www.tourinturkey.com

PROFESSIONAL TOUR GUIDE ANNA I. KARAAGAC'S HOME PAGE

Weather in Istanbul

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You are at the right address if you want to discover Turkey with a professional tour guide. You will find a complete journey through the senses of sight and sound, taste and smell as you discover the old Istanbul of cobbled streets, glittering palaces and ancient monuments; delicious restaurants, bazaars, meeting hospitable and friendly people and you will experience the exotic flavour and history of majestic Istanbul and Anatolia,  which is the cradle of the civilization.

When you visit the home of a turkish friend he will greet you as follows, "HOSGELDINIZ", Welcome, to which the correct reply is "HOSBULDUK", I am pleased to be here. He will then ask you how you are? "NASILSINIZ", to which you reply "IYIYIM, TESEKKUR EDERIM", I am very well thank you. No matter how often you meet, this formula almost always used before a conversation gets under way.

The best seasons to visit places on the Marmara, Aegean, Mediterranean coast, and in Thrace and western Anatolia, are spring and autumn. Around the middle of March the weather begins to improve dramatically. There are fewer tourists between December and April in Turkey, so accommodation, particularly in the small resorts, is cheap and easy to find. Buses and trains are not crowded with foreign visitors, so reservations may be made without difficulty and tours completed in reasonable comfort. Visits to the ancient cities and sites and to the museums are more pleasant in the absence of the crowds that fill them later.

During the months of June, July and August a different situation prevails. Many resorts are full to bursting point and prices are at their highest. From the middle of September to early December the days are warm and sunny, the night fine but cool. The best time for visits are from the end of April till the end of October.

Before entering a Turkish house it is customary for visitors to take off their shoes and leave them by the door. As a rule they will be given a pair of slippers by the host. When visiting a mosque, leave your shoes at the door. Dress as you would for a visit to a church.

When I travel abroad I always learn few words of the country. Thats why when I guide a group or individual travellers they always have to learn at least 5 words and one song. That makes your stay more confortable. I love my job because I meet lots of lovely people all around the world. 

From the group of Jules Verne from England John King (johnking71@btinternet.com) wrote that Hymn to me and together they sang on our last night in Antalya (tune='The Church's One Foundation'). The picture was taken by Simon Stenner (simon@stenners.co.uk) who also writes poems with his wife Kate for weddings.

HYMN TO NUR We thank you for your patience In showing us around. From Istanbul to Bursa, In mosque and burial ground, You taught us words and phrases, And charming songs as well. We never got to Uskudar But 'choksal' - what the hell! We're grateful too to Osman, Whose driving is... just fine! We've tended to drink Tuborg - It's better than the wine. But now we all must vanish, There's work at home to do; Until we meet again then, 'Gule Gule' to you!