Turkey

Our tour begins in Istanbul, the heart of the nation and a sparkling architectural wonder, where the Topkapi Palace, Blue Mosque, and Hagia Sophia evoke Turkey’s imperial past and rich religious traditions.  We’ll haggle for treasures in the Grand Bazaar and cruise along the Bosphorus, following currents that for centuries have carried traders and merchants between Europe and Asia.  Further north, we’ll stop in Bursa, the first capital of the Ottomans, and ascend Uludag Mountain, a protected heritage site and the highest peak in the Marmara.  Ephesus offers a passport to ancient times, as we step among the ruins of the Odeon and the Temple of Hadrian.  We continue our ancient journey in Troy—a legendary city that needs no introduction—and then head to Gallipoli for a taste of modern history.  Here, as we walk among graves and the Anzac memorials, we’ll begin to understand how the brutal battle came to define modern Turkey.

Along the way, as we move easily from past to present and from East to West, exploring the rich mosaic that is Turkey, we’ll discover that sometimes the places in between—those that defy definition—can be the most memorable of all.