Turkey

CRADLE OF CIVILIZATIONS

Imagine a country where more than 20 fascinating civilizations left traces in the last 10,000 years and two of the seven wonders of the ancient world are located. Imagine a country where St. Nicholas (also known as Santa Claus), St. John, St. Paul and St. Peter lived and prayed, and the Virgin Mary spent her last days. And again, imagine a country where Islamic civilization saw a centuries-long Golden Era, while Europe was consumed in the Dark Ages.

EAST MEETS WEST

With the oldest ever known human settlement currently being excavated in Catalhoyuk, Central Turkey (7,500 BC), this land has witnessed some of the most prominent civilizations of the world, from Hittites to Urartians, Romans to Byzantines, and Seljuks to Ottomans. And these are the exact reasons why today's Turkey is a unique blend of modern and old, East and West, and Islam and Christianity with its rich and diverse history. Today, it is almost impossible not to have goosebumps when exploring the ever-living traces of all these rich civilizations in Turkey, a country that resembles more of an open air museum with its well-preserved historical sites and culture.

PRISTINE BEACHES

In addition to its unique historical heritage, Turkey has one of the world's most beautiful landscapes, ranging from the most pristine beaches of the Mediterranean (the word turquoise comes from the Turkish language depicting the color of the Turkish Mediterranean) to the lush countryside of the Black Sea coastline as well as the spectacular mountain ranges of Central and Eastern Turkey.

TURKISH HOSPITALITY

Of course, a crucial component of a country is its people. Giving to a stranger at one's doorstep, as if giving to God, forms the basis of the famous Turkish hospitality. Accordingly, Turkish culture and religion dictates going out of one's way to give guests as much as possible.

ISTANBUL, NOT CONSTANTINOPLE !

A Turkey page wouldn't be complete without at least a paragraph on Istanbul. It was the capital of three great empires in the last 2,000 years: the Roman Empire, Byzantium and the Ottoman Empire. Napoleon once said, "If only one state existed on earth, Istanbul would be the capital". Considered a holy city for both Islam and Orthodox Christianity, Istanbul has 157 Christian churches, 17 synagogues, 10 monasteries and close to 2,000 mosques.

Istanbul is the only city in the world that lies on two continents: half of the city is in Europe and the other half is in Asia. Walking through the streets of Istanbul, you will have moments where you will feel like you are in any Western metropolis. Then you will turn your head and travel a few centuries back in time. In Istanbul, you will feel the West, but sense the East. The magical history of the last couple of thousand years will be all around you, blending into a modern city.

All these factors helped Turkey become the world's 8th most popular destination, with 26 million foreign visitors a year. This number is expected to rise to 40 million, pushing Turkey a few spots up the worldwide ranking in the near future.