Rich in history, art, and culture, Turkey is where Asia and Europe meet, all combined to make a fascinating vacation destination. But Turkey has a complex history, and if you really want to get under the skin of this intriguing country, then reading books set in Turkey is a great place to start. The novels below will help you dig below the surface of tourist brochures and vacation posters, deepening your understanding of this beautiful and exciting country. Why not give them a try before embarking on your travels?
‘Birds Without Wings’ by Louis de Bernieres
Through the eyes of the residents of a small town in southwestern Turkey, this novel tells the story of how modern Turkey was created in the early 20th century. Through ordinary men and women, characters you will love, you will be able to witness the collapse of the Ottoman Empire and the new secular state that emerges. This is a book that tour guides often recommend, to help people understand a little more about the history of their country.
‘The Palace of Fleas’ by Elif Shafak
The city of Istanbul is a character unto itself in this delightful novel about the residents of the Bonbon Palace. Through the lives of the residents of the ten dilapidated apartments, we have a portrait of modern Turkish society.
‘Enlightenment’ by Maureen Freely
Set in 2005, this political thriller tells the story of former American patriot Jeannie Wakefield, whose husband is arrested for ties to terrorism. As the story is investigated by an investigative journalist, it transports us to 1970s Istanbul and the following decades of political turmoil. The novel traces actual historical events as it offers a picture of the complex politics and society of modern Turkey, as well as shedding light on the background of current Turkish-American relations.
Alan Drew’s ‘Water Gardens’
On August 17, 1999, northwestern Turkey was hit by a powerful earthquake that killed an estimated 17,000 people and left nearly half a million homeless. This novel is the story of a Kurdish family during that earthquake and its aftermath, as they struggle to rebuild their lives and keep their culture intact between the challenges of living in a refugee camp, the influence of forbidden love, and the relentless despair of their own. grievance.
‘The Museum of Innocence’ by Orhan Pamuk
A list of novels about Turkey would not be complete without a book by Nobel Prize winner Pamuk. Like most of his books, Innocence is a strong and challenging read, but this obsessive love story offers a wonderful glimpse of the emerging modernity of 1970s Istanbul. A brief fling with his young cousin leads 30-year-old Kemal into a lifelong obsession with the memory of his relationship. He begins collecting mundane objects for a museum in honor of his love, and his life goes on as if nothing else matters. In a wonderful combination of fact and fiction, you will soon be able to visit the real Pamuk “Museum of Innocence” that he is currently building in Istanbul, a place where he intends to display a collection of everyday objects that he has accumulated throughout his life. lifetime.
So if you’re itching to get on that plane to explore Turkey as soon as possible, start early with these novels. I can guarantee you that as you walk through the markets of Istanbul or sit by the Bosphorus Strait watching all the activity, there will be many moments when the characters in these novels will feel as if they are right next to you.