Ancient Turkey

In front of mighty walls of ancient Troy, after ten years of exhausting war, Achaeans as a sign of surrender brought the wooden horse. Trojans, blind in their minds that they finally won the war, pulled the massive wooden structure behind the city wall and. In the spirit of glory for the first time in a long time quietly closed their eyes and went to sleep. But they could not be more wrong about the intentions of the cunning Greeks. Achaeans, bored with the bloodshed, built a huge wooden horse, stuffed it with best warriors and wheel it to the walls of Troy. When the moon was shining, these solders opened the doors previously undefeated Trojan walls, and with the rest of Achaean soldiers completely destroyed the famous Troy. That Homer's story is more fairytale than fact, however Troy actually existed. Archaeological excavations have revealed nine layers of housing and on each one, the Turks are very proud of. If you visit this famous city and expect a large fortified city of Homer, you'll be disappointed. Definitely it is good to have a guide among the ruins as he will amaze you with epic poetry, stories and myths, because there is not much left of what used to be the mighty city. At the entrance to the archaeological site the first thing you see is a wooden Trojan horse, built by the Ministry of Tourism and Culture. That is the greatest attraction of Troy, beside the enthusiasm of the local people about the history of their country.

How much patriotism is hidden in local guides is proudly revealed if you visit Gallipoli National Park. The slender peninsula forms the northwestern side of the Dardanelles, across the water from Canakkale. This strait has been the key to Istanbul for a millennium; any navy, which has managed to get through, had great potential to conquer the capital of Eastern world. Today the peninsula is a quiet place, but many monuments bear witness to the terrible battles that took place in the First World War. Special role in defending the Straits had Mustafa Kemal, who later became the father of all Turks - Ataturk. If you're not in the mood for hiking or biking, it is recommended to take a guided tour of the peninsula, since there is no public transport in a national park. Guides with the greatest enthusiasm interpret about the landings of the Allied in the First World War, nine months of fearless fighting and the withdrawal of Allied. Patriotic locals are the main attraction, unless you are vastly interested in monuments.

Another story is a charming city or Bergamo (Pergamum) that is often overlooked by the tourists. Market town is full of life, famous as the home of the Asclepion, Antique Medical Center (named after the mythological Greek god of healing). There are well-preserved ruins of the Red Basilica, the Acropolis and Asclepion. Fans of antique should certainly not forget to visit the best preserved classical city of eastern Mediterranean. In Ephesus, unlike in Troy, you do not need the imagination to picture the life of the population two thousand years ago. Very well preserved are public toilets, a great theater, capable of holding 25,000 people, library of Celsus (of course, is on display only part of the imposing building, 12,000 books and scrolls are not), Hadrian's Temple and the stadium. Ephesus is a great tourist attraction, which attracts locals as well. In the hot summer sunny days pay a visit in the morning or evening hours. Thus in Ephesus and the rest of the Turkey there is also very well-known beer, named after the ancient city. Although about 98 percent of Turkish people are Muslims, to whom faith prohibits drinking alcohol, many of them do not hesitate to drink this intoxicating substance. If nothing else, an excuse to drink alcohol is Ataturk himself, who loved a glass of brandy. This habit has cost him his life; he died of cirrhosis of the liver does.

Turkey is famous for its many historical landmarks, timeless Istanbul and rich culture. However, it hides many wonders of nature. One of these is always popular tourist attraction. Pamukkale indicates that calcium is not only good for bones, but it can also be wonderful to look at. From the middle of the grassy landscape rises the white hill, the natural thermal spa, with many hot water springs, rich in calcium bicarbonate. For centuries water is flowing along the edges of the plateau and leaves behind a white trail. It has formed many small and large pools, where tourist soaked only a few years ago. Later this type of relaxation was banned, as crowds of visitors have left irreversible traces on the beautiful white pools.

Deep in the heart of Turkey, in within the lunar-like landscape, Hittites have settled from 1800 years BC. Then came the Persians, followed by the Romans. They carved their homes in rocky cliffs and dug underground cities. Cappadocia, another wonder of nature, with its unusual scenery from 4 to 11 century served as a hiding place among the Christians during the Roman and the Byzantine period. So there is no need to explain that there are many well preserved hidden churches carved in the stone sculptures of nature. In the town of Göreme is an open air museum, where you can see the Byzantine churches, chapels and monasteries, and local residence. Yet, Cappadocia offers not only boutique hotels in rocky cones, romantic sunsets, world-class hikes on surrounding mountains and the majestic floats in a hot-air balloon above the moon-like landscape. Unwaveringly kindness and hospitality of local people, who understand that those who wander through this magical land enjoy the peace of indescribable natural beauty, makes everything even nicer.