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During its 4000 year history, Turkey has been home to some of the world's
greatest civilizations including the Persian, Byzantine, Greek, Roman and
Ottoman empires. They have left behind them a plethora of glorious works
of
art and antiquities that can be found even in the most remote corners and
bares vivid testament to Turkey's magnificent past.
In Turkey we have the opportunity to experience some of the world's finest
ancient sites and for example contemplate life in a Greco-Roman agora
( market place ) or the thunder of chariots racing around a
hippodrome.
There are sites from the early days of Christianity with underground
churches and stunning icons as well as the Aya Sophia which was for 1000
years or so the building with the largest enclosed space on earth.
In later years the Ottomans came and added their mark with an empire that
stretched from Egypt to Austria. Evidence of their presence is everywhere
with magnificent carpets, calligraphy, ceramics and stunning architecture.
We can also thank them for tulips, coffee ( a native plant of Ethiopia but first
cultivated in Yemen - then part of the Ottoman empire ) and of course the
wonderful Damask Rose that they started cultivating in what is now
Bulgaria
and later in Turkey.
It is interesting to note that the Ottomans were unable to conquer Vienna
and the triumphant Austrians decided to celebrate their victory ( or lack
of
defeat ) by creating a pastry! They thought it a nice idea to be eating
the
symbol of the Ottomans, their long time suppressor, the crescent moon -
aka
the croissant.
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