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© Kuşadası @ Travel Turkey

Those who are planning travel to Turkey are not alone, as the nation's tourism industry continues to surge. This is attracting brands like Marriot International which are opening new hotels in the country, hoping to capitalize on the tourist wave.

Summer 2011 is expected to be extremely busy for Turkey, due to its winning combination of affordability, convenience and expanded air service from Europe. According to travel industry experts, every summer one country in particular proves to be especially popular, and 2011 is shaping up to be Turkey's year in the sun. But Marriot is betting that Turkey's dominance over major European travel destinations is not a short-lived phenomenon. The country's year on year tourism growth has been impressive and consistent since 2007. It welcomed 28.6 million vacationers last year, and that figure is expected to be easily surpassed in 2011.

© heydrienne

Throughout Turkey there will be many cultural events for both locals and tourists alike to enjoy in 2011. One of the most important of these events is an Istanbul travel tour called "Istanbul on the Trail of Evliya Celebi", which was established by the Istanbul City Culture and Tourism Directorate.

These city tours are coordinated by Istanbul historian Suleyman Faruk Goncuoglu, and they aim to guide people through the city of Istanbul as if they were being accompanies by the Ottoman travel writer himself. For those who love to walk and learn, and for those who want to feel envoeloped in the atmosphere that the works of Celebi invoke, then these tours will be very enticing. The tours start in the neighborhood near Unkapani where Celebi was born, in Kucukpazar. Participants will walk through the streets where he spent his childhood, and they will visit the mosque built by his great grandfather, Yavuz Er Sinan.

© Carol Beatriz

Istanbul has been the center of the Byzantine, Ottoman and Roman empires for about a little less than two scores. Therefore, it has been home to a very enriched civilization. Therefore, it is but practical that when you are in Turkey, to have yourself an Istanbul travel.

Where do you go then? Topkapi Sarayi is the Palace of Sultans from the beginning of the 15th century until the 19th century. Here you will see exquisite treasures such as 86-carat diamonds and magnificent chambers. Spice Bazaar, a shop that dates back to the 1600s, is popular to camel caravans. Here, you can purchase the very famous Turkish delight, saffron, and caviar, among others. And if there is but one mosque you can visit, it should be nothing else but the Rustem Pasa Mosque, where you will see a Mimar Sinan Ottoman jewelry box that has lived from the year 1516.