Turkey might be the world’s most contested country. Its landscape is dotted with battlegrounds, ruined castles and the palaces of great empires. This is the land where Alexander the Great slashed the Gordion Knot, where Achilles battled the Trojans in Homer’s Iliad, and where the Ottoman Empire fought battles that would shape the world. History buffs can immerse themselves in marvels and mementos stretching back to the dawn of civilisation.
Then again, if you want to simply unwind, spend an afternoon being pampered at a hamam, or let the warm waters of the Mediterranean lap at your toes. Adventure lovers can head east, to uncover a wild, exotic, Turkey. Bon vivants need look no further than istanbul, where the markets and bars are among the most stylish and atmospheric, and the mod Ottoman cuisine rates as the tastiest, in the world.