Rick provides a brief introduction to his Turkey playlist, a collection of audio files designed to help you plan and enjoy your best possible trip.

Turkish tour guides Taylan Tashbashi and Ayshegul Unlu join Rick to offer a taste of what makes the west coast of Turkey such a popular destination, where the remains of classical cultures meet seaside fun on the Aegean.

Two politically-savvy Turks explain the tricky political issues facing their country, including how to deal with deep-rooted ethnic conflicts and how to prepare for a formal relationship with the European Union.

Turkish tour guide Mehlika Seval explains to Rick why Turks revere Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the founder of Turkey's modern, secular republic.

Rick's guest is Matthew Karanian, co-author of a guidebook to Armenia. Visitors can experience eco-tourism in its untouched countryside and connect with a culture that has persisted for 3,000 years, despite many adversities.

Two friends from Turkey describe the other-worldly landscapes and underground cities of Cappadocia.

Turkish tour guide Mehlika Seval tells us why she loves the traditional eastern half of her country, where deeply-rooted cultures carry on with little interruption from tourism.

Turkish tour guides Tankut Aran and Lale Surmen Aran take Rick to the eastern reaches of their country, where few tourists venture.

Rick chats with tour guide Tankut Aran and documentary filmmaker Tim Frakes about the journeys of the Apostle Paul, who traveled 13,000 miles to spread Christianity around the Roman Empire.

Rick talks with Turkish tour guide Mehlika Seval about the enduring appeal of Rumi, an Islamic mystic and poet born 800 years ago.