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Türkiye 2023

September - Oktober 2023
Pengembaraan 48hari oleh Two to Travel & Ahmet Baca lagi
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  • Türkiye 2023
    Hari 19

    İzmir Kültürpark

    21 September 2023, Turki ⋅ ⛅ 81 °F

    The IEF — İzmir Enternasyonal Fuarı — translates as the İzmir International Fair. Indeed, an international affair it was, with countries from around the world attending to showcase their products … big and small.

    In my youth, the fair used to be a month-long event that heralded the end of summer. Strolling the fairgrounds in the evenings; going on rides in the Luna Park; attending plays and concerts featuring A-list stars in the open air theaters; browsing the country and company pavilions and stalls for goods and sweet treats. These and more were all part of the fun. There was even a parachute jump for those who wished for a bit of daredevilry.

    In recent years, the annual fair has become a smaller affair. But the fairgrounds, which are generally referred to as Kültürpark (Culture Park), still see extensive use by the public as they did in the past. Some go there to walk or run the purpose-built path; others go for a stroll, a picnic, or just to meet friends; lovers rendezvous in quiet corners. On Wednesdays a farmer’s market is hosted near one of the entrances. Concerts and plays are still held periodically. Sometimes the country pavilions are pressed into service as exhibit space.

    It was the latter that took mom, Aylin, and me to Kültürpark today. I’ll post about the exhibits separately. In the meantime, here are a couple of quick shots from around the park.    Baca lagi

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  • Türkiye 2023
    Hari 19

    International Textile Biennial: Scissors

    21 September 2023, Turki ⋅ ☀️ 82 °F

    What took Mom, Aylin, and me to Kültürpark was the International Textile Biennial, which is being hosted by the İzmir Municipality.

    The exhibits are on display at various venues around the city, two of which are at pavilions in Kültürpark … a short 5-minute walk from Mom’s apartment. We decided to check these out first to decide if we wanted to go further afield in the upcoming weeks to see some of the other exhibits.

    The theme of the Textile Biennial is “… Slow down, Focus on the Touch.” Meticulously handcrafted fabric art is intended to remind the audience of the power and meaning of textiles, and highlight sustainable and ethical practices. Quotes on the walls of the venues are designed to encourage this mindset.

    The first exhibit, housed in the former Pakistan Pavilion built in 1938 — during the heyday of the İzmir International Fair (mentioned in the previous footprint) — was a small one. Four glass cases displayed scissors from various time periods. Interesting … but what was to come would really capture our attention.    Baca lagi

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  • Türkiye 2023
    Hari 19

    ITB: Slow Fabric

    21 September 2023, Turki ⋅ ☀️ 84 °F

    “ … The human being who meets the world by wrapping him/herself in a fabric is sent to the other world by wrapping him/herself in a fabric again. …”

    [The fabric mentioned in the opening quote from the exhibit refers to the swaddling cloth in which babies are wrapped when they are born … and to a similar cloth in which deceased are buried in the Islamic tradition.]

    From the Scissors Exhibit at the Pakistan Pavilion at Kültürpark, Mom, Aylin, and I walked over to the Atlas Pavilion … the venue for another ITB (International Textile Biennial) exhibit.

    The theme for this exhibit was “Slow Fabric,” and it featured the works of fabric artists from Türkiye and around the world. We loved this exhibit, slowly wandering through the maze of rooms inside the pavilion, carefully studying the works on display. Some of them made immediate sense to us … others had us scratching our heads, wondering how the artist came up with the concept.

    This exhibit solidified our decision to check out the other venues where ITB exhibits are being hosted around İzmir. But that will have to wait a bit since we have a whole bunch of other plans on the calendar already.    Baca lagi

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  • Türkiye 2023
    Hari 20

    Bornova: EÜ Ethnography Museum

    22 September 2023, Turki ⋅ ☀️ 82 °F

    This morning, the three siblings and Mui met up at the Lozan entrance to Kültürpark. Not to explore it, mind you. Rather, we would be using the park as a shortcut to get to the Basmane District, from where we hopped on the metro to Bornova, another district of İzmir.

    On our agenda were three different museums. But before we got where we planned to go, a sign pointing to the Ege University Ethnography Museum caused us to make a detour. None of us knew this museum, founded under the auspices of the university, even existed. It turned out to be a hidden gem.

    The museum is housed in a stone house that dates back to the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Known as the Sirkehane [vinegar factory], the original owners of the house are unknown. The indoor well, apparently a known feature of the Levantine homes of the time, points to it likely being owned by a Levantine family. In any event, because the owners could not be identified, the property was taken over by the National Treasury in 1943. After being used for a variety of purposes, it was given to the university and eventually restored as the museum that we visited today,

    The items on display are housed in two separate buildings. In the main building (the house) is a collection of traditional costumes and accessories from Anatolia, Thrace, and the Balkan countries. Also in this building is the kitchen that would have been used back in the day by the family who lived in the house.

    In another section of the house, are the “wedding house” exhibits. One room features the traditional pre-wedding henna ceremony. Another room features the documenting of the dowry. As the young woman who works at the museum explained, it was tradition to make a list of every item the bride brought with her and the wedding gifts … complete with valuation of the items. In the event of the dissolution of the marriage due to death or other reasons, the documented items would then be returned to the woman. Very forward thinking considering the times.

    The second building held a collection of musical instruments from Türkiye as well as from around the world. We also found a number of small rooms on the perimeter of the courtyard where dioramas represented traditional industries, such as shoe making, tailoring, copper and tin working.

    We all enjoyed our whirlwind visit to the museum. My only complaint? The glass cases in which almost everything was displayed. You’ll notice the glare in the photos that accompany this footprint. Taking photos was challenging and, after a while, I gave up. I understand that the cases are essential for protecting the items. That doesn’t mean I have to like them.

    All that said, a brochure we picked up at the Ethnography Museum lists 14 museums under the auspices of Ege University. Not sure if we will be able to visit them all, however. Time will tell!    Baca lagi

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  • Türkiye 2023
    Hari 20

    Bornova: Pagy Köşkü

    22 September 2023, Turki ⋅ ☀️ 86 °F

    From the Ege University Ethnography Museum, the siblings & Mui headed to the 19th century Pagy Köşkü (PagyMansion) … now Bayetav Art.

    Once the home of prominent Levantine families, today the building hosts art exhibits under the auspices of BAYETAV, an organization whose full name translates as “We Live Together - Education and Social Research Foundation.”

    The signage on the grounds describes the place as “… a space of encounter aimed at bringing together creations of various disciplines and contributing to the strengthening of social, cultural, and urban memory. …” It is the foundation’s intent to host “… various exhibitions and events in the fields of culture, art and design with a view to promote ways of living together and creating a new space for research and expression.”

    Unfortunately for us, we missed the “Ode to Earth” Exhibit that apparently ended barely a week ago, so there wasn’t much to see. Nonetheless, a few things caught our eye as we did a quick wander inside the mansion.

    [P.S. For those unfamiliar with the word Levantine … this is a term that pertains to the Levant, the region centered around modern Syria, Lebanon, Israel, Palestine, and Jordan. It was an important region of the Ottoman Empire. In Türkiye, the term refers to the descendants of Europeans who settled in the coastal cities of the Ottoman Empire for trading purposes. (Some consider it a derogatory term, though that is rarely the case. It is widely used to describe a group of people who had considerable influence on the development of a specific culture in the Western Mediterranean Region.]    Baca lagi

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  • Türkiye 2023
    Hari 20

    Bornova: Arkas Maritime History Center

    22 September 2023, Turki ⋅ ☀️ 88 °F

    From Pagy Köşkü, we retraced our steps back down the street to another mansion dating back to the 1800s. Our destination was the Arkas Maritime History Center … which, the sign at the door promoted as the place where “… witnesses to centuries of maritime heritage are brought to life …”. An apt description.

    The museum was founded by Lucien Arkas, whose family’s Levantine roots in İzmir go very deep. Having visited several other museums founded by the family, I knew we were more than likely in for a treat. We were not disappointed.

    The founder’s message tells how years ago Lucien Arkas was so impressed by a ship’s model of HMS Victory (by Engin Alsan) that he ordered his first ship model. That started him on his quest for all things maritime … a collection over 30 years in the making. The items on display cover a period from 1000 B.C. to the present day, comprising wide and varied models of legendary ships, nautical objects, and canvases by Turkish and international painters.

    Once again, the glare from the glass display cases caused me to minimize my shutter clicks, but it was an otherwise wonderful museum to visit. Highly recommended … especially to aficionados of maritime history.    Baca lagi

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  • Türkiye 2023
    Hari 20

    Bornova: Arkas Sanat @ Mattheys Köşkü

    22 September 2023, Turki ⋅ ☀️ 88 °F

    Our final museum today was Arkas Sanat [Arkas Art], a museum founded by the same Levantine family I mentioned in the previous footprint.

    The museum, housed in the Mattheys Mansion — a historic Levantine home dating back to 1780 — was definitely the jewel in the crown of today’s museums … even before we entered the mansion to enjoy the exhibit of carpets inside. Our joy in this visit was compounded by the beautifully restored mansion and the manicured grounds … which, Aylin assured me, are even more eye-catching in the spring when all the flowers are in bloom.

    The mansion has a rich history of hosting many important figures. One anecdote related by the former owners of the mansion is that it was used by Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the founder of modern Türkiye, as a meeting place for strategizing the next steps in the country’s War of Independence.

    Entering through the gate onto the property, we were immediately wowed by the scene that greeted our eyes … a gravel path lined with trees … the “prestige entrance” of the pale pink mansion beckoning us to walk that way immediately.

    But no, we were first directed to a small building off to the side, where we purchased our admission (under $2pp at today’s exchange rate … half that for seniors 65+). Then, we walked through a short covered gallery where a timeline printed on the wall explained the history of the mansion. A few minutes to study the timeline, and then we stepped out to view the grand gardenscape in which scale models of some of the historic Levantine mansions of Bornova are displayed.

    But exploring the gardens and the models took a backseat for a moment. By this time, we were all hungry and couldn’t resist the siren call of the delicious pastries at Léone … a patisserie and boulangerie.

    Once our tummies were sated, we wandered the grounds before entering the mansion to view the amazing collection of carpets inside. But that part of our visit will just have to wait until the next footprint.    Baca lagi

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  • Türkiye 2023
    Hari 20

    Bornova: Arkas Sanat … Carpets Galore

    22 September 2023, Turki ⋅ ☀️ 90 °F

    The Arkas collection of carpets is world renowned. As the website states, it brings “… together rare examples of Anatolian Carpets of the Classical Period, Anatolian Tribal Carpets, Ottoman Palace Carpets, and European Tapestries. …”

    We saw some of these beautiful carpets, including the tapestries, at Arkas Sanat Urla last year. Today, after strolling the grounds of the former Mattheys Mansion — now the home of Arkas Sanat Bornova — our eyes feasted on Anatolian carpets hand-woven between the 16th and 19th centuries … primarily in the western and central regions of Türkiye.

    That the Arkas family have gone all out to share their wealth of art and cultural artifacts with the people of — and visitors to — Türkiye goes without saying. Arkas Sanat Bornova is an excellent addition to the series of museums the family has founded … one that we enjoyed tremendously today.    Baca lagi

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  • Türkiye 2023
    Hari 21

    Bergama: Breakfast @ Yeni Gün

    23 September 2023, Turki ⋅ ☀️ 81 °F

    This morning, the three siblings and Mui set off early with Murat in the driver’s seat. Our destination was the modern-day town of Bergama … home to the ruins of the ancient Greek city of Pergamum.

    For this outing, we were joined by Hakan and Serenay, my nephew and niece-in-law. Convoying with them allowed Deniz to jump into their car so that we could all enjoy the nearly 70-mile ride to Bergama in comfort.

    First on the agenda was breakfast at a small eatery, appropriately named Yeni Gün [New Day].

    Everyone in our party — except for us — had been to this historic breakfast place before. Thus, they knew that the first thing to do on arrival in Bergama was to pick up some fresh-out-of-the-oven gevrek [sesame covered bread rings] from a bakery before continuing on to the no-frills breakfast place.

    The owner of Yeni Gün is known as Eşref Amca [Uncle Eşref] to one and all. A veteran of the Korean War, I estimate his age to be around 93 … based on a 2020 newspaper article in which he was said to be 90 years old at the time. For the last 76 years, he’s been operating this breakfast place, which — as the story goes — was established by his grandfather some 120 years ago. As old as the place is, its location on top of the Tabak Bridge — which was constructed during the reign of Hadrian (AD 117-138) — is older by leaps and bounds.

    When we arrived, Eşref Amca was dressed in his “uniform” — a dark grey suit — and seated in a corner of the kitchen, overseeing everything. His age now precluding him from actively participating in the breakfast service as he once did, he is not able to converse much either these days … though he did appreciate Mui stopping by to say hello.

    Since the tables on the sidewalk were all occupied, we had no choice but to sit inside — simple marble-topped tables and wood chairs with thin pillows adding a bit of comfort … walls decorated, at the insistence of his daughter-in-law, with photos of Eşref Amca taken with famous people who have stopped by to enjoy his hospitality and breakfast over the years. A few newspaper articles telling his story and a letter from the South Korean President thanking him for his service during the Korean War were also framed and displayed on one wall.

    There is no menu per se. Nor is this a place for the “serpme kahvaltı” for which Turkey is renowned … a tapas-style breakfast with so many plates that it is hard to see the top of the table once everything is delivered. Yes, everything was served in small individual plates here as well, but the breakfast consists of a limited, pre-fixed selection of dishes.

    As soon as we sat down, one of the servers immediately showed up to serve us. Before we knew it, the table top was strewn with plates of clotted cream and honey, local cheese and butter, green and black olives, and a hard-boiled egg. A basket of fresh bread soon followed … though we only nibbled on it since we had brought gevrek with us. Turkish tea was the beverage of choice all around. Tomatoes and cucumbers and fried eggs were available for the asking … as was unpasteurized fresh milk, boiled hot.

    A simple breakfast … but everything was of top quality.

    Our tummies sated, we walked from Yeni Gün to where Murat and Hakan had parked the cars. Thus giving us an opportunity to see the ancient bridge on which it is situated.    Baca lagi

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  • Türkiye 2023
    Hari 21

    Bergama: Ancient Asclepieion

    23 September 2023, Turki ⋅ ☀️ 90 °F

    After sating our tummies, it was time to sate our minds and eyes by exploring a site of antiquity.

    The ancient city of Pergamum is thought to have existed at least since the 5th century BC. However, it wasn’t until the Hellenistic Age (323 to 30 BC) that it rose to prominence, serving as the capital of the Attalid Dynasty following the death of Alexander the Great. The fortress and the palace they built stood on a high hill overlooking the Bakırçay Plain; the town situated on the slopes of the hill. During the Roman Period, the town grew and spread out to the plains below.

    Now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the hilltop ruins — referred to as the Acropolis of Pergamum — is a popular draw for tourists. It wasn’t the Acropolis that was our destination today, however. We’ve wandered around the site and scrambled around the columns and other artifacts that lie in ruins countless times … most recently in 2017. Rather, we planned to explore the Asclepieion, which none of us recalled visiting before … at least not as adults.

    [For anyone interested, photos from our 2017 visit to the Acropolis of Pergamum are at this link: https://eenusa.smugmug.com/Europe/Turkey-2007/B….]

    After Pergamum became the capital of the Roman province of Asia in 129 BC, it also became world renowned for its Asclepieion … a healing center built in honor of Asclepius, the god of health and healing. His skill in caring for, healing, and even raising people from the dead was such that worshippers raised him to cult status around the Greek and Roman world. Pilgrims in search of spiritual and physical healing flocked to Pergamum and other centers and temples dedicated to Asclepius.

    Treatment methods largely centered around promoting healthy lifestyles, with emphasis on a person’s spiritual needs. Numerous written accounts from patients attesting to being cured highlight the success of the methods used at Pergamum and similar healing centers of the time.

    The layout of the site is said to be as it was during the reign of Emperor Hadrian. We started our visit by walking up Via Tecta … aka the Sacred Way. Lined with columns on either side, there would have been shops all along the road … selling various items and offerings to those coming to the center in search of healing.

    There were no physicians at the end of the road today to greet us as there would have been back in the heyday of Pergamum. Instead, we found ourselves at the entrance to the courtyard where initial diagnoses used to be made. From here, those who could be treated were allowed to proceed further; those who could not be treated were sent back.

    Stopping to explore the ancient theater, which is thought to have been built by a local nobleman, we continued our exploration deeper into the site before retracing our steps to the 230-foot long cryptoporticus. This is a semi-subterranean covered gallery that back in the day led to the sleeping and treatment rooms. As it did us today, this passage protected patients from inclement weather … in our case the brutal heat with which the sun was roasting us today.

    Admittedly, there isn’t all that much to see at today’s Asclepieion … especially when compared to sites such as Ephesus. Nonetheless, it was fun to delve into the nooks and crannies, sip cool water from the still-flowing sacred fountain — especially welcome on a 92F-day — and scramble over the ruins in search of small details that might have otherwise evaded our eyes.    Baca lagi

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