A modern re-creation of Prophet Abraham’s journey, the 170km trekking route across southeast Anatolia is part of an ambitious vision to unite the Middle East.
Scraps of
material had been tied to the winter-bare branches of the lone mulberry tree, which
sprouted antenna-like out of the hilltop. In
rural Turkey people still visit “wishing
trees” to tie fabric tokens onto branches, left as ziyaret (pilgrimage) offerings for the visitor's dreams to come
true. Just below the tree, the excavated pits of Göbeklı
Tepe sliced into the hillside revealing T-shaped pillars adorned with
stylised animal and human figures. Archaeologists have dated this site back to approximately
9,000 BC. It is the oldest known place of worship in the world.
Following my
small walking group, I strode across the hilltop, away from this ancient site
of pilgrimage and across the stone-pitted flank of the hill. The undulating
landscape of rock-flecked, stark plateau rolled out in waves to the horizon.
Above [...]
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What is Turkey? Turkey is a country mainly located in Anatolia in West Asia, with a smaller part called East Thrace in Southeast Europe. It borders the Black Sea to the north; Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Iran to the east; Iraq, Syria, and the Mediterranean Sea to the south; and the Aegean Sea, Greece, and
Bulgaria to the west. Turkey is home to over 86 million people; most are ethnic Turks, while Kurds are the largest ethnic minority. Officially a secular state, Turkey has a Muslim-majority population. Ankara is Turkey's capital and second-largest city. Istanbul is its largest city and economic center. Other major cities include Izmir, Bursa, and Antalya.
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