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DECEMBER (Aralik,
ah-rah-LUHK)
The
weather is chilly throughout
the country, though milder along
the Mediterranean coast.
You
must expect some rain, perhaps
heavy.
Kurban
Bayrami, Turkey's major
religious holiday, shuts down the
country during
a week in December in
2007 and 2008 (dates). Be
sure to plan for it! More...
There
are fewer visitors; museums may close
some exhibits for renovation, and
some small hotels may close for the
same reason. In rare years, the warmth
and pleasantness of a
good November will
stretch into early December.
Did
you know Santa Claus came
from Turkey? He's commemorated in
the St Nicholas Festival in
early December in the 4th-century
church of St Nicholas, in Demre/Myra,
near Antalya.
For
the first half of December,
the Rumi Commemoration Ceremonies (Seb-i
Aruz) in Konya honor Jelaleddin
Rumi (Mevlana), the great
Sufi poet and mystic who inspired
the foundation of the Mevlevi order
of Whirling
Dervishes during the time
of the Seljuk
Turkish Empire. Flights and
hotel rooms are in very high demand,
so I've teamed up with Argeus
Tourism & Travel to organize travel
programs to
make it easier for you to participate
in this unforgettable event. More...
(You
can see the dervishes whirl in Istanbul's Galata
Mevlevihanesi at any time of
year. Here's
the schedule.)
The Islamic minor
festivals of Asure falls
in December in 2009 and 2010. More...
January
November
Tom's
Almanac Homepage
Turkey's
Climate
When
to Go to Turkey
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