The Marmara Region - Turkey with Your Family: From Bustling Bazaars to Historic Sites - page 96

home to pi @ maniye- a wonder-
fully sticky sweet that has layer
upon layer of sugar that melts in
the mouth. Iznik, founded
around the year BC 300 and con-
sidered an important religious
site, is also famed for its intricate
ceramic ware and glazed tiles (see
p. 108). Originally made in
Ottoman times, Iznik tiles have
been used to decorate mosques
and important buildings through-
out Turkey for years, including
the Sultanahmet Mosque (or the
Blue Mosque as it is more com-
monly known because of the blue
hue the tiles give its interior) in
Istanbul (see p. 71). The town is
also famous as the important
Roman city of Nicomedia - also
known as Nicaea. Today, it is
more of an industrial centre for
the Kocaeli district and, although
having few attractions for visitors
other than a beautifully presented
18th-century Ottoman mansion,
the Saatçi Ali Efendi Konak , the
remains of its Roman walls , the
Haghia Sophia and the Ye@il
Mosque , it does offer an insight
into the daily life of locals. It's also
a good place to stay for visiting
neighbouring towns and cities,
such as Hereke where some of the
finest Turkish carpets are made,
the beaches of Yalova (see p. 97)
on the banks of the Sea of
Marmara and the nearby town
of Elbeyli where you and your
family can visit a 5th-century
catacomb.

of the northern Marmara region.
Its beaches, including the glori-
ous Karasu and Kocaali
beaches , face towards the Black
Sea, with a backdrop of lush
greenery. The area is known for
its good choice of holiday
resorts, along with smaller
hotels, restaurants and cafés. In
its centre, known as Adapazari,
there is a small but interesting
museum, the Atatürk and
Ethnography Museum
( b [phone] ), which dis-
plays personal belongings of
Atatürk (1881-1938), the
founder of the Turkish Republic.
If your children are keen to learn
more about Turkey's history then
this museum is a good one to
visit for an hour or so. Other
notable places and attractions to
see include the Sapanca Lake
shores , the Poyrazlar Lake for-
est recreation areas at Orhan
Gazi and the Be@köprü Bridge
(see p. 105). From the centre of
Sakarya it is easy to venture out
into beautiful countryside for a
family picnic and see several
lakes, valleys and canyons along
the way. The city of Sakarya
gives its name to the region,
through which the Sangarious
River - often known as the
Sakarya River - flows past a
remarkably large number of
vineyards.

Tekirdag
Tekirda g , with its beautiful
examples of Ottoman architec-
ture and broad beaches that
stretch for miles either side of
the city limits, is known for its

Sakarya
A lively town, Sakarya is one of
the most important tourist areas

96