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September 16 to October 4, 2013
Istanbul to Ankara
Grand Circle Travel

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Günaydin, everybody! Such was every morning’s greeting from our Turkish Program Director. Or Merhaba, which is the casual “Hello”. These are the only two words we readily remember, because the Turkish language is rather rough on the ears. Even “Thank you” (Teşekkür) was difficult for our western tongues. The most common of all Turkik languages, spoken throughout the “stan” countries of the Middle East, and similar to Finnish, Hungarian and Basque, Turkish originated in Turkistan, in Western China, in the 8th century AD. It became the common language of the Ottoman Empire, with an Ottoman script, which was replaced in 1924 with the Latin alphabet by Atatürk, when he founded the modern Republic of Turkey. Distant cousins of the Mongols, the Turks have intermarried to the point where their original Asian facial features disappeared.

All in all, it was a 2,800-mile, outstanding and thorough exploration of the western part of Turkey, also called Anatolia. We first explored Istanbul, the largest city with 14 million people, where the riots at Tacsim Square and Gezi Park -- as we saw them on TV in June – were still fresh in the air as well as in the mind of our Tour Director Selchuk; Gallipoli, the site of the tragic 1914-15 WWI battles in the Dardanelles Strait; followed by the excavated ruins of the ancient city of Troy – of Iliad fame, on the way to Izmir, the third largest Turkish city with 4 million people. The next marvel was Pergamum, ruins of a ancient hilltop city; followed by Ephesus (our second time there), the ancient city dating to 1300 BC; in Pammukale, with its travertines, and nearby Hierapolis, an ancient Roman health resort. Next, we reached the Turquoise Coast, on the Mediterranean, where we were privileged to visit the most recent ancient excavation in Turkey, the ruins of the ancient city of Aphrodisias; followed by the discovery of the delightful city of Antalya, a resort city of one million people. All this before reaching the apotheosis of this trip, and the reason I wanted to take it in the first place: Cappadocia, with its ancient above and underground cities, and moonscape of volcanic structures. Finally, we reached Turkey’s capital and second largest city, Ankara, with a population of 4.5 million. (Bear in mind when you read this travelogue, that this busy itinerary didn’t unfold all in one day!)

The following map will show the itinerary which our group of 34 people covered in 2 ½ weeks, in a most comfortable coach, driven by an excellent Turkish driver, and accompanied by one of the most articulate, knowledgeable and organized Tour Directors -- named Selchuk (western spelling) -- we have ever had, who was perfectly trilingual to boot. I think he also spoke German, in addition to English, French and Turkish. His being friendly and with a great sense of humor certainly made this epic even more pleasant. By the way, Selçuk (Turkish spelling) happens to be the name of the first Turkish tribe who migrated to present Turkey in the 11th century.

Although it’s difficult to capsulize the plethora of astounding sights and sites in a short document, I’ll do my best to give you an idea without boring you to tears. We were amazed to see the differences between the reality of Turkey, past and present, compared to all the minimal pre-conceived ideas we started with. Thanks to Selchuk, we learned how tormented its history is, how far back in time its origins started, how conflicted its relationship with its Greece neighbor has always been, how modern a country it actually is, how independent it has become economically in the past 25 years, how complex its Islamic roots, and what a goldmine of archeological treasures it is, with ongoing excavations taking place here and there. Our greatest discovery was that Turkey has nothing to do with Arab countries or language. It is an Islamic country, yes, but not Arabic.

Istanbul - Photo of Ataturk, on a building wall

Turkey is a secular republic, founded after the fall of the Ottoman Empire in 1923 by Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, a Turkish Army officer in the Ottoman military. Atatürk modernized Turkey socially and politically, when he came to power by being Turkey’s first President. Kurds, Greeks, Armenians and Jews (25,000 currently in Turkey) have historically lived in Turkey with the Turks, who are Sunni Muslim. Conflicts in the 20th century led to an exodus of Greeks and Armenians. As for Kurds, they originate in south and southeastern Turkey, but represent the largest minority group in Istanbul. Turkey is dealing with massive and continuous immigration from Syria, which causes the same social and economic problems so many European countries have experienced for some time.

Atatürk freed Turkish women from the burqa and other signs of gender discrimination. Simple headscarves were seen on maybe half of the women, and worn to look more like a fashionable adornment than a religious means of repression. Chadors – the garment covering head and shoulders, but not face – were also seen, worn over Western clothes. Burqas – the most conservative all-covering tent-like garments (which the French call “corbeau”, or crow), are strictly Arabic. However, it was obvious to us that the current political atmosphere is affected by Prime Minister Erdoğan’s recent tendency to reverse the fierce secularization of his country, started by Atatürk 90 years ago, by returning to stricter and less liberal measures regarding women. Our guide Selchuk, for one, is an activist who is deeply distraught by that recent trend.

The three largest cities we visited felt very European to us, especially Ankara, which could have passed for Munich or Amsterdam. Turkey’s so intricately intertwined culture, history and religion made us think of a parallel with both Israel -- where being Jewish is a nationality, religion and culture --, as well as Utah where Mormonism is a culture and a way of life as well as a religion.

Istanbul - Views of the Old City across the Bosphorus from the gate of the Dolmabahce Palace

Only 3% of Turkey, called Thrace, is in Europe, while 97%, called Anatolia, is in Asia. Turkey is part of the European community, but is yet to become of a member of the E.U. The TL (or Turkish Lira) is the national currency, worth roughly U.S.50 cents, which made the necessary shopping conversions very easy. Agriculture and tourism are Turkey’s main source of income, and its automotive and textile industries are its main exports. Germans, who have been close to Turkey since WWI, send the most tourists.

In all of our hotel stays, dinners were buffet-style. Lunches were either included, or on our own. Either way, they were in interesting places of all kinds and levels, that gave us a great overlook of what Turkish cuisine. We had some delicious meals in a few spectacular restaurants, such as an old caravanserai (serving the same purpose in antiquity as our modern truck stops), or an old above ground volcanic stone structure. The Turks do wonders with vegetables, which fed (pun not intended) right into my latest propensity to eat vegetarian. Lamb seemed less ubiquitous than in Greece, and it suited us fine.

Trivia: The famed Turkish Delight – aka lokum -- was found and offered everywhere. I have to admit that I wouldn’t go out of my way to eat this sweet and chewy concoction of gel and sugar, to which are added pistachio nuts, dates, hazelnuts, rosewater, lemon or cinnamon.

Although Istanbul is not Turkey’s capital, it is its largest city, and historical, political and economic center. Originally called Byzantium in the 7th century BC, before becoming Constantinople as the seat of the Eastern Roman Empire in the 4th century AD, Istanbul was the largest city in the world until the start of the 19th century, when London gained the title. It still ranks as the largest city in Europe, along with Moscow. It struck us as very hilly, San Francisco-style, and a constant reminder of its position at the crossroads of Europe and Asia.

Truly both European and Asian, Istanbul is divided (Europe on the west side, and Asia on the east side) by the Bosphorus, the channel which connects the Black Sea to the Sea of Marmara, which in turn links it to the Aegean Sea via the Strait of Dardanelles, and thus to the Mediterranean. Its strategic position made it crucial during WWI for allied and enemy armies alike to connect the two continents. It still is a vital navigation channel between Europe and Asia. The European side of Istanbul is divided by the east-west Golden Horn (a channel off the Bosphorus) between the new City (north of it) and the Old City (south of it).

The highlights of our visit of Istanbul, where we stayed three days, were the famous Topkapi Palace and complex, the also famous Sultan Ahmet Mosque, also called the Blue Mosque, and the ancient church of Hagia Sophia (St. Sophie in Greek).

Trivia: We ventured to the top floor one evening to take the views of the city from the top floor of our hotel (called the Titanic - a good thing we weren’t on a cruise), and barged into a room full of young women, dressed in western-style, all drinking and dancing more or less lasciviously with each other, with the bar tended by only men. We questioned Selchuk about the absence of men in such a party, and he exclaimed: “Are you kidding? They don’t want men around. They have more fun by themselves!” I’ll leave you all to draw your own conclusions…

Topkapi was the center of the Ottoman Empire between the 15th and 19th centuries. A city-palace with a population of about 4,000 people, and former residence of Sultans for centuries, it is now an outstanding museum, which highlights its magnificent gardens, courts, and galleries exhibiting the imperial collection of crystal, silver, fabled jewels and Chinese porcelain. The famed blue mosaics were truly stunning.

The Blue Mosque, dating to the beginning of the 17th century, is so named because of its magnificent paneling of blue-and-white Iznik tiles. It’s part of a large complex consisting of tombs, theological school buildings, fountains, a health center, homes, and storehouses. Although teeming with tourists, the Blue Mosque still is a functioning mosque for modern worshipers when the muezzin’s calls to prayer resound from minarets throughout the city five times a day.

Hagia Sophia, the largest church in the world before St. Peter’s in Rome outdid it, is a Byzantine structure dating to the 6th century, originally a Greek Orthodox basilica until 1453 when it became an islamic mosque, and has been a museum since 1935 when it was secularized after the birth of the Republic of Turkey when Atatürk came to power.

A visit of the Grand Bazaar was playtime for us all, free of the deafening noise and merchants’ aggressiveness of the Khalili Bazaar in Cairo, and a dizzying symphony of colors, feels, smells and sounds. We bought jasmine tea and “real” saffron, for half the price they are in the U.S.

Istanbul - Cemetery in Gallipoli of New Zealand soldiers who died there in WWI

Our first stop after leaving Istanbul was Gallipoli, a historical landmark which was meaningful to the grand-parents of many of us, who lived during WWI and were – or not – involved with the famous Gallipoli campaign and the infamous Battle of the Dardanelles. That historic event marked the restoration of Turkey’s freedom, and the decimation of the allied armies, notably Australians and New Zealanders who have a cemetery to which our group paid its respects in commemoration of the horrible slaughter that took place on March 18, 1915.

A UNESCO World Heritage site, the legendary ancient city of Troy was our next exploration. The site was discovered and excavated in 1870 by the German businessman Heinrich Schliemann, based on his readings of the Iliad. It then became a reality instead of a legend. He poured his wealth into the excavations, and discovered not only Homer’s Troy, but nine successive civilizations on top of each other, dating back 5,000 years. Maps on the site explain the different chronological layers. The jewels and other artifacts found at the site wound up in Berlin, in what is now the Pergamum museum, and have yet to make their way back to Turkey where they belong.

Trivia: A huge wooden sculpture of the famed Trojan Horse marks the entrance to the ruins area. It was sculpted by a Turk, whose name I couldn’t discover anywhere.

Troy - The  legendary Trojan Horse sculpted by a Turk of recent years — Troy - The legendary Trojan Horse sculpted by a Turk of recent years

On our way out we were treated to one of Grand Circle’s traditions: a home-hosted meal in a local family. As usual, our hosts, a kind and smiley mother/daughter team of Muslim peasants, didn’t speak a word of English, but cooked up a storm of traditional Turkish family fare, which we very much enjoyed. They lived in a traditional rural Turkish home (with Asian toilets, that is the hole-in-the ground variety -- which the French call à la Turque.) Although unable to communicate verbally, sign language helped us exchange a modicum of thoughts and questions. At least we knew how to say “Wonderful” in Turkish, Haarika, which, accompanied by lots of warm smiles, suitably expressed our gratitude and appreciation.

Trivia: We were impressed by the cleanliness and Western-style of the toilets in all the restaurants and sites/museums we visited. Even public facilities always had at least one Western-style for tourists, which was a welcome sight since none of us, in our age group, felt up to inflicting the Asian ones on our aging joints. Also, we were surprised to find that, outside of the reception and front desk, all other hotel staff (restaurant, pool, etc.) spoke no English at all. Even in 4-star hotels like the Hiltons we stayed at. Which we found a bit strange for a country with a booming tourist industry.

Izmir, our next stop, had a different feel from Istanbul: also near the sea, also hilly, also very old, this seaside city is a bustling, contemporary, developed and busy commercial center. Turkey’s second largest city was originally known as Smyrna, so called since the first millennium BC, and supposedly Homer’s birthplace. First established in the third millennium BC, it shared with Troy the most advanced culture in Western Anatolia. The main base for travelers to Ephesus through its international airport, its two-mile dazzling waterfront promenade is its main tourist attraction.

Our next discovery was the ancient city of Pergamum. Although I almost didn’t go because I was so tired, what a treat this was! These ruins are among the most spectacular in all of Turkey (which boasts of many). Located on a hilltop which we reached with a cable car, it is situated north and west of the modern Turkish city of Bergama. Pergamum was one of the major world’s powers during the Hellenic period, with well-preserved Acropolis and theater, and a library having hosted some 200,000 parchment volumes. The city was willed to Rome in the second century BC. Down from the hilltop, and a short distance away can be found the Asklepion, or sanatorium, which includes the ruins of a hospital at ground level, and a treatment center underground, accessible through a tunnel. Asklepion was known as a center of medicine, where Galen, the most famous physician of Antiquity, worked and wrote several medical books. We got the chance to see the artifacts found during its excavation during our subsequent visit to the Museum of Pergamum in Bergama.

Ephesus - Ruins of the ancient Library of Celsus

This was our second visit to Ephesus, the world-renowned ancient city, which is the best-preserved and most extensive (2,000 acres) classical Roman city in Asia. Dating back to 1300 BC, it was once the commercial center and capital city of Roman Asia Minor, with up to 300,000 inhabitants. Its two main outstanding features are its Library of Celsus, whose two-story façade is almost perfectly preserved, and its semi-circular Great Theater, where Paul of Tarsus was tried for bringing Christianity to the area. The site was as mobbed this time as it was the first time six years ago, and I felt as claustrophobic and very hot.

The next day in Pamukkale (again, remember, this itinerary stretches over 2 ½ weeks), I begged off the visit to the Travertines, and Hierapolis. I was exhausted and suffering with the peak of a nasty upper respiratory bug, and stayed in our smallish hotel (Pamukkale is a small town in the country, with few hotels for tourists) and snuggled in bed in an air-conditioned room. Robin went, however, and took the photos.

Hierapolis - Ruins of the Ancient city of Hierapolis

The Romans established Hierapolis (Holy City) primarily as a luxury health resort. Over the millennia, hot, calcium oxide-rich waters had flowed down the slopes of the nearby travertines. These unique geological formations were formed 14,000 ago by layers of limestone deposits on the plateau, cascading through natural pools of ice-blue water. From a distance, the stalactites, overflowing terraces and unusual shapes glisten like white ice and dominate the landscape. They reminded us of Mammoth Hot Springs near the northern entrance to Yellowstone NP.

The ruins of Hierapolis include a mix of structures – baths, temples, a perfectly preserved theater, and churches, all dating from Roman, Hellenistic and Christian times. It is still a popular spa resort, and, as they exist in all European thermal baths and spas, an outdoor pool enabled people to splash around the healing waters.

Another day took us to the Turquoise Coast, Turkey’s famed window into the Mediterranean. On the way to its main city, Antalya, we had the unique opportunity – which relatively few tourists have – to visit the ruins of the ancient city of Aphrodisias, not as well-known since it was only excavated in the 20th century. The village which existed on top of and among the ruins had to be relocated to allow for the excavations. Named after the Greek goddess of love, the Temple of Aphrodite was built of marble (the construction material preferred by both Greeks and Romans), and was later converted into a Christian basilica. Located in an earthquake zone, the city never recovered from the last, 7th-century earthquake. Part of the old town was covered by the modern village of Geyre, and a new village of the same name was built a short distance away. The gigantic stadium, with a seating capacity for 30,000 people, is in remarkable condition. It was easy while standing there, to imagine sporting events, crowded with excited spectators shouting encouragements or insults, under the blue skies and hot sun. The site also boasted of a lovely theater, with striking sculptures of lion’s heads at the tips of the stone armrests at the end of each row of seats.

Then came the jewel of the Turquoise Coast, Antalya. The first and last impression of this lovely city was the similarity in atmosphere and opportunities with other such resort towns like Miami (so said our guide, but those of us living in Florida strongly disagreed!), or Nice in France (yes, definitely). A relaxed, pretty, welcoming, cultural and touristic smaller city of one million people. Founded in 150 BC by one of the kings of Pergamum, this ancient Greek city became part of the Roman Empire in 133 BC. The city and surrounding area were captured by the Selçuk Turks in the early 13th century.

Our hotel in Antalya, the Marmara Hotel, was the funkiest place we’ve ever stayed at, with huge public rooms which included two swings hanging from the high ceiling in the restaurant, the wildest colors on all the walls, and strange ceiling surfaces, floor-to-ceiling beehive displays of liquor bottles, or shelves with books. It was also the most pleasant hotel stay of the tour, because we had free time to rest and relax. Next to a huge pool on an expansive terrace overlooking the Mediterranean on top of a bluff, with a view of the Taurus Mountains in the background, was the elevator built in a rock structure, bringing you down two levels to a tunnel which brought you to a secluded, rough rock platform. You couldn’t really call it a beach, but more a rocky cove, with a bar, tables and chairs, and lounge chairs with sun umbrellas. Not very large, it was a very cozy spot, especially in the evening with drinks, watching the sunset. It was just idyllic!

Trivia: the Marmara hotel guests included two young Islamic families, who were enjoying the pool when we did. The wives’ swimming attires were identical contrived attempts at modesty: first, Lycra-type, black leotards, covering neck to ankles, under a tent-like, also black, loose garment to hide all possible hints of a human shape. The literal and figurative top was a tight, black, Lycra-type sort of head covering (hair and neck), topped by a wide-brimmed sunhat, which they removed only to swim in the pool.

The walking tour through both the old and new parts of the city of Antalya was a delight, with great photo ops. Minarets were as prominent as satellite dishes, as they were everywhere we went in Turkey, even small villages. The restored harbor area was the highlight of that tour for us.

Antalya - One of many local artisan shops in Old Town

Culturally speaking, the city’s highlight was the Archaeological Museum. It is a state-of-the-art museum, where is applied the most recent trend in museum curation. Each room is painted in different vivid colors, which is just magical to set off the white marble sculptures, or various paintings, reliefs, vases, etc. My sister told me that the same principle has just been applied to the Musée d’Orsay in Paris. We found it an enchanting way to present works of art.

One of Grand Circle’s treats was a lecture, in our hotel, given by a University professor, discussing the pros and cons of each of the arguments for or against keeping archeological finds in the country of origin, or in that of the archeologists who found them. Robin and I both agreed on being conflicted, with a 50/50 position on each. That very subject was fodder for discussion within the group that evening.

The next day, we left for Cappadocia, and we stopped briefly at the Mevlana Museum, home to the Mausoleum of the world-renowned poet Rumi, called the Mystic of the 13th century by Time Magazine. The founder of the Whirling Dervish dance as a spiritual practice, Rumi is revered in the world of Islam. We also visited Sultan Han, the biggest caravanserai in Turkey and established in the 13th century on what was the Silk Road. We saw the latter at sunset, and the photo op was perfectly timed to catch this striking structure.

Then we arrived in the Cappadocia area which I had wanted to visit for many, many years. It was a dream come true. I knew the various sites were sort of challenging physically, but I was determined that I was going to see all there was to see. And I did! (Of course, my cane on one side, and Robin’s arm on the other, helped considerably.) Ten million years ago, volcanic eruptions from Mt. Hasan (the highest mountain in the Taurus Mountains in Central Turkey) blanketed this limestone plateau with ash and lava. When they mixed with water, the result was a mud-like substance that slowly hardened into a soft rock called tufa, forming a surreal moonscape of cone-shaped pinnacles and towers, all in a variety of hues. Some 300 beautifully frescoed churches and dwellings for 30,000 people were carved from the soft volcanic pinnacles between the 4th and the 14th centuries.

Cappadocia - The churches section of Goreme

The maze of cones, windows and chimneys is built directly into the malleable rock. Beneath these awesome shapes lie even more wonders: underground chambers, even entire villages, some 14 stories deep. Once a refuge from Arab, Roman and Mongolian aggressors, these cave-like underground dwellings were also used for protection by Medieval Christian monks. The modern town of Urgup has many such carved dwellings which are still inhabited. The Goreme Open-Air Museum (another UNESCO WHS) was enchanting. Talk about photo ops!

I am grateful to Selchuk for talking me out of cancelling (because I was afraid of not being able to get into basket) the hot-air balloon ride at dawn that I had signed up for. It will always remain etched in my memory as one of the most fun experiences of my life. Of course, you would have all laughed your head off, seeing how I was unceremoniously, but very effectively, hoisted into (and later out of) the balloon basket -- along with another 4 people of our group -- by two strapping handsome young Turks, while a third was pushing or pulling as needed. I unfortunately couldn’t record this maneuver for posterity since I was otherwise engaged, and I don’t think anybody else did either. Which I deplore.

Cappadocia - Hot air balloon ride at dawn

Another tradition of Grand Circle Travel, who is part of a Foundation by the same name supporting various UNESCO World Heritage sites, is a visit to a local school which it sponsors. This was the first of its kind I had ever attended, and thoroughly enjoyed it. We barged in on a 6th-grade class of English by a bilingual Turkish teacher. The kids were at first timid, but, thanks to sign language (again), and the help of the teacher, we had a wonderful time. Sixth-graders are the same the world over, although those wore bright uniforms, which is the rule in all Turkish schools. By the way, all children must go through 12 years of education, although it’s not always enforced in the countryside where children are needed to help their farming parents. All education institutions are free for everyone, at any level.

Trivia: Among the students that day was a little girl who was the spitting image of my granddaughter, Natasha (who is now 17). She giggled endlessly with her friends when she heard my comment translated by her teacher.

The next day, and on our way to Ankara, we discovered another historic geological marvel at Hattusas, capital of the Hittite Kingdom. A rival civilization of Egypt during the second millennium BC, it is another UNESCO WHS. Located on a rocky summit, strategically positioned defense – with a view to die for -- for the best defense from their enemies, this powerful empire ruled from 1600 to 1200 BC. We also visited Yazilikaya, a sacred Hittite open-air sanctuary of two chambers surrounded by rock formations. The statues carved on their walls stand 12’ high.

Our last stop, and last city, was Ankara, Turkey’s capital and second largest city. It is a very old city, also hilly, founded in 2000 BC, with several Roman ruins scattered throughout the metropolis. And yet, the city struck us as a very modern and vibrant one, loaded with educational institutions, art galleries, musical events, including ballet and opera, stage theaters, and striking architecture. It is obviously the cultural and political center of Turkey.

The first highlight was the Mausoleum of Atatürk, on a hill overlooking the city. Revered as the founder of modern Turkey and of its Republic in 1923, Atatürk imposed the change from Ottoman script to Roman alphabet, which definitely helped put Turkey on the map of Europe. A walking tour of the Old Town was delightful, before visiting the city’s second highlight, the Museum of Anatolian Civilizations, the finest Hittite museum in the country. It is housed in a former caravanserai, with arched ceilings and stone walls. Very well curated and chock full of remarkable reliefs, vases etc., it also includes a remarkable clay writing tablet in Assyrian cuneiform script, dating to 1275-1220 BC, a correspondence from Egyptian Queen Nefertari (wife of Ramses II) to Hittite Queen Puduhepa (wife of Hattusili III) written after the Kadesh Peace Treaty -- the first peace treaty in the world history, dated 1275-1220 BC, found at Boğazköy.

By the time we left for our trip home, we felt, as we do after each discovery of ancient civilizations, deeply enriched as human beings. Permeated with a renewed awareness of, and respect for history, and roots, and heritage, and permanence, and traditions, and continuity through millennia of humanity, it seemed we were returning to an almost infantile world.

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