Amazing Travel to Turkey
My husband, Tom, and I have just returned from a wonderful journey to an extraordinary country...Turkey. We love to travel, to explore the sights and sounds that are different from those we encounter in our daily lives. Certainly, Turkey is a country worth exploring. Our first stop was Istanbul, formerly Constantinople, a city which has defined "exotic" for me since I first learned of this ancient city as a small child. It did not disappoint.
Situated on the Bosphorus Strait, which divides the continents of Europe and Asia, you can literally feel and see the mixture of world cultures...and taste history in the incredible food. One of our favorite meals was at the Feriye Restaurant, exquisitely located on the banks of the Bosphorus, beside the elegantly changing lights of theBosphorus Bridge which joins Europe and Asia. Another favorite was the Asitane Restaurant...an exquisite outdoor setting under a canopy of trees...enjoying authentic meals prepared according to 16th century recipes of the kitchens of the Sultans.
Highlights of Istanbul include the incredible Hagia Sophia, the church built by Constantine the Great in 360 AD and rebuilt by Emperor Justinian in 537, remaining the center of Orthodox Christianity until 1453, when it was conquered by the Ottomans and converted to the grand mosque of the Sultans; Topkapi Palace,the home of the Sultans of the Ottoman Empire; the amazing mosaics which are still being uncovered at the Byzantine Chora Church, and the Basilica Cistern, created during the Roman Empire converting a Basilica to a water filtration system...simply incredible!
We traveled to Cappadocia, located in central Turkey, where we visited the ancient underground city of Kaymakli. It is believed that the first three floors of the eight floor cavern were carved by the Hittites in 2,000 B.C. The underground city was used for security purposes for the entire town when enemy forces were approaching. The amazing landscape of rock formations in this region is the result of volcanic lava from 2 million years ago! Finally, we made our way to the Izmir,on the coast of the Aegean Sea. We toured the ancient city of Esphesus and the Temple of Appollo at Didyma marveling at the structures still standing and still glorious.
We were so fortunate to travel with a small tour group of 10, with a bright, charming and most informative guide, Farouk. We enjoyed the Turkish mezes (starters), the hot air balloon ride over Cappadocia, the incredible Turkish hospitality, and, of course, Turkish wine and the baklava, of which we could not get enough! Although we began this trip as strangers, we left as friends who now share amazing memories.
