WHY VISIT TURKEY (TÜRKIYE)?
A Turkish friend of ours once described his homeland in terms of one of its most beloved dishes, explaining that what made Turkey great was that it was a ‘çorba’ or soup.
For him, the beauty of his country was not only its complex mosaic of histories, traditions, civilisations and influences but its determination to mix, balance and blend these disparate ingredients into something even greater than the sum of their parts. Emerging with a delicious blend that combines separate flavours into something uniquely ‘Turkish’.
Spend one day in any Turkish city, and you too will be convinced that he was right.
On one corner, old men sip at amber-coloured tea from tulip-shaped glasses, laughing and teasing over dominoes and the clack of backgammon dice, whilst, across the street, stylish young cafe dwellers flick through books or gesticulate wildly in animated conversation. Sharing stories and ideas over coffee, raki and smiles.
The greatest challenge for any visitor to Turkey is deciding exactly how to spend your days. Should you spend the morning sampling some of the world’s greatest (and largest) breakfasts? Take in some of Istanbul’s must-see sites and must-do activities or explore the less-discussed hidden gems? Would you be better off exploring a local village, taking up that invite from your new Turkish friend or simply whiling away the time with a book, a cay and something sweet?
In Turkey, a place where the remnants of past civilizations are not only present but piled on top of each other like a giant game of historical Jenga, all whilst the vibrant buzz of modern life continues in the streets below, it seems like whichever option you choose, your decision will be a good one.
TRAVEL INSPIRATION
