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Türkiye 2021
  • Two to Travel
  • Ahmet Erkun
sept. – dic. 2021

Türkiye 2021

Our trip to Turkey this year is set for 4 months ... give or take a few days so that we can make up for family time lost in 2019-2020 due to COVID-19. Leer más
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  • Türkiye 2021
    Flapjacks for breakfast — Alsancak, İzmir.

    Flapjacks in Alsancak

    9 de octubre de 2021, Turquía ⋅ ⛅ 75 °F

    Mui left on Monday to spend some time in Eskişehir with his sister, Işıl. Deniz, my brother, and I will join him there in 10 days or so.

    In the meantime, my days have fallen into a routine … household chores at the condo in the morning, then to mom’s to spend the afternoon with the family, dinner with them, and then back to the condo for the night.

    This morning, I deviated from that routine a bit by joining the family for breakfast. Mom made flapjacks … a new recipe she was testing. We gave her the thumbs up.    Leer más

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  • Türkiye 2021
    Dinner @ Kalyon with Aylin and her girlfriends — Alsancak, İzmir.
    Plenty of food to share ... from a beer platter to a seafood platter to mezes — Kalyon ... Alsancak.

    Dinner @ Kalyon

    9 de octubre de 2021, Turquía ⋅ 🌙 64 °F

    Looking back on the past couple of footprints, I see that they have a common theme … food 😄

    This one will be no different!

    Tonight we — Murat, mom, Deniz, and I — joined Aylin and a few of her girlfriends from high school for dinner at one of our favorite restaurants in Alsancak, Kalyon … pub-like ambiance and good food.

    Instead of ordering individual courses, we ordered platters to share: a seafood platter that included sesame crusted hamsi (an anchovy-sized fish found in the Black Sea of Turkey), calamari, shrimp, and fish; a beer platter that included köfte (Turkish meat patties), French fries, onion rings, pickles, and more; and mezes that go well with Rakı, the traditional anise-flavored drink … melon, feta cheese, sesame crusted hamsi, olives, and a yogurt dip.

    The camaraderie was great … with a good deal of frivolity, which is par for the course when Aylin and the girls get together.    Leer más

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  • Türkiye 2021
    An interesting flowerpot at Bornova Forum — İzmir.
    Sandwiches made with kumru to start off our day — Alsancak, İzmir.The plants are going for a train ride over the pool 😉 — Bornova Forum, İzmir.Deniz getting tips from a photographer — Bornova Forum, İzmir.A stroll along the beach — Eski Foça, İzmir.Tasty snacks to go with our beverages — Kavala Café ... Eski Foça, İzmir.Traditional stone house with colorful door & shutters — Eski Foça, İzmir.The rooster is the symbol of the ancient city of Phocaea — Eski Foça.A kitty cat napping in front of an interesting door — Eski Foça, İzmir.Purple flowers add color to the streetscape — Eski Foça, İzmir.

    A Sunday Outing in Eski Foça

    10 de octubre de 2021, Turquía ⋅ ☀️ 70 °F

    This morning, Deniz and I joined our sister, Aylin, and brother-in-law, Murat, for breakfast at a simit bakery in Alsancak. We all opted for tomato and cheese sandwiches made with kumru, a sesame covered bun named for a dove because of its shape.

    Following breakfast, we ran some errands and then drove to Eski Foça, about 45 miles north of İzmir … along the Aegean coast. Eski Foça, which translates into English as Old Foça, sits on the site of the ancient Ionian Greek city of Phocaea.

    A stroll along the waterfront was the perfect way to enjoy the beautiful fall day … filled with plenty of sunshine. Finding an empty table at Kavala Café & Winehouse, we took time out to enjoy snacks and beverages before re-tracing our steps, this time continuing into the downtown area to wander through back streets lined with the charming stone houses typical of the area.    Leer más

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  • Türkiye 2021
    A rough outline of our 10-day trip.
    Leaving the bus depot in İzmir.

    By Bus, Train, Plane & Van

    14 de octubre de 2021, Turquía ⋅ ⛅ 59 °F

    Deniz and I took an intercity bus from İzmir this morning to join Mui in Eskişehir, where he’s been spending time with his sister, Işıl.

    Thus we’ve begun our 10-day trip … which will take us from the western region of Turkey to the southeastern region … via the central region.

    Our trip will see us using a variety of transportation modes … the bus portion of which we completed today. After exploring Eskişehir for a few days, the three of us will take the YHT (fast train) to Ankara in order to fly from there to Gaziantep. We’ll spend two days sightseeing in Gaziantep on our own … we’re familiar with the city from our getaway trip in 2018. Then, we’ll hop in a van for the whirlwind private tour we’ve arranged to Şanlıurfa and Adıyaman. Finally, we’ll return to Gaziantep, from where we will fly back to İzmir.

    Busy days await us!    Leer más

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  • Türkiye 2021
    Nasreddin Hoca welcomes us to Esminyatürk — Eskişehir, Turkey.
    2Bâlâ Havuz Mosque (Bukhara, Uzbekistan) — Esminyatürk ... Eskişehir, Turkey.Tomb of the 2nd Emperor of the Babur Turks (Agra, India) — Esminyatürk ... Eskişehir, Turkey.Çifte Minareli Medrese (Erzurum) dates back to the Seljuks — Esminyatürk ... Eskişehir, Turkey.1Selimiye Mosque (Edirne) was built 1568-1574 — Esminyatürk ... Eskişehir, Turkey.2Mostar Bridge (Bosnia & Herzegovina) from 1566/completely rebuilt by Turkey in 2004 — Esminyatürk.Uluğ Bey Medrese (Samarkand, Uzbekistan) — Esminyatürk ... Eskişehir, Turkey.Detail from Uluğ Bey Medrese, dating to 1420 — Esminyatürk ... Eskişehir, Turkey.Muhammed Emin Han Külliyesi & Kalta Minaret — Esminyatürk (Hive, Uzbekistan) ... Eskişehir, Turkey.Tomb of Mümine Hanım (Nakhchivan, Azerbaijan) — Esminyatürk ... Eskişehir, Turkey.2The Taj Mahal in Agra, India was built by a student of Ottoman architect Mimar Sinan — Esminyatürk.

    EsMinyatürk in Sazova Park

    15 de octubre de 2021, Turquía ⋅ ⛅ 59 °F

    EsMinyatürk is a small open-air museum of sorts within the larger Sazova Park. Here, visitors can follow a meandering path strewn with 32 miniature structures … some in modern day Turkey … others on lands that were once part of the Ottoman Empire and the Turkic countries. Many, alas have been lost to the world through the ages.

    With one exception, all of the miniatures are 1/25 scale replicas with amazing details that make one appreciate the artistry that went into the buildings … then and now.

    Mui and I first visited EsMinyatürk with mom on a December day in 2018. It was so cold then that we rushed through our visit. This time, we took our time to study all the details as the weather was great … blue skies and sunshine … temps warm enough that we quickly shed the jackets we’d worn as we left for our day of sightseeing around Eskişehir.    Leer más

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  • Türkiye 2021
    The castle's towers are modeled after famous towers in Turkey — Sazova Park, Eskişehir.
    A man-made pond is the centerpiece of the park — Sazova Park, Eskişehir.Swans a-swimmin' — Sazova Park, Eskişehir.We're not the only ones enjoying the beautiful fall day — Sazova Park, Eskişehir.

    Sazova Science, Art and Culture Park

    15 de octubre de 2021, Turquía ⋅ ⛅ 61 °F

    The name of this expansive park comes from its location in Sazova. In addition to meandering paths around a large man-made lake that is overlooked by cafés, the park is home to a variety of facilities and activities … a space center, a science and experiment center, a zoo and aquarium, an open air museum filled with 1/25-scale structures (which I covered in the previous footprint), a castle and a pirate’s ship, and more.

    After exploring the miniature structures at EsMinyatürk, we took a short stroll in the park, wandering as far as the castle, modeled after Disney’s Cinderella Castle … which in turn was modeled after the King Ludwig’s Neuschwanstein in Germany. What makes this castle unique is that the various towers were modeled after some of the famous towers in Turkey.    Leer más

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  • Türkiye 2021
    The only remaining prototype of the Devrim Arabası — Eskişehir, Turkey.

    The Story of the Devrim Arabası

    15 de octubre de 2021, Turquía ⋅ ⛅ 64 °F

    On our way back from Sazova, we made a quick stop to show Deniz the only remaining prototype of a car that has a bittersweet story.

    Back in 1961, the first Turkish-designed and Turkish-produced car — Devrim (which translates as revolution) — was built in Eskişehir. It took 24 engineers 130 days to build four prototypes of the car at the TÜLOMSAŞ facility where locomotives and train cars were built.

    Two of these cars — one cream colored and the other black — were shipped to Ankara to be officially unveiled during the Republic Day celebrations. As a safety precaution, neither vehicle had much gas in its tank during the transfer from Eskişehir.

    On arrival in Ankara, the gas tank of the cream colored car was filled. But in the confusion caused by a tight schedule, the President got in the black car, which had yet to be topped off. The car traveled some 100 meters before it ran out of gas and stopped. The President switched over to the cream colored car and traveled to Anıtkabir, Atatürk’s mausoleum, for the official ceremonies.

    Later, joined by the black car, both vehicles completed their ceremonial runs without further mishap. Alas, the damage was done as the newspaper headlines the next day read … “Devrim traveled 100 meters and broke down!”

    The car was never mass produced. Some say this was due to lack of documentation for the production process. Others say it was because there was limited demand for cars back in 1961. Either way … it was a bittersweet accomplishment for the Turkish automotive industry.    Leer más

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  • Türkiye 2021
    Signature homes of the neighborhood — Odunpazarı, Eskişehir.
    Atatürk and his comrades from the Turkish War of Independence — Wax Museum ... Odunpazarı, EskişehirSabiha Gökçen ... world's first female combat pilot — Wax Museum ... Odunpazarı, Eskişehir.Yılmaz Büyükerşen (mayor/sculptor) sculpting an Atatürk figure — Wax Museum ... Odunpazarı.3D cartoon depicting the War of Independence — Independence Museum ... Odunpazarı, Eskişehir.Photo op with Atatürk ... the masks are a sign of the times — Independence Museum ... Odunpazarı."Purification" — Modern Art Museum ... Odunpazarı, Eskişehir"Untitled" (T. Chikuunsai) — Modern Art Museum ... Odunpazarı, Eskişehir"Last Day of the Zoo" (A. Zaptçıoğlu) — Modern Art Museum ... Odunpazarı, Eskişehir.Greeted by a Chihuly-inspired piece — Contemporary Glass Museum ... Odunpazarı, Eskişehir."The Story of Leander's Tower" (S.G. Ürgüplü) — Contemporary Glass Museum ... Odunpazarı, Eskişehir."Faces" (A.Y. Durukan) — Contemporary Glass Museum ... Odunpazarı, Eskişehir."Devrim Arabası" (read previous footprint for significance of the gas nozzle) — Glass Museum.

    Odunpazarı Boutique Museums

    15 de octubre de 2021, Turquía ⋅ ☁️ 68 °F

    For lunch, we met Mui’s sister, Işıl, and his niece, Banu, and enjoyed our midday meal at Akademik Kulüp, the faculty club at Anadolu University. Then, leaving them to their own devices, we headed off to do some more sightseeing.

    Odunpazarı, which literally translates as the firewood market, is one of the historic neighborhoods of Eskişehir. Aside from colorful houses built in the traditional Anatolian and Ottoman styles, the neighborhood is home to a number of boutique museums that operate under the auspices of the city municipality.

    The first museum that Deniz and I went to was the Wax Museum … sort of like Madame Tussaud’s. The figures here are mostly of Turkish dignitaries, political and historical figures, artists, journalists, and more. Many, if not all, of the figures were sculpted by Yılmaz Büyükerşen, the current mayor of the city.

    The second museum we checked out was the Museum of Independence. A small historical museum, we found it to be well done … especially the short 20-minute documentary. It is housed in a mansion where İsmet İnönü, commander of Turkish troops during the War of Independence and the second president of the Turkish Republic, was hosted during the war. Touchscreen exhibits add to the static displays, making for an interesting experience … as does the photo op with Atatürk before one leaves the museum building.

    Mui joined us for our third museum … the Modern Art Museum. I’ve got to admit that although there were some very interesting pieces on display, most of them left me scratching my head.

    Our final stop before returning home was the Contemporary Glass Museum. On exhibit are some 125 pieces by Turkish and international artists who employed various glass sculpting techniques to create their art. An interesting addition, which I thoroughly enjoyed, was an art exhibit featuring the Devrim Arabası (see previous footprint for the story.)

    Thus, we wrapped up our first day of sightseeing in Eskişehir … more to come tomorrow.    Leer más

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  • Türkiye 2021
    Red representing the Turkish flag; turquoise representing Turkey — Sazova Park, Eskişehir.
    The block of rooms representing traditional Ottoman architecture — Sazova Park, Eskişehir.The block of rooms representing civil architecture in Ottoman times — Sazova Park, Eskişehir.Omar Khayyam ... Persian mathematician, astronomer, philosopher, and poet (1048-1131) — Sazova Park.Men of Note ... an architect; a cartographer; and a doctor — Sazova Park, Eskişehir.Curtain with traditional lace edging — Sazova Park, Eskişehir.Decorative shelves like this one were used to elevate oil lamps — Sazova Park, Eskişehir.Tile-topped coffee table — Sazova Park, Eskişehir.Tile mural of Nasreddin Hoca (satirist/humorist ... 1208-1284) — Sazova Park, Eskişehir.Typical decorative wall painting — Sazova Park, Eskişehir.An important contributor to the advancement of surgery as a means of treatment — Sazova Park.Turkish tiles ... an important architectural element — Sazova Park, Eskişehir.

    Center for Science, Culture, & Art

    16 de octubre de 2021, Turquía ⋅ ⛅ 63 °F

    After breakfast this morning, Deniz, Mui, and I returned to Sazova Park to check out the Turkic World Center for Science, Culture, and Art, which is housed under a big dome.

    The center operates under the auspices of Anadolu University. It’s mission, in part, is to research, study and reveal centuries-old customs, traditions, and cultural values of the Turkic World and disseminate them through the generations.

    The History of Science Museum is on the upper floor, in blocks of rooms representing the civil and official architecture of the Seljuk and Ottoman periods. In each room is the wax figure of someone who has made important contributions to the various fields of science. Info panels and screens describe the accomplishments of each individual. Although the vast majority of names were unfamiliar to us, we recognized several from our history lessons in middle and high school.

    On the lower floor, the only area open to visitors was a big room filled with musical instruments through the ages.    Leer más

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  • Türkiye 2021
    An interesting and colorful fountain — Sazova Park, Eskişehir.
    Fall exhibit @ the zoo — Sazova Park, Eskişehir.Mui and Deniz @ the Aquarium — Sazova Park, Eskişehir.Midas Cichlid @ the Aquarium — Sazova Park, Eskişehir.Blue Diskus @ the Aquarium — Sazova Park, Eskişehir.Nandu is the native South American name for the Rhea — Sazova Park Zoo, Eskişehir.Vulture Guineafowl — Sazova Park Zoo, Eskişehir.Meerkat — Sazova Park Zoo, Eskişehir.Coati — Sazova Park Zoo, Eskişehir.Green Monkeys @ play — Sazova Park Zoo, Eskişehir.White Pelican — Sazova Park Zoo, Eskişehir.Flamingoes — Sazova Park Zoo, Eskişehir.Eastern Rosella — Sazova Park Zoo, Eskişehir.

    Visiting the Critters

    16 de octubre de 2021, Turquía ⋅ 🌙 46 °F

    After wandering around the Science, Culture, and Art Center, we had some time to kill before it was time to meet up with Işıl and Banu for lunch. So, we decided to check out the aquarium, which is part of Sazova Park. As it turns out, the facility was included in the admission for the zoo, so we ended up visiting both.

    Starting out by visiting the indoor aquarium turned out to be a mistake. Why? Because we got rained out of our zoo wander just as we arrived at the bird enclosures. Oh well!    Leer más

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  • Türkiye 2021
    A pithoi grave (Middle Bronze Age ... 1800 BC) — Archeology Museum, Eskişehir.
    Statue of Heracles (2nd Century AD) — Archeology Museum, Eskişehir.Hecate Triformis figurine — Archeology Museum, Eskişehir.Bronze bull figurine (3000-2000 BC) — Archeology Museum, Eskişehir.Phrygian Period necklaces (900-550 BC) — Archeology Museum, Eskişehir.Late Hellenistic bracelets (Early Roman Period (1st Century BC- 1st Century AD) — Archeology Museum.Deniz and Mui doing the "iPhone/Samsung prayer" as they wait for me — Archeology Museum, Eskişehir.Roman Period Sarcophagus (4th Century AD) — Archeology Museum, Eskişehir.Grave Stele for Aurelius Manes and his wife, Apphia — Archeology Museum, Eskişehir.

    ETİ Archaeology Museum

    16 de octubre de 2021, Turquía ⋅ ⛅ 66 °F

    After lunch with Işıl and Banu, Deniz, Mui, and I headed to downtown Eskişehir. The plan was to take a stroll along the Porsuk River and maybe go on a gondola ride … a la Venice. Unfortunately, it being a Saturday afternoon, we found the area packed with people who had a the same idea. Having to dodge clueless people blocking those of us wishing for a stroll … well, it was no fun. So, after a short walk, we quickly switched plans.

    We’d seen signs pointing to the Archaeology Museum, so we decided to hop in the car and go there instead. Our admission was covered by the MüzeKart, which has now not only paid for itself, but also saved us ₺50 in admissions. With our upcoming travels, that savings will continue to grow, so the card was definitely a good investment.

    The museum exhibits some 22,500 artifacts from the Neolithic, to the Copper, Bronze, Hittite, Phrygian, Hellenistic, Roman, Byzantine, Seljuk, and Ottoman Periods. The artifacts were all found at digs in and around Eskişehir and collected at this museum, which opened its doors to the public in 2011.

    Though this particular museum is smaller in comparison to other archaeological museums with similar exhibits that we’ve visited in Turkey, and indeed around the world, we enjoyed our time here. That there were very few others visiting while we were there made for an even better experience IMHO.    Leer más

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  • Türkiye 2021
    The waiter insisted on taking the photo through the dirty window — Regulateur, Eskişehir.
    Beer and Rakı ... accompanied by mezes — Regulateur, Eskişehir.

    Farewell Dinner @ Regulateur

    16 de octubre de 2021, Turquía ⋅ ☁️ 54 °F

    Deniz, Mui, and I depart Eskişehir tomorrow to begin a whirlwind tour that will take us to Southeastern Turkey.

    To wrap up our time here, tonight we went to Regulateur Restaurant for dinner. This dining venue is on the grounds of an old power regulator. It sits within a heavily forested area through which the Porsuk River runs. The entire area has been turned into a public picnic area. Despite the chilly nighttime temperature there were several groups having late-night barbecues.

    The one mistake we made for this outing was to go to lunch at a popular restaurant instead of keeping our mid-day meal light. As a result, we were unable to manage more than a couple of cold and warm mezes and beverages tonight. We’ll have to go back to this restaurant another time to give the food the attention it deserves … perhaps when the weather is much warmer and we can dine al fresco in the garden.    Leer más

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  • Türkiye 2021
    The YHT is a convenient means of travel from Eskişehir to Ankara — Turkey.

    YHT to Ankara

    17 de octubre de 2021, Turquía ⋅ ⛅ 57 °F

    Today is a travel day … one that has already taken us from Eskişehir to Ankara, the capital of Turkey. Both of these cities are in the Central Region. The next leg will take us to Gaziantep in Southeast Turkey. Why detour to Ankara and not go directly to Gaziantep? Because there is no air service in Eskişehir, and none of us wanted to do a 9+ hour bus ride … the only way to travel to Gaziantep from there … short of renting a car.

    Our travel schedule was a relaxed one that allowed us to re-pack our bags this morning, chill for a while at Işıl’s, and then have pide (Turkish pizza, if you will) for lunch at Konyalı, a place that specializes in this traditional dish.

    I’ve taken many train trips on the sleeper train between Ankara and İzmir as it was the most economic way to travel when I was going to university. Today’s ride on the 2:30p departure of the YHT (Yüksek Hızlı Tren = fast train) was a first for me.

    Our seats in the business class car were comfortable … even without the snack service that’s been suspended due to COVID-19. The ride took just under two hours and the train made only two stops before pulling into the train station in Ankara. No delays due to sharing of train tracks as is often the case with trains running on the regular tracks.

    We were planning to take the HAVAŞ shuttle bus to the airport, but opted to take a taxi instead when we found out that the bus stop had been moved to the old train station … not very convenient to walk to from where we detrained from the YHT.

    With surprisingly little traffic on the roads, we made it to the airport in about ½ hour. Along the way, I kept my eyes open for familiar landmarks, but saw none. In fact, the city has grown such that I could barely recognize it from when I used to live in Ankara during my university years in the late 1970s.

    We’re now at the food court at Esenboğa Airport (ESB) killing time with food and beverages until it’s time to go through the security checkpoint to go to our gate for the flight to Gaziantep (GZT). Our travel day thus far has been a relaxing one … fingers crossed the next leg will similarly be easy peasy.    Leer más

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  • Türkiye 2021
    A clean, spacious room @ the Hampton by Hilton — Gaziantep, Turkey.

    @ the Hampton by Hilton

    17 de octubre de 2021, Turquía ⋅ 🌙 57 °F

    It’s almost midnight. We’re checked into the Hampton by Hilton in Gaziantep. Just a few words to get us from Ankara to where we are now and then I’ll join Mui in snooze-land.

    Our flight to GZT was on AnadoluJet … a regional carrier that operates under the auspices of Turkish Airline. It’s one of those barebones carriers with little in the way of service. We opted for a slightly higher airfare so that we could book exit row seats to at least ensure a bit of comfort on the short flight here … an uneventful one at that.

    Once we landed at GZT, we quickly found ourselves a taxi to take us to our hotel, which is centrally located in the city … about 13 miles from the airport. Our cab driver must have been a rally driver in his former life!!! With little traffic along the way, we made it into the city in record time.

    We’ll be in Gaziantep for a couple of days of sightseeing on our own before the whirlwind tour we organized. We’ll be taking Deniz to many of the places we visited in 2018, but hope to see a few places that are new to us as well.    Leer más

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  • Türkiye 2021
    The Gypsy Girl has become a symbol of the city — Zeugma Mosaic Museum ... Gaziantep, Turkey.
    "Oceanus & Tethys" — Zeugma Mosaic Museum ... Gaziantep, Turkey."Achilles" — Zeugma Mosaic Museum ... Gaziantep, Turkey."Poseidon" — Zeugma Mosaic Museum ... Gaziantep, Turkey."Eros & Psyche" — Zeugma Mosaic Museum ... Gaziantep, Turkey."The Abduction of Europa" — Zeugma Mosaic Museum ... Gaziantep, Turkey."Acratos & Euprocyne" — Zeugma Mosaic Museum ... Gaziantep, Turkey."Dionysius, Telete & Skyrtos" — Zeugma Mosaic Museum ... Gaziantep, Turkey."Pasiphae & Daedalus" — Zeugma Mosaic Museum ... Gaziantep, Turkey."Triumph of Dionysius" — Zeugma Mosaic Museum ... Gaziantep, Turkey."Perseus & Andromeda" — Zeugma Mosaic Museum ... Gaziantep, Turkey.3D geometric mosaic shifts with change of perspective — Zeugma Mosaic Museum ... Gaziantep, Turkey.

    Zeugma: The Museum

    18 de octubre de 2021, Turquía ⋅ ☀️ 68 °F

    After breakfast at the hotel, we hopped in a cab and went to the Zeugma Mosaic Museum … one of my favorite museums anywhere in the world. Operated under the auspices of the Turkish Ministry of Culture & Tourism, our MüzeKart covered the admission.

    We arrived just as the museum opened its doors at 9:00a. Our time there was sandwiched between two tour groups, one of which was practically out the door already, and neither of which spent much time at the museum. Thus leaving us to enjoy this great museum without the crowds with which we shared it in 2018.

    The museum was purpose-built to exhibit and preserve some of the archaeological treasures of Zeugma, a city of antiquity overlooking the Euphrates River … which we hope to visit on our way out of the city in a few days’ time. It is the largest museum of its kind in the world.

    There are amazingly well-preserved floor and wall mosaics of varying sizes throughout the museum. Each deserving of careful attention to the beautiful details. But the highlight is a small fragment known as the Gypsy Girl … though there is some question as to the actual gender of the figure since no other parts of the body were featured amongst the pieces found. It is the hauntingly beautiful eyes that draw those that behold the piece that has since become a symbol of the city. The fragment, which dates back to the 2nd-3rd centuries AD, is part of a much bigger mosaic, parts of which were smuggled out of Turkey in the 1960s … and some of which have since been returned.

    (Unless otherwise noted, all mosaics date back to the 2nd and 3rd centuries AD.)    Leer más

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  • Türkiye 2021
    A delicious meal at Halil Usta — Gaziantep, Turkey.

    Kebab @ Halil Usta’s Place

    18 de octubre de 2021, Turquía ⋅ ⛅ 70 °F

    Gaziantep, long known for its gastronomic history, was inducted into the UNESCO Creative Cities Network in 2015. (More info here … https://en.unesco.org/creative-cities/gaziantep). As such food is an important element of any visit to the city.

    When we visited Gaziantep in 2018, our friend, Nilgün, took us to have lunch at Halil Usta, one of the city’s foremost kebab houses where the chef himself greets arrivals at the door. Located on a back street behind the Zeugma Museum, this is a restaurant patronized mostly by the locals … just the kind of place we try to seek out when we are traveling.

    Our early arrival around 11:30a meant that we pretty much had the place to ourselves and avoided the crowds that start to show up soon after noon. You can order specific dishes, but we just told the waiter to bring us small portions of several dishes to share … “acısız” (without hot spices) at our request, though there is no such thing as totally hot-spice-free in this region.

    We started with the famous “kaşık salatası” … a juicy tomato and lettuce salad eaten with a spoon (kaşık) and served with pide. Then came yağlı ekmek … buttered, slightly spicy pide. A variety of meats followed … each from a specific cut of lamb meat. Ordering small portions was the smart way to go about our meal as it left us with just enough room for sweets … all filled with pistachios … for which the city is known.

    Thus sated, it was time to proceed with the rest of our plans for the day.    Leer más

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  • Türkiye 2021
    Homemade za'atar for breakfast ... a blend of herbs and spices — Gaziantep, Turkey.
    The downtown area abounds with stores not unlike this one — Gaziantep, Turkey.A closer look at some of the dried fresh goods — Gaziantep, Turkey.A mural near the "Bakırcılar Çarşısı" where coppersmiths ply their trade — Gaziantep, Turkey.A coppersmith hand-etching a decorative plate — Gaziantep, Turkey.A tinsmith at work — Gaziantep, Turkey.The "Bakırcılar Çarşısı" is filled with stores like this one that sell copper goods — Gaziantep.Locally made all-leather shoes/slippers known as "yemeni" — Gaziantep, Turkey.Cologne shop selling a variety of aromas — Gaziantep, Turkey.Sweets anyone? — Gaziantep, Turkey.One of the many streets lined with shops specializing in spices — Gaziantep, Turkey.Filling our spice orders — Gaziantep, Turkey.Honoring the "Şerbetçiİ ... wandering men that sold fruit juices from dispensers on their back.

    Shopping for Spices

    18 de octubre de 2021, Turquía ⋅ ⛅ 72 °F

    Gaziantep — in fact, much of southeastern Turkey — is known for its quality of spices and dried herbs. So, after lunch, we hopped in a cab and went into downtown Gaziantep to fill the spice orders we were given by various family members.

    Of course, a stroll to check out the historic shops where coppersmiths and tinsmiths still ply their trade did not go amiss. In a country where massive malls have caused many a mom-and-pop shops to shut down, it was nice to see this shopping area still doing brisk business.    Leer más

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  • Türkiye 2021
    Painting depicting Atatürk's arrival in Kilis — Panorama Museum ... Gaziantep, Turkey.
    Gaziantep ... a symbol of heroism — Panorama Museum ... Gaziantep, Turkey.Painting depicting the involvement of women and children in the war — Panorama Museum ... Gaziantep.Painting depicting the protest of the locals against the invasion — Panorama Museum ... Gaziantep.A section of the panoramic depiction of the War of Independence — Panorama Museum ... Gaziantep.A section of the panoramic depiction of the War of Independence — Panorama Museum ... Gaziantep.A section of the panoramic depiction of the War of Independence — Panorama Museum ... Gaziantep.Live mural depicting the martyrdom of the people of Antep — Panorama Museum ... Gaziantep.Portrait of Atatürk at the exit to the exhibit — Panorama Museum ... Gaziantep.

    Panorama December 25 Museum

    18 de octubre de 2021, Turquía ⋅ 🌙 63 °F

    After completing our spice shopping, we found a courier company to ship the boxes to those who had placed orders with us. Then, it was time for more sightseeing.

    The Turkish War of Independence (May 1919-July 1923) was waged to rid the country of foreign forces that occupied parts of the Ottoman Empire following its defeat in WWI. At the conclusion of this war the Republic of Turkey was born.

    The Istiklal Madalyası (Independence Medal), awarded to those who went above and beyond the call of duty during the war, was also awarded to four cities for their overall valiant efforts in ridding the country of the enemy. Gaziantep, which managed to overthrow the French forces that had occupied the city, is one of those cities. Such efforts were further recognized by awarding the city the title of Gazi (Veteran) to the city that used to simply be known as Antep.

    The story of the occupation and overthrow of the enemy, and the heroism of the people, is told at the Panorama December 25 Museum. There is an overwhelming amount of information to digest at this museum, which is operated by the municipality. Oversized paintings and an amazing panorama complete with 3D details help to bring the story alive.

    We spent over an hour here, focusing our attention on the pictorials as attempting to read even a small portion of the written material would have kept us there not just for hours, but for days. I’d highly recommend the museum … with the caveat that a basic interest and understanding of the general story of the Turkish Independence War is essential to doing even a tiny bit of justice to the museum.

    By the time we left the museum and walked back to our hotel, we were all ready to call it a day as our feet were protesting all the walking we did today. As none of us was hungry after the filling meal we had for lunch, we just called it quits to rest up for what promises to be another busy day tomorrow.    Leer más

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  • Türkiye 2021
    The castle took on its current form in the 13th century — Gaziantep Castle.
    The round building (right of the statue) is the new Panorama Museum — from Gaziantep Castle.Deniz & Mui at the entrance to the castle — Gaziantep Castle.Conversion of the Şeyh Mosque into a hospital — Gaziantep Castle.Food lines during the occupation — Gaziantep Castle.Istiklal Madalyası (Independence Medal) in bronze — Gaziantep Castle.Surrender of the enemy — Gaziantep Castle.Courtyard — Gaziantep Castle.Panoramic view of the city — Gaziantep Castle.

    Gaziantep Castle

    19 de octubre de 2021, Turquía ⋅ ☀️ 66 °F

    After a good night’s rest, a beautiful blue-sky morning invited us to begin our day with a walk into downtown Gaziantep. Our destination: the castle that sits atop a rocky mound that dates back to 3600 BC.

    The castle was originally built by the Romans in the 2nd-3rd centuries AD as a watchtower. It was expanded by the Byzantine Emperor Justinian during the 6th century. It took on its current shape during the Mameluke Period in the 13th century … and further expanded by the Ottomans during the 16th century. As one might expect, the fortress saw heavy action during the Turkish War of Independence.

    Mui and I first visited the castle in 2018. The docent who accompanied us on that visit was a little long-winded and we ran out of time to see the upper reaches of the castle since our friends had made lunch reservations for us at a popular restaurant. As Deniz had not been to the castle, it made sense to go there once again to finish what we began three years ago.

    Today, the fortress also serves as the original museum where the story of the city’s defense during the War of Independence is told. In fact, if you ask to be directed to the Panorama Museum, it’s more than likely you’ll be given directions to the castle. Unlike at the new museum, the pictorials here consist of a series of bronze bas-relief panels that line the long tunnel that takes visitors to the top of the castle.    Leer más

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  • Türkiye 2021
    Mural depicting women's day at the bathhouse — Hamam Museum, Gaziantep.
    Wax figure of a man relaxing after his bath — Hamam Museum, Gaziantep.Statue's depicting a groom's pre-wedding bathing ritural — Hamam Museum, Gaziantep.Socializing on women's day at the bathhouse — Hamam Museum, Gaziantep.19th century nalın commonly worn at the bathhouse — Hamam Museum, Gaziantep.Time to learn about Gaziantep's culinary history — Mutfak Museum, Gaziantep.Mutfak Museum, Gaziantep.Some of the kitchen items — Mutfak Museum, Gaziantep.Preparing a "special day meal" was a group effort — Mutfak Museum, Gaziantep.Gülçin Sökücü with a copy she made of the Gypsy Girl mosaic — Mosaic Center, Gaziantep.

    Hamam to Mutfak to Mosaics

    19 de octubre de 2021, Turquía ⋅ ☀️ 70 °F

    After our visit to the Gaziantep Castle, we wandered around the downtown streets, visiting a couple of boutique museums.

    The first one we went to was the Hamam Museum, which has exhibits describing Turkey’s hamam culture. The museum is housed in the Paşa Hamamı, a public bathhouse that is thought to date back to 1577, and which was built in the Ottoman style.

    These bathhouses consisted of a cold bath, a warm bath, and a hot bath, and had a variety of other rooms that served as changing rooms, a water reservoir, etc. Some had men’s and women’s sections, while others had specifics days of the week designated for the different genders. They also served as a place for get togethers where people could eat, chat, and otherwise socialize during the extensive bathing rituals.

    Not far down the street was the second museum we visited — Mutfak Museum. The literal translation is the kitchen museum, but its purpose is to explore the culinary culture of Gaziantep. I thought this was especially appropriate since the city was inducted into the UNESCO Creative Cities Network in 2015 for its gastronomic history and has many trademarked dishes that are known around the world.

    Our last stop before lunch came about as a happenstance as we were walking to the café where we planned to take our midday break. You all know my interest in murals and mosaics, so it should come as no surprise that we stopped at what I thought was a center for mosaics along the way.

    Inside, we were welcomed by Gülçin Sökücü, coordinator of the center and a mosaic artist of some renown. She gave us a brief description of the process of making a mosaic piece, including a demonstration of how natural stones and rocks are chipped into appropriate sizes. We walked away with a much deeper appreciation of the work that must have gone into the creation of the room-sized floor and wall mosaics that we’d seen at the Zeugma Mosaic Museum yesterday.    Leer más

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  • Türkiye 2021
    Katmer anyone? Katmerci Zekeriya Usta ... Gaziantep.

    Katmerci Zekeriya Usta

    19 de octubre de 2021, Turquía ⋅ ☀️ 72 °F

    Katmer is a pastry dish made with very thin large circular leaves of dough that are folded over into a square. It can have a savory filling or a sweet filling. In Gaziantep, when someone says they ate katmer, they are referring to the latter … filled with clotted cream and pistachios, and garnished with a dusting of pistachios … often served with ice cold milk.

    Since we had dinner plans for tonight, we decided to skip lunch and just have a snack at one of the best known katmer cafés … named for its chef, Zekeriya Usta. (The word usta translates as master of or expert.)

    I had my first taste of the Gaziantep version of katmer in 2019. Frankly, I didn’t care for it much … too much clotted cream and over-the-top sweet. The version we had today was perfect for my palate … just enough filling and not very sweet.    Leer más

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  • Türkiye 2021
    A narrow street lined with stone houses — Bey Mahallesi ... Gaziantep.
    Period house representing the house where Atatürk was hosted — Bey Mahallesi ... Gaziantep.Room with items from the original house where Atatürk was hosted during the war — Bey Mahallesi.Ethnic clothing at the Atatürk Memorial House — Bey Mahallesi ... Gaziantep.Kurtuluş Mosque ... converted from an Armenian church in 1986 — Tepebaşı ... Gaziantep.Inside Kurtuluş Mosque — Tepebaşı ... Gaziantep.Photo-op with a fellow photographer — Gaziantep, Turkey.

    A-Wander in Bey Mahallesi

    19 de octubre de 2021, Turquía ⋅ ☀️ 73 °F

    Speaking to a local earlier today, it was suggested that we should go for a stroll in Bey Mahallesi (mahalle meaning neighborhood). So, after lunch we pointed our feet in that direction.

    This was apparently a neighborhood that was once populated by rich families. Armenians and the Muslim Ottoman population lived here … in stone houses built in the style of the civil architecture of the day … narrow, alley-like streets creating a cobblestone maze where everyone went about their daily lives. Some of the houses have since been converted into boutique eateries, shops, and museums.

    First, we checked out the Atatürk Memorial Museum … representing the residence where he was hosted during the War of Independence. The original house was destroyed during the war. One of the rooms has been furnished with some of the furniture from the room in which he slept … others have been converted into exhibit space featuring displays of historic photos and his personal belongings, including a coffee cup and several suits. In one room, we found a small display of ethnic clothes that stood in stark contrast to Atatürk‘s European styled suits.

    Our meandering walk eventually took us to Kurtuluş (Liberation) Mosque in the nearby Tepebaşı neighborhood.

    The mosque, which was an Armenian church known as St Mary's Church Cathedral when it was built in the late 1800s, was converted in 1986. At that time, the top of the bell tower was demolished and the rest of it was built into a single-balcony minaret. From what the caretaker who let us in for a quick peek told us, the bell itself is on display at the Gaziantep Museum.

    The church-turned-mosque looked very familiar. When I took a closer look at the buildings around me, the light bulb went off. Turns out that it was the mosque that was visible from the window of our room when we were hosted in Gaziantep by our friends in 2019.    Leer más

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  • Türkiye 2021
    Bust of a woman; Roman Period — Archaeology Museum, Gaziantep.
    Twin fruit bowl of baked clay; Early Bronze Age — Archaeology Museum, Gaziantep.Kuttamuwa Stele; Iron Age — Archaeology Museum, Gaziantep.Stele featuring a banquet; Late Hittite Period — Archaeology Museum, Gaziantep.Section of a Carchemish royal buttress orthostat; 8th century BC — Archaeology Museum, Gaziantep.Decorated baked clay pot; Middle Bronze Age — Archaeology Museum, Gaziantep.Baked clay toy car; Early Bronze Age — Archaeology Museum, Gaziantep.Stele showing Antiochus, the first king of the Commagene, shaking hands with Apollo-Mithra-Helios.Glass necklace; 2nd millennium BC — Archaeology Museum, Gaziantep.Marble statue of Demeter; Roman Period — Archaeology Museum, Gaziantep.Male statues from Zeugma; Roman Period — Archaeology Museum, Gaziantep.Woman's head decorating a grave stele; Roman Period — Archaeology Museum, Gaziantep.

    Museum of Archaeology

    19 de octubre de 2021, Turquía ⋅ ☀️ 72 °F

    After our meander around Bey Mahallesi, we took the long way back to the hotel, detouring to the Museum of Archaeology. Operating under the auspices of the Department of Culture and Tourism, the ₺12.50 admission was covered by our MüzeKart.

    This museum used to house the mosaics that we saw at the Zeugma Mosaic Museum yesterday. After those pieces were moved to the new museum, the exhibits were overhauled, and today many artifacts from digs around the region are on display … from the Paleolithic Age all the way to the Ottoman Period. A partial skeleton of a mammoth is one of the exhibits of great interest to visitors.

    It was definitely worth a second visit for Mui and me … and I think Deniz enjoyed seeing the museum as well.    Leer más

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  • Türkiye 2021
    Mui finds his "Gypsy Girl" at MSM — Gaziantep, Turkey.
    Dinner to wrap up our two days in Gaziantep, Turkey.

    Dinner @ Mutfak Sanatları Merkezi

    19 de octubre de 2021, Turquía ⋅ ⛅ 61 °F

    It was only 3:00p when we left the museum to complete our walk back to the hotel. Yes, very early, but our feet were protesting any further sightseeing … especially since we’d be walking to the highly recommended Mutfak Sanatları Merkezi — aka MSM (Kitchen Arts Center) for dinner.

    After resting at the hotel, we headed to MSM, which turned out to be at least a 30-minute walk … each way. Oh our aching feet! But the food was worth it, so I won’t complain much.

    Gaziantep, which is located on the historic Silk Road between Mesopotamia and the Euphrates River, is known for its varied cuisine. MSM, which is operated by the municipality, prepares and serves these traditional dishes, the recipes for which might otherwise be lost. Culinary classes are also offered, but I believe those have been suspended due to COVID-19.

    With no photos or descriptions of the dishes, we relied on the server’s explanation before making our selections. Deniz and I both ended up with köfte (Turkish meatballs) dishes — mine with a yogurt sauce; his with a tomato sauce; both with garbanzo beans. Mui’s dish consisted of shredded lamb and rice. We each also ordered a dish called içli köfte … basically kibbeh as it is known in the US. For dessert, we ordered three separate ones to share … a basil sorbet; Haytayla (a milk pudding with rose water topping); and Dolangel (a flaky pastry with semolina and pistachios).

    This was a good way to complete the on-our-own portion of this trip. Tomorrow we begin the tour we organized to take us to a few places that have been on our must-see list for a while now.    Leer más

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  • Türkiye 2021
    Deniz and Mui all comfy in the VIP Vito van that will take us on our tour.
    The Euphrates River from the visitor center at Zeugma ... the city of Antiquity — Gaziantep.Birecik Dam ... on the Euphrates — Zeugma ... the city of Antiquity, Gaziantep.The Houses of Dionysius and Danae are protected from the elements — Zeugma ... the city of AntiquityMap showing how much of the city was flooded by the building of Birecik Dam.The ruins of the Houses of Dionysius and Danae — Zeugma ... the city of Antiquity, Gaziantep.One of the mosaics left in situ — Zeugma ... the city of Antiquity, Gaziantep.Looking down on the ruins of the Houses of Dionysius and Danae — Zeugma ... the city of Antiquity.Our guide Ali regaling us with info — Zeugma ... the city of Antiquity, Gaziantep.Closer look at one of the dusty mosaic floors — Zeugma ... the city of Antiquity, Gaziantep.Exploring the ruins — Zeugma ... the city of Antiquity, Gaziantep.Ruins of terrace houses — Zeugma ... the city of Antiquity, Gaziantep.

    Zeugma: The City of Antiquity

    20 de octubre de 2021, Turquía ⋅ ☀️ 72 °F

    The whirlwind tour that will take in Şanlıurfa and Adıyaman before we return to Gaziantep two days hence has begun. Day 1 … from Gaziantep to Şanlıurfa, some 96 miles away.

    We organized this tour through a small agency that was recommended to us by friends who used to live in Gaziantep. Considering COVID-19 is still rampant, we opted for a more pricey private tour for the three of us … in the company of Ali, our driver/guide.

    Our first stop was Zeugma, the archaeological site of the city of antiquity. We arrived just before 10:00a, went to the visitor center where we paid our admission, which was covered by the MüzeKart, used the facilities, and took photos of the Euphrates and the nearby lands that escaped the floods when the Birecik Dam was built. Finally, we picked up some hot tea at the café and began the short trek to the area where some of the terrace houses sat under the protection of a metal roof … a structure not unlike the one that protects the terrace houses of Ephesus.

    Built by one of the generals of Alexander the Great and the founder of the Seleucid Kingdom, the city dates back to 300 BC. Situated on the hills overlooking the Euphrates where the river was at its shallowest, it was an important city both militarily and trade-wise. At the time, the name of the city was Seleucia. In 31 BC, the city became part of the Roman Empire. Together with a city that Seleucus I had built across the river to honor his wife, and which was connected by a bridge, the city took on the name of Zeugma in reference to the bridge that connected the two cities. The city was destroyed by the Sassanids in 253AD but was later rebuilt. It survived until the 7th century when it was abandoned following Persian Sassanid and Arab raids. The latter lived there for a while, but eventually the Ottomans built the village of Belkıs near the ruins (17th century).

    The sporadic excavations of the site took on urgency in 2000 with the decision to build the Birecik Dam on the Euphrates. Fearing that the antiquities would be lost to the world when the land was flooded, emergency excavations were undertaken to preserve the amazing mosaics … which now reside in the Zeugma Mosaic Museum. Statues and other artifacts are now on display at various museums, including the Gaziantep Museum of Archaeology.

    With our ultimate destination still hours away, and other stops planned along the way, we saw little more than the terrace houses. I’m glad we at least saw that much … and had a chance to see some of the mosaics that remain in situ.    Leer más

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