Expert traveller, Philip McCluskey tells all about visiting Turkey in his three-part Turkey Trip Guide. 

Tips & what you need to know when visiting Turkey

• Be prepared for a good-natured invasion of your space.  Turks are friendly and affectionate, and don't have the imaginary lines delineating personal space that we have here in the States.
• Although you are not as likely to see prostrate Muslims on prayer rugs as you would in other countries, Turks do take their religion seriously. Always be respectful when visiting mosques, and take some time to read up on Islam's traditions and culture.
• Someone, somewhere, is going to try to sell you a rug.  If you're not interested, simply be friendly but firm. After they've done their pitch there's a good chance that they'll invite you to their shop for tea, and you'll walk away with a new friend. 
• Always pay back gracious convenience store owners when they give you drinks for free.  They'll have forgotten about it, but they'll appreciate it just the same, giving you a hearty "Tesekkur ederim" (thank you) as you walk out the door.

Start from the beginning of Philip's Turkey Trip Guide with Part 1: Visiting Turkey: Why visit and when to go.

Looking to book a trip to Turkey? Check out the TripAtlas.com Trip Builder where you can request a quote from over 104,000 travel agents who are ready to offer you the best prices on your trip.

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