And so our sojourn drew to an end. A short morning for some final exploration or shopping in the precincts of our hotel, very near to an imposing section of aqueduct under which endless traffic streamed and an equally imposing great mosque, before setting off via a scenic back route full of very old buildings to Ataturk Airport for our 2pm flight back home. We were sorry to say farewell to Canadian Rob who would be spending the rest of his birthday on his own. He along with Ghanian Rob proved to be such gentlemen throughout the tour, gallant to the ladies and always ready with a steady hand when needed! Erdal too was there to say goodbye and I look forward to many happy years of working with him.
Ataturk Airport was crowded with passengers but without too much ado we found our way to the lounge and after spending the last of our Turkish lira we took leave of this wonderful welcoming land.
Our flight took us over the snow capped mountains of Easern Anatolia and across the Middle East. The sun had set by the time we landed in Abu Dhabi where we had a 2 and 3/4 hour wait for our flight home. The cross-section of nationalities passing through this busy airport provided enough entertainment as did a long conversation with two families from India! A great tubular centre funnel curves up to form the roof of the terminal, all in blue, green and white tiles. I felt as if I was a denizen of the deep in a very large aquarium!
Turkey beckons again. As much as we saw, so much have we more to see. Second time round I have made more sense of its multi-layered history. Its people are warm and hospitable, infinitely proud of their country. Its cuisine is lip-smackingly delectable – and a vegetarian would never go hungry. Its landscapes are diverse and all very beautiful in their own way. Its culture and history fascinating.
Tesekkur ederim, my Turkish friends! I will be back!
(Tesekkur ederim - thank you!)
Resources:
Eyewitness Travel Guide Turkey, Struik New Holland Publishing (PTY) LTD, Cape Town
Lonely Planet Guide: Turkey
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Day 12:Sunday 9 October - Istanbul
The morning was spent wandering down to the Grand Bazaar, which fortunately was 
closed! It meant that we discovered some other delightful nooks and courtyards instead. There is so much to see and experience in Istanbul! Lunch was a quick snack from a roadside kiosk in the lines of a doner kebab, spicy and scrumptious.
Bidding Rob and Champs a sad farewell – their company was much appreciated andenjoyed – the rest of us joined a bus group of other tourists visiting the 30-roomed Beylerbeyi Palace on the Asian side of the Bosphorus.
Built by sultan Abdul Aziz between 1861 and 1865 the sumptuous palace was used for entertaining dignitaries and royalty.
At the time of its manufacture, the giant crystalchandelier from England in the main hall upstairs was the largest in the world and is now the 3rd largest. Ostriches and tigers were kept in the zoo on the palace grounds which lie ubeneath the Bosphorus Bridge, the 9th longest suspension bridge in the world. The 3rd last sultan was kept as a prisoner in an anteroom of the palace for 6 years and died there, almost forgotten, after being deposed in 1909.
A pleasant photo and refreshment stop on a nearby hill with magnificent views
followed. Charmaine, Rob, my mom and I chose to be dropped off at the Spice Market(Egyptian Market), which was bustling with Sunday afternoon visitors, but still enchanting. Spices, teas, fresh vegetables, pickles, honeys, sweets, deserts....a mouthwatering feast for all the senses.
A slow meander back to the hotel took us almost 5 hours as we stopped to enjoy a snack and beer in a colourful alley full of cushioned exotic spaces to relax and smoke a hubbly (or in our case watch others smoke the hubbly!). Before getting too settled and loathe to move, we ambled up to the pool between the Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque where the windless but chilly 15 degree C evening granted us the superb reflections we had hoped for. A tasty bowl of soup at a pavement restaurant was another salubrious stop before returning to the hotel, somewhat sad that our last evening in Istanbul was over.
closed! It meant that we discovered some other delightful nooks and courtyards instead. There is so much to see and experience in Istanbul! Lunch was a quick snack from a roadside kiosk in the lines of a doner kebab, spicy and scrumptious.
Bidding Rob and Champs a sad farewell – their company was much appreciated andenjoyed – the rest of us joined a bus group of other tourists visiting the 30-roomed Beylerbeyi Palace on the Asian side of the Bosphorus.
Built by sultan Abdul Aziz between 1861 and 1865 the sumptuous palace was used for entertaining dignitaries and royalty.
At the time of its manufacture, the giant crystalchandelier from England in the main hall upstairs was the largest in the world and is now the 3rd largest. Ostriches and tigers were kept in the zoo on the palace grounds which lie ubeneath the Bosphorus Bridge, the 9th longest suspension bridge in the world. The 3rd last sultan was kept as a prisoner in an anteroom of the palace for 6 years and died there, almost forgotten, after being deposed in 1909.
A pleasant photo and refreshment stop on a nearby hill with magnificent views
followed. Charmaine, Rob, my mom and I chose to be dropped off at the Spice Market(Egyptian Market), which was bustling with Sunday afternoon visitors, but still enchanting. Spices, teas, fresh vegetables, pickles, honeys, sweets, deserts....a mouthwatering feast for all the senses.
A slow meander back to the hotel took us almost 5 hours as we stopped to enjoy a snack and beer in a colourful alley full of cushioned exotic spaces to relax and smoke a hubbly (or in our case watch others smoke the hubbly!). Before getting too settled and loathe to move, we ambled up to the pool between the Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque where the windless but chilly 15 degree C evening granted us the superb reflections we had hoped for. A tasty bowl of soup at a pavement restaurant was another salubrious stop before returning to the hotel, somewhat sad that our last evening in Istanbul was over.
Day 11: Saturday 8 October - Pergamum and the Asclepion
A leisurely breakfast stocked us up for our visit to Pergamum and the Asclepion, a two hour drive from Selcuk. With us to day was our delightfully eloquent and informative guide, Sevim, a retired school teacher and director of Wonder Tours who like Guray, brought our imaginations into play and re-created ancient history with verve and humour.
Passing Izmir on the outskirts, a great city full of low rise apartment blocks, we reached the shores of the Aegean, flat and waveless, and bordered in places by industry. Large refineries process oil brought by shipping tanker from Iran, Iraq and Russia and a great metal recycling factory unfortunately are blights on the landscape, creating air pollution, acid rain and dryness in an area once extensively cultivated.
Pergamum is wondrous. Perched high on the mountain above present day Bergama, the
sheer size of the temples, the theatre overlooking the green slopes of the hills across the valley and the ingenuity of their creators are mind-boggling. Its first inhabitant were the Aeolian Greeks who settled here in the 8th century BC. It flourished under the rule of Eumenes I who ruled from 263-241 BC. During his time, Pergamum was one of the greatest centres of learning in the world. Attulus III bequeathed the kingdom of Pergamum to Rome in 133 BC and it became the capital of the Roman province of Asia.
Most inspiring is the Temple of Trajan, built of white marble in the reigns of Trajan and Hadrian II and used to worship them and Zeus, the god of Thunder. The temple is supported on huge sturdy arches to gain level ground for its foundations. The library once held 200 000 parchment scrolls which were sent to the library at Alexandria by Mark Anthony as a wedding gift to Cleopatra.
After lunch we spent about 45 minutes in the region of the Red Basilica, an enormous and glorious building, originally a temple to the Egyptian gods Serapis, Isis and Harpocrates in the 2nd century AD. St John described it in the Book of Revelations as one of the seven churches of the Apocalypse and the throne of the devil.
The displays of carpets at the shops across the road enticed us in and some of our group went home with beautiful reminders of their time in Turkey!
Once world renowned as a healing centre, the Asclepion fascinated us. Its most
famous physician, Galen, was born in Pergamum, studied in Alexandria, Greece and Asia Minor and then became physician to Pergamum's gladiators. Treatments at the centre included massage, mud baths, healing waters, ointments and herbs, dream analysis and suggestion. We were shown the holes in the roof of the tunnel leading to the sleeping quarters where it is reputed that the doctors spoke down to their unwitting patients as if they were gods. We were told that only patients bound to be “cured” were admitted to the hospital, which flourished for over a 1000 years – the seriously ill were turned away!
We had elected to spend us much time as we could in Bergama so we had a long wait at Izmir airport for our 10.30 flight to Istanbul, which took all of 45 minutes. It was raining in Istanbul - and cold - and we were grateful to find our driver waiting for us. Upon arrival at the Grand Washington Hotel we had drama when one of our group discovered that he had lost his passport – which thankfully was located at the lost property office at Ataturk Airport and retrieved the next day. Our grateful thanks to Erdal for the effort he went to to find the lost document.
Charmaine's reflections:
For me Pergamum and the Asclepion were highlights and spectacular locations. Our guide, Sevim, truly brought 3000 years of history alive. Again it's barely comprehensible to imagine pulling mountainous marble steps to the top of a high hill as temples and aqueducts, libraries and secret passages, fountains and tombs took shape over the centuries. To have walked the same road as Alexander the Great (without the “hail the conqueror' salute!) is indeed peculiar. As Viv said, layers upon layers of civilization, history, unearthed, with aeons more to be discovered is very humbling.
Day 10: Friday 8 October - Selcuk, Ephesus and surrounds
A few early birds ventured out in 15 degrees C weather to stroll before breakfast, a simple affair in the courtyard or characterful dining area. Our fellow hotel guests were a group of French hikers doing a variety of day hikes in the area.
The bus arrived at 9.30 to take us to Ephesus, Guray again our guide, much to our delight. Ephesus was predictably crowded but it was still a very special excursion. Once the centre for the cult of Cybele, the Anatolian fertility goddess (around 800 BC), who under the Ionians became Artemis, the virgin god of the hunt and the moon, Ephesus became the capital of Roman Asia, and Artemis became Diana. The sea, now 5 miles away, once lapped at the commercial centre of the city, the agora just below the theatre. The wealthy lived within the city walls while the general populace
lived under bamboo, wood or straw on the hills surrounding. Ephesus itself moved several times, being demolished by earthquakes and marauding Goths. The ruins we see today are of the city founded in the 4th century BC by Alexander the Great's successor, Lysinachus.
The visit to Mary's House after lunch, situated high up on the mountainside and
surrounded by tall trees in which squirrels chatted loudly, was a special experience even for the non-religious amongst us. St John the Evangelist brought Mary, mother of Jesus to Ephesus in AD 37 and it is in this little stone house which looks and feels like a small chapel inside that she spent the last years of her life. Outside, a priest was conducting a service for a small congregation and the singing which reached us inside sent goosebumps up my arms. Devout practitioners, both Muslim and Christian, stopped and prayed, bought candles and religious icons or holy water from the little kiosk outside and some added written messages or prayers of supplication to the wall full of them, knitted and knotted with handkerchiefs, shreds of fabric and ribbon. Emotive and tranquillising.
Instead of another visit to a workshop, we elected to be dropped at the St John's
Basilica after a visit to the one columned remains of the Temple of Artemis, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. The friendly Imam at the imposing13th Century Bey Mosque below the Basilica proudly gave us its history before we ambled back to the hotel past characterful homes. Outside one were two women laying out a sour dough called tarhana, made from flour, yoghurt and tomatoes and other ingredients, then left to dry on large trays before being crushed and used as a flavourant in cooking.
Some of us mellowed out in the hamam this evening, a wonderful experience which left us feeling scrubbed and pummelled and very relaxed! We sought an indoor restaurant for supper, the first snow having fallen on the mountains in the east and the wind carrying its chill across much of Turkey.
Reflections from Charmaine:
Teeming and overwhelmingly busy, Ephesus is quite simply unbelievable. Steeped in history and a quite wondrous beauty. Hard to comprehend that democracy took its first infant steps in this city and that all lived side by side in tolerant acceptance of their differences. ...for quite some time. There is something to be said about following in the footsteps of St Paul and St John 2000 years later. Very spiritual experience....even for one with not a religious cell in her body!
Selcuk remarkably friendly, courteous and full of tempting goodies to buy!. The aqueduct still stands in ruined splendour in the heart of this small town. Pomegranates bulging from every tree, courtyards crowded with chairs and children and chatter...
The local markets at Karahayet were the best and spring to life as the locals strolled, shopped and chatted in numerous tongues. We chatted to an elderly retired school teacher, Syrian, who spoke lovely antique English and carried with him a pocket dictionary dated 1948! I would have loved to sit and sip tea and learn so much more of his life and experiences. His face was a picture to behold and aged 77, his eyes were piercingly blue, intent and wide.
Day 9: Thursday 7 October - Hierapolis
The bus only coming for us at 11.30, we had time for another wallow - this time in pools that were empty, the large coaches having left early in the morning.
Thursday is weekly market day in Karahayit so we had a glorious morning shopping with the locals on the field where goods of all types were being sold - clothing, plasticware, spices, olives and olive products, nuts and seeds, Turkish Delight, great round feta and other soft cheeses, an iced chilli drink which was spicy hot ….Our suitcases had to expand yet again!
The travertine terraces at Pamukkale, another World Heritage Site, could not fail to
impress, despite the cloudy weather and the chill wind blowing. The terraces from which Pamukkale gets its name, meaning “cotton castle”, are formed when the hot spring water flowing downhill loses its carbon dioxide, leaving behind deposits of limestone and pools of turquoise water.
Guray our guide is a great story teller and his commentary re the ruins of
Hierapolis was interspersed with the myths and legends of the ancient Greeks and Romans. Hierapolis was founded in about 190 BC by Eumenes ll, King of Pergama and
was ceded to Rome in 133 BC. Destroyed by an earthquake in 60 AD, it was rebuilt and as a cure centre flourished under the Romans and the Byzantines when it had a Jewish and early Christian community. Successive earthquakes eventually took their toll and after a major one in 1334, the city was deserted. Water and deposits of travertine covered parts of the city. It is a fascinating area that requires more than an hour or two! The large necropolis contains more than 1200 tombs of varying shapes and sizes and it alone takes time to explore. The crystal clear pools with their sunken columns attract a large number of people who wish to take to the 'curative waters”.
We left Pamukkale just after 4pm and had no sooner reached the main Antalya- Izmir
highway when the radiator hose of the minibus blew and we had an unscheduled 1 ½ hour stopover at a roadside centre. It gave us the chance to fraternise with our fellow travellers, a young couple from German-speaking northern Italy. With two degrees under his belt , the young man was studying Mandarin and the Chinese culture so that he could understand the difficulties that the emigrants arriving in his area experienced, settling within a culture so very different from their native one. Lovely people!
At 9.30pm the Artemis Hotel in Selcuk came as a bit of a surprise. Not quite what we anticipated from recommendations on Trip-Advisor, but the helpfulness of hardworking Berkant and Simson supplying endless cups of tea and making sure that we were happily fed made up for shortcomings of the building itself. While we had a delicious supper at a nearby restaurant some of the problems were sorted out. Our table was outside but we were plied with jackets and pashminas to keep out the cold – re-affirming my impression of the warmth and courtesy of the Turkish people.
Thursday is weekly market day in Karahayit so we had a glorious morning shopping with the locals on the field where goods of all types were being sold - clothing, plasticware, spices, olives and olive products, nuts and seeds, Turkish Delight, great round feta and other soft cheeses, an iced chilli drink which was spicy hot ….Our suitcases had to expand yet again!
The travertine terraces at Pamukkale, another World Heritage Site, could not fail to
impress, despite the cloudy weather and the chill wind blowing. The terraces from which Pamukkale gets its name, meaning “cotton castle”, are formed when the hot spring water flowing downhill loses its carbon dioxide, leaving behind deposits of limestone and pools of turquoise water.
Guray our guide is a great story teller and his commentary re the ruins of
Hierapolis was interspersed with the myths and legends of the ancient Greeks and Romans. Hierapolis was founded in about 190 BC by Eumenes ll, King of Pergama and
was ceded to Rome in 133 BC. Destroyed by an earthquake in 60 AD, it was rebuilt and as a cure centre flourished under the Romans and the Byzantines when it had a Jewish and early Christian community. Successive earthquakes eventually took their toll and after a major one in 1334, the city was deserted. Water and deposits of travertine covered parts of the city. It is a fascinating area that requires more than an hour or two! The large necropolis contains more than 1200 tombs of varying shapes and sizes and it alone takes time to explore. The crystal clear pools with their sunken columns attract a large number of people who wish to take to the 'curative waters”.
We left Pamukkale just after 4pm and had no sooner reached the main Antalya- Izmir
highway when the radiator hose of the minibus blew and we had an unscheduled 1 ½ hour stopover at a roadside centre. It gave us the chance to fraternise with our fellow travellers, a young couple from German-speaking northern Italy. With two degrees under his belt , the young man was studying Mandarin and the Chinese culture so that he could understand the difficulties that the emigrants arriving in his area experienced, settling within a culture so very different from their native one. Lovely people!
At 9.30pm the Artemis Hotel in Selcuk came as a bit of a surprise. Not quite what we anticipated from recommendations on Trip-Advisor, but the helpfulness of hardworking Berkant and Simson supplying endless cups of tea and making sure that we were happily fed made up for shortcomings of the building itself. While we had a delicious supper at a nearby restaurant some of the problems were sorted out. Our table was outside but we were plied with jackets and pashminas to keep out the cold – re-affirming my impression of the warmth and courtesy of the Turkish people.
Day 8: Wednesday 6 October - Karahayit
Grateful for the chance to enjoy a leisurely breakfast for a change, we were picked 
up by Zeynep at 9am and taken to the otogar, bidding her and Antalya a fond farewell. The 4-hour trip to Pamukkale was luxurious – tea, biscuits,a private tv screen to each seat for those who could tear their eyes from the beautiful scenery we passed through....olive groves, fields of vegetables, small villages encompassed by the mountain ranges. The staggering mountains around Antalya are rivalled by those surrounding the large city of Denizli where we were met by our driver who transported us by minibus to the Pam Hotel situated above the characterful little village of Karahayit, a few kms beyond the travertine terraces.
After checking in, it was time to wallow in the hot pools. With mud on our faces and little caps on our heads, we rendered ourselves unrecognisable in our quest to derive the beautifying properties from the mineral-rich spring waters!
Karahayit was bustling with later afternoon strollers, mainly locals shopping. We
joined them, buying jewellery, roasted mealies, t-shirts, pomegranate juice (tart but refreshing and apparently very beneficial to the innards!).....The sun was stetting by the time we wandered back to the hotel for the overwhelming buffet meal at 7.30. The large dining room was crowded and although the meal was a good experience some of us would have preferred to have dined with the locals in the little village. Heartily fed, the next stop was bed.
up by Zeynep at 9am and taken to the otogar, bidding her and Antalya a fond farewell. The 4-hour trip to Pamukkale was luxurious – tea, biscuits,a private tv screen to each seat for those who could tear their eyes from the beautiful scenery we passed through....olive groves, fields of vegetables, small villages encompassed by the mountain ranges. The staggering mountains around Antalya are rivalled by those surrounding the large city of Denizli where we were met by our driver who transported us by minibus to the Pam Hotel situated above the characterful little village of Karahayit, a few kms beyond the travertine terraces.
After checking in, it was time to wallow in the hot pools. With mud on our faces and little caps on our heads, we rendered ourselves unrecognisable in our quest to derive the beautifying properties from the mineral-rich spring waters!
Karahayit was bustling with later afternoon strollers, mainly locals shopping. We
joined them, buying jewellery, roasted mealies, t-shirts, pomegranate juice (tart but refreshing and apparently very beneficial to the innards!).....The sun was stetting by the time we wandered back to the hotel for the overwhelming buffet meal at 7.30. The large dining room was crowded and although the meal was a good experience some of us would have preferred to have dined with the locals in the little village. Heartily fed, the next stop was bed.
Day 7: Tuesday 5 October - Perge and Aspendos
A slightly later start to today – 8am! Ray wrote up the following:“
Set out by bus and joined by our guide Achmet, who led us through some of the most significant archaeological sites with a fact-filled commentary along the way. The sites included the theatre and the town centre (agora) at Perge, its main road with colonnades, public baths and water reticulation system. The highlight of the day was perhaps the enormous and impressive theatre at Aspendos, largely restored using original materials, and in which performances are still being staged.
After lunch we stopped at the Koprulu waterfall which is in a nature reserve and the more energetic amongst us climbed down umpteen stairs to the base of the falls- a
very pretty area.
Finally, we stopped at the well-know “Alice” leather works and were entertained by a glamorous fashion show and were given the opportunity to purchase leather garments.”
Perge was once near the sea, which is now about 11 kms away. It was one of the most important towns of ancient Pamphylia, had its heyday under the Romans in the 2nd and 3rd centuries BC and surrendered to Alexander the Great in 334 BC. It declined in Byzantine times and was abandoned in the 7th century.
Aspendos was once the eastern most city of the kingdom of Pergamum and an important trading centre in Roman times. The magnificent theatre was built during the reign of Marcus Aurelius (AD 161-180) and can seat 12 000 people. It is said to be the best preserved theatre of the ancient world. It was restored in the 13th Century and after several centuries of neglect was brought to life again by Ataturk.
The remains of the Roman aqueduct nearby once again left us awed by ancient ingenuity and skill and led to a profound discussion on engineering, Rob from Ghana being a civil engineer!
Before lunch we also visited the quaint village of Side (“pomegranate”) which is
surrounded by Roman ruins and boasts the Temples of Apollo and Athena on its shores, dating from the 2nd century. Perfect photo opportunities! Side was first settled by Greek colonists in the 7th century BC and became a centre of the slave trade and piracy in the 2nd century BC. It was burned by Arab raiders in the 7th century, revitalised by the Seljuks and resettled by Muslims returning from Crete during the population exchange of the 1920s.
My mom and I hoped to have a swim below the harbour walls when we returned to Antalya but the sea was very choppy so instead we had a lovely start to the evening watching the sundowner boats see-sawing (sea-sawing?!) out of the harbour. After supper a few of us went down to see the harbour lit up and browsed through the shops in the narrow streets in the vicinity of the hotel.
Charmaine's reflections on Antalya:Exceptionally modern merged in ancient. A sleepy-time warped town now a centre of tourism and light industry. A delightful place. Kekova Island and beyond can only be reached by boat or on foot. Magic place to escape to some time! St Nicholas Church a place for devout pilgrims and despite the crowds of followers it felt very special to be there. The theatre nearby and the beautiful tumbled marble carving and statuettes- magical!
Set out by bus and joined by our guide Achmet, who led us through some of the most significant archaeological sites with a fact-filled commentary along the way. The sites included the theatre and the town centre (agora) at Perge, its main road with colonnades, public baths and water reticulation system. The highlight of the day was perhaps the enormous and impressive theatre at Aspendos, largely restored using original materials, and in which performances are still being staged.
After lunch we stopped at the Koprulu waterfall which is in a nature reserve and the more energetic amongst us climbed down umpteen stairs to the base of the falls- a
very pretty area.
Finally, we stopped at the well-know “Alice” leather works and were entertained by a glamorous fashion show and were given the opportunity to purchase leather garments.”
Perge was once near the sea, which is now about 11 kms away. It was one of the most important towns of ancient Pamphylia, had its heyday under the Romans in the 2nd and 3rd centuries BC and surrendered to Alexander the Great in 334 BC. It declined in Byzantine times and was abandoned in the 7th century.
Aspendos was once the eastern most city of the kingdom of Pergamum and an important trading centre in Roman times. The magnificent theatre was built during the reign of Marcus Aurelius (AD 161-180) and can seat 12 000 people. It is said to be the best preserved theatre of the ancient world. It was restored in the 13th Century and after several centuries of neglect was brought to life again by Ataturk.
The remains of the Roman aqueduct nearby once again left us awed by ancient ingenuity and skill and led to a profound discussion on engineering, Rob from Ghana being a civil engineer!
Before lunch we also visited the quaint village of Side (“pomegranate”) which is
surrounded by Roman ruins and boasts the Temples of Apollo and Athena on its shores, dating from the 2nd century. Perfect photo opportunities! Side was first settled by Greek colonists in the 7th century BC and became a centre of the slave trade and piracy in the 2nd century BC. It was burned by Arab raiders in the 7th century, revitalised by the Seljuks and resettled by Muslims returning from Crete during the population exchange of the 1920s.
My mom and I hoped to have a swim below the harbour walls when we returned to Antalya but the sea was very choppy so instead we had a lovely start to the evening watching the sundowner boats see-sawing (sea-sawing?!) out of the harbour. After supper a few of us went down to see the harbour lit up and browsed through the shops in the narrow streets in the vicinity of the hotel.
Charmaine's reflections on Antalya:Exceptionally modern merged in ancient. A sleepy-time warped town now a centre of tourism and light industry. A delightful place. Kekova Island and beyond can only be reached by boat or on foot. Magic place to escape to some time! St Nicholas Church a place for devout pilgrims and despite the crowds of followers it felt very special to be there. The theatre nearby and the beautiful tumbled marble carving and statuettes- magical!
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Day 6: Monday 4 October- Myra and Kekova Island
Our second day in Antalya started bright and early with our driver and Achmet our guide picking us up at 7am for a day trip to Myra and Kekova Island. The hotel staff kindly provided us with picnic breakfast packs which we tucked into at the rest stop atop a mountain pass about an hour's drive away from Antalya. Looking down onto the coastal plan below we were perplexed by the silvery flatness of the landscape. What we were seeing were the rows upon rows of agricultural tunnels.
The road to Myra runs along the coast through built-up areas and between the pine-clad mountains towering over 2000m, their tops bare of vegetation. Myra lies 3km southwest of present day Demre,and dates from the 5th century BC. It prospered through supplying incense derived from the liquidamber orientalis tree to Egypt and Constantinople. The Greco-Roman theatre is impressive, as are the Lycian tombs built like houses into the two cliffs alongside it.
The Church of St Nicholas first built in the 3rd century, was crowded, mainly with pilgrims from Russia and the Eastern European countries, who lined up to place their icons and candles against the glass encased tomb of the patron saint of children and fishermen. Nicholas was the 4th century Bishop of Myra and was renowned for his generosity. His bones lay in the church until 1087 when Italian merchants raided his sarcophagus and carried them off to Bari in Italy, where they remain. First restored in 1043 when it became a Byzantine basilica, the church was again restored and given a vaulted ceiling and belfry by Tzar Nicholas 1 of Russia in the 19th century.
Another delicious lunch was served at the restaurant overlooking the picturesque bay at Cayagzi (Stream Mouth), once an important port for the shipping of grain, and in Roman times know as Andriake. Dotted around the hills were more tombs.
We boarded the boat that took us to Kekova Island at a the little village of Ucagiz
(Three Mouths), a delightful place to spend time and just chill! Dotted along the coastline are submerged saddleback tombs and perched on the hill at the nearby village of Kale (Simena in Roman times) is a castle built in 1440. Unfortunately the wind had come up and the surface of the turquoise sea was very ruffled so it was not easy to see the artefacts lying on the ocean floor when we puttered along the 7km long Kikova Island, artefacts from the city submerged by an earthquake in the 2nd century AD. However we caught glimpses of urns when the part of the deck was opened to reveal a glass section of the hull.
The temperature while we were in Antalya hovering around 25-28 degrees, we enjoyed a swim in a sheltered bay before the boat docked. The water was gloriously warm and crystal clear, the colour a sublime blue.
It was a long but pleasant drive back to the hotel which we reached at 6.30 and a superb day was brought to a close by a convivial evening over another mouthwatering meal at the hotel – Rob and Charmaine generously supplying the accompanying bottles of wine.
The road to Myra runs along the coast through built-up areas and between the pine-clad mountains towering over 2000m, their tops bare of vegetation. Myra lies 3km southwest of present day Demre,and dates from the 5th century BC. It prospered through supplying incense derived from the liquidamber orientalis tree to Egypt and Constantinople. The Greco-Roman theatre is impressive, as are the Lycian tombs built like houses into the two cliffs alongside it.
The Church of St Nicholas first built in the 3rd century, was crowded, mainly with pilgrims from Russia and the Eastern European countries, who lined up to place their icons and candles against the glass encased tomb of the patron saint of children and fishermen. Nicholas was the 4th century Bishop of Myra and was renowned for his generosity. His bones lay in the church until 1087 when Italian merchants raided his sarcophagus and carried them off to Bari in Italy, where they remain. First restored in 1043 when it became a Byzantine basilica, the church was again restored and given a vaulted ceiling and belfry by Tzar Nicholas 1 of Russia in the 19th century.
Another delicious lunch was served at the restaurant overlooking the picturesque bay at Cayagzi (Stream Mouth), once an important port for the shipping of grain, and in Roman times know as Andriake. Dotted around the hills were more tombs.
We boarded the boat that took us to Kekova Island at a the little village of Ucagiz
(Three Mouths), a delightful place to spend time and just chill! Dotted along the coastline are submerged saddleback tombs and perched on the hill at the nearby village of Kale (Simena in Roman times) is a castle built in 1440. Unfortunately the wind had come up and the surface of the turquoise sea was very ruffled so it was not easy to see the artefacts lying on the ocean floor when we puttered along the 7km long Kikova Island, artefacts from the city submerged by an earthquake in the 2nd century AD. However we caught glimpses of urns when the part of the deck was opened to reveal a glass section of the hull.
The temperature while we were in Antalya hovering around 25-28 degrees, we enjoyed a swim in a sheltered bay before the boat docked. The water was gloriously warm and crystal clear, the colour a sublime blue.
It was a long but pleasant drive back to the hotel which we reached at 6.30 and a superb day was brought to a close by a convivial evening over another mouthwatering meal at the hotel – Rob and Charmaine generously supplying the accompanying bottles of wine.
Day 5 Antalya: Sunday 3 October - Free day
Bubbly Zeynep picked us up from the vast and modern Antalya Otogar - bus depot - and dropped us off at the Mediterra Art Hotel in the old Roman-Ottoman part of the city, Kaleici. Along the way she pointed out landmarks and the golden statues on the circles advertising the forthcoming (International?) film festival. There was a bit of a mix up with bookings and all but the “thriples” - the three of us sharing a room, a name coined by Azzu- were accommodated in a hotel around the corner. The others were grateful to move out of these very small rooms and into baronial quarters in the Mediterra for the next two nights – the fancy suites making up for the discomfort of the first night!
Accommodation sorted we ambled down to the picturesque Roman harbour and on up to the Fluted Minaret dating from the 13th century and presently undergoing renovation. The clock tower beside it was built in 1244 and marked the upper limit of the Old Town. Antalya is charming – a bustling little city where ancient and modern are juxtaposed. Following the tramway we re-entered the Old Town via Hadrian's Gate, built in honour of Emperor Hadrian's visit in Ad 130 and until the 1950s buried within a Selcuk city wall. How many other ancient structures are hidden in a similar manner? Below the perspex walkway lies the ancient Roman pathway between the arches, several feet lower than the level of the street and deeply rutted by chariot wheels.
Antalya's history dates back to the Palaeolithic period, artefacts from this era having been found in the Karain Cave in the precincts of the city. The city itself was founded by Attalus ll of Pergamum in the 1st century BC, but like many of Turkey's cities, has been through the hands of the Romans, Byzantines, Seljuk Turks and the Ottomans. After WW1 Italy was given the city by the Allies when the Ottoman Empire was carved up, but Ataturk's armies took it back before 1921.
Night or day, the streets of the Old Town are vibrant, a feast for the senses. Through gateways one glimpses abundantly green gardens – havens for conversing over a cup of apple tea or just enjoying the peace. Newly renovated grand old houses stand side by side with those whose bulging upper rooms are propped up with poles and protective fencing. And all over there are shops selling carpets, curios, clothing and other Turkish Delights.
In the early afternoon we caught the tram to the archaeological museum where we gazed in wonderment at the great marble statues, many of which were brought in from excavations at Perge in the 1970s, as well as from Aspendos. The collection includes representations of 16 gods. The displays of artefacts dating from the Stone Age to more recent eras gave us deeper insight into the layers upon layers of history of the land that is modern day Turkey. Two hours in the museum was too much for some of us, not enough for others!
Our reservation at the hamam around the corner was for 5.30 -7pm. After sweating it out in a side room for more than an hour, wondering why we were being ignored while later arrivals were getting the full treatment we decided to pack it in and leave and ask for our money to be refunded. The staff were most apologetic and we realised that there must have been a lack of communication between the manager and the ladies working in the women's section. A pity, as we had all so looked forward to the experience.
Dinner alongside the pool at the hotel was a scrumptious 3-course affair after which, satisfyingly tired and replete we retired!
Day 4 Cappadocia: Saturday 2 October
The early risers amongst us awoke to the spectacle of a skyful of hot air balloons floating overhead and beyond – something to be put onto the bucket list? A pleasant and leisurely breakfast in the courtyard of the hotel, we packed up all our luggage 
and went on to do the North Cappadocia tour, starting with a 3km walk through the splendid Rose Valley where the sweetest grapes grow. Around us on the heights were the pigeon caves, still yielding guano to fertilize the fields, but the inhabitants no longer required to be the message bearers to distant shores! The various rock strata create pastel bands of colour across the mountains. Upon reaching the little church hewn out of the hillside at about the 1.5km mark some chose to rest in the shade while others explored further seeking unique photo angles. Cappadocia is a photographers paradise!
The path took us in a loop back to the road below where a large dog intent on pouncing on some invisible prey amongst the tomato plants kept us amused and curiosity as to what another group of tourists were eating under the trees opposite us drew us to sample the fruit of the “Olweide” tree (info provided by a German couple) – a powdery dry berry.
Upon asking Azzu where the Red River was we took a short detour across it to through the pretty town of Avonos on its banks. The river is wide and runs strongly. Mud from the river is used to produce the exquisite pottery of the region. Our visit to Guray Seramik was worthwhile with our well-spoken guide describing his family's enterprise in an entertaining and humorous manner. The entire factory - workshops and showroom in which the exquisite works are elegantly displayed – is hewn into the hill.
In keeping with the underground theme, lunch was had in a very large cave restaurant where a musician in the central area kept us entertained and a Cappadocian speciality – a “pottery kebab” - had us licking our lips and rubbing our tums. The casserole was cooked in a large vase-shaped clay pot, its lid sealed with dough. Some of us came home to see if our Romatoff pots of days of yore were still in our cupboards!
Needless to say, we left the restaurant feeling that supper would be unnecessary- although I should not speak for the men!
Goreme Open Air Museum was crowded and we unfortunately had a long wait to get into the first of the little churches, which meant that we did not get to see all of them. However what we did see gave us insight into the passion and fervour of the people who created them. The Goreme valley has 30 or more churches dating from the 9th century onwards and dazzling Byzantine frescoes to be found in some of them are slowly being restored. The area has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Also of interest are the refectories where learning and dining took place.
Last stop in the late afternoon was at the Carpet Co-operative where we watched women working at their looms creating fine and intricate works of art in silk, cotton and wool. The whole process of carpet making was explained to us, starting from the purchasing of the mulberry leaves from the area around Bursa to the unthreading of the silk cocoons and the weaving. In the showroom carpets from the different regions of Turkey were displayed to us, each region having designs and shades of its own. All very beautiful!
Azzu had kindly arranged for us to change and freshen up at the Dedeli Hotel in Urgup before we caught the overnight coach at 8pm to Nevshiher. Untimely rain as we swopped coaches at Nevshiher left us somewhat damp – but we dried out quickly. The temperature within the bus was pleasant- outside it fell to 12deg!
With the 2-hourly breaks along the way, sleep came in snatches and it was a bleary-eyed crew that disembarked on schedule in Antalya at 7am.
Reflections on Cappadocia :
Ray: A truly eye-opening and mind-boggling experience. We were amazed by the numerous cone-like pinnacles of rock and “fairy chimneys”- cones with darker rock slabs balanced on their tips, some resembling camels and other figures. Even more stunning were the enormous number of dwellings carved into these stone pillars. One city we were led into at one time housed 3000 people and included churches, refectories and kitchens etc. Even our hotel was composed of hollowed out caves in the living rock. The village of Goreme in which we stayed was charming and we were able to buy interesting items at shops near the hotel. Another unusual sight was that of colourful hot-air balloons (more than 20) floating above the valley in the early morning.
Charmaine: One cannot imagine how fear of persecution could drive 30 k people to live underground for months at a time. Even more amazing to me was their unstinting religious faith and their need to honour this by constructing subterranean holy places of worship. The skills and knowledge needed to provide ventilation, water and waste disposal can barely be believed. The sight of hot air ballooning... I remember and bless the memory of “Paddington” but could not bring myself to go up. Cave hotel an extraordinary experience – lopsided floor and bright red sateen bed covers!
and went on to do the North Cappadocia tour, starting with a 3km walk through the splendid Rose Valley where the sweetest grapes grow. Around us on the heights were the pigeon caves, still yielding guano to fertilize the fields, but the inhabitants no longer required to be the message bearers to distant shores! The various rock strata create pastel bands of colour across the mountains. Upon reaching the little church hewn out of the hillside at about the 1.5km mark some chose to rest in the shade while others explored further seeking unique photo angles. Cappadocia is a photographers paradise!
The path took us in a loop back to the road below where a large dog intent on pouncing on some invisible prey amongst the tomato plants kept us amused and curiosity as to what another group of tourists were eating under the trees opposite us drew us to sample the fruit of the “Olweide” tree (info provided by a German couple) – a powdery dry berry.
Upon asking Azzu where the Red River was we took a short detour across it to through the pretty town of Avonos on its banks. The river is wide and runs strongly. Mud from the river is used to produce the exquisite pottery of the region. Our visit to Guray Seramik was worthwhile with our well-spoken guide describing his family's enterprise in an entertaining and humorous manner. The entire factory - workshops and showroom in which the exquisite works are elegantly displayed – is hewn into the hill.
In keeping with the underground theme, lunch was had in a very large cave restaurant where a musician in the central area kept us entertained and a Cappadocian speciality – a “pottery kebab” - had us licking our lips and rubbing our tums. The casserole was cooked in a large vase-shaped clay pot, its lid sealed with dough. Some of us came home to see if our Romatoff pots of days of yore were still in our cupboards!
Needless to say, we left the restaurant feeling that supper would be unnecessary- although I should not speak for the men!
Goreme Open Air Museum was crowded and we unfortunately had a long wait to get into the first of the little churches, which meant that we did not get to see all of them. However what we did see gave us insight into the passion and fervour of the people who created them. The Goreme valley has 30 or more churches dating from the 9th century onwards and dazzling Byzantine frescoes to be found in some of them are slowly being restored. The area has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Also of interest are the refectories where learning and dining took place.
Last stop in the late afternoon was at the Carpet Co-operative where we watched women working at their looms creating fine and intricate works of art in silk, cotton and wool. The whole process of carpet making was explained to us, starting from the purchasing of the mulberry leaves from the area around Bursa to the unthreading of the silk cocoons and the weaving. In the showroom carpets from the different regions of Turkey were displayed to us, each region having designs and shades of its own. All very beautiful!
Azzu had kindly arranged for us to change and freshen up at the Dedeli Hotel in Urgup before we caught the overnight coach at 8pm to Nevshiher. Untimely rain as we swopped coaches at Nevshiher left us somewhat damp – but we dried out quickly. The temperature within the bus was pleasant- outside it fell to 12deg!
With the 2-hourly breaks along the way, sleep came in snatches and it was a bleary-eyed crew that disembarked on schedule in Antalya at 7am.
Reflections on Cappadocia :
Ray: A truly eye-opening and mind-boggling experience. We were amazed by the numerous cone-like pinnacles of rock and “fairy chimneys”- cones with darker rock slabs balanced on their tips, some resembling camels and other figures. Even more stunning were the enormous number of dwellings carved into these stone pillars. One city we were led into at one time housed 3000 people and included churches, refectories and kitchens etc. Even our hotel was composed of hollowed out caves in the living rock. The village of Goreme in which we stayed was charming and we were able to buy interesting items at shops near the hotel. Another unusual sight was that of colourful hot-air balloons (more than 20) floating above the valley in the early morning.
Charmaine: One cannot imagine how fear of persecution could drive 30 k people to live underground for months at a time. Even more amazing to me was their unstinting religious faith and their need to honour this by constructing subterranean holy places of worship. The skills and knowledge needed to provide ventilation, water and waste disposal can barely be believed. The sight of hot air ballooning... I remember and bless the memory of “Paddington” but could not bring myself to go up. Cave hotel an extraordinary experience – lopsided floor and bright red sateen bed covers!
Day 3 Cappodocia: Friday 1 October
Cappodocia: “The land of beautiful horses” (in Roman times brood mares from Cappadocia were highly sought after.)
Having persuaded the hotel staff to give us breakfast half an hour early, we were able to enjoy a typical Turkish start to the day with olives, crisp cucumbers, succulent tomatoes, yummy preserves and more before we were picked up and taken to Ataturk Airport for our flight to Cappadocia, which took a mere 55 minutes.
Our flight took us over a patchwork quilt of browns and beiges after leaving the forested area around Istanbul. Cappadocia produces many of Turkey's cereal crops, which had obviously been recently harvested, as well as grapes, vegetables and sugar beets.
Azzu, a most pleasant and caring young guide from the area near the Syrian border, picked us up and we were immediately driven to the Derinkuyu Underground City, a wise move as we had the opportunity to experience this strange underworld city without the crowds bearing down upon us (which had they been would probably have
been a more authentic cave dwelling experience! How could 20 000 people have lived in these dark sepulchral rooms for three months at a time, sans electric lighting and tinned provisions! Brave and hardy souls indeed). There are eight levels to the city, built over a river from which water was drawn and fresh air obtained via the ventilation shafts. The animals were housed in the upper levels where wine was also pressed, while the living quarters, kitchen and church were at lower levels.
The underground cities, churches and homes in Cappadocia were used by Christians seeking refuge from persecution from the 9th to the 11th centuries.
A late lunch at 3pm at the Salem Village caravanserai meant that in some dishes only the scrapings were left. I waxed lyrical about the delicious yoghurt soup we had enjoyed here last year – so Rob and Champs found themselves eating yoghurt and tomato salad dressing as soup - something I did not hear the end of! Despite the above and the fact that the beers were flat, we enjoyed another great selection of Turkish dishes- salads and vege dishes predominating.
The meal was walked off in the Ilhara Valley afterwards, the glorious rock formations providing food for our imagination – camels, heads, crocodiles and all manner of creatures. Looking at my photographs I realise that I made a mistake trying so carefully to eliminate people from them when people would have added a sense of proportion.
The Mushroom Fairy Chimneys on the way back to Goreme were equally enchanting. Some of us took a little walk over the hill to overlook the valley, the lengthening shadows adding to the atmospheric picture.
The bizarre rock formations are the result of erosion of the tuff (hardened volcanic ash) by wind and water over the centuries and the exposure of overlaid layers of hard volcanic rock The landscape was created 30 million years ago when the surrounding volcanoes were still active. The colours of the tuff are exquisite -soft pastel creams and pinks and browns.
Goreme Village is a fairytale village, especially when the cave homes and pinnacles are lit up at night. Our accommodation at the Peri Cave Hotel just on the outskirts (but around the corner from the main centre!) was charming and quirky. The floor of Rob and Champs' room had quite a slope to it, visible to the naked eye! We all saw to our own supper and the evening was spent browsing through the shops on the main street and enjoying the view and a cold beer on Rob and Champs' balcony.
Having persuaded the hotel staff to give us breakfast half an hour early, we were able to enjoy a typical Turkish start to the day with olives, crisp cucumbers, succulent tomatoes, yummy preserves and more before we were picked up and taken to Ataturk Airport for our flight to Cappadocia, which took a mere 55 minutes.
Our flight took us over a patchwork quilt of browns and beiges after leaving the forested area around Istanbul. Cappadocia produces many of Turkey's cereal crops, which had obviously been recently harvested, as well as grapes, vegetables and sugar beets.
Azzu, a most pleasant and caring young guide from the area near the Syrian border, picked us up and we were immediately driven to the Derinkuyu Underground City, a wise move as we had the opportunity to experience this strange underworld city without the crowds bearing down upon us (which had they been would probably have
been a more authentic cave dwelling experience! How could 20 000 people have lived in these dark sepulchral rooms for three months at a time, sans electric lighting and tinned provisions! Brave and hardy souls indeed). There are eight levels to the city, built over a river from which water was drawn and fresh air obtained via the ventilation shafts. The animals were housed in the upper levels where wine was also pressed, while the living quarters, kitchen and church were at lower levels.
The underground cities, churches and homes in Cappadocia were used by Christians seeking refuge from persecution from the 9th to the 11th centuries.
A late lunch at 3pm at the Salem Village caravanserai meant that in some dishes only the scrapings were left. I waxed lyrical about the delicious yoghurt soup we had enjoyed here last year – so Rob and Champs found themselves eating yoghurt and tomato salad dressing as soup - something I did not hear the end of! Despite the above and the fact that the beers were flat, we enjoyed another great selection of Turkish dishes- salads and vege dishes predominating.
The meal was walked off in the Ilhara Valley afterwards, the glorious rock formations providing food for our imagination – camels, heads, crocodiles and all manner of creatures. Looking at my photographs I realise that I made a mistake trying so carefully to eliminate people from them when people would have added a sense of proportion.
The Mushroom Fairy Chimneys on the way back to Goreme were equally enchanting. Some of us took a little walk over the hill to overlook the valley, the lengthening shadows adding to the atmospheric picture.
The bizarre rock formations are the result of erosion of the tuff (hardened volcanic ash) by wind and water over the centuries and the exposure of overlaid layers of hard volcanic rock The landscape was created 30 million years ago when the surrounding volcanoes were still active. The colours of the tuff are exquisite -soft pastel creams and pinks and browns.
Goreme Village is a fairytale village, especially when the cave homes and pinnacles are lit up at night. Our accommodation at the Peri Cave Hotel just on the outskirts (but around the corner from the main centre!) was charming and quirky. The floor of Rob and Champs' room had quite a slope to it, visible to the naked eye! We all saw to our own supper and the evening was spent browsing through the shops on the main street and enjoying the view and a cold beer on Rob and Champs' balcony.
Day 2 Istanbul: Thursday 30 September
After breakfast we were introduced to Kotay, our young and endearing guide for the day. Kotay, or Koko for short, is a guide after my own heart, giving us plenty of time to look around as well as being well-spoken, caring, informative and fun to be with.
Our first visit was to the Hagia Sofia, a vast church built in the 6th century AD by the Emperor Justinian as part of his attempts to restore the might of the Roman Emperor. It was inaugurated in 537. Justinian is reported to have exclaimed: “ Oh Solomon, I have outdone you.” One cannot but be awed by its sheer size and architecture- and by the fact that this was achieved more that 1400 years ago. Converted into a mosque after the Conquest of Constantinople in 1453 by Mehmet the Conqueror, the Hagia Sophia contains mosaics featuring Christ with Byzantine emperors and their wives as well as great medallions inscribed with the names of Allah, Mohammed and the caliphs Ali and Abu Bakr in gilt Arabic letters. The immense dome of the Hagia Sophia reaches a height of 56m. The upper galleries are not to be missed as this is where the most impressive mosaics are to be found. Ataturk converted the Hagia Sophia into a museum in 1935 – until then it had served as a mosque.
Across the park in which the reflections of the two great buildings may be seen in the central pond, a spectacular scene on a windless night when they are both fully lit, lies the Blue Mosque built between 1606 and 1616 by the Sultan Ahmet I to rival the Hagia Sophia in size and beauty. Once again the sheer vastness of its interior space takes one's breath away. Thousands of blue Iznic tiles decorate the walls creating a feeling of calm and tranquillity. Four enormous “elephant feet' pillars support the beautifully decorated domes.
Lunch at a restaurant below the Blue Mosque provided welcome and tasty sustenance before we went back to the Hippodrome, once the stadium holding up to 100 000 people built by Emperor Septillion Severs in the 3rd Century AD and enlarged by Emperor Constantine. Three ancient monuments remain. The Egyptian obelisk was carved in Egypt in 1500 BC and brought by boat by the Byzantine Emperor Theodosius. It is believed to be about one third its original height and stands on a base built in the 4th Century AD. The Serpentine Column next to it is believed to date from 479 BC and was shipped to Constantinople from Delphi. It is said that a drunken Polish nobleman knocked off the three heads of the serpents in the 18th Century, one of which may be seen in the Archaeological Museum. Another source stated that the heads were stolen during the Fourth Crusade, along with many other statues and artefacts. The Column of Constantine is of uncertain date and is believed to have been once covered in bronze.
At the end of the Hippodrome is Kaiser Wilhelm's Fountain a gift to the Sultan Abdul Hamit ll commemorating the Kaiser's visit in 1901.
The rest of the afternoon was spent at the fabulous Topkapi Palace where we joined the crowds viewing the jewel-encrusted weapons, utensils and ornaments of fairytale magnificence, the holy relics which include the mantle once worn by the Prophet Mohammed presided over by holy men chanting the Koran night and day, little vessels containing hairs of the Prophet's beard, an impression of his footprint and a tooth. Also amongst the relics are the jewel encrusted arm and skull of St John. Construction of the palace commissioned by Mehmet the Conqueror was started in 1453 and over the centuries it has been enlarged, being finally abandoned for palaces along the Bosphorous in 19th Century. At times it housed 12 000 residents and guests.
Surprisingly we still had energy to tackle the Grand Bazaar after Topkapi where all were left to wonder and wander at will. No-one got lost! The evening was free to do as one wished – most choosing to have a a quiet time at the hotel.
Reflections from Charmaine:
Istanbul is an immensely fascinating 24/7 city teeming with people speaking 100 different tongues. Ultra-modernity, efficiency and hand-drawn carts, cars and pedestrians all merge and somehow grow in organised chaos!
Divas Hotel squeezed into a tiny alley opposite a Moslem burial yard frequented by calico cats and pyjama-striped kittens with huge ears. They catch their own food in summer and the locals feed them through winter.
Our meals were “splendirious”, delicious and perfectly right for 99% of us. Rich colours and textures tempting adventurous pallets. The roadside mealie and roasted chestnuts, the “puffed up' freshly roasted breads and olives, the pool reflections of the Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque on a perfectly calm final evening in the city. So much to see, so little time. Another visit will be an absolute must-do!
Our first visit was to the Hagia Sofia, a vast church built in the 6th century AD by the Emperor Justinian as part of his attempts to restore the might of the Roman Emperor. It was inaugurated in 537. Justinian is reported to have exclaimed: “ Oh Solomon, I have outdone you.” One cannot but be awed by its sheer size and architecture- and by the fact that this was achieved more that 1400 years ago. Converted into a mosque after the Conquest of Constantinople in 1453 by Mehmet the Conqueror, the Hagia Sophia contains mosaics featuring Christ with Byzantine emperors and their wives as well as great medallions inscribed with the names of Allah, Mohammed and the caliphs Ali and Abu Bakr in gilt Arabic letters. The immense dome of the Hagia Sophia reaches a height of 56m. The upper galleries are not to be missed as this is where the most impressive mosaics are to be found. Ataturk converted the Hagia Sophia into a museum in 1935 – until then it had served as a mosque.
Across the park in which the reflections of the two great buildings may be seen in the central pond, a spectacular scene on a windless night when they are both fully lit, lies the Blue Mosque built between 1606 and 1616 by the Sultan Ahmet I to rival the Hagia Sophia in size and beauty. Once again the sheer vastness of its interior space takes one's breath away. Thousands of blue Iznic tiles decorate the walls creating a feeling of calm and tranquillity. Four enormous “elephant feet' pillars support the beautifully decorated domes.
Lunch at a restaurant below the Blue Mosque provided welcome and tasty sustenance before we went back to the Hippodrome, once the stadium holding up to 100 000 people built by Emperor Septillion Severs in the 3rd Century AD and enlarged by Emperor Constantine. Three ancient monuments remain. The Egyptian obelisk was carved in Egypt in 1500 BC and brought by boat by the Byzantine Emperor Theodosius. It is believed to be about one third its original height and stands on a base built in the 4th Century AD. The Serpentine Column next to it is believed to date from 479 BC and was shipped to Constantinople from Delphi. It is said that a drunken Polish nobleman knocked off the three heads of the serpents in the 18th Century, one of which may be seen in the Archaeological Museum. Another source stated that the heads were stolen during the Fourth Crusade, along with many other statues and artefacts. The Column of Constantine is of uncertain date and is believed to have been once covered in bronze.
At the end of the Hippodrome is Kaiser Wilhelm's Fountain a gift to the Sultan Abdul Hamit ll commemorating the Kaiser's visit in 1901.
The rest of the afternoon was spent at the fabulous Topkapi Palace where we joined the crowds viewing the jewel-encrusted weapons, utensils and ornaments of fairytale magnificence, the holy relics which include the mantle once worn by the Prophet Mohammed presided over by holy men chanting the Koran night and day, little vessels containing hairs of the Prophet's beard, an impression of his footprint and a tooth. Also amongst the relics are the jewel encrusted arm and skull of St John. Construction of the palace commissioned by Mehmet the Conqueror was started in 1453 and over the centuries it has been enlarged, being finally abandoned for palaces along the Bosphorous in 19th Century. At times it housed 12 000 residents and guests.
Surprisingly we still had energy to tackle the Grand Bazaar after Topkapi where all were left to wonder and wander at will. No-one got lost! The evening was free to do as one wished – most choosing to have a a quiet time at the hotel.
Reflections from Charmaine:
Istanbul is an immensely fascinating 24/7 city teeming with people speaking 100 different tongues. Ultra-modernity, efficiency and hand-drawn carts, cars and pedestrians all merge and somehow grow in organised chaos!
Divas Hotel squeezed into a tiny alley opposite a Moslem burial yard frequented by calico cats and pyjama-striped kittens with huge ears. They catch their own food in summer and the locals feed them through winter.
Our meals were “splendirious”, delicious and perfectly right for 99% of us. Rich colours and textures tempting adventurous pallets. The roadside mealie and roasted chestnuts, the “puffed up' freshly roasted breads and olives, the pool reflections of the Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque on a perfectly calm final evening in the city. So much to see, so little time. Another visit will be an absolute must-do!
Day 1: Istanbul - Wednesday 29 September
A 2 ¾ stopover at Abu Dhabi airport in the middle of the night plus a supper/breakfast served at 2am our time on the way to Istanbul meant that we arrived in Istanbul at 6am somewhat worse for wear but a stroll through the Hippodrome and surrounding Old City revved up the spirits and energy levels. Unfortunately we were not able to book into our rooms in the Divas Hotel in Sultanhamet so it was a case of sitting in the hotel foyer or doing some exploring. The Hippodrome was full of tour groups and a strong police presence, the Prime Minister paying a visit to the Cultural Museum at the head of the square.
At one o'clock we were met by the guide from She Tours and the rest of the tour group doing the Bosphorous Cruise. How different the Bosphorus in sunny weather! We had rain on our trip last year which provided a different atmosphere and less comfort. This was a relaxing and very pleasant introduction to the fascinating city of Istanbul. Palaces and homes of the wealthy line the shores, surrounded by trees and gardens – the old and the new juxtaposed all over. Small fishing boats, launches and a variety of ships ply the waters which connect the Sea of Marmara to the Black Sea. We chugged up along the European bank as far as the Rumelli Fortress near 2nd suspension bridge, returning along the Asian shores. Rumelli Fortress, also known as the Fortress of Europe, was built by Mehmet the Conqueror in 1452 and is situated at the narrowest part of the Bosphorus.
We were then taken to Pierre Loti Hill where we had wonderful views over the city and the Golden Horn, the hillside also being the final resting place for many as evidenced by the great number of tombstones dotting it. A short cable car ride brought us to the bus which then had to negotiate heavy late afternoon traffic to get us all back to our hotels or the areas thereof.
Our group was dropped off at the tram station near the Hippodrome from which we walked back to our hotel with half an hour to spare before we were picked up and taken to the Hocapasa Culture Centre to experience the Mevlevi Sema Ceremony (Whirling Dervishes) and Sufi Music Concert, a profound experience for some in the group. Affected profoundly or not, it was still a fascinating experience in a characterful venue – once upon a time a Turkish Bath.
Our first Turkish meal was had in the street outside full of little restaurants after which we caught the tram back to the Hippodrome, grateful to get back to the hotel and rest our weary heads.
At one o'clock we were met by the guide from She Tours and the rest of the tour group doing the Bosphorous Cruise. How different the Bosphorus in sunny weather! We had rain on our trip last year which provided a different atmosphere and less comfort. This was a relaxing and very pleasant introduction to the fascinating city of Istanbul. Palaces and homes of the wealthy line the shores, surrounded by trees and gardens – the old and the new juxtaposed all over. Small fishing boats, launches and a variety of ships ply the waters which connect the Sea of Marmara to the Black Sea. We chugged up along the European bank as far as the Rumelli Fortress near 2nd suspension bridge, returning along the Asian shores. Rumelli Fortress, also known as the Fortress of Europe, was built by Mehmet the Conqueror in 1452 and is situated at the narrowest part of the Bosphorus.
We were then taken to Pierre Loti Hill where we had wonderful views over the city and the Golden Horn, the hillside also being the final resting place for many as evidenced by the great number of tombstones dotting it. A short cable car ride brought us to the bus which then had to negotiate heavy late afternoon traffic to get us all back to our hotels or the areas thereof.
Our group was dropped off at the tram station near the Hippodrome from which we walked back to our hotel with half an hour to spare before we were picked up and taken to the Hocapasa Culture Centre to experience the Mevlevi Sema Ceremony (Whirling Dervishes) and Sufi Music Concert, a profound experience for some in the group. Affected profoundly or not, it was still a fascinating experience in a characterful venue – once upon a time a Turkish Bath.
Our first Turkish meal was had in the street outside full of little restaurants after which we caught the tram back to the Hippodrome, grateful to get back to the hotel and rest our weary heads.
Turkey sojourn 28 Sept- 12 Oct 2010
“Perhaps the greatest reward of travel is that whenever our bodies are in motion, so are our minds.... I've found that the "inside" of travel can be even more fascinating than its "outside." Wherever we go, as I've been discovering -- around the block or across the globe -- we all carry within us a largely unsuspected capacity that, when activated, produces more vivid and more memorable trips....I call it Deep Travel... a wider awareness in which nothing is taken for granted and everything we encounter seems fresh and new and awaiting discovery. It is like waking up while we're already awake. ”
Deep Travel – Tony Hiss
That is what I love about travelling – that profound awareness, the living completely in the present moment, filled with excitement and delight and energised by the new, the exotic and the unexpected.
And that is why I found myself on the way to Turkey. Accompanying me and joining up with us was a small and diverse group of people whom I quickly became fond of, each in their own way contributing to the magnificent experience that is Turkey.
Leaving Cape Town at 10am Tuesday 28 September, our flight to Turkey via Abu Dhabi was comfortable but extremely long, exacerbated by the 2- hour stop over in Johannesburg . A pleasant selection of movies helped to while away the time while the spectacle of both Mts Kilimanjaro and Kenya peeking up through the clouds at sunset added enchantment to the view.
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