Turkey is a country with feet in both Europe and Asia, bordered on three sides by the Mediterranean, and the Aegean and Black Seas.
It is a country which, as with so many others, has a fascinating history which is present today in its magnificent ruins and areas of outstanding beauty.
One such is Ephesus, a city where to wander its streets brings history alive so that if you listen carefully you can almost hear the echoes of past lives in the whisper of the breeze. Troy is also an historical site evoking the passion of Schliemann and the drama of the Illiad, and not to be missed.
Another is Pamukkale, a small town perched on the side of a hill which at first sight is made of glistening sugar crystals, but is in fact white travertine, a type of calcium which exudes from the waters below the rocks, cascades from the hilltop, and as it falls, hardens to form the spectacular shimmering terraces and pools.
Istanbul, one of the most well-known cities, has three impressive buildings in the Blue Mosque (Sultan Ahmet), Sulaymaniyah Mosque, and Agia Sofia (now a museum). These buildings are surrounded by a thoroughly modern, sophisticated country and its capital, Ankara, although smaller than Istanbul, is at the centre of everything, be it transport, government or commerce and the country revolves around this busy cosmopolitan hub.
Outside the cities and along the coast, resorts such as Bodrum, Izmir and Side cater for all types of tourism from villas, luxury hotels and apartments to all-in-one complexes. To the north, on the Black Sea are the cities of Zonguldak, Amasra and Trabzon. These are not as well-known as their Mediterranean counterparts, but well worth a visit for a more natural Turkey.