Some of the Many Reasons Turkey Should Be On Your Travel Bucket List

Turkey is a country unlike any other – it straddles two continents and has been witness to some of the most tumultuous epochs of history over the ages. While it is proud of its traditions and heritage, it is also very much a modern, secular nation. The week I recently spent in Turkey seemed inadequate. I returned with a keen appreciation for the people - it is a remarkably equal society where we saw neither the very poor nor the very wealthy - and plenty of memories to cherish:

The capital city was about 50,000 people at one point and then it was made into the country’s capital city for strategic reasons. It is now a clean, orderly, planned, modern city that embraces its tradition and its modernity; home to 4.5 million people.

The mausoleum of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk has panoramic views of Ankara and pays tribute to the man the people believe to be the father of their nation. The grand but austere monument has stunning ceilings and houses artefacts of the Atatürk.

The 13th-century mystic, poet and scholar, is still widely quoted today. Rumi’s resting place is the Mevlâna (whirling dervishes) Museum in Konya. The graves of Rumi and other scholars, the dervish lodge, kitchen and the museum artefacts make for fascinating viewing.

It is a place quite unlike any other. The central Anatolian region of Turkey is home to the most amazing land formations of volcanic deposits known as fairy chimneys. Göreme, where we stayed is where homes and hotels are literally carved out of the caves and rocks. Each morning, hundreds of hot air balloons become air borne giving people a bird’s eye view of those seemingly unearthly land formations.

This incredible place is manmade and dates back to about the 8^th century. These tunnels made inside hills were a way for Christians to escape Arab and Roman persecution. A warren of hiding places and literally miles of tunnels; it has living areas, wineries, cooking areas, chapels. Now well-lit, with arrows telling where to go, a thousand years ago, those dark, dank subterranean chambers must have been terrifying!

Turkey’s lamps, the ceramics, pottery; the rugs and the carpets with the traditional motifs and other handicrafts are beautiful. Great mementoes to carry back home.

Turkish delight, the strange non-melting ice cream, the baklava are of course delightful. Then there are the kebobs, and the various grilled meats on offer. The varieties of cheeses and breads are bewildering too! Then, of course, there is the famous Turkish coffee (which I freely admit I am too much of a philistine to really enjoy). And by the way, Nutella is available really cheap in Turkey – because hazelnuts are available aplenty.

Istanbul is a world city in every sense of the word; and the only one that straddles two continents. It is big, vibrant, cosmopolitan, buzzing with activity; and its layers and layers of history reveal themselves literally at every corner! Our first evening in Istanbul was spent drinking in the vibrant energy of Taksim Square and Istiklal (independence) Avenue with the charming pubs, buskers and the street vendors.

Hagia Sophia is one of the biggest and most ancient cathedrals in the world; amazingly constructed about 1500 years ago! It was an orthodox cathedral, then a catholic cathedral before being transformed into a mosque in the 15^th century. It was then secularised and made into a museum in 1935 – in a remarkable gesture of magnanimity from the majority Muslim population of the country! The adjoining Basilica Cistern is another hugely atmospheric site that dates back about 1500 years – a water reservoir that served ancient Constantinople.

The Topkapi Palace and the Dolmabache Palace are the ones I was able to visit and which I mention here. These grand, ornate palaces bear testimony to the grandeur and the conceit of the Ottoman Empire and the way that it encompassed European and Arab sensibilities. The various historical epochs - Byzantine, Seljuk, Ottoman up to the modern day republic - reflect the many layers of culture that Turkey represents and are utterly fascinating.

The Bosporus or the Strait of Istanbul is literally the division between Europe and Asia. It connects the Black Sea with the Sea of Marmara. A cruise along the Bosporus may be a touristy thing to do, with wine and dinner and the dance of the whirling dervishes and the regulation belly dance. However it is also a great way to see a truly unique, stunning historical city and its attractions by night time. With Europe on one side and Asia on the other; Istanbul reveals itself in all its glory from the Bosporus!