Turkey

Straddling two continents, Turkey is the quintessential cultural melting pot, with a history that encompasses not only the civilisations of ancient Greece, Rome, Persia and Byzantium, but that of the nomadic Turkic tribes who roamed – and still roam – its vast Steppes. The Ottoman Empire held sway for over six centuries, and after its fall in 1922 Kemal Atatürk founded Turkey as a modern secular state. Today’s Turkey is home to a complex mosaic of peoples and cultures – ranging from Armenians, Kurds and Georgians to Albanians. Bulgarians, Circassians, Pomaks and Roma.

For the traveller, Turkey probably has more variety than any other country in the world. Stretching from Greece, Bulgaria and the Aegean to Iran and Syria, it encompasses dazzling seascapes, towering mountains, magnificent metropolises, vast unending Steppes and unique volcanic landscapes of red, pink and yellow rocks, and magical fairy-chimneys that look like something invented by Tolkein. Just to sit on a bus and travel around Turkey is a pleasure in itself — outlined against the azure of the Mediterranean sky, the trees, the fields, the mountains and forests radiate with an intensity of colour we can only dream of in Northern Europe.

As archeological discoveries accumulate, the argument that Turkey is the cradle of civilisation becomes stronger and stronger. It is no coincidence that Yuval Noah Harari begins his worldwide bestseller, Sapiens: A History of Humankind, in the recently excavated settlement of Göbekli Tepe, whose sophisticated structures date back to 9500 BC (some 7000 years BEFORE Stonehenge). It may also come as a surprise to find that Turkey is not only home to several iconic Ancient Greek sites – including Troy and Efesus – but was home to a school founded by Aristotle, as well as being the birthplace of Galen, the ‘father’ of Western medicine and Anaximander, the first philosopher to develop a cosmology of the world.

But this is only the beginning. There are fabulous Ottoman-era mosques and fortresses, typical Greek and Turkish villages, rock-built and frescoed churches, and a monastery that dates back to the early days of Christianity. Then, of course, there is Istanbul, one of the world’s great iconic cities, capital of both the Byzantine and Ottoman empires, it is as compelling for its monuments as it is for its rich, vibrant streetlife and souks.

Then there is Turkish food. A fusion between Ottoman and Mediterranean traditions, contemporary Turkish cuisine is a feast for all the senses – it smells as good as it looks and tastes even better. Aubergines, tomatoes, peppers; flat-breads, rice and pulses; are brought to delicious pinnacles with rich olive oil, yogurt, fresh cheeses and an abundance of exotic spices. Last but certainly not least, after years of running tours to Turkey, we have realised that the overriding memory for many of our clients has been the sheer friendliness and ebullience of the people.