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TURKEY - A RICH TAPESTRY An appreciation of Turkey is much akin to the appreciation of the country's most famous product, the Turkish carpet. One can admire the carpet superficially, seeing its great visual beauty but failing to see the true beauty of its creation. In the same way, one can ' do the tourist thing ' and give Turkey a quick look, visiting Kusadasi, Cappadocia and Pamukkale, afterwards declaring Turkey to be a beautiful country. It is only when one is thoroughly schooled in the whole process of the manufacture of the Turkish carpet that the true appreciation of the product emerges - the choice of the raw materials, the intricacy and history of the patterns, the deft weaving of the double knot which gives the carpet its enduring quality. So it is with an in-depth look at Turkey - its rich history of races and religions intertwined throughout three thousand centuries; its geography and geology of volcanoes and earthquakes producing land forms and lifestyles unique to the area; its macrocosm of people - the rustic peasants working in the fields, the nomadic weatherbeaten mountain dwellers, the persistent traders endeavoring to steer one's path towards their merchandise, the belly dancers, fishermen and kamikaze taxi drivers. These are the silk threads which, when knotted together produce a country so rich and vibrant that one cannot help but be captivated by its true beauty. Then there is the presentation of the Turkish carpet- an art in itself. Some are statically displayed, relying on visual beauty alone to capture the attention of the potential buyer. Others are presented with passion - a skillfully choreographed display, educating the audience into the intricacies of the product so that one cannot help but be tempted to purchase the precious item. Here is the skill of our tour leader Hakan. With the passion of a great teacher, he generously shares with us his knowledge and love of his country - its history, its geography, its traditions, its lifestyle, its stories. And, like the professional salesman, who relies on the silent support of his backup team, Hakan relies on the skill, patience and good humour of his one-man backup team, our driver Joe. A comprehensive tour of Turkey is a history lesson of mammoth proportions. At its onset, isolated, seemingly unrelated facts and sites, each like the coloured threads of the carpet, bombard the traveller. One must allow a succession of days and events to be absorbed before all the threads become knotted together to produce the rich and wonderful tapestry of an unforgettable experience, an unforgettable country. Written by Miriam Heazlewood -
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