X

Select your currency

Suggested for you
  • IN Indian Rupee
    INR
  • GB Pound Sterling
    GBP
  • AE UAE Dirham
    AED
  • US US Dollar
    USD
All currency
  • DZ Algerian Dinar
    DZD
  • AO Angolan Kwanza
    AOA
  • AR Argentine Pesos
    ARS
  • AM Armenian Dram
    AMD
  • AW Aruban Florin
    AWG
  • AT Australian Dollar
    AUD
  • BH Bahraini Dinar
    BHD
  • TH Baht
    THB
  • PA Balboa
    PAB
  • BD Bangladeshi Taka
    BDT
  • BY Belarusian Rubles
    BYR
  • BZ Belize Dollars
    BZD
  • BM Bermuda Dollars
    BMD
  • BT Bhutanese ngultrum
    BTN
  • VE Bolivares Fuertes
    VEF
  • BR Brazilian Reais
    BRL
  • BI Burundian Franc
    BIF
  • KH Cambodian Riels
    KHR
  • CA Canadian Dollar
    CAD
  • GA Central African CFA franc
    XAF
  • CL Chilean Pesos
    CLP
  • CO Colombian Pesos
    COP
  • CR Colón
    CRC
  • CD Congolese Franc
    CDF
  • CU Cuban Pesos
    CUP
  • DK Danish Krone
    DKK
  • MK Denars
    MKD
  • DJ Djiboutian Franc
    DJF
  • DO Dominican Pesos
    DOP
  • VN Dong
    VND
  • AG East Caribbean Dollars
    XCD
  • EG Egyptian Pounds
    EGP
  • ET Ethiopian Birr
    ETB
  • ES Euro
    EUR
  • HU Forint
    HUF
  • GE Georgian Lari
    GEL
  • GH Ghanaian Cedi
    GHS
  • PY Guarani
    PYG
  • GN Guinean Franc
    GNF
  • GY Guyanese Dollars
    GYD
  • HK Hong Kong Dollars
    HKD
  • UA Hryvnia
    UAH
  • IS Icelandic Krona
    ISK
  • IN Indian Rupee
    INR
  • ID Indonesian Rupiahs
    IDR
  • IR Iranian Rials
    IRR
  • JO Jordanian Dinar
    JOD
  • KE Kenyan Shilling
    KES
  • LA Kips
    LAK
  • CZ Koruny
    CZK
  • NO Krone
    NOK
  • HR Kuna
    HRK
  • KW Kuwaiti Dinar
    KWD
  • LV Lati
    LVL
  • LB Lebanese Pounds
    LBP
  • BG Leva
    BGN
  • LY Libyan Dinar
    LYD
  • TR Lira
    TRY
  • LT Litai
    LTL
  • MG Malagasy Ariary
    MGA
  • MW Malawian Kwacha
    MWK
  • MV Maldivian Rufiyaa
    MVR
  • MX Mexican Pesos
    MXN
  • MD Moldovan Leu
    MDL
  • MA Moroccan Dirham
    MAD
  • MM Myanmar Kyat
    MMK
  • NG Nairas
    NGN
  • NA Namibian Dollars
    NAD
  • NP Nepali Rupee
    NPR
  • TW New Dollars
    TWD
  • RO New Lei
    RON
  • AZ New Manats
    AZN
  • IL New Shekels
    ILS
  • NZ New Zealand Dollars
    NZD
  • PE Nuevos Soles
    PEN
  • OM Omani Rial
    OMR
  • PK Pakistani Rupees
    PKR
  • PG Papua New Guinean Kina
    PGK
  • PH Philippine peso
    PHP
  • GB Pound Sterling
    GBP
  • BW Pula
    BWP
  • QA Qatari Rials
    QAR
  • GT Quetzales
    GTQ
  • ZA Rand
    ZAR
  • MY Ringgits
    MYR
  • RU Russian Rubles
    RUB
  • RW Rwandan Franc
    RWF
  • SA Saudi Riyals
    SAR
  • SG Singapore Dollars
    SGD
  • KG Soms
    KGS
  • KR South Korean Won
    KRW
  • SH St. Helena Pounds
    SHP
  • SD Sudanese pound
    SDG
  • UZ Sums
    UZS
  • SE Swedish Krona
    SEK
  • CH Switzerland Francs
    CHF
  • SY Syrian Pounds
    SYP
  • TJ Tajikistani Somoni
    TJS
  • TZ Tanzanian Shilling
    TZS
  • KZ Tenge
    KZT
  • MN Tugriks
    MNT
  • TN Tunisian Dinar
    TND
  • AE UAE Dirham
    AED
  • UG Ugandan Shilling
    UGX
  • UY Uruguayo Pesos
    UYU
  • US US Dollar
    USD
  • TG West African CFA franc
    XOF
  • YE Yemeni Rials
    YER
  • JP Yen
    JPY
  • ZM Zambian Kwacha
    ZMW
  • PL Zlotych
    PLN
  • USA
    Select Currency

New Details

Turkey's New Mesopotamia Express Offers Visitors A Journey Through The Country's Rich History.

Published on : 02-07-2024

Turkey's New Mesopotamia Express: A Journey To The Rich History.

Covering 1,051km from Ankara to Diyarbakır, the train traverses stark, mountainous landscapes and some of Turkey's most significant historical sites.

Train travel is currently experiencing a surge in popularity. Examples include Mexico's Tren Maya and the European Sleeper connecting Brussels and Prague. Additionally, luxury rail experiences are expanding, such as the Orient Express' new La Dolce Vita train that tours Italy in a glamorous mid-century style.

According to Yesh Munnangi, CEO of global travel planning site Rome2Rio, there's a significant increase in demand for train travel. "Rome2Rio's train search data reveals a staggering 170% increase since 2019 pre-Covid volumes," Munnangi stated.

Turkey's new Mesopotamia Express, which began operations in April 2024, exemplifies this trend. Building on the success of the Eastern Express, launched in 2019, this new route offers an epic journey through Turkey's central Anatolia region, which is rich in history and culture. Spanning 1,051km from Ankara to Diyarbakır, the route includes stark, mountainous landscapes and important historical sites.

The Mesopotamia Express is part of a nationwide initiative to encourage tourists to explore beyond popular destinations like  Istanbul and Antalya, which were recently ranked among the world's most-visited cities. Geoffrey Weill, president of Weill Associates, representing the Türkiye Tourism Promotion and Development Agency (TGA), explained, "Turkey aims to spread tourism across 81 provinces and has been sustaining various efforts for this goal. One such effort is to improve the country's extensive, low-impact railway network with investments and high-speed trains."

Accommodating up to 180 passengers, the Mesopotamia Express offers locally sourced traditional Anatolian cuisine in its dining car, including keleş, a fried meat dish on flatbread. The journey takes 24 hours, with stops of three to four hours at each destination for visitors to explore local sites and culture.

Geoffrey Weill emphasised, "The Mesopotamia Express provides tourists with a comprehensive and immersive experience highlighting the region's rich cultural heritage, historical significance, and natural beauty. It's not an ordinary train ride but a journey through time, traversing stunning Turkish landscapes and uncovering the country's hidden cultural gems."

The journey begins in Ankara, with the first stop in Kayseri, the gateway to the Cappadocia region. Known for its labyrinthine bazaars, ancient Turkish architecture, and the spectacular Mount Erciyes, an inactive volcano popular among climbers and skiers, Kayseri is a highlight of the trip.

The train's next destination is Malatya, one of Anatolia's largest cities. This area has been a crossroads for trade and cultural exchange between East and West for nearly 7,000 years. Visitors can enjoy the annual apricot festival from July 20-22 in the summer, celebrating the region's famous export.

Elazig, built in the shadow of the ancient city of Harput, is the following stop. It's an ideal location to explore Turkey's history, from the UNESCO World Heritage site of Harput Castle to the Izzet Pasha mosque, built in 1866.


#turkeytravel #travelnews #turkeynews #tourism #railjournet #thingstodo

News Source : Google News

Recent News

Subscribe for
Offers • Deals • Newsletters