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@ Let’s Go Shopping
Sophia the complete begins her tour of "Turkey: Marmara 2". Merhaba nasılsınız!
Let’s Go Shopping
Aroma and colour surround the shopper. Neatly displayed wares entice the shopper to stop and take a look. A typical bazaar will offer jewelry, perfumes, metalwork, water pipes, rugs, hammam (Turkish bath) items, spices and so much more.

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@ Ceramic Plates, Bowls, Turkey
"Wasn’t it worth coming all this way, Sophia the complete," said Yozaria, "for this experience alone?"
Sophia the complete, admiring the scene they were now in, heartily agreed!
Ceramic Plates, Bowls, Turkey
A sea of colours and patterns greet the passerby. This stall in a bazaar offers an array of beautiful ceramic plates and bowls. It is almost a shame to imagine covering up these designs with food. You eat with your eyes first, so the presentation is as important as the taste.

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@ Design Showing Typical Architecture, Bursa, Turkey
"Turkey—the perfect choice for our travels this spring, Sophia the complete!" enthused Chester.
"Yup. That bazaar was incredible! I bought so many souvenirs I can't close my suitcase!"
"Oh! I was thinking more of its rich history, the Ottoman empire, architecture and so on," said Chester.
Sophia the complete selected a large chunk of lemon-flavoured Turkish Delight for herself, popped it in her mouth and offered the box to Chester. "Sure!" she said, a little indistinctly. "You know me, I love a bit of culture. As long as there's a nice gift shop at the end, I'm happy."
Design Showing Typical Architecture, Bursa, Turkey
This colourful design graces the wall of a building in Bursa, Turkey. It illustrates the typical architecture of buildings in Turkey. The Ottoman and Seljuk styles of architecture are two of the most respected styles in Turkey. In Seljuk design for family homes all the buildings, built of stone, surround an open courtyard while the Ottoman style of the family home is built of wood, is often two-story, and is a single standing structure.

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@ Turkish Handicrafts, Ceramic
"Chef's making Kabak mücveri tonight—Turkish courgette fritters, Dizzy!" announced Sophia the complete. "They're made with grated courgette, flour and eggs. You can choose to have white Turkish cheese and onions added, and herbs such as parsley, dill, or mint. The fritters are usually fried until golden."
"They sound fabo!" remarked Dizzy. "I'll have mine with a side serving of plain yogurt."
Turkish Handicrafts, Ceramic
The Turkish word for the potter's wheel is çömlekçi çark, and it came into use and is believed to have been invented in Mesopotamia around the 4th millennium BCE. Turkey is the world leader in ceramics, with a rich history of production and abundant resources it is the “land of ceramics”. Turkey has some of the world’s most sophisticated ceramic technology. Working with artists from around the world, Turkey can offer innovative designs that are beautiful and functional.

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@ Railway Track, Istanbul
"Next trivia question, Sophia the complete! Turkey has two places which are part of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. What are they?"
"No idea, Fred Bear!" said Sophia the complete cheerfully.
"They are the Temple of Artemis and Mausoleum of Halicarnassus."
Railway Track, Istanbul
The Istanbul-Ankara Railway is a 576.6 km (358.3 mi) stretch of track that connects Istanbul, Turkey’s largest city with Ankara the capital and second-largest city. Before the opening of the high-speed railway in 2009, the Istanbul-Ankara Railway was the busiest railway in Turkey.

A very dramatic black and white shot of one part of the track. It would be a lovely way to travel and see all the sites along the way.

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@ Paragliding
"Why do our hotel rooms have a black arrow on the ceiling, Sophia the complete?" asked Jack.
"Ooh, our tour guide explained that. It's called a qibla pointer, and it points in the direction of Mecca in Saudi Arabia."
Paragliding
Tekirdag is in the Marmara region of Turkey. Uçmakder, a neighbourhood connected to Sarköy in the district of Tekirdag, hosts a paragliding festival each year. A paraglider is a foot-launched, lightweight, free-flying glider aircraft. With one big sail/wing, to which are attached many suspension lines that control the airflow and shape of the wing. A paraglider flight can last for hours, and the distance can cover hundreds of kilometers.

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@ Ornately Furnished Room
"Turkey—the perfect choice for our travels this spring, Sophia the complete!" enthused Angel.
"Yup. That bazaar was incredible! I bought so many souvenirs I can't close my suitcase!"
"Oh! I was thinking more of its rich history, the Ottoman empire, architecture and so on," said Angel.
Sophia the complete selected a large chunk of lemon-flavoured Turkish Delight for herself, popped it in her mouth and offered the box to Angel. "Sure!" she said, a little indistinctly. "You know me, I love a bit of culture. As long as there's a nice gift shop at the end, I'm happy."
Ornately Furnished Room
The Turkish people were originally nomadic and lived in Tents/Yurts. Furniture had to be portable and sparse in order to be easily taken up when travelling. With the settling of people to one spot, though still sparse, furniture: shelves, cupboards were affixed to the walls of a house. With the passing of more time, and due to the influence of Europe, furniture became larger and more ornate.

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@ Turkey and Ankara, The Capital, Position On The Globe
Oh look ... you found a picturesque rock!
Turkey and Ankara, The Capital, Position On The Globe
Turkey is a predominantly mountainous country, situated partly in Asia and partly in Europe. The country from north to south is about 300 to 400 miles (480 to 640 km), and it stretches 1,000 miles from west to east. To the north of Turkey is the Black Sea, and on the southwest and west are the Mediterranean and Aegean Seas.

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@ Spice Of LIfe
"Hey, you should have joined Foxy and me for lunch at that café, Sophia the complete!" said snuggle.
"Oh, I couldn't resist that street exhibition. Anyway, what did you eat?"
"I had borek, a flaky pastry parcel filled with spinach, garlic and cheese, and served with yoghurt. It was yummy!"
Spice Of LIfe
Turkish cuisine is healthy and nutritious and relies on spices and herbs to bring out the flavours of the main ingredient rather than using sauces to cover up the flavour. Ground nuts such as pistachio are used in sweets such as baklava. Pistachio has a long shelf life and is also used medicinally. Some of the most commonly used spices and herbs are Cumin, Urfa Chilies, Zahter, Sumac, Mint, Parsley, Paprika. Whether used in a curry, a breakfast meal, or mixed with oil and used for dipping bread into, spices and herbs add flavour, colour, aroma, and many vitamins and other nutrients.

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@ Lamps, Bazaar, Istanbul
"Why do our hotel rooms have a black arrow on the ceiling, Sophia the complete?" asked Max.
"Ooh, our tour guide explained that. It's called a qibla pointer, and it points in the direction of Mecca in Saudi Arabia."
Lamps, Bazaar, Istanbul
Look at these beautiful lamps—they are like something out of a fairy tale. These would make great gifts for everyone back home if we can get them packaged up safely for travel. Maybe we can have them shipped.

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@ Lamps, Grand Bazaar, Istanbul
"Have you seen this in our travel guide, LoyaLloyd? It says 'Even though many associate tulips with The Netherlands, the flower was in fact brought to Europe from the Ottoman Empire. The flower, native to Turkey and Central Asia, became one of the most precious imports in the 1500s.'"
"That's amazing, Sophia the complete! We'll have to sing Tulips from Ankara!"
Lamps, Grand Bazaar, Istanbul
Turkish lamps are handcrafted using metal, usually, brass or bronze, worked in intricate ways, glass and small hand-cut glass tiles that will make up the design on the lamp. Each lamp is unique and can be considered a work of art. The mosaic lamp was the inspiration for Tiffany lamps.

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@ Cumalikizik, Bursa Province, Turkey
"Why do our hotel rooms have a black arrow on the ceiling, Sophia the complete?" asked Garth.
"Ooh, our tour guide explained that. It's called a qibla pointer, and it points in the direction of Mecca in Saudi Arabia."
Cumalikizik, Bursa Province, Turkey
A Unesco World Heritage Site, Cumalikizik is located at the foot of Mount Uludag in the Yildirim district, in the province of Bursa. The village has its roots in the Ottoman Empires' foundation period. The historical texture of the village has been well protected with the architectural structures of the early Ottoman period still intact. The famous Cumalikizik houses are made of wood, adobe, rubblestone (irregular rough stones used as fill, walls, and stepping stones). Most of the houses are triplex, with the windows upstairs generally being latticed bay windows. Cobblestone streets are very narrow with no room for sidewalks, and a typical medieval gutter runs down the center for rain and wastewater.

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@ Cumalikizik, Turkey, Close Up Of A Street
The 70-letter Muvaffaki-yetsizle-ştiricile-ştirivere-meyebile-ceklerimiz-denmişsinizcesine, or "as if you are one of those that we may not be able to disarm,” is thought to be the longest word in Turkish, an agglutinative tongue whose dialects are spoken across a swath of Asia all the way to western China. Yet Turkish is pretty easy to pick up, following a language reform in the 1920s that simplified the vocabulary and moved from the Arabic script to the Latin alphabet.
Cumalikizik, Turkey, Close Up Of A Street
A closer look at a narrow street in Cumalikizik. The sides of the cobblestone street are slightly sloped toward the center to allow rainwater and wastewater to run down the middle. Notice the solid walls of the houses—built using rough-cut stone in irregular shapes. These beautiful buildings were built around 1300, at the formation of the Ottoman Empire. A popular tourist destination, this 700-year-old village is one of the oldest of its kind. Interestingly most of the houses are lived in by locals.

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@ Bursa, In Winter
"Wasn’t it worth coming all this way, Sophia the complete," said Heleena, "for this experience alone?"
Sophia the complete, admiring the scene they were now in, heartily agreed!
Bursa, In Winter
Winter in Bursa, is between Dec. and Feb. with temperatures ranging from 57.4°F (14.1°C) and lows of 2ºC (35ºF). Uludag, Bursa is home to the most popular ski resort in Turkey. Sledding, skiing, snowmobiling, are all popular sports in the winter. The beautiful landscape with freshly fallen snow will make you want to take many pictures.

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@ Village House, Bursa, Turkey
Oh look ... you found a picturesque rock!
Village House, Bursa, Turkey
A traditional house in Bursa. Some of the houses are 700 years old and still in use today, a testament to how well built they are. Rough-cut stones and timber make up the walls and give a feeling of permanence and sturdiness. Local natural materials blend well with the landscape.

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@ Uludai Mountain, Bursa Province
"Would you like a piece of Turkish Delight, Sophia the complete?" queried Paxton.
"Teşekkür ederim, Paxton!" responded Sophia the complete.
"Önemli değil!"
Uludai Mountain, Bursa Province
Mount Uludai, which means Big Mountain, is an ancient extinct volcano once regarded as the Olympus of Mysia—known in mythology as the place where the gods watched the Trojan war. Mount Uluda? has an elevation of 2,543 m (8,343 ft). Skiing on the lightly treed mountain is in the intermediate range.

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@ Istanbul, Watercolour Sketch
"Why do our hotel rooms have a black arrow on the ceiling, Sophia the complete?" asked Peridot.
"Ooh, our tour guide explained that. It's called a qibla pointer, and it points in the direction of Mecca in Saudi Arabia."
Istanbul, Watercolour Sketch
This beautiful watercolour sketch done with great detail would be a lovely addition to your pet's art gallery.

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@ Field of Poppies, Canola, Orhangazi, Bursa
"Chef's making Kabak mücveri tonight—Turkish courgette fritters, Specks!" announced Sophia the complete. "They're made with grated courgette, flour and eggs. You can choose to have white Turkish cheese and onions added, and herbs such as parsley, dill, or mint. The fritters are usually fried until golden."
"They sound fabo!" remarked Specks. "I'll have mine with a side serving of plain yogurt."
Field of Poppies, Canola, Orhangazi, Bursa
While my pets and I were visiting Orhangazi, Bursa, near Lake Iznik (Turkish: Iznik Gölü). We had set out for a day of sightseeing. We learned about the olive production in the area that was so important to the economy—they even have an olive festival. Our feet and paws were getting tired when we saw this field of Poppies and Canola—the sight was so soothing we rested amongst the flowers and listened to the bee's drone as they worked. What a pleasant way to end our sightseeing.

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@ Sunset Over Istanbul
"'Agriculture is the main occupation of the majority of the Turkish population, as almost half the country consists of agricultural land. Historians believe that many agricultural systems originated in Turkey. Due to its fruitful soil, favourable climate and plentiful rainfall, in terms of food production, Turkey is one of the few self-sufficient countries in the world,'" read lily from the brochure.
"Sounds great!" enthused Sophia the complete.
Sunset Over Istanbul
It doesn't matter where in the world you travel—you are sure to see some dramatic skies as night draws in. Cloud formations and colours in the sky can change rapidly, so keep that camera clicking.

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@ Ship, Coast Of Istanbul
“Hey, have you seen what the next stop is, Sophia the complete?” said Mulrey. "It looks fantastic!"
"I'll get my camera ready," said Sophia the complete.
Ship, Coast Of Istanbul
What an amazing view. About 41,000 vessels of all sizes pass yearly through the Istanbul Strait, 8,000 of them being tankers carrying crude oil. Cruise ships dock at Galataport which is located on the shores of the Galata, Karakoy and Tophane neighbourhoods, at the entrance of Bosphorus.

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@ Baklava
"Why do our hotel rooms have a black arrow on the ceiling, Sophia the complete?" asked samx295.
"Ooh, our tour guide explained that. It's called a qibla pointer, and it points in the direction of Mecca in Saudi Arabia."
Baklava
Baklava is a sweet treat that originated in the Ottoman Empire. Baklava is created by spreading melted butter on each thin layer of filo dough and building up the layers, adding chopped pistachio, almond, or hazelnut layers in between. The baklava is cut before cooking. After baking, a syrup of honey, rosewater, or orange flower water is brushed over the top and allowed to soak into the pastry. There are regional variations, sometimes walnuts are used or cardamom, cinnamon. A truly delicious treat.

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@ The Yavuz Sultan Selim Bridge
Oh look ... you found a picturesque rock!
The Yavuz Sultan Selim Bridge
The Yavuz Sultan Selim Bridge spans the Bosphorus/Strait Of Istanbul and is the third tallest bridge in the world. The bridge is also one of the world's widest suspension bridges at 58.4 meters (192 ft) wide. The foundation stone was laid in 2013 and opened for traffic in 2016.

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@ The Bosphorus Bridge
The 70-letter Muvaffaki-yetsizle-ştiricile-ştirivere-meyebile-ceklerimiz-denmişsinizcesine, or "as if you are one of those that we may not be able to disarm,” is thought to be the longest word in Turkish, an agglutinative tongue whose dialects are spoken across a swath of Asia all the way to western China. Yet Turkish is pretty easy to pick up, following a language reform in the 1920s that simplified the vocabulary and moved from the Arabic script to the Latin alphabet.
The Bosphorus Bridge
Known officially as the 15 July Martyrs Bridge, unofficially as the First Bridge. This is one of three suspension bridges that span the Bosphorus. Completed in 1973 this bridge was the fourth-longest suspension bridge in the world, now it ranks 33rd.

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@ Fireworks Over Istanbul
"It's turned a bit hot, Sophia the complete. I'm going to put my sunhat on," said Hershel.
"Good scheme! I'll dig mine out as well," said Sophia the complete.
Fireworks Over Istanbul
Dazzling flowers of light explode in the air above the Bosporus shores, most likely a New Year's Eve celebration. New Year’s Day in Turkey is a national holiday. If you or your pets are sensitive to loud noise, you may want to watch fireworks from further away or from inside a building.

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@ Traditional Turkish Coffee Cup
As Sophia the complete's tour of "Turkey: Marmara 2" comes to an end, she receives a wonderful gift!
Grey Mountains, Craggy Peaks
Jagged, steep, rounded, tree-filled or bare, snow-covered or subject to torrential rains—mountains are an outstanding feature on the landscape, they draw the eye, they inspire artists and climbers. Mountains affect the weather and can enclose an area of land creating valleys that are rich agricultural areas. Poems are written about mountains. Mountains are a haven for eagles and many forms of wildlife.

These marvellous mountain decorations will be perfect in your art slides whether you are making a mountain retreat for yourself or a home for your pets. Perhaps you have a pet who has always dreamed of going on a climbing expedition and making it to the top of the highest mountain. Used singly as a point of interest, or in multiples to create a whole mountain range, let your imagination soar.
Traditional Turkish Coffee Cup
A traditional coffee cup called “fincan” with a lid to keep the coffee warm and a sugar bowl. Turkish coffee is thick and strong, prepared by adding finely ground coffee beans to water with some sugar, and bringing it to just before the boil. The liquid is poured, the ground as well, into small cups.
Sophia the complete has completed her tour of "Turkey: Marmara 2"! Please select another pet as visitor, so it can also tour Scandinavia!