Blogs from Middle East - page 8

Setting off early with our driver and guide we learned a bit more about modern Izmir and the history of our destinations. After a 2.5 hr card ride, we started at Aphrodisias. This city, previously unknown to us, was once home to over 100,000 people. Amazing remains exist that demonstrate daily life in the ancient world. This city was contemporary with Hierapolis which was about the same size but much more famous for its hot springs, said to have healing powers. The friezes decorate the entire city and were depictions of actual citizens of note, some were historical figures and some were mythical. The emperor Diocletian, concerned for the welfare of all his citizens, issued an edict of maximum prices. The prices were “posted” carved in marble on the walls of the market square, for all ... read more

A lovely breakfast at the Swisshotel Buyek Efes fueled us for a marathon day of exploration on foot in Izmir. Our hotel is literally around the corner from the second apartment we lived in when here. We easily found it as it is one building in from Attaturk Circle, a monument park honoring Mustafa Attaturk. He is recognized for bringing Turkey into the modern world. He saw a vision for Turkey that continued past his death and persists today. We continued with a lovely stroll down the Cordon, the waterfront walk bordering the Bay of Izmir on the Aegean Sea. Our first apartment was half-way down the Cordon, and with a little memory jogging, we finally found it. We lived on the 7th floor of this building and spent hours watching city life from our balcony. ... read more

This day started with a beautiful traditional Turkish breakfast, complete with local cats. Every meal we have enjoyed outdoors has been with a menagerie of cats. The locals are very fond of their cats and dogs and take great care of them. They do not really belong to anyone, but belong to everyone. They feed them and provide water everywhere. Many have ear tags which tells me they are tracked and probably spayed/neutered and vaccinated to keep populations under control. The care they have the animals is but another example of the warm and generous spirit of the Turkish people. We were up early enough to catch the ballon show over Cappadocia. This is a very popular thing to do, which provides a birds eye view of the region. They only fly at 6am, provided weather ... read more

Turkey, Turkey, Turkey! How I have missed your beautiful sights, sounds, smells and warm culture! For those of you who do not know, Sharon and I had the good fortune to have lived in Turkey when we were growing up. Dad was the Naval Attache to NATO and we lived in Izmir. That is the main reason for this trip. Having lost our Mom two years ago and Dad just this summer, we decided a memorial tour of Turkey was appropriate to honor them in some very special ways. We will visit all of the destinations we enjoyed as a family and more. Our Turkish odyssey began with a quick Turkish breakfast that included two of my favorites, Kalamata olives and ekmek (bread) with honey on the comb. It was delightful! From there we headed to ... read more

On the way back from Jebel Akhdar to Dubai, we visited the old ruined village of Al Hamra. It was a bit off the main road and the directions took us via very narrow streets through date palm farms. It was a beautiful drive. We arrived on the other side of the museum from our colleagues, so did not know they were there already. So, the four of us toured the ruined village of Al Hamra for a few minutes, before meeting everyone at the Bait Safah Museum. One of the cool things we saw was a public bath-house, a little alcove along the street sitting above the falaj where people can wash themselves in water destined for the farms. Al Hamra is a 400-year-old village near Nizwa and Jebel Shams areas. It has some of ... read more