Turkey
Karabağlar

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    • Day 51

      Happy Mom’s Day

      May 8, 2022 in Turkey ⋅ ⛅ 72 °F

      We went to Sakız Restoran for a late lunch today … to celebrate Mother’s Day … and to enjoy a farewell dinner with the family since we leave tomorrow to return to the USA.

      As is always the case, the food was delicious … the service was excellent. For once, instead of filling our tummies with mezes (Turkish tapas) only, we ordered just enough small plates to share so that we could enjoy grilled sea bass as well.

      Now, our bags are packed … just one still open for last minute items. The cab has been ordered for 6:30a tomorrow morning. The alarm is set for o’dark hundred.

      And, oh yes, we took the COVID-19 test that is required to re-enter the USA. Since most of the labs are closed because it is Sunday, we used the proctored eMed antigen test kits from the comfort of the condo. We’re NEGATIVE!
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    • Day 6

      Day 93/94: Food Poisoning from Hell

      April 13 in Turkey ⋅ ☀️ 81 °F

      We try to stay honest with everyone when it comes to travel because it’s not always “beautiful” and “amazing”.

      Since Tunisia, we had been planning to visit a Hamam, which is a traditional public bathhouse in the Muslim world (similar to Korean/Japanese spas which are fully naked). We decided Turkey was the best location and wanted to pay for a nicer experience (sauna, steam room, wash, scrub, massage). As we ran to our hamam we grabbed some sandwiches. The experience was nice even though Mary got roasted for having shoulder, back, and leg issues.

      However, while walking back it went downhill very quickly. It started with fever and then the sweats appeared. Within an hour both of us were puking. Kieran tried to order food but neither of us could eat. The whole night was aches, pains, voms, and groans. It could have been the sandwiches or the tap water Kieran said was safe.

      Worse part is we had a 5 hour train the next day at 7am. The alarm sounded at 6am and we both got our shit together (mentally, physically, and digestively) and made that train. It was a miserable ride but we made it to Pamukkale and proceeded to sleep 5 hours. Woke up for a nice dinner (Kieran couldn’t finish) and went back home to recover for the next day. Pictures of our most miserable days this far.
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    • Day 1

      1. Day Izmir

      August 7, 2022 in Turkey ⋅ ☀️ 34 °C

      Izmir is a city of millions and at least 4.2 million people live in the city on the Aegean Sea.

      The city is known for its Mediterranean flair and liberal attitude towards life.

      Izmir was called Smyrna in ancient times and is not far from Ephesus (Turkish: Efes), Pamukkale and Pergamon (Turkish: Bergema). Izmir was built by the Greeks, taken over by the Romans, rebuilt by Alexander the Great until it fell under Ottoman rule in the 15th century.

      On our tour through Turkey, we really wanted to stop here to get to know the country and its people.

      To the details. At Izmir airport we took the train to Halil station, then the metro M1 in the direction of Fahrettin Altay to Hatay station, which is close to our accommodation.

      After resting for a few hours, we decided to go to the Alsancak restaurant and bar district and actually just eat something. We came across a restaurant called Inadina Mehane, which is known for good food, raki and live music. It was a lively evening with people partying and drinking like there was no tomorrow.
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    • Day 66

      Izmir

      April 6 in Turkey ⋅ ☀️ 22 °C

      Samstag war es soweit. Der Kühlschrank bekam seine Spezialbehandlung und nun leistet er wieder seinen Dienst! Großes Aufatmen, nicht mehr so oft und wenig einkaufen, von der Hand in den Mund leben!
      Gleich danach steuerten wir den Parkplatz mit diesem fantastischen Blick über die Viereinhalb-Millionen-Stadt und ihren Golf von Izmir an und gleich nach dem Mittagessen liefen wir den hohen Berg hinunter. Als Erstes drängten wir uns durch den bunten, aus allen Nähten platzenden Basar, bis wir an die alte Karawanserei aus der Mitte des 18. Jhd. kamen. Erstmal eine Erfrischung, etwas ausruhen und dieses schöne Gebäude näher inspizieren.
      Wir mussten nicht einmal nach ihr suchen, gleich darauf standen wir vor der ältesten und größten Moschee der Stadt, der Hisar Kamii aus dem Jahr 1597. Als wir direkt vom Getümmel des Basars in den Innenraum traten, kamen wir schlagartig in eine Oase der Ruhe. Interessant, wie die weite Kuppel von den sechs mächtigen Säulen getragen wird. Ich stieg noch eine enge Treppe nach oben, hielt verdutzt inne, machte dann schnell eine Foto (mit deutlich besserer Perspektive) und verschwand lieber ganz schnell wieder, denn diese Empore wird von den Frauen für ihre Gebete genutzt!
      Anschließend hängten wir noch einen Stadtbummel an, staunten über die Dichte der unzähligen Hochzeitsausstatter und passierten die vielen Cafés, Restaurants und mondänen Designerläden an der Ufer- und Hafenpromenade.
      Den Rückweg wählten wir so, dass wir den Kültür Parki nicht verpassen. Bis dahin war es schön, aber dann musste der Aufstieg zu unserem Nachtquartier in 135 m Höhe noch bewältigt werden. Das ging schön langsam und gemächlich, doch oben angekommen mussten wir erstmal die Garderobe wechseln. Abendessen und Betrachtung des Sonnenuntergangs (bis tief in die Nacht) waren ein Genuss!
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    • Day 48

      The Agora of İzmir

      May 5, 2022 in Turkey ⋅ ☀️ 64 °F

      This morning, Mui and I decided to check out the ruins of the ancient Agora of İzmir ... aka the Agora of Smyrna. The MüzeKart we purchased in İstanbul in mid-April covered the ₺40pp admission.

      The word agora comes from the Greek language. True to the meaning of the word, during antiquity, it was a place of trade and a place where political, religious, and cultural gatherings were held.

      The Agora of Izmir was originally built by the Greeks in the 4th century BC. Destroyed during an earthquake in 178 AD, it was reconstructed on the orders of the Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius.

      Excavation of the site started in 1933 and continues to this day. In 2020, the Agora ruins were inscribed on the Tentative World Heritage Site list as part of "The Historical Port City of Izmir."

      This was Mui's first time visiting the ruins. I'd been there a couple of times and noticed some new areas that have since been opened to visitors. While there, we also checked out the Ottoman Era cemetery with its interesting headstones.
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    • Day 48

      Konak Square

      May 5, 2022 in Turkey ⋅ ☀️ 70 °F

      From the Agora, Mui and I headed into Kemeraltı, the shopping district, and grabbed some döner for lunch from Özev, the restaurant Murat took us to a few days ago.

      Then, we meandered to Konak Square to reach the waterfront for the stroll back to Alsancak.

      There are two iconic structures in the square.

      One is the Konak Mosque, which has a rather unique octagonal floor plan. The exterior of the windows are banded with tiles from Kütahya, a Turkish province that is famous for its tile works. The mosque, which dates back to 1748, has been restored several times ... most recently in 1964.

      The other structure in the square is the historic Clock Tower, which was inaugurated in 1901 to commemorate the 25th anniversary of Sultan Abdul Hamid II's accession to the throne. The top was destroyed twice during earthquakes, most recently in 1974. The tower, considered the symbol of the city and the province, underwent restoration in 2019.
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    • Day 43

      Izmir

      September 13, 2022 in Turkey ⋅ 🌬 27 °C

      Die drittgrösste Stadt der Türkei ist den meisten ein Begriff, die schon an der Mittelmeerküste der Türkei Urlaub gemacht haben. Sie ist ein beliebtes Ziel für Reisende und Kreuzfahrtschiffe. Allzu touristisch, wie wir es befürchtet haben, ist es trotzdem nicht.

      Smyrna, wie die Stadt in der Antike genannt wurde, gilt als eine der ältesten Siedlungen des Mittelmeerraums. Mit ihrem grossen Hafen stiess die Stadt in ihrer langen Geschichte zu einem bedeutenden Handelsplatz auf.
      Griechen und Römer eroberten unter anderem die Stadt, die mehrmals ganz oder teilweise zerstört wurde (neben Eroberungen auch durch Erdbeben). In der Spätantike wurde Smyrna zu einem wichtigen Zentrum der christlichen Welt und wird heute noch von Pilgern besucht. Im Byzantischen Reich (ab 395 n. Chr.) war sie neben dem Handel auch ein strategisch wichtiger Flottenstützpunkt; ein Punkt, den auch die später übernehmenden Osmanen sehr schätzten.

      Das moderne Izmir ist eine Millionenstadt, die sich um den Golf von Izmir schmiegt. Entsprechend sind hier nach langer Pause wieder Einkaufszentren und Hochhäuser zu sehen. Wir wandern von unserem Hotel aus die Fussgängermeile hinab bis zum Kemeraltı Bazaar, einem sehr charmanten Stadtteil, auch wenn teilweise sehr auf Touristen ausgerichtet. Der in der Nähe stehende Saat Kulesi (Uhrturm) ist ein Wahrzeichen der Stadt und wird von uns ebenfalls fotografisch festgehalten. An die Zeit der Römer erinnert die Agora, sozusagen das Stadtzentrum der Antike, deren Ruinen am Rande des Basar zu begutachten ist. Auch sie lassen wir uns nicht entgehen.
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    • Day 7

      İzmir Culture & Arts Factory

      September 9, 2023 in Turkey ⋅ ☀️ 86 °F

      This is how the "Factory" we visited today is described on the website ... "The İzmir Culture and Arts Factory is a new meeting place for residents and visitors of all ages and a new generation culture and art center that will shape the cultural and artistic landscape of the city."

      Meeting up with the family, we started our day with a leisurely walk to the "Factory." Those of us who have achieved the "magic age," were given free admission tickets ... the rest purchased their "MüzeKart," which might as well have been free since admission to the "Factory" alone is TL 200 (~$7.45) and the Türkiye-wide annual museum card (for Turkish nationals only) costs TL 60 (~$2.25).

      We started off with breakfast at the Simit Sarayı ... a café on the grounds. A selection of pastries and Turkish tea got us off to a good start and gave us the energy to wander several of the buildings to enjoy the exhibits.

      The "Factory," which opened in April 2023, is housed in the buildings that were re-purposed from what was once the Tekel Cigarette Factory. The 140-year-old facility is an important part of the city's industrial heritage and I was happy to see the grounds put to good use.

      Exhibits in the museum run the gamut from archaeological finds and ethnographical pieces to paintings and sculptures. There are several libraries housed in the buildings that we did not get to today, including the Turkic World Music Special Library. Cultural and art workshops are also held on a regular basis. And there is an open-air movie theater as well.

      With so much to see, methinks multiple visits may be required to do the place justice.
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    • Day 7

      Celebrating İzmir's Liberation

      September 9, 2023 in Turkey ⋅ 🌙 75 °F

      The liberation happened 101 years ago ... and brought to an end the Turkish War of Independence. But the events of 9 September 1922 are an important part of the city's history and the day is still celebrated joyfully every year.

      With a new strain of the Coronavirus rearing its ugly head around the world, we opted to watch the aerial performances by "Solo Türk" (the single aircraft F16 demonstration) and the “Türk Yıldızları” (Turkish Stars) team demonstration from mom's terrace instead of joining the crowds on the waterfront as we did in 2017.
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    • Day 31

      Annual Reunion

      October 3, 2023 in Turkey ⋅ 🌙 73 °F

      One of the annual get togethers Mui and I look forward to is dinner with his cousin Esin, and her husband, Cenap.

      We seem to always end up at Sakız, a restaurant on the waterfront near the Pasaport ferry landing, and always have a good time. Tonight was no exception.

      A few mezes (Turkish tapas) to share + a bottle of white wine for the ladies and a bottle of rakı for the gentlemen + lots of conversation and laughter = a festive reunion.
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    You might also know this place by the following names:

    Karabağlar, Karabaglar

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