Mardin
This historic city, set upon a high ledge, is known for
its diverse architecture. From the rooftop restaurants I
peer across the wide-open span of the Fertile Crescent,
wedged between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. This
is the place where humans first domesticated animals,
where they learned to cultivated wheat and invented
the wheel, and where they developed the first written
language. Shop for handmade silver treasures on the
winding streets, or go out late to experience the lively
nightlife in this historical Silk Road outpost.Göbeklitepe
This 12,000-year-old monument is more than twice
as old as Stonehenge. Stepping down into Göbeklitepe
is haunting — as if I’m unlocking the secrets of my
own being by staring at mankind’s first ritual space.
The carved animal figures look ready to leap from the
stone, each one carved from the limestone cliffs placed
upright by human hands that lived so long ago.
Cappadoccia
Some of Turkey’s best-kept secrets are
underground, like the churches of Göreme, carved
from the volcanic stone that defines the region’s
landscape. I’m amazed by the frescoes of the ‘dark
church’ before descending into Derinkuyu, a
subterranean city that housed more than 20,000
people. Join one of the daily hot air balloon flights
that float above the fairy chimney formations.
Pool of Hierapolis and Pamukkale
A spa since the second century BC, Cleopatra’s Pool
offers an unforgettable swim among the ruins of
Hierapolis. Paddling through the clear water, I tiptoe
over marble columns and stone steps, surrounded
by Mediterranean gardens. Then at dusk, I walk the
white ledges of the ‘cotton castle’ — the calcite slopes of
Pamukkale rising like a staircase to the sky.
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