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Day Eight: Gallipoli
Day Eight: Gallipoli
Greece and Turkey are not the most friendly of neighbours so the border crossing was a bit of a mission! The sequence of events was something like this...
The Greek coach dropped us off, with all our baggage, at a Duty Free shop.
After a short while (not spending money), we boarded a transit bus and made our way to Greek passport control. One of the rules of thumb for travelers is "never lose sight of your passport", so it was a bit disconcerting to have them all collected up and taken off the bus while we remained behind!
When the passports were returned we drove on, only a hundred metres or so, to Turkish passport control where our passports left the bus again. While they were gone, a guard carrying an assault rifle made a rather perfunctory inspection of the interior of the bus: looking under the seats and into the parcel trays above our heads. From this point we were assisted by an agent of the Turkish tour company, 7 Tur.
Once the guard had done his thing and our passports had been returned, we drove onto the Turkish side and swapped the transit bus for another coach that would take us across the Evros River and on into Turkey.
Little did we realise that our coach swapping was not yet over. After about 30 km we stopped at a Kipa supermarket and mall complex, near Keşan and, after getting lunch and changing currency, we were squeezed into a little, white, 20 seat, 'baby' bus! It was difficult enough to get our luggage into the storage spaces, but then we had to shoe-horn ourselves into the seats. The air vents above our heads showered us with dust and plant fragments when they were first activated! It was a real come down from the extremely comfortable 40 seater coach we had enjoyed in Greece.
However, we weren't about to have our spirits dampened and, with Alper Avan, our Turkish guide, we were soon ready to drive on to Gallipoli.
Above left: Headstones of Beach Cemetery. Above right; Beach Cemetery memorial.
Below left: The Sphinx, an indication of the unforgiving landscape. Below right: Ataturk quote - "...no difference between the Johnnies and the Mehmets..."
Photos:9 Sep 2008
It was a sombre experience to walk among the gravestones in the peaceful stillness of a summer's day. With the sunlight glinting off a shimmering Aegean Sea, the contrast with the nightmare that was eight months in 1915 was acute.
I had never made anything like a serious study of the Gallipoli Campaign, or any war for that matter. Hearing the stories while standing in the place where it all unfolded, profoundly highlighted the stupidity and human tragedy of it all.
Choosing a grave on which to place a poppy was a poignant moment.
Above left: Statue of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk on Çanak Bayiri (Chunuk Bair), flanked by the Turkish flag and the New Zealand memorial, built of Oamaru stone. Above right: Reconstructed trenches on Çanak Bayiri.
Below: ANZAC Memorial site.
Photos: 9 Sep 2008
Lest we forget!
Lest we forget!
In the late afternoon our little bus rolled onto the vehicle ferry to cross the Dardanelles. On the other side we drove directly through Çanakkale and then down the coast to the Otel Iris. After the important interlude at Gallipoli, the next day we would be back on the biblical trail. Well, that's what we thought, anyway...
Day Nine: Troy, Assos and Pergamum
Day Nine: Troy, Assos and Pergamum
This day was special for me: it was the day for which I had prepared devotions. My main assignment was Pergamum, but our first stop was ancient Troy and our tour booklet had suggested some connection between Troy and Alexandria Troas (Acts 16:8-11) so I had prepared accordingly.
Troy is a fascinating location, as is the story of its discovery by Heinrich Schliemann in the last quarter of the nineteenth-century. The excavations at Troy are divided into nine levels spanning a period of some 3500 years. We had a bit of a whirlwind tour, during which I found it difficult to make much sense of those different layers. Schleimann had identified Troy II as the level associated with Homer's Iliad, but his reasoning has come to be regarded as spurious and most scholars now connect that famous period with Troy VII. By Paul's time Troy (IX) was again a significant city, venerated by the Romans for its supposed connection to Anaeas, the legendary founder of Rome.
From a biblical perspective, however, we learned that there was in fact no direct connection between Troy and Paul's journeys. So, instead of sharing the Troas material I had prepared at the site of Troy, I distributed it in the bus later, as we drove south. I wanted to know from Alper, our guide, where Paul's Troas was, but the best he could manage was a casual westward wave and a "Somewhere over that way...". I was a little disappointed!
We were then making our way to the small town of Behramkale, about 65 km south of Troy, the location of ancient Assos. On his so-called Third Missionary Journey, Paul had passed through Assos on his way back to Jerusalem from Macedonia. After arriving in Alexandria Troas, Paul had walked to Assos (Acts 20:13), while his companions went ahead by ship. From here he went on to Miletus where he met with the Ephesian elders, before returning to Palestine.
A short walk up a cobbled street, lined with shops and stalls, took us up to the ancient acropolis of Assos. The view over the Aegean Sea to the island of Lesvos was spectacular, in spite of the heat haze of another beautiful cloudless day. Apart from the glorious view, the major feature of the acropolis is the remains of its Temple of Athena (c. 530 BCE).
Above left: The view towards Lesvos from the Acropolis of Assos. Above right: Temple of Athena, Acropolis of Assos.
Photo: 10 Sep 2008
After lunch, with alma chai (apple tea) at Behramkale, we drove on to visit our first Church of the Revelation: Pergamum (Revelation 2:12-17).
After the bus had wound its way up the narrow access road, Alper took us on an anti-clockwise tour of the site, visiting first the Traianaeum (Temple of Trajan). Constructed after the close of the New Testament period, this was the site of Emperor worship in the later Roman period. Was it for refusing to acknowledge Caesar as Lord, in an earlier period, that Antipas, Christ's "faithful witness, was martyred? (Revelation 2:13)
Enough of this once magnificent temple was standing to give us an indication of its former splendour: it would have been breath-taking in its day! The temple stood on artificially constructed level ground, supported by a network of arches and vaults below. From a viewing area on the edge of the temple platform, we were able take in a panoramic view of the theatre, with the valley stretched out beyond. A walkway then took us down towards the theatre, passing through the arches of the vaults, which were then directly beneath our feet.
Above left: Temple of Trajan, Pergamum. (with Suzanne Stevenson) Above right: Arches and vaults supporting the platform of the Temple of Trajan, Pergamum.
Below: The theatre of Pergamum from the Temple of Trajan. Photos:10 Sep 2008
Walking down into the theatre through the sole remaining vomitorium was a novel experience. The narrow confines of the tunnel helped confirm that, then as now, high in the theatre were the 'cheap seats'!
I was able to share the devotions I had prepared in the theatre. Constitutionally, Turkey is a secular state, so overt displays of religious devotion in public are frowned upon. Fortunately, at most sites we were able to find a private enough space that not only allowed us to gather in a small group for reflection, but also to sing.
Exiting the theatre to the south, we completed our tour by visiting the empty crepidoma (stepped base) of the, now removed, Altar of Zeus. The crepidoma is under the trees in the top middle of the picture above. It was disappointing to learn that the 'altar' itself had been completely removed, with the permission of the Ottoman rulers, in the late nineteenth-century and is now on display in the Pergamon Museum in Berlin.
We completed our anti-clockwise circle back to the souvenir stalls by the exit gate, via the upper agora. It had already been a very full day but, on our way back out to our coastal hotel at Dikili (right), Alper took us to yet another commercial stop: an onyx factory. It was becoming abundantly clear that guides got kickbacks for bringing in the tourist purchasing power!
Above: Sunset over the Aegean Sea from Hotel Mysia, at Dikili. Photo: 10 Sep 2008
Day Ten: Smyrna, Sardis and Philadelphia
Day Ten: Smyrna, Sardis and Philadelphia
Day Ten involved travelling to three locations associated with Churches of the Revelation. I suppose we had expected each visit to be a bit like our visit to Pergamum. As it turned out, it wasn't quite like that.
Our first stop was the modern city of Izmir, about two hour's drive from our hotel. This we knew to be the ancient city of Smyrna (Revelation 2:8-11), but our stop there was somewhat disappointing. Basically, all we did was pull over, beside the Gulf of Izmir with a distant view of the city centre, and have a bit of a leg stretch and breath of fresh air. Of course, the leg stretch and the fresh air were very welcome, given the standard of our transport, but getting back on board and having our devotional reflection as we traveled along was not, in my view, ideal. I didn't feel like I could say I had been to Smyrna; at best I had driven around the fringes of Izmir.
Sardis, a little over an hour east of Izmir, was a different story. After a quick introduction to the site from Alper, in the shade of a tree in the vehicle park, we began our tour walking past the latrines and down the road through a commercial area.
After passing a short section of standing Roman columns, we entered the impressively reconstructed gymnasium complex. Facing the palaestra (outdoor exercise area) is a spectacular two-storied colonnaded vestibule. This enormous edifice was reconstructed in the late twentieth-century by a joint Turkish and US project. The shade provided by the ornately decorated columns and walls was the perfect place to reflect on the message to the Church at Sardis, Revelation 3:1-6.
Above left: Walking through the commercial area on the southern edge of the excavations at Sardis. Note the back of the Gymnasium complex at top left. Above right: Roman columns standing along the road.
Below left: Arches leading to the Gymnasium. Note the typical Roman brickwork. Below right: The Gymnasium complex at Sardis, from the Palaestra.
Photos: 11 Sep 2008
Passing south through the palaestra, we left the gymnasium complex and entered the remains of a former temple that had been converted into a synagogue. The main features that captured our attention were the mosaics on both the floor and the walls and the niches where the Torah scrolls would have been kept.
It was a good moment to reflect on the history of worship and devotion in a place so close to the centre of Roman community life.
Above left: Torah niche of the Sardis synagogue. Above right: One of the colossal pillars which supported the dome of the Basilica of St John, Philadelphia Photo: 11 Sep 2008
After leaving the site we drove on to our next destination, Philadelphia.
The relatively small town of Alaşehir sits atop the unexposed remains of the ancient city of Philadelphia - the city of "brotherly love". (Revelation 3:7-13) Here, presumably because there is nothing of that sort to be seen, we saw nothing of the architectural remains of the city from the New Testament or early Church periods.
As modern visitors to Philadelphia do, we made our way up through the narrow and bustling streets - taking particular care when being passed by a donkey cart coming the other way - past shops, a dusty looking children's playground and monuments to Turkey's recent history, to the remains of the sixth-century church dedicated to St John.
All that remains of the church of St Jean, as it was labeled at the site, are the lower sections of six huge stone and brick pillars which had supported the dome of the basilica. There were a few artefacts scattered about the site - sarcophagi, tablets inscribed with different languages and the odd sculptural element - but, with so few extant remains, it really was an exercise of the imagination to picture the scene from earlier days.
The gift shop and toilets were a welcome addition to the site and, as well as making ourselves comfortable for the next leg of our journey, some of us purchased an excellent little book covering the Seven Churches of the Revelation. Before too long, we were back on the road, south-east to Pamukkale, and the ancient city of Hierapolis (Colossians 4:13).
Pamukkale, translated literally, means "Cotton Castles". The town takes its name from the white travertine formations 'flowing' down the hillside below the ancient city of Hierapolis. Built up over centuries from mineral deposits, left by the flow of thermal springs, the glistening white 'castles of cotton' were clearly visible from a long way off.
The 'Cotton Castles' of Pamukkale from the road. Photo: 11 Sep 2008
They gradually grew in size, beginning to fill our vision but, as we got closer, our attention was also drawn by a strange (to us) phenomenon in the small villages through which we passed: there were glass bottles balanced precariously on the chimneys of more then a few houses! Apparently, in the houses with a bottle, there was a young single woman, of marriageable age, available for, ...um... inspection? wooing? It was one of those moments when you wonder, "How on earth would a custom like that have begun? Who was the first to think of 'advertising' for suitors by sticking a bottle on a smoke stack?"
Shortly after that educational moment we were right underneath the 'cotton castles'. Our coach took us to the southern entrance to the site which, with the spectacular formations and the hot pools, would be a tourist attraction even without the archaeological site. We passed through the Byzantine era walls and briefly explored some of the remains of Hierapolis before wandering down to the travertines, themselves: they were a spectacular sight in the late afternoon sun.
Above left: Travertine pools of Pamukkale. (It wasn't a scheduled day for this section to be 'irrigated'.) Above right: A late afternoon foot soak at Pamukkale. Tanya Dunn, Sue Hay, Suzanne Stevenson, Wendy Barney, Margaret Bateman. Photos: 11 Sep 2008
The theatre of Hierapolis, seen only in the distance on this occasion. Photo 11 Sep 2008
Day Eleven: Laodicea and Colossae
Day Eleven: Laodicea and Colossae
On day eleven, our first scheduled stop was Laodicea. We hadn't long been under way when a battle of wills unfolded between Wilfred and Alper, our guide. Alper was insisting that there was nothing to see at Laodicea and that it was not worth visiting the site: he wanted us to just drive on by. Wilfred was equally insistent that we wanted to go there. Alper took quite a bit of persuading but, as the paying customer, Wilfred got his way in the end.
When we did eventually arrive at the site, only about 20 km from our hotel, both Alper and Wilfred got a bit of a surprise: the site was under active excavation.
The site was on a hill, like a large domed mound. Across the top of the mound was a long section of excavated road with partial columns adorning each side.
Off the side of the road walled structures were being exposed by an archaeologist as we looked on - she wasn't happy about photographs being taken.
We walked the length of the road and then across the mound, stubbled with the stalks of dried plants, to the north theatre, a collapsing ruin. From the top of the theatre, looking across the valley it was possible to pick out the location of Hierapolis. Of course it was the white terraces below the city that gave it away.
Top left: The North theatre of Laodicea. Bottom left: One intricate piece of the Laodicea jig-saw puzzle. Above right: The excavated road with columns. Photos: 12 Sep 2008
Circling back, we observed an amazing array of bits and pieces scattered across the site. There were large blocks, sections of columns and a multitude of roofing tiles. Some of it was neatly arranged over, as yet, unexcavated areas, while other elements could still be seen partially exposed and partially buried.
Here was one serious jig-saw puzzle for later assembly: the remains of ancient Laodicea.
Below: More pieces of the Laodicea jig-saw puzzle. Photos: 12 Sep 2008
At one point Alper got chatting to the head archaeologist on site. Alper interpreted for him as he told us that they had found what they believed to be the apse of a church. If their early assessment was correct, he said it could turn out to be the earliest known Christian church building in Turkey. It felt as though we were in on the ground floor of something new.
Below left: Apse of an early church? Below right: On top of the mound of Colossae. The ancient city remains buried underneath.
Photo: 12 Sep 2008
After a much more extensive visit than we had originally understood would be on offer, we were very happy as we made our way to our next stop, Colossae. It was just another short drive, of about 20 km, up the Lycus Valley.
As it turned out, at Colossae we found what we had expected at Laodicea: a completely unexcavated mound. There wasn't much more to see than a tired looking sign at the base of a comparatively small hillock. There may not have been much to see but, as far as I was concerned, it was an important exercise in "being there".
We climbed the rough path to the top of mound, about one twentieth the size of the mound at Laodicea, where we shared devotions.
After that it was back into our little bus for the journey to Kuşadası. This would be our base for visiting Ephesus and the staging point for our return to Greece.
Before we went to our hotel, however, Alper took us to a leather goods factory. We were treated to a cat walk show, complete with participation from Robert and Janine, before being ushered through into the high pressure sales area. There were some very high quality garments on display but they also had some very high quality prices! There were some low budget items available as well but, once again, I wasn't tempted.
We would have two nights at the Pine Marina Hotel in Kuşadası so it was a very good thing that we had a balcony with a beautiful view over the waterfront. Equally appreciated was the pool below, which we enjoyed as we freshened up for dinner. We were all looking forward to the visit to Ephesus the following day.
Day Twelve: Kuşadası and Ephesus
Day Twelve: Kuşadası and Ephesus
Early morning anticipation of our Ephesus visit had to be tempered a little because our first stop turned out to be to a carpet factory! While it could have been just another commercial stop it did turn out to be interesting and educational.
The process of hand knotting looked both skilful and unbelievably tedious at the same time. The finer the thread the more knots per square inch, so a large silk on silk carpet, while an exquisite work of art, would take thousands of hours to complete. The harvesting of silk thread from cocoons bobbing in warm water was also fascinating to observe.
After visiting the 'work' area we were treated to a complementary drink and a comprehensive display of carpets of different types in a special viewing room. The demonstration of carpet types and styles - varied by size, materials and patterns - was quite captivating but then so were the sales tactics when it was over! The room flooded with very determined salesmen and if you hadn't taken your bearings when coming into the room it could easily have felt as though you were, quite literally, captive in the room. I made the mistake of asking a clarifying question about a particular carpet and it took a very determined effort to get away from the pressure which followed!
Above: Traditional carpet weaving at Kuşadası. Above right: Tomb of St John at the Basilica that bears his name.
Photo: 13 Sep 2008
Eventually we had everybody back on the bus and our next call was the Basilica of St John. Here, as in other places, the pictorial sign board showing a reconstruction of the basilica in its former glory was very helpful for making sense of what remained. This is the traditional resting place of the Apostle John who is said to have come to Ephesus to live out his last days.
Also of interest was the view from the elevated site down to the location of the famed Temple of Artemis. All that remained on the site was one obviously, and very poorly, reconstructed column. In fact, it was not even a reconstructed column, more of a stack of mismatched column 'drums' bearing little, if any, relation to the original structure. What once had been one of the seven wonders of the ancient world, and an integral part of the social and religious life of Ephesus, simply was no more.
From there, our coach wound its way up into the hills to visit 'Mary's House'. This location was not specified on our itinerary and I had never heard of it. It turned out to be a significant site of Roman Catholic devotion to the Virgin Mary.
The site itself had been identified by interpreting geographical clues in the recorded visions of a nineteenth-century nun, in which she claimed to have seen Mary, the mother of Jesus, living out her last days. Having located the site, excavation revealed a small dwelling, now venerated by many Catholics. The abundance of paper notes fixed into a prayer wall outside the dwelling was a clear indication of the numbers of pilgrims making their way to the site. Another symbol of devotion was the very large statue of Mary beside the road as we wound our way back down the hill to visit Ephesus.
When we finally arrived at the upper entrance to the archaeological site of Ephesus, and while Alper was purchasing the entry tickets, we had an opportunity to scan the tourist stalls lining the road. There I saw what would have to be the most honest advertising sign I have ever seen! Is it only in Turkey that you can buy "Genuine Fake Watches"?!
The visit to Ephesus was spectacular. It was the largest site we had visited and therefore not surprisingly, it had the greatest variety of buildings, monuments and artefacts. These were mostly spread out down the descending roadway known as Curetes Street. The Bouleuterion (civic assembly building) was like a small theatre near the entrance and on the other side of the road was the state agora.
The road wound downhill, over a distance of about half a kilometre, to the imposing Library of Celsus, although reconstructed, one of the signature remains on the site. Along the way, there was an array of sculptures, obviously relocated reliefs and partially, even crudely, reconstructed temples and monuments. There was so much to capture the eye that it would have been easy to miss the more mundane. I was grateful to Alper for pointing out some seemingly innocuous holes in and beside the paved area. These, we learned, were believed to be anchor points for torches used as navigation aids for ships entering the port which, in ancient times, would have been a further half a kilometre (as the crow flies) beyond the library. It was a nice detail.
Above: Looking down Curetes Street to the Library of Celsus, Ephesus. Photo: 13 Sep 2008
Objects positioned along Curetes Street, Ephesus. Above left: Relief of Nike, goddess of victory - note the wreath in her hand. Above right: Relief of Hermes, messenger of the gods - see the winged ankles.
Photos: 13 Sep 2008
Near the bottom of Curetes Street were the public latrines. These were for men only and, apparently, the place to be for political and commercial power talk. We, the men at least, were able to take a seat for a photo opportunity! Just past the latrines was the library. I was impressed by the four statues adorning the magnificent façade: Sophia (Wisdom), Episteme (Knowledge), Ennoia (Intelligence) and Arete (Virtue). These and the library itself, along with many other extant remains dated from the time after the Apostle Paul.
We did not go through the Gate of Mazeus and Mithridates into the commercial agora, both of which were present in Paul's day, but turned right along the road to the theatre. This was the scene of the riot reported in Acts 19: Demetrius probably kicked it off in the commercial agora, just across the road.
From the theatre we had a good view down the Arcadian Way, up which new arrivals to Ephesus would have walked from the harbour. A few blocks of the Harbour Baths could be seen standing above the trees in the distance.
Above: Our group in the theatre at Ephesus, with Alper our guide. The Arcadian Way, running up from the harbour, is at the right.
Photo: 13 Sep 2008
After leaving the theatre we made our way to the fifth-century AD Church of Mary, the location of both the Third Ecumenical Council, 431 AD, and the so-called 'Robber Council' of 449 AD. Here in the sliver of shade provided by the remaining portion of the apse, Suzanne led us in devotions.
From there it was back to the hotel. After dinner, during which we said our good-byes to Alper and our driver, a number of us wandered down to the bustling market area of town for a bit of tourist shopping - window or otherwise! It wasn't a late night as we had to make preparations for an early departure. The next leg of our journey would take us back into Greece: the islands of Samos and Patmos.
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