Escorted Tours of Turkey

From Bronze Age burials to Ottoman minarets, Roman baths to Crusader castles, Turkey has it all. Part of the Fertile Crescent, it was one of the first lands to witness the birth of agriculture, the domestication of animals, and the rise of city living.

It has been repeatedly settled by colonists and overrun by conquering armies for thousands of years. It has experienced the passage of the world’s greatest generals: Alexander the Great, Julius Caesar, and Tamerlane. Equally it has been home to some of the very greatest artists: architects, philosophers, poets, sculptors, and writers – Sinan, Thales of Miletus, Homer, Praxiteles, and Herodotus, to name but a few.

Turkey truly is a crossroads of civilisations.

Turkish food is famous throughout the world, and is considered one of the 3 pre-eminent cuisines alongside French and Chinese. The painstaking preparation of simple but fresh ingredients brings out the richness of their flavours in a way that never fails to delight. The range is enormous, from an array of soups to an astonishing variety of meze (traditional Turkish appetizers), followed by meat and fish dishes.

All Turkish food is prepared from fresh ingredients, often grown organically or raised free range. All this is seasoned with herbs and spices often found locally – oregano, marjoram, and thyme grow wild in profusion on the hills along the Mediterranean coast. The country produces a wide variety of fruits, nuts, and vegetables, and being surrounded by sea on three sides, the range of fish to be found is considerable.

With such a large landmass, Turkey enjoys a variety of climates, earning the country the nickname ‘the land of four seasons’ (In Turkish: dort mevsim). From the temperate climate of the Black Sea region, where 80% of the world’s hazelnuts are produced, to the continental climate of the interior, and the Mediterranean climates of the Aegean and Mediterranean coasts, Turkey’s weather systems are geographically diverse.

Straddling the continents of Europe and Asia, Turkey’s strategic location has made it a cradle of civilisation since the Stone Age. A large country with soaring mountain ranges, a large inland plateau, and a breath-taking coast, radically different geographic zones, it is a fascinating destination to travel and explore on holiday.

Turkey’s land mass is 774.815 sq km. and the country has a coastline some 8333 km long. Known as Asia Minor in antiquity, the region that makes up modern day Turkey, can be easily divided into a number of relatively distinct geographical zones: the central landmass of Anatolia, and its various coastal areas.

Turkey is a land brimming with history. It’s a perfect place to travel on an archaeological tour or historical holiday.

From Bronze Age burials to Ottoman minarets, Roman baths to Crusader castles, Turkey has it all. Part of the Fertile Crescent, it was one of the first lands to witness the birth of agriculture, the domestication of animals, and the rise of city living.

It has been repeatedly settled by colonists and overrun by conquering armies for thousands of years. It has experienced the passage of the world’s greatest generals: Alexander the Great, Julius Caesar, and Tamerlane. Equally it has been home to some of the very greatest artists: architects, philosophers, poets, sculptors, and writers – Sinan, Thales of Miletus, Homer, Praxiteles, and Herodotus, to name but a few.

Turkey truly is a crossroads of civilisations.