Ancient Turkey

Ancient Turkey was a land of myth and mystery, but its secrets are slowly being uncovered. Find out about the legendary cultures that left their mark on this unique region, and discover which stories are fact and which are fiction. The history of ancient Turkey is important since it gives insight into what Anatolia was like before the Roman and Byzantine Empires, but much of the information has been buried by time.

A long time ago, in a suburban high school not so far away, a closeted nerd (me) and a closeted soccer star (Hutch) fell in love and planned to make their public debut at prom. Until Hutch bailed at the last minute, leaving me with a broken heart and unworn tuxedo. Tale as old as time, right? I spent the past ten years working to forget Hutch, returning to our old high school to teach and make new memories that could erase ones of him. I thought Hutch was ancient history, off living his professional athlete life. 

Through archaeological remains, ancient texts, and work by a new generation of historians, a picture can today be built of this remarkable civilization and their capital city. Although the city had been destroyed, the legacy of the Persians survived, even as they mostly remain an enigma to the West and are not nearly as well understood as the Greeks, Romans, or Egyptians. In a sense, the Achaemenid Persian Empire holds some of the most enduring mysteries of ancient civilization.

Step into a sweeping world history epic where ancient empires collide and a turbulent cultural crossroads is forged. Whether you are seeking a thought-provoking escape for your daily commute or craving an immersive deep dive into global affairs, this journey transports you to the very hinge of...

Istanbul has long been a place where stories and histories collide, where perception is as potent as fact. From the Koran to Shakespeare, this city with three names--Byzantium, Constantinople, Istanbul -- resonates as an idea and a place, real and imagined. Standing as the gateway between East...

For more than two millennia, Istanbul has stood at the crossroads of the world, perched at the very tip of Europe, gazing across the shores of Asia. The history of this city - known as Byzantium, then Constantinople, now Istanbul - is at once glorious, outsized, and astounding. Founded by the Greeks, its location blessed it as a center for trade but also made it a target of every empire in history, from Alexander the Great and his Macedonian Empire, to the Romans and later the Ottomans.

From the Nobel Prize winner and acclaimed author of My Name is Red comes a portrait of Istanbul by its foremost writer, revealing the melancholy that comes of living amid the ruins of a lost empire. "Delightful, profound, marvelously origina.... Pamuk tells the story of the city through the eyes...

Carole Seddon has never enjoyed holidays much. Nevertheless, she has allowed herself to be persuaded by her friend Jude to accept a fortnight’s free accommodation at a luxurious Turkish villa owned by Jude’s property developer friend Barney Willingdon. But from the outset the holiday is marred by a series of menacing incidents.

Bloomsbury presents Cypria: A Journey to the Heart of the Mediterranean, written and read by Alex Christofi SHORTLISTED FOR THE ANGLO-HELLENIC LEAGUE RUNCIMAN AWARD 2025 "A brilliant exploration of Cyprus’s long history of cultural resilience. Superbly composed." -- Guardian One of National...

Examines the intricate carvings, chambers, and structures, revealing the site’s acoustical properties, shamanic symbolism, and astronomical alignments Reveals how Karahan Tepe was used by shamans to connect with the Milky Way’s Galactic bulge in its role as the head of the cosmic...

Turkey's greatest living novelist guides us through the monuments and lost paradises, dilapidated Ottoman villas, back streets, and waterways of Istanbul - the city of his birth and the home of his imagination.

El rey Midas convertía en oro todo lo que tocaba. Shahmaran era un ser de conocimiento infinito que ayudó a crear el primer médico del mundo. ¿Qué tenían en común? La antigua Turquía era una tierra de mitos y misterios, pero sus secretos se van descubriendo poco a poco. Conozca las culturas legendarias que dejaron su huella en esta región única y descubra qué historias son reales y cuáles son ficción.

Discover the monumental archaeological breakthrough that completely shatters our timeline of ancient human civilization. Perfect for a thought-provoking commute, this awe-inspiring historical journey transports you to a dusty hill in southeastern Turkey to solve a prehistoric puzzle. Witness...

THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER 'Life-filled and life-affirming history, steeped in romance and written with verve' GUARDIAN 'Richly entertaining and impeccably researched' Peter Frankopan Istanbul has always been a place where stories and histories collide and crackle, where the idea is as potent...

Descend into a massive ancient underground city, a forgotten archaeological marvel that redefines human resilience. Whether you are transforming a daily commute or seeking an immersive historical escape, this atmospheric journey transports you beneath the striking volcanic landscapes of...

Unearth a lost Bronze Age empire of iron and chariots that rivaled Egypt for ancient world supremacy. Perfect for your daily commute, this immersive military history resurrects a forgotten civilization from buried clay tablets and shattered citadels. Let this epic, cinematic narrative transport...

Among all the early Iron Age people from the Near East who inherited the geopolitical vacuum of power left by the Sea Peoples invasions, the Phrygians are perhaps one of the most misunderstood. They built a powerful and wealthy kingdom, but were overshadowed by their more powerful and wealthier neighbors, the Lydians.

The story of the making, loss, and recovery of some of the greatest treasures of antiquity, raising questions about ancient mosaic art and its creation, the work of archaeology, and museum practice. In 1932, after years of fundraising and flurries of letters back and forth, an archaeological...

Discover the epic world history of Anatolia, where clashing empires and cultural exchange forged the modern age. Perfect for an engaging daily commute or travel preparation, this sweeping narrative transforms thousands of years of human triumph and conflict into a vivid, accessible audio journey...

Descend into an atmospheric ancient history of human survival, exploring a lost city carved deep beneath the earth. Perfect for a gripping commute, this immersive historical account reveals how communities faced relentless above-ground invasions by engineering massive subterranean sanctuaries in...