Turkey

Filiz lives in the 180-year-old property of an imperial Pasha, and when she isn’t running her family business or doing yoga, she deals in rare Ottoman art. She takes for granted that you want to see her city’s spectacular sights – Topkapi Palace, the Blue Mosque and Aya Sofia – along with the surreal rock dwellings of Cappadocia and the incredible archaeological site at Ephesus. What she provides is a broader contemporary context for understanding Turkish culture:

“Take interior design. We associate the modern with straight lines, but that’s equally true of traditional Ottoman décor. Of course, within those straight lines there is a movement, unpredictability – life. And this is true of all Turkish culture, whether you’re talking about religion or the fashion scene. We like defined boundaries, but within them you find flexibility, an openness to new ways of thinking that many Westerners don’t associate with the Middle East.

“The point is that geographically, culturally and now politically, we’re both Middle Eastern and European. But it’s not some neat formula, with one foot equally in each. On a stroll through Istanbul you’ll experience a dozen different cultures. Look at our cuisine: it originates in China and Persia, and then you have Armenian, Greek and Jewish influences. We invented fusion before it had a name. Did you know the croissant actually comes from Turkey? And then there’s Turkish coffee – you know we have Starbucks here now, but nothing can replace the richness of a traditional coffeehouse in Istanbul.

“Located where we are, bridging two continents at the edge of a sea, we’re a country of traders. We embraced global commerce before it too had a name. But we also see how globalization risks making every place the same. That’s another part of the Turkish spirit, the need to maintain a sense of difference, to celebrate it.” 

It’s this spirit that Brown + Hudson honours as we help create your personal exploration of Turkey, whether you’re staying in an Ottoman-era townhouse in Istanbul or an elegant cottage in the nearby Princes’ Islands – or plying the Turquoise Coast in a traditional wooden gulet, stopping at isolated coves for snorkelling and guided hikes to waterfalls and remote villages.