Motorcycle trip

Turkey

The best time for a Turkey motorcycle tour is from May to October. Beware, Turkey can get very hot in the summer. In Istanbul, a microclimate influenced by the sea and the Bosphorus makes the weather very changeable. The hot and humid summer is marked by thunderstorms, showers, and morning mists. Near the sea, it’s a typical Mediterranean climate, with hotter temperatures on the southern coast than on the northern coast. Featuring many reliefs, the climate varies greatly from one region to another, and inland, the climate is complex. Central Anatolia is marked by a continental and semi-desert climate. In summer, this vast plateau enjoys pleasant temperatures, with cool nights. Winters are very harsh in Anatolia. Further east, the high pastures are surrounded by mountains and snowy peaks, with the Taurus Mountains to the south and the Caucasus range to the north. For a motorcycle tour in Turkey, prefer spring and autumn. May and September are the most pleasant months for Turkey motorcycle tours.

Situated between Europe and Asia, Turkey is made up of Eastern Thrace on the European continent and Anatolia in Asia. The country borders Greece, Bulgaria, Syria, Iraq, Iran, Georgia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan. During a motorcycle trip in Turkey, you cross high plateau roads stretching nearly 1,500 km east to west. Beyond the Taurus Mountains lies Eastern Anatolia: Mesopotamia, Cilicia, Karamania. Turkey is a mountainous country with the Anti-Taurus mountain range to the north, housing Turkey’s highest peak, Mount Ararat, at 5,165 m altitude. Turkey has nearly 8,000 km of coastline and is surrounded by four seas. The Black Sea, the Mediterranean Sea forming the turquoise coast, the Sea of Marmara with the Bosphorus and Dardanelles straits marking the geographic boundaries between Europe and Asia, and the Aegean Sea facing a long rugged coastline. During Turkey motorcycle tours, you’ll discover this complex and diverse geography.

A Turkey motorcycle tour lets you step back in time and discover the fascinating history of this country. The Hittites, Greeks, and Romans successively shaped the history of Anatolia. The Roman Empire established its eastern capital there. Byzantium became Constantinople in 330. Christianity was established and became the pillar of the “Byzantine” empire along the trade routes to Asia. In the 6th century, Constantinople experienced a golden age. The Byzantine Empire stretched from the 4th to the 13th century until the Ottomans invaded Constantinople under Mehmet II in 1453. The Hagia Sophia Basilica then became a mosque, and Byzantium-Constantinople became Istanbul. Suleiman the Magnificent marked the 16th century as the Ottoman Empire extended around the Mediterranean, from Austria to the Red Sea, from the Persian Gulf to Algeria. But in the 17th century, the Ottoman Empire began its slow decline. In 1923, the Republic of Turkey was proclaimed, with Mustafa Kemal Atatürk becoming the first president. Turkey has been a NATO member since 1951. Since 2002, Turkey has undertaken many reforms to align itself with European standards.