A reading list of travelogues and guides on Turkey

The oldest travel account on this list is "Journey to the Orient," written by Gérard de Nerval and first published in 1851. This historical account by this Romantic-era French writer and poet's journey to Cairo, Beirut, and Constantinople in 1842 is a travelogue of sorts that reaps in orientalism, legends and history.

"The Towers of Trebizond," is a semi-autobiographical travelogue penned by an early 20th century prolific British writer by the name of Rose Macaulay in 1956. The final and most successful of her 35 books, this part travelogue, part novel takes its reader through the backlands of a developing modern Turkey with a group of eclectic travel companions who head from Istanbul to legendary Trebizond, now present-day Trabzon. Along this not so classic camel ride adventure, they come across a variety of hilarious complications and characters, including magicians, journalists and Turkish police officers.

"A Woman of Singular Occupation," a historical novel written in 1988 by English author Penelope Gilliatt, follows the wife of the French Ambassador to Turkey as she travels on the Orient Express to Istanbul where she sets up home along the Bosporus. Gilliatt, an Oscar nominee for the screenplay adaptation of her novel "Sunday Bloody Sunday" takes her readers on a romantic adventure of traveling to Turkey and residing in Istanbul.

"Turkish Reflections: A Biography of a Place," first published in 1991 and written by Mary Lee Settle, an American writer who won the 1978 national book award for her novel "Blood Tie," which is also based in Turkey, is also a personal recollection of an expat. Combining history with adventure, this literary gem takes the reader through a journey of Turkey's vast landscape and legacies.

"On Freedom Street," a 2008 novel by Yesho Atil, takes us through the travels of a Turkish boy named Mehmet from the snowy mountain village of his birth to the warm Mediterranean city of Adana, where he begins his first job and meets a series of interesting female figures. Although born in Ankara, Atil moved to the United States at the age of 11 where she went on to earn a BA and MFA from the University of Alabama.

"Neither Here Nor There," written by the best-selling humorous travel writer Bill Bryson, is a hilarious travelogue of his backpacking trip through Europe to Istanbul in 1990, equipped with flashbacks to the seventies. Although the majority of his adventure takes place in mainland Europe following the Northern lights, the final destination of Istanbul nearly inspires this prolific and popular writer to keep on going.

It goes without saying that Nobel Laureate Orhan Pamuk's "Istanbul: Memories and the City" is the most famous novel written about the city. Published in 2005 and translated by acclaimed writer Maureen Freely, Pamuk recalls his own childhood growing up in Istanbul in this literary heavyweight. There are a number of Turkish writers who detail the city in magnificent splendor in a series of literary works including, but certainly not limited to "Flea Palace" by Elif Şafak and "Istanbulites" by Buket Uzuner. Both literary masters in their own right, Buket Uzuner was actually first known for her travelogues, including her 1998 "The Travel Notes of a Brunette," which made her a bestselling author. My own personal favorite destination novel however is from Turkey's in-house and amazing crime and thriller novelist Ahmet Ümit. Although all of his novels are of the type you can't put down, his 2008 "Dervish Gate," which is based in Konya and the world of Rumi all from the perspective of a foreign female protagonist by the name of Karen Kimya Greenwood is my personal favorite. His 2012 "A Momento for Istanbul" is also a thrilling tale, which moves back and forth through time, from the early days of Byzantium to the thriving metropolis of Istanbul.

For a taste of Turkish literature based on place, both "The Book of Istanbul: A City in Short Fiction," published in 2010 and "Aeolian Visions/Versions: Modern Classics" and "New Writing from Turkey," released just last year, are anthologies of contemporary Turkish writers giving insight into both the country and the perspective of its native writers.

"City Pick Istanbul," edited by Heather Reyes and published in 2013 as part of a series released in the U.K. is the ideal book lovers guide to Istanbul as it contains a priceless compilation of snippets and excerpts focusing on this magnificent city from more than 60 authors from writings spanning back as early as the 1700s to present-day.

"Istanbul: The Collected Traveler: An Inspired Companion Guide," released in 2009, is part of a series of unique travel guides edited by Barrie Kerper, which are intended to offer a more intimate viewpoint of places traveled as well as advice and opinions in an anthology of writings by various authors interlaced with the editors own experiences and insight.

"Telling Tales from Turkey," written by Tina Caba, Ros Elliott-Ozlek and Celia Gasgil in 2013 gives a vivid portrait of daily life in Turkey along with all of the trials and tribulations of being an expat, from the perspective of these three female British writers. Equipping readers with advice and practical guidelines to surviving the transition, this is an amusing and charming read for anyone, who like the authors, has made this country their second home.

"A Traveller's History of Turkey" is part of a series of historical travel guides written by Richard Stoneman. Published in 2006, this historical guide gives a detailed account of the country's ancient history starting from prehistoric times and how its marks are still evident today.

"Magic Bus: On the Hippie Trail from Istanbul to India" written by Rory McLean in 2007 takes us back to the 1960s when the hippie generation, inspired by Beat writers and the Beatles, would blaze the "hippie trail" from Istanbul to Kathmandu. This British-Canadian travel writer retraces the overland path from Turkey to Iran and on to India and Nepal, meeting trail veterans and locals as he relives the adventures of the past while witnessing the transformation of this stunning landscape.

As for travel guides themselves, in addition to the indispensable"Lonely Planet," "Time Out," and "Blue Guide, Rick Steves' Istanbul" offers candid and comical advice and insight by this famous seasoned world traveler. The ultimate guide to the city, aptly named "Istanbul: The Ultimate Guide" is a visionary masterpiece written by Saffet Emre Tonguc and Pat Yale. Published in 2010, the stunning hardback edition is a coffee table book classic everyone should own a copy of. Each page contains multiple gems, legends and insight into the city and valuable information compiled in a compelling read, with beautiful pictures to boot!

This list goes out in honor of Cevat Şakir Kabaağaçlı, otherwise known as "The Fisherman of Halicarnassus", who is actually Turkey's most famous travelogue and whose birthday was on April 17, 1890. Known for his deep love of Bodrum, he was a beloved writer, ethnographer and traveler. You can read all about him in "The Fisherman of Halicarnassus: The Man Who Made Bodrum Famous," written by Roger Williams and published in 2013.