This exotic land, criss-crossed with dramatic cloud-dappled mountains,fertile valleys, uplands and plateaus, is stamped with the indelible imprintof the Romans and Ottomans and hundreds of ill-conceived wars that havekept historians busy tracking the flags that have crossed the Bosphorus.
A living museum with more antiquities than Greece, Turkey will dazzleyour senses with spiraling ruined temples, medieval castles and Islamicarchitecture as seen in the imposing mosques of the 16th and early 17thcenturies.
The lavish use of ceramics, sculpture and sacred frescoes, tucked inamong vaulted ceilings, shape an exotic image of a culture and the people.
In the tidy tile-roofed villages, obedient burros clomp through teamingmarkets bursting with glorious produce sold by the most hospitable peoplethis side of Ireland.
The land has not made the people rich, but has made them resourcefulfarmers, fishermen, weavers and marketers. Turkey is among a few, selectcountries that produce a surplus of crops.
Hooded women dabble in the fragrance of olive oil over crackling coalswhile gossiping with their neighbors. Mustachioed men sit at sidewalk cafes,puffing on crinkled cigarettes and sipping coffee with lasting power asthe shoe shine man creates a lusty glaze on a pair of scruffy boots.
photo ISTANBUL Istanbul, (pop. 11 million) Turkey's proud gateway, isa vibrant mix of antiquity and the dominating presence of the sea. TheBosphorus flows down from the northeast through Istanbul, separating Europefrom Asia, joining the Sea of Marmara with the Black Sea and creating magnificentvistas whether you are enjoying breakfast in Asia or lunch in Europe.
The city's ancient mosques, which seem to be floating on a pinnacledskyline, are in harmony with the rhythms of time and earth and ring outwith deeply ingrained daily prayers---the pillars of Islam and the faithfulMuslims.
With a Lonely Planet guide book, or The Guide Istanbul, available inIstanbul, you can dig into the city on your own. Megatrails, a highly ratedtour company will lead you through the city on a custom mini-tour for independenttravelers offering fascinating historic details along the way.
photo OLD CONSTANTINOPLE Regardless of your choice, the rich visualdiary of each day's experience will include the nine-mile-long city wallsthat once protected Constantinople, as the city was then known, and SultanAhmet's Blue Mosque featuring classic Ottoman architecture, a great domedinterior, and a sense of ordered space. Adjacent to the Blue Mosque isSt. Sophia, circa A.D. 532-537, ranked among the world's great buildingswith its stunning Byzantine mosaics and stained-glass windows.
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Nearby is the treasure-filled Topkapi Palace Museum, the home of theOttoman sultans from the 15th to the 19th centuries.
Across the street and down a slippery staircase into the bowels of thecity is a spine-chilling, perfectly intact, 6th century Byzantine Cisternand more than 300 massive Corinthian columns which rise from the waterto a brick vaulted ceiling.
James Bond splashed thru this haunting setting a few years ago in chaseof bad guys in "From Russia with Love."
In the same neighborhood, you can get lost in the covered or Grand Bazaarwhere a maze of 3,500 or so shops are crammed together in a web of jewelry,copper, carpets, leather, hand-woven textiles and cafes.
Shopkeepers quip, "Come in, I show you my union badge. Better than KMart. Be happy, say cheese... I can help you spend your last money."
Less commercial than the Grand, the exotic Egyptian Spice Bazaar, offEminonu Square, offers figs, dried fruit, cheese, caviar, pepper, hugesacks of inky black tea, baskets of sweets and fragrances mixed to yourliking. The friendly shopkeepers love to be photographed, but be preparedto take down their address in order to send them a photo.
Another splendid attraction is the Dolmabahce Palace, built by the Sultansin the second half of the 19th century on the European side. Arrive at9 a.m. to best experience one of Europe's most beautiful palaces.
The small but stunning 11th century Kariye Museum, in Old Istanbul,is where you can hear groups speaking in four or five languages and marvelingat 600-year-old Byzantine murals and mosaics depicting the lives of theVirgin Mary, Jesus Christ and other events from the bible.
Before departing the city, pop up to the ancient Galata Tower in theGalata district. From the round tower the city seems to be laid out ina jumbled puzzle of houses, mosques, passageways, marine highways and mightybridges connecting Europe to Asia.
Sea gulls glide gracefully in the breeze as a stream of rusty freighterschugs past, disappearing into the mist. The aroma of roasting garlic ticklesyour nose, while twinkling harbor lights signal the end of the day. Istanbul,a city on the move, is settling in for the night.
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For a variety of tour packages from 1-16 days, contact Megatrails at(800) 547-1211; (212) 888-9422. The 65-acre Swissotel, near the banks ofthe Bosphorus, is a 5-Star beauty; (800) 637-9477; The Marmara Hotel isconveniently located downtown for business travelers.
Moderately priced accommodations are elegant and relatively abundantranging from $30 to $170 per night. AAA-rated four and five star hotelscharge between $33 and $400 per night. Pensions and one and two star hotelsmay be as inexpensive as $9 per night.
For information contact the Turkish Tourist Offices in Washington D.C.at (202) 429-9844; New York (212) 687-2194; Turkish Airlines at (800) 874-8875.See your travel agent.