TURKEY TRAVEL

It is almost impossible to fit together the pieces of Turkey. It is an uneasy puzzle that refuses to lie side by side. In the west, mountains and pine forests frame a staggeringly beautiful coastline. The cosmopolitan capital of Ankara and the ethereal beauty of Cappadocia sit amid the harsh central steppes. In the east, there are biblical rivers, a fabled mountain and haunting cities and palaces. Then, there is the magnetism of Istanbul, a city with a constant beat and a stubbornness to be anything other than what it wants to be.

Turkey’s location, straddling Asia and Europe, has left it with a battle-weary history and much political upheaval. The three great empires that ruled the country for thousands of years left a legacy of enchanting cultures and more ancient sites than even Italy or Greece can boast.

The landscape is full of relics that beg to be discovered, whether independently or with a group, on foot or by bicycle. Hospitality is ingrained in Turkish culture and you will be greeted with warmth wherever your adventures take you.

Turkey is as old as history itself and yet it remains youthful. Its music, film and design industries are gaining prominence and its bid to become part of the European Union has placed it in the throes of an exciting revolution.