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Best places to visit in Turkey

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Turkey is an Eurasian country that stretches across the Anatolian peninsula in southwest Asia and the Balkan region of southeastern Europe. It borders eight countries: Bulgaria to the northwest, Greece to the west, Georgia to the northeast, Armenia, Azerbaijan (the Nakhichevan exclave), and Iran to the east, Iraq and Syria to the southeast. It borders the Mediterranean Sea to the south, the Aegean Sea to the west, and the Black Sea to the north. Turkey also contains the Sea of Marmara, which is used by geographers to mark the border between Europe and Asia.

Strategically located at the center of Turkey's highway and railway networks, Ankara is the capital city as well as an important commercial center. The city is famous for many things including the long-haired Angora goat and its prized wool (mohair), a unique breed of cat (Angora cat), white rabbits and their prized wool (Angora wool), pears, honey, and the region's Muscat grapes. Not least, Ankara is also known for the many universities it is home to, including some of the most prestigious in the country.

One of the most historically significant cities in the world, Istanbul has been known as Byzantium and later Constantinople at different times. It is Turkey’s most populous city as well as its cultural and financial hub. The city was chosen as joint European Capital of Culture for 2010 and the "Historic Areas of Istanbul" were added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1985. Istanbul holds some of the finest institutions of higher education in Turkey including Istanbul University, which is the oldest Turkish educational institution in the city and Istanbul Technical University, the world's second-oldest technical university dedicated entirely to engineering sciences.