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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.

Tankut Aran and Lale Surmen Aran, tour operators based in Istanbul, suggest ways to get beyond the city's tourist hot-spots by delving into the back streets — from overlooked corners of the Grand Bazaar to the traffic-free islands just off the coast.

Gökalp Kasim and Taylan Tasbasi, two tour guides from Istanbul, chat with Rick about their ideas for enjoying a night on the town in Istanbul — even during Ramadan.

Rick learns about expat life from Julie Cascioppo, a jazz and cabaret singer who splits her time between Istanbul and Seattle.

Rick talks with an American Muslim woman who spent a year on her own in the Middle East and a gay travel writer who was surprised by what he encountered in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Tankut Aran and Lale Surmen Aran, two of Rick's friends from Istanbul, help him learn more about Islam and how it is practiced today in modern Turkey.

Tour guides Tankut Aran and Lale Surmen Aran, accustomed to working with Americans, share practical advice on visiting Istanbul.