Journal
16 articles
blog
Taş Tepeler Tour — How to Visit Turkey's 12,000-Year-Old Stone Hills Sites
A practical guide to touring the Taş Tepeler archaeological sites in southeastern Turkey. Itinerary options, what to expect at each site, best time to visit, and how our small-group tours bring these 12,000-year-old Neolithic wonders to life.
Was Göbekli Tepe a Temple? What I Tell Every Visitor After 25 Years of Guiding the Site
Every visitor asks the same question. Here is the answer I have refined over 25 years of guiding at Göbekli Tepe — what the scholarly debate actually means, what it looks like from inside the enclosures, and why it changes what you should look for on your visit.
The Karahan Tepe Male Statue — 12,000 Years Old
In 2023, archaeologists at Karahan Tepe revealed a 2.3-metre male statue carved twelve thousand years ago — the oldest known life-size human figure. I have been visiting this site since the 2019 excavations began.
Tour to Göbekli Tepe and Karahan Tepe
Visit both Göbekli Tepe and Karahan Tepe — the two most important Neolithic archaeological sites in the world — on a guided tour with Fazli Karabacak.
Gobekli Tepe History and Facts
I first stood at Göbekli Tepe when there was no visitor centre, no canopy, and Klaus Schmidt was still pulling pillars from the earth. What I saw there — and what I keep seeing, twenty years later — changed how I understand everything that came after.
Balatlar Church in Sinop — The Stone Chest and the Cross
In 2009, archaeologists at Balatlar Church in Sinop found a stone chest bearing a cross — a find that links this Black Sea port to the early tradition of Christian relics.
Things to Do in Istanbul — A Practical 3-Day Guide
Istanbul rewards structure. A focused three-day plan built around districts — not a scattered list of attractions — is the most effective way to read this city on a first visit.
Treasures of Ancient Turkey Tour — A Journey Through History
Rex and Jenny Nicoll share their experience on the 14-day Treasures of Ancient Turkey tour — from Gallipoli and Ephesus to Göbekli Tepe, Cappadocia, and Mount Nemrut.
Cappadocia — Landscape, History, and the Rock-Cut Churches
Cappadocia's volcanic landscape, carved over thirty million years and inhabited for millennia, holds some of Anatolia's most concentrated archaeological and artistic heritage. This guide covers the region's history, geology, and major valleys.
Ephesus — History and Visitor Context
Ephesus is one of those sites where every guide has to make choices about what to show. The history spans three thousand years, the ruins cover a hillside, and the city moved four times before it finally stopped.