Fairy chimneys and sacred sites

Turkey is a fascinating country straddling the occidental and oriental worlds, across a fascinating geographical, cultural and historical expanse. Bordered by Greece on one side, the Caucasus on another, Syria and Iraq in the south, Turkey is a natural melting pot of colours, cultures and flavours. While images of minarets, whirling dervishes and Turkish baths come to mind on mention of the name, Turkey also humbles the first-time visitor with the immense weight of its history spanning Byzantine, Roman, early Christian and Ottoman empires.

Plenty has been said about Istanbul, the former Constantinople, one of the world’s greatest cities with its vast Ottoman palaces, the massive Aya Sofya and the Blue Mosque. But when you move beyond the city to the rest of this vast country, there’s plenty more to see. Two places which rank among the best that Turkey has to offer and which travellers should not miss are Izmir and Cappadocia.

Excerpt from the May 2014 issue of epicure.