Attractions of Lethem and around in Guyana:
• Rupunni Savannah is in the southwestern part of Guyana. It is on the Brazilian border and the Rupinni River. This region has a land area of 15,000 square kilometers. It has termite mounds, creeks, and Amerindian villages and cattle ranches. To reach the Rupununi Savannah, pass the Iwokrama Rainforest which is a rainforest management.
• The Kanuku and the Moco Moco mountains and falls are the attractions of the place. The savannah divides the Kanuku Mountains into North and South Rupununi and this area is known for its mountains, fresh water systems, various Amerindian villages, large rustic cattle ranches and majestic termite mounds that are tall up to six feet.
• Rodeo Event: At Easter time, a rodeo event takes place which is a tourist attraction. It is said that this sport event turned cultural festival was introduced by an American from Dakota, named Ben Hart during the late nineteenth century. It became an annual tradition in the Rupununi by the local ranchers.
• Orinduik Falls: This is the most visited falls of Guyana. It is situated on a highland river called Ireng River. This river lies on the border of Brazil and Guyana and joins Takutu River and then the Amazon River. These falls fall from Pakaraima Mountains and create a beautiful scene. The name Orinduik Falls is given after Orduik, which is the Amerindian name of an aquatic plant present at the falls. There are several herbal plants here. The surroundings are soothing and relaxing and one can rejuvenate the mind and body. It is an eye for natural lovers and enjoyable site for children and family and one can also go for swimming here.
• Dadanawa, Guyana: This is also called as the Melville’s Ranch and is located on the Rupununi River in Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo Region of Guyana. It is spread over an area of 2,000 square miles. It is also known to be the largest and most isolated cattle ranch of the country. The name is based on an Amerindian name from of the local Wapishanan of a mountain, Dadinauwau, which is close to Dadanawa, Guyana.
• St. George’s Cathedral, Georgetown, also known as St. George’s Anglican Cathedral: It is situated on Church Street. This church has one of the tallest wooden structures in the world and is the second tallest wooden church with its height being about 43.5 meters.
• Demerara Harbour Bridge, Guyana: This Bridge is a floating toll bridge of length 6,074 feet long. It was opened in 2 July 1978 and is one of the longest floating bridges in the world. The construction of Demerara Harbour Bridge, Guyana was assisted and started under British Government. The bridge is 1.25 miles long and has 61 spans with even small crafts being able to pass through. This bridge links people of Georgetown to people living in West Bank Demerara and to enhance business and trade in the country.
• Walter Roth Museum of Anthropology, Guyana: This is a museum of anthropology that is one of the oldest museums of the country. It was open to public in 1982 though opened in 1974. It was run by a NGO of Government of Guyana. This museum houses collections and artifacts related to culture of Guyana.
• Kaieteur Falls: It is situated in the centre of Guyana and on the Potaro River. It is one of the natural wonders. It has a single drop of 741 feet which is the largest in the world. It is located in Kaieteur National Park. It has a series of cascades with a total height of 251 meters (822 ft). It is known to be five times higher than the Niagara Falls and two times the height of the Victoria Falls. It is the 123rd tallest according to the World Waterfalls Database and the 19th largest waterfall in terms of volume and in their estimation, the 26th most scenic waterfall in the world.
• Iwokrama Canopy Walkway: It was opened in 2003 of November. It is a 154 meter long Canopy Walkway from heights of 30 meters. One can see the birds like the Green Aracari, Scarlet Macaw, Guiana Toucanette or Channel-bill Toucan and Red Howler Monkeys.
• Providence Stadium: It is on the north bank of the Demerara River and is the largest sports stadium in the country. There is a mall near called Providence Mall.

Best time to visit / climate:
The climate is Tropical and moderated by northeast trade winds. There are two rainy seasons which are from May to mid-August and mid-November to mid-January. There is a threat of floods in the rainy seasons and so it is best to avoid this time for tourists.

Location on Google Maps:

View Larger Map
Or click and paste the URL below on your browser:

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=Lethem,Guyana&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=36.863178,56.513672&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Lethem,+Upper+Takutu-Upper+Essequibo,+Guyana&z=12

How to get there:

Citizens of the following countries do not need a visa to visit Guyana: Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, Austria, Bahamas, Barbados, Belgium, Belize, Canada, Dominica, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Grenada, Ireland, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, North Korea, South Korea, Luxembourg, Montserrat, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, United Kingdom, United States.

By plane:
Trans Guyana Airways and Roraima Airways have daily flights between Georgetown and Lethem. There is a small municipal airport in Lethem. The flights go between the Ogle airport on the East Coast and the Lethem airstrip which is about two hours.
The Timehri international airport which was named in honor of the indigineous displaced peoples of Guyana and which was renamed Cheddi Jagan International Airport. There are daily international flights into and out of Cheddi Jagan International Airport which is about 40km south of Georgetown. International flights include flights to the US, Canada, UK and the Caribbean with Caribbean Airlines.

By car:
The road link from Bonfim in the Brazilian state of Roraima to Lethem is the only way to the Guyana Coast. The road between the capital of the Brazilian state of Boa Vista and Bonfim has been a highway.

Get around:
Minibuses travel throughout Guyana and are the cheapest way to travel. Many parts of Guyana are separated by large rivers which can be traversed by way of river taxi. Taxis are a good way to get around in Georgetown or also rent cars.

Places to stay (hotels / restaurants along with website / contact numbers):

• Virtualtourist.com
• Tripadvisor
• Yahoo Travel
• guyanahotels.com

Blogs / Sites about Lethem:

• Travelblog.com
• Travelpod.com
• Travelblog.org
• http://en.wordpress.com/tag/guyana/

Images and photos of Lethem:

• Google Search
• http://www.maplandia.com/guyana/airports/lethem-airport/

Videos from youtube for Lethem:

Georgetown to Lethem

Moco-moco Falls, Lethem-Guyana

Attractions of Herrera:
• La Casa Vegetariana: One can get vegetarian food with wide varieties of fruit drinks and soya bean milk etc.
• Gamboa Rainforest Resort: This resort has a magnificent view of the rainforest. There are adventure programs around the Panama Canal area.
• Portobelo National Park: This is a park which offers snorkeling opportunity and kayaking the mangroves and this place is famous for the Spanish and the pirates.
• Colon: Colón is a sea port that is on the Caribbean Sea coast of Panama. This is a city that is on the entrance to the Panama Canal and is capital of the province by the same name. It is also known as the second city of Panama. It is located on Manzanillo Island. It is surrounded by Limon Bay, Manzanillo Bay and the Folks River. It now includes the towns of Cristobal, Rainbow City, Margarita, and Coco Solo, and the former U.S. Army base of Fort Gulick.
• El Casco Viejo: This is a Spanish colonial city, established in 1671. This city was established after the downfall of Panama Viejo in battles and until 20th century, this city was Panama City. Panama bay and other sites depict its history with Spain, France and United States.
• Iglesia de San Francisco de la Montaña: This is a church that dates to 1727. It has unique Baroque architecture and is a declared National Historical Monument on January 27, 1937. About Seventeen kilometers from Santiago, the San Francisco de la Montaña Church is stationed. This church has hundreds of hand carved pieces and is known to have the oldest baroque group of altars of the continent. These altars are painted or covered with gold leaf. These altars have Scared scriptures carved on them with scenes. It is a reflection of Spanish Catholicism with Indian culture. This is located a few kilometers away from the Pan American Highway.
• La Laguna, Las Colinas: This place is near the mountains and beaches zone. One can enjoy being at the top of a mountain or explore the pre mountain tropical forest with birds, plants and wildlife.
• Palacio de Las Garzas: There are many historic buildings in this area.
• Istmo Brew Pub: This pub provides the tourists with locally brewed beers and imported beers.
• The Panama Canal: This canal is about 77 km (48 miles). It is a shipping canal, located in Panama and this canal joins the Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean; it is a key for maritime trade. The traffic is about 1000 ships in the early days and much higher right now. This canal has its own measurement system called Panama Canal/Universal Measurement System (PC/UMS) in tons. It is one of the largest engineering projects of the times. The route is via the Drake Passage and Cape Horn at the southernmost tip of South America.

Best time to visit / climate:

Herrera has a tropical wet and dry climate. The dry season is from January to April whereas the wet season is in remaining year. The best time to visit this place is in the dry season.

Location on Google Maps:

View Larger Map

How to get there:
There is a large regional bus terminal in Chitré from where there are bus services to and fro to the destinations like Las Minas, Las Tablas, Los Posos, Ocú, Panama City, Pesé, Santiago, and Tonosí. Chitré has a small airport that has flight service to and fro from Panama City on Aeroperlas.
To reach Panama City:
By plane: Tocumen International Airport is outside Panama City. This airport offers services for Copa Airline, American Airlines (Dallas/Ft.Worth, Miami), Delta Airlines (Atlanta, Georgia), Continental Airlines (Houston, Newark), Avianca (Bogotá, Colombia) and TACA (San José, Costa Rica and San Salvador, El Salvador) along with major Central American airlines, and several South American airlines and European Airlines. There are direct flights between Tocumen and New York, Newark, Washington D.C., Los Angeles, Houston, Dallas, Orlando, Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Atlanta, Amsterdam, Madrid, and all major cities in the Caribbean area, Central America and South America, like Santiago de Chile.
By train:
Between Panama City and Colon, only one train service operates with a passenger car. This ride offers a scenic ride with views of the Panama Canal and the tropical rainforest.
To get around in local taxis is the best way of getting around.

Places to stay (hotels / restaurants along with website / contact numbers):
• Hotels at allstays
• Hotel at virtual panama
• Hotels at gtahotels
• Hotels at maplandia
• hotels at exclusive hotels
• Hotels at costaricalink

Blogs / Sites about Herrea, Panama:

• Blogs and reviews at travelblog
• Blogs and reviews at travelpost
• Blogs and reviews at the panama realestate

Images and photos of Herrea, Panama:

• Images at google
• Images at tripadvisor
• Images at Panama Pictures
• Images at Topix

Videos of Herrera, Panama:

Caballo en plaza Colonial de Parita (Herrera-Panama)

Herrera Province, Panama

Herrera Cathedral, Chapel,Center, Azuera Peninsula HD

• St. George’s Cathedral, Georgetown, also known as St. George’s Anglican Cathedral: It is situated on Church Street. This church has one of the tallest wooden structures in the world and is the second tallest wooden church with its height being about 43.5 meters. The architect of this Cathedral is Sir Arthur Blomfield and the church was accessible to public on 1899. This is a National Monument as it is the first church and it dates back to 1810. The arches are of Gothic style and it gives a Guyana historical glimpse. The glasses were stained and portray scenes like Crucifixion and the Ascension and it also has a large chandelier gifted by Queen Victoria.

• Demerara Harbour Bridge, Guyana: This Bridge is a floating toll bridge of length 6,074 feet long. It was opened in 2 July 1978 and is one of the longest floating bridges in the world. The construction of Demerara Harbour Bridge, Guyana was assisted and started under British Government. It is 1.25 miles long and has 61 spans with even small crafts being able to pass through. This bridge links people of Georgetown to people living in West Bank Demerara and to enhance business and trade in the country.
• Walter Roth Museum of Anthropology, Guyana: This is a museum of anthropology that is one of the oldest museums of the country. It was open to public in 1982 though open in1974. It was run by a NGO of Government of Guyana. This museum houses collection and artifact of culture of Guyana. It also hosts exhibitions.
The organization takes care of the collection, exhibition and conservation of the artifacts that showcases the spectacular culture of Guyana. Dr Denis Williams founded Walter Roth Museum of Anthropology, Guyana who was an archaeologist. This museum also has excavated objects and information on its culture.
• Kaieteur Falls: It is situated in the centre of Guyana and on the Potaro River. It is one of the natural wonders. It has a single drop of 741 feet which is the largest in the world. It is located in Kaieteur National Park. It has a series of cascades with a total height of 251 meters (822 ft). It is known to be five times higher than the Niagara Falls and two times the height of the Victoria Falls. It is the 123rd tallest according to the World Waterfalls Database and the 19th largest waterfall in terms of volume and in their estimation, the 26th most scenic waterfall in the world.
• Iwokrama Canopy Walkway: It was opened in 2003 of November. It is a 154 meter long Canopy Walkway from heights of 30 meters. One can see the birds like the Green Aracari, Scarlet Macaw, Guiana Toucanette or Channel-bill Toucan and Red Howler Monkeys.
• Ecotourism: This is a booming industry in tourism in Guyana.
• The Walter Roth Museum of Anthropology, the National Library, the Bank of Guyana, the National Museum of Guyana, State House and St. George’s Anglican Cathedral..

Best time to visit / climate:
The climate is Tropical and moderated by northeast trade winds. There are two rainy seasons which are from May to mid-August and mid-November to mid-January. There is a threat of floods in the rainy seasons and so it is best to avoid this time for tourists.
Location on Google Maps:

Go to maps.google.com, search for the place, and when you find it, click on Link on the right side, Paste the HTML in the lower text box.

View Larger Map
Or click and paste the URL below on your browser:

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=Georgetown,+Demerara-Mahaica,+Guyana&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=36.863178,56.513672&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Georgetown,+Demerara-Mahaica,+Guyana&z=12

How to get there:

Citizens of the following countries do not need a visa to visit Guyana: Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, Austria, Bahamas, Barbados, Belgium, Belize, Canada, Dominica, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Grenada, Ireland, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, North Korea, South Korea, Luxembourg, Montserrat, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, United Kingdom, United States.
By plane:
The Timehri international airport which was named in honor of the indigineous displaced peoples of Guyana and which was renamed Cheddi Jagan International Airport. There are daily international flights into and out of Cheddi Jagan International Airport which is about 40km south of Georgetown. International flights include flights to the US, Canada, UK and the Caribbean with Caribbean Airlines.
By car:
Guyana has road accessible to Suriname to the East and Brazil to the south.
There are no road links between Venezuela and Guyana. Travel to Venezuela may be done by air via Trinidad or overland through Roraima State in Brazil.
Get around:
Minibuses travel throughout Guyana and are the cheapest way to travel. Many parts of Guyana are separated by large rivers which can be traversed by way of river taxi. Taxis are a good way to get around in Georgetown or also rent cars.

Places to stay (hotels / restaurants along with website / contact numbers):

• http://travel.yahoo.com/p-travelguide-485312-georgetown_vacations-i
• http://guyanahotels.com/
• http://www.guyanahotel.com/
• http://www.herdmanstonlodge.com/

Blogs / Sites about Georgetown:

• http://www.herdmanstonlodge.com/
• http://www.expat-blog.com/en/directory/south-america/guyana/
• http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Guyana/blogs-page-1.html
• http://en.wordpress.com/tag/guyana/
Images and photos of Georgetown:

• http://www.google.co.in/images?hl=en&biw=1024&bih=653&q=Georgetown,+Guyana+images&um=1&ie=UTF-8&source=univ&ei=H9nXTILWFpGkuAOt0p2bCQ&sa=X&oi=image_result_group&ct=title&resnum=1&ved=0CCYQsAQwAA
• http://www.traveljournals.net/pictures/guyana/georgetown/
• http://www.infohub.com/pictures/images_guyana_291.html
• http://www.tripadvisor.com/LocationPhotos-g294078-Georgetown.html

Events
• Public City-Tours May until October
• Classic tour incl. visit at the Abbey Library and Textile Museum: Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday in July and August daily.
• Theme tours:Tuesday (only in German).
• OLMA, the traditional Swiss Fair for Agriculture and Nutrition in autumn.

Musical events
• The symphony orchestra St. Gallen: The symphony concerts are performed at the city theater and in the city concert hall.
• St. Gallen Open Air Festival takes place in the nearby sitter valley the first weekend in July. During the summer open air opera are performed.
• St. Gallen is also home of the Nordklang Festival which takes place in February.

Places to see
• Abbey precinct with cathedral and Abbey Library – These are in the UNESCO World Heritage listing and are the landmark of the town. This library includes 140,000 documents, which are a thousand years old. The library contains books which belong to the 9th century.
• Old town – This town is charming and traffic-free where shopping and strolling are done. The typical features are the burgher houses. The special feature of this town is its Colorfully-painted oriel windows that date from the 16th to 18th century; excellent gastronomy.
• New Art Gallery – It is a venue for contemporary art, international and regional projects. It is not a museum as understood.
• St. Gallen Art Gallery: It comprises of national and international modern art.
• ‘Schoggiland’ – Maestrani chocolate factory in Flawil.
• Textile museum & library – The textile museum includes the historical laces, embroidery and cloth embroideries from Switzerland and abroad which date back from the 14th to 20th century.
• Abtwil Säntispark –It is a leisure and water park with wave pool, water slide, brine baths and sauna village.
• Beer bottle museum; It is located at the Schützengarten brewery which is the oldest brewery in Switzerland.
• Santis – It is a viewpoint at 2502 meters in the Alpstein rambling paradise. One can enjoy the spectacular views of the ‘Alpenkranz’ (crown of Alps) and into 6 countries (cableway from Schwägalp).
• Theater St. Gallen: It is a modern and an extravagant building where operas, operettas, ballet, musicals and plays are performed.
• The Historical and ethnographical museum: This museum has several collections of regional early history, city history, folk art, cultural history as well ethnographical collections from all over the world.
• The Trogenerbahn is a connection from St. Gallen to great hiking trails in Speicher and Trogen.
• The other places to see are the reformed church of St. Laurenzenkirche, the Catholic Parish church of St. Maria Neudorf, the Cantonal library and archives, the Art and Natural History museum, the Museum in Lagerhaus and the Cantonal archive, Drei Weieren and nouveau-bath houses.
• In the city, the main train station, main post office, University of St. Gallen, Cantonal School, City Theatre and the towers Lokremise with Wasserturm and the Tröckneturm and Wildlife park Peter and paul, City park at the theater and Cantonal school park are worth seeing.
• The city has a Concert hall where a grand art nouveau style of concertslike classsic, symphony, and jazz are performed.

How to get there

• By plane: St. Gallen has its own small airport Airport St. Gallen-Altenrhein and the closest international airport to St. Gallen is Zurich International Airport. There are direct trains to St. Gallen from the airport. They run twice every one hour. The other alternative airports are the St. Gallen-Altenrhein Airport which connects to Vienna and the Bodensee-Airport Friedrichshafen.
• By train: There are trains between St. Gallen and Zurich. The travel time is 1h10min. The train station of St. Gallen is 500m from the old town. To get to Munich, the Eurocity from Zurich stops at Saint Gallen. There are many local train lines running to Appenzell and Trogen.
• By Bus: From the train station there are many buses and Postbuses to get around St.Gallen.
• Get around: Inside the town, one can take VBSG buses that connect to the part of the city. Taxis are present near the train station and along Marktplatz in the old town. Since the place is traffic-free, one can travel even by foot.
• Bike rental is available at the train station, but check the opening hours before planning a trip.
• By car: The A1 motorway links St. Gallen with St. Margrethen, Zürich, Berne and Geneva.

Best time to visit / climate:

The best time to visit is in summer that is around June to august. This time will match with the weather and the events mostly. All the activities can be best enjoyed at this time along with visiting and touring the place.

Location on Google Maps:

View Larger Map

Directions from Zurich to Sankt Gallen on Google Maps:

View Larger Map

Places to stay (hotels / restaurants along with website / contact numbers)

• Tripadvisor (hotels, restaurants)
• Booking.com
• http://www.holidaycityeurope.com/stgallenhotels/
• http://www.hotels-and-more.ch/en/sankt-gallen/sankt-gallen/
• Onetime.com

Blogs / Sites about Sankt Gallen:

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Gallen
• http://wikitravel.org/en/St._Gallen
• http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Tourism-g188068-St_Gallen-Vacations.html
• Travelblog.org
• http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-city/Switzerland/St.%20Gallen/tpod.html
• http://news.esadeblogs.com/tag/st-gallen/

Images and photos of Sankt Gallen

• Google Image Search
• http://www.infohub.com/pictures/images_st_gallen_4259.html
• http://goeurope.about.com/cs/switzerland/a/st_gallen_sw.htm
• http://www.trekearth.com/gallery/Europe/Switzerland/East/Sankt_Gallen/
• http://www.galenfrysinger.com/switzerland_st_gallen.htm
• http://www.fotosearch.com/photos-images/st-gallen.html
• http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/LocationPhotos-g188068-St_Gallen.html

Videos of Sankt Gallen

• On Google Search

St. Gallen Sights on Youtube:

University of St. Gallen on Youtube:

Climate and best time to visit:

The climate of Ephesus is typical Mediterranean with long, hot and dry summers and cold, rainy winters. During the summer months (May to August) temperatures can reach as high as 40 degrees C. Winters can be chilly with temperatures dropping as low as 5 degrees C. The best time to visit Ephesus is during spring (Mid Feb to April) and autumn (September and October), when the weather is mild.

Location on Google Maps:

View Larger Map

How to get there:

By plane: There are flights to Izmir International airport from all major cities of Turkey and Europe as well. From the airport you can take a bus from Izmir central bus station to Selcuk or if you decide to stay in Izmir, your hotel can provide you with shuttle buses to Selcuk. Or even still, if you are tight on time and don’t mind spending some extra bucks, you can take a taxi from the airport to Selcuk.
By sea: You can also get there via ferry from the port of Kusadasi. Take a bus from Kusadasi bus station or a taxi from Kusadasi to Selcuk.

Places to stay (Hotels / Restaurants along with website / Contact details):

There are almost no hotels in Ephesus itself, but accommodation is available is available in the nearby towns of Selcuk and Kusadasi. If you are on a tight budget, some families also give away rooms on rent to tourists. Some nice hotels near Ephesus are given below:

1. Hotel Bella
Ataturk Mah. | St. John Street No: 7, Selcuk, Turkey
2. Hotel Nazar
S.M.Tavaslioglu cd. 2019 SK. No: 14, Selcuk 35920, Turkey
3. Aqua Fantasy Hotel & Aqua Park
Ephesus 35920, Turkey
4. Richmond Ephesus Resort
Pamucak, Selcuk 35920, Turkey

Source: Trip Advisor

You would find many small restaurants and fast food joints in Ephesus near the gates. Besides this, there are plenty of restaurants on the way to Ephesus from Kusadasi or Selcuk and in the towns itself, selling all kinds cuisines.

Some nice restaurants are given are given below:
1. Ejder Restaurant
9 Cengiz Topel Cad. Selcuk 35920, Turkey
2. Mehmet and Ali Baba Kebab House
4A, 1047 Sok. Selcuk 35920, Turkey
Phone: +902328923872
3. Amazon
Anton Kallinger cad 22, Selcuk, Turkey
4. Okumuslar Pide Salonu
Sahabettin Dede Caddesi 2, Selcuk, Turkey

Source: Trip Advisor

BLOGS / SITES ABOUT EPHESUS (WITH SMALL EXCERPTS FROM THESE BLOGS):

1. A brief history: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ephesus
Ephesus was founded as an Attic-Ionian colony in the 10th century BC on the Ayasuluk Hill, three kilometers from the center of antique Ephesus (as attested by excavations at the Seljuk castle during the 1990s). The mythical founder of the city was a prince of Athens named Androklos, who had to leave his country after the death of his father, King Kadros. According to the legend, he founded Ephesus on the place where the oracle of Delphi became reality (“A fish and a boar will show you the way”). Androklos drove away most of the native Carian and Lelegian inhabitants of the city and united his people with the remainder. He was a successful warrior, and as a king he was able to join the twelve cities of Ionia together into the Ionian League. During his reign the city began to prosper. He died in a battle against the Carians when he came to the aid of Priene, another city of the Ionian League. Androklos and his dog are depicted on the Hadrian temple frieze, dating from the second century. Later, Greek historians such as Pausanias, Strabo, the poet Kallinos, and the historian Herodotos reassigned the city’s mythological foundation to Ephos, queen of the Amazons.

2. Things to do, sightseeing and attractions:
• http://www.ephesus.us/ephesus/templeofartemis.htm
The temple of Artemis is known as one of the Seven Wonders of the ancient world. It has been built in the areas of Ephesus on a flat area which has over the centuries turned into a swamp. Today one can only see the ruins of the foundations of this marvelous construction of the Hellenistic Age, entirely made of marble and full of sculptured columns’ capitals and shafts. The most beautiful remains of this temple are today exhibited in the London British Museum.
The oldest remaining found date back till the 6th century BC. It was surrounded by 36 huge columns, later enlarged upon the orders of the Lydia King, Kreisos, during the 6th century BC. Most of the exhibits in the London British Museum belong to this period.

• http://www.turizm.net/cities/ephesus/celsus.html
Library of Celsus: Although the building is of a mainly cultural character it is also a funerary monument. After the death of Celsus Polemaenus, a former consul who had been appointed governor of Ephesus, his son erected a magnificent reading room over his tomb. The building, which dates from the 2nd century, was attacked by fire in 260 but the facade suffered no damage. It is 21 m wide and 16 m high. Equestrian statues stood on pedestals on each side of the main staircases and there are also indications that statues were placed in the niches on the upper floor. The main room measures 16 x 10 m. The burial chamber under the ground floor contains a sarcophag s in an excellent state of preservation. Excavations carried out by Austrian archaJologists at the beginning of the 20th century revealed a 4th century fountain in the front courtyard and very valuable carvings in high relief depicting the wars waged by Marcus Aurelius and ucius Verus against the Parthians.

3. Map of Ephesus: http://www.ramtur.com/images/map/ephesus_big_map.jpg

4. Photos of Ephesus:
• Huge photo gallery of Ephesus: http://www.turkishclass.com/turkey_pictures_gallery_45
• Another picture gallery: http://www.ephesus.us/ephesus/ephesus_photos.htm

5. Videos on You Tube:
1. A tour of Ephesus:

2. Temple of Artemis (small video clip):

Climate and best time to visit:

Cappadocia has a continental climate, hot and dry in summers with chilly and snowy winters. The area does not receive much rainfall. The best time to visit is from April to Mid-June and September to October, when it’s not too hot and less crowded.

LOCATION ON GOOGLE MAPS:

View Larger Map

Driving directions from Ankara in Turkey to Cappadocia:

View Larger Map

Map of Cappadocia: http://www.cappadociaonline.com/images/capharita.jpg

How to get there:

By bus: There are buses available to Nevsehir and Goreme from major Turkish cities.
By plane: There are flights available to Kayseri from Izmir and Istanbul. Goreme is about an hour drive from Kayseri.
By train: There are trains available to Kayseri from almost all railway stations in Turkey. From Kayseri, a bus can be taken Goreme.

Places to stay (Hotels / Restaurants along with website / Contact Numbers):

There are plenty of hotels to stay in Cappadocia, from expensive to budget ones. Some of the underground cities have been converted into hotels, and some have even been carved out of the rocks. Some of the top rated hotels are as given below:
1. Serinn House
Esbelli Sokak No. 36, Urgup, Turkey
Phone: +90 384 341 6076, Website: http://www.serinnhouse.com/
2. 4ODA Cave House
Esbelli sok. No: 46, Urgup 50400, Turkey
3. Gamirasu Cave Hotel
Ayvali Koyu, Urgup 50400, Turkey
4. Kismet Cave House
Kagnii Yolu No: 9 | Belediye cad. Goreme 50180, Turkey

Source: Trip Advisor

There are many restaurants Cappadocia, offering all kinds of cuisines. Cappadocia has a lot of wineries too, producing some very fine wine. Some of the best restaurants are given below:

1. LIL’A RESTAURANT
Tel: +90 384 219 2220

http://www.lil-a.com.tr

2. ZIGGY’S SHOPPE & CAFE
Tevfik Fikret Caddesi No. 24 | Yunak Mahallesi, Urgup, Turkey
Tel: +90-384-341 7107
3. ALATURCA
Tel: +90 384 271 2882

Source: Cappadociaonline.com

BLOGS / SITES ABOUT CAPPADOCIA (WITH SMALL EXCERPTS FROM THESE BLOGS):

1. A brief history: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cappadocia
Cappadocia was known as Hatti in the late Bronze Age, and was the homeland of the Hittite power centred at Hattusa. After the fall of the Hittite Empire, with the decline of the Syro-Cappadocians (Mushki) after their defeat by the Lydian king Croesus in the 6th century, Cappadocia was ruled by a sort of feudal aristocracy, dwelling in strong castles and keeping the peasants in a servile condition, which later made them apt for foreign slavery. It was included in the third Persian satrapy in the division established by Darius, but continued to be governed by rulers of its own, none apparently supreme over the whole country and all more or less tributaries of the Great King.

2. Things to do, sightseeing and attractions:

http://wikitravel.org/en/Cappadocia

• Hot Air Balloon Tours: This is one of the most popular activities in Goreme. Typically lifting off at sunrise, these rides last about an hour in the air and literally go wherever the wind may blow in the Cappadocia Valley. The balloon baskets hold around 20 people with the pilot riding air currents much like a boat, floating down the valleys, often below the ridge line and quite close to the chimney rocks. It’s a fantastic ride and if you’ve ever had the urge to splurge on a balloon ride, this would be the place to do it. There are 15 balloon companies in the region.
• Cross Golf. : Cappadocia is a national park and its natural environment must be protected for everyone to enjoy today and in the future. Cross Golf uses the natural features of the landscape to challenge even the most experienced golfer. The fairy chimneys, fascinating rock formations and flora and fauna in the unique environment of Cappadocia remain unaffected by Cross Golf.

2. http://www.great-adventures.com/destinations/turkey/cappadocia.html
Rock Cut Churches and Monasteries
Many settlements in Cappadocia were established primarily as monastic communities. As Bishop of Caesarea Mazaca in the 4th century, St. Basil the Great wrote the rules for monastic life that are still followed by monks and nuns of the Greek Orthodox Church. He advocated community life, prayer and physical labour rather than the solitary asceticism that was popular at the time and it was under his guidance that the first churches were built in Goreme Valley. Here, a number of small communities with their own churches formed the large monastic complex that is now the Open Air Museum. Hundreds of churches are reported to have been built in this valley but no churches from St. Basil’s time remain. In Goreme, the Tokali Kilise or the “Buckle Church” is easily the loveliest of the churches with graceful arches and beautiful frescoes.

3. Photo Gallery:

1. Cappadocia photos with tags by a traveller: http://www.pbase.com/dosseman/capadocia_turkey

2. Cappadocia photos collection:

http://www.trekearth.com/gallery/Middle_East/Turkey/Central_Anatolia/Nevsehir/Cappadocia/

4. You Tube Videos:
1. A small video of Cappadocia with narration:

2. Underground city in Cappadocia:

3. “Cappadocia – The Land That Time Forgot”:

Best time to visit /Climate:

Ani can get very hot and arid during summers, with temperatures reaching 38 degrees, and very chilly in winters. Best time to visit is June to September.

Location on Google maps:

View Larger Map

Driving directions from Istanbul to Ani:

View Larger Map

How to get there:

You can get a taxi to Ani from Kars. You can get it arranged by your hotel or look around for one, or maybe hitch a ride. You can also drive your own car; there is a direct road from Kars to Ani.

Places to stay (Hotels / Restaurants along with website / contact numbers):

There are no hotels or restaurants in Ani. Bring your own picnic basket and water. The only hotels anywhere near Ani are in Kars.

Blogs / sites about Ani (with small excerpts from these blogs):

1. A brief history: (http://wikitravel.org/en/Ani)
Ani first rose to prominence in the 5th century A.D., as a hilltop fortress belonging to the Armenian Kamsarakan Dynasty. By the ninth century, the Kamsarakan possessions in Eastern Anatolia had merged with the Bagratid Dynasty, and in 956, King Ashot III moved the Armenian capital to Ani. Shortly thereafter, the Armenian Catholicos moved here as well, establishing the city as the undisputed center of Armenia. The city grew rapidly, and by the eleventh century, the city boasted more than 100,000 citizens. At its height of power and wealth, it became known as the City of Forty Gates and the City of a Thousand Churches.
Ani’s golden age ended with the death of King Gagik in 1020, when Armenian power was split between his two sons. In a series of political events that define the word Byzantine, the son who controlled Ani named the Byzantine Emperor his heir, in an attempt to prevent an invasion. Upon his death, the Byzantine Emperor stated his claim upon the city, but the new King of Ani reneged on the deal and repulsed the Emperor’s armies. But a mere three years later, following a series of Armenian military defeats and a pro-Byzantine uprising in Ani, the city surrendered itself to Byzantine control.

2. Things to do, sightseeing and attractions:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ani

The church of St Gregory of Tigran Honents:
This church, finished in 1215, is the best-preserved monument at Ani. It was built during the rule of the Zackary’s and was commissioned by the wealthy Armenian merchant Tigran Honents. Its plan is of a type called a domed hall. In front of its entrance are the ruins of a narthex and a small chapel that are from a slightly later period. The exterior of the church is spectacularly decorated. Ornate carvings of real and imaginary animals fill the spandrels between blind arcade that runs around all four sides of the church. The interior contains an important and unique series of frescoes cycles that depict two main themes. In the eastern third of the church is depicted the Life of Saint Gregory the Illuminator, in the middle third of the church is depicted the Life of Christ. In the narthex and its chapel survive fragmentary frescoes that are more Byzantine in style.[21]

The Church of the Redeemer:
This church was completed shortly after the year 1035. It had a unique design: 19-sided externally, 8-apsed internally, with a huge central dome set upon a tall drum. It was built by Prince Ablgharib Pahlavid to house a fragment of the True Cross. The church was largely intact until 1955, when the entire eastern half collapsed during a storm.

3. Map of Ani: http://iguide.travel/illustrations/Ani-5.png

4. Photo Gallery:
1. Photos of Ani by a traveler with descriptions: http://www.galenfrysinger.com/ani_turkey.htm

2. Collection of photos of Ani:

http://www.trekearth.com/gallery/Middle_East/Turkey/East_Anatolia/Kars/Ani/

5. Videos on You Tube:
1. A tour of Ani:

Best time to visit /climate:

The Black Sea coast receives a lot of rainfall. Summers are cool and winters are mild. The best time to visit is summer, when weather is warm.

Location on Google maps:

View Larger Map

How to get there:

By plane: Sinop Airport is about 8 km’s from the city centre. Turkish Airlines has daily flights to Sinop from major Turkish cities.
By sea: Sinop is connected to Istanbul and other cities by sea. The Seaport is situated in the city centre itself. Check your local ferry guide.
By bus: You can also arrive in Sinop by a bus. The bus station is located in the city centre.

Places to stay (Hotels / Restaurants along with website / contact numbers):

There aren’t many hotels in Sinop, but plenty of campgrounds. If you want to stay near the centre of the city then hotels around Tersane district are a better option. Some the top rated hotels are given below:

1. Mola Hotel Sinop
Derinbogazagzi Sokak 34, Sinop, Turkey
2. Zinos Country Hotel
Enver BahadIr Yolu No: 75, Sinop, Turkey
3. Otel 57
MeydankapI Mah. Kurtulus Cad. No: 29, Sinop, Turkey
4. Denizci Hotel
Tersane Cad.No:13, Sinop, Turkey

The local cuisine of Sinop is the favourite and most widely available. ‘Nokul’, a local pastry that is made with raisins, walnuts, tahina, ground meat or cheese, is something to try out, as is ‘Manti’, another delicacy. Sea food and meat dishes are the main foods available in restaurants.

Some top rated restaurants are:
1. Diyarbakir Lokantasi
2. Turkish Music Watchtower

Blogs / sites about Sinop (with small excerpts from these blogs):

1. A brief history: (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sinop,_Turkey)
Long used as a Hittite port which appears in Hittite sources as “Sinuwa” (J. Garstang, The Hittite Empire, p. 74), the city proper was re-founded as a Greek colony from the city of Miletus in the 7th century BC .Sinope flourished as the Black Sea port of a caravan route that led from the upper Euphrates valley (Herodotus 1.72; 2.34), issued its own coinage, founded colonies, and gave its name to a red arsenic sulfate mined in Cappadocia, called “Sinopic red earth” (Miltos Sinôpikê) or sinople. It escaped Persian domination until the early 4th century BC, and in 183 BC it was captured by Pharnaces I and became capital of the kingdom of Pontus. Lucullus conquered Sinope for Rome in 70 BC, and Julius Caesar established a Roman colony there, Colonia Julia Felix, in 47 BC. Mithradates Eupator was born and buried at Sinope, and it was the birthplace of Diogenes, of Diphilus, poet and actor of the New Attic comedy, of the historian Baton, and of the Christian heretic of the 2nd century AD, Marcion.

2. Things to do, sightseeing and attractions:

http://www.karalahana.com/english/sinop-travel.html

There’s an air about Sinop that takes a person’s urban fatigue away. Just take a walk along the quay and listen to the sounds: the putt-putt of fishing boats, the waves pounding the rocks, the cries of the gulls, the greetings of the shopkeepers. The picture is no different in the back streets where time comes dropping slow. There always a sense of languor ready to descend on a person at any moment. The cluster of little settlements at Boztepe, to the north of the tiny peninsula on which the city is situated, are called an ‘island’ in any case; indeed all of Sinop is like an island. You can understand time by just having a look around yourself here. Wafting up from bakeries, the fragrance of ‘nokul’, a savoury pastry unique to the region, announces breakfast time. And while the rising roar of traffic indicates it’s time to go to work, the activity at the coffeehouses on the shore is more reminiscent of a lunch break. When fresh fish by the crate load are delivered to the restaurants from fishing boats bringing back the catch, it means evening has come, and the sea has long since been stained red by the time the flashing light on the breakwater starts saluting ships.

• http://www.kultur.gov.tr/EN/Genel/BelgeGoster.aspx?17A16AE30572D31395FB1C5180B6EBD6FB0FF6CAD6E83E4E
Sinop Castle: The castle was founded on the peninsula in BC 7th Century in order to protect the city. The castle was restored and used in Roman, Byzantine and Seljukian periods and. One section of the castle still protects its glory in modern times. The ramparts of the castle are 2050 m. long, 25 m. high and 3m. Width and there are two main entrance gates.
Old Sinop Prison: The area where the prison was constructed was the area where the largest shipyard the Black Sea region of the Ottoman period. The prison as constructed on the old field of shipyard inside the castle. The structure was used as a prison building after 1887. The structure is surrounded by high ramparts. These characteristics made the structure inescapable for the prisoners.

3. Map of Sinop: http://www.map-of-turkey.co.uk/maps/sinop.gif (best available map).

4. Photo Gallery:
1. Huge photo gallery of Sinop: http://www.traveljournals.net/pictures/turkey/sinop/
2. Photos by a traveller: http://upload.pbase.com/dosseman/sinop

5. Videos on You Tube:
1. Sinop sightseeing: The Hillside & Karakum:

2. Sinop:

Best time to visit / climate:

The climate of Konya is typical Central Anatolian, hot and dry in summer and very cold in winter. Spring (April to Mid-June) is the best time to visit Konya when the weather is moderate. The second best time would be autumn (Mid-September through October) when the weather is mostly mild.

Location on Google maps:

View Larger Map

How to get there:

By plane: Konya Airport is located about 18 km out of the city. Turkish Airlines and many other local airlines fly from Istanbul to Konya regularly. During summer’s you can also fly from various European countries, such as Netherlands, Norway, Denmark etc. Shuttle buses run by Havas, is the best way to get to the city centre from the airport.
By train: Trains are a slower alternative. Konya’s railway station is in a suburb called Meram, which is some distance away from the centre. One can always take a taxi from the station to the city centre. There are direct trains travelling to Konya from Istanbul, Adana and Karaman.
By bus: Konya is well connected to other major cities of Turkey through a very fine network of intercity buses. You can buy bus tickets from any travel agency on Mevlana Caddesi, Konya’s main street, according to your destination.
By car: Konya can also be reached by car. From Istanbul it’s a 10 hour drive to Konya and from Izmir it takes about 7 hours.

Places to stay (Hotels / Restaurants along with contact details):
There are plenty of hotels available in Konya, from luxury to mid-range and budget; there is a hotel to suit everybody’s pocket. Some of the top rated hotels are given below:

1. Ulusan Hotel
Sukran Mah. Kursuncular Sok. | No: 4 Meram Konya, Konya, Turkey
2. Dedeman Konya and Convention Center
Ozalan Mah Selcuklu, Konya 42080, Turkey
3. Hotel Rumi
Durakfaki Mah Durakfaki Sok No 5 | Mevlana Alani, Konya 42030, Turkey
4. Rixos Konya
Istanbul Yolu, Selcuklu, Konya 42250, Turkey (Formerly Hilton)
Source: Trip Advisor

In Konya there are many places to eat from local eateries to restaurants selling international cuisine. Local food is the favourite and most widely available. Soups are the staple food in Konya, and these include lentil, okra, milk, vermicelli etc. The city’s speciality is the firin Kebab (mutton, roasted and oily) and etli ekmek (a round pocket bread called “pide” with meat topping, something like a pizza). Alcohol is not sold in Konya. Some of the top rated restaurants are given below:

1. Kosk Konya Mutfagi
Kosk Lokantasi | Akccesme Mahallesi, Konya, Turkey
2. TAKA
ANKARA CD, Konya, Turkey
3. Mevlevi Sofrasi
Nazim Bey Cd 1-A, Konya, Turkey
4. AKKONAK
AFYON, Konya, Turkey

Source: Trip Advisor

Blogs / sites about Konya (WITH SMALL EXCERPTS FROM THESE BLOGS):

1. A brief history: (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Konya)
Excavations have shown that the region was inhabited during the Late Copper Age, around 3000 BC.[3] The city came under the influence of the Hittites around 1500 BC. These were overtaken by the Sea Peoples around 1200 BC. The Phrygians established their kingdom in central Anatolia in the 8th century BC. Xenophon describes Iconium, as the city was called, as the last city of Phrygia. The region was overwhelmed by Cimmerian invaders c. 690 BC. It was later part of the Persian Empire, until Darius III was defeated by Alexander the Great in 333 BC. Alexander’s empire broke up shortly after his death and the town came under the rule of Seleucus I Nicator. During the Hellenistic period the town was ruled by the kings of Pergamon. As Attalus III, the last king of Pergamon, was about to die without an heir, he bequeathed his kingdom to Rome. Under the rule of Emperor Claudius, the city’s name was changed to Claudioconium, and during the rule of emperor Hadrianus to Colonia Aelia Hadriana.

2. Things to do, sightseeing and attractions:
• http://www.kultur.gov.tr/EN/Genel/BelgeGoster.aspx?17A16AE30572D31395FB1C5180B6EBD6FBC7CF4E89607860
Çatalhöyük: This ancient site, 50km south-east of Konya, is said to be the first settlement in the world with houses and sacred buildings dating back to 6800 BC. The remains were discovered by British archaeologists in 1958, and research shows 13 different strata with evidence of houses that had to be entered by holes in the roof as there were no streets. There is little left at the site, except the remains of mud brick houses, murals, plaster reliefs and pottery. Construction was from adobe, wood and reed and most of the findings are now in the Konya Museum of Archaeology.
It is possible to get most of the way by minibus, then a taxi for the remaining 10 miles.

• http://wikitravel.org/en/Konya
Mevlana Museum/Mausoleum of Rumi (Mevlana Müzesi) (this is a very prominent landmark in downtown, you can’t miss it), 9AM-5PM. This must see tourist destination of Konya, is the tomb of the famous mystic/Sufi/thinker Rumi (known shortly as Mevlana in Turkish, or with the full name Mawlana Jalal ad-Din Muhammad Balkhi-Rumi in English literature), as well as the neighbouring museum that displays relics of his life and his time. The items on display in the museum range from old manuscripts, hand written copies of the Koran, musical instruments used at Rumi’s time, as well as numerous art works dating from the Seljuk era.

3. Map of Konya: http://www.planetware.com/i/map/TR/konya-map.jpg

4. Photo Gallery:
1. Beautiful collection of pictures by a traveller: http://www.pbase.com/dosseman/konya_turkey
2. Pictures of Konya with descriptions:

http://www.galenfrysinger.com/konya_turkey.htm

5. You Tube Videos:
1. Normal Konya, the streets and market places etc. with the locals going about their daily routine:

2. Small video of whirling dervishes shot in the Mevlana museum courtyard:

3. Two videos of Mevlana museum, both very different:
•

•

Best time to visit /climate:

Trabzon’s climate is typical Black Sea, with high rainfall all year round. Summers are warm and humid, with the average maximum temperature reaching 28 degrees C .Winters are cool and damp, the average minimum temperature touching 5°C in January. Rainfall is very heavy in autumn and spring. Between December and March, snowfall is common and often heavy, sometimes snowing for a week or two. The best time to visit is summer, when the weather is warm and rainfall not too heavy.

Location on Google maps:

View Larger Map

Driving directions from Ankara to Trabzon:

View Larger Map

How to get there:

By plane: There are flights to Trabzon from Ankara and Istanbul.

By Bus: There are buses operating between Istanbul and Trabzon regularly, many times a day. There are also buses available from bilisi and Georgia.

By Sea: There are ferries from Soch, a Russian city along the Black Sea coast, twice a week.

PLACES TO STAY (HOTELS / RESTAURANTS ALONG WITH WEBSITE / CONTACT NUMBERS):

There are many hotels available in Trabzon. If you are on a strict budget, then the hotels near the port, down the Ataturk square, are the cheapest. But sometimes they are used for prostitution, so one has to be cautious. Some the top rated hotels are given below:

1. Novotel Trabzon
Cumhuriyet Mah kasustu Beldesi | Yomra, Trabzon 61250, Turkey
2. Aksular Hotel
Toklu Mah.Sahil Cad.No:465, Trabzon, 61040,Turkey
3. Zorlu Grand Hotel
Maras Caddesi No 9, Trabzon 61100, Turkey
4. Buyuk Sumela Hotel
Macka, Trabzon 61750, Turkey

Source: Trip Advisor

There are a number of places to eat in Trabzon. Local cuisine is by far the favourite in Trabzon. “Pide” (a kind of bread) and kofte (meat balls) are a hot favourite. “Akcaabat koftesi”, meat balls made in Turkish way with garlic, bread and meat, eaten with ayran, a kind of yogurt, is another local delicacy. “Lahmacun”, a kind of pizza, with mince meat topping and thin bread, is also something one should try. Sea food is also popular. Besides these, there are many restaurants selling cuisines of other countries.
Some of the top rated restaurants are as follows:

1. NIHAT USTA
AKCAABAT, Trabzon, Turkey
2. ARI BUFE
Bolluk Sk., Trabzon, Turkey
Phone: 0090-462-230 58 08
3. Kilcik Fish Restaurant
Meydan, Trabzon, Turkey
4. YalIncak
YalIncak, Trabzon, Turkey

Source: Trip Advisor

BLOGS / SITES ABOUT ISTANBUL (WITH SMALL EXCERPTS FROM THESE BLOGS):

1. A brief history (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trabzon)
The city was one of a number (about ten) of Milesian emporia, or trading colonies along the shores of the Black Sea. Others include Sinope, Abydos and Cyzicus (in the Dardanelles). Like most Greek colonies, the city was a small enclave of Greek life, and not an empire unto its own, in the later European sense of the word. Early banking (money-changing) activity is suggested occurring in the city according to a silver drachm coin from Trapezus in the British Museum, London.
Trebizond’s trade partners included the Mossynoeci. When Xenophon and the Ten Thousand mercenaries were fighting their way out of Persia, the first Greek city they reached was Trebizond (Xenophon, Anabasis, 5.5.10). The city and the local Mossynoeci had become estranged from the Mossynoecian capital, to the point of civil war. Xenophon’s force resolved this in the rebels’ favor, and so in Trebizond’s interest.

2. Things to do, sightseeing and attractions:

http://www.kultur.gov.tr/EN/Genel/BelgeGoster.aspx?17A16AE30572D31395FB1C5180B6EBD698CDA43385F0101A

• Ataturk Palace
Situated in a small pine grove in the Soguksu area, this mansion was constructed at the beginning of the 20th century and belonged to Greek banker Karayannidhis, who was forced to abandon it 20 years later. Ataturk stayed at there in 1924, 1934 and 1937 during his visits to Trabzon, and it was formally presented to him a year before his death. It was then decorated with furniture and décor from that period, filled with photographs of the leader and opened by the city’s municipality as Ataturk Museum.

• Sumela monastery

http://wikitravel.org/en/Trabzon

Sumela Monastery (Turkish: Sümela Manast?r?; Panagia Soumela, “Virgin Mary of Soumela” in Greek) is a spectacular rock-hewn monastery perched dramatically on the narrow ledge of a steep cliff in the forests south of Trabzon. It was built in the fourth century, just before the Roman Empire split into east and west, by two Athenian priests, Barnabas and Sophronius, who, according to legend, found a miraculous icon of the Virgin Mary in a cave. The monastery’s location in this geopolitically tumultuous corner of the globe naturally saw times of trouble and fell into ruin numerous times throughout its history, with its most thriving times falling under Byzantine and Ottoman rule.
The twentieth century, however, was not kind to the monastery. It was abandoned following the chaos and inter-ethnic violence at the end of World War I, and the population transfer of Trabzon’s (formerly Trebizond) Greek population back to Greece. Its remote location gave it some sanctuary, but its frescoes still attracted the occasional casually hurled rock by a bored shepherd. The beautiful frescoes today suffer from decades of heart-wrenchingly pointless vandalism by travelers—judging from the various alphabets and names scrawled across these impressive religious works of art, it appears that just about every culture in the world has taken part in the desecration. The buildings themselves have been fairly heavily restored in recent decades, as the Turkish government has stepped in to protect the monastery and to turn it into a museum.

3. Photo Gallery:
1. Photos of Trabzon by a traveler: http://www.pbase.com/dosseman/trabzon
2.Huge collection of photos: http://www.trekearth.com/gallery/Middle_East/Turkey/Black_Sea/Trabzon/

4. You Tube Videos:
1. THE SUMELA MONASTERY ?N TRABZON TURKEY:

2. Trabzon – Agia Sophia, Frondistirio and Karadeniz: