Turkey

Walking down the street through the market stalls of Selçuk on a January Saturday afternoon, a cacophony of noise erupted. Hurrying to see what was happening, we ran to the town square. There backed by a huge banner of Atatürk on one side and an ancient aqueduct on the other, was the largest camel I have ever seen.  He was frothing at the mouth and decked out in all the latest camel finery. His saddle, covered with colorful felt and sequins, made him look like he was at least twelve feet tall.  There would be no way that I wouldn’t mess around with him. What was he doing here? And why was there so much slobber being generated in that mouth? Every time he …

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Travel is about experience, about people.  Throw away that guidebook and follow these steps to know the friendliest, most hospitable people on earth.  The Turks have been invaded, rarely conquered, and always admired for thousands of years.  Living on land that has long been the crossroads of civilizations they have always dealt with visitors from around the globe.  Modern day tourists can’t help but trip over these remains of ancient cultures.  Famous people such as St. Paul, Alexander the Great, Julius Caesar, and even Barack Obama have come here to conquer or court this country for its supreme position.  Ankara has been the capital of Turkey since 1923, and it is here that great people still come to meet the …

How to Get to Know the Turks in Ankara Read More »

  Sanliurfa is a quaint little city in the southeastern part of the country.  Being smack dab on the silk road, it has been inhabited by all the different types of peoples, with a variety of religions,  that have come through Anatolia for the last ten or so thousands of years.  Even Alexander rode through and conquered the town until it was recaptured and turned into the city of Edessa.  However it became Muslim in the year 639 AD, and today you it is one of the most tradional Muslim cities in Turkey, so much so, you can’t find a beer anywhere! It is the city of Abraham, who is an important figure in both the Muslim and Christian religions.  The cave where is …

Visiting Sanliurfa Read More »

Gone to Gaziantep everyone!  When will we every learn?  When will we ever learn? I’m not sure Joan Baez has been here, but Gaziantep is the place to go if you want to see mosaics, eat the best baklava in Turkey, and meet the most genuine and friendly people in the world. The city used to be called just “Antep”, but after the war the name was changed to honor all Turkey’s fallen heroes.  In southeastern Turkey, it is famous for its food and most especially its baklava.  One of the best places to try this delicacy is Imam Cagdas’, located across from the spice market and up the street a little is the old copper market.  As you read …

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Ankara is an ancient town; it has been inhabited by someone since about 3000 BC. The first to arrive, the Phrygians had a small settlement.  The capital of Phrygia was Gordion about 45 kilometers to the west. It didn’t become a major city until the Celts conquered it in 278 BC.  The Galatians (a Celtic tribe) were very influential with the Phrygians and the language of the Celts (a sort of Welsh or Gaelic) hung around for centuries after the Celts had left the city.  The only monument that I know of that still exists from this time period is a tomb which, although found while constructing one of the buildings not far from our apartment, was moved to the …

What to See in Ankara, Turkey Read More »

  If you’ve ever opened a tourist website or guide book on Turkey, you couldn’t have missed the images of the white, cascading travertines of Pamukkale.  Pamuk meaning cotton, and kale meaning castle, the name does little to conjure up the vision of these surreal pools of brilliant blue water and marshmallow walls teeming with Russian tourists.  (I think there were other tourists there too, but the Russians were so fascinating to watch with their Playboy bunny poses and loud, pushy voices, that they were all we could notice). A unique geological feature with some impressive Hellinistic ruins of the city of Hieropolis, and the chance to cool off as you wade through the waters, Pamukkale is a popular destination. …

Slip-sliding Away in Pamukkale Read More »