TRAVERSE 52
innovative technologies and beliefs from the near east. Istanbul, it seemed, was the gateway for early Europeans to begin change.
Walking the back streets, amongst buildings that an Australian with a constructed history of around only a few hundred years found hard to fathom, it was clear that the Romans had once resided here. Evidence of the great empire could be seen in the cobbled streets and brick remains, yet the establishment of a city predates even that. The Greeks had settled on the banks of the Bosphorus Straight some time in the middle of the seventh century BCE and established a major trading centre before a period of conflict between themselves and the Persians created the first unique blend of cultures.
What I was seeing was around five hundred years later, Roman walls, which contain fortifications, stores, and homes. More impressive was
TRAVERSE 52