Turkey
A country of contrast, bridging the western European traditions with those of the Middle East and Asia. The Bosphorus River divides the grand city of Istanbul, running from the Black Sea to the Aegean.
For Australians in particular, Turkey is a place of pilgrimage - to Gallippoli, scene of one of the most devastating battles of WW1, involving young "diggers" from a young country.
The country is much more than this - from the historical city of Istanbul, merging Ottoman, Greek, Muslim and Christian architecture into a bustling mix of old and new. In the south on the Mediterranean, the azure blues of the sea bring summer holidaymakers to the shores. In the Centre is Capadoccia, a unique area of rock formations which over the centuries have been carved out into dwellings and places of worship. Stay in a cave.
Historical sites abound: Troy, Pergamon, Ephesus, Hieropolis. Take your pick of remarkable ruins, theatres, houses, baths, temples.
The magical waters of Pamukkale have created limestone bowls, the flowing water depositing elegant pools and curtains of white. The Ancient city of Hieropolis was built atop the hill, becoming a popular place to take the healing waters from the thermal spring.
For Australians in particular, Turkey is a place of pilgrimage - to Gallippoli, scene of one of the most devastating battles of WW1, involving young "diggers" from a young country.
The country is much more than this - from the historical city of Istanbul, merging Ottoman, Greek, Muslim and Christian architecture into a bustling mix of old and new. In the south on the Mediterranean, the azure blues of the sea bring summer holidaymakers to the shores. In the Centre is Capadoccia, a unique area of rock formations which over the centuries have been carved out into dwellings and places of worship. Stay in a cave.
Historical sites abound: Troy, Pergamon, Ephesus, Hieropolis. Take your pick of remarkable ruins, theatres, houses, baths, temples.
The magical waters of Pamukkale have created limestone bowls, the flowing water depositing elegant pools and curtains of white. The Ancient city of Hieropolis was built atop the hill, becoming a popular place to take the healing waters from the thermal spring.