0:00:00 > 0:00:02Coming up next, The Travel Show.
0:00:05 > 0:00:08Coming up on this week's Travel Show, I go way back
0:00:08 > 0:00:09in time, here in Turkey.
0:00:09 > 0:00:13Join me as I go underground to explore a vast hidden city.
0:00:13 > 0:00:16Wow!
0:00:16 > 0:00:20And get to see some amazing meditation in motion up close.
0:00:20 > 0:00:23And we also head to Italy, to talk to the Mayor who wants
0:00:23 > 0:00:26to take meat off the menu in her town.
0:00:26 > 0:00:26Sumptuous.
0:00:26 > 0:00:33Really, really nice.
0:00:57 > 0:01:00Now, Italy is a country perhaps best-known for its history
0:01:00 > 0:01:07and its food, and Apennine Mount region sees itself as the nation's
0:01:07 > 0:01:10and its food, and the Piedmont region sees itself as the nation's
0:01:10 > 0:01:13home of gastrononmy, but now the Mayor of Turin wants
0:01:13 > 0:01:15to start a revolution in the city's restaurants.
0:01:15 > 0:01:17We sent Rajan to find out why.
0:01:17 > 0:01:20Quattro Spaghetti!
0:01:20 > 0:01:24Some historical cities never lose their grandeur,
0:01:24 > 0:01:30even in mid-winter.
0:01:30 > 0:01:32The elegant royal city of Turin and, yes, those really
0:01:32 > 0:01:36are the Alps behind me.
0:01:36 > 0:01:40Now, this city is famous for its cars, its cuisine
0:01:40 > 0:01:44and its role in the creation of the Italian nation, but now it's
0:01:44 > 0:01:49staking a claim as being the capital of vegetarianism.
0:01:49 > 0:01:52That's the dream of Turin's new Mayor, the 31-year-old
0:01:53 > 0:01:56Chiara Appendino, who swept into power last summer
0:01:56 > 0:02:02on an anti-establishment ticket.
0:02:02 > 0:02:05Food is not just a matter of eating, it's a matter of being,
0:02:05 > 0:02:09having knowledge on what you eat, how you eat it, where you eat it
0:02:09 > 0:02:11and also about the story of what you're eating.
0:02:11 > 0:02:14It's a matter of health.
0:02:14 > 0:02:16It's a matter of respecting the environment.
0:02:16 > 0:02:19So when we talk about vegetarianism, we're talking about what it means
0:02:19 > 0:02:22to have a food policy and what it means to having knowledge
0:02:22 > 0:02:24of what you're eating.
0:02:24 > 0:02:25Are you a vegetarian?
0:02:25 > 0:02:26No, I'm not.
0:02:26 > 0:02:30Among the proposals are...
0:02:30 > 0:02:32A vegetarian map for tourists.
0:02:32 > 0:02:35One meat free-day a week and teaching children about animal
0:02:35 > 0:02:40welfare and ecology.
0:02:40 > 0:02:46But this is the land of vitello tonnato, veal with tuna sauce.
0:02:46 > 0:02:51Brasato al barolo, beef braised in local wine.
0:02:51 > 0:02:55Spaghetti bolognese and beef steak, so how will the Mayor's plans go
0:02:55 > 0:03:00down in a city that's not just blue blooded in its history,
0:03:00 > 0:03:04but traditionally red blooded with its cuisine?
0:03:04 > 0:03:06In surveys, 10% of Italians regard themselves as veggie
0:03:06 > 0:03:08and only 1% vegan.
0:03:08 > 0:03:12This is Porta Palazzo, the largest open market in Europe
0:03:12 > 0:03:16and if you want to get a sense of how much people in this
0:03:16 > 0:03:22city love their food, just look around here.
0:03:22 > 0:03:25This may be an industrial town, but Turin is also surrounded
0:03:25 > 0:03:33by really good soil for vegetables and fruit.
0:03:33 > 0:03:39It just goes on forever, just stall after stall
0:03:39 > 0:03:44after of vegetables and fruit.
0:03:44 > 0:03:46I think that the tradition of Italian cooking -
0:03:47 > 0:03:54and especially the Turin cooking - is not vegetarian, so it's a good
0:03:54 > 0:03:58thing to eat vegetables, but not all the vegetables,
0:03:59 > 0:04:04also meat is important.
0:04:04 > 0:04:07As a non-meat eater myself, I'm curious as to how
0:04:07 > 0:04:13realistic the proposals are.
0:04:13 > 0:04:16According to the Mayor's office, there are already at least 30 vegan
0:04:16 > 0:04:19and vegetarian restaurants, like this one, in Turin,
0:04:19 > 0:04:20but she wants many more.
0:04:20 > 0:04:23How creative do you have to be to make vegan and vegetarian food?
0:04:24 > 0:04:28For the kind of cuisine we make here, we want to propose something
0:04:28 > 0:04:30new, something different, and then we starting a lot
0:04:30 > 0:04:37about different kinds of ingredients or technique.
0:04:37 > 0:04:40A lot of dishes inside the Italian culture are vegan,
0:04:40 > 0:04:41but people don't know.
0:04:41 > 0:04:43People eat spaghetti and tomatoes and think
0:04:43 > 0:04:46about spaghetti and tomatoes, but it's vegan based,
0:04:46 > 0:04:48do you know what I mean?
0:04:48 > 0:04:51So it's natural in Italian food?
0:04:51 > 0:04:53Yes, it's really easy.
0:04:53 > 0:04:59This soup is a cream made with potatoes...
0:04:59 > 0:05:02Luca got into veganism, he told me, through the punk
0:05:02 > 0:05:04scene when he was young.
0:05:04 > 0:05:07This is vegan parmesan.
0:05:07 > 0:05:11He feels Turin is ahead of the game on eating trends.
0:05:11 > 0:05:14Then we have to carve the truffle.
0:05:14 > 0:05:15Oops!
0:05:15 > 0:05:18It's not easy, I know.
0:05:18 > 0:05:19It's not easy.
0:05:19 > 0:05:21One of the most famous and the first vegan festival
0:05:21 > 0:05:24in Italy was in Turin, like the first Gay
0:05:24 > 0:05:27Pride was in Turin.
0:05:27 > 0:05:31I think it's like a really European and open-minded city.
0:05:31 > 0:05:33Sumptuous.
0:05:33 > 0:05:41Really, really nice.
0:05:41 > 0:05:42Not surprisingly for those whose livelihoods depend
0:05:43 > 0:05:50on the meat industry, the idea of a vegetarian city
0:05:50 > 0:05:53is preposterous and donkey's might fly, as the saying goes here.
0:05:53 > 0:05:56Buon giorno, Piercarlo.
0:05:56 > 0:05:58Buon giorno, buon giorno.
0:05:58 > 0:06:00Piercarlo's grandfather started this business in 1928,
0:06:00 > 0:06:05meat is sourced from five farms in the prestigious Alba area
0:06:05 > 0:06:09and its pride and joy is the beef of a local breed of cow,
0:06:09 > 0:06:12called the Fassone.
0:06:26 > 0:06:30Piercarlo says many local people rely on the meat trade for work
0:06:30 > 0:06:33and jobs could be at risk.
0:07:05 > 0:07:08The fact is though, this is a region that has also always celebrated
0:07:08 > 0:07:11the diversity of its food, its deep links to the soil
0:07:11 > 0:07:14and its refined tastes and aromas.
0:07:14 > 0:07:17The bella vita, in fact.
0:07:17 > 0:07:20To be fair, it wouldn't be the first time that this
0:07:20 > 0:07:23city has led the world in changing its eating habits.
0:07:23 > 0:07:25The now world-famous slow food, which movement celebrates healthy
0:07:25 > 0:07:30eating and promotes good food products started
0:07:30 > 0:07:36in this very region.
0:07:36 > 0:07:39It's safe to say that meat will not be disappearing for most menus
0:07:39 > 0:07:47in Turin for the foreseeable future, but the new Mayor's administration,
0:07:47 > 0:07:49for all the talk of ending political gimmickry,
0:07:49 > 0:07:52has shown itself to be very skilful at seizing the agenda.
0:07:52 > 0:07:55By using the veggie angle, Turin has also been able to shout
0:07:55 > 0:07:58from the rooftops about its other unique assets and raised its tourist
0:07:58 > 0:07:59profile in the process.
0:07:59 > 0:08:03Talk about having your cake and eat it!
0:08:03 > 0:08:05Umm, wow!
0:08:05 > 0:08:12Wow!
0:08:12 > 0:08:14Still to come on this week's Travel Show.
0:08:14 > 0:08:18I hit the road here in Turkey and join the archeologists
0:08:18 > 0:08:22who are unearthing a fascinating part of the country's past.
0:08:22 > 0:08:24And also get to see an amazing display of movement
0:08:24 > 0:08:32and meditation up close.
0:08:32 > 0:08:38The Travel Show, your essential guide wherever you're heading.
0:08:38 > 0:08:41Now, Turkey is a country maybe best-known to travellers
0:08:41 > 0:08:45for its sun and sea holidays, but as a bridge between Europe
0:08:45 > 0:08:47and Asia, the country also has a fascinating history,
0:08:47 > 0:08:53as I'm about to discover.
0:08:53 > 0:08:58I'm travelling to the centre of the country, Nevsehir in Cappadocia.
0:08:58 > 0:09:02Millions of years ago, the region was covered volcanic ash
0:09:02 > 0:09:08which hardened over time to form this dream-like landscape.
0:09:08 > 0:09:11For centuries, settlers have tunnelled into the rock to create
0:09:11 > 0:09:15over 200 underground cities and villages.
0:09:15 > 0:09:18So many, that the area's recognised as a World Heritage Site.
0:09:18 > 0:09:20Good morning, Sami.
0:09:20 > 0:09:21Good morning, Henry.
0:09:21 > 0:09:29But I'm here to see a recent discovery that might top the others.
0:09:29 > 0:09:33In the heart of the town, among the modern houses
0:09:33 > 0:09:35and office buildings, workers made a startling
0:09:35 > 0:09:42find as they cleared a hillside for redevelopment -
0:09:42 > 0:09:45The largest underground city of its kind.
0:09:45 > 0:09:49Excavations have revealed these openings, dug
0:09:49 > 0:09:56into the side of the hill.
0:09:56 > 0:09:59Experts estimate the caves could extend over 450,000 square meters.
0:09:59 > 0:10:04Wow, look at all of this.
0:10:04 > 0:10:07I find it quite hard to believe that there were people living on top
0:10:07 > 0:10:11of here and all of this was actually hidden, so they had no
0:10:11 > 0:10:12idea that this was here.
0:10:12 > 0:10:13No.
0:10:13 > 0:10:16That is insane.
0:10:16 > 0:10:19Wow, that ceiling is rather unique, isn't it?
0:10:19 > 0:10:20What's all this?
0:10:20 > 0:10:23This is a monastery and, according to the scientists,
0:10:23 > 0:10:29the monastery dates back to the 6th Century AD.
0:10:29 > 0:10:33It's not in the best of conditions, but you can definitely see that
0:10:33 > 0:10:37outline, that cross there.
0:10:37 > 0:10:41This region was really important for the early Christians.
0:10:41 > 0:10:44So do you find that some people are surprised to hear that Turkey
0:10:44 > 0:10:48has had such a Christian history?
0:10:48 > 0:10:53Most of the visitors which come to Turkey as a tourist, yes,
0:10:54 > 0:10:57because Turkey's a single country on earth which has got the function
0:10:57 > 0:11:02of a bridge which is connecting two continents together -
0:11:02 > 0:11:03Asia to Europe, Europe to Asia.
0:11:03 > 0:11:06Nearly two different civilisations that pass through this country,
0:11:06 > 0:11:17those are the civilisations which leave some remains.
0:11:17 > 0:11:24It's thought Christian settlers used these caves 1,500 years ago.
0:11:24 > 0:11:27The winding tunnels and hidden openings offered protection
0:11:27 > 0:11:31from attacking armies.
0:11:31 > 0:11:33Starting at the early Christian period, the enemies
0:11:33 > 0:11:39was the Roman Empire.
0:11:39 > 0:11:43After 6th, 7th Century, the enemies was Arab, Persians.
0:11:43 > 0:11:47And while they were attacking very often and how they could fight
0:11:47 > 0:11:56against the professional soldiers.
0:11:56 > 0:11:59Now, Sami, I've noticed a couple of these around
0:11:59 > 0:12:01the caves themselves.
0:12:01 > 0:12:02What exactly is it?
0:12:02 > 0:12:04This is a stone door.
0:12:04 > 0:12:09That must weigh at least, how much do you think?
0:12:09 > 0:12:13Around 1000lb, 500 kilograms.
0:12:13 > 0:12:15So it actually moves still?
0:12:15 > 0:12:17Yes, look.
0:12:18 > 0:12:31Wow, that's a little precarious.
0:12:31 > 0:12:33It's a little bit steep, isn't it?
0:12:33 > 0:12:34Yes.
0:12:34 > 0:12:37There are so many little holes you can actually put your foot
0:12:37 > 0:12:38in and fall through.
0:12:38 > 0:12:41What is this area, what is it used for?
0:12:41 > 0:12:46I mean this section has been used as a burial places, tombs,
0:12:46 > 0:12:50or family burial chambers.
0:12:51 > 0:12:54The caves weren't simply used for hiding.
0:12:54 > 0:12:57As well as burials, archeologists believe the network
0:12:57 > 0:13:03was used to store produce and transport goods.
0:13:03 > 0:13:06Now these particular tunnels are a bit of a tight squeeze
0:13:06 > 0:13:14and that's because they're part of the underground water system.
0:13:14 > 0:13:17Now they think that it stretches for about 12 kilometres,
0:13:17 > 0:13:20but at the moment they've only uncovered about 500 metres
0:13:20 > 0:13:21of it
0:13:21 > 0:13:22and it's definitely not recommended if you're
0:13:23 > 0:13:24a little bit claustrophobic.
0:13:24 > 0:13:29Luckily, I'm not.
0:13:29 > 0:13:34No-one is certain how long ago the first tunnels were built,
0:13:34 > 0:13:37they might be as much as 5,000 years old, long before
0:13:37 > 0:13:42the Christians settled here.
0:13:42 > 0:13:49Only a small portion of the network has been excavated so far
0:13:49 > 0:13:52and experts hope there are plenty more discoveries waiting
0:13:53 > 0:13:55to be unearthed.
0:13:55 > 0:13:55To
0:13:55 > 0:13:58Wow, look at that.
0:13:58 > 0:14:01I've actually heard of this spot because all the archeologists
0:14:01 > 0:14:03are very excited about this, aren't they?
0:14:03 > 0:14:05This is a church.
0:14:05 > 0:14:10An underground cave church, the experts are dating back
0:14:10 > 0:14:15to the 12th Century.
0:14:15 > 0:14:18You can't help but notice that these ones are pretty well kept,
0:14:18 > 0:14:21but a lot of them have, kind of, disintegrated away,
0:14:21 > 0:14:23some have fallen away from the actual ceiling.
0:14:23 > 0:14:26Probably, when we got to the other section of the church, over there,
0:14:27 > 0:14:30things will be much better preserved or which are under the soil
0:14:30 > 0:14:35will be much better preserved than those ones.
0:14:35 > 0:14:39So this is going to take quite a long while because you need
0:14:39 > 0:14:42the specialists who will take care in removing the dirt and, hopefully,
0:14:42 > 0:14:49finding some more fresh bits.
0:14:49 > 0:14:52Going forward, there are plans to turn sections of the cave network
0:14:52 > 0:14:58into an archaeological park with art galleries and boutique hotels.
0:14:58 > 0:15:01Authorities hope to open it to the public in 2018,
0:15:01 > 0:15:09when visitors can see the excavations in their full glory.
0:15:15 > 0:15:18Now, I'm leaving that dig at Nevsehir behind and heading
0:15:18 > 0:15:22westwards towards the city of Konya.
0:15:22 > 0:15:25Like many places in Turkey, it's seen civilisations come and go
0:15:25 > 0:15:29from the Romans to the Persians, but perhaps what it's best-known
0:15:29 > 0:15:32for was being the home of a man who's often referred
0:15:32 > 0:15:42to as the Islamic Shakespeare.
0:15:48 > 0:15:50Come, come again, whoever you are, come!
0:15:50 > 0:15:57Heathen, fire worshipper or idolatrous, come!
0:15:57 > 0:16:00The words of a 13th Century religious scholar, mystic and poet
0:16:00 > 0:16:02called Mevlana Rumi, whose work has been studied
0:16:03 > 0:16:05and venerated for centuries in the East and become increasingly
0:16:05 > 0:16:08popular in the West.
0:16:08 > 0:16:10# Come as you are.
0:16:10 > 0:16:12# As you were...#.
0:16:12 > 0:16:15Musicians from top 90s grunge group Nirvana to Madonna have used text
0:16:15 > 0:16:19attributed to Rumi in their work.
0:16:19 > 0:16:22He's currently, almost 800 years after his death,
0:16:22 > 0:16:32the best-selling poet in America.
0:16:32 > 0:16:36The son of a religious scholar, Rumi spent much of his childhood
0:16:36 > 0:16:39travelling throughout the Islamic world before finally making his home
0:16:39 > 0:16:45here in Konya, in central Anatolia.
0:16:45 > 0:16:48He became well-known not only for his interpretation of Koranic
0:16:48 > 0:16:52verse, but also the honesty and humour in his writing
0:16:52 > 0:16:55and his clear sense of morality, leaving behind countless poems that
0:16:55 > 0:17:00still resonate today.
0:17:00 > 0:17:03And now many people come here to Konya to see where the man,
0:17:03 > 0:17:06who is often referred to as the Islamic Shakespeare,
0:17:06 > 0:17:09is buried and to learn more about his work an his teachings.
0:17:09 > 0:17:12I've been incredibly lucky as a direct descendant of the great
0:17:12 > 0:17:26man himself has agreed to meet up for a chat.
0:17:26 > 0:17:29TRANSLATION: Listen to the reed, how it tells it tale,
0:17:29 > 0:17:29complaining of separations.
0:17:29 > 0:17:33Saying, ever since I was parted from the reedbed my lament has
0:17:33 > 0:17:44caused man and woman to moan.
0:17:44 > 0:17:46TRANSLATION: I am the 22nd generation descendant from Mevlana
0:17:46 > 0:17:50and when I was born my siblings and I were taught that we had been
0:17:50 > 0:17:52passed a very special gift to protect.
0:17:52 > 0:17:55Others can learn and experience his teachings, but it's our duty
0:17:55 > 0:17:56to safeguard the legacy.
0:17:56 > 0:18:00So why do you think the teachings that Mevlana had written about have
0:18:00 > 0:18:06grown in popularity, 750 years later?
0:18:06 > 0:18:08The whole world is curious about the teachings of Mevlana
0:18:08 > 0:18:12because he taught us how important it is to know and love ourselves
0:18:12 > 0:18:16because that allows us to love others.
0:18:16 > 0:18:24This really resonates with what's happening in the world today.
0:18:24 > 0:18:28As a Sufi, Rumi was a member of a group of devout Muslims
0:18:28 > 0:18:31who focus on nurturing their own and others spiritual dimension,
0:18:31 > 0:18:37whatever their religion.
0:18:37 > 0:18:40A whole tourist industry has sprung up around Rumi in Konya and every
0:18:40 > 0:18:48year hundreds of thousands of people also come here to study Sufism.
0:18:48 > 0:18:51Perhaps best-known of all Sufi traditions are the world famous
0:18:51 > 0:18:54dancers or Dervishes who whirl in a trance-like state to release
0:18:54 > 0:19:02untapped energy and make a devine connection.
0:19:02 > 0:19:05Now this is a very special place indeed.
0:19:05 > 0:19:08This is where they make the sikke, which is a traditional hat worn
0:19:08 > 0:19:10by the Sufi.
0:19:10 > 0:19:12They've used the same technique for hundreds of years
0:19:12 > 0:19:21and it's all handmade.
0:19:21 > 0:19:24TRANSLATION: In the teachings of Mevlana everything has a meaning.
0:19:24 > 0:19:29People, objects, animals and plants.
0:19:29 > 0:19:31Kissing this band on the hat symbolises the value
0:19:31 > 0:19:41of these things.
0:19:41 > 0:19:45So you put the sikke on your head, like this, and the ribbon comes down
0:19:45 > 0:19:46to your heart.
0:19:46 > 0:19:49The green band symbolises knowledge and you can think of this
0:19:49 > 0:19:52like a channel, which means all knowledge should lead
0:19:52 > 0:19:55to the heart and to love.
0:19:55 > 0:20:02If knowledge doesn't reach the heart, then it's worthless.
0:20:02 > 0:20:05Although whirling Dervishes perform for tourists in many parts
0:20:05 > 0:20:09of the Islamic world, here at the Mevlana Rumi Centre,
0:20:09 > 0:20:11I'm told that I'll see something far more authentic
0:20:11 > 0:20:16and purely devotional.
0:20:16 > 0:20:19Now I hear that they put on this performance every Saturday night,
0:20:19 > 0:20:30I'm really looking forward to watching this.
0:20:43 > 0:20:46Each devotional session or Sama is led by a Sheikh,
0:20:46 > 0:20:52who commands the ritual.
0:20:52 > 0:20:55Each of the dancers whirl with their right arm directed
0:20:55 > 0:20:57upwards towards God, whilst their left arm points
0:20:57 > 0:21:07to the earth.
0:21:21 > 0:21:24Through this unique act of motion and meditation,
0:21:24 > 0:21:27Sufi believe they can reach the source of all perfection,
0:21:27 > 0:21:34known as kemal.
0:21:37 > 0:21:42It's so hypnotising, kind of, watching them perform.
0:21:42 > 0:21:46I can only imagine how they actually feel doing it and listening
0:21:46 > 0:21:50and hearing the scriptures, it's almost as if they get
0:21:51 > 0:21:53into a bit of a trance, but I'll definitely say
0:21:53 > 0:22:05that's pretty amazing.
0:22:05 > 0:22:08TRANSLATION: Everyone who is left far from his source wishes back
0:22:08 > 0:22:20the time when he was united with it.
0:22:20 > 0:22:25Well, I'm afraid that's all the time we have for this week,
0:22:25 > 0:22:26but coming up next week:
0:22:27 > 0:22:31I head to Brunei to explore the world's largest floating town.
0:22:32 > 0:22:35And Alli gets a chance to play his very first set
0:22:35 > 0:22:39and he asks why so many London clubs have closed down in recent years.
0:22:39 > 0:22:41I'm mixing!
0:22:41 > 0:22:42Catch that if you can.
0:22:42 > 0:22:46But from me, Henry Golding, and the rest of The Travel Show team
0:22:46 > 0:22:49here in Turkey, it's goodbye.
0:23:14 > 0:23:15Hello.
0:23:15 > 0:23:17Well, while some of us were shivering on Thursday,
0:23:17 > 0:23:20for others, for example across the North of Scotland,
0:23:20 > 0:23:21it was remarkably mild.
0:23:21 > 0:23:22A day of contrasts.