What makes Turkey so appealing to the majority of its visitors today is its dynamic fusion of cultures, of old and new, East and West, modernity and tradition.

Turkey's rich history has long made it a destination for students of ancient civilizations. Turkey's countryside is dotted with major archeological sites and Anatolia, or Asia Minor as the Romans called this bridge between Europe and Asia, was home to the Hittites, Urartians, Phrygians, Lycians, Lydians, Romans and Byzan¬tines before the arrival of the Turks early in the 11th century AD. Many of Turkey's present cities are built around the ruins of earlier cities. Archeological finds around Istanbul date back to the 13th century BC and Istanbul's first urban settlement to 667 BC. Homer was born in Smyrna, present-day lzmir.

More recently, Turkey has become known for the beauty of its natural resources: the turquoise waters of its Aegean and Mediterranean coasts, the volcanic fairy land of Cappadocia, the wild flowers and cloud forests of its Black Sea mountain ranges and the rugged landscape of its eastern steppes. But what makes Turkey so appealing to the majority of its visitors today is its dynamic fusion of cultures, of old and new, East and West, modernity and tradition.

First-time travelers to Turkey's metropolises may be surprised by the rapid growth of sky scrapers, shopping centers and international fast-food chains, and dismayed by their bumper-to-bumper traffic. But beneath these superficial similarities with other fast-growing cities, one quickly finds Turkey's unique flavor: in the bustle of commercial activity, as tides of shoppers sift through the wares of street vendors and small shops that overflow onto the street; in the contrasting calm of tea houses, cafes and restaurants, inexplicably full throughout most of the day; in people's overwhelming hospitality to visitors.