Family Highlights of Turkey - Turkey with Your Family: From Bustling Bazaars to Historic Sites - page 4

Turkey has long been a popular holiday destination, but in recent

years it has emerged as a favourite for family fun too. Children are
especially welcomed in Turkey, even admired. A walk through a bazaar
or around an historic site will almost inevitably prompt passers-by to
talk to, pick up or maybe stroke the hair of the youngsters in the fam-
ily. For many of us, this can be more than a tad alarming in these
safety-conscious times, but providing the usual precautions are
observed and the practice of admiring children acknowledged as being
part of the local culture, such over-zealousness by complete strangers
shouldn't spoil a trip.
However, with this in mind, there aren't as many dedicated attrac-
tions for children as you would expect, although more and more
theme parks, children's zoos and playgrounds are starting to emerge,
especially along the coastlines of the Aegean and the Mediterranean.
One of the top theme parks is Miniaturk in Istanbul, where many of
Turkey's most historic sights can be seen in miniature. There are also
several aquaparks, such as the sprawling Atlantis Waterpark in
Marmaris in the Aegean region, and sealife parks like Dolphinarium at
Kemer in the Mediterranean region, where children can swim with
dolphins. Many hotels and accommodation complexes have their own
theme parks and playgrounds tucked away within their grounds, too,
along with a full programme of supervised events.
Turkey is a diverse country with high mountains and valleys,
coastal regions and inland forests, traditional villages and cosmopoli-
tan cities, such as Ankara and Istanbul. Along the Mediterranean
coast holiday hotspots include Antalya, Side, Dalyan and Adana, all
bustling resorts, along with the sophisticated Bodrum on the Aegean ,
which has its own airport and is especially popular with families that
like to sail. To the north of the country, the Black Sea has the resorts
of Amasra, Trabzon and Sinop, among many others. All have their
own characters, and offer much for adults and children of all ages to
see and do. Inland, there is the lively city of Ankara and the extraordi-
nary 'Fairy Chimney' landscape of Cappadocia .
Other family favourites are visiting some of the outstanding his-
toric buildings that Turkey is especially proud of, such as the great
Topkapi Palace or the Blue Mosque in Istanbul, and ancient sites
like those at Çanakkale , Ephesus , Pergamum , Hierapolis ,
Safranbolu and Trabzon , or heading off to the coast and spending
time on the country's fine beaches. The beaches on the Mediterranean
and Aegean are ideal for young children.
There are seemingly endless opportunities to sail and follow nature
trails, dinghy sail, ski, whitewater raft, play golf, horse-ride and even
dive. In fact, Turkey has some of the best diving waters in the eastern
Mediterranean.
Families can also enjoy the lively street theatre found in some of
the larger towns, along with music and dance festivals often held

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