School trips to Turkey

Why visit Turkey?

The bridge between Europe and Asia

Turkey is one of the world’s earliest permanently settled regions and was an important stop on the historic Silk Road, where cultures from far and wide could mix and swap ideas, as well as goods. As such, Turkish culture has itself been influenced by the various cultures of the Eastern Mediterranean, Western and Central Asia, the Middle East and Eastern Europe.

So, a school trip to Turkey allows students the opportunity to better understand the differences and similarities between these cultures, making this the ideal choice for a Halal school trip.

They’ll also see for themselves how multiculturalism is not a modern idea, and that different cultures have interacted throughout history, sharing ideas and innovations, as well as trading goods.

Explore historic empires

Turkey has also been at the heart of several important empires, including the Byzantine and Ottoman Empires.

The Byzantine Empire was the eastern continuation of the Roman Empire, although it focused on Greek rather than Latin culture, had its capital in Constantinople (now Istanbul) and was characterised by Greek Orthodoxy.

The Byzantine Empire was an important political, economic and cultural force in Europe for over a thousand years, until Constantinople fell to the Ottoman Empire in 1453.

The Ottoman Empire, founded in northwestern Anatolia at the end of the 13th century, was based on Turkish and Persian culture and characterised by Islam. The Ottoman Empire survived until the end of WW1.

On your school trip to Turkey, your students will learn more about the importance of these two historic empires to the history and culture of Turkey and the wider world.

Discover the history of Islam and Christianity

Having been both Christian and Muslim, Turkey offers a fantastic opportunity to see how these two world religions have interacted throughout history.

Take, for example, Istanbul’s iconic Hagia Sophia. Originally built in 537 as Constantinople’s patriarchal cathedral. For most of its early life, the Hagia Sophia was a cathedral of the Eastern Orthodox Church, apart from a brief period in the 13th century when it became a Roman Catholic cathedral. It was converted into a mosque in 1453, after the Fall of Constantinople.

Your students will love this opportunity to learn more about Turkey’s religious history.