This is guest post by: Michael Willits, a self-described travel addict. He and his wife run a travel blog, 1000 Places to Fight Before You Die. They live in Boise, Idaho.
You are going where? This was a common question that we heard from our friends when we shared with them that we were going to Turkey.
Why Turkey? Turkey truly has it all: rich history, unique cuisine, majestic beauty and something really special…Turkish hospitality. Having traveled extensively, I can tell you that Turks actually make the travel brochures look understated!! I have never see people so willing to help, so willing to make sure you feel the magic of Turkey.
The second you step foot in Turkey, you really get an impression that you are a part of living history. Our visit began with Ephesus. I lucked out and was able to spend a few minutes alone in quiet reflection in the Celsius Library. For me this was truly a life changing experience.
One of most pristine and under-explored locations in Turkey is Aphrodisias. This is one of the most pristinely preserved sites of Greek antiquity. We spent an entire morning climbing and exploring over a 1000 years of history. We continued our drive and visited a number of the Seven Churches of Revelation. Regardless of the depth of your religious convictions, seeing the ruins of these great cities will lead you to a greater understanding of the early Christian Church and references in the Bible.
We spent the second week of our visit in the great city Istanbul. Highlights for us included a cruise up Bosphorus where we saw the Black Sea and Dolmbahce Palace. No visit would be compete without a visit to the Harem at the Topkapi Palace. One of our favorite sites is a bit off the beaten path, Chora Church. The mosaics and art in this ancient cathedral are well preserved and in some cases better than anything we saw in Italy. Incredibility, the blues and golds almost appear to have been painted recently. Don’t miss the Basilica Cistern, where you can explore an underground city with beautiful columns, and operatic acoustics.
The Grand Bazaar is understated. Sensory overload! The sights, smells, sounds and tastes of the massive complex are so difficult to describe. The immense size of Bazaar is impressive. Prepare yourself; you are greeted by salesmen, whose sales skills have been honed for hundreds of years. You can buy just about anything in the confines of this covered marketplace. We just dove in and had a great experience. We paid way too much for a beautiful handmade rug, but I guess we are in good company, as this is also a time honored tradition.
Another must is to experience the Turkish Bath! Visit our blog for the full story.
One of the highlights of my trip to Turkey was a pure exposure to Islam. It is one of the great religions of the world. So much of what we understand about Islam comes from CNN and MSNBC. We are really getting short changed. Our first morning, we woke up to the call to prayer. The call to prayer is an amazing experience in Turkey. I expected it to be a brash, commanding recording blared over a loud horn. In actuality, it is a distant pleading for fellowman to improve him/herself.
Go to Turkey. Plain and simple. Turkey has a power of place; you will leave a changed person. As our plane was lifting off out of Turkey and circling across the Aegean, I couldn’t help but wonder if what I had just experienced was a dream. I had seen, and more importantly felt like I connected with something both spiritual and powerful.
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