The Basilica Cistern gets record number of tourists after Dan Brown’s Inferno

The Basilica Cistern or or Sunken Cistern, huge cistern built in built in 542 just 500 feet (150 m)  southwest of the Hagia Sophia, has received  240,000 visitors in May 2013 after it was mentioned in Dan Brown’s new book Inferno. The Basilica Cistern is the largest of several hundred ancient cisterns that lie beneath the city of Istanbul (formerly Constantinople). The underground cistern was built to supply water to the grand palace of the emperors of the Byzantine Empire. After Istanbul was conquered by Ottomans in 1453, it was used to supply water to the gardens of Topkapı Palace.

The Basilica Cistern is known in Turkey as Yerebatan Sarayı (Sunken Palace) or Yerebatan Sarnıcı (Sunken Cistern). It was turned into a museum and opened to visitors by the Istanbul Municipality after recent restorations.

Dan Brown’s latest book "Inferno", which went on sale simultaneously in Europe and the USA made a significant contribution to Istanbul's Basilica Cistern and Hagia Sofia Museum; and the number is expected to rise even higher. The story in Inferno begins in Florence and then moves to Sienna. Later on, Robert Langdon travel beyond the borders of Italy and into Turkey – where the evocative streets of Istanbul also play their part in the unfolding tale.

The Basilica Cistern

Turkey climbs one place to sixth in World’s Top Tourism Destinations List

According to United Nations World Trade Organisation (UNWTO) Tourism Highlights 2012, Turkey moved up one position to sixth place (with 29 million tourists) overtaking the United Kingdom in the 10 ranking by international tourist arrivals.

From UNWTO Tourism Highlights, 2012 Edition:

France continues to lead the ranking of international tourist arrivals (79 million), and ranks third in receipts (US$ 54 billion), while the United States ranks first in receipts (US$ 116 billion) and second in arrivals (62 million). Spain is still the second largest earner worldwide and the first in Europe (US$ 60 billion), while ranking fourth in the world by arrivals (57 million). China continues to rank third in arrivals (58 million) and fourth in receipts (US$ 48 billion), while Italy remains in fifth place in both arrivals (46 million) and receipts (US$ 43 billion).

Turkey moved up one place to sixth in arrivals and is twelfth in receipts. The United Kingdom is seventh in both arrivals and receipts. Germany continues to rank eighth in tourist arrivals and sixth in receipts, while Malaysia is ninth and fourteenth respectively. Australia, Macao (China), and Hong Kong (China) complete the top ten ranking by receipts in eighth, ninth and tenth place respectively, while Mexico closes the top ten by arrivals in tenth position.

UNWTO ranks countries according to the two key tourism indicators: international tourist arrivals and international tourism receipts. 8 of the top 10 destinations appear on both lists, despite showing marked differences in terms of the type of tourists they attract, their average length of stay and their spending per trip and per night. In the case of international tourism receipts, changes not only reflect relative performance.

Although Turkey is 6th in the World’s Top 10 Tourism Destinations By International Arrival list, it is not in top 10 in the World’s Top 10 Tourism Destinations By International Tourism Receipts list.

Maiden Tower, Istanbul

World’s Top 10 Tourism Destinations By International Arrival

1 - France (79.5 million)

2 - United States (62.3 million)

3 - China (57.6 million)

4 - Spain (56.7 million)

5 - Italy (46.1 million)

6 - Turkey (29.3 million)

7 - United Kingdom (29.2 million)

8 - Germany (28.4 million)

9 - Malaysia (24.7 million)

10 - Mexico (23.4 million)

Oludeniz and Icmeler are in Top 25 Beach Destinations list

TripAdvisor, one of world’s largest travel site, has announced the winners of its annual 2012 Travelers’ Choice® Beach Destinations awards. 181 top beach locations were named around the world including Africa, Asia, Australia, Brazil, Caribbean, Central America, Europe, France, Greece, India, Indonesia, Italy, Mexico, Middle East, South America, South Pacific, Spain, Thailand, Turkey, U.K. and the U.S. Turkey's Oludeniz and Icmeler has been in the list.

Ölüdeniz, a small beach resort in Fethiye in South West coast of Turkey. It is the 14th best beach destination in the list. Other then offering one of the best beaches in the world, Oludeniz is also one of the best places for para glide due to its unique panoramic views, and the Babadağ Mountain's exceptional height. İçmeler, a popular Turkish holiday resort 8 kilometres away from Marmaris, is 24th.

Both Oludeniz and Icmeler beaches are on Turkey's Turquoise Coast, a 1000 km coastline in South West Turkey famous with the best holiday resorts in Turkey.

Oludeniz (Blue Lagoon) offers one of the best beaches and paragliding spots in the world.

Where is Olu deniz? Oludeniz is on the famous Turquoise Coast (also known as Turkish Riviera), the Mediterranean coast of Turkey between Cesme and Alanya. Oludeniz is somewhere in the middle on the Turquoise Coast in Fethiye (see the map below). Icmeler is also on the Turkish Riviera, in Marmaris.

Turquoise Coast (Turkish Riviera) is the coasts of Cesme, Kusadasi, Bodrum, Marmaris, Fethiye, Kemer, Antalya and Alanya. The coast has the best tourist destinations in Turkey. 

2012 Travelers’ Choice® Beach Destinations Top 25

1. Providenciales, Turks and Caicos
2. Palm/Eagle Beach, Aruba
3. Tulum, Mexico
4. Negril, Jamaica
5. Saint Pete Beach, Florida
6. Boracay, Philippines
7. Cancun, Mexico
8. Punta Cana, Dominican Republic
9. Miami/Miami Beach, Florida
10. Varadero, Cuba
11. Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
12. Playa del Carmen, Mexico
13. Virginia Beach, Virginia
14. Oludeniz, Turkey
15. Honolulu, Hawaii
16. Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt
17. Daytona Beach, Florida
18. Fort Lauderdale, Florida
19. Lahaina, Hawaii
20. Cayo Coco, Cuba
21. Marsa Alam, Egypt
22. Cabo San Lucas, Mexico
23. Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
24. Icmeler, Turkey
25. Puerto Alcudia, Spain

The Travertines of Pamukkale

The Travertines of Pamukkale, one of the most amazing works of nature, is a must see when you visit Turkey. These bizarre calcium cliff bathing pools overlooking the town of Pamukkale are products of very hot springs with a very high mineral content (notably chalk) arose at this location. Although there are some similar sites around the world, these cotton white (Pamukkale means 'Cotton Castle' in Turkish) are "almost" unique in the world. Since 1988, Pamukkale is a world heritage site and it has always been a very popular spa and tourist destination for people, tourism is and has been a major industry and people have bathed in its pools for thousands of years.

The hot water spas on the pools of Pamukkale are just fantastic. Since the water temperature is hot, you could even swim in them when it is snowing and many people swam here when I was kid. But currently, you  cannot swim in the pools of terraces. But still, there are mineral hot springs above the waterfalls and you should swim in these enclosed pools. They charge around 25 TL here.

Walking on the terraces of Pamukkale is the main attraction but they do not let you to walk on these natural wonders by your shoes so bring something with you to put your shoes in. Still, there are many hot pools around and you should bring your swimsuit with you even if it is winter. There are also a lot of hotels in Pamukkale which has thermal pools for you to enjoy. 

Pamukkale pools

The white terraces look really fairy and out of this world. The water here has a temperature of around 33 degrees Celcius and it contains high levels of calcium carbonate minerals. These minerals causes calcium sedimentation and forms the terraces, which are sedimentary rock deposited by water from the hot springs.

Pamukkale hot spas

Pamukkale also has another main attraction: Aphrodisias. This is one of the best preserved Roman site in southeastern Aegean. In fact this site contains some of the most impressive Roman ruins in Turkey, and is in some aspects more worthwhile to visit than more famous Ephesus.

Aphrodisias Entrance

The location of Pamukkale:
View Larger Map

Butterfly Valley: One of the best places to have holiday in Turkey

Butterfly Valley (Kelebekler Vadisi), a large canyon which can be reached by a taxi boat from Fethiye Oludeniz, is one of the best places to have a holiday in Turkey. The canyon, around 250 meters wide and 1 km deep and (practically) can only be accessed from sea by boat, was once called Gudurumsu, but then renamed as Butterfly Valley thanks to large swarm of endemic butterflies living around the waterfalls on the canyon wall furthest from the sea. Unfortunately it has become very popular recently and is far from its peaceful atmosphere in the late 90s and early 2000s but still it is a great place to have a summer holiday.

Accommodation is basic in Butterfly Valley. The most luxurious option you will have is a wooden hut without electricity and shower (showers are shared). You can also rent a tent for the night or you can are sleep outside on the beach!  Last time I have been there, I have just rented a space to put my sleeping mat outside and then slept 3 nights there just next to the beach. And actually I have simply slept on the beach at one of the nights. Here you will stay in bungalows without electricity but you will greatly like it. This basic but unparalleled holiday experience draws many international tourists here from as far as Singapore, Australia and USA.

The best way to get to Butterfly Valley is to use the official Butterfly Valley boat taxi which leaves Olu Deniz beach at 11:00 AM and 02:00 PM and valley at 01:00 PM and 05:00 PM. The other boats will try to sell you their boat trips and will be very annoying. Do not believe in what they say (they may even say there is no more taxi boat to Butterfly Valley) and wait for the official boat. It will approximately take 45 minutes boat ride from Olu Deniz to the valley and a round trip should cost 15 Turkish Liras.

Butterfly Valley - Source : Turkish Travel Blog

The management who is running the butterfly valley has monopoly in this small place and this will translate into expensive meals. For example a beer will cost you around 7 Liras while a fish-bread will be also around that price. If you are really on budget buy some canned food and snacks from a market in Olu Deniz so you can have some cheap.

There are not many things to do here except resting quite well. The valley has a decent beach and the sea is quite OK. You can hang out in the restaurant all day and make new friends from around the world. Nights may be passed by singing in front of the beach fire or in the bar and you should at least once track the canyon to the waterfall to see the butterflies of the valley. I usually go to Butterfly Valley to do absolutely nothing which is actually quite good way to charge your batteries before going back to work.

According to the legend, once upon a time there was a Roum village in the valley. One day, a ship comes to the shores of the valley and a girl from the village falls in love with a sailor. But when the time comes for the sailor to leave, he promises the girl that he will one day come back and find her. Sometime after, the girl has a baby from the sailor and the villagers abandon her. She shelters in the church of the village with her baby and waits for her lover there. One day, a big storm comes to the shores and villagers leave the village for high grounds. But the woman does not leave the church because she thinks if the sailor comes, he cannot find her there and may go back. Storm turns out to be a big one and the waves sweeps away the village and everything in the village. Today, there is only one stone structure in the valley and it is believed to be the church of the village where the woman died with her baby.

Number of international tourist arrivals to Istanbul up 18.7 per cent

In the first 6 months of 2012, number of foreign tourists visiting Istanbul has been 4 million and 231 thousand, an 18.7 per cent increase compared to the first 6 months of 2011. The numbers are collected from Istanbul's Ataturk and Sabiha Gokcen Airports, Haydarpasa train station, Pendik and Kadikoy ports. 11.3 per cent of these foreign tourists were Germans, 6.2 per cent of them were Russian tourists and 5.2 per cent were Americans:

1 - Germany, 479,147
2 - Russia, 262,391
3- USA, 219,183
4 - France, 190,432
5- UK, 190,092
6 - Iran, 189,532
7 - Italy, 178,231
8 - The Netherlands, 121,680
9 - Libya, 94,292
10- Ukraine, 92,554
11 - Japan, 87,775
12 - Spain, 85,079
13 - Iraq, 84,414
14 - Azerbaijan, 83,054
15 - Saudi Arabia, 78,206
16 -  Others, 1,795,380


Istanbul Culture and Tourism Manager Prof. Dr. Ahmet Emre Bilgili said:

"Istanbul has hosted 4,230,612 international tourists in the first 6 months 2012 and this is 19 per cent increase compared to the first 6 months of 2011. If we assume that this trend continues until the end of 2012, the city can close the year with 9.5 million tourists."

Istanbul Hagia Sophia

Istanbul, the economic and cultural capital of Turkey, is one of the most important tourism spots of Turkey with thousands of hotels and other tourist oriented industries are catering to both leisure and business visitors. The city has two international airports handling more than 50 Million passengers a year and several ports for cruisers and ships.Istanbul is also one of the world’s major conference destinations and is an increasingly popular choice for the world’s leading international associations.[1]

Source : Istanbul 2012'nin ilk yarisini yuzde 18.7 artisla kapatti (Turkish)

[1] - Economy of Istanbul

Seabird Airlines offers coast to coast flights in Turkey

There is now a very good and convenient transportation alternative for travellers who would like to travel between Istanbul-Gokceada, Istanbul-Bozcaada, Istanbul-Alacati and Alacati to Bodrum, Marmaris, Gocek, Fethiye and Antalya. Sea Bird Airways is now connecting Istanbul to these popular Mediterranean and Aegean tourist resorts by planes which can take off and land from sea. The twin-engined Twin Otter type of sea-planes will carry 19 passengers between İstanbul-Alaçatı, İstanbul-Bozcaada and Alaçatı-Bodrum with prices starting from 227 TL (124 USD).

The airline has been established in 2010 by Kürşad Arusan (Founder and Chairman of the Board)[1] and gained necessary permits from Turkish Civil Aviation Authority (SHGM) recently[1]. Sea Bird Airways carried out their first test flight between Alacati-Istanbul in June 2012 and is Turkey’s first and only Air Taxi / Airline company to land and take off from water :

"The sea-plane is expected to start a scheduled service on 28 June. One way tickets of Halic-Alacati connection will be sold at a minimum price of 227 Turkish liras (100 Euros), and the cheapest Halic-Bozcaada tickets will be purchased for 147 Turkish liras (60 Euros)."[2]

Seabird Airlines will operate DHC-6 Twin Otter sea planes - Source : Seabird Airlines

The airline operates DHC-6 Twin Otter, a Canadian 19-passenger STOL (Short Takeoff and Landing) utility aircraft, powered by Pratt&Whitney PT6-27 turboprop engines. These planes are capable of landing and taking off from sea and conventional runways. One of the most exiting experience of these flights are their low altitude which allows you to have a close-up view of Turkey which is quite impossible to have with a high flying jet airliner. With low altitude flights, the airline offers a great bird-eye view of Turkey's coastline with relatively affordable prices. The planes take off and land from the coast and allows passengers to save on time which would be wasted to go to an airport and clear all those security check queues.

Other than scheduled flights, Seabird Airlines also allow you to charter sea planes for group travel. With planes of 19 passangers, you can individually or with a group charter a flight from the airline and fly without restrictions of time and destination.
[1] -  Seabird Airlines
[2] -  Sea-plane’s first landing in Halic; DHA General Manager Cebeci on aircraft