Ottoman Heartlands

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So after the ruins it was time for a short break as told in my last message so I opted to go into the old Ottoman heartland...

First stop Ankara! Ankara is quite expensive, but I met some cool Turkish students who walked around with me as I was sightseeing and later took me for dinner... Thanks Halil and Gokhan!

After this I went to Safranbolu a town which has preserved all the old ottoman houses. The people were really friendly and laid back and I was whisked into many a shop, not to sell me stuff, no... For having a tea with me and strike up a conversation!

Then on to Amasra on the Black Sea coast another laid back place... Than it was time for a two day trip to Sinop, not that I planned to take two days to get there, but busses are rather thinly spread on the ground so I got about half way and there were no more busses going onward.. The scenery was amazing though with the road winding it's way along the valleys of the Black Sea coast... Sinop is nice, but it was raining so I didn't do that much walking around.

From Sinop I went to Amasy via Samsun... Again it was raining and by this time I was thinking I had been cursed as it seemed to be following me around, but as I went out to look at the Pontic tombs which are carved out in the cliffs surrounding the town, the sun miraculously appeared... Not cursed after all...

Than on to Hattusa, a word of advice for those planning to visit: don't go on a weekend as there are no minibusses to the village and you will be forced like me to take a taxi for forty lira!! The minibus costs two lira... On the upside with my long expired student card I did get into the site for free!

Than it was time for Cappadocia with it's weird landscape, underground cities, cave dwellings and many, many rock hewn churches, some with incredible frescoes... And the laid back atmosphere makes things all the more enjoyable…

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Photos

Ankara
Ankara citadel

Ankara
Museum of Anatolian Civilisations

Ankara
Column of Julian

Ankara
Hallil at Anit Kabir

Ankara
Anit Kabir, Ataturk's Mausoleum

Ankara
Me at his grave

Safranbolu
Ottoman houses in Safranbolu

Safranbolu
My room in Safranbolu

Amasra
View of Amasra and the Black Sea

Amasya
Pontic tombs above Amasya

Amasya
Ottoman houses in Amasya

Hattusa
Upper city

Hattusa
This green cubic rock was a present of Egyptian pharao Ramses II

Hattusa
Lion Gate

Hattusa
Hieroglyph chamber, possibly part of a Royal tomb

Hattusa
Yazilikaya (Inscribed Rock) with the Stormgod Teshub, his wife Hepatu the Sungoddess, their son Sharruma and possibly two daughters at the end

Cappadocia
View of Goreme with Uchisar Castle in the back

Cappadocia
Matt and Meghan in the Dirinkuyu underground city

Cappadocia
And me in one of the underground chambers

Cappadocia
Zelve open-air museum (old Zelve)

Cappadocia
Red valley

Cappadocia
Devrent Valley (Valley of Fairy Chimneys)

Cappadocia
Goreme open-air museum

Cappadocia
Fresco in the Apple Church

Cappadocia
and another fresco in the Apple Church

Cappadocia
Fresco in the Snake Church, St. Onuphrius hides his nudity behind a date palm front