Lincoln spent the first twelve years of his life in Turkey and has made numerous return trips with Barbara and members his family. Turkey is fascinating for the layers of civilization that have flourished and perished within its borders. When one sees stones with Greek or Roman inscriptions in the wall of a mosque, one gets the sense that civilizations are not simply built on the ruins of the past but are built with the very stones of that past. The magnificent Aya Sophya, built as a church for Justinian, became a mosque when Mehmet II conquered Constantinople, and a museum when Ataturk established the modern Turkish Republic. You must try the variety of eggplant dishes.
Turkey is famous for rugs, copperware, and ceramics.
Rugs, woven by hand by village women, come in wool or silk. They come as carpets or kilims. Copperware is still used, after tining, to prepare food and feed one's family. Trays, pitchers, and food containers come in various sizes and marvelous shapes. Kutahya is the ceramic that uses old Turkish script and floral themes in rich colors and marvelous designs.