Istanbul

Istanbul is a megacity of 13 million people, as well as the cultural, economic, and financial center of Turkey. Our trip from the airport to our hotel, Witt Istanbul Suites, was along the Bosphorus. While for most cities the trip from the airport to the hotel is not aesthetically noteworthy Istanbul is different. The 30 minute drive was lined by the Sea and a meridian full of tulips, tulips, and more spring tulips.

Cappadocia

We enjoyed 4 days and 3 nights in the town of Ürgüp.  Ürgüp is located in the historical region known as Cappadocia.

Cappadocia, in central Turkey, is a geological phenomenon. The unique landscapes are the result of the combination of enormous and recurring eruptions from a group ancient volcanoes millions of years ago followed by centuries of erosion from wind and rain.

Rose Valley

Ephesus? What is it? Where is it?

Ephesus was an ancient Greek city, and later a major Roman city, on the west coast of Turkey, near present-day Selcuk, Turkey. Ephesus, at its height, had a population of more than 250,000 in the 1st century BCE, which made it the second or third largest city in the world behind only Alexandria and Rome.

Ephesus was an important center for early Christianity. The Apostle Paul “hung out” between 53 and 62 AD. The Apostle John was also “in the neighborhood” until around 100 AD. The house of the Virgin Mary, about 4 miles from Selcuk, is believed to have been the last home of Mary, mother of Jesus. It is a popular place of pilgrimage which has been visited by three recent popes.

Our tour of the area was led by Hakan