The Final Part of Turkey

5 to 17 June, 2013 – Antalya, Side, Çirali, Üçagiz, Kaleköy, Patara, Bodrum – (Turkey)



I'm going to have a little rant, here. I try not to be critical and judgemental of other people in the same way that I hope they are not with me. However, sometimes I cannot help myself but to shake my head. People taking photos using their iPads. Now, come on, people. I can understand that it may be a handy way to take a snapshot when caught out somewhere without a camera. And if I had seen this once or twice, I would have assumed that maybe this sort of thing had happened. But the number of times we are seeing this phenomenon is becoming a worry. Holding up the giant screens, fighting glare in bright sunlight, struggling to take photos that are aligned properly. People who take photos with iPads, I don't know if you are showing off, but there are some excellent quality cameras about that are perfectly capable of taking the same or better, and they are not at all expensive.

Anyway, back to us, as this is what the blog is about after all. Again, I apologise for the lack of "stories" in this blog, but I promise, I already have a couple of beauties lined up for the final blog postings.

Oh, one that I should quickly mention. We ordered chicken schnitzel, just for a change from local fare. We received a plate of chicken nuggets. A long way short of our expectations.

---

Antalya
A view over the historical district of Antalya, including its symbolic minaret, the Yivli Minare. Antalya was a more than pleasant stop, and the old town area (Kaleiçi) was a delightful area to base ourselves. We did a Turkish bath full works treatment in a 400 year old hamam, at the same time (not together, but in gender separated sections). Wash, sauna, peeling scrub, wash, soap massage, wash, oil massage.


Hall of Gods – Antalya Museum
The statues in the Hall of Gods is magnificently presented and were a highlight of the Antalya museum.


Roman Harbour, Antalya
Antalya has been an important city for many centuries, and the harbour below the historical district is the primary reason why. Kitty in the foreground just enhances the scene.


Temple of Athena, Side
Re-erected columns from the Temple of Athena in Side, near Antalya, on the Mediterranean coast of Turkey.


Burning Rocks
Gases escaping from vents in the ground have been burning here for over 2,000 years. They are visible from the sea and have been a landmark for sailors since before Roman times. In Turkish, it is called Yanartas, Burning Rock, but the area also goes by the name Chimaera, a mythical fire-breathing monster. Remains of ancient temples still exist on the mountain. This site is on Mt Olympos, near Çirali.


Returning to Sea
We encountered this loggerhead turtle on the beach of Çirali, on her way back to sea after laying her eggs.


YAIRT
Yet Another Impressive Roman Theatre. You know, despite the obvious similarities between all the ancient theatres that we have seen, somehow we are still able to notice and appreciate that they are different. Really loved this one at Myra. Myra was a Lycian city that apparently got to retain a lot of its autonomy under Roman rule.


Mosaic Floor
This mosaic floor is in the Church of St Nicholas, Demre.


Church of St Nicholas
St Nicholas was the bishop of Myra. He is the patron saint of Russia and Greece, many individual cities, and many groups (such as sailors, travellers, penitent thieves, children, widows, and more). His legacy morphed into the character that we now call Santa Claus. This church was not only the basilica he presided at, it is also where his grave is (or should I say, was – about 1,000 years ago, his remains were upped by some Italians and now lie in a couple of churches in Italy).


Lycian Tomb
An ancient tomb from the Lycian kingdom, now in a shallow bay due to countless earth movements over the last 2,000 years. Kaleköy, Turkey.


In the Dining Room
Some cuties, almost ready to fly, in a nest in the corner of the dining area of our pansiyon.


Amazing Polygonal Stone Work
This building at Patara is not at all renovated or restored. This stone work has survived for around two millennia. Such precision.


Relief Carving of a Dolphin
At Patara, they have started excavation of a Roman lighthouse. Only a few of the stones have carvings, but we fell in love with this dolphin and its cartoon style. An inscription implies that this was one of two lighthouses built at the ancient port. Since there was not a lot of information about the site, we have to assume that the light was no more than a large fire built atop a column. It was a cylindrical building with a spiral stone staircase inside. A fantastic location to have all to ourselves.


Main Street, Patara
This used to be one of the main streets of the Lycian capital, Patara, leading from the agora to the harbour. The harbour has long since silted up, and is now a swamp, but much of the city's former grandeur is easy to imagine.


Gladiator Paraphanelia
One of the carved stones found in the Roman theatre of Patara. It shows gladiatorial armour and sword, and on the side (not visible in the photo) is a shield.


Mosaic, Letoön
This cool mosaic at the World Heritage site of Letoön was in the altar area of a temple dedicated to Apollo. Apollo and his sister Artemis were children of Leto, fathered by Zeus. Unfortunately, Leto was not Zeus' wife. Hera was, and she was one goddess you did not want to cross. It gets complicated, but Letoön is apparently where Leto and her twin babies ended up when on the run. Oh, the people of the area apparently denied her access to water, so she turned them all in to frogs. Frogs inhabit all the swamps and pools of the site, and are said to be descendants of those cursed people.


YAIRT
Did you remember what it stands for? Yet Another Impressive Roman Theatre. This one, in Xanthos, has a pair of Lycian sarcophagi on pedestals. OK, the best parts are reproductions, the originals having been carted off to London centuries ago, but they are still pretty cool.


A Scattered Inscribed Stone
We thought it simply amazing that stones with so much written on them would still just lie scattered on the ground. Xanthos.


Shuttered Windows
Stone walls and blue shutters.  The photo was begging to be taken.


Could You Say No to This Face?
A hungry little trio of kittens stole our hearts in a side street of Bodrum.  We ended up buying a packet of dry food and a tin of tuna for them.


Bodrum Castle
Bodrum castle is now home to a fantastic series of museums, primarily focused on underwater archaeology.

---

Some People Come to See the Ruined Cities...

30 May to 5 June, 2013 – Bergama, Pergamum, Selçuk, Ephesus, Priene, Miletus, Didyma, Pamukkale, Afrodisias – (Turkey)



Walking along the street in Selçuk, we were privileged to witness one of the cutest sights ever. An elderly Turkish couple were standing on the footpath, engaged in conversation. I don't know what exactly drew our attention to them, but we started discussing them, hypothesising what they might be talking about. Suddenly, the man grabbed the plump lady, and heaved her up so she could sit on the brick fence they were standing at. It still makes us smile to think back to that.

So, now we are in the south western part of Turkey. The ruined cities have become our focus. Hellenistic; Roman; Byzantine; Lycian. Some two thousand year old structures are incredibly intact, others look fabulous after incredible restorations, there are some which are suffering from questionable preservation efforts, but the majority are left with their enormous decorated stones laying exactly where archaeologists have uncovered them. Pillars jut out of the ground, carved lintels are stepping stones to aid climbing, and enormous slabs of fallen marble create a maze among the foundations of ancient walls. Here are some photos from this part of the world. More to come in the next installment.

---

The Temple of Trajan, Pergamum
Marble columns of the Roman built temple in Pergamum's acropolis.


A Very Impressive Hellenistic Theatre, Pergamum
The 10,000 seat theatre of Pergamum.


A Scattered Piece
A beautifully carved piece from a temple in Pergamum, amongst a large number of scattered pieces, waiting to be pieced together once more.


The Red Basilica of Pergamos
In Revelation, John addresses the church of Pergamos (Pergamum), one of the seven churches of the apocalypse, as the place “where Satan's throne is” (Revelation 2:13). This building was a pagan temple, built to a number of gods (principally Egyptian). Eventually, it became Christian, and an entire basilica was built inside the old temple.


Going Nowhere
More ruins of Pergamum, this motorbike and sidecar look like they haven't moved for a long time. Although, they probably are not Roman. I'm not sure about the cat, either, who seems to like the idea of staying put.


Stork Nest Atop an Ancient Pillar
The pillar is about all that remains from the once great Temple of Artemis, the largest in the world in its day, and one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. In the background are the remains of the impressive Basilica of St John, containing the tomb of the apostle.


Terrace House Mosaic
One of the beautiful mosaics uncovered in a series of terrace houses, Ephesus.


Library of Celsus, Ephesus
The most famous sight within Ephesus, the facade of the library.


Ephesians, Chapter I
When the apostle Paul wrote to the Ephesians, I don't think he was addressing these residents. Cats don't need encouragement to think bigger and act bigger.


Ephesians, Chapter II
There are so many cats in Ephesus. And they were all sociable, and lounged in picturesque locations in adorable poses. And to think, some people come here to see the ruins.


Column Pieces
Looking like giant cogs, pieces of the temple columns lie about, as if they are in the process of being sorted. Temple of Athena, Priene.


The Great Theatre of Miletus
Hellenistic, then updated by the Romans, with a Byzantine castle plopped on top.


Column Bases
Some of the 124 column bases that remain from what once was the second biggest temple in the world, the Temple of Apollo at Didyma.


Pools of Pamukkale
Some of the upper pools of Pamukkale.


Pamukkale
Looking down at the travertines of Pamukkale. Like a series of saucers, water runs from one to the next, leaving calcite deposits behind which are bleached by the sun.


Swimming, Pamukkale Style
Taking a dip in one of the travertines. We were astounded how few people actually took advantage of the opportunity to get in the pools, considering how unique a location Pamukkale is. It didn't worry us, it just surprised us.


A Tomb on the Clifftop
This tomb, one of many from the necropolis of Hierapolis, is picturesquely situated on the cliff top. The calcite rich waters which create the travertines also run here, leaving the ground with a gleaming white coating.


The Antique Pool of Hierapolis
OK, so it was a tad on the expensive side, but how often do you get the opportunity to swim in a 2000 year old pool with genuine Roman pillars and capitals? In its day, the pool was probably one of the focal points of the city of Hierapolis. I guess back then most of the pillars were around the pool, not in it. However, I think they are a nice touch, giving swimmers somewhere to sit while in the water.


Tetrapylon, Afrodisias
The fantastic gateway in the ancient city of Afrodisias. It has been reconstructed from a very high proportion of original pieces, around 85%. This is much higher than normal, and it makes the gateway a phenomenal sight.


Can You Hear the Crowd?
This Roman stadium, in Afrodisias, was used for many purposes, but the most exciting for our minds to try and imagine is the gladiatorial contests. This is not reconstructed at all, just how it is after all these years without being plundered for building materials. The seats are overgrown, but still clearly defined the whole way around. Gates enter the arena from both ends, and the little boy in me could not resist walking through them, onto the open area, and giving a wave to the imaginary crowd that erupted into an incredible roar. When we told Ben, our nephew, what we had seen, and about the gladiators once fighting here, he asked if there were any bones still lying around. Now, that would have been really cool!

---

Off the Tourist Trail – Hittite Ruins and the Black Sea

24 to 29 May, 2013 – Boğazkale, Hattuşa,Yazılıkaya, Ankara, Safranbolu, Amasra, İnebolu, Sipon, Afyon – (Turkey)



While we do appreciate the lack of crowds that some sights get, it is rather Ironic that we also feel sad that they don't get more visitors, as some of the things that are overlooked by the majority definitely deserve greater attention than they currently get.

For example, the former capital of the Hittite empire, Hattuşa, was devoid of visitors for most of the time we were there. And we did spend quite some time, as we walked the 5 or so kilometre circuit through the main ruins. A couple of tour buses were coming in as we were heading to the gate to leave, and they passed us on the main road soon thereafter. It must have been a very quick visit with only one or two stops – very disappointing for such a place. However, we did enjoy the feeling of having it all to ourselves.

The museum was also well worth a visit, especially combined with a visit to the museum in Ankara the next day, as Ankara's museum holds many Hittite pieces. And while hieroglyphic carvings at Hattuşa indicated a link to the Egyptian empire, some of the tablets found provide fascinating insight in to the connection between the two cultures. There are diplomatic treaties, as well as personal letters from the wife of the Pharaoh of Egypt to the wife of the Hittite Emperor. The cuneiform writing is beautiful to look at closely.

---

Procession of Hittite Gods
The Hittites had over 1,000 gods. Here are some of them, from the Hittite religious site of Yazılıkaya, near Hattuşa. Lots of gods means a lot of temples, too. After defensive walls with gates and towers, the ruins of Hattuşa are largely dominated by the stone foundations of temples.


Cuneiform Writing
Hittite writing on a clay tablet, found in the city of Hattuşa. Now in the Ankara Archaeology Museum.

---

Hiring a car for a couple of days meant we could scoot around the Black Sea coast at our own pace, visiting cute towns that are generally the domain of domestic tourists. It was also an opportunity to appreciate the en-route scenery. It is amazing how differently you look at things through the windscreen of a car as compared to the side window of a bus...

---

Safranbolu
The mosque and hamam (bath house) of Safranbolu, with some examples of Ottoman period houses. Here, those houses are generally restored and in fine condition, although there are exceptions, and a handful are in quite the state of disrepair.


Pretty Little Amasra
Amasra, on the Black Sea coast, looking across its small protected harbour.


Sunset on the Black Sea
From our balcony in İnebolu.


Sea Jelly
Walking along the water front of Sinop on the Turkish Black Sea coast, we were quite surprised at the very large number of sea jellies. They did not appear to be the friendliest of creatures, with some dangerous looking tentacles that potentially packed quite the sting.

---

On our way west, we stopped at Afyon, a convenient town to break the long journey to the Aegean coast. This may possibly be the last out-of-the-way place we visit for this trip.

---

Afyon Citadel
Looking from our room to the fantastic citadel of Afyonkarahisar.


The City of Afyonkarahisar
View from the citadel.

---

99 Luftballoons

17 to 23 May, 2013 – Konya, Aksaray, Ihlara, Göreme – (Turkey)



Roll up! Roll up! The circus is beginning.

The crush of tourists is the same, regardless of their origin or their reason. It is stifling in the small rooms, and overwhelming outside. Crowds bring a whole new slant to visits. You cringe at the lack of due respect shown; you are horrified by the cheek of deliberate and blatant misconduct; you feel stifled by the restrictions that such highly visited sites require; and there is always the entertainment that can be extracted from people watching, especially with the high number of unusual interactions that occur.

After having the tourist sites of eastern Turkey to ourselves – okay, that is quite the exaggeration. We were sometimes the only tourists, and although there were often others, they have always been in quite low numbers. This is partly geographical, with many tourists not going to the eastern part of the country, particularly near the Syrian border with the continued unrest there, and it is partly seasonal, as we are technically in the tourist shoulder season. We knew things would change as we headed west and as the weeks roll by.

Suddenly, though, we arrived at Konya. Significantly more international tourists than we have encountered this trip. However, the overwhelming numbers there were domestic tourists, with a good helping of Iranians, I believe, for good measure. Konya is the religious heartland for the brotherhood called the Mevlevi, a form of Islam, better known to westerners as the Whirling Dervishes. This aforementioned majority of tourists visit as a kind of pilgrimage, to pay homage at the tomb of Celaleddin Rumi, who was given the title of Mevlâna (Our Guide). The rest visit to get some insight in to that man and his ideas and philosophies. Almost all come to see a sema, where the dervishes whirl. Not a performance, not a dance, but a religious ceremony of intensity and reverence.

And after Konya, we went to Cappadocia, probably the most visited sight in Turkey for foreigners. Even though there are many towns, valleys, and individual sites that together make up Cappadocia, this seems to help very little in the dispersion of those foreigners. In some areas, we felt like we should be playing “Spot the Local”.

So, back to the problems. Lack of respect? How about the people who walked out of the dervish ceremony, after 15 minutes, or the larger number who cleared out during the final minutes while the dancers were yet to finish their rituals. Or the foreigners in the mosque wearing shorts, and ladies without their heads covered, oblivious to the fact that they are committing such faux pas. Deliberate and blatant misconduct? People taking three or four photos after being asked by an official to put a camera away. Adults, who should know better, sneaking a touch of something precious and delicate when they think nobody is looking. Stifling restrictions? Having time restrictions placed on us inside monastic churches in Göreme museum was maddening. Really, we understand they need to give everyone a chance, but three minutes to enjoy the frescoes within each church does not make for a relaxed visit. In one church, the official turned the lights off to get people to move on (and this was despite the fact that there was hardly anyone waiting to come in! And as for people watching? The most entertainment comes from hearing people who “know” something talking total crap. Closely followed by loud visitors trying to extract information from locals who try their best, but don't magically understand the question because it is repeated 3 times, louder each time.

Special mention needs to be made of the trio, out the front of the shrine for the Mevlâna, discussing openly and loudly the horrors of female circumcision, with scores of reverent pilgrims milling within earshot. Sorry, no prize for guessing country of origin.

As for feeling like one of many, the winning moment was close to sunrise, as our hot air balloon took to the skies, just one of around 100 that do so every morning. Did you know that was what Nena was singing about back in 1983?

However, of course, there are reasons these places are so popular. And there are great experiences to be found. You can sometimes ignore the people around you and appreciate just how impressive the sights are, sometimes making your jaw drop. When you try, you can find alternatives that the majority bypass, such as a lesser visited valley, perhaps, or a cafe that is in a back street and not the main drag. Getting up early puts you amongst rock formations at 7:00, by yourself, hours before the first bus tour arrives. Mental discipline helps you to keep your cool when you know things could and should be different. So, don't get me wrong, we had a great week in this part of Turkey. Enjoy the pics, because they are of the good things, the stuff worth remembering, and the hopefully the sort of images that may inspire others to visit.

---

Mevlevi Follower
Mevlevi, a form of Islam, where the spinning is a ritual symbolising union with God. Different postures taken up during the whirling represent different aspects of their journey, such as receiving blessings and communicating them to earth. These are the Whirling Dervishes.


Dervishes Whirl
The spinning is slower than you might at first imagine; after all, they are religious adherents, not choreographed dancers. Still, the skirts spun out and filled the floor as a couple of dozen dervishes, each only aware of their own space and motion, together formed a single constellation of revolving bodies. Given the number of spins they make, I was surprised they did not collapse in dizzy heaps.


The Turkish Tower of Pisa
The crooked minaret of Aksaray, built in 1236, now leaning at 27 degrees.


Kokar Kilise
Frescoes in Kokar Kilise, or Fragrant Church, in the Ihlara Valley, Cappadocia.


Ihlara Valley Panorama
Some caves are visible in the rock wall in the right part of the picture.


Spring Is Here
Wildflowers abound.


River and Caves
In the lower part of the Ihlara Valley, towards Selime. The majority of tourists do not walk through this part of the valley, but there are still caves to be seen, and the scenery is stunning.


Waiting to Fall
A huge wedge of rock has slipped, and sits precariously on a ledge.


View
Terrace view from our hotel in Göreme, Cappadocia. “Fairy chimneys” poke out from between the buildings, many used as shops, hotels, or houses.


Fairy Chimneys
Some of the great rock formations in Pasabagi, Cappadocia, not far from Göreme.


Police Station
A police station in a fairy chimney rock formtion, Cappadocia.


Cappadocia Rock Formations
Between Paşabaği and Zelve, Cappadocia.


Jo in Cappadocia
Devrent Valley.


Both Wearing Our Helmets
We were on our (rented) motorbike when we came across this great tortoise crossing the road.


Across the Valley
In Soğanli, looking over to the Hidden Church and the Domed Church, both carved out of rock formations typical of Cappadocia.


A Rolling Door
Like something out of a movie, the underground cities of Cappadocia had heavy stone doors that could be rolled across the tunnels at various strategic locations.  This one was in Derinkuyu.


Late Afternoon
Looking out from Uçisar over to Göreme and the Rose Valley, Cappadocia.


Taking Off
Sunrise balloon flight, just lifting off.


Looking Down To Cappadocia
Another balloon below us glides past the rock formations.


Balloon View Over Göreme
The town of Göreme, complete with fairy chimneys.


Looking Out and Up
As we get a close-up of some of the rock formations, we look out and up at some of the other balloons. Somewhere around 100 balloons were up and about at that time. As I said, Nena may not have known it at the time, but they were apparently singing about Cappadocia.

---