Turkey has the distinction of bringing together both geography and history- as the Bosphorus carves its way between Europe and Asia in Istanbul. Today, a blending of ancient with modern, opulent with simplistic, and innovative with traditional are apparent in this former capital of three of the history’s most powerful empires. The rich history contained in this city of paradoxes is no more present than in the Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque and Topkapi Palace. The innovations and sensibilities of today are thriving in the city’s top ranked restaurants and nightclubs. Throughout history, no influence has been greater than that of Mother Nature, and this is best conveyed by the landscape of Cappadocia’s Goreme Valley. Early Christian dwellings and cave churches, carved by wind erosion and affectionately referred to as “fairy chimneys” allow for the understanding of today’s world through the discovery of what was left behind by those who came before us. There is no better place to compare past with present than in Turkey.