Blogs from Turkey, Middle East - page 2

We had low expectations for Bodrum, especially after our fabulous evening the night before. However, Bodrum has an ancient castle, started in 1402 by the Knights of St. John. We took a cab ride around the harbor to see what the old castle might have to offer. What an interesting place! The church in the center was the first item erected and everything else around it was built in stages over many decades. It boasts four towers, but we counted five, each built by a different nationality. The Italians, Germans, French, Spanish and English all contributed their different architecture to structure which makes is architecturally unique and special. There are marble plaques over doors in all the sections within the castle, each displaying the coat of arms of that section’s benefactor and patrons. It truly is ... read more

Upon first observations, I can confidently say Istanbul is quite the multicultural milkshake. That, and I am completely charmed by its cobbled streets leading towards the sea. What a condensed, sprawling, hodge-podge of people and life! Demographics say its 78 percent Turks, but there are so many other faces. That's 15 million people tightly packed into stackable buildings, some within the confines of a walled city, with dozens of mosque domes predominantly gleaming in the midday sun. Landfall finds me in the old city European part of Istanbul, with less than a week to explore both sides of the Bosporus. Its not very often I make strategically sound travel decisions at last minute, but my unassuming hotel is lovely and perfectly situated, within walking distance to everything touristy. Well done you. First line of business, a ... read more

As I write this post, I am looking out the window of our beautiful cruise ship, at the setting sun over the Marmara Sea. The Star Legend is a small, 200 passenger vessel in the Windstar Cruise Line. It provides all the amenities of the larger cruise lines, minus the crowds. We sailed out of the harbor at precisely 5pm, waving goodbye to the Istanbul coastline with its striking minarets and ancient coastal history. The sea is calm and skies are clear which should make for a peaceful night of sailing. Before we boarded though, we had one last highlight of ancient Istanbul to explore, the Galata Tower. As I previously mentioned, it was the highest point of the Genoese walled city. Built in 1453, the Genoese could watch the strait for uninvited ships. Sounding an ... read more

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