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Istanbul is the only city in the world that is located in both Asia and Europe. It also offers best of both worlds ( Ancient and Modern Time).
Experience Istanbul by visiting historical sites and museums. Start the day with a Turkish breakfast and also get a ferry ride to get the best views of the city and while doing that, you can sip some tea and/or eat some sandwich.
Experience the Bosporus which is an artery for maritime trade and also the numerous sounds from construction work, muezzin call and also street hawking.
In Turkey, there are so many things to look forward to which range from the culture, food, music, places to visit, transportation system. Before embarking on your travel to Turkey, you need to have a valid passport and visa to allow yourself through immigration.
Turkey Visa Requirements
- Valid Nigerian Passport (valid for 90 days longer than the requested visa)
- A Duly filled application form.
- Passport-size photos.
- Documents supporting the purpose of the planned visit.
- Proof of health insurance.
- Evidence of payment of visa application fee.
- Documentation of financial capacity.
When applying for a Turkish visa, one has to consider some facts like type of visas to apply for. There are two types namely the single-entry visas and the multiple-entry visas. The single-entry visas is valid only for one entry into the country with that visa. Once a person leaves Turkey before the visa on passport expires on their own accord for any reason whatsoever, they can’t get in with the same visa again and have to go apply for another visiting visa.
The Contrary is the multiple-entry visas which allows holders of this visa exit and return to Turkey any time within the duration permitted by their visa.
Turkey is one of the MINT countries (an acronym coined by FIDELITY Investments, a Boston based asset management firm, which stands for Mexico, Indonesia, Nigeria and Turkey) which are emerging economies with favorable demographics and a large population.
Validity of Visas.
The Turkish Tourist visa is issued to persons who want to visit family members, relatives and friends in Turkey from Nigeria and are valid for single-entry for up to 3 months (90 days). Itineraries and proof of funds to be provided by travelers before visa can be approved.
Turkish Business Visa is a single-entry visa issued to travelers visiting the country for brief meetings, conferences or lectures. They are valid for 90 days and applicants have to provide necessary documents supporting their reason for traveling.
The cost of a Turkish visa is dependent on the type of visa, and the duration of the visa, and can be found online and is also subject to change at any time. Always confirm on the country’s immigration website.
Submission of application form.
Submitting a Turkish Visa application form involves going online and after which applicants will attend their appointment to submit their bio-metric information and all other supporting documents. The Turkish visit visas take about 8 working days and business visas take about 5 working days and this all depend on the completeness of the application. Applicants get notified when the visa processed and approved.
Documents can be picked up or if specified, returned via courier service.
Now that we have secured our visa, the next thing to do is to get a good and reliable hotel. There are many hotels to book from considering location, price and comfort.
There are various hotels to consider when you go online and based on ones budget, you could get some very nice and decent 3 star, 4 stars and 5 stars that are affordable as there are always deals.
Culture
The culture of Istanbul is diverse as it has once been the capital to both Byzantine and Ottoman Empires. Drinking tea is an important part of Turkish culture, and is the most commonly consumed hot drink. Offering tea to guests is part of Turkish hospitality. Tea is most often consumed in households, shops, and by kıraathane – social gatherings of men. Turkish tea is traditionally offered in small tulip-shaped glasses which are usually held by the rim, in order to save the drinker’s fingertips from being burned, as the tea is served boiling hot. There are herbal teas also which are generally used as herbal medication. The most consumed flavors happen to be apple (elma çayı), rose hip (kuşburnu çayı), and linden flower (ıhlamur çayı) being the most consumed flavors. In Turkey, herbal teas for the treatment of most ailments can be found in local herbal shops, called aktar. Dried herbal leaves, petals, shoots, etc. are sold in loose-leaf according to each customer’s need and taste.
Breakfast
A common breakfast item in Turkey is the Simit, which is a circular bread with sesame seeds.
Turks like to have a rich breakfast and a typical Turkish breakfast consists of cheese (beyaz peynir, Kasar etc.), butter, olives, eggs, tomatoes, cucumbers, jam, honey, and kaymak, sucuk (spicy Turkish sausage, can be eaten with eggs), pastirma, borek, simit, pogaca and soups are eaten as a morning meal in Turkey. A specialty for breakfast is called menemen , which is prepared with tomatoes, green peppers, onion, olive oil and eggs. Invariably, Turkish tea is served at breakfast. The Turkish word for breakfast, kahvaltı, means “before coffee” (kahve, ‘coffee’; altı, ‘under’).
Homemade food
Although the new generation prefers to eat out, homemade food is still preferred by Turks. Turkish people generally prefer to eat at home. A typical meal starts with soup (especially in winter time), and a dish made of vegetables or legumes boiled in a pot (typically with meat or minced meat), often with or before rice or bulgur pilav accompanied by a salad or cacik (diluted cold yogurt dish with garlic, salt, and cucumber slices). In summertime many people prefer to eat a cold dish of vegetables cooked with olive oil (zeytinyagli yemekler) instead of the soup, either before or after the main course, which can also be a chicken, meat or fish plate.
Restaurants
Akcaabat Meatballs
Fast food is becoming popular and because of that, many major foreign fast food chains have opened all over Turkey. Turkish people still rely primarily on the rich and extensive dishes of Turkish cuisine. Some traditional Turkish foods, especially Kofte, doner, kokorec, kumpir midye tava börek and gözleme, are often served as fast food in Turkey also just to have a mix.
Summer cuisine
In the hot Turkish summer, a meal often consists of fried vegetables such as eggplant (aubergine) and peppers or potatoes served with yogurt or tomato sauce. Menemen and cilbir are typical summer dishes, based on eggs. Sheep cheese, cucumbers, tomatoes, watermelons and melons also make a light summer meal. Those who like helva for dessert prefer summer helva, which is lighter and less sweet than the regular one.
Frequently used ingredients in Turkish specialties include: lamb, beef, rice, fish, eggplants, green peppers, onions, garlic, lentils, beans, zucchinis and tomatoes. Nuts, especially pistachios, chestnuts, almonds, hazelnuts, and walnuts, together with spices, have a special place in Turkish cuisine, and are used extensively in desserts or eaten separately. Semolina flour is used to make a cake called revani and irmik helvasi.
Things to do in Turkey
The biggest attraction for visitors would be the Topkapi Palace and the Old City’s mosques, museums, and ancient cistern. The architecture, tiles, mosaics, stonework and ceilings are a cynosure of all eyes. There are several other activities like a walking tour of Istanbul’s off-the-beaten-track eats (Culinary Backstreets) or a personalized dive into the Grand Bazaar (Istanbul Personal Shopper). A private cruise up the Bosporus and grilled fish at a seaside village restaurant (Zoe Yacht Cruises) will entice you. For those that like outdoors, there is opportunity to hike the city’s Byzantine fortifications while those food lovers will want to stroll on a Saturday morning along the aisles and having a breakfast at the bustling Ferikoy Organic Market.
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There are some fun attractions for family and kids. There is a Legoland for kids, Madam Tussauds for the family, Troy Tours, the Archaeological Museum, the Dolmabahce Palace, the Bosphorus Bridge, the Taksim Square, Istinye Park shopping mall, the historic Sultanahmet Square, Nisantasi shopping district, the Grand Bazaar, Basilica Cistern, Galata Tower, Hagia Sophia Museum, Chora Museum, Maidens Tower, Rumelihisari and so many more just to mention a few.
For bookings and more enquiries, contact us on +234-8054732362, 8088858387.
Email: ayo.odeyemi@aanddtravels.com; aaron.david.travels.com
IG: aaronanddavidtravelconsultants
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