Turkish
Tapestry
Layers of history and culture overlap
in a country filled with treasures
BY L AUREN JEROME
istock, (tile) ian lloyd neubauer W I N T E R 2 0 1 5 | W E S T W O R L D 35
F
rom the vast metropolis of Istanbul
to the fairy-tale landscapes of Cap-
padocia, a trip through Turkey yields
monumental sights and contrasting
scenery at every turn, each representing
mind-bending stretches of time, change and
culture. So where do you start?
You start in Istanbul. After a sleepless
night, anxious about all there is to see, I spend
my first morning walking along the mighty
Bosphorus, the strait between Asia and
Europe that cuts through the city. I end up in
Ortaköy, a neighbourhood under the Bospho-
rus Bridge full of cafés and restaurants. In the
square, men take off their shoes and pray at
the beautiful Ortaköy Mosque, which juts out
into the choppy water. Ferries take tourists
and locals to different spots along both conti-
nents. e minarets of mosques pop up from
the hazy shoreline. Further in, men play back-
gammon and shops sell dried fruits, baked
goods and fish along narrow winding streets.
