Istanbul: The big apple of Turkey. Many Turks consider Istanbul as the most beautiful city in the world. The city is quite enermous in size extending about 40 kms on the Asian side thus merging with the town of Gebze originally in the provincial borders of Kocaeli and more 60 kilometer on the European side and is probably beginning to stretch into the borders of Silivri about 67 kilometers from the town center. It has a population of nearly 13 million (as of 2007). Most of this population came to the city during the migration frenzy that took  place roughly between 50´s and 90´s. This effectively inflated the city´s population and placed high demands on the infrastructure designed for much fewer people. Today many of the city´s problems can be linked to this rapid urbanization period (which is still continueing) that has spoiled the natural environment of the city. Istanbul is very beautiful today but most say (including foreign observers), it was a dream city only a century ago.

If you like sightseeing you will never have a chance to get bored in Istanbul because it takes ages to see all the places worth seeing. Topkapi and Dolmabahce palaces, Grand Bazaar, Hagia Sophia and Blue Mosque as well as Istanbul Archeological Museum must not be missed.

Ankara: Very cold in the winter, hot and dry in the summer. Isolated from the sea by mountains surrounding the city. It has little to offer in terms of natural beauty. Before the establishment of the Republic Ankara was a small town. It has become a big city mostly populated by bureaucrats and civil servants who prefer to live in a tidy and orderly city. Ankara may sometimes surprize you with its dynamic young population, social activities and theaters some of which are very good indeed. There is a rivalry between the new generations of both cities.  Although most of them admit, Istanbul is the nicer city, they criticize its chaotic life and the notorious traffic. 

Ýzmir: Ýzmir is a city on the Aegean coast. It has a large port and a dynamic economic life. In some regards, Izmir is the Seattle of Turkey- broad minded people, a rich social life, a healthy cuisine and a nice city. Izmir is very hot in the summer but luckily all the top holiday centers are just a quick drive away. If you like history, this town is your heaven. There are excellent museums in the region.  

Bursa: Ottoman baths, Uludag (Mt. Olympus historically), winter sports, textile, industry... Bursa has recently become one of the fastest developing cities in the country. There are many mosques to be seen the most notable one being Ulucami. You should also visit the Green Tomb which iss famous for its tiles.

Bursa is located on the Western end of the Silver Road. It has a vivid business life and lots of shopping centers. After seeing the city, you should take the cable car to Mt. Uludag.

Adana: Adana was the fourth largest city in Turkey until recently. It shrunk but gave out its population to other big cities like Istanbul. That is why there is a Adana culture everywhere. TV´s are full of shows featuring the imaginary lives of feudal but rich families of Adana.

Adana is also home for many of the kebab varieties and therefore the biggest influence on the eating habits of entire Turkey with Adana kebab always in high demand. It is therefore quite difficult to find a decent restaurant offering vegetable dishes in Istanbul.

Those above just five largest cities in Turkey. There are many others some of which are a lot more interesting some of the cities on the list.  

       well as a turkish guy i it doesn´t matter whether it is foreign or turkish girl i always look for honesty and sympathy in all girls.. but i can say that turkish girls are more  selfish than foreign girls i don´t know why.. turkish girls see many guys as ppl who are very bad and trying to get benefit from them which is not always true.. but foreign girls are more relax and more sympatic and they respect..

 I will just love to have you talk to my husband. 

 that was a nice and very imformative servay. thank you vineyards

 yes i can do it.. i can support my idea..

I have a question about Turkish culture.I have read in many forums that Western women are viewed differently by Turkish men because of alot of stereotypes that are out there.

How do those views range from cities like Istanbul to cities like Adana? I know that usually in big cities people are usually alot more open and liberal. I ask because I have a Western friend that is a girl that think that her Turkish guy friends view things like women sleeping around or Western things like friends with benefits normally and do not look down on her for doing these things and might marry her but I always thought that it was a more conservative culture then that.

   you are right. ! I thought the same with you.

as on every country some Turkish men (most of em about the man nature) flies flower to flower as the bees while only little bit of em looking for real love,and yea to be bee or love seaker depend on economical ,social and local conditions...) So Turkish men aren´t alliens

You have my respect, dear Lisa.

I have many discussion about this with some Turkish friends of mine.

I´m a 24 year old girl from Holland. I am in a steady relationship with a Turkish guy. I have heard people warn him from me, since I´m from Holland and I would cheat on him. They thought so, simply because I was from Western Europe. That irritated me very much. I have been in a relationship where somebody cheated, but that person wasn´t me!

I also had some discussions with some friends of my boyfriend, who said that I wasn´t "typical Western European" because I didn´t sleep around and wasn´t showing my breasts of in tiny clothes. I explained to them that they view they have f Western women is biased. They only see one type of women. They worked in a barstreet. And that town was known for women going there just to sleep with guys. That means that they mostly meet 1 type of Western women, the dirty ones.

I explained that none of my friends wear the clothes that those women wear, and none of my friends would EVER behave in such a way. Like the was said before, "friends with benefits", no girl in my immediate group of friends has something like that.

I think it´s a shame that a few women has changed the view that a lot of Turkish men have on all of us. I see that my nephews are starting to believe that it´s normal for a woman to sleep with a guy she hardly knows!

I live in China, but my boyfriend is Turkish. Kurdish actually. He lives in a town that gets a lot of tourists and he meets a lot of women because he sells carpets, as does his brother.  I would not believe he would ever cheat on me because he contacts me nearly every day, but I could be wrong. I trust him though. He came to visit me in China. He shopped for groceries, cooked five dinners because restaurants are very expensive in Shanghai and he wanted to stay in and relax. He made tea and never once asked me to make it. He showed me how to make it because I asked him. He would clean my apartment and make the bed while I was at work, even though I have a cleaning lady who comes once a week. When I visit him, I want for nothing and he cooks for everyone who just happens to be in the shop.

He tells me about the people he meets and where they are from and what they bought from him or how he helped them. He is a kind, generous, honest person. His brother is the same and so is his cousin. He is very liberal and doesn´t focus too much on religion. He just wants to be a good person but he´s not opposed to commiting a sin every now and then, but he would never hurt anyone. I am very fortunate to know him. 

I have met some men in Turkey who are not good people, and I ´ve met others who are. I think Turkish men are like men in other countries. It just seems like so many of them  are not honest or just want one thing because we go there as tourists and are bombarded by Turkish men who want to sell us something or love us and leave us. Men in other tourist locations in the world are the same way, even in North America and Europe, just maybe not as obvious as the Turkish men.

maryilyons, you have a miracle there.

You can never ask such a question "how turkish men or people see foreign women". Everything depends on the person, it is an individual thing. People who arent used to think much will think in stereotypes and more sensible people will judge individually.