It’s just ten days until we head off to Istanbul for the start of our Grand Tour of Turkiye. We are kicking off with Istanbul and then visiting Princes’ Islands, Mediterranean Coast, Ephesus and Cappadocia. I’m so excited to be heading back to Istanbul and taking in both the old and the new in this cosmopolitan city.

Here’s our itinerary for the tour: ‘Grand Tour of Türkiye’ which starts in Istanbul on 2nd April, 2025.

OUR FASCINATION WITH THE EAST:

A LITTLE BIT OF HISTORY – As the railways spread across Europe in the 19th century, all of a sudden, every man, woman, child and their dog could travel relatively inexpensively, from one city to another. Train passengers travelled for work, but equally importantly they travelled for fun. This created the first tourism boom. Huge numbers of people took the train to the seaside, to the mountains and to famous cities like Paris, Nice, Vienna and Constantinople. Thomas Cook in England started offering day trips to the seaside in the 1840s. Whilst Georges Nagelmackers a Belgian businessman observed the rapidly expanding rail network and decided to offer a luxury travel option for well-heeled travellers. He created and launched the Orient Express Train which went into service in 1883. The Orient Express offered luxurious overnight sleeping accommodation known as ‘wagons lits’ (literally bed-carriages). There were also saloon cars, a restaurant and a bar. The great and the good flocked to book their train tickets on this first class journey across Europe. The company operated between Paris, Vienna and Constantinople, with connections to London and Bucharest.

_{Orient Express routes across Europe (left) and the Insignia of the ‘Wagons Lits’ company (right)}

If you’ll forgive the pun, the Orient Express was a runaway success. The passengers loved this elegant train. Carriages were exquisitely decorated in polished mahogany, bohemian crystal chandeliers hung from the ceilings and rich, velvet curtains fringed every window. The Orient Express was the only way to travel. Socialites of the day couldn’t wait to see and be seen on the ‘Orient Express’. The writers Graham Greene and Agatha Christie were regular travellers. When Greene wrote ‘Stamboul Train’ he described in great detail a train journey across Europe from London and Bruges to Constantinople. The novel appeared in 1932 and was Greene’s first true success. It was taken on by the Book Society and in 1934 adapted into a film called ‘The Orient Express’. Then came Agatha Christie’s ‘Murder on the Orient Express’ published in January, 1934. Graham Greene and Agatha Christie were the influencers of their day. The public appetite for the exotic east was growing all the time.

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Imagine arriving in Constantinople in the 1900s, stepping down onto a platform crowded with people. Feathery plumes of smoke and steam from the locomotive engine, swirling and floating on the spice-filled air. Passengers stepping down delicately, perhaps hesitantly, onto the tip of Europe. The point where Europe meets Asia and the waterway known as the Bosphorus divides the continents. This was an arrival into an ancient city, a city that had survived three millenia, and with three different names; Byzantium, Constantinople and Istanbul. When Agatha Christie arrived in town in the 1930s the city had just been renamed Istanbul. Ms Christie would have been on her way to the Pera Palace Hotel, the ‘art nouveau style’ hotel built by the ‘International Wagons Lits Companie’ to accommodate its VIP guests. When the Pera Palace opened in 1895 it was the only hotel in Turkey to have an electric lift and hot running water in every bathroom. Today the room that the great lady occupied, Room 411, is available to visit and is furnished with paraphernalia of the era.

_{Pera Palace Hotel, Istanbul (left) and Agatha Christie memorabilia in Room 411 (right)}

_{The Terminal where train passengers arrived in Constantinople is now a small railway museum – well worth a visit.}

_{Agatha Christie’s room at The Pera Palace.}

ISTANBUL – The city of Istanbul was founded by the Greeks as a trading colony known as Byzantion around 667 BC (according to Herodotus). When the Greeks were superseded by the Romans the name was latinized and became Byzantium. Byzantium was the capital of the Eastern Roman Empire and an important trading centre on the ‘Silk Road’. In 330 AD when Constantine was Emperor, not only did he base himself in Byzantium, but he also allowed religious tolerance within the Roman Empire, effectively bringing to an end the persecution of Christians. He also decided to rename Byzantium rather immodestly in his own image as Constantinople. Constantinople remained the capital of the Eastern Roman Empire, sometimes known as the Byzantine Empire and then later the Ottoman Empire until 1924. However this was not a peaceful period, from the 7th century onwards most Turks and Arabs, known as Saracens, followed the prophet Mohammed and were Muslim. It wasn’t long before the Pope was demanding loyalty from his Christian flock and the Crusades began.

The Ottomans ruled Turkey for just over 600 years. There was a succession of more than 30 sultans over this period, each one lasting on average twenty years, a pretty good innings for an autocratic head-of-state. Their centre of government was the Topkapi Palace, famed for its luxurious accommodation, enchanting courtyards, pavilions (kiosks), exotic gardens, fountains and of course the hareem.

In 1924 modern Turkiye was founded by popular hero Kemal Mustafa Ataturk. Ataturk was a successful army man, a politician and a statesman. He founded the modern Republic of Turkiye, as a secular state. He served as its first President from 1924 until his death in 1938. Symbolically and importantly he lived in a fine 19th century palace on the Bosphorus, known as the Dolmabache Palace. He did not reside at the Topkapi Palace.

FUN FACT – Did you know Istanbul is surrounded by not one but two sets of ‘fortification walls’ There’s 6 km² (2.3 sq mi) area of land enclosed within the Constantinian Walls (4th century CE). Then there is the 14 km² (5.4 sq mi) of land enclosed within the Theodosian Walls (dating to 5th century CE).

_{The Ottoman Empire extended almost to Vienna – 17th century(left). Constantinople was the most exotic of cities (right).}

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ORIENTALISM AND THE HISTORY OF TURKEY

The Ottomans were the enemy the westerners loved to hate, on the one hand we were terrified of these ruthless soldiers and brave fighters, on the other hand we were fascinated and captivated by the exotic lands of the east. Think Arabian Nights, souks, turbans, silks, spices and the caravansarei through the desert.

In the 1720s the ‘Arabian Nights’ or ‘1001 nights‘ a collection of Persian and Arabian stories were translated into English for the first time. These folklore tales of love and loss, bravery and courage, magic and skullduggery were very popular and captured the imagination of British people who didn’t live in sun drenched lands with deserts and palm trees on every horizon. In many ways the publication of the ‘Arabian Nights’ stories opened the floodgates to a wave of ‘Orientalism’ that was at least half imagined. Lord Byron, poet and playboy of the 1800s arrived in Constantinople and definitely and deliberately fanned the flames. He decided to swim the ‘Hellespont’ the famous waterway, now known as The Dardanelles, notorious for its fatal currents. He regarded it as his greatest achievement. He likens the swim to a Greek myth, where Leander (the star of the tale and probably Byron himself) swims this dangerous waterway every night to reach his lover Hero, a priestess of Aphrodite, who lived in a tower in Sestos.

Written After Swimming From Sestos To Abydos

If, in the month of dark December,
  Leander, who was nightly wont
(What maid will not the tale remember?)
  To cross thy stream, broad Hellespont!

If, when the wintry tempest roar’d,
  He sped to Hero, nothing loth,
And thus of old thy current pour’d,
  Fair Venus! how I pity both!

For me, degenerate modern wretch,
  Though in the genial month of May,
My dripping limbs I faintly stretch,
  And think I’ve done a feat today.

But since he cross’d the rapid tide,
  According to the doubtful story,
To woo,–and–Lord knows what beside,
  And swam for Love, as I for Glory;

‘Twere hard to say who fared the best:
  Sad mortals! thus the gods still plague you!
He lost his labour, I my jest;
  For he was drown’d, and I’ve the ague.

Byron – on Swimming the Hellespont (1810)

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ORIENTALISM IN ENGLAND

Throughout the 19th century the fad for ‘orientalism’ was running wild. The Brighton Pavilion designed by John Nash was extended in 1815, adding minarets and domes in an Indo-Saracenic style. In the 1860s the artist Frederic Leighton moved into Holland Park, London and designed his own house in the oriental style. Brighton Pavilion (below left) was the talk of the town. Whilst Leighton’s Arabic Hall, in his house (below right), even attracted the attention of Queen Victoria, who was a visitor. Leighton was very influential and later became President of the Royal Academy.

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• Our Turkiye journey for April, 2025 is now fully booked. We’ll be running another one soon.
• Full programme here: ‘Grand Tour of Türkiye’
• Just a few highlights of our incredible ‘Turkish Delight Tour’ are; Mosques and mosaics, The Old Orient Express train station, Afternoon tea at the Pera Palace, The Spice Bazaar for a little bit of shopping, Galata Tower, Orhan Pamuk’s Museum of Innocence, Princes’ Islands staying in a traditional hotel, A jaunt down to Antalya to discover the Mediterranean Coast and Lycian Tombs, A trip to Ephesus, one of the best preserved archaeological sites in the world, A visit to Cappadocia and the fairy chimneys of this magical world. There’s just so much to see…..

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TURKIYE IN CONTEXT…..

TURKIYE is at the continental boundary between Europe and Asia, between east and west. A huge country of about 90 million people, stretching from Greece (in the west) to Armenia (in the east). The city of Istanbul is unique because it is divided into two parts – the European side and the Asian side. The Bosphorus waterway slices the city in two and creates a physical and cultural divide between west and east. It’s a cliche and yet it’s true!

In terms of territory Turkiye is a large country, roughly 1000 miles (1500 kms) from west to east and about 400 miles (500 kms) from north to south. Turkiye is twice the size of Germany and three times larger than the British Isles. It’s also a territory that has had an incredible history.

Southern Turkiye borders on to the area known as Mesopotamia or the ‘Fertile Crescent’ which is an area of land delineated by the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers. Archaeologists have discovered evidence of human habitation here dating back to 10,000 years BCE (Before Common Era). Previously nomadic tribal groups created permanent settlements in the ‘Fertile Crescent’ where an abundant water supply and fertile soils made it possible to grow crops. The names of these tribal groups can be found in the Bible; Assyrians, Babylonians, Hittites and Sumerians. After the Biblical tribes came the Romans and after the Romans came at least two Turkish Empires, first the Selcuk Empire and then the Ottoman Empire. Interaction with Western Europe was usually defined by trade (especially with the Venetians) and battles over land and territories, especially with the Christian Crusaders, endorsed by the Pope in Rome.

However fights over territory and trade routes were not restricted to the south. In the north, there were numerous battles off the coast of Greece and in the Dardanelles, close to Istanbul. Perhaps the most famous encounter was the Battle of Lepanto of 1571 when the Venetians and a huge naval fleet of the ‘Holy League’ managed to defeat the Ottomans in the Gulf of Patras (off the coast of Greece). This was the largest naval battle fought with galleons powered by rowers; real, live, genuine manpower.

_{Semi-comical paintings of ‘The Crusaders’ painted around 1912.}

Notes and further reading:

• Byzantium – the founding of the city is said to be 667 BC, according to Greek historian Herodotus, who states the city was founded 17 years after Chalcedon. Byzantium was a trading city due to its location at the Black Sea‘s entrance to the Bosphorus water way and then to the Mediterranean Sea.
• Over the years Byzantium was besieged by Persians, Greeks and Romans.
• As Constantinople the fighting and sieges continued. The Venetians briefly controlled the city from 1204-1260 after the Sack of Constantinople during the Fourth Crusade 
• In the mid-15th century the Ottomans took control of Constantinople and ruled the city for almost 600 years up until the 1920s.
• In 1930 with the creation of the Turkish Republic by Ataturk, the city of Constantinople became known as Istanbul.
• Orhan Pamuk is perhaps Turkey’s best known writer. He is a Nobel Prize winning author and well worth a read – here’s an article I wrote about ‘The Museum of Innocence’ Orhan Pamuk – The Museum of Innocence
• Interesting observations about ‘eastern influence’ in Venetian art: Orientalism in Venetian Art

OUR READING AND WATCHING LIST FOR YOU:

• Here’s a reading and watching list we just created for Istanbul and Turkey – see below:

• www.educated-traveller.com
• www.grand-tourist.com

October 2024 / January 2025 / March 2025