Five Movies to Watch Before Visiting Turkey

This blog post was updated on October 10, 2018.

When it comes to sitting down and watching a few flicks to help you get inspired and excited for upcoming travels, Turkey is one of the more difficult countries to create a watching list for.

But, if you’re willing to take part in a couple of foreign films, then the following films might just suffice!

Troy (2004):
Ok, so you just can’t avoid watching (or re-watching) Troy before visiting Turkey since you’ll have the opportunity to visit the ancient site of the famed city while traveling down the coast to Canakkale.  This 2004 movie, with major stars like Brad Pitt, Eric Bana and Orlando Bloom, takes viewers back in time to the historical significance that parts of Turkey have had across the centuries – both real and legend as Troy depicts.

Gallipoli (1981)
Gallipoli is of special significance to travelers from Australia, New Zealand and the UK since it is the site of the tragic battle during World War I.  You can take a trip to visit the sites of the battle as a day trip from Canakkale, also.  The Gallipoli movie is Australian made, and stars Aussie fave Mel Gibson, to portray a soldier during the event.

Murder on the Orient Express (1974)
The Murder on the Orient Express film is based off the Agatha Christie book.  It covers a mystery that took place on a train that was leaving Constantinople (current day Istanbul).  The movie involves a bit of Turkey, so it is worth a watch before heading to this country.

Crossing the Bridge: The Sound of Istanbul (2005)
This film is a music documentary produced by Fatih Akin in Istanbul.  The goal was to document and promote the sounds of the city, which was done by driving out with microphones and a mobile recording studio.  The film is 90 minutes long and features arabesque, indie rock and rap.

Istanbul Tales (2005)
This dramatic film sets together five intertwining tales in modern day Istanbul – each based on stories like Snow White, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Little Red Riding Hood and Pied Piper.  The film won several awards in Turkey when released and would be an excellent way to see various sides of the big city (and culture) before visiting.
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photo: chrisnattphoto