Cappadocia to Constantinople

At the crossroads of the western world, Turkey, and particularly the region of Cappadocia, is steeped in history and inextricably linked with its dramatic volcanic landscape. Over millions of years this land has been shaped into fantastic forms and shapes, with deep canyons, valleys and the intriguing ‘fairy chimneys’ for which the region is renowned. As empires waxed and waned, from the Assyrians and Hittites through to the Roman and the Byzantine empires, they all left evidence of their passing. Almost 2000 years ago, Christians carved their first churches into these rocks and ‘chimneys’ and earlier civilisations excavated huge underground cities, with ventilation systems, kitchens and housing for livestock as places of sanctuary against troubled times.

This arrangement explores Turkey’s Roman heritage at Perge, one of the great Pamphylian cities, with its theatre, stadium, Roman baths and agora, and the well-preserved theatre at Aspendos. At Istanbul, formerly the Byzantine capital of Constantinople, the romantic setting of domes and minarets dominate the skyline of the Golden Horn. Its rich historical legacy and the imagination of many have fashioned the image of the Sublime Porte as one of the world’s most exciting cities at this evocative meeting point of Asia and Europe.