Day: March 23, 2018

A fertile region between the two volcanoes - Hasan Dagi and Erciyes Dagi, lies the region of Cappadocia. Known as Cappadocia in the ancient times, at present it is informally called the Kapadokya. The town lies to the east of Konya, and is surrounded by the Nigde in the south, Kirsehir in the north, Kayseri to the east and Aksaray to the west. There is a mention of Cappadocia as a large and important Roman province in the Bible`s New Testament. However, this Central Anatolian region has been important since Hittite times, long before the time of Jesus. Cappadocia is the cradle of one of the oldest civilizations of our world and the birthplace of many mysteries and legends, almost as if it is not real. Any travel lover would surely love to explore this fantastic place. The Cappadocians have an exotic and varied lineage to boast of and claim an ancestry from almost all of the powerful tribes of Asia and Europe. They vary right from Assyrians, Ancient Anatolian tribes, Hittites, Turkic tribes from Central Asia, Phrygians, Slavs, Persians, Syrians, Arabs, Kurds, Romans and Western Europeans, Armenians, Greeks to Mongols. The tourist spots in Cappadocia are almost unlimited and each of them is equally important. A major crowd puller to Cappadocia is its "Underground cities", there are thirty-six of them that has been discovered so far. These shelters were temporary rather than permanent places to stay and the main two are at Kaymakli and Derinkuyu. Amongst debating archaeologists, these caves have been dated to about 1200 BC. The cave dwellings show remarkable architectural sense and planning. The rock cut churches and monasteries were developed by the Christians from the cave dwellings and they are also situated deep underground. These excavations have reached down to about 85 meters, or until

Istanbul, or the ancient city of Constantinople spells splendour, magnificence and grandeur and is viewed at present as Turkey's cultural heart. Discover its history, its cultures, its civilisation and its treasures and take home a world of memories to cherish. How to Get There Flying There are daily flights in and out of Istanbul via many carriers. It is important to know that the city has two major international airports. On the Asian side is Ataturk and from the European side there is Sabiha Gokcen. As for domestic flights, there are direct and daily flights from Izmir, Adana and Ankara. From Dalaman airport, flights depart to Istanbul four times per day. The journey duration is approximately 55 minutes and flights can be purchased for as little as 35 lira. Travelling There by Land If you are coming in from Europe, there are a number of bus companies that run from Greece, France, Austria, Switzerland, Germany and Bulgaria. There are buses also from Romania, Jordan, Russia and Georgia. It is possible to drive your own car on the major highways from Europe to Turkey as well, just make sure you have all the important paperwork. Train You can also access Istanbul via rail. The Turkish Railways Authority (TCDD) have regular schedules from many parts of the country and Europe. There are trains from Budapest, Bucarest, Kishinev, Bulgaria, Tehran and Syria, Greece and Sofia, Moldova and more. The international lines will arrive at the station of Sirkeci on the European side or Haydarpasa on the Asian side. It will depend where you are coming from. **Double check before you book any train ticket as in the last few years the railways have been undergoing some reconstruction and not all of them can get you all the way into Istanbul. By Sea You