Treasures of Turkiye Istanbul, Ancient Ephesus & Cappadocia

Istanbul is a city built on layers of empire. Spanning two continents, it was once the capital of three major empires: Roman, Byzantine, and Ottoman. Visitors walking through the Sultanahmet district can witness this timeline firsthand, from the Roman-era Hippodrome to the Byzantine mosaics of Hagia Sophia, and the towering minarets of the Blue Mosque. At nearby Topkapi Palace, rooms still display the jeweled swords, ceremonial robes, and handwritten Qurans once used by Ottoman sultans.

Culture in Istanbul reveals itself in daily rituals. Locals sip strong black tea served in tulip-shaped glasses, play backgammon on street corners, and greet each other with a rhythm that’s both fast-paced and welcoming. The city’s neighborhoods each have distinct characters: Balat is full of brightly painted houses and Greek Orthodox churches; Karaköy blends old warehouses with contemporary galleries; and Kadıköy on the Asian side offers bookshops, open-air markets, and ferry terminals that have been operating for more than a century.

Water is never far away in Istanbul. The Bosphorus Strait splits the city between Europe and Asia, and ferry rides between the two sides are part of everyday life. Some of the best views come from these crossings, especially at sunset when the silhouettes of domes and minarets line the horizon. The Princes’ Islands, accessible by boat, offer a quiet escap where no cars are allowed and visitors travel by bike or horse-drawn carriage. Büyükada, the largest island, features Ottoman-era mansions, pine forests, and hilltop monasteries.

Istanbul is a city built on layers of empire. Spanning two continents, it was once the capital of three major empires: Roman, Byzantine, and Ottoman. Visitors walking through the Sultanahmet district can witness this timeline firsthand, from the Roman-era Hippodrome to the Byzantine mosaics of Hagia Sophia, and the towering minarets of the Blue Mosque. At nearby Topkapi Palace, rooms still display the jeweled swords, ceremonial robes, and handwritten Qurans once used by Ottoman sultans.

Culture in Istanbul reveals itself in daily rituals. Locals sip strong black tea served in tulip-shaped glasses, play backgammon on street corners, and greet each other with a rhythm that’s both fast-paced and welcoming. The city’s neighborhoods each have distinct characters: Balat is full of brightly painted houses and Greek Orthodox churches; Karaköy blends old warehouses with contemporary galleries; and Kadıköy on the Asian side offers bookshops, open-air markets, and ferry terminals that have been operating for more than a century.

Water is never far away in Istanbul. The Bosphorus Strait splits the city between Europe and Asia, and ferry rides between the two sides are part of everyday life. Some of the best views come from these crossings, especially at sunset when the silhouettes of domes and minarets line the horizon. The Princes’ Islands, accessible by boat, offer a quiet escap where no cars are allowed and visitors travel by bike or horse-drawn carriage. Büyükada, the largest island, features Ottoman-era mansions, pine forests, and hilltop monasteries.

Istanbul is a city built on layers of empire. Spanning two continents, it was once the capital of three major empires: Roman, Byzantine, and Ottoman. Visitors walking through the Sultanahmet district can witness this timeline firsthand, from the Roman-era Hippodrome to the Byzantine mosaics of Hagia Sophia, and the towering minarets of the Blue Mosque. At nearby Topkapi Palace, rooms still display the jeweled swords, ceremonial robes, and handwritten Qurans once used by Ottoman sultans.

Culture in Istanbul reveals itself in daily rituals. Locals sip strong black tea served in tulip-shaped glasses, play backgammon on street corners, and greet each other with a rhythm that’s both fast-paced and welcoming. The city’s neighborhoods each have distinct characters: Balat is full of brightly painted houses and Greek Orthodox churches; Karaköy blends old warehouses with contemporary galleries; and Kadıköy on the Asian side offers bookshops, open-air markets, and ferry terminals that have been operating for more than a century.

Water is never far away in Istanbul. The Bosphorus Strait splits the city between Europe and Asia, and ferry rides between the two sides are part of everyday life. Some of the best views come from these crossings, especially at sunset when the silhouettes of domes and minarets line the horizon. The Princes’ Islands, accessible by boat, offer a quiet escap where no cars are allowed and visitors travel by bike or horse-drawn carriage. Büyükada, the largest island, features Ottoman-era mansions, pine forests, and hilltop monasteries.

Istanbul is a city built on layers of empire. Spanning two continents, it was once the capital of three major empires: Roman, Byzantine, and Ottoman. Visitors walking through the Sultanahmet district can witness this timeline firsthand, from the Roman-era Hippodrome to the Byzantine mosaics of Hagia Sophia, and the towering minarets of the Blue Mosque. At nearby Topkapi Palace, rooms still display the jeweled swords, ceremonial robes, and handwritten Qurans once used by Ottoman sultans.

Culture in Istanbul reveals itself in daily rituals. Locals sip strong black tea served in tulip-shaped glasses, play backgammon on street corners, and greet each other with a rhythm that’s both fast-paced and welcoming. The city’s neighborhoods each have distinct characters: Balat is full of brightly painted houses and Greek Orthodox churches; Karaköy blends old warehouses with contemporary galleries; and Kadıköy on the Asian side offers bookshops, open-air markets, and ferry terminals that have been operating for more than a century.

Water is never far away in Istanbul. The Bosphorus Strait splits the city between Europe and Asia, and ferry rides between the two sides are part of everyday life. Some of the best views come from these crossings, especially at sunset when the silhouettes of domes and minarets line the horizon. The Princes’ Islands, accessible by boat, offer a quiet escap where no cars are allowed and visitors travel by bike or horse-drawn carriage. Büyükada, the largest island, features Ottoman-era mansions, pine forests, and hilltop monasteries.

Konya has served as a spiritual center for centuries. Every December, the Şeb‑i Arûs festival marks the passing of Rumi, the Persian mystic, and draws Sufis and visitors from around the world to witness the Sema. Whirling dervish dance is performed to the sound of ney flutes and drums. In one of the country's most hushed and vivid traditions, performers spin in unison in flowing white skirts, a scene that blends meditation with graceful motion in a way found nowhere else.

At the heart of the city stands the Mevlâna Museum, once the lodge where Rumi’s followers lived, now housing his mausoleum beneath a turquoise dome that is visible across Konya. Inside, it displays his personal items, music instruments used by dervishes, and illuminated manuscripts. Nearby, visitors can wander through the Alaeddin Mosque high on Alaeddin Hill where this Seljuk landmark overlooks the city and shelters the tombs of several sultans.

The ancient region of Cappadocia lies in Central Anatolia, between the cities of Nevsehir, Kayseri and Nigde. Here, the traveler finds one of the most fantastic landscapes in the world. Three million years ago, violent eruptions of the volcanoes Mt. Erciyes (3891 m) and Mt. Hasan (3250 m) covered the surrounding plateau with tuff. Wind and weather have eroded the soft volcanic rock with hundreds of strangely shaped pillars, cones and "fairy chimneys", often very tall, and in every shade from pink through yellow to russet browns.

Since the most ancient of times, men have hollowed out dwellings in this soft rock, and here, at the dawn of Christianity, the early Christians made countless cave churches, chapels and monasteries.

Goreme, in Cappadocia, is an important area for shopping, with its wonderful carpets and kilims, onyx souvenirs, and very fine local wines. It is also a wonderful region for trekking and for photo-safaris.

The ancient region of Cappadocia lies in Central Anatolia, between the cities of Nevsehir, Kayseri and Nigde. Here, the traveler finds one of the most fantastic landscapes in the world. Three million years ago, violent eruptions of the volcanoes Mt. Erciyes (3891 m) and Mt. Hasan (3250 m) covered the surrounding plateau with tuff. Wind and weather have eroded the soft volcanic rock with hundreds of strangely shaped pillars, cones and "fairy chimneys", often very tall, and in every shade from pink through yellow to russet browns.

Since the most ancient of times, men have hollowed out dwellings in this soft rock, and here, at the dawn of Christianity, the early Christians made countless cave churches, chapels and monasteries.

Goreme, in Cappadocia, is an important area for shopping, with its wonderful carpets and kilims, onyx souvenirs, and very fine local wines. It is also a wonderful region for trekking and for photo-safaris.

The ancient region of Cappadocia lies in Central Anatolia, between the cities of Nevsehir, Kayseri and Nigde. Here, the traveler finds one of the most fantastic landscapes in the world. Three million years ago, violent eruptions of the volcanoes Mt. Erciyes (3891 m) and Mt. Hasan (3250 m) covered the surrounding plateau with tuff. Wind and weather have eroded the soft volcanic rock with hundreds of strangely shaped pillars, cones and "fairy chimneys", often very tall, and in every shade from pink through yellow to russet browns.

Since the most ancient of times, men have hollowed out dwellings in this soft rock, and here, at the dawn of Christianity, the early Christians made countless cave churches, chapels and monasteries.

Goreme, in Cappadocia, is an important area for shopping, with its wonderful carpets and kilims, onyx souvenirs, and very fine local wines. It is also a wonderful region for trekking and for photo-safaris.

Istanbul is a city built on layers of empire. Spanning two continents, it was once the capital of three major empires: Roman, Byzantine, and Ottoman. Visitors walking through the Sultanahmet district can witness this timeline firsthand, from the Roman-era Hippodrome to the Byzantine mosaics of Hagia Sophia, and the towering minarets of the Blue Mosque. At nearby Topkapi Palace, rooms still display the jeweled swords, ceremonial robes, and handwritten Qurans once used by Ottoman sultans.

Culture in Istanbul reveals itself in daily rituals. Locals sip strong black tea served in tulip-shaped glasses, play backgammon on street corners, and greet each other with a rhythm that’s both fast-paced and welcoming. The city’s neighborhoods each have distinct characters: Balat is full of brightly painted houses and Greek Orthodox churches; Karaköy blends old warehouses with contemporary galleries; and Kadıköy on the Asian side offers bookshops, open-air markets, and ferry terminals that have been operating for more than a century.

Water is never far away in Istanbul. The Bosphorus Strait splits the city between Europe and Asia, and ferry rides between the two sides are part of everyday life. Some of the best views come from these crossings, especially at sunset when the silhouettes of domes and minarets line the horizon. The Princes’ Islands, accessible by boat, offer a quiet escap where no cars are allowed and visitors travel by bike or horse-drawn carriage. Büyükada, the largest island, features Ottoman-era mansions, pine forests, and hilltop monasteries.