Don McCullin, 87, Britain's greatest war photographer, turns his lens to the heavenly ruins of Asia Minor
I have been travelling the world for the past 65 years so I can’t explain how Turkey evaded me until recently.
A couple of years ago, I had the great pleasure of meeting the charming Turkish Ambassador to London at the time, Ümit Yalçın, and it was with his blessing, and alongside my dear friend, the author Barnaby Rogerson, that we embarked on a series of journeys to discover the remains of Roman Turkey. These, I thought, have been somewhat overlooked in a country so full of other historical treasures.
The ambassador opened all the most important museum doors for us, which was marvellous, and I was lucky that Barnaby was a fount of knowledge on the history of these sites.
I remember how I couldn’t get over the beauty of the exhibits at the Istanbul archaeological museums and didn’t know where to start.
The museum in Antalya was equally eye-opening, with the most impressive display of huge Roman figures and some of the best and most creative lighting I have seen in any museum, thanks to the director, Dr Candemir Zoroğlu, who studied for two years at the British Museum.
I realised I would need a whole lifetime to document Roman Turkey, as there are simply hundreds of sites waiting to be discovered.
Sadly, I am past the age where this is possible, without the strength to clamber over beautiful temples and amphitheatres. A misplaced foot, as I have found to my cost in the past, can be dangerous.
I felt so rewarded by the visual feast presented to me, but also by the warmth and welcome of the people.
Don McCullin's book Journeys Across Roman Asia Minor is available to buy through this link
