Reading list | Sea of Marmara

The Sea of Marmara, half the size of Wales, divides European and Asian Turkey. From the northeast come the waters of the Black Sea and the Bosphorus; to the southwest they run through the Dardanelles  to the Aegean. Around it is the Marmara, the smallest of the country's regions, and the most populace, as it includes Istanbul and all European Turkey as well as lands on the Asian side. A drive round the Sea takes you from the former Ottoman capital of Erdine across the Dardanelles to the equally illustrious cities of Bursa and Iznik. This was the Ottoman heartland. The region is also home to a surprising number of vineyards and wineries. We have divided the mainland areas into two separate regions: north Thrace  and South Marmara.