| Everyone knows that above ground family holidays, | | | | consists of rolling doors that prevent intruders from |
| Turkey offer plenty of opportunity for sun, sea and | | | | entering and even elaborate churches carved into the |
| sand. However, if the bright sun is dazzling your eyes | | | | rock. These underground cities are unusually cool and |
| or you're simply looking for something a little more | | | | can provide a welcome respite to Turkey's immense |
| unique, why not head underground? | | | | summer heat. |
| Istanbul's Cisterns | | | | Caving in Turkey |
| Istanbul is a sprawling mass of beautiful Byzantine | | | | If your family has a feel for action and adventure, then |
| cisterns that exist from the time when Istanbul was | | | | family holidays in Turkey are the perfect place to get |
| known as Constantinople and even James Bond has | | | | adventurous. Almost one third of Turkey is covered by |
| paid them a visit. The city has hundreds of gloomy | | | | underground caves and the best place in the country |
| cisterns, but the grandest of all these and the only one | | | | for caving is the Taurus region. This region begins at |
| worth visiting on your family holidays Turkey is the | | | | the Aegean Cost and continues through to Iran and |
| Basilica Cistern, also known as the Sunken Palace | | | | the east. Caving is also known as spelunking and with |
| Cistern. The Basilica Cistern covers 2.4 acres and can | | | | over 40,000 caves; Turkey is a spelunker's paradise. |
| hold over 21 million gallons of water. Its sheer size | | | | The longest cave is Pinzrozu Cavern, located 16km |
| means that it is easy enough to get lost in; so keep an | | | | west of Beysehir Lake. However, the deepest cave is |
| eye on your little ones. | | | | the beautiful Cukurpinar Sinkhole in Anamur. |
| Although, when James Bond visited in the film "From | | | | Stay Under the Sea |
| Russia with Love", we imagine that getting lost, or | | | | If you still haven't had enough of Turkey's underground, |
| remaining hidden, was his main intention. In a scene, | | | | then why not stay underneath the sea on your family |
| Sean Connery is seen sailing past a forest of marble | | | | holidays, Turkey? Istanbul's underwater hotel has been |
| columns and these are in the Basilica Cistern. | | | | rumoured since 2008, but whispers are that it's due to |
| Underground Cities in Cappadocia | | | | open at the end of 2010. The seven-star hotel will |
| Cappadocia is a must visit destination on your family | | | | consist of a number of underwater capsule rooms |
| holidays. Turkey's mass of fairytale chimneys are | | | | each 550 square feet. The resort is owned by |
| more commonly viewed from above ground where | | | | Poseidon Resorts, who are building a similar resort in |
| hot air balloons are the common means of transport. If | | | | Fiji. However, the Turkish hotel will sit on the Bosphorus |
| you want a slightly more unique Cappadocian | | | | Strait, with the Sea of Marmara to the South. All |
| experience then why not head underground? | | | | rooms will have excellent underwater visibility and |
| Subterranean towns extend seven to eight levels into | | | | guests may be able to make out reef sharks, dolphins |
| the ground and the largest and most impressive of | | | | and sea turtles swimming past their bedtime windows. |
| these towns is Kaymakli. This ancient Hittite city | | | | |