In April 2013 we travelled to Turkey with Odysseys Unlimited. Although we had visited Istanbul and Ephesus in the past, as an ancient historian I always felt that I should see more of Turkey. When this trip, which was heavily weighted towards archaeology and history, came along, it seemed like the perfect match. The group size was small, 23, and was one of the most compatible groups we have ever travelled with. |
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Our guide on this adventure was Gökhan Özağaçli, a PhD in archaeology. He had done a lot of work in underwater archaeology, especially on the wreck of a bronze-age ship (around 1300 BC) that sank off the coast of Turkey. This is the oldest shipwreck ever found. His background was perfect for this trip; he was extremely knowledgeable about all the sites that we visited and acted as our local guide. In addition, Gökhan is deeply interested in Turkish politics and is a strong supporter of the secularism that Ataturk designed at the beginning of the Turkish Republic. This puts him in opposition to the current government, which wants to move towards a "moderate Islamic" state, and we had many interesting lectures and discusssions about current events. |
