Turkey June 2001

Turkey is one of the most underrated countries in the world. When I first mentioned travelling to Turkey, people raised theirs brows and wondered why. Isn't it dangerous to travel there?
Well, let me tell you. It is possibly the friendliest country I have ever traveled in. The people are spectacular and I can't even begin to rave about the quaint culture and amazing structures and ruins.

The capital, Istanbul, is a perfect blend of the old and the new. It is a buzzing city of people in constant motion with beautiful mosques all over the place as the greeting of their religiously active country. One thing different though about a big city like Istabul is that I felt the 1,001 nights ambience in the architecture and in the atmosphere. Most big cities look the same.. congested and modern. Not Istabul. It's so quaint.

At Canakale, the nearby areas of Gallipoli and Troy show us Turkey's war realities of the 20th century to the ancient days where universal myths and legends were created.

Near Selcuk, Ephesus, in all its glorious ruins, left us standing in amazement of just what true gems Turkey has saved for us to cherish and learn from. Taking a rest by the Virgin Mary's House gave me such a sense of peace that one can only describe it as a hand reaching out to open an enlighten heart. I knew I was in the presence of holiness.

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HOMEPAGE