Turkey

The Country I Came Back To Without Planning To  

I was travelling from Madinah, when I first arrived in Turkey in December 2024, it was Istanbul that welcomed me. Cold air, soft rain, call to prayer rising over the Bosphorus. I wandered the old city, felt history underfoot, and let the pace of the place quiet me. It was a winter city then. Grey, gold, and thoughtful. That trip gave me space I didn’t know I needed.

Seven months later, in July 2025, I returned. This time heading deeper into the mountains, to Uzungöl. I passed through Istanbul again, but this time the city felt different. Brighter. Busier. More like a transit lounge between who I was and where I was going. And then the valley opened up. Green, misty, slower than memory. In Uzungöl, the silence wasn’t heavy; it was healing.

I returned once more in March 2026, this time for a road trip that traced the Aegean coast through quiet villages and over the rugged Toros Dağları. I escaped the minarets of Istanbul for the serene, crystal-clear beauty of the Turkish Riviera, trading city energy for ancient ruins and the Mediterranean coast. It was my ultimate journey, blending centuries of history into one unforgettable spring escape. 

Three visits. One country. Two completely different feelings. Maybe that’s what makes Turkey stay with you. It shifts. With the weather, with the landscape, with the version of you that shows up. And somehow, it always meets you where you are.

Click the links below to read about my experiences in Istanbul, Uzungöl and all the way to Antalya.