Prior to the 20th century, people of Greek and Turkish descent lived a fairly harmonious existence in the Turkish village of Kayakoy. Referred to as Livissi by the Greek population, the village was home to a Greek Orthodox church, rows of homes, and a school. A cultural rift between Greece and Turkey in the wake…
Most visitors experience Turkey through Istanbul’s skyline or Antalya’s beaches. Central and western Turkey remain quieter, slower — and far more intimate. Here, history isn’t fenced off behind crowds, and landscapes unfold without spectacle. I put together a self-drive route through four lesser-known Turkish cities, passing through Sufi cultural centers, ancient ruins, Ottoman fortresses, national…
Cats in Istanbul are more than just street animals — they’re a cultural symbol and one of the city’s most charming “residents.” Depending on the estimate, hundreds of thousands — and possibly close to a million — cats roam Istanbul’s neighborhoods. You’ll find them everywhere: in courtyards, on seaside promenades, inside cafés, and even curled…
Many travelers assume Turkey has no good wine—but they couldn’t be more mistaken. Chances are, they’ve never tried the award-winning wines of the Aegean region. In fact, many bottles from here regularly take home medals at international competitions. Around Izmir, the sheer concentration of wineries is remarkable: more than half of Turkey’s wine is produced…
In the late 1800s, banker Abraham Salomon Camondo commissioned a grand stone staircase in the Turkish city of Constantinople—now known as Istanbul—so that his family could traverse one of the city’s steepest hills and travel to work and school with greater ease. The Camondo Stairs are a sprawling staircase with a distinctive curved design that…
A common complaint about modern life is that nothing is built to last. A visit to the remnants of the stately ancient city of Zeugma in Turkey serves as an excellent reminder that some material objects indeed withstand the test of time. The Zeugma Mosaic Museum, located in the city of Gaziantep—formerly known as Zeugma—boasts…
In the early 1960s, a Turkish man, whose name has been lost in the sands of time, was renovating his home. He noticed that his chickens periodically disappeared into a series of mysterious crevasses, never to return. Attempting to locate one of his chickens, the man began digging near one of these crevasses and stumbled…
Turkey‘s Butterfly Valley is strikingly beautiful. If you’re fortunate enough to visit, you might feel as if you’ve stepped into an enchantingly beautiful dream world. Located near Oludeniz on the Mediterranean coast, Butterfly Valley boasts a pristine beach paradise, surrounded by towering cliffs. These cliffs are a natural habitat for over 100 species of butterflies….
