Turkey is a transcontinental country that, like Russia, belong the two continents of Europe and Asia. its biggest territory is located on the Anatolian Peninsula, while a small portion is, crossed the Bosporus, on the Balkan Peninsula. The two parts are connecting by the vibrant and historical Istanbul.
Istanbul
The City of Istanbul has a big history that comes back to 667 B.C., when it was founded with the name of Byzantium by Greek settlers. After that it passed through the hands of the Persians, followed by the Athens. Alexander the Great, head of the Macedonian Empire, reigned on it from 336 al 323 B.C., until the moment when the Roman Empire, could annex it to its power and declare it Capital of the Eastern Roman Empire with the name of Constantinople.
It is very much connected to my country of origin, Italy, because it has been the second capital of the Roman Empire, that extended all over Europe, North Africa and the Middle East.
Very similar to Rome, it was built on seven hills, and it was built the Cathedral Santa Sofia, that used to be a Catholic Church, and was them converted into Mosque.
Even if it is the most popular and visited city of the country, Istanbul it is actually not the real Capital, which is in fact Ankara
You can climb up the Galatea tower for a beautiful 360 degrees view of the city.
Prince's Islands
If you are in Istanbul for a few days, a nice day excursions to do could be the visit to the Princes's Island. These is an Archipelago located in the Sea of Marmara, the smallest sea in the world completely inside the territory of Turkey between the Mediterranean and the Black Sea.
The island we visited is called Büyükada, it's the biggest of them, and you can reach it by boarding a ferry that from the Bostanci wharf, in the Asian side of Istanbul, with the duration of thirty-five minutes. You can find here the schedule.
During the ferry trip, Iris and I had the chance to try the typical Turkish coffee, prepared directly from coffee beans and distinguished for its unique aroma and particular thickness.
We were also trying to read our future throw the bottom of this cup.
What it looks like to you?
During the Ottoman Empire times, they were mostly visited by the Ottoman Aristocracy, which makes them now have many Victorian-style villas
The true beauty I found in these islands is that motorized vehicles are prohibited,
Also, in Büyükada there is still the house that had been the residence of the famous Russian politician: Léon Trotsky, one of the leader of the Russian revolution, together with Vladimir Lenin. After loosing his position and being outplayed by Joseph Stalin, Trotsky escaped to Turkey, France, Norway and finally Mexico (where he became friend with the Painter Frida Kahlo).
Cappadocia
When going to Turkey, another very interesting part of the trip beside the capital is immersing yourself in the beautiful region of Cappadocia.
This region is situated exactly in the middle of the country, very close to the place that in the past was called "Mesopotamia" so the place where the old human society started developing with the Sumerians and Assyrians.
The town where I would advise you to stay is called Göreme. Iris and I took a night bus from Istanbul and woke up seeing the sunrise in an arid land, and arriving in the early morning to our destination, ready to walk to the hotel before the sun could shine too strong and heat us.
To make this experience unique, we decided to stay in one of the hotels inside the rocks.
You have to be careful when you place the booking, to choose one of them. Our was called Cave Panorama, and it had free breakfast on a wonderful view of the town.
The landscape will present you a semi-arid landscape with many volcanic peaks whose lava and erosion has, during the times, created the now will known fairy-chimneys.
My favorite ones were those located in the Valley of Love, whose shape reminds the masculine symbol from which it was given the name.
Another beautiful place that I really recommend is the Uchisar Castle.
It fulfilled the duties of a castle, being the main point of defense of the region, but it s not a castle like those of Germany or Sintra. « The castle does not hold any antiques, ancient portraits of royalty or any example of outstanding architecture. »
« However, the prize is the astonishing panoramic view of the landscape. Cars, tour buses, and people were just dots on the horizon. »
Iris and I went there by walk from Göreme, it was a long walk, but if the heat is not too strong it is a really beautiful hike, and a challenging time that will afterward well rewarded.
The important is that you are not visiting Cappadocia during the European months of Summer, you could literally melt down!
Last but not least, remember all the good food that you are going to eat here..
These sweets are called Baklavas, and they are simply delicious!
Would you like to visit Turkey, Istanbul and Cappadocia? Let me know in the comments below!
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