Now this has to be the best possible way to arrive in istanbul down the mighty bosphorus. Its this body of water that separates the city but also separates continents. And look at that, that silhouette with the domes, the minarets just popping up above the horizon. That is dolmabahce palace. Thats where the founder of the republic, Mustafa Kemal ataturk, set about the business of transforming turkey. And from the past to the present, this is taksim district, the heart of modern istanbul. Getting an ice cream in turkey seems like a bit of an extreme sport. I mean, its very. Its for you. She laughs one vanilla, chocolate, strawberry, i pistachio. Tram bell dings these european style heritage trams have their roots back in 1871, when they were horse powered and later became electric. I love a tram. Thats notjust because im from melbourne. Something quite nice about the pace of it and also, going right through the middle of the city. Everyones scarpering out of the way. Its a really nice way to see a new place. Thank you. Youre welcome. Next stop for me, the pera palace hotel, where ataturk often stayed before he took up official residence at the dolmabahce palace. Good morning. Morning. Welcome. My guide sebnem altin is going to show me around the hotel. And here is the room, 101, where ataturk used to say. I mean, the man himself. This room became a museum at the 100th Anniversary of ataturks birthday. They bought things that belonged to him from auction, such as his coffee cups, some of his pictures, as you can see here. And he was known to be a very chic man. He cared a lot about what he wears. So here. Sharp dresser. 0h, he was sharp dresser. Mustafa kemal ataturk is the founder of republic of turkey and he is the man who gave independence to turkish people. He managed to not only defeat the occupying powers, but also the occupying greek forces. And he is still the hero of people who value democracy, independence, science, secularism. Ataturk can be considered a controversial figure by some people. Yes. Tell me a bit about that complex legacy. When he abolished the caliphate, for some people, this was him going towards a path that wasnt as religious. And we had the exchange of populations between greece and turkey. What does the 100th Anniversary mean to you . He said, one day my body will be just earth, but this republic of yours will continue forever. And that makes me so happy. And now im off to shop in an incredible venue that was around a long, long time before ataturk. This is the grand bazaar, the mother of all shopping malls. It dates back to the 15th century. And theres a really good reason why it was built here in istanbul, because this was the centre of the Ottoman Empire. So you had spices and almost Everything Else from over three continents coming right here. She laughs i mean, these guys in some cases have been here for years and years and theyve really got the gift of the gab. They know how to get you through their door. This might be a bit difficult to pack in my bag. Ship horn blares Galata Bridge has long been viewed as the link between the old city of istanbul and its modern districts. Its a glorious, sunny day, so its not surprising to find people on the bridge fishing. And local Fisherman Mehmet is going to show me how its done. All right. Shall we . So now we go again. I hold, hold here. Oh, no drops. Ah, there we go. Yes. Whoa oh, weve got something weve got something go, mehmet. Yes weve done well. They both laugh oh, no. Come back, come back. Istanbul is a city that really wears its influences on its sleeve. You see this amazing diversity. Youve got the ottoman mosques, youve got the modern buildings. All of this comes together to really tell the story of the city. Although istanbul is a big tourist destination, most people head to turkey for a week or two of sun, sea and sand, so im off tojoin them. Hello from alanya on turkeys turquoise coast. And what better place to start than with this . Tourism in turkey has boomed in recent years, turning it into one of the top ten most visited countries in the world. Oh, i love a cable car. This region is home to some of the most beautiful coastline where you can swim and sunbathe from spring all the way to mid october. This is cleopatra beach, named after the legendary egyptian queen. And legend has it that she herself used to bathe in these waters. So who am i to argue . A cave is a kind of unusual place to be meeting a doctor. But i promise theres a reason. Hello. Im christa. Its nice to meet you. Thank you so much. This is the damlatas cave. Tourism here steadily grew as people came to hear about the alleged Healing Powers of the damlatas cave. And dr mehmet cam has agreed to show me around. Look at this. And so humid immediately. Only 95. 95 humidity. Yes, humidity. Oh, my goodness. Yeah, you can feel. Its like walking into a bath. 22 degrees all the year the same humidity and same temperature. What is it about the atmosphere that helps these patients . Is this treatment considered quite radical . I think its right for people to be sceptical about alternative therapies, that makes sense. It was quite compelling to hear the stories of the people down there, and i must say. I do feel quite refreshed. Eight hours east of alanya is the ninth biggest city in turkey, famous for its copper work and culinary prowess. Welcome to gaziantep, known as antep to the locals. This city in South Central turkey is off the well worn turkey tourist trail. But at First Impressions really shouldnt be. In the middle ages, this city was an important stronghold, and it changed hands between a variety of different dynasties before eventually being absorbed into the Ottoman Empire in the early 16th century. Gaziantep was 23 miles from the epicentre of the horrendous earthquake that devastated parts of turkey and nearby syria in february, and it was affected. And you can see here this watchtower that was built during the roman era has partially collapsed and its already under restoration. Luckily, though, this place survived. Its one of the oldest known ottoman Coffeehouses Dating back to 1635, unbelievably. And im told these days its the place to come and soak up some local atmosphere and try some of the best coffee in town. The owner mehmet is going to show me how they prepare their prized coffees. Merhaba. She laughs the coffee is first boiled in a turkish coffee pot called a cezve. Ah, 0k. And then it gets a little hat. Oh, thank you. Thats amazing. Thats perfect. Shall i have a little. . Ill have a little taste. I think i should. Oh, that is delicious. Oh, the master. Perfect. Thank you very much. So what makes this coffee different . 0h, 0k. So this is, this is kind of the ottoman blend. Theres a real complexity to the flavour. This is delicious. Its said coffee arrived in turkey from yemen with travelling merchants back in the 16th century. Due to its stimulating effect, it was forbidden in 1511 by conservative imams, but the ban was lifted 13 years later. Band plays jaunty local tune now, i also really wanted to try a pistachio coffee. Oh, this is my favourite. Oh oh oh that is delicious. There is a more famous use of pistachios in turkey aside from the pistachio coffee. And that is, of course, the traditional sweet and sticky dessert baklava. But its gaziantep thats become known for its pistachio baklava, the most famous baklava in turkey. So im on my way to a pistachio farm because, guess what . Its harvesting season. She laughs so hang on, these are pistachios . These ones here . Pistachios are supposed to be green. Shall we . Down the hatch. Oh, its very subtle, isnt it . Tractor engine rumbles distant chatting and laughter the exact origin of baklava is disputed. Shared international histories are reflected in its recipes, with each providing a local flair to an ancient dessert. But it was the baklava from gaziantep that was given protected status in 2014 by the european commission. This is quite a reward for all my hard work. All of this baklava contains pistachios and looks so delicious. Oh, my goodness. Look at this. Its gooey. 0h 0h. Mm. Oh, its so good. She giggles i was only going to have one or maybe two, but im not going to stop. The pistachios are falling out of this one. Im in heaven, absolutely. This could be the best day of my life. I came to turkey knowing i loved istanbul, but gaziantep has unexpectedly completely stolen my heart. I mean, its known for pistachios, coffee and baklava. Whats not to love . If you want my travel tip, come here in august, september, when the pistachios are at their freshest and tastiest. Im on my way to mount nemrut, one of the highest peaks in the eastern side of the taurus mountains. And tomorrow morning, im going to strap on my hiking boots and trek up to the summit to discover a different side of turkish history, far more ancient than the Ottoman Empire. She whispers morning. Its 3 36 am. And it feels like it. The footing isnt difficult because weve got this beautiful, modern, paved path. But it follows the ceremonial route used by people climbing this mountain back to the First Century bc under the stars. Im meant to be meeting my guide up here. Hello, christa. How are you . Im very well. Is this the summit up here . Are we nearly there . Yes, we are almost there. Amazing. Lets go. Dr Emine Yesim Bedlek has been guiding tourists around turkeys archaeological sites for years. And shes the perfect person to show me around this mountain. Who are these guys . These are actual gods and also a Goddess Symbolising the kingdom and the fertility of the kingdom. And also King Antiochus i. 0k. I need to ask you more about him. Yes. I want to know, though, where are their heads . Their heads are down because of the natural disasters. So no one came and. No one. 0k. Well, thats good so tell me about mount nemrut. What do i need to know . Two archaeologists arrive here, karl sester and Otto Puchstein in 1881. And when they first arrived here, they were shocked because they were expecting to see assyrian monuments. And then they realised that actually there is something very different and actually greek and persian cultures are uniting in mount nemrut. Wow. So creating something unique . Yeah, something unique. This religious sanctuary shows the Greek Gods Zeus and apollo and hercules the hero with greek faces but Persian Clothing and hairstyling. Alongside these composite deities is antiochus i, the king of the commagene empire. Its a small empire. It survived for 234 years on the western part of the euphrates river. During his reign, the kingdom was very, very rich, so he was the most powerful. They have the golden age. King antiochus i wanted to show his richness and his power. So hes like a godlike figure. So this whole thing is really a statement of power. Yeah, a statement of power. He wanted to be unforgettable, you know . Aha. Yes. Well, i mean, were not forgetting him today. Yes. And luckily, his head survived as well. Why did they need to merge greek and persian cultures . King antiochus, his mother was a greek and his father was a persian. 0k. And also this kingdom was a small kingdom in between two great powers persia in the east and roman empire, actually, in the west. Thats why they try to, you know, have a balance in political affairs. Isnt that fascinating . Because, of course, were coming up to the 100th Anniversary of the turkish republic, where ataturk famously brought people together and forged this sense of turkish identity. It seems like this has been a pattern going back an awfully long way. Yes. Actually he unified this multi ethnic country because it was a microcosm of Ottoman Empire. And he said that whoever feels turk, you know, and will be a turk, you know. Ive been travelling around this country trying to understand the significance of this 100th Anniversary of the turkish republic. But what ive come to see is that while its an important milestone, this past century is just a Blink Of An Eye in the long and incredibly rich history of this land. Hey, this is the catch up. First, new statistics by the bbc say that young men are for likely that make four times more likely than others to be convicted of dangerous driving. A top Police Officer looks to put extra rules on drivers in their teens or 20s. Young men are also more likely to be caught drink driving. Just after this photo was taken, two of them died in a car crash due to dangerous driving. Their deaths change the way this man thinks about cars. Thinks about cars. People need to realise that thinks about cars. People need to realise that it thinks about cars. People need to realise that it is thinks about cars. People need to realise that it is not, thinks about cars. People need to realise that it is not, you to realise that it is not, you do not come back. You know . You make a mistake and that is it. You can catch more on that story in drive fast stay young. We have a new editor for British Vogue who replaces edward and becomes the first ever black woman to sit in the chairand first ever black woman to sit in the chair and she says tiktok and instagram will be more of a focus for them. Her first issue features fk twigs. She told us how she feels. I know how meaningful it is for younger people to see someone like me who looks like me in a position like this. Position like this. Time now for ten seconds position like this. Time now for ten seconds of position like this. Time now for ten seconds of alcatraz l for ten seconds of alcatraz versus a b. He was stung when a swarm of bees decided the target for them during this match. Crazy. You are all caught up now, have a good night. Hello again. Friday was a day of sunny spells and passing showers, as those shower clouds started to collapse down late in the day, we had some pretty still conditions there in the highlands. Temperatures in scotland, Northern Ireland and wales generally quite close to average, but across large parts of england, in contrast, it was very mild, 17 degrees in east anglia, six above average for the time of year. Now the showery conditions on friday were caused by this area of low pressure thats working out of the way now. It will be bringing some heavy snow to parts of sweden and norway into saturday. Get a quiet ridge of high pressure, a weather window, if you like, ahead of the next system thats working in off the atlantic. What all that means is over the next few hours, increasingly, the skies will tend to clear. And what that means is well see temperatures drop like a stone. And heading into the first part of saturday morning, therell be quite a widespread frost, scotland, Northern Ireland, parts of Northern England as well. A chilly start to the day then, but a lovely sunny morning through most of the uk on saturday. However, rain will quickly spread into Northern Ireland along with some strengthening winds, and well see some splashes of rain getting into wales and southwest england. The rain probably not too heavy here through the course of the morning. Across Eastern England, eastern areas of scotland after that sunny but chilly start to the day, ok, the weather will tend to turn a bit cloudier, but it should stay dry until after dark, really. Temperatures 10 14 celsius. Now for the second half of the weekend, weve got a band of rain thats going to come through saturday night. The dregs of that still around across Eastern England as we start the day on sunday. Following that, well have southwesterly winds bringing mild air across the uk, and well be looking at some showery conditions moving back in. So, sunday weather wise we start off with rain across east anglia, southeast england. That clears away. Sunny spells follow widely, but there will be some scattered showers, some of them turning quite heavy through the course of the afternoon. The Southwesterly Winds Drudging up some mild air across all parts of the country. Temperatures about 13 celsius in glasgow and belfast, but up to around 15 16 celsius in the warmest parts of england. Beyond that, southerly winds are going to kind of dominate into the early part of the new week. However, with low pressure never far away, there will be some showers or longer spells of rain affecting Western Areas at times. However, it does stay mild, 13 celsius, the top temperature in edinburgh through monday and tuesday, and it stays mild, really, through the week in london with highs of around 16 celsius or so. Live from london. This is bbc news. The usjoins the United Nations in voicing concerns about israeli plans to launch a military operation in rafah. Temporary home to more than a million displaced palestinians in gaza. Russias president ial election enters a second day of voting, including parts of ukraine annexed by moscow. He served as Vice President to donald trump but mike pence says he will not be backing his former boss in the president ial election. It should come as no surprise that i will not be endorsing donald trump this year. And warnings of huge Traffic Congestion as a busy stretch of the London Orbital M25 Motorway is closed over the weekend. Hello, im sarah campbell. We start in gaza where both the United Nations and the us have expressed concern about israeli plans for a military operation in rafah. The city, at the southwestern edge of gaza, has seen the arrival of hundreds of thousands of palestinians, taking refuge from the fighting elsewhere in the territory. The Israeli Military had previously urged civilians
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