Showing posts with label Turkey. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Turkey. Show all posts
Hot air ballooning in Cappadocia
Cappadocia is a place with many appealing activities for tourists, but in all probability nothing compares to the magical experience of hot air ballooning over this truly unique landscape. Having gotten up early – no, really, when did you last set you alarm for 3:30 AM?? - our balloon slowly rose into the sky just as the sun began to rise. Surrounded in the air by more than 70 multi-coloured balloons, we floated up to a height of 1000 feet. The haunting panorama beyond consisted of the snow-capped mountains in the distance (the same ancient volcanoes responsible for the eroded volcanic ash below) and the vast valleys between them. The magical landscape of gorges dotted with mushroom shaped fairy chimneys, rock villages and caves in the mountainsides was even more surreal from the air. Our pilot took us down into the valley, almost touching the grape vines and apricot trees below and floating so close to the valley walls that we could peek into the pigeon holes. For more than an hour, we drifted in a stillness that was as much a result of the windless Turkish morning as it was of our own silent awe.
Cappadocia
I’ve been meaning to write this blog about the second part of our trip to Turkey for a while now, but it is such a daunting task to try and capture all that we saw and experienced in this one place on a blog post. Even now, thinking back to our couple of days in Cappadocia, it is amazing how much we saw and how much we learned about a place that we did not even knew existed until we started researching Turkey as a travel destination.
In the middle of Central Anatolia there is a geological oddity of valleys created by the volcanic outbursts of three mountains in the area. Over millions of years erosion by water, wind and changes in temperature fashioned a landscape of remarkable fairy chimneys and honeycombed hills. Because of the softness of the stone, people built underground cities, cave houses and rock-cut churches. Today, many of these caves are converted into boutique hotels and we booked into one of them for our time in Cappadocia.
The human history here is as fascinating as the weird landscape. We visited underground cities built in 2000 BC by the Hittites to escape Persian raiders. These same cities were used again, this time by Christians in the 4th century AD when they tried to escape Roman persecution. The area boasts hundreds of hidden chapels carved into the rocks, many with colourful frescoes, built by the early Christians.
We also visited sleepy ghost towns in the area made infamous by Turkey’s more modern, and extremely fascinating history. Just after Ataturk became President of Modern Turkey in 1920’s , the controversial population exchange between Greece and Turkey took place. Greek speaking communities from Anatolia (and the towns we visited in Cappadocia) were shipped to Greece and Muslim residents from Greece were transferred to Turkey to make a new living in the houses left empty by the departing Greeks.
Sitting in my living room six months ago and discussing my ‘travel bucket list’, Cappadocia would not have been on it; in fact I had encountered the word in only one place before, and that is in an epistle of Paul in the Bible. Now, afterwards, it is easily in the top 10 of my travel memories. Why? In the end I think it’s because the place delivers a triple impact: here, away from European-looking and cosmopolitan Istanbul, you get Turkish food and culture, coupled with the place’s ancient history, coupled with the truly unique natural landscape. Not to mention the hot air ballooning in the area ... but more about that tomorrow!
In the middle of Central Anatolia there is a geological oddity of valleys created by the volcanic outbursts of three mountains in the area. Over millions of years erosion by water, wind and changes in temperature fashioned a landscape of remarkable fairy chimneys and honeycombed hills. Because of the softness of the stone, people built underground cities, cave houses and rock-cut churches. Today, many of these caves are converted into boutique hotels and we booked into one of them for our time in Cappadocia.
The human history here is as fascinating as the weird landscape. We visited underground cities built in 2000 BC by the Hittites to escape Persian raiders. These same cities were used again, this time by Christians in the 4th century AD when they tried to escape Roman persecution. The area boasts hundreds of hidden chapels carved into the rocks, many with colourful frescoes, built by the early Christians.
We also visited sleepy ghost towns in the area made infamous by Turkey’s more modern, and extremely fascinating history. Just after Ataturk became President of Modern Turkey in 1920’s , the controversial population exchange between Greece and Turkey took place. Greek speaking communities from Anatolia (and the towns we visited in Cappadocia) were shipped to Greece and Muslim residents from Greece were transferred to Turkey to make a new living in the houses left empty by the departing Greeks.
When in Istanbul ..... the bazaars
No trip to Istanbul would be complete without a visit to the colourful labyrinth of shops and alleys of the world famous Grand Bazaar and the Egyptian (Spice) Bazaar. What you heard is true - this is the world of the pushy salesman. And it does not start when you enter the bazaar. Oh, no. As you walk in the streets around the big tourist sights, you are often approached by overenthusiastic carpet touts who, with a reply on his “excuse me,” immediately tells you that he has been to or wants to visit South Africa or my favourite, South Africans bring him luck (one even invited us to come and have a look at his collection of Deon Meyer books :-), at which point he then offers to take you to his brother’s or cousin’s or friend’s store just around the corner.
Sidestepping all of them, we managed to enter the Bazaar on our own, determined to haggle with the best of them. The main street of the Bazaar is home to jewellery shops, and here the shop owners do not call out to the people passing their shops. I was a bit surprised at how modern and organised it all looked. But it did not take long for us to get lost in the alleyways, all of a sudden being bombarded with shopkeepers wanting our money. It’s at this point that the size of the bazaar dawned on us. Dating back to 1461 the Grand Bazaar has over 60 different streets housing more than 4000 shops under a chaotic red tile roof (remember that scene in Skyfall when James Bond chased the baddie on the motorbike?) At its height, during the 17th-18th centuries, the bazaar was bigger, better and more important than any market in Europe. Shop after shop after shop sells carpets, leather goods, “real” fake bags from all the big fashion houses (I mentioned the word “Birken” to my husband in an Afrikaans conversation and the nearest salesman immediately told me had stock :-)!), really great antiques, silk scarves and Turkish delights. My favourite item was the beautiful Turkish bath towels – I was willing to buy a second suitcase to fill it with the beautiful towels, but alas, sanity prevailed!
We left the Grand Bazaar and the nearby Spice Bazaar (much smaller with a focus on foodie stuff) without buying anything, but we had a great time. The extremely endearing Ali who wanted to sell me a leather jacket and who tried to convince me he does not like profit (he started with a price of 1200 Turkish Lira and even before I entered negotiations he brought his price down to 300 Turkish Lira!), will forever be one of my favourite travel memories of Istanbul.
Sidestepping all of them, we managed to enter the Bazaar on our own, determined to haggle with the best of them. The main street of the Bazaar is home to jewellery shops, and here the shop owners do not call out to the people passing their shops. I was a bit surprised at how modern and organised it all looked. But it did not take long for us to get lost in the alleyways, all of a sudden being bombarded with shopkeepers wanting our money. It’s at this point that the size of the bazaar dawned on us. Dating back to 1461 the Grand Bazaar has over 60 different streets housing more than 4000 shops under a chaotic red tile roof (remember that scene in Skyfall when James Bond chased the baddie on the motorbike?) At its height, during the 17th-18th centuries, the bazaar was bigger, better and more important than any market in Europe. Shop after shop after shop sells carpets, leather goods, “real” fake bags from all the big fashion houses (I mentioned the word “Birken” to my husband in an Afrikaans conversation and the nearest salesman immediately told me had stock :-)!), really great antiques, silk scarves and Turkish delights. My favourite item was the beautiful Turkish bath towels – I was willing to buy a second suitcase to fill it with the beautiful towels, but alas, sanity prevailed!
We left the Grand Bazaar and the nearby Spice Bazaar (much smaller with a focus on foodie stuff) without buying anything, but we had a great time. The extremely endearing Ali who wanted to sell me a leather jacket and who tried to convince me he does not like profit (he started with a price of 1200 Turkish Lira and even before I entered negotiations he brought his price down to 300 Turkish Lira!), will forever be one of my favourite travel memories of Istanbul.
When in Istanbul ..... Topkapi Palace
I’d never heard of the Topkapi Palace before. It was only when I starting researching Istanbul that I learned about this residence of the Ottoman Sultans. The first stage of this expansive palace was built in the 1450’s and it was only in 1909 that it was officially abandoned by the sultan’s women and their servants. During that period, the empire was run from here and it was home to the Imperial Treasury. Today you can still visit the incredible collection of precious objects and jewels, including an 86-carat diamond. A collection of imperial robes is housed in one section of the palace, and arms and armour in another. I was intrigued by the Sacred Safekeeping Rooms, home to some of the most sacred relics in the Muslim world. It housed objects like a cloak of Muhammad, his swords, one tooth, a hair of his beard and an autographed letter.
The highlight of the palace, however, is the Harem - the private rooms of the sultan, the imperial princes, his wives, concubines, servants and black eunuchs. The amazing building with its labyrinthine corridors held so much history and intrigue. Islamic law allowed the sultan to have four legitimate wives and as many concubines that he had the means to support. All the slaves were foreigners as Islam forbade enslaving Muslims. When they entered the Harem, they were educated in Islam and Turkish culture and then the competition started. They all wanted the favour of the sultan’s mother, the most powerful women in the Harem. She controlled access to her son and the girls dreamt of giving the Sultan a son and maybe even marriage.
The decorated rooms, many in iznik tiles, some even in Delft, are beautiful and I loved the feminine touch evident in this part of the palace.
Just a word of advice if you want to visit: Go as early as possible in the morning and allow at least half a day to visit. It becomes very crowded, but it is absolutely worth it. One of the highlights of the trip for me!
The highlight of the palace, however, is the Harem - the private rooms of the sultan, the imperial princes, his wives, concubines, servants and black eunuchs. The amazing building with its labyrinthine corridors held so much history and intrigue. Islamic law allowed the sultan to have four legitimate wives and as many concubines that he had the means to support. All the slaves were foreigners as Islam forbade enslaving Muslims. When they entered the Harem, they were educated in Islam and Turkish culture and then the competition started. They all wanted the favour of the sultan’s mother, the most powerful women in the Harem. She controlled access to her son and the girls dreamt of giving the Sultan a son and maybe even marriage.
The decorated rooms, many in iznik tiles, some even in Delft, are beautiful and I loved the feminine touch evident in this part of the palace.
Just a word of advice if you want to visit: Go as early as possible in the morning and allow at least half a day to visit. It becomes very crowded, but it is absolutely worth it. One of the highlights of the trip for me!
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