Turkey, like so many countries in the Mediterranean area, is a wonderful blend of old and new cultures. You can explore the past in buildings and archaeology and also enjoy the vitality of the people living there now.

It has an amazing history -- having been ruled by Greek, Roman, Byzantine, Turk, and a number of other cultures over the centuries.

Some quick facts from the official tourism website for Turkey:

• Capital: ANKARA
• Language: Turkish (uses Latin Alphabet)
• Location: Eastern Mediterranean. Located on two contitents Europe and Asia. The European part of Turkey is called Thrace, while the Asian part is called Anatolia or ( Asia Minor )
• Religion: 99 percent of the population is Muslim. Turkey is a secular state that assures complete freedom of worship to non-Muslims.
• Government: Turkey is democratic, secular and social state governed by the rule of law
• Population: 67.8 million (as of 2000)
• Currency: New Turkish Lira
• Area: 814,578 Km2 (314,500 square miles)
• National Anthem: "Istiklal Marsi"

One of the prominent cities in Turkey is Istanbul. It sits on 2 continents -- Asia and Europe. Over the centuries its name has been changed from Byzantium to Constantinople (named after Roman emperor Constantine I ) to Istanbul. The name changes reflect shifts in rule, culture and religion.

In Istanbul, make sure to visit the Blue Mosque.

The Blue Mosque was founded by Sultan Ahmet I. He ordered Architect Mehmed Aga to begin constuction in 1609 and the whole complex was completed in 1616.

There are many fascinating facts about this building on the guideistanbul web site.

Ephesus, Turkey. Until recent decades, this was a city long buried and forgotten. It is probably the most-well preserved ancient city in this region, primarily because it was only dug up a few years ago. This was an important coastal gateway to the Eastern cities, and is mentioned in the Biblical book of Revelation as one of the seven churches of Asia.

You can still walk on the same streets that Paul the Apostle walked on as well as stand in the same theater where he confronted the angry crowd as they chanted "Great is Diana of the Ephesians."

This is the road leading into Ephesus. You can see many of the columns still standing that once supported homes and commercial establishments of various kinds.

Here is a double doorway that is still intact. Above the inner opening, you can see the figure of what looks to be one of the Roman gods of merriment (Bacchus, perhaps?). These folks were always paying homage to their deities.

This somewhat corny shot is actually taken in the bathroom of the ancient city of Ephesus. The subject in the picture (Dr. Charles Farah from ORU) is sitting on one of the commode openings much as someone did long ago (sans pants, of course).

As you can see, this was a community bathroom with little sense of privacy. During Roman times, there was actually running water under the toilets that would carry away the waste. Quite sanitary !

Here is the theater from the top row. Looks like it held several thousand spectators. Even though it is quite high up, you can still hear people talking in a normal voice on the stage area below. The acoustics are really phenomenal.

You can read more about the theater and the riot that happened here when Paul tried to tell the crowd about Christ. The story is in the Bible, Book of Acts, chapter 19, starting in verse 23.

Behind the theater lies the "Way to the Sea." This road actually led to the port that Ephesus had in Roman times. Today the port is long since silted up and the sea lies several miles away.

Wonder if the roads we are building today will be around in a couple of thousand years like this one is?