Your Travels: East meets West in diverse Turkey

by Bonnie Boyce-Wilson – Jul. 27, 2012 12:43 PM

Special for The Republic

In June, my husband, David, and I took a three-week cultural tour of Turkey, highlighted by visits to Istanbul, Ephesus and Cappadocia.

Photos: slideshow Travel People

We arrived in Istanbul, the only city in the world that sits on two continents; a place where East meets West in a fascinating blend of cultures.

For two days we toured Old Istanbul: the Grand Bazaar, with some 4,000 shops and stalls; the Spice Market, with exotic spices, nuts and fruits from around the world; a narrated cruise on the Bosphorus Strait, the waterway that separates Europe from Asia; the Golden Horn, the natural harbor of Istanbul; the Blue Mosque, flanked by six slender minarets and housing more than 20,000 blue Iznik tiles; the ancient Hippodrome, where Roman chariot races took place; the Turkish and Islamic Arts Museum; Hagia Sophia, once the world’s grandest cathedral and now a museum; and the vast and splendid Topkapi Palace, the home of Ottoman sultans.

Ephesus is among the world’s best-preserved ancient cities. In Roman times, it was the provincial capital of Asia, with a population of 200,000 at the height of its glory. Ephesus houses the Temple of Artemis (Diana), one of the Seven Wonders of the ancient world. An important Christian community arose here, and Ephesus was visited by the Apostle Paul. The city has the largest ancient theater, where Paul preached. It seats more than 24,000 and is still in use today. As we walked down the Sacred Way toward the library, we marveled at the engineering feats of the Romans, and were in awe thinking we were walking in the footsteps of Paul.

In central Turkey lies the remarkable Cappadocia region, where strange and beautiful formations delighted us. Volcanic lava formed a high plateau that has eroded over the centuries, resulting in capped columns known as fairy chimneys, and where underground shelters evolved into underground cities. Christianity came early to Cappadocia, and we were fascinated by the churches, many of which still contain painted symbols and pictures.

Turkey is a beautiful country, moving from an agricultural-based economy to one of industry. We found the people there diverse, delightful and friendly. I had not expected to see such a modern and productive Turkey, whose economy is the 16th-largest in the world. I invite you to visit and make your own discoveries.

The writer lives in Sun City West.

via Your Travels: East meets West in diverse Turkey.