Turkey is a nation straddling eastern Europe and western Asia with cultural connections to ancient Greek, Persian, Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman empires. Cosmopolitan Istanbul, on the Bosphorus Strait, is home to the iconic Hagia Sophia, with its soaring dome and Christian mosaics, the massive 17th-century Blue Mosque and the circa-1460 Topkapı Palace, former home of sultans. Ankara is Turkey’s modern capital.
We visited Turkey 3 times. The first time we explored the sights in ancient Ephesus on a Mediterranean cruise in April 2013. The second time, we explored Istanbul during a long 12 hr layover on our way back from Kazakhstan in September 2017. We explored the city, including the beautiful Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia, Topkapi Palace and shopping of course! Istanbul welcomed us back a third time during a long 11 hr layover from Mauritius in September 2018 as well.