THE PULL OF THE PAST
Turkey has a breadth and depth of history few other countries can rival. Most familiar to visitors from the West are the myriad classical Greek and Roman sites peppering its beautiful Aegean Coast. The ruins of Troy, brought to life in Homer’s Iliad, still stand at the mouth of the Dardanelles. Ephesus’s huge theatre, where St Paul proselytised and unwittingly caused a riot among its silversmiths, is astonishingly well-preserved. The spectacular ruins of Pergamon, once famed for its comprehensive library, run in dramatic tiers down a striking, rocky outcrop. Exploring these, or the countless other ancient sites littering Turkey’s Aegean and Mediterranean shores, often with nothing more than a few goats or tortoises for company, is one of life’s great joys.
Feeling more adventurous? Head deep into Anatolia to explore the Byzantine rock-cut churches located in the incredible geological wonderland that is Cappadocia. The most recently uncovered jewel in Turkey’s archaeological crown is, however, Unesco-listed Gobekli Tepe, an astounding series of circular stone structures dating back to 10,000 BC, situated beyond the Euphrates in the country’s southeast.
Easier to visit are the Byzantine churches and Ottoman mosques of one of the world’s most beautiful and fascinating cities, Istanbul. No matter where you go in this remarkable country, it’s impossible to resist the pull of its past.
Andante Travels (01722 713 800; specialistjourneys.com) offers a variety of guide/lecturer-led archaeology and history-based tours of Turkey, with prices starting at £2,895pp including flights. Martin Randall (020 8742 3355; martinrandall.com) offers tours of Istanbul and the Aegean Coast from £2,890 including flights. Peter Sommer Travels (01600 888 220; petersommer. com) specialises in combined archaeology/gulet cruise tours along the Aegean and Med coasts from £2,495pp, excluding flights