While Turkey has become a go-to holiday destination for the hubbub of Istanbul, the sandy beaches of Bodrum and the magical views in Cappadocia, the country remains a trove of lesser-known spots for travellers eager to discover something new.
The rural towns and villages of the central Black Sea region seem like the perfect place to explore, boasting varied local cuisine, rich cultural history and some incredible natural attractions and landscapes, surrounded by lush farmland, mountains and forests on one side, and the sparkling sea on the other.
A 90-minute flight from Istanbul to Kastamonu is the easiest way to get there and serves as a perfect starting point for the journey. The town is situated in the valley between the Kure and Ilgaz Mountains, surrounded by farms abundant in peaches, sunflowers, hazelnuts, corn and black tea.
Before exploring Kastamonu proper, I made my way to the Horma Canyons in the Kure Mountains National Park, about an hour-and-a-half-long drive from the town, for a gentle morning hike. The park stretches over 34,000 hectares of forest land and features many canyons, karst caves, waterfalls, as well as rich flora and fauna.
The canyon has a 3.5-km trekking route of built wooden walkways, suspended over the flowing powder-blue river below and clinging to the rockface. The views are incredible, and while some of the heights are nerve-wracking, the waterfall and natural pools at the end of the trail are worth the effort.
Back in Kastamonu, it was time to explore the town’s local cuisine. The pastirma, beef cured with salt and spices, is a must try here. Many bakeries sit next to pastirma shops, allowing locals to buy their thinly sliced charcuterie and take it to the bakeries to fill folded flatbreads. The rich, savoury flavour, mixed with the sweet onions, garlic and fluffy stone-baked dough is a perfect breakfast or late-night snack.
Those with a sweet tooth can get their history and dessert in one go at the Yakup Aga Kulliyesi complex, a mosque that was renovated and expanded into a complex – adding a madrasa, soup kitchen, guesthouse and elementary school in 1547 – by Sultan Suleiman’s chief treasurer Yakup Aga.
In 2006, Yakup Aga Cekme Helva took over the derelict soup kitchen and opened a tiny helva workshop, crafting the sugar floss sweets loaded with pistachio, sesame or hazelnut by hand. If you go early in the day, you can buy these treats directly from the workshop window and watch the women making it fresh.
My next stop is the charming town of Safranbolu in the Karabuk province, named after its history of growing highly coveted saffron. The picturesque town, surrounded by pine forests, is filled with winding cobble-stoned streets, traditional wooden houses and locally made crafts sold at the Demirciler Bazaar in the town’s centre. Safranbolu has been under conservation since 1975 and entered the Unesco World Heritage List in 1994.
Wandering the streets, the scent of coffee drew me to the Turkish Coffee Museum, located in an Ottoman-era caravanserai. The small museum tells the story of Turkish coffee culture – included in the Unesco Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage 2013 – and showcases centuries-old coffee mills, mortars and coffee pots. Most importantly, it’s a fantastic place for a cup of rich coffee, served with local lokoum and a shot of rosehip cordial drink to cleanse the palate at the end.
Also unique to Safranbolu is a special style of lokoum – lighter in texture and less sweet. Alongside the regular cubes of Turkish delight known to most tourists, in Safranbolu, you can also try rolls of lokoum with nuts or chocolate ganache between the layers. Saffron, pomegranate, hazelnut and pistachio are among the most common flavors.
The best place to sample these sweets is Imren, a Turkish delight shop that has been open since 1942, with more than 25 flavours still using the original recipe. They also come up with new, modern seasonal flavours such as lavender, strawberry, and fig and hazelnut.
“We start by boiling sugar and flour, adding any nuts or flavourings, until it thickens and all water evaporates,” Imren's head chef Erdal Ozturk explains. “We then pour it into a tray and leave it to set for a whole day. It’s then ready to slice into cubes, dust with fine flour to stop it sticking together, and ready to eat. It’s been the same for four generations.”
Next on my list was a few days by the sea at the ancient coastal town of Amasra in the Bartin province. While tourists flock to Bodrum or Marmaris, locals spend their summers in Amasra for some sun, sand and fresh seafood.
The town’s name is derived from the Heraclean Queen Amastris, who ruled from her seat in ancient Amasra, previously known as Sesamus. The city is spread over a peninsular and an adjacent island connected by a single stone bridge, which was built in the ninth century – during the Byzantine Empire era – together with the Amasra Castle.
Walking along the bay, I stumbled upon the Amasra Museum, which is home to more than 1,000 artefacts. Even the yard is filled with ancient stone objects and weathered statues from the Hellenistic, Roman, Byzantine and Genoese periods. Most of the items were collected from the Amasra area, spotlighting the unassuming town’s rich history.
On the way out of Amasra, I stopped by the lava columns on the coast of Guzelcehisar Village, which is about 80 million years old, when the Black Sea’s volcanic activity was in full swing. Where the lava met the sea, hexagonal pillars formed in tiered walls, creating the seemingly man-made, yet completely natural cliffs.
I spent the afternoon walking alongside the beach, admiring the columns – a perfectly peaceful way to end a hectic, but very rewarding, journey through this less-travelled region of Turkey.
The specs
Engine: 8.0-litre, quad-turbo 16-cylinder
Transmission: 7-speed auto
0-100kmh 2.3 seconds
0-200kmh 5.5 seconds
0-300kmh 11.6 seconds
Power: 1500hp
Torque: 1600Nm
Price: Dh13,400,000
On sale: now
'The Lost Daughter'
Director: Maggie Gyllenhaal
Starring: Olivia Colman, Jessie Buckley, Dakota Johnson
Rating: 4/5
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
MATCH INFO
Liverpool 3
Sadio Man 28'
Andrew Robertson 34'
Diogo Jota 88'
Arsenal 1
Lacazette 25'
Man of the match
Sadio Mane (Liverpool)
Global Fungi Facts
• Scientists estimate there could be as many as 3 million fungal species globally
• Only about 160,000 have been officially described leaving around 90% undiscovered
• Fungi account for roughly 90% of Earth's unknown biodiversity
• Forest fungi help tackle climate change, absorbing up to 36% of global fossil fuel emissions annually and storing around 5 billion tonnes of carbon in the planet's topsoil
MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW
Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman
Director: Jesse Armstrong
Rating: 3.5/5
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Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
Price: From Dh1,700,000
Available: Now
New process leads to panic among jobseekers
As a UAE-based travel agent who processes tourist visas from the Philippines, Jennifer Pacia Gado is fielding a lot of calls from concerned travellers just now. And they are all asking the same question.
“My clients are mostly Filipinos, and they [all want to know] about good conduct certificates,” says the 34-year-old Filipina, who has lived in the UAE for five years.
Ms Gado contacted the Philippines Embassy to get more information on the certificate so she can share it with her clients. She says many are worried about the process and associated costs – which could be as high as Dh500 to obtain and attest a good conduct certificate from the Philippines for jobseekers already living in the UAE.
“They are worried about this because when they arrive here without the NBI [National Bureau of Investigation] clearance, it is a hassle because it takes time,” she says.
“They need to go first to the embassy to apply for the application of the NBI clearance. After that they have go to the police station [in the UAE] for the fingerprints. And then they will apply for the special power of attorney so that someone can finish the process in the Philippines. So it is a long process and more expensive if you are doing it from here.”
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Company Profile
Company name: Big Farm Brothers
Started: September 2020
Founders: Vishal Mahajan and Navneet Kaur
Based: Dubai Investment Park 1
Industry: food and agriculture
Initial investment: $205,000
Current staff: eight to 10
Future plan: to expand to other GCC markets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The specs
Engine: 3.8-litre twin-turbo V8
Power: 611bhp
Torque: 620Nm
Transmission: seven-speed automatic
Price: upon application
On sale: now
UAE SQUAD
Mohammed Naveed (captain), Mohamed Usman (vice captain), Ashfaq Ahmed, Chirag Suri, Shaiman Anwar, Mohammed Boota, Ghulam Shabber, Imran Haider, Tahir Mughal, Amir Hayat, Zahoor Khan, Qadeer Ahmed, Fahad Nawaz, Abdul Shakoor, Sultan Ahmed, CP Rizwan
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RACE CARD
5pm: Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan Racing Festival Purebred Arabian Cup Conditions (PA); Dh 200,000 (Turf) 1,600m
5.30pm: Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak Cup Conditions (PA); Dh 200,000 (T) 1,600m
6pm: Sheikh Sultan bin Zayed Al Nahyan National Day Cup Listed (TB); Dh 380,000 (T) 1,600m
6.30pm: Sheikh Sultan bin Zayed Al Nahyan National Day Group 3 (PA); Dh 500,000 (T) 1,600m
7pm: Sheikh Sultan bin Zayed Al Nahyan National Day Jewel Crown Group 1 (PA); Dh 5,000,000 (T) 2,200m
7.30pm: Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan Racing Festival Handicap (PA); Dh 150,000 (T) 1,400m
8pm: Wathba Stallions Cup Handicap (PA) Dh 100,000 (T); 1,400m
The National photo project
Chris Whiteoak, a photographer at The National, spent months taking some of Jacqui Allan's props around the UAE, positioning them perfectly in front of some of the country's most recognisable landmarks. He placed a pirate on Kite Beach, in front of the Burj Al Arab, the Cheshire Cat from Alice in Wonderland at the Burj Khalifa, and brought one of Allan's snails (Freddie, which represents her grandfather) to the Dubai Frame. In Abu Dhabi, a dinosaur went to Al Ain's Jebel Hafeet. And a flamingo was taken all the way to the Hatta Mountains. This special project suitably brings to life the quirky nature of Allan's prop shop (and Allan herself!).
The biog
Favourite Quote: “Real victories are those that protect human life, not those that result from its destruction emerge from its ashes,” by The late king Hussain of Jordan.
Favourite Hobby: Writing and cooking
Favourite Book: The Prophet by Gibran Khalil Gibran
Company%20Profile
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Key products and UAE prices
iPhone XS
With a 5.8-inch screen, it will be an advance version of the iPhone X. It will be dual sim and comes with better battery life, a faster processor and better camera. A new gold colour will be available.
Price: Dh4,229
iPhone XS Max
It is expected to be a grander version of the iPhone X with a 6.5-inch screen; an inch bigger than the screen of the iPhone 8 Plus.
Price: Dh4,649
iPhone XR
A low-cost version of the iPhone X with a 6.1-inch screen, it is expected to attract mass attention. According to industry experts, it is likely to have aluminium edges instead of stainless steel.
Price: Dh3,179
Apple Watch Series 4
More comprehensive health device with edge-to-edge displays that are more than 30 per cent bigger than displays on current models.
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Squid Game season two
Director: Hwang Dong-hyuk
Stars: Lee Jung-jae, Wi Ha-joon and Lee Byung-hun
Rating: 4.5/5
Rashid & Rajab
Director: Mohammed Saeed Harib
Stars: Shadi Alfons, Marwan Abdullah, Doaa Mostafa Ragab
Two stars out of five
