This spring I went on a tour to the best-kept tourist secret - Turkey ('Turkiye')! The tour began in Istanbul, which is the only city in the world that lies on two continents - Europe and Asia.
Istanbul, Day 1
The Istanbul city tour left one feeling awed by the beauty that exudes from the
city. There are old and new buildings, and one can see the influence of East and
West reflected everywhere in the bustling city that is home to 12 million.
First stop was the Hippodrome which was built in 203AD and was the centre of chariot races during the Byzantine period. Today not much remains of the original building. It is disappointing to see trams and buses use the tracks where chariots used to race.
Next was the Blue Mosque (Sultan Ahmet Mosque), which is so known, as the walls inside are covered with blue tiles and its domes are beautifully decorated in the same colour. Built about 500 years ago, it has six minarets and is one of the best examples of Ottoman architecture with the central dome supported by other semi-circular domes.
Directly opposite the Blue Mosque is the Hagia Sophia (St Sophia Museum) which is considered to be the symbol of the Byzantine period. It was hailed as an architectural marvel of all time. In 1934, by the order of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, it was made a museum and has since been open to visitors to view the works of art that have remained hidden for over 500 years.
Istanbul-Ankara-Cappadocia, Day 2
This morning we took a domestic flight from Istanbul to Ankara, the capital
city. Upon arrival, our coach was waiting to take us to the famous Anatolian
Civilisation Museum which houses the best collection of Hittite art and contains
several rare objects and relics belonging to the pre-classical civilisation of
Anatolia.
Next stop was the Ataturk Mausoleum which is the final resting place of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk - 'the father of modern Turkey' and Turkey's 20th century hero. The architecture of the mausoleum is a mix of different styles that represents the various Anatolian civilisations.
Cappadocia, Day 3
This was the highlight of the trip! The morning began, at five, with a hot air
balloon flight for breathtaking views of Cappadocia, which is Turkey's answer to
the famous Grand Canyon in the USA.
Cappadocia is a geological wonderland where one will find the most fantastic and indescribably beautiful landscapes in the world. This is a perfect example of nature playing sculptor. Millions of years ago, the region of Cappadocia was covered with lava after the violent eruption of two extinct volcanoes - Mt Argaeus and Mt Hassan. Through the years, the unique landscape of Cappadocia evolved from the erosion of the ash sediments by wind, sun, rain and snow, sculpting the land into countless, strangely-shaped capped columns, pyramids and cones known as 'fairy chimneys'. People eventually resided in these formations.
Moving on to a village in Uchisar, we saw complete houses cut out from rocks. We climbed into one of these cave homes and had a taste of living in a cave and were amazed as to how comfortable it was to live in one.
Next was the Zelve Valley where the most interesting mushroom-shaped cones are. The bizarre rock formations could have you thinking 'naughty thoughts'! At the Valley of Imagination, the rock formations take the shape of camels.
Cappadocia-Konya- Pamukkale, Day 4
Enroute to Pamukkale, we stopped at Mevlana Museum at Konya, which houses a huge
collection of artifacts belonging to the Mevlana order, musical instruments,
book of Koran and even the world's oldest carpets are found here. We were
required to don our headscarves and to walk barefooted as a respect to Mevlana.
During our five-hour journey to Pamukkale, our tour guide shared with us some interesting facts and customs of Turkey.
Facts
Customs
After our long, tiring journey, we reached Pamukkale just in time to view the sunset. Pamukkale is also known as 'Cotton Castle'. We were struck with wonder at the beautiful sight that stood before us. This magical and spectacular natural phenomenon was created by deposits from thermal waters that cascaded down the mountain over hundreds of years forming into a myriad of pools and terraces. As the water overflows the pools, dazzling cream-coloured stalactites are formed, resembling cotton or snow from far. The pools are filled with hot springs that supposedly have healing properties for the circulation and digestive systems.
Pumakkale-Selcuk-Kusadasi, Day 5
Next stop after Pumakkale was Ephesus, founded around 11th century BC and is the
largest and most outstanding archeological site in existence. It has been hailed
as one of the most beautiful ancient cities in the world. Some of the structures
include the Library of Celsus, The Great Theatre, Temple of Hadrian, Gate of
Hercules, and whilst taking a walk on Marble Street to the Street of Curetes, we
were told to bring along our imagination, take a step back in time and let the
sites come alive.
Kusadasi-Pergamon-Canakkale, Day 6
This time it was to the town of Bergama, to visit the ancient site of Pergamon
which was founded in 284BC. We went up 300m to view the Acropolis of Pergamon
which lies perched on the highest part of the city. The Acropolis was designed
to be seen from below and to impress those viewing it from the valley. Some of
the ruins include the Altar of Zeus, Temple of Athena, Temple of Trajan,
library, theatre, and arsenals.
Canakkale-Troy-Istanbul, Day 7
We departed Canakkale which is a small town of Dardanelles that was the site of
a great battle during World War I ('WWI'). We headed to the famous mythology
city in Homer's epic poem - 'Illiad' also known as Troy, to view one of the
oldest settlements in the world. We did not see anything much in Troy except for
ruins.
Legend has it that Paris fell in love with the beautiful Helen, who was married to the King of Sparta. Paris abducted Helen and brought her to Troy. There began a ten-year war between the Trojans and the Achaeans. In the tenth year of the Trojan War, the Achaeans decided to play a 'trick' on the Trojans. They left a wooden horse behind as a 'gift' for the Trojans. Inside the large wooden horse was concealed a squad of soldiers who, after the horse had been dragged into the unsuspecting city and under the cover of darkness, emerged and opened the gates, eventually winning the war. A reconstructed wooden Trojan Horse lies on the site to remind us of this.
Istanbul, Day 8
As no tour to Turkey is complete without the Bosphorus Cruise, we boarded a
private boat and spent an hour cruising down the Bosphorus Straits which links
the Black Sea to the Sea of Marmara and the Dardanelles, and separates Europe
from Asia. With the shores rising to heights of up to 200m, lined with the
obscenely lavish Dolmabahce Palace, ruins, villages and gardens, this is one of
the most beautiful stretches of scenery in Turkey.
Next, we visited the Basicilca Cisterns also known as the Yerebatan Saray. Istanbul was one of the most often besieged cities in the world and had always needed permanent water supplies. As a result, many underground cisterns were built during the Byzantine Empire.
That evening we bade goodbye to Turkey and boarded our late night flight homeward bound to Singapore.
Gloria James
Hoh & Partners