Turkey’s natural diversity and its strategic location between Asia and Europe have made it a cradle of civilisations for thousands of years. If you look closely as you travel the world, traces of these cultures can be found almost everywhere – in cities as well as in villages – and they tell stories of the cultural past.

The photograph shows the small Yakup Çelebi Mosque in Iznik, with its stone and brick walls and low red domes; it has been used for prayer since the late 14th century. It borders a private garden with fruit trees and a vine arbour, where a few girls and young women are currently spending time.

Hierapolis, the Hellenistic city in Phrygia, was built beside the hot springs we now know as Pamukkale (‘Cotton Castle’). The photograph shows camels laden with sacks resting amongst the ruins – enigmatic reminders of a time when caravans may still have passed through this region.

The Çifte Minareli Medrese in Erzurum is a significant example of late Seljuk architecture; its twin minarets rise up like silent guardians of history, whilst intricate stone carvings adorn its monumental portal. Built in 1271 by Khudavand Khatun, daughter of the Seljuk Sultan Kayqubad I, the medrese is on UNESCO’s Tentative List of World Heritage Sites.

The Eurymedon Bridge near Aspendos in the province of Antalya is a 13th-century Seljuk structure built on late Roman foundations, spanning the Köprüçay River. In the photo, a herd of camels is crossing the historic stone bridge.

This rare photograph from the 1960s shows the Kuruçeşme caravanserai in the province of Konya before its restoration – with the original Seljuk masonry dating from 1207 still in a state of disrepair.