Turkish Delight
First stop was Istanbul, and we enjoyed two nights at the very centrally located Port Bosphorus Hotel which is located directly across from the Galataport. Taking to the water is a great way to see both the European and Asian sides of the only city that straddles two continents. Our city tour then took us to the ancient Hippodrome the social and sporting centre of the old Constantinople before moving onto the Blue Mosque, built in the Ottoman era around 1609 which is beautifully decorated and unique for its 6 minarets. The Topkapi Palace stood as home for royalty for over 400 years, it was built between 1460 and 1478 and is one of the world’s largest surviving palaces. The iconic Hagia Sophia was originally constructed between 534 and 537 as a Christian church in the Byzantine period and then later was converted to a mosque in the Ottoman era, now a museum it’s a wonderful example of architecture and artistic works. The Basilica Cistern is the largest surviving Byzantine cistern in Istanbul and is over 1,500 years old, it was designed as an underwater reservoir and has been used for multiple movies including Dan Brown’s “Inferno”. The Grand Bazaar dates back to the 15th century and originally just sold fabrics and silks. Today hundreds of thousands of visitors enter via 22 gates offering access to 58 streets and can buy anything from gold jewellery and spices to souvenirs aplenty.
After Istanbul we headed east to the Anitkabir mausoleum complex in the capital Ankara, is the resting place of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the founder and first president of the Turkish Republic. Construction commenced in 1944 and took 9 years to complete. The “Peace Park” surrounds the monument and features nearly 50K plants from all over the world. “Lion’s Alley” is 262m long and features 24 lions representing power and peace. The large ceremonial ground fits 15,000 people and guards are positioned at each tower swapping roles every 45 minutes. From here we headed further inland and south to Cappadocia.
We stayed in the Evanthia Suites a lovely cave boutique hotel, 2 minutes from the centre of Urgup. Saturday we had an early 3.30am start for our balloon ride and in order to catch the sunrise for an absolutely amazing experience. Over 50 hot air balloons floating across the Cappadocia landscape and hovering over the iconic fairy chimneys. The next day was all about exploring the sculptural volcanic landscape. Goreme Open Air Museum is a fascinating complex of cave buildings dating back from 2nd Century AD. Founded by monks who lived a hermit lifestyle in the region of Cappadocia and made Goreme their base. St Basil also known as as “Basil The Great” devoted himself to the monastic lifestyle and the site flourished with multiple chapels, churches and cafeterias. Next was Imagination Valley so called due to the whimsical rock shapes which resemble various animals like the “camel”. Its official name is Devrent Valey and thousands of years of erosion has created the unusual formations. We then continued to Pasabaglari otherwise know as Mushroom Valley which is crammed full of fairy chimneys that look like a forest of chunky woodland mushrooms. You need about 45 minutes to 1 hour to explore the site and it’s definitely worthwhile. We completed the day with a visit to Kybele Boutique Ceramic for a pottery demonstration. For every piece there are 3 masters involved, the pottery throwing the piece, the firer/glazer and then of course the artist who decorates the pots. It takes masters 10 years to perfect their craft! They have an amazing 9 room showroom with all different handmade pieces from unique giant plates to traditional vases.
Our tour continued the next day with a drive to Uchisar Castle. One of the areas most prominent landmarks and the highest point in the region offering fantastic views. The castle was built by Byzantine settlers in the 4th century in a volcanic outcrop. Riddled with tunnels, villages used to hide in the fortress to avoiding invading armies. There are 275 steps so it’s a bit of a trek especially in the blazing sun, however there are multiple resting points along the route so you can go at your own pace. From here we did a quick pit stop at Pigeon Valley and Red Valley, these are smaller valleys with Pigeon Valley offering fabulous views and Red Valley is named after the beautiful red colour the rocks change their hue to at sunset. You can pitch a tent to enjoy the views and there is a hiking trail or you can horse ride or enjoy a quad bike tour. Tonight was extra special as we went to a local village house where the owner's wife cooked a delicious three course meal using the tandir method.
Next stop on the tour took us back west to the stunning and very unique UNESCO World Heritage site known as “Cotton Castle”. They are hot thermal springs located on the outside of Pamukkale and adjacent to the ancient Roman city of Heirapolis which offered a Greco Roman amphitheater and necropolis. The pools lie on white travertine terraces which are formed from calcium carbonate as hot mineral rich water flows down the hillside. Thought to have therapeutic properties visitors used to travel miles to bathe in the cool blue waters. Guests today are only able to walk barefoot through the remaining pools in order to preserve them. This evening we stayed at the recently built Adem Pira Hotel which offered a large rooms, a fantastic swimming pool and spa. After dinner we enjoyed a private performance with the Mevlevis or Whirling Dervishes. Practiced by some of the Sufi Muslim order, the whirling is a type of meditation and worship in remembrance of God and was founded in 1207. The Sema ceremony takes around 1 hour and is divided into 7 parts accompanied by a singer and instruments.
Our final stop was Fethiye on the south coast where we chartered a traditional gulet and enjoyed a lovely cruise, anchoring off an island to swim and enjoy a sunset dinner and drinks. These wooden sailing vessels were originally built for fishing and transporting goods along the rugged coastline. The food was amazing and while cabins are a little snug they have everything you need including AC and an en-suite!
If you're looking to combine sightseeing with a little adventure and chill time, add Turkey to your list
