursions to find out more about the country in which they now live.
Two places that are well worth a visit are Iznik and Bursa.
In its hayday, Iznik was the number one place in which any home worth its salt would buy their ceramic house tiles, during the grand period of the ottoman reign, opulence was the norm of the day and any grand house or upper class family would be expected to live in a home that would reflect their status, to have these tiles in your home not only showed your wealth but also had the practicality of being more hygienic, easy to keep clean and gave an air of coolness during the long hot summers in Turkey.
Most of the larger estates would have installed a Turkish bath house, many with underfloor heating and with indoor swimming/bathing pools, the level of cleanliness in comparison to the leading grand houses of Europe was far greater. These Turkish bath houses were exquisitely decorated in a myriad of stunning handmade tiles, often depicting scenes of flora and fauna, animals and stylised Islamic art.
discovering Turkey and all it has to offer.
Iznik geographically lies just south of the great city of Istanbul and west of the city of Bursa, making it perfect for transport links of ceramics throughout the region. During the period of 1335 and 1363 Bursa was the capital of the Ottoman Empire making it also the leader in all things avant-garde, trendy and desirable. Today there are still remnants of the great wall that surrounded the entire city.
Today, Bursa is the 4th largest city in Turkey and although today not the nation’s capital it is steeped in history and has many amazing sites to visit, with evidence of the city dating back to 5200 BC. Standing proud is the mighty Mt Uludag, which boasts some of the best skiing in the country. There are fantastic museums dotted throughout the city and Bursa notably has the tombs of many of the kings of Turkey.
Discovering Turkey
Hundreds of years ago, one of the best loved historical forms of entertainments throughout Turkey was the imaginative form of shadow puppets, the most popular characters of Karagoz and Hacivat were based on two people that lived during the 14th century, and to this day the art has been kept alive and is still performed to the delight of all.
There is still so much to discover about both of these destinations, it’s almost impossible to capture in a post……. Why not go and see for yourself.
Here are some properties that are new to the market that would make a great base for travelling around this amazing country and also the perfect place to come home to.
