Perched where East meets West, Turkey was once a stopover on the Silk Road, connecting the cultures of Europe and the Balkans to exotic Eastern locales. That explains why its history has as many layers as a piece of baklava.
The invaders are a greatest hits list of big names: the Greeks, the Byzantine Empire, the Fourth Crusade, and the Ottoman Empire (and its Janissaries). Then WWI and the birth of a new nation: The Republic of Turkey, with westward-gazing Atatürk at the helm.
Now, this stunningly beautiful country is a dreamy holiday destination. There are beaches on the Black, Aegean, and Mediterranean Seas to immerse you in soothing waters.
Enjoy colorful Turkish cuisine with strong tea and coffee to fuel your adventures. Listen to slinky, rhythmic folk music, have a soak at a hammam (Turkish bath), and meet friendly locals with a charming predilection for chit-chat.
For centuries, travelers have been enchanted by the Istanbul skyline and the romantic Bosphorous Strait. But don’t sleep on sights outside that fabled city, like the hot air balloons and otherworldly terrain of Cappadocia, the ancient ruins of the Library of Pergamum, and Gaziantep with the sweet scent of baklava bakeries floating in the air.
In this episode, we romp through the Byzantine Empire, get gossipy about the Turkish language, and celebrate sweet words of devotion. Then we recommend five books that took us to Turkey on the page, including an Ottoman-era murder mystery starring a food-loving detective, a historical novel that weaves art and multiple narrators, an auto-bio graphic novel set in 1980s Istanbul, a classic novel of romantic suspense, and a thriller/coming-of-age story set in modern Istanbul.
Read the full transcript of Turkey: It’s Turkish Delight on a Moonlit Night.
Read more about the gossip tense in the Turkish language here and here.
Lots of fun things to know about Turkish food: Here are 38 mouthwatering Turkish foods, everything you need to know about Turkish breakfast from The Weary Chef and from Food & Wine.
You’ll need some Turkish coffee to go with that!
Here are the cities Mel name-dropped:
Statement 2: A man once found an entrance to a forgotten underground city inside a wall in his home. Atlas Obscura takes you to Derinkuyu Underground City. More fascinating details here and here.
Statement 3: The world’s oldest complete melody was found in a minaret in Istanbul. The Wiki page for the Epitaph of Seikilos — and here are photos. You can listen to a midi file of the melody!
Dave referenced The Wall by Peter Sís, which he discussed in our podcast episode about Prague — and Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi, which he discussed in our podcast episode about Iran.
Jason Goodwin is the author of the Yashim detective series; visit his website. In these videos, Goodwin takes us to Yashim’s Istanbul:
Here’s more on the Janissaries.
A recipe for Yashim’s Aubergine Parcels with Chicken — plus an interview with the author about his Turkish cookbook.
Orhan Pamuk is the author of the My Name is Red; visit his website. Here he is talking about his novels and his connection to Istanbul:
Dave referenced Moby Dick by Herman Melville, which he discussed in our podcast episode about the sea.
Phyllis A. Whitney is the author of Black Amber; visit her website for book lists and her deliciously The Guardian.
The houses below are yali, Turkish mansions on the shore of the Bosphorous Strait. Read more about the yali here and here.
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