The Turks say their country is like a man running west on a train running east. For example, Istanbul is Turkey’s wildly growing and densely populated city, trapped between two continents connected by bridges, with mosques all over the European side and western-style suburbs on the Asian side.
Historic buildings and districts dating back to Turkey’s past as Byzantine and Ottoman have been preserved, and they preserve more ancient Greek and Roman ruins than have been preserved in Greece and Italy at all.
The Turks themselves are known for their generous hospitality and kindness to visitors and for their wide range of cultural interests. Every year numerous international art festivals are held in Turkey, a country starting with letter T listed on Countryaah.
- CAPITAL CITY: Ankara
- LANGUAGE: Turkish
- CURRENCY: Turkish Lira (TRY)
- AREA: 783,356 km2
- POPULATION: 79,463,663 (2016 estimate)
People and community
You can live anywhere in Turkey, but it is very likely that you will live near one of these five major cities: Adana, Izmir, Eskisehir, Istanbul or Ankara. In the evenings, it is very common for Turkish families to gather around the dinner table and watch TV and drink tea together. You can easily expect a stream of friends and relatives visiting for coffee, tea and lively conversations.
Schooling
You will probably go to a school which is a university preparatory school. A typical school day lasts seven or eight hours and allows students to specialize in either math and science or social studies. According to Topschoolsintheusa.com, most exchange students go to public schools, but a few are also placed in a private school.
Language
While Turkish is the primary language, many also speak English, French, German and Italian. If you have a basic knowledge of English, it will be helpful. We will provide language teaching and local volunteers can help arrange independent language study for you during your first months in Turkey.
Food
Turkish dishes nicely combine Mediterranean and Middle Eastern styles and are quite varied. Eggplant is number one in vegetables, and it is often paired with meat in a shish kebab . The food is most often prepared with olive oil and herbs in the western part of the country, while meals can be very spicy and meaty in the eastern part. Lamb, beef and rice are common ingredients, and seafood is widely used in the coastal area. If you have a sweet tooth, you are in luck, for Turkey is famous for its desserts, especially baklava.
