A Biography of a Place M. Settle Combining history, legend, mystery and myth, the author takes you on an unforgettable journey. Emphasis is placed upon art and architecture, history and culture, with excellent itinerary and shopping information. It is a delectable piece of literature, with descriptions of Turkey and its people that are simply exceptional. These days, the Islamic equivalents of the bluenoses and prohibitionists that often plague America are having it all their own way. As in some rural county in Kentucky or Tennessee, there will be plenty of alcohol all around you, but you may have to ask the man with the red nose if you want to find any.
Most small towns have at least one outdoor beer garden on an obscure side street.
In any case, the availability of beer will always provide a convenient index of the mood and morals of the place you're in. The fundamentalists may wish to get rid of bars altogether, but in the secular Turkish Republic they must be content trying to keep them out of sight, so that innocent lads who have not yet tasted beer need not suffer constant temptation.