Greece and Turkey

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It might be easier to list things that can’t trace their origin to Greece and Turkey. When you travel here, the cradle of western civilization, you will come to understand how these lands could have inspired humanity’s greatest strides. Today, the energy of Athens and Istanbul stands in sharp contrast with the pristine tranquility of the Greek islands and the ancient rock dwellings of Cappadocia in Turkey. With one foot in the past and another in the future, Greece and Turkey are sure to capture your heart and engage your mind.

• History
• Fast Facts
• Holidays and Festivals
• Books
• Videos
• Weather
• Average Temperatures
• Tips
• Did you know?

History

Greece
The Minoan and Mycenaean civilizations were the first to flourish in ancient Greece, dating back to 3000 B.C. A Dark Age followed until around 800 B.C., when a new era, known as the “Golden Age” of Greek city-states, emerged. In the centuries that followed, Greek culture dominated the world, the first Olympic Games were held, and the groundwork for democracy was laid. The reign of Constantine XI and the toppling of his great city, Constantinople, by the Ottomans in the fifteenth century, marked the end of an era. Ottoman rule lasted until 1829, when Greece finally gained its independence.

During WWI, Greek soldiers fought with the Allies. After the war, the Greek soldiers were sent to Turkey to capture Smyrna in 1923 but were met with great opposition from Atatürk. Many Greeks were killed, and 1.3 million Christians were forced to seek refuge in Greece, putting a strain on their already weak economy. During WWII, Greece fell to Germany. Resistance sprang up and polarized into royalist and communist movements in a bloody civil war that lasted until 1949. In modern times, Greece has become a solid member of the European community, while its leadership has wavered between socialist and conservative political philosophies.

Turkey
Straddling the continents of Asia and Europe, Turkey has always been viewed as a strategic stronghold. A relatively young country, Turkey was not established until 1923 at the fall of the 600-year reign of the Ottoman Empire, although the Turks as a people date back hundreds of years. WWI hero, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk is hailed as the country’s founding father, taking up a fight for Turkish independence in 1919 and going on to lead the country through extremely tumultuous times. Atatürk instituted social, political and economic changes that set the ideological base for present-day Turkey. Even after a military coup in 1960, bloody civil clashes with ethnic Kurds, and a constant struggle for power at the highest levels, Turks still measure political decisions by the standard of Atatürk. A charter member of the United Nations, Turkey joined NATO in 1952 and is beginning down the long road to becoming a member of the EU.

Fast Facts

Greece Fast Facts
Capital: Athens
Population: 10.5 million
Language: Greek
Currency: Euro (EUR)
Time Zone: EST plus 7 hours
Electricity: 220V, 50Hz

Turkey Fast Facts
Capital: Ankara
Population: 60.5 million
Language: Turkish
Currency: Turkish new lira (TRY)
Time Zone: EST plus 7 hours
Electricity: 220V, 50Hz

Holidays and Festivals

Books

• Atatürk: The Biography of the Founder of Modern Turkey, by Andrew Mango
• Crescent and Star: Turkey Between Two Worlds, by Stephen Kinzer
• Dinner with Persephone: Travels in Greece, by Patricia Storace
• Looking for Osman, by Eric Lawlor
• Lords of the Horizons: A History of the Ottoman Empire, by Jason Goodwin

Videos

• Topkapi (1964)
• Zorba the Greek (1964)
• Gallipoli (1981)
• The First Olympics: Athens 1896 (1984)
• My Big Fat Greek Wedding (2002)

Weather

Greece and Turkey, for the most part, enjoy plenty of sunshine. The summers are hot and dry, while winter brings milder and wetter weather. As you go inward and upward, the climate becomes cooler, with Ankara receiving its fair share of snow each winter. Bring lightweight clothing from May to September. Other months are cooler and wetter, so pack warmer layers and rain gear. And, don’t forget beachwear if you’re heading to the coast.

Average Temperatures

Tips for Tipping

Greece
A service charge is automatically figured into the price of your meal in Greek restaurants, but it is customary to leave an additional 8 to 10 percent. During the Christmas and Easter holidays, an obligatory 18 percent holiday bonus is added to your bill for the waiters. Porters receive about €.60 per bag; in better hotels, maids get about €.60 per day.

Turkey
In general, a 10 to 15 percent charge is added to the bill at most Turkish restaurants. That does not necessarily mean that the surcharge finds its way to the wait staff, so be sure to leave an additional 10 percent on the table. Hotel porters expect the equivalent of $1 or $2, and the hotel maids about $2. At Turkish baths, the staff expects to share a tip of 30 to 35 percent of the bill. Don’t worry about missing them—they’ll be lined up expectantly on your departure.

Did you know?

• While Greek city-states were often at odds with each other, a sacred truce during the Olympic Games helped channel their hostile opposition into athletic competition instead.
• The Turks introduced coffee to Austria and tulips to the Dutch.
• The ancient Olympic festival lasted five days and included wrestling, chariot and horse racing, the pentathlon, and the pancratium (a vicious form of no-holds-barred boxing).
• The Greek national anthem includes a vocal-cord-straining 158 verses.
• Julius Caesar proclaimed his celebrated words, “Veni, Vidi, Vici” (I came, I saw, I conquered) in Turkey when he defeated the Pontus, a formidable kingdom in the Black Sea region of Turkey.
• The first known encyclopedias date back to ancient Greece between 500 and 323 B.C.

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