.........................Turkey
Istanbul, once the capital of the Byzantine and the Ottoman Empires straddles the Bosporus strait, with one foot in Europe the other in Asia. It deserves at least a five day stay in order to fully immerse yourself in its history, and see all of its exquisite architectural wonders. A must visit is to the Grand Bazaar, one of the oldest covered markets in the world. It covers 61 streets, and includes 4,000 shops and stalls. Choose yourself a beautiful handmade leather bag, smell the heady scents from the mountains of spices, find yourself a hand loomed colourful kilim, or some exotic food memento to take home. Last but not least visit the dramatic underground Basilica Cistern, mysterious, unexpected, and fascinating. Built in 532AD during the reign of Byzantine emperor Justinian 1, the cistern supplied water to the city. Yerebatan Sarayi, the Sunken Palace should not be missed.
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Pamukkale - It looks like winter but this is mid-summer. Travertine terraced basins straddle the plateau, and run down the hillsides of Pamukkale. Created over more than two millennia the hot mineral cascades transform calcium carbonate into travertine.  The fairy chimneys of Cappadocia are the result of thousands of years of natural weathering. Millions of years ago, massive volcanoes erupted in the region, depositing huge volumes of ash, and covering the entire landscape for thousands of miles. The hardened ash is called Tuff which over the centuries has been carved into houses, and even churches. The hotel we stayed in was carved out of Tuff - it was a magical experience.   click onto the yellow highlights if you would like to know more Discover the ancient cities of Myra and Simena here. (Myra now renamed Demre) is where the relics of St. Nicholas were purloined and taken to Bari.  The kingdom of Lydia  Konya - the cradle of Sufism and Whirling Dervishes  World renown Ephesus  and Laodicea This is just a token glimpse of some of the many treasures to be seen in Turkey. |
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