Introduction to Anatolia

The history of Anatolia, the Turkish homeland is simply incredible. The world's oldest city  was discovered, here, at Catal Hoyuk in 7500 BC. The Hittite Empire, little known in the west, rivaled that of ancient Egypt, and left behind captivating works of art.

The heartland of classical Hellenic culture is actually in Turkey, including cities such as Troy, Pergamum, Ephesus , Miletus and Halicarnassus. Most modern Turkish cities have a Roman past and all have a Byzantine one. The Seljuk Turkish Empire could boast of people like Omar Khayyam and Celaleddin Rumi, the poet, mystic and founder of the order of Whirling Dervishes. Turkey's history is astoundingly long, extending for almost 10,000 years.