ABOUT TURKEY

Central Anatolia is home to the world's first town, a neolithic city dating back to 6500 BC which was discovered at Çatalhöyük.Sixteen ancient civilisations, from thi Hittites to the Ottomans, have contributed to this exotic paradise over thousands of years. You will probably travel along roads that great warriors, colourful silk caravans, and couriers of mail or secret treaties passed along many centuries ago. You will follow in the footsteps of St. Paul end the mystic Sufis spreading divine knowledge.

Anatolia was the home of Heredotus, the Father of History, and Homer who wrote of the Trojan wars in his Iliad.It is also the home of the mystical'Whirling Dervishes', the birthplace of St. Nicholas and the place where the Virgin Mary spent her last days. There are more Greek ruins here than in Greece itself, and indeed more Roman ruins than in Italy.

Turkey is a land steeped in myth - King Midas with his 'golden touch', together with the Knot of Gordian that the young Alexander was able to undo with a single strike of his sword. Cleopatra and Mark Antony chose to honeymoon in this beautiful land under the divinity of Aphrodite, Goddess of Love.

The remains of ancient civilisations are scattered throughout Turkey, providing a living history lesson. The archaeological sites of Troy, Pergamon, Ephesus, Miletus, Priene, Didyma, Aphrodisias, Heraclia, Caunos, Perge , Aspendos and Cappadocia are all well wroth visiting.

It is the unique combination of the richness of the landscape, the friendly local people, her culture, and her history that make Turkey a magical experience. And all of this is but a small insight into this captivating holiday destination - there are beautiful beaches, coastal villages, unspoilt coves and bays, cliar turquoise waters, breathtaking scenery, mountains that appear to rise out of the sea, cities that sparkle with life, the brilliant sunshine, plus one of the greatest cuisines in the world - all contributing to the holiday paradise that is Turkey.

The Turkish cuisine is one of the best in the world, and the delicious food combined with reasonable prices will ensure that eating out is one of the main highlights of your holiday. For the Turks, a meal is a social event, so you can relax and take your time over your food. Everything is freshly prepared from natural ingredients and you will find something to suit all tastes.

An evening meal begins with the 'meze' - lots of small plates of hot and cold starters, which can almost be a meal in themselves. The Turks have hundreds of ways of cooking aubergines - almost the national vegetable - including the delicious 'imam bayildi', aubergine stuffed with tomato and onions in olive oil. Literally translated it means 'the priest fainted' - apparently overwhelmed by the delicious taste of the dish. There are more types of kebab than you have ever imagined, made from succulent meat, and there is also a huge variety of fish and seafood available in most seaside resorts - usually freshly caught that day. To accompany your meal try the excellent local wine, the refreshing lager - Efes - or the national tipple, raki.You should round off your meal with a cup of the thick, sweet Turkish coffee.

Turkey is a shoppers' paradise and prices are very reasonable, especially since the amount of lira to the pound, the dollars or euro almost doubled in 2003. The shopping experience takes on a whole new meaning in Turkey - once you have lost your inhibitions you will find that haggling over the price is half the fun of the purchase. Bartering can be hard work and you will often be offered a glass of tea or apple tea to assist the process. Bargains include carpets, leatherware, textiles, silver and gold. Most carpet - sellers are well versed in the history of he carpet, and it is well worth setting aside some time to listen to them explaining the tratitional craft of carpet - making and the meaning of the different designes and patterns.