Planning a Family Trip to Turkey - Turkey with Your Family: From Bustling Bazaars to Historic Sites - page 31

Turkey is a fascinating country, but absolutely huge. Much of its

tourist industry revolves around holiday complexes that offer fami-
lies on-site amenities such as playgrounds, watersports, horse-riding
and theatre, but for independent travellers there are many experiences
to be found that children of all ages should enjoy.
Among them are donkey rides out in the country, cycling and
whitewater rafting, mud baths and thermal springs, aquaparks, dol-
phin parks where they can swim with dolphins, festivals and beaches
and excursions to places like Santa Claus's birthplace at Myra in the
Mediterranean region. You can also go to Pamukkale on the border of
the Aegean and the Mediterranean regions to see the Travertine
Cascades, and to historic sites throughout the country.
With this in mind, you will probably earmark the area you wish to
stay and then find out more about the nearby tourist attractions that
will appeal to children. The Aegean and Mediterranean regions are
very much family-orientated, but there are some wonderful things to
see and do with your family in the cities of Istanbul and Ankara. The
Marmara region sits around the Sea of Marmara and affords some
beautiful beaches, while the Black Sea region has beautiful natural
parks and vast areas inland such as Cappadocia.

THE REGIONS
IN BRIEF

Sofya (Haghia Sophia), which
older children will find fascinat-
ing. Younger ones may appreciate
the Miniaturk Park, the outstand-
ing Toy Museum, the excitement
of the Grand Bazaar, the Feshane
Children's Entertainment Park
and a cruise along the Bosphorus
River far more.

Istanbul - Chapter 3
Although not the capital of
Turkey (that privilege lies with
Ankara), Istanbul has been an
important city for centuries.
When it was known as
Constantinople, it was integral to
the Byzantine Empire and later
became the capital of the
Ottoman Empire. Today, it is
where Europe meets Asia, and is a
lively, cosmopolitan city with
many attractions for visitors to
see. Among them are the
Suleymaniye Mosque, the lavish
Dolmabahçe Palace, Topkapi
Palace that exhibits emeralds
almost the size of a child's hand,
the great Sultan Ahmet Camii
(the Blue Mosque) and the Aya

The Marmara Region -
Chapter 4
The region radiates pretty much
from Istanbul with lots of towns
and cities to see. It surrounds the
Sea of Marmara. To the north-
west of the sea, the town of
Tekirda g is ideal for families who
love to spend some time on the
beach, along with Edirne, which
is often described as a living
museum, and the resort of
Kirklareli, which all make up the

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