Turkey Part II

29 December - Selçuk

The tombs of the necropolis

And so begins the tour of Classical ruins! Got up this morning and went up through Pamukkale to the ruins. Drove through most of Hierapolis to get to the travertine pools, so we did that first. The road goes right through the necropolis - hundreds and hundreds of tombs, most broken and cracked open. Would be verrrrry eerie at night!! It was the largest ancient graveyard in Anatolia, from Roman, Hellenistic, and early Christian times. 
Walked over to the top of the pools, where you have to take your shoes off to walk the very top. The water coming out is warm, but cools very quickly and if you actually go into any of the pools its really cold. The travertine terraces are made from limestone deposits from the flowing hot springs. Pamukkale means "Cotton Castle." Quite frankly, it was a bit dingy and not colorful at all - underwhelming.


Just above the cliffs is the city of Hierapolis, which was around in about 200 BC as part of the Seleucid Empire but reached its peak in around 200 AD after being conquered by the Roman ally Eumenes.  We walked up to the theater, which was built in 200 BC and seated 20,000. All things considered, its in pretty good shape! 


From there we drove a tiny further on because the guard told us there were red deposits, but it was just a cheesy resort town with a manmade fountain (though the water was steaming). We bought fruit from the local vendor on the street - 1 kg of mandarin oranges for 1 lira, 1 kg tomatoes = 1 lira, and bananas for 3L.
Drove from there to Aphrodisias, site of an ancient neolithic shrine and later the Temple of Aphrodite around 2nd century BC, when it came under the protection of Roman emperor Augustus. First, we went into the Aphrodisias Museum to see all the statues that had been found around the ruins - some were very nicely preserved; others looked like they put the wrong heads on the wrong bodies. Plus, it was FREEZING in there, somehow way colder than outside. What's left of the Temple of Aphrodite is about a dozen columns and lots of blocks. There was also a great stadium in very good shape - a long oval that could seat 30,000. 

We found a couple of the seats that had the names of patrons or families engraved on the side. Then we walked up through the ruins and up to the theater, which again was in pretty good shape. 
There was lots of ancient graffiti carved into the seats - I guess people never change!

From there we drove west through Aydin to Selçuk. Had dinner at the Keledin Hotel - a nice atmosphere but I think a bit overrated. Tomorrow we'll see Ephesis and the Temple of Artemis, which was one of the wonders of the ancient world but now is reduced to a single pillar.

30 December - Bergama
Stayed last night in the Hotel Nilya, a cute little place up in the hills of Selçuk. Very warm covers - nice!! After breakfast, drove down and spent the morning at Ephesius, one of the greatest ruined cities of the western world. Was first a Greek city in 1000 BC, but flourished as a Roman port in the AD 400s. Much of it is restored (and you can tell its not the original) but its still very impressive.
Coolest is the library of Celsus, built in AD 114-117, with two huge levels of pillars and 4 statues in the front - Sophia (wisdom), Arete (virtue), Ennoia (intellect), and Epistene (Knowledge).
Up the hill you get to the brothel, latrines, Temple of Hadrian, Gate of Hercules, and the Odeon (meeting hall, like a small theater.) We borrowed a book from the Nilya that had overlays with pictures of the ruins, and then artist renditions of that it would have looked like. Some it was impossible to imagine because almost nothing was left.

A nice place for a 200 year long nap...

After leaving Efes, we drove around the corner to the Grotto of Seven Sleepers. Supposedly, 7 youths ran into the hills to escape persecution because they were Christians, and they slept for 200 years and when they woke up the Christians were in charge. So they were safe, and they built a church on the site.

The Grotto of Seven Sleepers

Also drove up to the House of the Virgin Mary where she spent the last years of her life (and there is supposedly healing water) but it cost 11 YTL per person to get in so we decided to forgo. Drove back down the hill and stopped briefly at the Temple of Artemis, which once had 127 columns and was larger than the parthenon and is one of the 7 ancient wonders. There's really nothing left...

Whats left of the Temple of Artemis - one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World

Drove out of Selçuk, through Izmir (TONS of traffic, and the toll road ends so you are on city streets for a good half hour) and came to Bergama. Went first to a hotel but they didn't seem that nice (and it was 80 lira) so we decided to go for the pension instead for 45 YTL (and they are much nicer!)

Had dinner at the local Pide (Turkish flatbread, like pizza) place across the street and when we came out it was raining. Hopefully it'll get it all out of its system tonight so that it's clear tomorrow!!

31 December - Eceabat
Started this morning at Asklepion, an ancient medical center. Drove through a Turkish military base to get there - could see rows and rows of tanks right by the road! Went in to Asklepion - made big by Galen (AD 131-210). Down the Roman Bazaar street to the Temple of Asclepios and a Roman theater. Touched the sacred well, then through the underground tunnel to the circular Temple of Telesphorus where patients would sleep in the hopes that a cure would come to them in a dream. Telesphorus's 2 daughters were Hygeia and Panacea.

Hallo, from the Temple of Trajan!

Drove through town (some very small, busy streets) to the Acropolis, up at the top of the hill. The marble columned Temple of Trajan was nice, but most impressive was the 10,000 seat theater on the side of the hill looking down onto Bergama. VERY impressive view.



Stopped at a market on the way out of town for snacks, then drove 3+ hours to Truva, the old city of Troy.


There are up to 9 different layers of ancient cities, built one on top of the other. It was probably Troy VI or VII that was the city of Kin Priam and fought the Trojan War. At the entrance is a big replica of the Trojan horse, but other than that the excavations are fairly unexciting and the site is pretty small.

Drove to Canakkale and took the ferry across the Dardanelles - the narrowest point, over to Eceabat. Goodbye, Asia!

We're staying in another hostel thats not too bad since there aren't too many tourists so we have our own room (with 4 bunk beds - 8 beds!)

Woo hoo! Last night in a cheap place!

1 Jan 2006 - Istanbul
Gorgeous hotel in a gorgeous city! We started this morning on the Gallipoli Peninsula. It's basically the gateway protecting the waterway into Asia - a peninsula jutting into the Aegean Sea creating a narrow inlet known as the Dardanelles. Whoever controlled the Dardanelles basically had control over Istanbul, which then meant control over the inlet to the Black Sea and Russia.



It was where one of the bloodiest campaigns of WWI took place - more than 300,000 soldiers from both sides as casualties.
The Allies (mostly Australia/NewZealand - ANZACs, and British, French, and Indians tried to take control of the Dardanelles on 25 April 1915 and stayed 8 months, then withdrew - a humiliating defeat for Winston Churchill. Although it's considered the Turk's greatest victory of the war, lots died from the really bad conditions and trench warfare.

Reconstructed trenches, overlooking the Dardanelles

Drove up to the Kabatepe Info Center where there is a small museum with relics from the war. Interesting was the display of bullets that hit each other (2 bullets fused together, or bullets with bullet holes in them). And a skull with a bullet lodged in the forehead. Saw the Respect to Mehmetçik Memorial, a statue of a Turkish soldier carrying a wounded Allied soldier, and saw several cemeteries including Lone Pine. Went to some reconstructed trenches overlooking the Aegean. Most of the Gallipoli Battlefields are now a National Park, and it's really pretty.

Lone Pine Cemetery

Drove from the peninsula up to Istanbul, where we returned the car at the airport. Took the metro then tram into the old city (only took 1 hr) to Sultanahmet, walked to the hotel - Empress Zoe. Its really pretty here! New wing, in a suite that is really nice. Should be comfortable for the next 3 nights. Had dinner in a nice restaurant right near the park (where the Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia are). Very good food, though a bit pricey. Took a stroll on the way back, stopping in a few shops. Picked up a rice pudding to eat back in the hotel, took some night pictures of the 2 mosques, then went up to the roof of the hotel for the view - really pretty though there are a few taller buildings in the way. Tomorrow we'll wander down the Bosphorus.


2 January - Istanbul

The view of Galata Bridge from Galata Tower

What a lot of walking today! It was annoying because we kept missing things... walked in the AM to Eminönü where we hoped to catch a ferry up the Bosphorus... but missed it by about 5 minutes. Took too long trying to find the discount tickets. So instead, walked over the Galata Bridge - (THE bridge, from the card game - invented by the Brits who went back and forth across the bridge to play the game). Walked up the hill to Galata Tower - for great views across the Golden Horn to the Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia, but the sun was in the wrong place and it was hazy.  

Walked up İstiklal Caddesi up through Taksim Square, down to Dolmabahçe Palace. But... it was closed on Mondays... so we took a taxi back up through Taksim to the Pera Palais Hotel. 

So sad, closed on Mondays...

Room 411, where Agatha Christie stayed

Saw the room where Agatha Christie stayed (and supposedly wrote Murder on the Orient Express.) The hotel used to cater to the passengers, and hasn't changed much since the 1890's. Really neat "birdcage" elevator that is open in the stairwell. Had tea and cakes in the patisserie in the hotel, and bought some old Orient Express pictures. 

From the hotel, took a taxi up to Yeniköy in the hopes of catching the ferry coming down. On the way, we saw a window with a bunch of really cool old cars (from the 30's, 40's, and 50's)... and right next to it the window had a guy washing a room full of cows. Got up to Yenikoy but the guys said the ferry didn't run that day, and that we had to walk up 2 km to the next pier. So we walked down the coast past some pretty nice area, but no pier. Walked back another 3K or so and finally took a bus to the metro, which took us back to Taksim Square.

Still had to walk quite a bit back down (stopped at McDonalds for an apple pie) and crossed back over the Galata Bridge, then wandered through the Spice Bazaar and then the Grand Bazaar (which was closing up.) Back to the hotel to drop off our things, then dinner at a seafood place that was quite popular - good salad, toasted bread, and sea bass. Then we decided to go to a hamam - Cemberlas Hamami right near the tram stop. Wonderful experience! 

We walked into the Cemberlitas Hamam from the street and there was an open sitting area. After you pay, women go to the right and men upstairs. We had a row of lockers where we change, and you take your scrub mitt and towel (thin, like a tea towel but big) and go into the next room that was starting to get warm. We went straight into the sauna area - a huge open room with a bright dome and a big marble slab in the middle. You lay on the marble to sweat for about 20 minutes, then someone comes in and scrubs you with the mitt. Some people go naked (I had bikini bottoms on) and they scrub front, back, arms and legs. A LOT of dead skin comes off and it feels kind of rough, especially on the front. Then the woman brings a soapy towel and squishes soap on you and lathers you up. You get a very short massage (only about 5 minutes) but it feels good (but tickly!) Then she brings buckets of water to rinse you and leads you to a side basin where she washes your hair. Then its done and you can lay on the slab more if you want. Its unlimited time in the sauna but its REALLY hot and steamy, and the marble is very hot. After my wash, Sibyl was already gone so I didn't stay too much longer. Had a pomegranate juice and an orange juice, then walked back.

3 January - Istanbul

The Kadesh Treaty

Another day of running around, just missing things.... we're quite slow in the mornings so lots of time is wasted. Went first to Topkapi but it was closed... so instead we went to the Archaeology Museum. Saw the Alexander Sarcophagus, which was quite elaborate, and Kadesh Treaty - the oldest known 'peace treaty' - between the Hittites and the Egyptians dating back to 1269BC. Lots of statues and relics from around Turkey. 

After the museum, had lunch at a good köfte place (aubergine kebap) but it took a while to get our food. Rushed over to the Blue Mosque to see how long they were open (there was a service going on at the time so it worked out). 
Went over to see the Hagia Sophia, which definitely is a WOW building. It originally started as a church, built by Emperor Justinian in 537 on top of an older church that had burned down in 532. It was converted into a mosque in the 15th century by the Ottomans, who added the minarets, tomb, and fountains. Walking in was absolutely amazing. Everyone just stopped and stared at the high dome (which reaches a height of 184 feet). And half of it was blocked by enormous scaffolding, but it was still SO impressive.
Went first upstairs to the gallery where we viewed the Mary Mosaics, dating to around the 10th - 12th centuries. Even though they are probably huge, they seem dwarfed by the sheer size of the building. Used to be completely covered in these tiny gold tiles, but most have fallen off. A lot was refurbished in the mid 1800's but parts (mosaic in the Vestibule of the Warriors, right at the exit, for example) was part of the cathedral's original 6th century artwork. Totally amazing!

Left the Hagia Sofia around 4:30 and knew we couldn't get into the Blue Mosque til 5:10, so we went to see the Basilica Cistern. Built also by Justinian in 532, its a huge underground vault to store water for the growing city. After the Ottoman conquest, it was forgotten and lost, and it was re-discovered when people were found to be collecting water and fish through holes in their basements. Best was in the far back where two of the columns were resting on carved Medusa heads - one sideways and the other upside down. Strange. There was lots of fish, some quite big, in the cistern.

After stopping off to get more memory for Alex's camera, we went to the Blue Mosque (Sultanahmet Camii). It's called the Blue Mosque because of the Iznik tilework in the interior. Gorgeous inside and especially picturesque outside. It was built in 1609-1616. 
We had to take off our shoes and cover our heads to get in. Stayed until closing, then had dinner at a local restaurant - Rumi - a really nice converted old home with a great view of the Blue Mosque. After dinner, Alex went to take pics and Sibyl and I looked in carpet shops. After not much haggling, I bought one for 300 USD. I'm sure I could have gotten one cheaper, but I liked the carpet and hated the haggling... and that's what I had budgeted anyway. Hopefully it won't be too hard to get it home! Fits in my bag NOW, but getting it from Cambridge to London.... who knows.)

Last visit before we leave Turkey is Topkapı Palace, home of the Ottoman sultans and their court until the mid 1800's. It was built by Sultan Mehmed the Conqueror between 1460 and 1478. It's built right on the waterfront, with a great view of the Golden Horn, Bosphorus, and Sea of Marmara. At the end of the Ottoman Empire in 1923, it was soon after turned into a museum.







Thank you for a wonderful entry into 2006, Turkey!