It would not be misplaced to call Turkey the cradle of modern civilisation: Hittites, Greeks, Persians, the Roman Empire, Byzantium, the Ottoman Empire and, more recently Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the father of the nation… They all left their mark on this land. Turkey possesses an age-old culture and wonderfully diverse social genetics.
Napoleon said that if the world was a single state, then Istanbul would be its capital, and he was probably right.
Istanbul, with one foot in Europe and another in Asia, divided by 2 bodies of water, the Bosphorus and the Golden Horn, this city is, and has been over the centuries, both a meeting point of cultures and a battleground of civilizations. The city has more than 12 million inhabitants and a host of architectural gems. It pulsates with the magic of the Arabian nights, blended with its own breed of bustling modernity. Istanbul is vitality, energy and culture.
Our idea of perfection: a perfumed tea enjoyed in a hidden square in the evening, sitting on the grass, surrounded only by local people, contemplating a beautiful illuminated Ottoman mosque; a “hamam” bath in an historic domed building in the heart of the old city, with steaming waters and expert hands stretching our muscles; or getting lost in the Grand Bazaar, one of the world biggest, with more than 4,000 shops – jewellery, carpets, spices, lamps, interior decorations, accessories… A shopper’s paradise.

 

But Turkey is much more than Istanbul. What about the stunning Cappadocia region with its magical landscapes of chimneys and cave houses where Christianity saw its most critical times? Then there is Konia and the mystic legends of whirling dervishes. There is Antalya, Fetiye, Dalian and the south coast with its forest and turquoise beaches. There is Mount Olympus, and thousands of Greek ruins to be found all over the country, such as Troy, Ephesus and Aphrodisia. There is the mythical Mount Ararat, which reaches more than 5,000 metres into the sky.
All this, alongside people that will host us with open arms; kind people, proud of their past with their sights firmly set on the future.

 

Turkey will love you, haunt you and seduce you. She represents all the eastern delights that have intrigued the west throughout history. Savour Turkey once and you will be craving for more.