Surprising Turkey

One of the most surprising things on our Mediterranean tour is how much my husband and I liked Turkey. It was totally unexpected. We went to Greece, Italy, France, Turkey, and just a little of Spain, but Turkey stands out. Despite some people's preconceived ideas, Turkey's constitution guarantees freedom of religion, and it has no official state religion. The government is a parliamentary representative democracy.

Turkey is a country with a long history. Uniquely, part of the country is in Europe and part of it's in Asia. It has become a popular travel destination, and, in 2013, it ranked as 6th in the world in tourism. Besides having the archaeological site of ancient Troy, it also boasts two of the seven wonders of the ancient world. Hagia Sophia in Istanbul is one of its most famous mosques, and one that I had taught about in world history classes.

My favorite place turned out to be Ephesus, which is in Turkey today. I loved its history, its library, and the fact that the Apostle Paul started an early church there. (Also see my blog on July 22, 2015 about Ephesus.) Jim and I also liked Istanbul, the country's capital, better than any other city on our trip. It was clean, the people were friendly, and we felt safe there. Yes, Turkey turned out differently than we'd expected but in a good way.

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