Grand Tour of Turkey

The land that bridges Europe and Asia has seen travellers in many forms over the millennia. From the earliest prehistoric cultures of Anatolia, it has absorbed the imprint of many (often in search of conquest and plunder) including the Hittites, Greeks and Persians who were later followed by Romans, Byzantines and Ottomans and more recently the French and British. Anatolia reveals the capital of the Hittites, who preceded the Hellenistic age and who famously clashed with Ramses II of Egypt at Kadesh. The nomadic origins of the Turkic peoples lie in Central Asia, from where the Seljuk tribe moved westward, establishing capitals at Iznik (Nicaea) and Konya until disturbed by Crusader and Mongol invasions. Osman then established the Ottoman dynasty whose territorial influence and expansion accelerated in the 13th century, at its zenith from Egypt and present-day Iran to the Balkans and even the gates of Vienna. Bursa was the first capital of the empire (1326) where its great architectural style was developed under Suleyman, clearly distinguishable from the traditions of other Islamic dynasties. Mehmet II swept away the last vestiges of the declining Byzantine Empire in 1453, capturing Constantinople and renaming it Istanbul. Surviving Byzantine monuments include St Sophia, founded by Emperor Justinian in the 6th century, the city walls, Basilica Cistern and Cappadocia’s rock churches. Foreign ambassadors were accredited to the ‘Sublime Porte’ a monumental gateway today dominated by the complex of magnificent buildings which make up the Topkapi Palace, residence of the Sultans and women of the harem. The years of Mehmet II, Selim I and Suleyman the Magnificent were a period of opulence, grandeur and exceptional achievements in art and architecture.

The Ottoman society was multi-ethnic and artists and scholars at the royal court reflected the artistic traditions of the countries ruled by them with both masters and apprentices paid as salaried officials. This comprehensive arrangement travels from the shores of the Black Sea, Aegean and Mediterranean seas through rocky pine-forested mountains to the grasslands of the Anatolian plateau. It encompasses the ruins of Troy, classical cities of Pergamon, Ephesus and Aphrodisias, the travertine terraces of Pamukkale and the underground cities and fairy chimneys of Cappadocia.

VJV Special Event - Ottoman Dinner
A drink in a typical Ottoman house followed by a candle-lit dinner in the vaulted dining room of an ancient 6th-century cistern.