top of page

Not a Travel Guide: Türkiye’s Hidden Charms in Turkish Travel Illustrations No One Talks About

  • Writer: Roza Aksoy
    Roza Aksoy
  • Jul 4
  • 2 min read
Two framed watercolor prints on a wooden floor: one showing Turkish coffee in a traditional cup with cezve, the other showing Turkish tea in a tulip glass.
Turkish coffee in a traditional cup with cezve, Turkish tea in a tulip glass

It started with a cat.

Not just any cat — a very confident tabby sitting on my chair in a café in Kadıköy, sipping the sun and refusing to move.

I asked the waiter what to do.He shrugged: “It’s her table now.”

That was lesson one:In Türkiye, cats have rights. More than you.


Türkiye is made of small things that matter big.

It’s in the sound of spoons hitting tulip-shaped tea glasses. It’s in the smell of sesame simit carts at 6 a.m. It’s in the man yelling “Balık! Taze balık!” even though you’re clearly not shopping for fish.

And it’s in the quiet.The gentle call to prayer echoing through alleys at sunset.A soft breeze off the Bosphorus.A grandmother slipping an evil eye bead into your palm “just in case.”

Framed watercolor illustration of a blue evil eye bead (Nazar Boncuğu) hanging on a plain beige wall, representing protection and Turkish tradition.
 A blue evil eye bead (Nazar Boncuğu) , representing protection and Turkish tradition

Some cities impress you. Türkiye remembers you.

  • Istanbul is full of contradictions: modern and ancient, calm and chaos. Seagulls fly louder than traffic. Stray cats nap in bookstores. You get lost on purpose.

  • Konya spins slowly — not just because of the Sufi dervishes, but because time feels sacred there.

  • Gaziantep is sweet. Literally. It’s the baklava capital of the world, and they take their pistachios very seriously.

  • Izmir is all breeze, olives, sandals and sarcasm. A coastal city that feels like it’s winking at you.

Two framed prints on a floor: one featuring a red fez, the other a whirling dervish — symbolizing Turkish tradition and culture.
A red fez & a whirling dervish — symbolizing Turkish tradition and culture

And then there are the symbols

You won’t find them on guidebooks. But they’re everywhere once you start noticing:

🧿 The evil eye bead hanging from taxi mirrors and baby strollers

🥐 The simit ring balanced on a street seller’s head

☕ The moka-pot-shaped cezve brewing bitter Turkish coffee

🎭 The whirling dervish, turning prayer into poetry

🥃 The raki glass, filled with cloudy anise and blurry wisdom

🗼 The Galata Tower, standing tall while watching centuries flow by

🐦 The seagull, who might rob you of your bread, but never your awe

Two framed prints placed side-by-side on a wooden floor: one featuring a Yeni Rakı glass, the other the Galata Tower of Istanbul.
A Yeni Rakı glass & the Galata Tower of Istanbul

I didn’t plan to turn this into art. But Türkiye had other ideas.

I came home with 1,000 photos, 20 half-written journal entries, and a head full of colors I didn’t want to lose.

So I painted them.

Fifteen Turkish Travel Watercolor illustrations — tiny symbols, huge soul.Not tourist shots. Just real life in soft brushstrokes.

Each piece in the set is a love letter to something you might walk past and not notice —But once you do, you’ll never forget.

Hand holding a print of a watercolor seagull (martı) illustration, representing the spirit of Istanbul by the sea.
The seagull in Istanbul

You can explore the full set here (15 Turkish Travel Illustration):

Where to Find These Turkish Travel Illustrations:

It’s printable, downloadable, and made to bring a little piece of Türkiye into your home, wherever you are.


Final thought?

Some countries show you things.Türkiye gives you things: Tea, stories, sun, connection — and if you’re lucky, a cat who shares your seat.

 
 
 

Comments

bottom of page