Part 4: Two to travel Turkey

ISTANBUL/ TURKEY

This destination would mark the 5th where my good friend Barry has shared a travel experience with me in some far off land. To do so, I had traveled to Istanbul from Croatia briefly stopping in Sarajevo/ Bosnia ( ps - it's much cheaper to bus from Croatia and then fly out of Sarajevo) before meeting up at an Air BnB he had thoughtfully arranged. Most importantly, he had the necessary/critical provisions already purchased. Those being coffee and Single Malt Scotch.

 

 

 In the months prior, I had taken a couple diploma courses. First the Byzantine Empire and just after -- the Ottoman Empire. And some time ago - I had completed a diploma on Middle East history (Arabic Islamic History: From tribes to Empires) so armed now with just enough information to be dangerous, Barry and I set upon the city to explore Religious sites, Museums and of course great food. 

Given my previous travels in places like Tunisia and Saudi Arabia - Constantinople (Istanbul) is a fantastic collision of cultures on which much of our modern world is premised. Like a collision between a Ferrari and a Lamborghini, it is both tragic and beautiful all at once.

 Istanbul is a swirling and twirling tornado of unusual smells sounds and of course people. We were amazed to see the streets filled with people late into the evening. The picture alongside is not Istanbul but taken later at a "must see" salty landscape. I'd recommend giving this "must see" $30 attraction a hard pass. Not exactly the Red Carpet but Barry looks fetching modeling his modern tourist ensemble.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Now onto the juicy bits of Istanbul. There were 5 days of exploring but for posterity and the hope of others continuing to read my drivel, I'll  focus on just three highlights;

• The National Museum
• The Blue Mosque
• Hagia Sophia

A quick review of the where the cradle of civilization began lands us smack dab in the middle of this region. Not surprisingly the museum was cooler than the flip side of the pillow on a hot summer night. I'll share a few snaps but I marveled at the audacity of Tabnit, priest of Astarte and King of Sidon who cleverly wrote on his Sarcophagus that there was no point in breaking in as there was nothing to steal. That and the clearly articulated threat of eternal damnation likely did the trick. I'm going to post the same on my front door. Good thinking Tabnit. Those who fail to learn the lessons of history are doomed to repeat them.

 

 

 

The Sarcophagus below was my favorite piece. The level of detail of mourning woman was amazing. The other side depicts men. Not surprisingly they were looking even more mournful as they prepare to go to war. 

Barry stood at this drinking fountain for an hour before security explained that it was part of the exhibition. There would be no water for Barry on this day.

Amazing detail - and the Museum did an exceptional job with lighting to  add a sense of drama and intrigue.

The Blue Mosque

Looking across the mighty Bosphoruis river, the Blue mosque is certainly a thing of beauty from all directions.... though I couldn't help being equally fascinated by all the fishing poles above on the bridge. There are hundreds of them. Barry and I had to have a look at that and saw no one was catchin' nothin'!! Maybe the fish were all at the mosque I thought. I have a joke about that but given what happened to Salman Rushdie - I'll keep that to myself.

We were blessed on the day we visited the Blue Mosque and later Hagia Sophia as it raining heavily. Why would that be a good thing? The line up normally measured in "kms of tourists waiting (KTW's)" was down to about 50 meters and while I almost lost an eye due to unskilled umbrella operators in tight proximity, it was a very small wait for both attractions.

Hagia Sofia

Hagia Sophia  was originally built as a Byzantine Christian cathedral, later converted into an Ottoman mosque, and is now a mosque again after being a museum. Constructed between 532 and 537 AD, it is a masterpiece of Byzantine architecture, famous for its massive dome, intricate mosaics, and unique structural design that blended the circular dome with a rectangular base. 

What really got me was the sheer size of the cathedral and how that must have appeared to the peoples of that time. It must have been absolutely awe inspiring. Now - if you look at the photo above you'll note a black square just off center to the left. Looking closely you can see two maintenance workers having a smoke break on the steps. That gives a great idea of the size of the place! 

Hagia Sofia is not "gussied up" for tourists. It's really old!!  and seemingly original (changes in religious building adornments aside) Apparently, the circles around the heads in the photo above were due to a failure on the part of the Byzantine Emperor(ess)  to secure political power through marriage - meaning the heads had to be changed with each unsuccessful attempt. I can just imagine the artists just after completing the mosaic work of art. "Hey Brutus did you hear? "What" again! That damned Jezabel!

As you move around the Cathedral/ Mosque you note all the attempts to cover but not eliminate the Christian accouterments. This gave me a lot of pause for thought and perhaps a glimpse into a leading world where world regions can share rather than compete for shelf space. Looking at the photo beside, you can see (I think it's the VM with JC) obscured from view by the strategically placed drapery. Not destroyed or painted over, but simply obscured. How easy would have been to just plaster over this and so many other Christian bits. Rather - it is saved for posterity and out of respect  for our shared world history.

South West Turkey

It seemed and was good idea to rent a car and do a bit of driving. With Barry navigating exceptionally well all that was left for me to do is steer and hit either the brake or accelerator. 

A quick note on highways in Turkey. Phenomenal!!  I believe the speed limit was 140 but cars seeming to be going much faster. That was a bit much for me coming from Kenya where traffic only hits 100 kms in the middle of the night when most people are sleeping. But then - of course - the risk of getting car jacked makes that idea a dumb one.

With Greek Island of Chios shouting distance from our seaside accommodations, the trip took on the  trappings of a Mediterranean cruise than an Indiana Jones inspired quest for undiscovered ruins. I think it's safe to say that we were both surprised at the holiday-ness of the area and definitely the sheer number of cruise ships coming and going. 2 or 3 ships arrived each day  - with tourists (of which I am admittedly one) filling restaurants and clambering over secret hard to find ancient ruins. At Ephesus (see below) there were so many people crowed around I thought we were at a Taylor Swift concert. Maybe the combination of the heat or just a case of the bitch-ies, I found the site to be contrived and "adjusted" to accommodate large numbers of tourists rather than evoking a sense of traveling back in time and bearing witness to our history. Maybe those expectations are unreasonable and in fairness - the original reconstruction of the site was done prior to rigorous scientific methods being employed. That does however set me up nicely for my next point.

 

Regardless of the number of tourists competing for picture views - it's impressive!!

Aphrodisias South West Turkey

I have always believed that fortune favors the brave and so when Barry said "let's drive 3 hours to the middle of nowhere to see if these non-de script ruins are any good or not" "why not was my answer".  

What follows is a series if pictures of the temple of Aphrodite along with the surrounding ancient city. Best - in my view is that we shared the experience with a half dozen other adventurous souls that we saw occasionally in the distance. Next best - the level of preservation and authenticity was second to none. Before the Romans before the Ottomans - this goes waaaay back in time.

 

This is the actual temple of Aphrodite the ancient Greek goddess associated with love, lust, beauty, pleasure, passion, procreation. How many statues have I seen throughout the world of her image. So enamored was I with the place that I took a small piece of marble (about the size of a pinkie nail) from this very spot as a reminder of this day.

Now - Like Rocky in the original movie, it js kept getting better and better. Each short walk brought us to impressive ruins in remarkable good condition. Check the detail on the footings of each seat (a combination of the detailed photo and the amphitheater)

The stadium at 170 meters in length was spectacular. You can almost imagine the Olympic games underway with thew crowds cheering madly!

Here at the baths we get a sense of leisure and social time for the cities citizens. There were many baths of different temperatures and size - and I suspect class. The walls and floors were all double layered and hot air pumped throughout to heat the water and the interior space. Must have been cozy!

A large swimming pool sits just in from of the "city hall" whee you can imagine grass and palm trees and people sitting around on lunch break. 

One more shot of the swimming pool that blew my mind. It's condition and authenticity is undeniable.

Another couple impressive Amphitheater and it was back in the car for the long 6 hour drive back to Istanbul. Fortune may favor the brave but it sure is exhausting being favored. Once again I pointed the car and headed  to an airport that would take us to Georgia and the topic of my next blog

Just Food Africa

My last blog brought  donations and I am grateful again very thankful for the generosity. I will deliver food to the kiddies in the first week of January - though it's never too soon to send a few shekels if you have extra. Again $50 or equivalent is super helpful. Thanks again to Cliff for another donation - I can't thank you enough!

 

MPESA -- +254745237248 (Kenya)

Or interact -- Laynemahon@live.com (Canada)

Or PayPal -- Laynemahon@live.com (Global)

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks for reading....Layno in ruins somewhere in southern Turkey!!!