Turkey straddles two continents and several civilisations: Greek, Roman, Byzantine, Ottoman, and the modern republic founded by Atatürk in 1923. Istanbul, divided by the Bosphorus Strait, is the only city on earth on two continents — and one of the world's great metropolitan experiences. The Hagia Sophia (first a church, then a mosque, then a museum, now a mosque again), the Grand Bazaar, the Topkapı Palace, and the neighbourhood of Karaköy combine ancient and contemporary in ways that make the city inexhaustible.
Turkey straddles two continents and several civilisations: Greek, Roman, Byzantine, Ottoman, and the modern republic founded by Atatürk in 1923. Istanbul, divided by the Bosphorus Strait, is the only city on earth on two continents — and one of the world's great metropolitan experiences. The Hagia Sophia (first a church, then a mosque, then a museum, now a mosque again), the Grand Bazaar, the Topkapı Palace, and the neighbourhood of Karaköy combine ancient and contemporary in ways that make the city inexhaustible.
Beyond Istanbul: the white travertine terraces of Pamukkale, the underground cities of Cappadocia (where hot-air balloons rise at dawn over lunar rock formations), the Aegean coast's turquoise bays (the Turquoise Coast), and the ruins of Ephesus — one of the ancient world's great cities. Turkey is consistently excellent value for money and rewards visitors who venture beyond the main tourist circuits.
