Türkiye

Türkiye is the only country in the world with territory on two continents — Thrace in southeastern Europe and Anatolia in western Asia, separated by the Bosphorus Strait in Istanbul. The country has been home to some of the earliest human settlements on record (Gobekli Tepe in southeastern Turkey dates to 9600 BC), and has served successively as the heartland of the Hittite Empire, the Roman province of Asia Minor, the Byzantine Empire, the Seljuk sultanate and the Ottoman Empire. The physical evidence of those periods is layered throughout the country: Roman temples at Ephesus, Byzantine churches converted to Ottoman mosques in Istanbul, Seljuk caravanserais on the Anatolian plateau, and the rock-cut cave cities of Cappadocia.

The standard tour circuit from Malaysia covers Istanbul (two days), Cappadocia (two nights in the fairy chimney landscape, with the optional hot air balloon at dawn) and Pamukkale (the white calcium carbonate terraces above the ruins of the Greek spa city of Hierapolis). Some itineraries extend to Bursa — the first Ottoman capital, with the Grand Mosque and the Kozahan silk bazaar — before returning to Istanbul. Cappadocia’s underground cities, carved by early Christian communities to depths of 18 storeys, are among the most unusual archaeological sites accessible to visitors anywhere in the world. The Mausoleum of Atatürk in Ankara is on the standard route between Istanbul and Cappadocia for those who drive rather than fly.

Türkiye is a Muslim-majority country (approximately 99% of the population identifies as Muslim) and halal food is the default across all price points. Mosques are on every street; prayer times are publicly announced. The country operates on a secular government system established by Atatürk in 1923, which means alcohol is widely available in restaurants and tourist areas — but halal-only options are equally available and the standard in most local restaurants. Turkish e-Visa applications are required for Malaysian passport holders and should be completed online before travel. The best time to visit is April to June or September to November; Cappadocia in particular is cold in winter and extremely busy in summer.