ANCIENT MEDITERRANEAN TREASURES

The splendid city of Istanbul has many unique and fascinating features. It is the only city in the world reaching across two continents, with its old city in Europe and modern Istanbul situated in Asia, separated by the Bosphorus Strait. It is also unique in having had capital status during two successive empires, Christian Byzantine and Islamic Ottoman, and the legacy from both is visible in the modern city today.

Istanbul's location on the water made it a much coveted site as a commercial shipping port and military lookout, and as capital of the Roman Empire, Constantinople, as it was known, became extremely desirable as a centre of world trade, until Mehmet the Conqueror claimed it for the Ottoman Empire in 1453 and it became the imperial seat of the sultans. After the War of Independence the capital was moved to Ankara, but Istanbul still remains the commercial, historical, and cultural heart of Turkey today.

The charm and character of Istanbul lies in its endless variety and jumble of contradictions. Its fascinating history has bequeathed the city a vivid inheritance of Byzantine ruins, splendid palaces, ancient mosques and churches, hamams (bath-houses), and exotic bazaars. Modern Istanbul exudes trendy bars and nightclubs, western boutiques, office blocks, and elegant suburbs.

Çanakkale is the nearest major urban center to the ancient city of Troy, which (together with the ancient region of the Troad) is located inside Çanakkale Province. The wooden horse from the 2004 movie Troy is exhibited on the seafront.

Kusadasi is a large resort town on Turkey's Aegean coast, and the centre of the seaside district of the same name within Aydin Province. Kusadasi is 95 km (59 mi) south of Izmir, and about 60 km (37 mi) from Aydin. The municipality's primary industry is tourism. Kusadasi is a hugely popular tourist destination due to its perfect combination of culture, amazing beaches and fantastic things to eat and do. The area features several well-known local beaches, including Ladies Beach, the beach at the centrum, the beaches between the Batihan Hotel and the Nazilli Site, the beach at Güzelçamli, and the Dilek Peninsula National Park beach, referred to by locals as simply Milli Park.

Knights once used Rhodes to protect the Christian west from the east. Today, the island remains subject to invasion, though from tourists rather than intruders.

Said to be Greece's sunniest island, Rhodes has a well-preserved and picturesque old city. The legendary Colossus of Rhodes, one of the Seven Wonders of the World, guarded its harbour in antiquity. Present-day visitors will find statues of deer. Nevertheless, the old city has plenty of wonders to offer.

The rest of the relatively large island offers miles of beaches, interesting archaeological sites and natural beauty spots. The best beaches are on the east coast. Lindos is especially attractive. Faliraki, on the other hand, is a developed resort area, bustling with young visitors.

Situated in the eastern Mediterranean, Crete is by far the largest of the many Greek Islands and offers something for every kinds of traveller.

The island has experienced thousands of years of conquest and habitation and has a complicated and diverse heritage. Sightseers can investigate the remains of the ancient Minoan culture that flourished here thousands of years before Christ. Years of Roman, Venetian and Turkish rule have also left their mark and there are fascinating sights scattered throughout the island.

Its northern coastline is home to busy holiday resorts and a wealth of powdery white beaches where couples and families come to soak up the Mediterranean sunshine. The gateway to the island is the large, modern city of Heraklion, which is not so much an island idyll as a vital commercial centre. Other major holiday resorts in Greece include nearby Malia, lively Agios Nikolaos, Rethymnon with its lovely old town, and Chania, to the west, which known for its 14th-century Venetian harbour and waterfront restaurants.

The wild interior of Crete offers some spectacular mountain scenery drives and many opportunities for hikers and serious cyclists. The White Mountains in the west soar to over 2000m, while the more gentle mountains in the east hide the extraordinary Lasithi plateau in their midst, which is dotted with white windmills. The south coast of Crete is much more remote and rugged than the north. It is crisscrossed with gorges and dotted with unspoilt villages, pretty coves, and secluded beaches.

Athens exudes a unique charm; its lively character wins over tens of thousands of visitors every year. Street markets vine-covered tavernas souvenir stalls and ancient monuments are dotted among high-rise buildings in this capital city which one out of four Greeks calls home. For tourists the greatest advantage is that most attractions are accessible on foot in the central area around the landmark Acropolis.Athens was named after Athena the Greek goddess of wisdom who according to mythology won the city as prize after a duel against Poseidon. The city can chart its history back thousands of years and is regarded as the cradle of western civilisation; the place where democracy was invented and philosophy art and architecture were refined. After a classical golden age when it was home to Socrates Plato and Aristotle the city declined in the Middle Ages dwindling to nothing but a town with a few thousand residents gathered in the colourful area that is now known as the Plaka until its rebirth as capital of an independent Greece in 1834.Nowadays the city is busy and bustling. While the pollution frantic gridlock and dingy buildings are a striking contrast to the open beauty of Greece's coast and islands Athens is truly the heartbeat of the country and ancient wonders like the Acropolis the Parthenon and the Temples of Zeus and Hephaesus ensure that Athens will always have its attractions.