Extraterrestrial Landscapes in Turkey

Middle East » Turkey
October 29th 2009

Published: October 29th 2009

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nickkembel

Taking a dip in a travertine, Pamukkale

For more of my photos, or to buy my book, please visit www.nickkembel.com

I think my experience of Turkey is better summarized by my photographs than any description I could compile, so I will provide only some brief context.

Turkey is a fascinating nation where Europe and the Middle East meet, and the culture, food, costs and social customs that I encountered there were a reflection of this. Islam is universally practiced, but Turkey is secular and European in its outlook, and Muslim restrictions are extremely liberal. In one day you can shop in an ancient Bazaar, take in ancient Roman ruins (of which Turkey has more than Italy itself), follow prayer call to the local mosque, sip espresso on a patio, and then finish up with beers and a heavy metal gig. Essentially you can enjoy the comforts of Europe, but in a more exotic context, and at Middle Eastern prices. And, I must add, long-distance bus service that is unparalleled anywhere else I have visited (snacks, drinks, and even wifi!).

But Turkey is not merely a product of colliding foreign cultures; rather it is a center of civilization and unique customs. Visiting a Hamam (Turkish

Kitty below Mardin Citadel, Eastern Turkey

Bath) is the quintessential Turkish experience, where you are aggressively bathed, scrubbed, rubbed, massaged and borderline-assaulted by a large, half naked, and very hairy Turkish man while lying on a hot slab of marble in a steamy domed hall, followed by contemplation over a thick cup of Turkish coffee, two activities which are now found throughout the Middle East.

Constantinople (Istanbul) was the center of the Holy Roman and then Ottoman Empires, but for my second visit to Turkey I traveled elsewhere in the country. I arrived from Greece by ferry at the pretty port town of Bodrum, and continued on to visit the exquisite Roman ruins of Ephesus which, I might add, give the name to the national beer, Efes. The highlight of my stay was actually the Australian run Atilla’s Getaway, where I lounged by the pool smoking nargileh (Sheesha) and got to head out to the local clubs with some fellow Australian travelers.

Next I visited Pamukkale, with it’s famous terraces of travertines, where hot spring water spills from the pools at Hierapolis, an ancient Roman spa resort that you can still swim in today, into the picturesque layers of whitewash pools leading downhill. Most

Mantis, Atilla's Getaway, Selcuk

of the travertines were destroyed in an earthquake and nowadays they are drying up, but there were still enough for me to get some good photos and sneak a little dip.

Next I moved on to Olympos, a hippy-friendly Mediterranean beach community where you can stay in treehouses, but with bad weather and big crowds for the end of Ramadan, I quickly moved on to Cappadocia, central Turkey, where extraterrestrial landscapes draw in tourists to the city of Goreme. For hundreds of years people have lived in caves and hollowed out, beehive shaped stone cliffs, and I visited eerie looking castles and stone hewn monasteries. After Goreme I moved on to the capital, Anakara, where I couchsurfed with some locals, checked out the bars, and picked up my Iranian visa.

The final leg of my Turkish journey was in the less visited far east of the country, where Turkish culture transforms into Kurdish. At Sanliurfa I visited a Muslim pilgrimage site where people throw food to fish in large ponds after visiting a park full of Mosques, and finally Mardin, a picturesque village built into the sides of a mountain.

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