TURKEY: The Basics - Culture, Money, Shopping & Restrooms

Culture: Islam is the prominent religion in Turkey. The people in the northwestern and western coasts where we will be traveling are fairly liberal about their religion. Other religious minorities in the country include: Greek Orthodox, Armenian, Apostolic, Jews, Orthodox and Roman Catholics.  In spite of its large Muslim majority population, Turkey retains it's secular political structure with no declared state religion.

Language: The official language of Turkey is, drum roll please, that's right it is Turkish.  English is popular as a subject among students but their proficiency tends to be poor due to a lack of practice and exposure. When trying to communicate stick to simple words and avoid long sentences. When you are part of a tour group your guide will navigate for you, so communication should not be a problem.

Money: The Turkish Lira is the standard currency - Bank notes are issued in 5, 10, 20, 50, 100 and 200 lira, and coins are in 1 (very rare in circulation), 5, 10, 25, 50 kuruşes and 1 lira. Tourism-oriented industries in tourism-oriented towns, as well as shops where big amounts of money change hands, like supermarkets, generally accept foreign currency, but they will typically give you lower exchange rates then found at rates then found at exchange offices. Visa and Mastercard are widely accepted, American Express much less so. ATMs are available for obtaining Lira. Any major town has at least one ATM.

Bargaining:  You will want to try your hand at bargaining while in Turkey. If a merchant flatly refuses to bargain be gracious and do not press it. Otherwise do not pay the asking price. Keep in mind that store keepers in Turkey recognize that bargaining is not something that Americans are accustomed to doing, so they will not expect you to be good at it.  Learn to play the game... be patient and do not look overly interested. If you are patient enough the price will drop. Be aware that after your bargaining is complete if you attempt to pay with a credit card rather than cash the price may jump back up a bit, but you should still prevail to get a lower price then was originally offered.

Shopping: What to buy? Apart from classical tourist souvenirs like postcards and trinkets, here are a few sample items of what you may want to bring back home from Turkey.

• Leather items — Turkey is the biggest leather producer in the world, so the leather clothing and accessories are  cheaper than elsewhere. 

• Carpets and kilims — Many regions in Turkey produce handmade kilims and carpets. You may be offered special deals from street merchants or individuals inviting you to visit their stores. Be aware that the price you are offered will reflect the quality of the product.

• Silk — Dresses and scarves. 

• Earthenware — Handmade pottery is made of local salty clay from the Salt Lake (which is the second largest lake in Turkey). There may be opportunities to see these items being made. 

• Turkish delight and Turkish coffee — If you like these during your Turkey trip, don’t forget to take a few packages back home. 

• Many soaps are unique to Turkey. 

• Olive-based products— Try olive oil shampoos, olive oil based eau de colognes and olive desserts.

Public restrooms: - Public restrooms can be found in city squares or at a mosque (usually located in the corner of, or below the courtyard).  What you will most likely not find is toilet paper. The cultural norm is to clean yourself with water placed strategically nearby with a dipper. It is a good idea to carry your own small roll of TP or Kleenex if you do not want to learn this cultural norm. Please note that the plumbing is not designed to flush TP, carry it to a trash basket for disposal. When you finish you will be glad that you packed some hand sanitizer/wipes after your public restroom adventure.

Coghlan's 9177 Toilet Tissue - Pack of 2  - Amazon

Charmin To Go - Amazon

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