Blogs from Turkey, Middle East - page 40

Before I came to Istanbul I practiced saying no. “No, thank you.” “No, I’m just looking.” “No, I’m not interested.”“No, it’s too expensive.” “No, stop it.” “NO!” I learned to say no in Turkish as well as English. So how come I ended up in a rug shop drinking tea? I’m an early riser, and I like to get out and about. My first full day in Istanbul I just wanted to walk around and get my bearings before it got too hot and there were too many people around. I was in Sultanahmet Square headed to the Information Center. The bad part of that is that as a single woman who was obviously a visitor, I was a target for every carpet salesman in town. And since there aren’t a lot of tourists around yet, ... read more

As someone who doesn’t like crowds, I clearly wasn’t thinking straight when I decided to visit Istanbul’s most popular shopping street on a holiday weekend in July when there were three cruise ships in port. It was crowded and crazy, but in a funny sort of way it served me well. The crowds forced me to look into the little alleys and passages, and there is some interesting stuff in the small byways. I only noticed the Aya Triada (Holy Trinity) church because of the cross I saw from the distance. I followed the sokak (alley) across from the French Consulate a short distance to the church. The outer door to the narthex was open, so I went in. There was a very pleasant caretaker who motioned that it was OK for me to go inside. ... read more

EPHESUS or EFES for short. This place is chock a block full of history.. It existed in the bronze age. Efes is said to have been founded by female warriors known as the Amazons. Then around 1200BC it became part of the Ionian migration. It may have been a Greek “colony” then. Efes became one of the wealthiest cities of the Mediterranean. When Cyrus ( king of Persia) defeated the Lydian king around 700 BC there was a shake up in the Mediterranean region. By 500 BC, Ionian cities were rebelling against Persia and were destroyed. But Ephesus distanced itself from the other Ionians and so escaped destruction. When Alexander the Great took hold of the region in 334 BC Ephesus was able to take advantage of a period of peace and tranquillity for the next ... read more

Mary’s House Effes Turkey Historians in Turkey ( and elsewhere) firmly believe that Mary ( mother of Jesus) lived out her last days in Efes ( Ephesus). And the story is that her house was at the top of a steep hill -358 meters up. Part way up a gold statue was erected by The American Society of Ephesus in honour of the Virgin Mary. Climatic conditions at the top of the hill are much more pleasant than below- where it can be scorchingly hot. Views from the top are spectacular – but it’s a long walk down to get groceries. As you might expect its very quiet and peaceful at the summit. The house itself is long gone. On the foundations of the original house a chapel has been built. That chapel has been dated ... read more

Istanbul 10th -13th July 2015 When I first came through the arrivals gate at Istanbul, I was overwelmed with the sea of people in front of me, when it's barely a handful at Cardiff or Bristol. I quickly secured a private transfer after reading the many horror stories about Istanbul taxi drivers ripping off tourists. So after excessive hornblowing, an exchange of turkish expletives and horrific traffic, I reached my destination. This was the first time I began to wonder whether visiting Istanbul on my own had been a good idea? My accomodation was well placed near the Blue Mosque, Sultanahmet Square and the Hagia Sofia Museum. On checking in, my host provided a map and great information on where to visit and eat. It was already dark when I went out for food and first ... read more