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A Turkish Delight
Atatürk & Cappadocia
Day 2 Lake Abant
Breakfast consisted of a continental style buffet with ham, cheese, boiled eggs, bread, fruit, coffee and strong Turkish Çay (Tea) to choose from. The coach was set to leave at 8:30am to start our long trek around the country. The luggage was loaded into the coach and we boarded ready for the first stint of the day. The Istanbul traffic was very busy, rush hour of course, so we made slow progress through the streets until reaching the main express road leading east to the Asian side of the city and over the Fatih Sultan Mehmet Bridge giving a fantastic view of the Bospherous and Istanbul whilst we crossed.
Mustafa, our driver, continued along the ring road that circles the north of the city and on our left was the new National Stadium, explained Funda, which I believe is being constructed in time for Turkey to host the UEFA European Championships in 2016. It looks quite a large stadium, probably similar to that of Wembley in London. It wasn’t long after that we were approaching the second International Airport of Istanbul, which is named after one of Ataturk’s eight adopted children. Sahiba Gökçen Airport is on the Asian side of Istanbul and named in her memory. Her interest in flying started at an early age, joined the Turkish Air Force and in 1937 she took part in the military operation against the Dersim rebellion and became the world's first female air force combat pilot. Leaving the city behind the road continued to climb along the coastline of the Sea of Marmara passed Gebze and onwards to Izmit. Funda explained that Izmit is an industrial centre, with car, paper and cement factories, alongside the oil terminals which we could see the large ships anchored offshore waiting to be unloaded from our high vantage point on this section of road. She also told us about the earthquake of 1999 were it was estimated that 19,000 people lost their lives and half a million became homeless, taking many years for the region to recover. Not far after Izmit it was time to take a short break at a roadside service station, a chance to stretch our legs and sample the local Turkish çay.
Day 2 Lake Abant
Back on the road the next view was of Lake Sapanca which measures 16km in length and is one of the few lakes in Turkey that supplies drinking water. (Although I think I will stick to bottled.) It is also a destination for holiday makers because of its natural beauty. Travelling onwards we approached the Bolu Mountains which now as a 2.9km tunnel cut through them. The tunnel was also a victim of the earthquake with major damage being caused and extensive repairs being required before it could be opened to traffic.
Turning off the main road we continued along a tree line road that started to climb up to our lunch time destination Lake Abant. It is a fresh water lake formed as a result of a great landslide at an altitude of 1320m and is surrounded with pine trees, ideal for walking and fishing. Upon arrival at Lake Abant we left the coach and walked down to the restaurant which had tables set out on the jetty protruding into the lake. The sky was blue and clear of clouds with the sun reflecting off the water whilst the native ducks thrashed about amongst the reeds. With Funda’s help we each ordered something from the menu and sat back basking in the bright sun, with a cold beer to quench our thirst. We had sat with Paul, who was telling us about some of the trips he had been on. Antartica and Russia seem to stand out most from his interesting stories. Having enjoyed my kofte meatballs with a spice ezme salad we had a chance to go for a short walk along the lakeside to take in the magnificent view of the lake with its pine covered hillside.
Once back in the coach the road climbed high above the lake to give a splendid view and surrounding forest before dropping down into the valley. From here on the landscape started to slowly change from the lush green forest to a barren rocky land with just a few trees. Our overnight stop was spent in a large traditional Ottoman style house in the old quarter of Beypazari. This area is renowned for growing carrots and in the centre of a roundabout proudly displayed is a giant plastic carrot.
Day 3 Atatürk
It was only an hour’s drive from the hotel to the capital city, Ankara. In total contrast to Istanbul, Ankara is the political centre of the country and the layout of the wide avenues and city parks give a more contemporary feel to the place. Upon entering the city we passed the main airport which is used by both civilian and military aircraft. I noticed that there were a number of military aircraft on display, with a Lockheed F104 Starfighter that had been mounted with its nose pointing towards the sky. One interesting sight was that of all the basketball players mounted on the street lamps leading up to the sports centre where the World Basketball Championships had been held in early September. Turkey had unfortunately been beaten by the USA in the final of the tournament. Continuing on through the city the coach eventually came to the first destination of the day, the Museum of Anatolian Civilizations situated close to Ankara Castle in the Atpazari district. The museum has exhibits starting from the Paleolithic era and in chronological order continues through the Neolithic, Early Bronze, Assyrian trading colonies, Hittite, Phrygian, Urartian, Greek, Hellenistic, Roman, Byzantine, Seljuk and Ottoman periods. I wandered around looking at the numerous gold, silver, glass, marble and bronze piece traditionally displayed in their glass cases admiring the detail of work involved. Many of the finds had been excavated from numerous digs at Karain, Çatalhöyük, Hacilar, Canhasan to name just a few. There was also a fine collection of coins with examples ranging from the first minted money to right up to modern times.
It was a short hop back across the city to the Anitkabir, the Mausoleum of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, who became leader of the Turkish War of Independence and then founder and first president of the Republic of Turkey. Climbing the grand steps we were confronted by two sets of large stone statues. The group of three women represent the pride of Turkish women, and their solemnity and determination even in the deepest grief of losing Atatürk, whilst the other group is of three men, a soldier, an intellectual and a peasant, representing the solemnity and willpower of the Turkish people. They stand at the beginning of the Road of Lions which stretches for 260m and is lined on both sides by twelve pairs of stone lions which represent Anatolia and are shown seated to simultaneously represent both power and peace. Slowly we walked along the Road of Lions to the Ceremonial plaza which is large enough to accommodate fifteen thousand people. On the left of the plaza are stone reliefs that symbolize the ideals that influenced the Turkish nation and the creation of the Republic of Turkey. In the middle of the stone reliefs another set of grand steps climbs up to the impressive rectangular stone building with its ten square stone columns at the front.
Day 3 Atatürk
Inside the cool interior is Atatürk’s tomb, located under a forty ton sarcophagus at the far end of The Hall of Honour in front of a large window. From the top of the steps in front of the Hall of Honour I stood looking out over the city below realising that this was the perfect place to build this memorial to the revered leader of Turkey and that he is still able to look down on his beloved people.
Below the mausoleum complex is a whole museum dedicated to Atatürk and the struggle to gain independence after the country was partitioned following the fall of the Ottoman Empire at the end of World War I. The Allies of Great Britain, France, Greece and Italy wanted to control various parts of the country because of its strategic position in the east. The Turkish National Movement in Anatolia successfully mobilized its resources under the leadership of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk forcing the Allies to abandon the Treaty of Sèvres and to negotiate a new one, Treaty of Lausanne in July 1923 giving control to the Republic of Turkey. The museum starts with a display of many of Atatürk’s personal possessions and gifts from foreign dignitaries he entertained alongside a photographic timeline of his presidency. On display in a glass case was a lifelike waxwork depicting the man himself in a black dinner suit looking very much a socialite of the era. The next exhibit depicted the war with full scale dioramas and painted backdrops including some very convincing sound effects of bombs dropping, shells exploding, machine gun fire and the calls of the wounded. Large paintings where displayed showing various scenes from the battles and victories that Ataturk masterminding during the campaign. Each one was painted in a propaganda style of the common man against the evil invading Allies. The whole visit was really enjoyable and I was very impressed with the simple but yet physically powerful design of the mausoleum. Upon leaving the museum I walked back out into the bright afternoon sunshine across the Ceremonial Plaza to where Funda was waiting for the group to assemble before taking us back to our coach.
Now it was time to sit back and enjoy the countryside passing by with another long road section to the heart of Cappadocia. Sitting inside our air conditioned coach it was obvious that the temperature outside was climbing when we started to pass Tuz Gölü (salt lake) the third largest lake in Turkey. The heat haze on the horizon made it impossible to distinguish where the dry salt flats ended and the sky began. During the summer months the salt is mined to produce 70% of salt consumed in Turkey generating a boost to the economy. The hours passed and the coach continued its journey arriving in Ürgüp just as the early evening sun was descending below the horizon.
Day 4 Cappadocia
In its time Cappadocia has seen the rise and fall of many civilizations, it is a land of wide plains, undulating hills, jagged mountains and extinct volcanoes. Its unique landscape was what attracted us to come and explore this country. The compacted volcanic ash is ideal for making caves and the whole area is sprinkled with underground houses, churches and even large cities. The district of Göreme is where we would be spending the morning exploring the open air museum with is many churches and dwellings. After the eruption of Mount Erciyes about 2000 years ago, ash and lava formed the soft rock which over time was eroded by wind and water, leaving the hard cap rock on top of the pillars, forming the present-day fairy chimneys.
Upon entering the museum, Funda explained that the group would have to wait its turn to enter each of the churches and that a strict time limit of five minutes is imposed on each grouped that entered. So we passed through a narrow low tunnel and joined the queue of groups waiting to see inside the first church. Whilst waiting I had the opportunity to take some photos of the cave dwellings on the opposite side of the valley. At the entrance to each church a security guard was stationed to ensure nobody tried to photograph the interiors and acted quickly if anyone looked like they were about to get a quick shot. We entered the tiny Apple Church which has one dome supported by four columns with one main apse (semi circular dome) and two side apses. All the surfaces are painted with frescos depicting scenes of the Baptism, entry into Jerusalem, Last Supper, Crucifixion and the Betrayal of Judas. All too quickly our five minutes was over and we had to leave to let the next group in, which consisted of about forty. They were going to struggle to all fit in. The next church that of St Barbara had simple red ochre symbols painted on the main dome and columns. Although the entire church is carved out of the rock the creators have painted on the arched roofs to simulate cut stonework. The whole museum was getting very busy and we had to wait some time to enter the next church. The Snake Church is quite simple in design with a barrel roof and painting on each side. One side displays Helena and Constantine holding the True Cross with St George and St. Theodore killing the Dragon next to them. On the opposite side St. Basil, St. Thomas and St. Onouphrios are painted. It is believed that Onouphrios was a beautiful woman who grew tired of the advances of men and prayed to God to help her. Her prayers were answered by turning her into an ugly old man with a grey beard, hence why she is shown as half man half women. The last church we entered was via a high steel stairway into the Church of the Sandals. The original stone steps collapsed a long time ago. The church has four domes and three apses. The frescos inside are very similar to those found in the Apple Church dating back to the 13th Century. The whole site at Göreme is a pleasure to explore with its mix of strange geology and religious icons.
Avanos is located on the banks of the Kizilirmak, the Red River and as been known for producing fine pottery for many centuries. The river is the not only the longest in Turkey but also supplies the red clay for the local potteries. We now had an opportunity to visit one of the many potteries and upon arrival were introduced to the owner of Ömürlü pottery studio. We entered a large room and sat on the benches encircling the room, before being introduced the potter who was going to demonstrate throwing a pot. The small man straddled the wheel and with his right foot started to spin the wheel. Placing the ball of clay in the centre he first wet it and then started to work the clay with his hands. Slowly the clay started to take the form of a simple vase and within a few minutes the piece was complete. With a wire cutter the vase was removed from the wheel and placed to one side.
Day 4 Cappadocia
Now it was time for a volunteer and Lisa kindly obliged and was soon receiving a round of applause for her efforts at throwing a pot. After the demonstration we were shown into the studio where the pottery is decorated and told how this was achieved. The piece is left to dry, then the decoration is added by delicately applying colours to the surface, which can take up to a month on a large plate. Then the glaze is applied and allowed to dry before the piece is placed in the kiln for firing. Only then are the vibrant colours revealed. In the studio a group of artists were skillfully applying the various traditional designs to their pieces, which was fascinating to watch. The final part of the tour was to visit the shop to see many fine examples of pots, plates, vases and cups. The exquisite quality of the pieces put many of them out of our price range but Mo found a small vase that see liked and with a small discount it was soon wrapped and placed in a plastic bag to take on the rest of the journey with us.
Uchisar Castle can be seen from all over the area perched high on the rocky outcrop it is the perfect location for this fortification. The first stage of the climb is inside the rock formation through the rooms that have been carved out of the soft material up the stairs to the passageway that leads to the outside about a third of the way to the top. The next stage continues up the rocky stairway winding up the rock face. Some parts are quite steep so I stopped to take in the view and wait for Mo to catch up. Continuing on after my short rest I soon reached the top where there are some empty eroded Byzantine graves and a panorama of the surrounding area with Mount Erciyes in the distance. Like conquering soldiers we posed for photos by the flag pole which is the highest point of the castle. In the distance the colour of the sky was changing to a dark brown with the fast approaching sand storm. We only just made it down as the storm hit the area. The strong winds buffeted the coach as it made its way back to our hotel.
Tonight Funda had organised to take the group to a traditional Turkish night of food, drink and dancing in an underground restaurant. Upon entering the large cavernous room with long tables laid out like the spokes of a wheel facing the dance floor we were shown to our table for the night. Our group was the first to arrive and within minutes our first course was being served. The waiters brought a selection of Turkish salads and baskets full of fresh bread and placed down the centre of the table which we started to share out amongst ourselves. Everyone was passing round the different plates, to have a taste of each tempting dish. Whilst we were eating more and more groups were being shown to their tables and the waiters were being kept quite busy serving food and drinks. Without warning the room went dark and four figures appeared circling the dance floor to the rhythm of the slow pulsing music. Their trance like movements were not what everyone expected from the Whirling Dervishes. I was expecting a more frenzied dance but instead we experienced a graceful rhythmic display of religious significance.
The evening continued with a dance troop performing various styles of traditional Turkish dances whilst we ate our meal. Jim decided to ask for a bottle of Raki and was offering everyone a taster. Mixed with water the clear liquid turns cloudy and has a strong aniseed flavour. I had a few sips but it was not to my liking, whiskey for me every time. The show carried late into the evening with a performance from a belly dancer followed by her getting a group of men from the audience to attempt to follow her movements of this traditional dance. One of them was very good and deserved his applause from the crowd for his performance. The whole evening was an interesting if somewhat staged cultural experience which I truly enjoyed.
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