I wake up every day knowing that I live in one of the loveliest places in the world. That, in spite of the invasion of thousands of people who have arrived these past few years to buy into our quality of life.  Fortunately, I arrived in Bodrum, Turkey in the late eighties. Little did I realize then that I would still be here 20 years later. I am not the first foreigner to have been lulled into the Lotus Eating syndrome in Bodrum, Turkey. Hundreds of foreigners arrived before I. It was 1983 when I first arrived in Bodrum for a sailing holiday.  I had been working in London for a non-profit with teenagers from the inner city. We flew into to Izmir, a military airport, where we were thoroughly searched before climbing aboard a rickety bus and traveling south for an endless five hours without air-conditioning in high summer.  It used to be work to get here.  Foreigners who came to Turkey then were highly motivated travelers, in search of eastern culture, atmosphere, food, and  music. Three years later, I heard there was a summer job as a holiday representative available. I jumped at it.  Everything then was exotic and charming - even if the power did get cut off on a regular basis. Three years later, I heard there was a summer job as a holiday representative available. I jumped at it.  Everything then was exotic and charming - even if the power did get cut off on a regular basis. And there was the attention factor. As a blonde, I stood out. I returned to London when my summer job ended, but I was back the following year. - Life in a  Turkish Tourist Town - By Priscilla Windsor Brown

Map Of Turkey Islands For Sale Worldwide - Buy a private island - there are 1000's of islands for sale all over the world – find one that is right for you.

Real Estate In Turkey EscapeArtist.com Real Estate Marketplace Real Estate In Turkey - Current Listings - Prices are up, but what you get for what you pay is still pretty fine. There are plenty of bargains in any case, the quality of life in Turkey makes up asthetically for much of the increase in real estate price that have occurred. - List You Property - Advertise Your Property - Real Estate In The Balkans - Also see Real Estate By Type - Islands, B&B's, Plantations - Offshore Real Estate Library - Vineyards For Sale Worldwide - Offshore Yacht Broker - International Real Estate Index

Articles on Living & Investing in Turkey

Istanbul: A city with so much to discover -  The only things I knew about Turkey before I came here were that it was once home to a great empire that ruled on three continents and how the country was transformed into a republic under the leadership of the great Mustafa Kemal Atatürk. I started searching for information and read a lot about Turkey in order to understand the country before I would begin living there. I was captivated by its great history and couldn’t wait to explore Istanbul. There was already a huge “to do” list I had noted in my mind — I had to watch the whirling dervishes, visit the Blue Mosque, spend some money in the Grand Bazaar, visit numerous historic sites in Istanbul, enjoy a Bosporus cruise and get a chance to experience a hamam. I arrived in Istanbul one day before the holy month of Ramadan began. I had been living in Malaysia for 23 years, and now I had to be independent and cherish every moment I would spend in Istanbul. I had to fast and experience the holy month the way Turks do, rejoice it and celebrate Eid al-Fitr on what was once Ottoman soil. The first night of Ramadan I was awakened by a loud sound from the street. When I looked out the window, there was a man pounding on a drum, which was, as I later found out, to wake people up for sahur. It made me remember the many villages in Malaysia in which the people were awakened by the sound of tabuh — a log hit by a drummer at surau or a mosque.

Coming to grips with Turkey through its literature -  For the average expat living in Turkey, it’s a tall order to understand the complexities of our adopted homeland. It’s very easy to live within our own comfort zone and, curiously sheltered by the language barrier, pay little attention to issues that don’t directly impinge on our own lives. But when small, barefooted boys are thrusting packets of tissues through my car window as I pause momentarily at the traffic lights, or a crowd of Dickensian street urchins attempt to pick the pockets of my rucksack outside Sirkeci Station, it’s impossible not to wonder where they come from or what their story might be. I know that there are many ways to begin addressing this deficit, from reading the news (through papers like Today’s Zaman if our Turkish is not completely fluent) to keeping a wide circle of Turkish friends. But another way to gain an insight into the complexities of the culture we have chosen to make our new lives in, which should appeal to anyone with an interest in literature, is to read novels; either those written by Turkish authors themselves, or by foreigners who have a good understanding of the country.

From Bali to the Grand Bazaar (ISTANBUL) -  I arrived at the Grand Bazaar today bearing a gift for a shopkeeper named Mehmet. We have a mutual friend, Nyoman in Ubud, Bali from whence I have recently returned. Mehmet had requested I bring him some of Nyoman’s coffee. And so I have, along with a pile of costume jewelry, all of it long in need of repair. But how to find Mehmet’s jewelry shop out of the thousands in the world’s largest and oldest shopping mall? When my Turkish phone died in Bali so did the numbers of many friends including Mehmet’s. I called the Kybele Hotel where Ali Baba had once told me he knew Mehmet. He was on vacation, but the boy who answered the phone said, “I know Mehmet. I can tell you where he is.” “Are you sure? There must be thousands of Mehmet’s in the Grand Bazaar,” I said. “The jeweler right? He’s in the old part . Just ask for Mehmet.” Never ceases to amaze me how the world shrinks as my travels span greater distances and time. Istanbul is a city of 20 million and the Grand Bazaar has more than 5,000 shops. One phone call and someone knows exactly where to find Mehmet.

Real Estate in the Turkish Mediterranean -  The Turkish Mediterranean is an area of spectacular beauty. Beautiful sheltered sandy coves, backed by the Taurus Mountains, are a sight once seen never forgotten. With no pollution, a relaxing atmosphere and the warm hospitality of the Turkish people it’s like living in paradise. Imagine waking up and looking out of your window at spectacular scenery that makes you feel good to be alive. The easy-going lifestyle here allows you to relax and really enjoy your life. With inexpensive living costs and not having to keep up with the Joneses, you have less stress and more money in your pocket. Why continue spending most of your hard earned money on ever-increasing taxes back home? Real Estate prices here are much lower than in Spain and you usually get more value for your money. However, this situation is changing due to recent amendments to the law making it easier for foreigners to buy property in Turkey. The result has been a rise in real estate prices but also a vast improvement in the standard of construction.

Finding A Villa In Turkey ~ Daylan ~ by Charles Bentley - I suppose it was the Tom Sawyer, Huckleberry Finn manner of our boyhood that left us with a deep love for the lifestyle, values and environment long since sacrificed to secure the material riches of the modern world. Yet part of us never left the backwater village where we grew up. Part of us still yearned for the simple pleasures and delights of that time and place. Return visits, necessitated to respect the passing of boyhood friends no longer with us, simply confirm the passing of those days long ago, those`blue remembered hills.’ Where the sun shone all day and the peace and security were visible and audible in everything around. Nothing is the same anymore. Houses cover fields where we once ran so free, woodland we explored for lost treasure; levelled for farming and the river that once held challenge and fear in its currents and frothing falls, now little more than a tedious stream. Ah well, at least the memories remain.

Investing In Turkey ~ Incentives, Conditions, Getting Started - Ever thought of investing in Turkey? This ancient land of stunning natural beauty and abundant resources is now actively trying to revive its historic role as the commercial link between east and west.Besides its choice geographical placement, Turkey seems to have it all: a rich agricultural heartland, heavy industry, huge stretches of coastline on three different seas, as well as great tourism potential, not to mention a very favorable relationship with the United States. Especially now that plans have been approved for the long-anticipated Baku-Ceyhan oil pipeline, Turkey is developing into a hot emerging market. The government is actively seeking out foreign investors on huge privatization programs in the fields of energy, telecommunications and infrastructure projects. The Turkish Constitution has also been amended to allow for international arbitration- a previous lack that had scared off potential investors. All in all, the situation is becoming increasingly favorable. Yet this mysterious country, hampered as it is by bureaucracy and poverty, remains somewhat inaccessible to the potentially interested Western investor.

Gümüslük/Bodrum, Turkey - Don’t Buy The House, Buy The Neighbors - by Deborah Semele - My neighbor Hatice (the grandmother) insists that I look out the window to remind me that this is the best view in all of Avanos. My other neighbor Hatice (the granddaughter) insists that she used to not be able to hear the noise coming from behind the storage room, but now she can. Between them both is Zekinur (the aunt), who has forbidden me under any circumstances to sell my house, because that’s what they want. “They” are my neighbors on the other side, owners and operators of the disco, which is where the noise is coming from. The problem is, it’s not just coming from the side, it’s also coming from underneath. You see, like the rest of the houses in the “ancienne village” of Avanos, pottery center and minor Cappadocian tourist attraction, my house was built into and on top of caves, which have, over the years, been carved out by the various inhabitants. Unlike the rest of the houses in Avanos, however, mine has been completely excavated by my disco neighbors in less than a decade. As a result, when the disco is in operation, as soon as my head hits the pillow at night, in place of a sweet Turkish lullaby, an incessant “dunga, dunga, dunga” (Turkish onomatopoeia that translates loosely into English as “Bam! Bam! Bam! Bam! Bam!”) comes echoing upwards through stone – or what’s left of it.

On the Road: From Turkey to Bulgaria  - My legs cramped up immediately.  This is nothing new to me.  Things in other countries never seem to be built with my size in mind, much less my comfort.  I imagine that there are few seats in any bus or train or airplane that remain comfortable after 11 hours.  Sitting for that long in claustrophobic quarters is like asking a dog to stand for 11 hours…attacks are likely. We rode in absolute silence…the only sound being the driver’s Zippo every half-hour and the sound of his first exultant exhalation.  As the sun slowly disappeared to the west and the clouds of a cold rain built to the north, I imagined myself in the villages we passed; growing up with everything planned out, going to the mosque and playing soccer in the grazing fields. I stared out the window like this watching the sun smooth out and die as a finished smoke flung itself out of the driver’s window, and the weather seemed to grow colder.

Real Estate in Altinkum - Turkey - Altinkum translates as golden sand and is a holiday resort on the south west coast of Turkey attached to the town of Didim in the county of Aydin. The European visitors are predominately British but it is also the destination for hundreds of thousands of Turkish tourists every year. The resort stands at the mouth of the Akbuk bay and is surrounded by the beautiful Blue Turquoise water of the Aegean Sea. Altinkum is centrally positioned for easy access to many of the ancient sites of the Roman era such as Apollos Temple (1 mile), Ephesus (60 miles), Pamukkale (120 miles), Milet (10 miles), and Priene (25 miles).  Just 25 miles away there is the the largest inland lake in Turkey  known as Baffa lake and it gives people the chance to take a boat trip or do a bit of fishing or just relax on the banks of the lake and enjoy the scenery. Typical Turkish villages abound in this area and all kinds of arts and crafts are carried out in them such as pottery and carpet making.

Teaching English In Turkey - Falling In Love With Turkey  - Many people enjoy travelling, but short visits to a country are rarely enough to get a real feel for the culture and people.  Travellers often want to spend more time in one place, but their budget prevents them from doing this. Living and working in a country is probably the best way to get to know a place authentically. If you have ever been interested in visiting Turkey, or returning to Turkey, there is a very easy way of making a living for any English speaking tourist. The Turkish middle classes are very keen to learn English, and they really want to learn it from a native speaker of the language. If you speak English as your first language, you are almost guaranteed a job teaching English in Turkey. The number of students wanting to learn English far outweighs the number of English teachers, which means that many schools will hire someone without the proper qualifications.

The Turkish Island Of Bozcaada ~ A Turkish Island In The Mediterranean - Bozcaada is a small Turkish island located about 12 miles (19 km) off the western coast of Turkey just south of the Dardanelles (a narrow strait in northwestern Turkey connecting the Aegean Sea with the Marmora Sea). The island’s ancient name was Tenedos, and its strategic location in the Aegean Sea at the entrance of the Dardanelles Straits was ideal to guard the city of Troy just to the north. When approaching Bozcaada’s eastern coast on the ferry from the mainland, the island’s terrain is unimpressive and barren.  Offsetting this bleakness is the characteristic Greek whitewashed town of Bozcaada with its narrow streets and its impressive fortress. The outdoor harbor area is a pleasant place for tea, next to sailboats, and further out, great ocean going ships in queue to pass to Istanbul. There is a wide availability of hotel accommodation for all price ranges.  The town has a bank, an ATM, a few markets, and an internet café (expect slow connections and short working hours).

Traveling To Constantinople - A Greek Tourist’s Impressions Visiting Istanbul - It was Wednesday December the 15th, 2004, when my friend Yiota called me up in the office. “What are you doing for New Year’s Eve?” she asked, me and my mind just thought about another social engagement for the Season. “Nothing much” I replied, since my boyfriend had just left to spend the Holidays with his family in the States, I was telling myself that no matter what, I would go with the flow and confront the usual Holiday blues with a sense of positivism… “Well, how about us going to Constantinople”, Yiota said, with hesitation coloring her voice. “Constantinople ??? When are we going, dear?”, I said, with a sense of excitement in my voice now. “Well, from December the 28th till January the 2nd…” “OK, let’s do it! I have a Holiday leave during those exact same days, so it’s a deal!!!” I finally told my friend, putting a big smile on my face, for the unexpected yet, thrilling arrangement which was about to follow! For the Greek people, the Byzantine Empire has always been a part of our cultural heritage and the glorious capital of the late Empire was Constantinople!

Montenegro - Tanja's Unconventional Guide - by Tanja Bulatovic - There are places in this world almost too good to write about. Like precious jewels, unpolished and raw they sit proudly in the quiet knowledge of their own self-worth without needing to blow their own trumpet. With a surface of only 13 800 Km2 and a population of 600 000, Crna Gora, as the locals call her (meaning Black Mountain) is the size of a postage stamp. And yet, this UNESCO protected nature lover’s paradise packs plenty of punch. Diverse landscapes, rugged terrain, dramatic gorges, spectacular rivers, striking fjords and a picture postcard coastline. There are 250km of beach (pebbles and sand), National parks and ski resorts, all complimented by the turquoise hue of the Adriatic Sea. The average temperature is 25°C in summer, with 230 days of sunshine per year. Yet herein lies the challenge. I’m speaking about my original homeland and so I have a lot of people to answer to, however, I also want to be honest, as presenting you with a sugar-coated version of the place serves nobody.

Want to Live in Europe? – Consider Corsica  - When most people think of France, they probably imagine the hexagonal country mashed in the middle of continental Europe and its stunning capital city Paris.  Although this does make up the most populous bulk of the country, France also consists of many overseas territories (Guadeloupe, Tahiti, etc.) as well as one of the largest, most beautiful islands in the Mediterranean Sea:  Corsica (”La Corse”). The French call Corsica  ”l’Ile de Beauté” (the island of beauty) and it truly is a place of inspiring landscapes and stunning geography.  Unlike the French Riviera which has basically turned into one gigantic strip of unbridled concrete sprawl, the Corsican coastline is still virtually unspoiled, with limited construction allowed only in major cities or very small fishing towns that have been there for centuries.  In fact, if you try to build a vacation house too close to the coastline in Corsica, it is actually not an uncommon occurrence for the local Corsican populace to blow it up during the off season.

More Articles On Living & Investing In Turkey Recent Articles On Living & Investing In Turkey  - Escape From America Magazine Recent Articles On Living & Investing In Turkey  - Expat Daily News

More Articles On Living & Investing In Turkey - and thousands of articles on living and investing overseas in countries around the world; including numerous articles on international real estate - Most of our articles start in our international relocation magazines; but we keep them in an archive so that visitors can access them - -  access is free, and free is a very good prices - Click here to visit our relocation reference library - This library is filled with facts, contacts, suggestions, inside information & offshore information, artist havens & tax havens ....  We sincerely hope you make your escape and that you find your Shangri La, or your Shangri Lil ... and that special place in the world that sets your heart on fire... We're willing to show you the routes