Tuesday, December 23, 2008

Bursa Ulu Camii

Ulu Camii is the largest mosque in Bursa and displays the original Ottoman architecture. It was built by Ali NECC between 1396 and 1399 following the orders of Sultan Bayezid I. It is a rectangular building with twenty domes distributed in four rows with five each fastened by twelve columns. It is twenty domes instead of the twenty independent mosques that the sultan promised to build to win the Battle of Nicopolis. It has two minarets. In the interior, there are 192 monumental inscriptions on the walls written by famous calligraphers. There are also a source (şadırvan) inside the mosque where the faithful practice abdesto before prayers, the dome that rises above the şadırvan is crowned with a skylight. Architecturally, the source reflects light and helps illuminate the interior of the mosque.

The interior space is designed to create a quiet and contemplative. Subdivisions formed by the different columns and domes create a feeling of privacy and intimacy. This environment contrasts with the later Ottoman mosques (see, for example, works of Sinan, chief architect of Solimán the Magnificent), which had very high central dome that emphasized verticality aspect as to convey the overwhelming power of the Ottoman Empire.

Bursa Economy

Bursa is the center of the automotive industry in Turkey. For decades, FIAT and Renault have had major production facilities in Bursa. It also highlights the textile industry and food; Coca Cola, Pepsi Cola and other beverage brands, as well as various factories and packaged fresh foods are in the industrial areas of the city.

Traditionally, Bursa has been famous for its fertile land and agriculture, although it is in decline due to the great industrialization of the city.

Bursa is also a major tourist center, some of the best ski slopes are located on Mount Uludağ, just a few kilometers from the city. The baths have been used since the Roman Empire for therapeutic purposes. Apart from the bathrooms located in hotels, the University of Uludağ has a physiotherapy center where he used the hot springs.

Bursa History

The oldest site that is known is the city of CIO, which gave Philip V of Macedonia to King of Prussia I Bithynia in the year 202 a. C. for his help against Pergamum and Heraclea Ponticus (now Karadeniz Eregli). Prussia changed the name in honor of himself, Prusa.

Bursa was evangelized by Saint Andrew, apostle of Bithynia, who probably accompanied by his brother, San Pedro, he exercised his apostolate in these lands. Bursa was one of the hotbeds of irradiation of primitive Christianity.

Subsequently, he acquired great importance due to its location on the western end of the Silk Road. It became the capital of the Ottoman Empire was conquered when the battered Byzantine Empire in 1326. The conquest of Edirne in 1365 led to that city also highlight, although Bursa remained an important administrative and commercial center, even when it lost its status as capital. Shortly after the Ottoman conquest, they opened a theological school in Bursa. This school has attracted many Muslim scholars from around the Middle East and continued its activity after the Bursa cease to be the capital.

During the Ottoman rule, Bursa was the source of most of the silk products of the environment of the sultan. Apart from local production, wild silk is imported from Iran and, occasionally, China, and was the leading manufacturer of kaftanes, pillows, embroidered silk and other products to the palaces of the sultan until the seventeenth century. It has also been historically important production of cars and knives horse. Currently, one can find a wide variety of handmade knives and other products, though, instead of cars of horses, there is a strong car industry.

Bursa

Bursa (historically known as Prusa, in Greek: Προύσα, and later as Brusa) is a city in northwestern Turkey and capital of the province of Bursa. With a population of 1,979,999 [1] (2007), is the fourth largest city of Turkey, in addition to one of the most industrialized and important in the cultural sphere in the country.

It is often appointed to the city as "Yesil Bursa" ( "Green Bursa"), referring to the parks and gardens over by the city, and the forests that extend throughout the region. Near the town stands the mountain Uludağ, which has a ski resort very popular among the people. Bursa are also in the mausoleums of the Ottoman sultans, as well as numerous buildings constructed during the Ottoman period. The fertile plain that surrounds it, the thermal baths, the museum of archeology, among others, and the orderly urban growth are some of the elements that characterize Bursa.

Karagöz and Hacivat, two famous characters in shadow theater chinescas were actually two historical figures who lived and were buried in Bursa. Bursa is also home to some of the most famous Turkish dishes, especially the chestnuts frost and the Iskender kebap. They are also famous peaches. Among the districts that depend on Bursa, highlights the historic Nicene by its history and building. Bursa also has the University of Uludağ and its population is one of the highest educational standards in Turkey. Traditionally, it has received many immigrants from the Balkans, sometimes in large numbers.


Uludag

The Uludag is a 2,543 m high mountain in the west of Turkey. His name means translated Powerful mountain (of Turkish Ulu for powerful, sublime and Dag Mountain). The mountain, about 31 miles south of the city of Bursa, is among other things, used for winter sports.

The Uludağ is an extinct volcano, in the surroundings there are still hot springs.

Also known as Olympos Misios or bithynischer Olymp he will sometimes with the same set mountain from which the Sage after the Greek god of the Trojan war followed.

Uludağ is also the name of a limonadeartigen drink, which in Turkey under the name Gazoz is known. This drink was previously exception from the mountain spring water produced. This was also the reason why this drink is not anywhere in Turkey was to receive, it could only be produced as much as the source hergab.

Also, the Uludağ University in Bursa Uludağ which owes its name.

Smyrna

Smyrna, (Turkish İzmir, contraction of his former Greek name Σμύρνη, Smyrni "Smyrna") is the second largest port in Turkey after Istanbul, and the third city in the country in terms of population (2,610,481 inhabitants in 2006). Is located near the Aegean coast, near the Gulf of Antalya, between the peninsulas and Claxomenas Foça, and about 450 km southwest of Istanbul. It is also the capital of the province of Antalya.

Smyrna History

Smyrna was founded to 3000 a. C. by the 'léleges "in the place of Tepekule near the current Bayraklı. Between 2000 and 1200 a. C., was part of the Hittite empire, and after the collapse of the Hittite state from attacks by the Phrygian, was occupied by the Aeolian, who emigrated from Greece to Anatolia around the year 1000, following the fall of the Mycenaean Greece. He was then occupied by the Ionian, who lived with his swing.

It was conquered in 688 a. C. by the settlers of Colophon, turning it into a city-state and becoming part of the Ionian League. Remained constant battles with the nearby cities of Pergamum and Ephesus. It was conquered in 600 a. C. by the king of Lydia, Aliates, and then by the Persians in 546 a. C. Razed, the city lost the prestige of yesteryear during the following centuries, until Alexander the Great built, very close to it, a new city. 302 a. C., step under the domination of Lisímaco, a former general of Alexander the Great, after his victory over Antigonus I Monoftalmos. After the city step to be dominated by Seleucus and later by the nearby city of Pergamon (end of the third century BC-early second century BC). The Seleucus tried to retake control of the Ionian. Smyrna was beaten by Atala, of Pergamum. At 189-188 a. C., the Seleucus were expelled from the Joni and Asia Minor. Smyrna received territories for having fought alongside Rome and benefited from an independence protected by the Romans. The city received several Roman political exiles.

From the year 89 to 85 a. C., Smyrna, as all the cities of Asia Minor, said the king of Pontus, Mithridates VI Eupator in its war against Rome. Sila, Roman general, began the conquest of Asia Minor. Took Smyrna and forced all the inhabitants of the city to parade naked in the middle of winter. After the peace Dardanos (85 BC), which ended the war between Rome and Mithridates VI, Smyrna, as most of the free cities of Asia and the Aegean, entered the Roman province of Asia.

Later suffered the consequence of civil wars that beset the Roman Empire, which took under his power after occupying Pergamum.

During the advance of Christianity within the Roman Empire, was martyred within its walls Polycarp of Smyrna. The city takes relevance among Christians, to be one of the seven cities named in the apocalypse. Later, step into the hands of the Byzantines for about five centuries until in 1084 it was occupied by the Seljuk Turks, even though that occupation only lasted 13 years, since the Byzantines were able to recover again. The Ottomans, in 1322 he won the Byzantines, passing from hand to hand later, being ruled by the kingdom of Cyprus, and even Venice, the Papal States. Sacked in 1402, suffered a severe punishment: killing most of its inhabitants. The Ottomans, returned to take over in 1424 she retained until 1920, after the disintegration of the Ottoman Empire and the Greek occupation as the Treaty of Sevres. In 1922 he returned to Turkish hands after the Greek War.

The Greek community of Smyrna was moved to Greece due to the agreements of population exchange between Greece and Turkey. More than a million Greeks left the city then, one of the largest Greek population of the former Ottoman Empire. The music brought by refugees from Smyrna would be the origin of rebétiko, one of the most important Greek music genres. During World War II, the city grew thanks to its strategic location and recovered from a terrible fire 20 years earlier had destroyed the city completely.

Balikesir

Balıkesir is a city, capital of the province of Balıkesir, in Turkey and has a population of 241,404 inhabitants (2007). Its main exports are products based on the olive tree. It is also a popular destination for Turkish domestic tourism. Ylidene is surrounded by places like Mount Ida.

Balıkesir is located near the Roman city of Hadrianutherae, founded by the Emperor Hadrian. During the Byzantine domination, the city was known as Palaeokastron (from the Greek Castle Palaeologus).

Friday, December 12, 2008

Pamukkale

Southwest of Turkey, particularly in the Menderes River valley in the province of Denizli, where it enjoys a temperate climate most of the year, is Pamukkale (cotton castle in Turkish), a natural area, which is at the same time a famous tourist attraction.

The ancient city of Hierapolis was built on top of the 'castle' white, which in total is 2700 m long and 160 m in height. It may be money at great distance, for example, if we are driving through the hills on the opposite side of the valley towards the town of Denizli, which is 20 km, or traveling from the coast of Antalya and the Aegean Sea.

Tectonic movements that took place in the depression of the failure of the Menderes River Basin is not only causing frequent earthquakes but also resulted in the emergence of numerous hot springs. Were these waters, with its high mineral content - chalk in particular - those who created Pamukkale.

In addition to any radioactive material, the water contains large amounts of calcium and bicarbonate that produce precipitation of calcium bicarbonate. Every second spring from these sources 250 L water, leading to precipitation of 2.2 grams of chalk for each liter of water or 0.55 kg of chalk per second. Over time some sources dried up due to earthquakes, while new ones emerged in the vicinity.

Pamukkale

Southwest of Turkey, particularly in the Menderes River valley in the province of Denizli, where it enjoys a temperate climate most of the year, is Pamukkale (cotton castle in Turkish), a natural area, which is at the same time a famous tourist attraction.

The ancient city of Hierapolis was built on top of the 'castle' white, which in total is 2700 m long and 160 m in height. It may be money at great distance, for example, if we are driving through the hills on the opposite side of the valley towards the town of Denizli, which is 20 km, or traveling from the coast of Antalya and the Aegean Sea.

Tectonic movements that took place in the depression of the failure of the Menderes River Basin is not only causing frequent earthquakes but also resulted in the emergence of numerous hot springs. Were these waters, with its high mineral content - chalk in particular - those who created Pamukkale.

In addition to any radioactive material, the water contains large amounts of calcium and bicarbonate that produce precipitation of calcium bicarbonate. Every second spring from these sources 250 L water, leading to precipitation of 2.2 grams of chalk for each liter of water or 0.55 kg of chalk per second. Over time some sources dried up due to earthquakes, while new ones emerged in the vicinity.

Friday, December 5, 2008

Sultanahmet Square Fountain

Sultanahmet Square Fountain
It is in the square in front of the main gate to Topkapı Palace. It was built during 1728-1729 by Ahmet III, and is among the important works of art of the "Tulip Period" of the Ottoman Era. It is based on a 10 x 10 m. plan with spouts on each of its faces and corners. It is famous for its architecture and decorations.

WONDERS OF TURKEY

* Ancient Civilizations, Ancient Cities
* Fortresses, Castles
* Palaces, Pavillions, Mansions, Residences
* Religious Monuments
* Thelogical Schools, Hospitals, Alm's Houses,Baths
* Inns, Shops, Bazaars
* Sacred Places, Sacred, Objects, Convents
* Tombs, Vaults, Mausoleums
* Bridges, Water Arches, Cisterns, Reservoirs
* Fountains, Pools
* Bird Houses
* Mosaics, Miniatures, Leather Arts
* Calligraphs, Gildins, Paper Engravings
* Marblings, Maps, Binderies
* Art of Glass, Glazed Tiles
* Stobe Engravings, Decorations, Metal Art and Jewellery
* Wood Engravings, Mother of Pearl Embedding, Pencil Work
* Carpets and Rugs
* Clothes, Textiles, Embroidery and Pinking

Denizli History

Denizli city was established 6 km north of the present location of the city, within the neighbourhood of Eskihisar Village. The city was built by II Antiokos for the name of his wife in between the years of 261 - 246 B.C and gave its name to Laodikeia. This name of the city had been used till the invasions of the Muslim.The current name of the city Denizli, once Tonguzlu, has taken its form through an evolutionary process. Later Persians, Great Alexander, Romans and Byzantine, Seljuks, Govermentals and Ottomans took control of the city. After Turks conquered Denizli and its environs,the center of the city became Kaleiçi due to its rich water resources.

Denizli Geography

Though located in Aegean region, Denizli is not totally effected with the Aegean climate. Instead, due to its being placed on the transition point between coast line and the inner parts, Denizli to a certain extent displays a terrestrial climate. Denizli province is open to the winds coming from the sea because of the perpendicular extension of the mountains. Winter months are warm and rainy.

Denizli Mosques

Acıpayam Yazır Mosque : According to the inscription on the entrance gate of the Mosque, it was built in 1801. Mosques' walls which are very rich and interesting in terms of decoration, are adorned with 3 lined panels of pictures.

Boğaziçi Mosque :
The mosque was built during Seljuk Period in Baklan county, Boğaziçi town. It is inside the wooden columned type of mosques. Rich and various wooden patterns by means of decorative perspective can be seen.

Tombs : Servergazi Tomb (Yeşilköy), Mehmet Gazi Tomb (at Big grave yard), Fatma Hanım (Yıldız) Tomb (at Big grave yard), Ahi Sinan Tomb, Mahmut Gazi Tomb, Yatağan Baba Tomb ve Hüsamettin Bey Tomb are main tombs that are to be seen in Denizli.

Denizli Inns and Caravanserais

Akhan Inn : It is 7 km from Denizli, and located on Denizli - Afyon highway. Caravanserai was built in between the 1253 - 1254. In one of the two inscription of the caravanserai, name and reputations of II. İzzettin Keykavus are described. Hanım portal (corona gate)is magnificient with its geometrical and pastel adornments. It has dense embellishment with Deer, sphinxes, and bird shaped figures, palm, and plants shaped motifs.

Çardakhan Caravanserai : It is located outside the Çardak county center. According to its inscription, it was built during I. Alaaddin Keykubad Period, in 1230. It is a caravanserai having the properties of Sultan Inns.

Hierapolis Archeology Musuem

One of the biggest buildings of Hierapolis antique city,Roman Bath has been giving service as Hierapolis Archeology Musuem since 1984.

At the museum, besides the creations engraved from Hierapolis city, traces of Laodikeia, Colossai, Tripolis, Attuda, Lycos (Çürüksu) Valley cities can be found. Moreover, important part of the museum consists of archeological creations unearthed at Beycesultan Tumulus which presents the best samples of Bronze Age. Pieces of art revealed from some of the settlements within Karia, Psydia and Lydia regions are also collected and exhibited in Hierapolis Museum.

Open hours to visit: Summers: 08.00 - 19.00, Winter: 08.00 - 17.00 (except Mondays) Tel :( 258) 272 20 34

Atatürk Ethnography Museum : Located in the city center ,the building currently serves as a museum, the construction date of which is not certain. At the upper floor of the museum, ethnographic cultural assets such as clothes, jewelers, house furniture, guns, rugs, carpets majority of which are remained from Ottoman Period are on exhibit. Moreover in the room where Atatürk rested during his visit to Denizli, there are a wradrobe, bedstead adorned with brass,sofa and a work table in baroque style.

Open hours to visit: Summers: 08.00 - 19.00, Winters: 08.00 - 17.00 (except Mondays) Tel : (258) 241 08 66

Tripolis: It is at the 40 km north of Denizli city center. It is built on the slopes between Büyük Menderes River and Yenicekent Town,Buldan county, east from Yenicekent town. Tripolis is one of the cities in Lydia region was a trade, agriculture and border center as the junction point between Karya and Frigia.

It was one of the richest cities of region with its architecture and maner of establishment. It is estimated that city was build by Bergama Kingdom. Best samples of monument buildings were built during 1st, 2nd and 3rd centuries. Mentioning of the nameTripolis in the list of the bishops of the Lydia in Nikea council in 325 AC, means that city was in the condition of episcopacy.

Tripolis Buildings

Theater: It is in the city center and built with Roman construction style and in a suitable way for formation of area.

Public Bath: It takes place approximately 200 m. east of the theater. It is located at the outer side of the city ramparts.Outer walls are partly survived.

Castle and Ramparts: Tripolis surrounded by ramparts during Late Roman and Byzantine Period. Built on sloping grounds, ramparts of the city were supported by bastions, watchtowers and thick walls in some parts.

Necropolis: It is at the east and south slopes of the ramparts. In this place rock tombs, graves with podiums and tombs can be seen.

Colossae : It is located at 25 km south of Denizli city and 2 km north of Honaz County. It is on the south roadway that has been used since Ancient times. It is one of the most important centers placed in Great Frigia. It is one of the 6 biggest cities of Frigia according to Ksenephon.

There is a castle ruin remained from Ottoman Period. Ruins of Colossae antic city, an Acropolis, can be seen around tumulus hill and surrounding areas. At north of tumulus, there are tombs engraved to rock to be built as room and house type.

Herakleia Salbace : City is in the borders of Vakıf Village which is 10 km north west of Tavas county, Denizli city. Important buildings are ramparts surrounding the city and stadium belonging to Roman Period.

Artemis and Leto : It is at approximately 4 km east of Herakleia Salbace antique city and 1 km north east of present Tavas - Kızılcabölük Town, built on a place named Ören Sırtı (ruin ridge) and Kocapınar locality. Perched on the ridges of Babadağ Mountain with its rectangular shape,Hieron has relieves on its surface that figure out the mythological scenes about Artemis, Apollo, Pan, Dionysus and Hercules.

Denizli Thermal Springs

Çizmeli (Yenice) Thermal : It is in the borders of Yenicekent that 16 km far away to Buldan county. It is at the outskirts of Menderes River and accessible through passing the Tripolis antic city ruins. It has good effects on some of the health problems such as Rheumatism, heart disease, arteriosclerosis, skin disease, and hemorrhoids.

Gölemezli Çamur Thermal :
It is near the Gölemezli village depended to Akköy County. It is formed with 4 springs. Each spring has different quality. First one uses as mud bath. It used for curative effects on skin diseases.

Babacık (Kabaağaç) Thermal : It is at the Kaabaağaç Village 3 km away from Tekke köyü hot spring, Sarayköy county.

Tekkeköy Thermal : It is near the Village at Sarayköy County. It is 20 km away from Sarayköy, and hot waters springs from various places. Public Bath remains from Rome period contains pool and dressing rooms. Hot spring waters has curative effects on rheumatism, skin, gynecological and urethra diseases.

Kızıldere Hot Spring : It springs from red colored stones, 11 km away from Sarayköy Village. The complex includes a two domed turkish bath(hamam), two bathing place, pool and dressing rooms. It is good for rheumatism and weariness.

How to Get Denizli

Highway :Denizli is accessible from every region of country by road. Choach station is in the city center. Coach Station Tel: 241 03 47

Railway:City is connected to Ankara, İstanbul and İzmir by railway. Railway route following Denizli - Aydın - İzmir highway occupies the connection of the city to İzmir. Railway station is in the city center. Railway Station Tel: 268 28 31

Airway :There is an airport 5 km away from county center at Çardak county of Denizli city. Airport is located at Çardak county 65 km away from city center. Airport Tel: 851 24 59

Friday, November 21, 2008

Denizli

Area : 11.868 km²

Population :
850.029 (2000)

Traffic Code :
20

Denizli famous with roosters, has rich history and culture. Denizli is a tourism center to be seen with its Hierapolis and Laodikeia, Tripolis, antic cities, hot springs and Pamukkale which is unique in the world with its travertines.,

Distircts:Denizli (center), Acıpayam, Akköy, Babadağ, Baklan, Bekilli, Beyağaç, Bozkurt, Buldan, Tavas, Çameli, Çal, Çardak, Çivril, Güney, Honaz, Kale, Sarayköy, Serinhisar.

Monday, November 17, 2008

Aydin History

Aydın was founded by the Trallians and known as Tralles. After being destroyed by an earthquake and rebuilt, it was controlled by the Spartans, Hittites, Phrygians, Ionians, Lydians, Persians and Romans, all of whom brought their own culture and contributed to the development of the region.

Aydin Geography

Affected by the Mediterranean climate, the rainy season is winter and snow is rarely seen. Aydın is open to the winds coming in off the sea from the west. In the summertime it practically never rains.

Aydin Thermal Springs

Underground river The rich boat-shaped valley formed by the numerous springs of the Menderes Watershed which flows down to the Aegean from heights of up to 900 m. also has abundant underground water supplies. There are 262 villages with artesian wells in the province of Aydın.

Alan Güllü Thermal Springs At Bozköy near Germencik, the springs have facilities which include an indoor thermal pool approved by the municipality and 32 rooms with 70 beds. In addition, there are modern treatment and accommodation facilities, in what has become one of the biggest and most modern thermal springs in the area.

Bafa Lake Natural Park

Location: The Bafa Lake Natural Park takes place within the borders of Söke District of Aydın Province in Aegean Region.

Transportation: The Bafa Lake is at the south-east of Great Menderes (Büyük Menderes) Delta, and 25 km far away from the Söke District. It is possible to reach to the park overland route.

Highlights: The Bafa Lake, which used to be a part of Aegean Sea, had turned to be a lake as result of geomorphologic development of Great Menderes Delta. Bafa Lake is one of the least spoiled watery areas at the shore, in Turkey. The maximum depth of the Bafa Lake reaches to 25 meters. The main water sources of the Bafa Lake are the water floods of Great Menderes (Büyük Menderes) River, and the underground waters coming from the mountains at the environment.

The plant cover around lake consists of tamarisks, pine trees, and olive groves. The Bafa Lake shelters the ecosystem characteristics of Great Menderes delta. Because of that reason it provides a winter quarter and a place for reproduction for many bird species which are under the danger of vanishing.
The main bird species in the Bafa Lake Natural Park are pelican, dwarf cormorant and sea eagle. The Park provides a winter quarter for more than 300.000 different bird species.

There are 700 kinds of plankton in the Lake, and a variety of water plants. This causes many fish species to live in the lake. As the cultural and historical values of the Bafa Lake; Heraclia Antic City takes place within the borders of the Lake, at the south west foot of Beşparmak Mountains. In the Antic City there are many historical buildings; these are Athena Temple, an Agora, Council Building, Public Bath, Theatre, Nymphaion (fountain building), and Endymion Temple.

In order to protect the historical and natural values of the area, in 1994, 12281 hectares of it taken under the status of Natural Park.

Facililities: In the park; a visitor centre, a camping area, places for daily use and picnic, walking and trekking footpaths, and bird - watching stations are available.

Aydın - Bafa Lake

Location: Bafa Lake is in the Soke District of Aydin province, in the Aegean Region.

Transportation: Bafa Lake is at the southeast of the Buyuk Menderes Delta, and 25 km from Soke from where it is easily accessible.

Highlights: The lake, once part of the Aegean Sea, became a lake as result of geomorphologic development of Buyuk Menderes Delta and is in an area of relatively unspoilt beauty. Its main sources are from Buyuk Menderes, and the underground rivers flowing from the surrounding mountains.

Plant life consists of tamarisks, pine trees, and olive groves. The lake protects the ecosystem of the delta, and therefore provides a winter habitat for many species of birds which would otherwise be in danger of extinction: Around 300,000 birds nest here, including pelican, dwarf cormorant and sea eagle and there are 700 kinds of plankton in the lake and a variety of water plants, which encourages many species of fish.

Historical and cultural sites around the lake include the antique city of Heraclia, at the foot of the Besparmak mountains, which has the remains of the Athena Temple, an agora council building, public bath, theatre, and Endymion temple. In order to protect these areas, 12,281 hectares of the park were given the status of Natural Park in 1994.

Facilities: There is a visitor centre, camping area, picnic sites, trekking paths and bird-watching towers are in the park.

Don't Leave Without Kusadasi

Seeing Öküz Mehmet Paşa Caravanserai,

Visiting Guvercin Fortress,

Swimming on one of the many beaches,

Relaxing in Dilek Peninsula National Park,

Getting a famous Blue Voyage,

Trying out some of the bars and nightclubs.

Caves of Aydın

Location: Aydın, Kuşadası District

Properties: It is a passive cave. As the cave is passive, there is no rivers or creeks present inside the cave. But the waters dripping from the cracks helped the formation of various damlataş (drop - shaped precious stone) forms. There are also some travertine pools and a few small lakes present inside the cave. There is no significant air flow inside the cave. The moisture level of the cave atmosphere tends to increase relatively as proceeded t-inside the cave.

Where to Visit Kusadasi

Güvercin Adası (Pigeon Island)

This tiny island off the west coast of the town is just a few hundred metres from the mainland, and connected by path way. It contains a fortress, which was constructed by the Ottomans and restored and strengthened in 1834. Kusadasi was an important defensive port along the Ottoman Aegean coast, and the fortress helped prevent attacks coming from the islands. It is now a relaxing place with landscaped terraces and several teahouses and snack bars.

Cruiser And Yacht Ports

There are two wharfs, where tourist ships are approaching and also a yacht port with 650 yacht capacity in Kuşadası. Ships are approaching to Kuşadası Port during all seasons. Passenger motor voyages are regularly organized from Kuşadasi port to Greek Island, Sisam (Samos) during spring and summer months (Every day between 1st April and 20th October), and during winter months these voyages are turned as charters. There are daily and hourly picnic touring passenger motors in the port, and Blue Tour organizing yachts are also in the yacht port.

Mosque And Caravanseraıs

Kale İçi Mosque

It is constructed in 1618 by Grand Vizier Öküz Paşa.

Öküz Mehmet Paşa Caravansary

Built in 1618 by Grand Vizier Okuz Pasa, there are artillery holes still visible on the external walls, in an effort to protect the city against pirates. It is now a luxury hotel.

Beaches

The most famous beach in the area is Kadinlar Denizi (Ladies’ Beach), 3km south of town and well connected by dolmus, which is very crowded in high season. Guvercin Adasi has rocky shores but it is possible to swim, and there is a small beach 500m north of Yilanci Burnu peninsula. A better beach is Pamucak,15km north on the road to Selcuk.

Thermal Spring

The most important thermal springs in the area are Ciban (Yavansu), Venus and Guzelcamli.


National And Natural Parks

Büyük Menderes Delta National Park

Kusadasi

This seaside resort town has grown up immensely in the last 30 years, and is especially popular with package holiday-makers from Europe. From a population of 6000 in the 1970s, it is now closer to 50,000, although a high proportion of this are part of the tourist industry and here only for the summer.

Many cruising ships travelling around the Aegean Islands stop here, especially because of its close proximity (20km) to Selcuk. Kusadasi is a good base to explore this and other ancient cities like Priene and Didyma.

Although there is a little historical interest in Kusadasi itself, the town is popular predominantly because of its many hotels, restaurants, souvenir and carpet shops, and lively nightlife. The Kale district has some old traditional houses and narrow streets, and gives some indication of what the town used to be like. The most famous beach is Kadinlar Plaji, 2.5km south of the town, dominated by huge hotels and can get very crowded in summer. There are several small beaches further south, and closer to town is Yilanci Burnu, the peninsular.

Ancient Cities Aydin

Nyssa The source of what we know about this Nyssa (Nisa), founded on the slopes of Mount Malgaç, north of Sultanhisar in where now olive groves, is the geographer Strabo. Made up of two parts due to the fact that it was built on a stream, the city was first called Athymbra after the wife of its founder, the Selecuid king Antiochus I. The primary remains are the two-story library built by Aristodem, a native of Nyssa, a water depot belonging to the Hellenistic era, a stadium and bridge from the Roman era, the agora and necropolis on the Acharaka road.

Alabanda A Carian city whose name comes from a combination of the Carian words for horse (ALA) and victory (BANDA). Remains that can still be seen include the wall fortified with towers, the theater, the senato, the agora and memorial graves. There is also a Roman aqueduct over Kemer Creek to the south. Alaband was known in the ancient world for several crafts peculiar to the city, including crystal, various decorative items made from a hard black stone, fishing nets and rose gardening.

Priene An important episcopal see in the Byzantine era, the ancient city Priene north of Miletus was given a very geometric design of intersecting right angles. The most important structure in the city is the Temple of Athena on the top of the hill. In addition, northeast of the city is a 5000 person theater constructed in the Hellenistic era which is definitely worth seeing.

Miletus Located on north of Didim, Miletus was a coastal city with 4 ports and one of the most important Ionian settlements. Its golden age was the 6th and 7th centuries BC. During this period thinkers in Miletus were putting down what would become the foundation of Western science and culture. The 5300 person theater built in the Hellenistic era was later added on to by the Romans and had a final seating capacity of 15,000.

Tralles (Tiral) Located only 1 km from Aydın, what we know about the city, is limited to what has come down to us from the geographer Strabo. Its first appearance in the historical record is in the 4th century BC during the war of independence waged by the Spartan general Thibron against the Persians.

During the Hellenistic era, the city changed hands frequently. In 26 BC, while a part of the Roman Empire, it suffered some damage from an earthquake and was repaired by the Emperor Augustus and renamed Caesarea. From the time that it passed into the hands of the Turks in the 12th century until the present it has been called "three-eyes" among the people. A few remains of the theater to the north and the 'cavea' are about all that remain. Excavations begun in 1997 have uncovered a Roman bath, an arsenal used during the Greek, Roman and Byzantine eras and a building thought to have been used for worship in the Byzantine period. All of the items recovered from the site whether from older digs or the more recent ones are on exhibit in the Aydın Museum.

Aphrodisias This city was one of the leading centers of architecture, art, sculpture and worship in the ancient world. The Byzantine write Stephanos places the foundation of the city back to the 13th century BC. This Carian city 12 km southeast of Karacasu experienced its golden age in the Roman era, during which time marble statue and structures of extraordinary beauty were built so much so that a school of art known as the Aphrodisias style was developed.

Archeological research has shown that architecture and sculpture were not the only types of study done in the city but that medicine and astronomy were researched as well. The city's primary structures of interest are the baths built during the reign of Hadrian, the agora with its large fountain, the Temple of Aphrodite built in the 1st century BC, the 30,000 person theater, the theater baths and odeon, the episcopal palace and the school of philosophy. The Museum of Aphrodisias has one of the richest collections found in any local museum in Turkey.

Panionium Located in the town of Davutlar near Kuşadası, it was the center of the Ionian League of antiquity. The Ionians met here to make decisions.
Neopolis Right beside Kuşadası, at a place called Yılancı Burun (Snake Nose). It is the earliest settlement in the area.

Didyma Near the town of Didim, it was in the center of prophetic oracles in antiquity. The Temple of Apollon in Didim was planned as a dipteros (having two rows of columns) but was never finished.

Myus Near Didim, an important member of the Ionian League.

Iassos Situated near Didim, this ancient city was famous for its theater dedicated to Dionysos, the god of wine, and the festivals held there. Its music and theatrical productions were well-known throughout the ancient world.

Gerga It is located near Çine. The enormous human statues which have slid off their pedestals and fallen to the ground and the stones which have "Gerga" inscribed on them are particularly interesting.

Alında Located near Karpuzlu, it is the granite city of Queen Ada. Important remains include a theater with 35 rows of seats, a two-story tower, the agora and the city walls.

Mastaura (Mastavra) Close to Nazilli, it used to be a commercial center which minted money. In the ruins can be seen the city walls, the theater, aqueducts and a few other structures.

Magnesia It is near Ortaklar in Germencik. Because it was the scene of several important events, it is described as the 'city of episodes.' There are the remains of temples to Artemis and Zeus from the 3rd century BC, an agora, baths, a theater, stadium and gymnasium, as well as Byzantine walls.

Orthasia (Ortosi) Near Yenipazar, there is a acropolis on a hill overlooking the Menderes valley.

Nyssa (Nisa) Near Sultanhisar, it was a science and teaching center. The remains of the theater, stadium, gymnasium, agora, library, buluterion and necropolis can still be seen.

Acharaka (Akaraka) In Sultanhisar near the village of Salavatlı, reference is made to a health center here. The Temple of Plutonium and the 'health-giving' water and gases in Charonium cave are also mentioned.

Don't Leave Without Aydin

Don't Leave Without

-Visiting the ancient city of Aphrodisias

-Watching the Golden Pigeon races at Kuşadası

-Tasting the exquisite olive oil dishes unique to the Aegean and the delicious figs, fabulous grapes and grape wines and the wide variety of citrus fruits.

-Purchasing some of the bitter orange jelly.

-Trying the delicious seafood: bream, mullet, red sea bream and red mullet

-Visiting the elegant boutiques selling carpets, rugs, leather clothing, jewelry and other souvenir items.

Saturday, November 15, 2008

Zeugma Mosaics Museum


Zeugma is an ancient city of Commagne, currently located in the town of Nizip, forty-five kilometers away from Gaziantep.

The significance of Zeugma is the Roman villas and their floor mosaics. Zeugma had captured the public attention, when the Birecik Dam Project brought up the possibility that Zeugma could have been inundated under the dam's waters. Majority of the Roman villas were brought to day light within the framework of a rescue excavation which was intensified in 2000. Yet, the total of the excavations, which were originally started in 1987, have discovered only a small number of these unique mosaics.


Today in the Zeugma Mosaics Museum 500 meter square-wide mosaics, 35 mosaic panels as well as the famous 1, 50 cm-long bronze Mars and Aphrodite statutes are in display. The museum is proudly the second biggest mosaic museum of the world.

Altinkum Beaches

Altınkum is the most popular beach of Didim. It means 'golden sands', and the color of sands is golden yellow truly. The azure sea is very clean. Altınkum has most of otels, restaurants, bars and shoping centers of Didim.

Didim is a beautiful tourist vacation spot, has some of the best sun, sand and sea in the Aegean region. It has a rich history. The Temple to Apollo at Didim was one of the most sacred places of antiquity. Though many times looted and burned, the sanctuary still possesses elegant beauty. A prophetic oracle in ancient times, there is a large temple dedicated to the sun god Apollon here. The ancients' belief in fate was very powerful and they saw Apollon as a god of prophecy who would reveal their fate.


The other beaches in Didim except Altınkum, are Tavşan Burnu and Akbük. Tavşan Burnu has a marvellous sunset. Lake Bafa is one of the important ornitology areas in Turkey.


Further to the south you will see the ancient city of Priene, built according to a geometric plan designed by the great architect of Miletus, Hippodamos. Miletus was a great centre of commerce and thought in the ancient world and important developments, scientific and otherwise, took place here.

St Peter Church

The Church of St Peter (St Peter's Cave Church, Cave-Church of St Peter) near Antioch (Antakya), Turkey, is composed of a cave carved into the mountainside on Mount Starius with a depth of 13 m, a width of 9,5 m and a height of 7m. This cave, which has been used by the first Christians in Antakya region, is considered to be one of Chistianity's oldest churches.

The founding of the church in Antioch can be traced from the Bible's Acts of the Apostles (11:25-27) where it is related that Barnabas travels to Tarsus to bring Paul the Apostle there. They worked for one year with the nascent Christian community, and there the converts were called "Christians" for the first time. The Christian heritage considers Peter as the first Apostle founder of the church of Antioch, and the first priest of the Christian population that was established there; the Church of St. Peter is the spot where he first preached the Gospel in Antioch.

Only some pieces of ground mossaics, and traces of frescos on the right side of the alter have been preserved to date from the early period of the church. It is thought that the tunnel inside that opens to the mountain side, served the Christians to evacuate the church in case of sudden raids and attacks. Water that seeps from rocks to be gathered inside the drinking trough has been used for baptisms. The collection of water, which visitors drank and collected to bring to those who were ill, in the belief that it was healing and curative, has lessened as a result of recent earthquakes.

On top of the stone altar located in the middle of the church, is a stonework platform that was placed in memory of the Saint Peter's Platform Holiday which was celebrated every 21st of February in Antakya. The marble Saint Peter statue on top of the altar was placed there in 1932. Crusaders who captured Antakya in 1098 lengthened the church by a few meters and connected it with two arches to the facade. This facade has been rebuilt in 1863, by the Capuchin Friars who were doing restorative works on the orders of Pope Pius IX. Napoleon III has also contributed to the restoration. The remains on the left hand side of the church entrance belong to colonnades that used to stand in front of the church facade.

Harran Travel

Situated on the very southernmost fringes of the formidable Toros (Taurus) Mountains -- with little more than low limestone spurs, clawing their way like broken fingers into the flat expanse of the Mesopotamian plain -- is the bustling bazaar city of Şanlıurfa.

Some 40 kilometers away to the south of it, just short of Turkey's border with Syria, the scattered remains of the ancient settlement of Harran shimmer in the heat of this vast, empty and austere landscape. Once a mighty walled city sitting astride the traditional trade routes crisscrossing Mesopotamia, it is now best known for the curious domed "beehive" houses rising above the tumbled ruins, which until quite recently were the homes of the Arabic-speaking villagers who occupy the site.

Mesopotamia is famed as the birthplace of civilization, the area where mankind first learned to cultivate crops and, later, live in cities. Stand on the remains of the citadel at Harran and gaze out to the south and you'll see a series of low but prominent "hills" rising above the flatness of the plain. These are tels (höyük in Turkish), or artificial mounds, comprising layer upon layer of the accumulated debris left by the rebuilding of a settlement on the same site -- many dating back to 5,000 B.C. and some much earlier.

Harran was clearly already a settlement of some importance when it was visited by the biblical figure of Abraham around 4,000 years ago. Revered by Muslims as a prophet, by Christians as a model of faith and Jews as a patriarch blessed by God, Abraham is a cornerstone of the monotheistic faiths. Appropriately enough given the continuation of nomadic pastoralism by the Arabs hereabouts to this very day, Abraham was a shepherd. En route from Ur of the Chaldeans (in modern Iraq) to the land of Canaan, he stopped off here. It must have been to his extended families' liking, as some of them, including his brother, stayed behind. Later, unable to find a wife for his son Isaac locally, he sent word to his distant relatives in Harran and they came up with Rebecca.

In the centuries following Abraham's departure to Canaan, the Assyrians and then the Babylonians held sway in Harran. In 53 B.C. the famous Roman general Crassus, at that time one of the Triumvirate ruling Rome along with Pompey and Caesar, met a very sticky end near Harran (or Carrhae, as it was known to the Romans). Anxious to prove his military muscle and line his pockets with plunder, Crassus, newly appointed governor of the wealthy Roman province of Syria, decided to try his luck against Rome's arch rivals to the east of their empire, the Parthians (a Persian dynasty). Despite superior numerical odds, Crassus and his legions were undone by a combination of punishingly hot weather and the Parthians' famous bowmen. Over 20,000 Romans died, one of the most catastrophic defeats in Rome's history. Crassus himself was captured and brought before the Parthian commander Surena. Appalled by Crassus' reputation for greed, Surena came up with a fitting reward for Crassus, who was killed by having molten gold poured down his throat.

Things didn't go much better for another notable Roman, this time the Emperor Caracalla. In A.D. 217, campaigning in the area against the Parthians, he decided to seek the blessings of the moon god Sin, whose temple is almost certainly beneath the medieval remains of the citadel in Harran. Struck down with a stomach bug (not an unusual occurrence in this area even today) en route from Şanlıurfa to Harran, he sought relief behind some wayside bushes. Caught with his trousers (or rather tunic) down, he was helpless to prevent a member of his Praetorian guard, angry that he had been overlooked for promotion, from cutting him down.

Of course trying to find the exact site of Crassus' defeat, let alone the bushes where Caracalla met such an embarrassing end, is nigh on impossible. Things improved for today's visitor with the arrival of the Arabs in the seventh century. They took control of the city from the Byzantines (despite the strengthening of the city walls by the Emperor Theodosius in the sixth century) and, under the Umayyad dynasty, Harran became, briefly, capital of the entire Islamic world. The remains of the massive Ulu Camii, built during the reign of Marwan II (744-50), still stand in splendid isolation in the middle of the old walled city. This, the first mosque ever built on what is now Turkish soil, is of typical Arab design (based on the Prophet Muhammad's house in Medina) with a large open courtyard centered on the şadırvan (ablutions fountain) and a large, rectangular prayer hall divided into four aisles. The layout of the mosque, which for the most part stands only to a few courses of stone high, is best seen from the dusty mound to the south. Currently being excavated by a team from Ankara, the buildings being unearthed from beneath the mound are thought to be from the palace of Marwan and his successors, and from the school of medicine for which Harran was famous. The monumental square minaret on the northeast corner of the courtyard, with its lower sections of well-cut stone blocks, the upper of brick, was taken for a church belfry by Lawrence of Arabia when passing by in 1909.

Destroyed by Mongols in 1260

Although the mosque was rebuilt by the Ayyubid dynasty (of whom the most famous member was that scourge of the Crusaders, Saladin) in the 12th century, Harran's glory days were over, and in 1260 it was destroyed by the Mongols. The settlement then entered a period of decline from which, with the turning on of the irrigation taps of the colossal Atatürk Dam in the mountains far to the north, it is only just beginning to emerge. Indeed, in the 19th century the place was only seasonally inhabited by wandering Bedouin tribes. When the British missionary Reverend Percy Badger came in 1843, he wrote: "On the projecting angles of this ruined edifice the Arabs have erected their conical huts with the bricks which are scattered about most plentifully in this enclosed space. Not far from the castle is a small eminence literally covered with several hundred of these quaint habitations, some of which consist of three cones, whilst others have no more than one. All are now deserted, the Arabs having taken to their tents to escape the vermin which infest them during this season."

The beehive-shaped houses survive in some quantity today, much to the delight of visiting photographers, but are now mainly used to house animals. A visit here is as much one to a village as to an ancient site, and ethnically Arab kids, ranging from the cute to the downright pesky, follow you around trying to sell wall hangings made from dry chickpeas, or to beg pens or money. It's a tourist trap, but the substantial collection of beehive houses set around a shady courtyard and known as the Harran Kültür Evleri offer a respite from the heat, dust and kids. Here you can examine the inside of one of the domed houses and marvel at its clever construction and cool interior, drink a refreshing Turkish çay or a tiny cup of the local specialty, mırra, a scented, bitter coffee. Owner Reşat, a tall and distinguished Arab, with a gold tooth and flowing Bedouin robes, is very welcoming.

It's worth exploring the citadel, in the southwest corner of the old walled city, with three of its four original polygonal towers still reasonably intact, though take care as there are several gaping holes in the upper floors of the structure. It's possible that under the masonry you see today, much of it dating only from the Mameluke period, there are the remains of a Sabian temple (a second is thought to lie under the mound behind the Ulu Camii). Sabianism, mentioned in the Quran, was the dominant religion in Harran from around 1,500 B.C. until A.D. 11th or 12th century. Accused of human sacrifice and orgiastic rites by some early Christian commentators, the Sabians worshipped the planets, especially the moon god Sin. They prayed three times each day -- at sunrise, noon and sunset, and used a different temple each day, one for each of seven celestial deities -- the Sun, Moon, Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, Venus and Saturn. No one is sure what happened to the Sabians, though some believe that the Mandaeans of today's Iraq derive from this once powerful faith.

Harran is one of those places that is far more than the sum of its parts, where you sense history as much as see it. Towards sundown the shadow cast by the minaret of the great mosque lengthens across the broken, earth-covered remnants of this once mighty settlement. The shattered walls and towers of the citadel wrap themselves in a dark mantle and the gangs of village kids, with sun-bleached hair and piercing green eyes, slip away home for their supper. The curves of the domed "beehive" houses are silhouetted dramatically against a vast orange-pink sky and, with nightfall quickening, the sky purples, then darkens and a blanket of stars emerges, blurrily coruscating against a soft, black Mesopotamian sky.


[QUICK TIPS]

How to get here

There are regular flights to Şanlıurfa from İstanbul and Ankara. Dolmuşes run to Harran from the terminal in Şanlıurfa and take around an hour, or hire a taxi.

Where to stay

There is plenty of accommodation in all categories in Şanlıurfa, but to make the most of Harran, stay at the air-conditioned Bazda Motel (Tel: [414] 441 2001) in the village just outside the western walls or, if you have a sleeping bag, the Harran Kültür Evleri.

Guides and reading matter

"The Rough Guide to Turkey," "Blue Guide Turkey" and "Lonely Planet Turkey," "The Nestorians and Their Rituals" by Reverend George Percy Badger.

Harran Travel

Situated on the very southernmost fringes of the formidable Toros (Taurus) Mountains -- with little more than low limestone spurs, clawing their way like broken fingers into the flat expanse of the Mesopotamian plain -- is the bustling bazaar city of Şanlıurfa.

Some 40 kilometers away to the south of it, just short of Turkey's border with Syria, the scattered remains of the ancient settlement of Harran shimmer in the heat of this vast, empty and austere landscape. Once a mighty walled city sitting astride the traditional trade routes crisscrossing Mesopotamia, it is now best known for the curious domed "beehive" houses rising above the tumbled ruins, which until quite recently were the homes of the Arabic-speaking villagers who occupy the site.

Mesopotamia is famed as the birthplace of civilization, the area where mankind first learned to cultivate crops and, later, live in cities. Stand on the remains of the citadel at Harran and gaze out to the south and you'll see a series of low but prominent "hills" rising above the flatness of the plain. These are tels (höyük in Turkish), or artificial mounds, comprising layer upon layer of the accumulated debris left by the rebuilding of a settlement on the same site -- many dating back to 5,000 B.C. and some much earlier.

Harran was clearly already a settlement of some importance when it was visited by the biblical figure of Abraham around 4,000 years ago. Revered by Muslims as a prophet, by Christians as a model of faith and Jews as a patriarch blessed by God, Abraham is a cornerstone of the monotheistic faiths. Appropriately enough given the continuation of nomadic pastoralism by the Arabs hereabouts to this very day, Abraham was a shepherd. En route from Ur of the Chaldeans (in modern Iraq) to the land of Canaan, he stopped off here. It must have been to his extended families' liking, as some of them, including his brother, stayed behind. Later, unable to find a wife for his son Isaac locally, he sent word to his distant relatives in Harran and they came up with Rebecca.

In the centuries following Abraham's departure to Canaan, the Assyrians and then the Babylonians held sway in Harran. In 53 B.C. the famous Roman general Crassus, at that time one of the Triumvirate ruling Rome along with Pompey and Caesar, met a very sticky end near Harran (or Carrhae, as it was known to the Romans). Anxious to prove his military muscle and line his pockets with plunder, Crassus, newly appointed governor of the wealthy Roman province of Syria, decided to try his luck against Rome's arch rivals to the east of their empire, the Parthians (a Persian dynasty). Despite superior numerical odds, Crassus and his legions were undone by a combination of punishingly hot weather and the Parthians' famous bowmen. Over 20,000 Romans died, one of the most catastrophic defeats in Rome's history. Crassus himself was captured and brought before the Parthian commander Surena. Appalled by Crassus' reputation for greed, Surena came up with a fitting reward for Crassus, who was killed by having molten gold poured down his throat.

Things didn't go much better for another notable Roman, this time the Emperor Caracalla. In A.D. 217, campaigning in the area against the Parthians, he decided to seek the blessings of the moon god Sin, whose temple is almost certainly beneath the medieval remains of the citadel in Harran. Struck down with a stomach bug (not an unusual occurrence in this area even today) en route from Şanlıurfa to Harran, he sought relief behind some wayside bushes. Caught with his trousers (or rather tunic) down, he was helpless to prevent a member of his Praetorian guard, angry that he had been overlooked for promotion, from cutting him down.

Of course trying to find the exact site of Crassus' defeat, let alone the bushes where Caracalla met such an embarrassing end, is nigh on impossible. Things improved for today's visitor with the arrival of the Arabs in the seventh century. They took control of the city from the Byzantines (despite the strengthening of the city walls by the Emperor Theodosius in the sixth century) and, under the Umayyad dynasty, Harran became, briefly, capital of the entire Islamic world. The remains of the massive Ulu Camii, built during the reign of Marwan II (744-50), still stand in splendid isolation in the middle of the old walled city. This, the first mosque ever built on what is now Turkish soil, is of typical Arab design (based on the Prophet Muhammad's house in Medina) with a large open courtyard centered on the şadırvan (ablutions fountain) and a large, rectangular prayer hall divided into four aisles. The layout of the mosque, which for the most part stands only to a few courses of stone high, is best seen from the dusty mound to the south. Currently being excavated by a team from Ankara, the buildings being unearthed from beneath the mound are thought to be from the palace of Marwan and his successors, and from the school of medicine for which Harran was famous. The monumental square minaret on the northeast corner of the courtyard, with its lower sections of well-cut stone blocks, the upper of brick, was taken for a church belfry by Lawrence of Arabia when passing by in 1909.

Destroyed by Mongols in 1260

Although the mosque was rebuilt by the Ayyubid dynasty (of whom the most famous member was that scourge of the Crusaders, Saladin) in the 12th century, Harran's glory days were over, and in 1260 it was destroyed by the Mongols. The settlement then entered a period of decline from which, with the turning on of the irrigation taps of the colossal Atatürk Dam in the mountains far to the north, it is only just beginning to emerge. Indeed, in the 19th century the place was only seasonally inhabited by wandering Bedouin tribes. When the British missionary Reverend Percy Badger came in 1843, he wrote: "On the projecting angles of this ruined edifice the Arabs have erected their conical huts with the bricks which are scattered about most plentifully in this enclosed space. Not far from the castle is a small eminence literally covered with several hundred of these quaint habitations, some of which consist of three cones, whilst others have no more than one. All are now deserted, the Arabs having taken to their tents to escape the vermin which infest them during this season."

The beehive-shaped houses survive in some quantity today, much to the delight of visiting photographers, but are now mainly used to house animals. A visit here is as much one to a village as to an ancient site, and ethnically Arab kids, ranging from the cute to the downright pesky, follow you around trying to sell wall hangings made from dry chickpeas, or to beg pens or money. It's a tourist trap, but the substantial collection of beehive houses set around a shady courtyard and known as the Harran Kültür Evleri offer a respite from the heat, dust and kids. Here you can examine the inside of one of the domed houses and marvel at its clever construction and cool interior, drink a refreshing Turkish çay or a tiny cup of the local specialty, mırra, a scented, bitter coffee. Owner Reşat, a tall and distinguished Arab, with a gold tooth and flowing Bedouin robes, is very welcoming.

It's worth exploring the citadel, in the southwest corner of the old walled city, with three of its four original polygonal towers still reasonably intact, though take care as there are several gaping holes in the upper floors of the structure. It's possible that under the masonry you see today, much of it dating only from the Mameluke period, there are the remains of a Sabian temple (a second is thought to lie under the mound behind the Ulu Camii). Sabianism, mentioned in the Quran, was the dominant religion in Harran from around 1,500 B.C. until A.D. 11th or 12th century. Accused of human sacrifice and orgiastic rites by some early Christian commentators, the Sabians worshipped the planets, especially the moon god Sin. They prayed three times each day -- at sunrise, noon and sunset, and used a different temple each day, one for each of seven celestial deities -- the Sun, Moon, Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, Venus and Saturn. No one is sure what happened to the Sabians, though some believe that the Mandaeans of today's Iraq derive from this once powerful faith.

Harran is one of those places that is far more than the sum of its parts, where you sense history as much as see it. Towards sundown the shadow cast by the minaret of the great mosque lengthens across the broken, earth-covered remnants of this once mighty settlement. The shattered walls and towers of the citadel wrap themselves in a dark mantle and the gangs of village kids, with sun-bleached hair and piercing green eyes, slip away home for their supper. The curves of the domed "beehive" houses are silhouetted dramatically against a vast orange-pink sky and, with nightfall quickening, the sky purples, then darkens and a blanket of stars emerges, blurrily coruscating against a soft, black Mesopotamian sky.


[QUICK TIPS]

How to get here

There are regular flights to Şanlıurfa from İstanbul and Ankara. Dolmuşes run to Harran from the terminal in Şanlıurfa and take around an hour, or hire a taxi.

Where to stay

There is plenty of accommodation in all categories in Şanlıurfa, but to make the most of Harran, stay at the air-conditioned Bazda Motel (Tel: [414] 441 2001) in the village just outside the western walls or, if you have a sleeping bag, the Harran Kültür Evleri.

Guides and reading matter

"The Rough Guide to Turkey," "Blue Guide Turkey" and "Lonely Planet Turkey," "The Nestorians and Their Rituals" by Reverend George Percy Badger.

Trabzon Travel

Trabzon, in Turkey's remote northeastern corner, may be a fascinating, vibrant city, but the sad truth is that for most visitors it's merely a stepping stone on the way to their real target: Sümela, an extraordinary monastery that clings to the mountainside, seemingly defying gravity, southeast of the small town of Maçka.

Even if you've never heard of Sümela you will almost certainly know what it looks like, because it's one of those images, like those of Pamukkale and Cappadocia, that tourist offices love to display as bait for their guests. Remember a picture of a crumbling ruin high up above the pine trees with no obvious means of access? Yes, that's Sümela.

You can hardly help but ask how it came to be there, and the answer lies in a story that tracks right back to the fourth century when Sts. Barnabas and Sophronius came to the area in search of an icon of Mary, the mother of Jesus (Meryamana in Turkish), supposedly painted by St. Luke. Unlikely as it may seem, they finally found the icon way up on the mountain, where they established a shelter to protect it. Over time, word of the discovery spread and the shelter swelled into a shrine, complete with beautiful frescoes on its rock-cut ceiling. By the time the Ottomans came roaring into Trabzon its fame was so great that they too took an interest in the shrine, paying for more frescoes to be painted on the outside walls of a monastic church that had been painstakingly built onto the rock face.

But of course, there was no happy ending to the story. As the centuries wore on, so the number of monks prepared to live in such a remote location dwindled to a handful. Then in 1924 came the Greek-Turkish population exchange at the end of the Turkish War of Independence, which meant that the few remaining Christian monks were required to leave the country.

One might have thought that the monastery's remote location would have protected it from damage once it had been abandoned, but unfortunately graffiti artists were unable to resist leaving their tags on the frescoes, while some "art-lovers" went so far as to chisel away whole sections of the paintwork for themselves. Finally, a decision was made to rebuild the entire complex on the mountainside, a process which is now virtually complete. Some purists will probably dislike the end result, with its distinctive new roofs, but it's far from being the worst restoration in Turkey, and certainly makes it easier for the average layperson to envisage how life might have been lived up here among the birds.

Although there are many organized tours to Sümela, it's perfectly easy to get there under your own steam, either by car or using a local minibus. The ride out there takes some time to break free of the ugly Trabzon overspill, but once you reach Maçka the scenery bucks up considerably, until finally you reach the Altındere National Park which protects the monastery and its surroundings. The zigzag walk up the rock face is a stiff one which requires sturdy footwear -- and coming down again can be especially treacherous, especially after rain when the wet leaves on the path are more slippery than banana skins.

Sümela may be the most obvious excursion destination from Trabzon, but its sheer popularity sometimes overshadows all the other possibilities. Local travel agents are usually most enthusiastic about Uzungöl, a popular picnic spot on the banks of the long lake from which it took its name. The trouble is that Westerners who go there probably anticipate finding the same sort of pristine scenery and inviting log chalets as seen in the Alps. But this is Turkey, and more specifically the eastern end of the Black Sea, which means that concrete structures have insinuated their way even onto the shores of the sea. Much better, perhaps, to get out of the eastward-heading bus as it leaves the small town of Sürmene where, on the inland side of the road, you will be able to visit the Kastell, one of the finest surviving examples of the sort of fortified house once favored by the "derebeys," the local lords who held sway around here during the late Ottoman period.

Not a great deal is definitely known about the Kastell (now signposted as Memiş Ağa Konağı), although it probably dates from the middle of the nineteenth century when it was built for a member of the Yakupoğlu family. Externally, it's an imposing building, its stone-built ground floor supporting a distinctively half-timbered upper storey, but really it's the lovely woodwork of the interior that you've come to see, along with the frescoes of local fruits that adorn the walls of the selamlık (the men's room), the fine stone-built fireplaces, and the curious private hamam that provided central heating for the house.

Across the road from the Kastell is another fine house, apparently also due for restoration. Hard though it is to believe it now, these two houses once looked straight out onto the sea. Now they have the newly completed (or almost completed) Black Sea highway in front of them. As you return to the center of Sürmene, look towards the inland side of the road to see a cluster of Ottoman houses with so many windows that the walls could almost be made of glass. These are thought to have been a later development from the architecture of the Kastell, designed at a time when life was more stable, and homes no longer needed to be semi-fortified.

One other day-trip destination from Trabzon is likely to be much less obvious. If you don't turn off the road towards Maçka but instead keep heading south you will come eventually to Gümüşhane, a small town whose name means "Silver House", a clue to a past far more illustrious than the dreary modern settlement might suggest. The secret here is to head inland immediately for what the locals call the Süleymaniye Mahallesi but which is also known as Eski Gümüşhane (Old Gümüşhane). It's a lovely drive up into the hills to a virtually abandoned settlement where just five or six families still hang on amid the ruins of a ghost town that grew rich on the proceeds of silver-mining, which kept going here until the nineteenth century. The authorities seem to have exhausted their enthusiasm for advertising the site with the huge pictures in the bus terminal, but if you pick the right taxi driver, he should be able to point out the ruins of the old Greek church, the old Armenian church, and the original school. A once magnificent Ottoman house with paintings on its facades is still just about standing, and you will be able to pick out many other anonymous ruins amid the rosehips and apple orchards.

Afterwards, you will feel more than justified in returning to modern Gümüşhane to stock up on pestil (fruit leather) and köme (fruit sausage), the two sweet delicacies stocked by every other local shop.

WHERE TO STAY: Most people will stay in Trabzon but the following accommodation is in Maçka.

Coşandere Pansiyon Tel: 0462-531 1190

Hotel Büyük Sümela Tel: 0462-512 3540

Maçkam Hotel Tel: 0462-512 3640

HOW TO GET THERE: There are daily flights from İstanbul and Ankara to Trabzon, and buses from all local towns including Erzurum and Iğdır. Minibuses for Sümela, Uzungöl and Sürmene leave from the minibus terminal facing the harbor, buses to Gümüşhane from the main bus terminal.

Adana Travel

Famed for what has become one of Turkey's most ubiquitous dishes, the spicy minced meat Adana kebab, and for the cotton production which kick-started the 20th century economic boom of this still growing city, Adana is less well-known as a tourist destination.

This is at least partially understandable, with the Mediterranean a good 30 kilometers or so away to the south, the surrounding flatlands of the über fertile Çukurova plain lacking the picturesqueness associated with more conventional holiday spots and urban and industrial sprawl inexorably working their way out into the countryside surrounding this, Turkey's fifth largest conurbation. But there is enough history in the city itself to keep most people occupied for at least a day, and with much to see in the immediate environs a weekend's jaunt to Adana can be approached with some enthusiasm, especially given the city's wide range of hotels and eating places.

A good starting point is the monumental (it can hold 28,000 worshippers) Sabancı Camii, the largest mosque in Turkey. Completed in 1998, its massive bulk is symbolic of the piety of many of Adana's inhabitants, who raised half of its enormous budget, and of the powerful Sabancı family, who coughed-up the other 50 percent. In classic rags-to-riches fashion, in 1921 the penniless teenager Ömer Sabancı walked from his Central Anatolian village home south across the Toros Mountains to the Çukurova plain near Adana. He worked himself up from picking cotton in the fields to running his own spinning plant before founding, in the 1950s, the largest textile manufacturing company in Turkey. Every Turk knows the rest of the story, as Sabancı Holdings is now the second largest company in the country.

To be frank, the vast majority of new mosques in Turkey lack any architectural merit and most are poor, ill-proportioned concrete imitations of their sublime Ottoman forerunners. This does not hold true with the Sabancı Camii. OK, it is largely concrete (though you'd never tell as the grey stuff is well-hidden beneath beautifully executed stone-cladding outside and tile and painted plasterwork inside) but it is well-proportioned and artfully situated right on the banks of the pretty Seyhan River, which strikes through the heart of the city. From the outside, the mosque looks very much like the famous Blue or Sultan Ahmet Mosque in İstanbul, with six towering minarets just like its early 17th century precursor in the distant metropolis, whilst the interior is reminiscent of Ottoman architect Sinan's masterpiece, the Selimiye Camii, in even more distant Edirne. Seen against a typically dramatic Çukorova afternoon sky, with mountains of appropriately cotton-white cumulus clouds enveloping a vast blue sky, it is a breathtaking sight.

The Seyhan River, along with the Ceyhan a little further to the east, brought down the silt from the Toros which has made the Çukurova so fertile. It is spanned by an ancient bridge best viewed from the riverbank just east of the Sabancı Camii, the so-called Taşköprü (stone bridge). Possibly first constructed in the reign of the Roman Emperor Hadrian in the second century with some 21 arches, it has been rebuilt many times over the ages, notably during the reign of the Byzantine Emperor Justinian and several times in the Ottoman era. The number of arches has been reduced to 14 over time, but it is still an impressive sight, especially when there is no wind and the calm surface of the sluggish river mirrors the bridge's graceful form.

The old bridge is visible proof that Adana's history stretches back at least to Roman times, but the Archaeology Museum, just a couple of hundred meters back towards town from the Sabancı Camii, shows that the origins of today's city can be traced back much further. The fine statue of the storm god Tarhunzas in a chariot astride a pair of bulls dates back to the neo-Hittite period (circa 1100-700 B.C.) though in legend Adana takes it name from the Danaoi, a group of settlers who fled Troy after was sacked by the Achaean Greeks back in 1100 B.C. Upstairs in the museum is a tiny but exquisite crystal statue of a Hittite god, some beautiful Hellenistic Greek and Roman era gold jewelry and an extensive coin collection. There's enough here to keep your attention for a couple of hours, and the museum garden, with its motley collection of Neo-Hittite and Roman statuary, is a pleasure to wander around.

To the Romans, who conquered the area in the first century B.C., the area around Adana was known not as the Çukurova, but as Cilicia. It became a part of the Byzantine Empire following the conversion of the Emperor Constantine to Christianity in the fourth century, but in the seventh century the Muslim Arabs took it. The Selçuk Turks, also Muslim, arrived in the 11th century, but from the 12th to the 14th centuries, it was the Cilician Kingdom of Armenia and Christian once again. In 1515 it became a part of the Ottoman world, and the most notable building in the center of the town, the Ulu Camii (Great Mosque), dates from this period. It's a lovely structure, faced with the contrasting bands of dark and light stone so common further south in Aleppo and further east in Gaziantep and Diyarbakır. Other buildings worth seeing are the 19th century Bebekli Catholic Church, the clock tower dating from the same era and the colorful Kazancılar Çarşısı (Bazaar of the Cauldron Makers).

Also in the city center is the Ethnographic Museum housed in an old Greek Orthodox church. It exhibits some fine kilims and a black goat hair tent, a reminder that the Yörük nomads of the Toros Mountains -- which are not far north of the city and are visible on clear days -- used to winter on the relatively warm flat Çukurova plain hereabouts.

One of Adana province's most famous sons, and certainly the best-known Turkish author outside his native land (along with Orhan Pamuk) is Yaşar Kemal. Before setting out for Adana and the surrounding Çukorova, try and read one of his stirring novels set in the 1920s. Dealing with the cruel lot of the oppressed peasantry migrating seasonally from their villages in the foothills of the Toros to the plain for the cotton-picking season, Kemal's novels are part Homeric epic, part social commentary.

Head east from Adana, and there are the Cilician Armenian castles of first Yılan Kalesi and then Toprakkale, both within an hour's drive. North of Osmaniye, in the pleasantly wooded foothills of the Toros, are the substantial remnants of the classical-era Hierapolis Castabella. A little further north lies the remarkable Neo-Hittite site of Karatepe, with its wonderful rock-relief carvings and fine views over the Aslantaş Dam. There are plenty of pleasant picnic spots on the shores of the Seyhan Dam directly north of Adana, and to the northeast are the remains of the castle of the Cilician Armenian capital at Kozan. Along with Karatepe, though, the most worthwhile day's outing is to Anavarza, which has extensive and substantial ruins largely from the late-Roman and Byzantine periods.

It wouldn't do to leave Adana without sampling one its famous kebabs, best washed down with another local speciality, şalgam, a bitter red juice derived from turnips and carrots, which are fermented and then spiced with chili before serving. Şalgam, like the city of Adana itself, is an acquired taste, but one well worth a try.

[TRAVEL TIPS]

HOW TO GET HERE Daily flights link Adana with İstanbul and Ankara. There are less fr:equent departures from Antalya. Inter-city coaches travel to the city at reasonable rates from virtually every town and city across Turkey.

WHERE TO STAY: Expensive: Seyhan Hotel Tel 0322/457 5818, ww.otelseyhan.com. Right by the Archaeology Museum and Sabancı Mosque; great buffet breakfast and views across to the river. Budget: Mercan Tel 0322/351 2603 www.otelmercan.com. Excellent value and spotless city-center hotel.

WHERE TO EAT: Yüzevler Tel 0322/454 7513 Ziyapaşa Bulvarı. The place where locals head for their Adana kebab fix.

GUIDES AND BOOKS: Blue, Lonely Planet and Rough Guides to Turkey; The Wind from the Plain, Undying Grass and Iron Earth, Copper Sky trilogy by Yaşar Kemal.

Adana Travel

Famed for what has become one of Turkey's most ubiquitous dishes, the spicy minced meat Adana kebab, and for the cotton production which kick-started the 20th century economic boom of this still growing city, Adana is less well-known as a tourist destination.

This is at least partially understandable, with the Mediterranean a good 30 kilometers or so away to the south, the surrounding flatlands of the über fertile Çukurova plain lacking the picturesqueness associated with more conventional holiday spots and urban and industrial sprawl inexorably working their way out into the countryside surrounding this, Turkey's fifth largest conurbation. But there is enough history in the city itself to keep most people occupied for at least a day, and with much to see in the immediate environs a weekend's jaunt to Adana can be approached with some enthusiasm, especially given the city's wide range of hotels and eating places.

A good starting point is the monumental (it can hold 28,000 worshippers) Sabancı Camii, the largest mosque in Turkey. Completed in 1998, its massive bulk is symbolic of the piety of many of Adana's inhabitants, who raised half of its enormous budget, and of the powerful Sabancı family, who coughed-up the other 50 percent. In classic rags-to-riches fashion, in 1921 the penniless teenager Ömer Sabancı walked from his Central Anatolian village home south across the Toros Mountains to the Çukurova plain near Adana. He worked himself up from picking cotton in the fields to running his own spinning plant before founding, in the 1950s, the largest textile manufacturing company in Turkey. Every Turk knows the rest of the story, as Sabancı Holdings is now the second largest company in the country.

To be frank, the vast majority of new mosques in Turkey lack any architectural merit and most are poor, ill-proportioned concrete imitations of their sublime Ottoman forerunners. This does not hold true with the Sabancı Camii. OK, it is largely concrete (though you'd never tell as the grey stuff is well-hidden beneath beautifully executed stone-cladding outside and tile and painted plasterwork inside) but it is well-proportioned and artfully situated right on the banks of the pretty Seyhan River, which strikes through the heart of the city. From the outside, the mosque looks very much like the famous Blue or Sultan Ahmet Mosque in İstanbul, with six towering minarets just like its early 17th century precursor in the distant metropolis, whilst the interior is reminiscent of Ottoman architect Sinan's masterpiece, the Selimiye Camii, in even more distant Edirne. Seen against a typically dramatic Çukorova afternoon sky, with mountains of appropriately cotton-white cumulus clouds enveloping a vast blue sky, it is a breathtaking sight.

The Seyhan River, along with the Ceyhan a little further to the east, brought down the silt from the Toros which has made the Çukurova so fertile. It is spanned by an ancient bridge best viewed from the riverbank just east of the Sabancı Camii, the so-called Taşköprü (stone bridge). Possibly first constructed in the reign of the Roman Emperor Hadrian in the second century with some 21 arches, it has been rebuilt many times over the ages, notably during the reign of the Byzantine Emperor Justinian and several times in the Ottoman era. The number of arches has been reduced to 14 over time, but it is still an impressive sight, especially when there is no wind and the calm surface of the sluggish river mirrors the bridge's graceful form.

The old bridge is visible proof that Adana's history stretches back at least to Roman times, but the Archaeology Museum, just a couple of hundred meters back towards town from the Sabancı Camii, shows that the origins of today's city can be traced back much further. The fine statue of the storm god Tarhunzas in a chariot astride a pair of bulls dates back to the neo-Hittite period (circa 1100-700 B.C.) though in legend Adana takes it name from the Danaoi, a group of settlers who fled Troy after was sacked by the Achaean Greeks back in 1100 B.C. Upstairs in the museum is a tiny but exquisite crystal statue of a Hittite god, some beautiful Hellenistic Greek and Roman era gold jewelry and an extensive coin collection. There's enough here to keep your attention for a couple of hours, and the museum garden, with its motley collection of Neo-Hittite and Roman statuary, is a pleasure to wander around.

To the Romans, who conquered the area in the first century B.C., the area around Adana was known not as the Çukurova, but as Cilicia. It became a part of the Byzantine Empire following the conversion of the Emperor Constantine to Christianity in the fourth century, but in the seventh century the Muslim Arabs took it. The Selçuk Turks, also Muslim, arrived in the 11th century, but from the 12th to the 14th centuries, it was the Cilician Kingdom of Armenia and Christian once again. In 1515 it became a part of the Ottoman world, and the most notable building in the center of the town, the Ulu Camii (Great Mosque), dates from this period. It's a lovely structure, faced with the contrasting bands of dark and light stone so common further south in Aleppo and further east in Gaziantep and Diyarbakır. Other buildings worth seeing are the 19th century Bebekli Catholic Church, the clock tower dating from the same era and the colorful Kazancılar Çarşısı (Bazaar of the Cauldron Makers).

Also in the city center is the Ethnographic Museum housed in an old Greek Orthodox church. It exhibits some fine kilims and a black goat hair tent, a reminder that the Yörük nomads of the Toros Mountains -- which are not far north of the city and are visible on clear days -- used to winter on the relatively warm flat Çukurova plain hereabouts.

One of Adana province's most famous sons, and certainly the best-known Turkish author outside his native land (along with Orhan Pamuk) is Yaşar Kemal. Before setting out for Adana and the surrounding Çukorova, try and read one of his stirring novels set in the 1920s. Dealing with the cruel lot of the oppressed peasantry migrating seasonally from their villages in the foothills of the Toros to the plain for the cotton-picking season, Kemal's novels are part Homeric epic, part social commentary.

Head east from Adana, and there are the Cilician Armenian castles of first Yılan Kalesi and then Toprakkale, both within an hour's drive. North of Osmaniye, in the pleasantly wooded foothills of the Toros, are the substantial remnants of the classical-era Hierapolis Castabella. A little further north lies the remarkable Neo-Hittite site of Karatepe, with its wonderful rock-relief carvings and fine views over the Aslantaş Dam. There are plenty of pleasant picnic spots on the shores of the Seyhan Dam directly north of Adana, and to the northeast are the remains of the castle of the Cilician Armenian capital at Kozan. Along with Karatepe, though, the most worthwhile day's outing is to Anavarza, which has extensive and substantial ruins largely from the late-Roman and Byzantine periods.

It wouldn't do to leave Adana without sampling one its famous kebabs, best washed down with another local speciality, şalgam, a bitter red juice derived from turnips and carrots, which are fermented and then spiced with chili before serving. Şalgam, like the city of Adana itself, is an acquired taste, but one well worth a try.

[TRAVEL TIPS]

HOW TO GET HERE Daily flights link Adana with İstanbul and Ankara. There are less fr:equent departures from Antalya. Inter-city coaches travel to the city at reasonable rates from virtually every town and city across Turkey.

WHERE TO STAY: Expensive: Seyhan Hotel Tel 0322/457 5818, ww.otelseyhan.com. Right by the Archaeology Museum and Sabancı Mosque; great buffet breakfast and views across to the river. Budget: Mercan Tel 0322/351 2603 www.otelmercan.com. Excellent value and spotless city-center hotel.

WHERE TO EAT: Yüzevler Tel 0322/454 7513 Ziyapaşa Bulvarı. The place where locals head for their Adana kebab fix.

GUIDES AND BOOKS: Blue, Lonely Planet and Rough Guides to Turkey; The Wind from the Plain, Undying Grass and Iron Earth, Copper Sky trilogy by Yaşar Kemal.

Friday, November 14, 2008

Lake Bafa

Taking a vacation in the tiny village of Kapıkırı on the shores of Bafa Gölü (Lake Bafa) is rather like staying in a giant farmyard. It's a place where you fall asleep to the sound of a barn owl screeching across the rooftops and wake to the crow of the rooster staking out his domain.

It's a place where you will have to pause to allow groups of slow-moving cattle being herded by villagers on donkeys to pass by and where the air is heavy with the scent of dung. And it's a place where the shortest of walks amid the ruins of ancient Heracleia ad Latmos (Heraklia) is likely to be made in the company of a mixed bag of mongrel dogs, their progress around the village watched with wary eyes by an equally ragtag collection of cats.

For most people Bafa Gölü is a glorious expanse of blue that they whip past en route from Selçuk to Bodrum and where, perhaps, they might pause for a meal at a restaurant overlooking the remains of a Byzantine monastery marooned on an offshore island. Kapıkırı lies at the southern end of the lake, and the authorities seem determined to ensure that as few people as possible get to see it. The dolmuş that used to link the village to the main road is no more, and the admission fee for the ruins was recently hiked to YTL 8, making it more expensive to visit than either Termessos or Patara. Still, for those who do make the effort, this is an unforgettable slice of deepest rural Turkey surviving within an hour or so's drive of the coastal madness.

Kapıkırı, a village of just 320 residents, sits in the shadow of the Beşparmak (Five-Fingered) Mountains, an extraordinarily craggy range, which might as well have been named Onparmak (Ten-Fingered) or Yüzparmak (One Hundred-Fingered) for all you will be able to make out any specific peaks. But what makes Kapıkırı so special is that the surrounding terrain is a mass of rocks and boulders, amongst which stand the remains of a settlement dating back to the time of the Greek colonies that used to dominate this stretch of the Aegean. Rocks and ruins are so closely intertwined that sometimes it's hard to tell them apart. It's something that the area shares with better-known Cappadocia, although here, of course, the scenery is much more lush and green, the surrounding fields full of venerable old olive trees.

In as far as Heracleia ad Latmos is famous for anything, it's famous as the supposed setting for one of the best-known of all Greek myths. It was here that an especially handsome shepherd boy called Endymion asked Zeus to grant him eternal youth and beauty, although in the usual way of things mythological, he paid a heavy price for his pleasure by having to endure endless sleep in a cave on Mt. Latmos in return. Endymion was spotted by the moon goddess Selene, who fell in love with him. Despite his perpetual sleepiness, nothing could stand in the way of the determined goddess who made love to him as he slept, fathering 50 daughters by him before her passion was spent. Today, what is thought to have been a shrine to Endymion, a small temple with an apse fronted by five pillars, stands guard over the lakeshore, not far from the inevitable Selene's Pension.

But there is much more to see in Kapıkırı than just the shrine. Signs about the village point to a bouleterion (council house), a group of column bases in someone's backyard and to an agora (market place), which stood where once there was a village schoolhouse, itself now ancient history; the most imposing structure here is a hefty wall pierced with windows that runs alongside the old playing field. From here it's also possible to see the shell of an ancient temple to Athena standing alone on a bluff overlooking the lake. Scant remains of an ancient theater can just about be picked out amid boulders that lie scattered behind the village, and it's also possible to make out parts of the walls and towers that would once have ringed the settlement.

Not much is known about ancient Heracleia, and archeologists suspect that the remains make it appear more important that it actually was, most power in the region having been monopolized by Miletus, a little further north. Its fate was sealed, in any case, by the changing shape of the shoreline. Bafa Gölü was originally an inlet in the coast, but over time the Büyük Menderes River deposited so much silt along the side of it that eventually it was cut off to form a lake, leaving Heracleia with no direct access to the sea.

Hard though it is to believe, what is now such a serene setting seems to have been a place of constant strife in the early Middle Ages, as evidenced by the ruins of many Byzantine castles both on the shore and on the islands in the lake. The first of these castles bestrides a headland signposted as you come into the village. The ruins make a wonderful spot from which to get your bearings and to look down on the remains of ancient Carian rock tombs cut into a tiny offshore islet.

The remains of another castle sit just offshore from the village's small beach, and in dry summers the water sometimes drops low enough to walk across to them. These ruins are especially romantic when seen by moonlight, but even better are those of İkizada (Twin Islands), which can be seen on boat trips out onto the lake. The most imposing can only be viewed from afar, but it's possible to land on one of the two "islands" to examine the remains in greater detail and look down on a spit of sand that joins what actually turns out to be a peninsula to the mainland.

The boat trips are a wonderful way to see some of the rich birdlife that inhabits the lake, including flamingoes that winter here amid the more common coots, grebes, egrets and herons. More than 200 species of bird have been recorded in the area, which is especially popular with birdwatchers in spring and autumn.

Kapıkırı's other treasures keep a very low profile, and to find them you will need to employ a local guide (pension owners are happy to oblige). In the eighth century a large community of monks seems to have settled here, offering yet another parallel with Cappadocia. Here, too, they painted frescoes on rock-cut shrines, some of them little more than shelters, others such as the monastery at Yediler, far more substantial. Even more unexpected -- and even harder to find without help -- are extraordinary prehistoric rock paintings, featuring many hands and feet, along with sketches of women with such large posteriors that they look almost like ostriches. Most of the local pensions are fairly simple and insist on half-board terms. The breakfasts are splendid, true köy kahvaltıs (village breakfasts) with all the trimmings in keeping with the rural setting.

WHERE TO STAY: The following are all inside the village, except Club Natura, which is beside the lake on the main road.

Agora Pension: 0252 543 5445

Club Natura Oliva: 0252 519 1072

Haus Yasemin Pension: 0252 543 5598

Pelikan Pension: 0252 543 5158

Selene's Pension: 0252 543 5221

HOW TO GET THERE: Regular buses and dolmuşes plough the highway between Milas and Söke. Get out at Çamiçi (Bafa) and take a taxi to the village or phone for your pension to pick you up from the junction

Thursday, November 13, 2008

Mugla Travel

With its climate, natural wonders and a historical past that goes back thousands of years, the province of Muğla attracts the attention of everyone who goes there or even hears about it.

And on these autumn days, when tourists want to enjoy not only natural wonders and the sea, but also an interesting journey back in time, many of them head to Muğla's districts of Bodrum, Marmaris, Fethiye and Datça, as well as the towns of Ölüdeniz and Dalyan. Tourists can experience the pleasures of the sea and the natural beauty of Muğla while also exploring some of the incredible structures left over from the Seljuk and Ottoman periods here, as well as some ancient ruins around Muğla which are even older.

For tourists heading to this region especially for a historical journey through the area, a favored route is the following:

The Beçin, Bodrum, Keramos and Marmaris castles; the Bodrum Mausoleum, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World; the Mars Temple; the Myndos, Knidos, Amos, Telmessos and Caunus city ruins; the Patara, Labranda, Pinara and Stratonikeia ruins; the Lycian rock tombs; the ancient city of Lagina; the Leton Temple and the Bodrum Museum, with its rich collection of treasures found underwater.

HOW TO GET HERE:
There are daily flights to Dalaman on Turkish Airlines (THY), Atlasjet, Pegasus and Onur Air from Ankara and İstanbul. Dalyan is a short drive away. If leaving from İstanbul, one can use the TEM highway, passing through İzmit, Bursa and Balıkesir. The İstanbul to Muğla trip is an eight-hour drive of approximately 830 kilometers. If you take a ferry from İstanbul to Bandırma, you will travel more comfortably for a good portion of the route.

WHERE TO STAY: Club Viva Hotel. Tel: 212 414 27 77. A five-star hotel that is close to archaeological sites. Meridyen Apart. Tel: 212 414 27 77. Affordable with an a la carte menu. Close to the sea.

WHERE TO EAT: Ömer'in Yeri, 214 92 26, Cami Kebir Mah. Pabuççular Sokak. Offers traditional home-style Turkish dishes. Köşem Restaurant, 212 05 09, Marmaris Bulvarı.