Discovering Turkey

MANILA, Philippines -  Meteor Philippines (Mediterranean Tour Operators) and its Turkey-based parent company Orion Tours, in partnership with Turkish Airlines, recently held a familiarization tour which featured a week-long itinerary that unveiled the beauty of this rich and diverse transcontinental country.

The tour participants traveled through the famed landmarks across Istanbul, Izmir, Pamukkale, Konya, and Cappadocia. Starting off with a visit to Topkapi Palace, the seat of the Ottoman Empire for four centuries, the travelers made their way around the exciting Grand Bazaar, a maze of over 4,000 tiny shops selling gold, jewelry, leatherwork and fine carpets.

Next came some of the world’s greatest architectural marvels — the St. Sophia Museum, the sportive and political center of the Old City the Hippodrome, and the Blue Mosque, famous for its blue Iznik tiles and six minarets, built in the name of Sultan Ahmet. From Istanbul, they drove to Selcuk to visit the House of Virgin Mary, then it was on to Ephesus, one of the Seven Churches of Revelation, and the Temple of Artemis (One of the Seven Wonders of Antiquity).       

In Cappadocia, the travelers were met with the incredible Underground City of Kaymakli where early Christians lived secretly in order to survive and keep their faith — with picture stops at the Valley of the Birds and at the foot of the Uchisar Castle. The experience was rounded off by a visit to the rock carved churches hollowed out of volcanic ash in the Goreme Valley.

Aside from landmarks of religious significance, Turkey is also fast becoming an “incentive” destination for professionals, with experts in the law and medical fields, in particular, choosing to head to the country to experience its distinct culture and lifestyle. An estimated 30 million tourists are expected to visit Turkey this year.