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Unforgettable journey to Turkey

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By Lee Hyon-soo

Turkey is one of the world's top 10 travel destinations. Luckily, I had travelled to Turkey before the COVID-19 pandemic caused international tourism to come to a stop. Here is my travel anecdote.

From Seoul my wife and I flew for almost 12 hours to get to Istanbul. After spending one night there, we boarded a domestic airline on the following morning to move to Cappadocia ("Kapadokya" in Turkish), where our coach tour was to start.

Cappadocia is a region created by the erosion of soft volcanic stone by the wind and rain for centuries. The unique moon-like landscape of Cappadocia overwhelmed our senses due to its immense size. We spent two days exploring Cappadocia which has many sites with unique geological, historical and cultural features. We saw countless magnificent rock formations and visited many caves that served as churches, living quarters or hiding places for early Christians during the Roman persecution.

On Day 4, we passed through Konya lying on the southwest edge of the central Anatolian plateau and arrived in Antalya, Turkey's largest resort on the Mediterranean coast. The first thing we did in Antalya was to enjoy a short cruise on the Mediterranean. We had a marvelous time admiring the scenic coastline. We then had a walking tour through the city's twisting and turning old alleys.

On Day 5, we arrived at Pamukkale, also known as "Cotton Castle." We relaxed for a while, paddling our feet in the mineral-rich warm water, and climbed to the top of Mount Olympos by cable car. Mount Olympos measures 2,543 meters in height at its highest point, thereby making it the highest mountain in Turkey. We enjoyed its vastness and unspoiled beauty.

On Day 6, we visited Ephesus ("Efes" in Turkish). We saw the ruins of many ancient monumental buildings, such as the Library of Celsus, the Temple of Artemis, the Basilica of St. John and a huge amphitheater.

Tourists flock to Ephesus to search for the roots of early Christianity. Legend has it that the apostle John brought Mary to Ephesus and that she lived out her last years there. Also, the apostle Paul used Ephesus as a base while travelling in Asia Minor on missionary work.

On Day 7, our coach tour ended in Izmir, where we boarded a domestic airline to fly back to Istanbul. We spent our last two days in Istanbul. Founded around 660 BC, it was initially called Byzantium. But its name was changed to Constantinople (coming from the Greek word meaning "City of Constantine") in 330 and Istanbul in 1923. It was instrumental in the advancement of Christianity during Byzantine times, before the Ottomans conquered the city in 1453 and transformed it into an Islamic stronghold.

The first historical site that we visited in Istanbul was the Hagia Sophia (meaning "Holy Wisdom" in Greek). Constructed by Byzantine emperor Justinian in 537, it was a Christian church until the Ottomans turned it into a mosque in 1453. It was opened to the public as a museum in 1935.

Besides the Hagia Sophia, we also visited Topkapi Palace, the Basilica Cistern and the Blue Mosque (in Turkish, "Sultan Ahmet Camii"). It was also fun to stroll in the Grand Bazaar, one of the oldest covered markets in the world.

Finally, we spent a couple of hours on board an excursion boat which travelled along the Bosporus Strait that separates Europe and Asia. We took in the sweeping views of Istanbul's skyscrapers and colorful buildings bordered by the city's lush forests and tranquil blue waters.


The writer (tomhslee43@gmail.com) is a freelance columnist and the author of "Tales of a Korean Globetrotter."




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