This is one of our most exotic destinations and horseback riding tours in Turkey are reasonably priced. The ancient horse culture is very much alive and it is doubtful that any part of the world can match its rich and broad mosaic of history. This is one of the great cradles of mankind and it is here in Asia Minor that Homer’s epic poem, the Iliad, about the Trojan Wars took place.
Traveling through Turkey you can see the fascinating remnants of civilizations left by Hittites, Greeks, Romans, early Christians, Byzantines and Ottomans. You will also visit Istanbul, one of the most beautiful and interesting cities in the world. As Constantinople it was the great center of Christianity after the fall of Rome until it was finally captured by the Ottoman Turks in 1453. In our obsession with western culture we have tended to forget the huge power and far flung empire of the Ottomans which at one time encompassed not only Asia Minor, but a big chunk of the Near East, southeastern Europe and Egypt. The Turkish armies twice laid siege to Vienna and nearly captured the city in 1683.
This large country is mainly unspoiled by modern development and you can traverse much of it on horseback with few worries about fences, paved roads and rights-of-way. The old horse culture still flourishes and horses are often still used for agriculture and transport. The rural countryside is ideal for equestrian travel. The landscape is beautiful and varied with mountains, valleys, forests and fertile fields. One traverses villages which retain much of the flavor they had centuries ago and on these horseback riding vacations in Turkey there is often a chance to stop and visit places of particular historical interest. Ancient crafts like pottery and rug weaving thrive.
