Knocking at Europe’s
door yet on the threshold of Asia, Turkey is beyond doubt
a land of contrasts. Here one can scale the icy
heights of secluded Mount Ararat in search
of Noah’s Ark, cross the historic Euphrates and
Tigris rivers, follow in the footsteps of St Paul
or simply relax on the golden
Mediterranean sands of Patara beach. Pulsating Istanbul,
straddling the blue waters of the Bosphorus
separating Europe from Asia, beckons with its skyline pierced by
countless minarets, chaotic bazaars and a history
redolent with harem intrigue and despotic Sultans.
In Turkey, you can also cruise along more than
1000km (620 miles) of Mediterranean coastline,
past secluded bays, rocky headlands and pretty fishing villages,
or explore a hinterland rich in the wonderfully preserved remains
of Graeco-Roman cities such as Ephesus. For the adventurous,
the ascetic beauty of the Anatolian plateau, the
surreal rock-chimney landscape of Cappadocia and
the atmospheric ruins of the enigmatic Hittites
await discovery. Here, too, is the unique experience of watching
the dervishes whirl in pious Konya.
With a policy of hospitality fostered by their Islamic beliefs yet
with a remarkable tolerance of other customs, the Turks
offer a warm welcome wherever you travel – be it
sipping sweet black tea or thick coffee with friendly villagers
or sharing a bottle of raki over mezes (hors d’oeuvres) with
cosmopolitan Istanbul ‘city slickers’. |
