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Akmerkez - İSTANBUL |
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| İstanbul frequently hosts important international sports activities, too. The Bosphorus and Princes’ Islands are among ideal places for sailing. The city is an international yachting center with its fully developed facilities such as Ataköy, Kalamış and Fenerbahçe marinas. |
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| Kilyos and Şile are holiday resorts around İstanbul known for their beaches. As for Polonezköy, it is a place where the Polish immigrants arrived and settled in the 19th century, and is an ideal place of relaxation surrounded by woods. The Belgrade Forest, a National Park, is recognized as the “Lungs of İstanbul”. The Atatürk Arboretum and the aqueducts remaining from the Ottoman era are also worth visiting. Silivri and Kemer, on the other hand, house expansive golf fields. |
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 Kocaeli-Sakarya and Hannibal’s Tomb: Kocaeli, an industrial city, is connected to İstanbul by an overland route. It is full of orchards and vegetable gardens. In the city which was known as “Nicomedia” in the Roman era and also in its vicinity, there are many historical works remaining from the |
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Ottoman era. Close by the city is Hereke, a town famous for carpet weaving. As for Gebze, located on the northern shores of the Marmara Sea, it has rich historical assets including the Carthaginian commander Hannibal’s tomb. Sakarya city, with its extensive plains and fertile lands for agriculture, is also an industrial center. In ancient times, the residents of this city were known for their beauty. As a matter of fact, Sabina, the wife of the Roman Emperor Hadrian renowned for her beauty, was raised in this region before she went to Rome as a bride. |
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| A Paradise of Sunflower Fields and Vineyards: The fertile land of Thrace, which constitutes the European part of Turkey, is generally covered with sunflower fields and vineyards. A foreigner coming from Europe and entering Turkey from its western gate, Edirne, first comes across Selimiye Mosque, a masterpiece of Turkish architecture. The renowned traditional Kırkpınar wrestling competitions are held annually as summer commences, in a wooded area called Sarayiçi. |
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Tekirdağ located on the west of the Thrace has wide beaches. |
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