travelling wild

Discover over the centuries it has provided a geographical and cultural bridge between Asia and Europe.modern day Istanbul. Traveling through Cappadocia, visiting temples, amphitheatres, castles and ruined cities, ranging in period from the ancient Anatolian Kingdoms to the lavish Ottoman Empire. Memorials of Gallipoli and the harsh mountains of the Anatolian plateau, with plenty of highlights to satisfy those wanting to immerse themselves in the diverse culture and history of the Turkish people. Turkey highlights of Istanbul the Hippodrome square in old Stamboul. Often known as the sporting and social centre of Constantinople. The famous Blue Mosque, and the Topkapi Palace which was the residence of the Ottoman sultans for 400 years. Heading out of Istanbul towards Ankara, is Abant Lake. Surrounded by dense pine forests, this fresh water lake is 1325 metres above sea level and covers an area of 125 hectares, fed by underwater sources. The Kizilcahamam forest valley, famous for its underground springs. Museum of Anatolian Civilisations, giving a superb oversight of the peoples inhabiting this diverse land over the centuries. Explore the main sights of Cappadocia on foot and by road. It’s lunar landscape formed from tufa - compacted volcanic ash that erodes easily and is very suitable for making caves. Avanos, famous for the earthenware pottery they make. As a significant wine producing area, and excellent onyx can be purchased in the markets in Urgup. One of the oldest and largest settlements there is Derinkuyu, a complete underground city, with seven levels of tunnels that are said to extend for many kilometres. Mevlana Museum, home to the school of Sufism, founded by Muslim philosopher and poet Celaleddin Rumi and also known as Mevlana by Muslims. The Antalya museum is worth a visit, or just a walk around the pretty old town is a pleasant way to spend the day. Heading north out of Antalya there is an ancient site of Termessos which hangs 1000 metres above sea level. The impressive ruins of Aphrodisias. Moreover Aphrodisias boasted one of the most famous Schools of Sculpture in the ancient world, and there are many fine examples exhibited in the well-presented Museum. The famous Roman city of Ephesus, one of the greatest cities of antiquity. Her temple was one of the Seven Wonders of the ancient world, until an arsonist destroyed it. Excavations at the temple have been prevented by the high local water table. The acropolis of Pergamum architects and sculptors were among the finest in the Hellenistic world. The ancient city of Troy long thought to be a legendary place until it was re-discovered in the 19th century by the amateur archaeologist Heinrich Schliemann. Discover Hagia Sofia which is built in the 6th century by Justinian remained the largest church in Christendom for centuries and was converted to a Mosque by the Ottomans then to a museum by the secular Republic.