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Turkey

 

Description of Destination : turkey
Izmir
Izmir

Istanbul

Stretching for 33 km (20 miles) between the. Sea of Marmara and the Black Sea, the Bosphorus separates the continents of Europe and Asia. For much of its length, its shores are lined with wooden waterside villas known as yalis, graceful mosques, such as the 16th century palaces. The southern end of the Bosphorus is dominated by Istanbul, the tranquil former palace gardens of Yildiz Park contrasting with bustling suburbs such as the former fishing village of Ortakoy, which nestles at the foot of the Bosphorus Bridge. Completed in 1973, this 1560 m long suspension bridge was the first to span the straits.

 

 

Ephesus(Kusadasi)

Ephesus is one of the greatest ruined cities in the western world. A Greek city was first built in about 1000 BC and very soon rose to fame as a centre for the worship of Cybele, the Anatolian Mother Goddess. The city we see today was founded in the 4th century BC by Alexander the Great's successor, Lynsinachus. But it was under the Romans that Ephesus became the chief port on the Aegean, with a population of around 25,000. Most of the surviving structures date from this period. As the harbour silted up the city declined, but played an important part in the establishment of Christianity. Two great Councils of the early Church were held here, in AD 431 and 449. It is said that the Virgin Mary spent her last years nearby and that St. John the Evangelist came from Pátmos to look after her.

 

Bodrum

A fishing village until the early 1970s, Bodrum is built on the ruins of ancient Halicarnassus. It is now Turkey's liveliest resort, attracting poets, singers, artists and package tourists. Its perfect harbour was colonized by Greeks in the 11th century BC and the city later flourished under Persian rule. It was here that the historian Herodotus 9484-420 BC was born, but Halicarnassus's greatest glory was under Mausolus, who ruled on behalf of the Persians from 377 to 353 BC. His tomb, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, was so well-known that it bequeathed the word mausoleum. Originally a temple-like structure decorated with reliefs and a few pieces of sculpture now remain. After the brief tenure on the Knights of St. John, who founded the Castle of St. Peter in 1404, the city sank into obscurity. Today, the sheltered anchorage is busy with yachts and locally-built gullets used by seafaring holidaymakers.

Izmir 

In the 1st century BC the Greek historian Strabo described Roman Smyrna as the most beautiful city in Ionia . The same cannot be said for its modern equivalent, Izmir . During the Ottoman period its large Greek, Armenian, Italian, Spanish and Sephardic Jewish communities made it seem a foreign enclave within Turkey. After World War I, Greece was given a mandate over the Izmir region, but when a Greek army pushed further inland Turkish reprisal was swift. Over three days in September 1922, three-quarters of old Izmir burned to the ground and, with it, the tolerance of Greeks and Turks for one another. Today the city is a commercial and industrial metropolis and Turkey's second port. Most of the main sights, including the Archaeological and Ethnographic museums and the frenetic bazaar quarter, are near leafy, waterside Konak Meydam (Square). There is a superb view form the Kadifekale ( Velvet Castle ). Uphill from the Roman Agora is a district of pre 1922 wooden houses, which gives and idea of what was lost in the great fire.

 

Tokapi Palace

Between 1459 and 1465, shortly after his conquest of Constantinople, Mehmet II built Topkapi Palace as his principal residence. It was conceived as a series of pavilions contained by four huge courtyards, a stone version of the tented encampments from which the nomadic Ottomans had emerged. Initially, the palace served as the seat of government and contained a school in which civil servants and soldiers were trained. In the 16th century, however, the officials were moved to the grand vizier's offices of the Sublime Porte nearby. Sultan Abdul Mecit I left Topkapi in 1853 in favor of Dolmabahce Palace further along the Bosphorus on the east of the city. In 1924 the sultan' treasures were nationalized and Topkapi was opened to the public as a museum.

Bosphorus Strait 

Stretching for 33 km (20 miles) between the Sea of Marmara and the Black Sea, the Bosphorus separates the continents of Europe and Asia . For much of its length, its shores are lined with wooden waterside villas known as yalis, graceful mosques, such as the 16th century palaces. The southern end of the Bosphorus is dominated by Istanbul, the tranquil former palace gardens of Yildiz Park contrasting with bustling suburbs such as the former fishing village of Ortakoy, which nestles at the foot of the Bosphorus Bridge. Completed in 1973, this 1560 m long suspension bridge was the first to span the straits.

 

 

Excursions Available at turkey
    • Imperial Istanbul
    • St. Sophia, Blue Mosque & Grand Bazaar
    • Topkapi Palace & Grand Bazaar
    • Elite Collection: Istanbul & The Harem
    • EZ Istanbul
    • Sultan's Summer Palace
    • Scenic Bosphorus Cruise
    • 1001 Nights Evening Tour
    • Ottoman Wonders
    • Byzantine Treasures of Istanbul
    • Spiritual Heritage of Turkey Evening Tour
    • Panoramic Istanbul
    • Istanbul Full-Day City Tour
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