The earliest known burials were carried out by Neanderthal man who lived between 150,000 and 60,000 years ago. These early human beings discovered how to use tools and control fire, and that they also buried their dead was proved by excavations in the Zagros Mountains in northern Iraq in the 1960s. Analysis of soil samples […]
‘When we got off the train, our way lay through a marsh, a cemetery, and the tumbledown Karaoglan Bazaar, past which was a fire-swept wasteland, and beyond that a village of adobe and half-timbered houses with winding streets, some cobbled and some unpaved… That was Ankara.’ This is how Falih Rifki Atay, a journalist, and […]
As most of us know; the name of King Midas is linked to Gordion; the capital city of ancient Phrygia. While mostly he is known as a mythical character; several Phrygian kings bore this name and naturally, different legends and stories had grown up. Among these, the most common one is Midas and the golden […]
Back in Neolithic Era, when the adventure began for hunter-gatherers and made its way for a better civil life, the inhabitants of Anatolia started to bring gifts for their loved ones buried in graves, mostly underneath the sofas in their homes. Those gifts were consisting of bracelets, rings, necklaces and similar jewelry made out of […]
Enjoy a wonderful long weekend in Cappadocia with an extension of Erciyes Ski Center exploring this dramatic Anatolian ancient volcano, once active back by millions of years ago where all slopes give you the opportunity to capture beautiful views at its surroundings once enjoyed by the mammoths. Upon getting far from the lift lines and […]
One of the most memorable dishes of Turkish Cuisine is Manti (known also as Turkish Ravioli), tiny dumplings stuffed with minced meat and garnished with garlic yogurt. This dish is thought to have originated in the province of Kayseri, spreading from there to the rest of Turkey, but the one made in Kayseri remains distinguished […]
A member of a noble family on his mother’s side, Strabo was born in 64 or 63 BC in the city of Amaseia (now called Amasya) capital of Pontus, a region in northeastern Anatolia that was an independent kingdom from the 4th century BC until overcome by Pompey in 66 BC. Pontus became a province […]
Turkish Alparslan (“Courageous Lion”), original name ‘Adud Al-Dawla Abu Shuja’ Muhammad Ibn Da’ud Chaghribeg, second sultan of the Seljuq Turks (1063 – 72), who inherited the Seljuq territories of Khorasan and western Iran and went on to conquer Georgia, Armenia, and much of Asia Minor (won from the Byzantines). He was the son of Chaghri […]
As you approach Sereflikochisar southeast of Ankara, glinting light to the west tells you that the Tuz Golu (Lake Salt) is approaching. The intense whiteness and sparkle of the salt crystals look deceptively like snow and ice. Even when you reach the edge, you still brace yourself for a freezing sensation as you take off […]
Paul was a 1st century Jew who, after being the bitterest enemy of the Christian Church, became its leading missionary and possibly its greatest theologian. His letters, the earliest extant Christian documents, antedate the Gospels of the New Testament. More than half of the Acts of the Apostles deals with his career, and this, together […]
