Turkey - Endless Fascination

Formerly known as Constantinople, Istanbul, like Turkey itself, seems to have a foot in two continents. In fact, a cruise to Istanbul allows you to cross  the long Bosphorous Bridge and literally walk from Europe to Asia. Turkey is bordered by no fewer than eight countries: Bulgaria to the northwest; Greece to the west; Georgia to the northeast; Armenia, Azerbaijan and Iran to the east; and Iraq and Syria to the southeast. The Mediterranean Sea and Cyprus are to the south; the Aegean Sea to the west; and the Black Sea lies to the north.

Culturally Turkey is one of the Mediterranean's absolute treasures. Full to the brim of its own inimitable magic, both the Greeks and the Romans stamped their mark on the country prior to the rise of the mighty Ottoman Empire. The architecture and the ancient remains reflect this extraordinary legacy and much is either still standing or, like Ephesus, partially restorated and opened to travellers from all over the world.

Naturally MSC Cruises has a full programme of excursions to these incredible sites but there's no better way to see Istanbul, one of the Mediterranean's most dazzling ports-of-call, than from the decks of your MSC cruise liner. From the spectacular mosques to the elegant towering minarets, the sprawling Bazaar or the ancient hamam, in Istanbul you can truly journey back in time. Cosmopolitan Izmir is a gateway to the time capsule tha is Ephesus and, in Antalya, you can walk the Roman and Byzantine streets of the ancient old town.

An MSC cruise to Turkey means combining the luxury of our cruise ships with the spectacle of world-class cities and the marvels of the ancient world. Allow MSC Cruises to introduce you to the magic of Turkey with our carefully-planned excursion packages and superb itineraries.