Tag: travel

Aezani – The Temple of Zeus and a ‘Lost World’

I suspect that most people drive through Çavdarhisar and barely notice; it is, after all, a pretty nondescript dot on the map on the road to or from Kütahya about 60km southwest of that town. If you take the time, turn off the main road, and follow the signs for about 1 km you’ll arrive at the site of the Roman city of Aezani.

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Aezani is spread out over a vast area each side of the road, but it is the Temple of Zeus built by Hadrian in 125 AD that dominates the site. Said to be the finest surviving example this temple to the ‘God of Gods’ is truly impressive with an immense underground vault or sanctuary dedicated to Cybele whose well preserved bust stands at the foot of the temple mound.

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Imposing as Aezani is, it is not what fascinates me and draws me back from time to time. My interest lies in the ‘village’ of Çavdarhisar that lies between the main road and the historic site. As you arrive at the site, roads either side of the river lead to a ‘lost world’ of village life and scenes where folks live a very different life-style from what you see around touristic areas – rather than try and describe this world to you I’ll let my inadequate views through my battered old SLR lead you into this world. Perhaps, like me, you will be drawn back again and again . .

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their life in ruins
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old Roman bridge still in daily use
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mozaic found in a barn in the centre of the village
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sarcophagus water trough

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Alan Fenn, Okçular Köyü

 

Posted on by Alan

İznik; Tiles and Tranquility

The tourism Mecca of Dalyan lies just 10 minutes down the road from Okçular. Dalyan is steeped in history and is set on a canvas of outstanding natural beauty with a beautiful lake on its doorstep.

İznik lies just south of İstanbul, about 2 days drive from Okçular (we always take the scenic route over the mountains). İznik too is steeped in history and sits at the edge of a large and beautiful lake.

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There the similarities end; Dalyan town itself is bereft of charm; there is little to appeal to the eye with concrete villas set in their 500 cubic metre plots. The tea garden trees are dying, everywhere is paved with blocks that radiate the sun’s heat and graceful, old eucalyptus trees, which may not have been native but gave welcome dappled shade and ‘texture’ to the town centre were cut down and ghastly, out of place palm were planted.

In contrast, İznik feels and looks like a Turkish town; İznik has retained its trees and İznik has not fallen into the trap of paving everything in sight. The promenade area is grassed with little man-made promontaries and islands reaching into the lake. The whole feel of the town is of quiet gentility.

J and I have just returned from a trip to the province of Karabük in the north of the country. On the way home we diverted to spend a little time in İznik and we were both taken with the place – it is a really nice town.

Originally named Nicaea by the Greeks, it served as the interim capital city of the Byzantine Empire between 1204 and 1261, following the 4th Crusade in 1204, until the recapture of Constantinople by the Byzantines in 1261. Much of the original defensive walls still stand along with 2 imposing gates. The city and national authorities are carrying out restorations of old mosques, churches and hamams to the highest aesthetic standards using real craftsmen to do the jobs.

iznik2With the fall of Constantinople in 1453, the town lost a great degree of its importance, but later became a major centre with the creation of a local faïence pottery-making industry in the 17th century (known as the İznik Çini, Çin meaning China in Turkish – Chinese porcelain stood in great favour with the Sultans.) İznik tiles were used to decorate many of the mosques in İstanbul designed by Mimar Sinan. Attempts to recreate the perfection and colours of the early pottery glazes have proved elusive. As an aside, one of my prized possessions is an original İznik bowl; although slightly chipped the (hazardous) cobalt blue of the glaze can be found in no pieces other than these originals.

I like İznik; it makes a great staging post for exploring the area or as a stop-over to or from İstanbul. Its true value is as a gentle, relaxing place to spend time replenishing the inner self, wandering back streets, searching out the surprises (see below) and enjoying the finest catfish kebap to be found anywhere in Turkey.

A few impressions to be going on with:

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old hamam restoration
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the quality of restoration is outstanding
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the mighty northern Istanbul gate
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the scary sight that awaits those entering the Istanbul gate
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would you want to mix it with these jokers?
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the southern gate
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. . can you work out what this is?
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admit it, you’re amazed to see it’s an electricity sub-station
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the back view of the triumphal march
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part of the extensive defenses
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. . . and yet more

Alan Fenn, Okçular Köyü

Posted on by Alan

Invasion Of The Body-Snatchers

The beautiful and historic town of Safranbolu in Karabük Province is the scene of truly mysterious goings-on. I am convinced that Turks who visit the place are being abducted – ‘vanished’ into thin air, or even beamed up to orbiting spacecraft.

I’m not joking, this is deadly serious! Consider the facts: there are hardly any Turks to be seen anywhere on the streets as dusk falls and night closes in. A few individuals can be seen peering from the doorways of houses, hotels and shops as they anxiously scan the streets. What or who are they looking for? What or who are they afraid of?

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dusk and the scouts are out

On our last evening in the town we secretly captured the evidence of Aliens disguised as South Koreans and Taiwanese tourists searching the streets with their hand-held ‘Turktectors’. These Aliens patrol in pairs and some even go mob-handed as they rush from place to place pointing their devices at buildings, into windows and doorways. J and I were scanned on numerous occasions – whilst eating, entering our hotel and whilst sitting enjoying a quiet beer in the deep evening shadows.

These devices must have some seriously advanced technology or work at the extreme ends of the visual spectrum because my own fairly new camera was struggling to capture enough light even at the highest ISO settings. The Aliens, on the other hand, seemed to have no such problems.

I know many of you will think that I’m making all this up; that I’m some deranged ‘conspiracy theory’ nutter, but I’m not. Here is the rather grainy but un-PhotoShopped evidence – now tell me there aren’t advanced civilisations out amongst the stars or even a fifth dimension. How else to explain those missing Turks!

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here they come
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the hunt is on
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Jeez, they’ve spotted me – the garlic yoghurt is my last line of defense

Alan Fenn, Okçular Köyü

Posted on by Alan 1

Tripping In Amasra

‘Amasra. Oh! you must see Amasra.’ ‘Amasra is beautiful!’ Amasra is this; Amasra is that! So, today we went to Amasra; it was a very interesting day out.

The drive over the mountains from Safranbolu is a real delight that should be sampled at a gentle pace, if for no other reason than much of the road has not been improved – yet! The scenery is so different from what we are used to in SW Turkey; here the woods are mostly mixed with coniferous and deciduous trees vying with each other for space and colour. There was one long section in particular that was just splendid with the road covered by a tunnel of cınar (Oriental Plane), dappled by the greens and yellows and browns of Autumn. Sugar loaf hay ricks were scattered all over the place and ‘Heidi’ houses clung to the steep hillsides.

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The drop down to Amasra gives great views but few safe places to stop and admire them as you ride the switchback into town. With its two harbours either side of a narrow peninsular and a narrow bridge to an island that is home to more of the town as well as the castle, the setting is beautiful as well as unique. We were there late in the season so there were few tourists about and although the town gives the impression of making few concessions to tourism the shaded pedestrian area near the centre gives the lie to that with the streets lined with small shops all selling the same ghastly tat from China.

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Lunch was a delight taken at a small harbourside restaurant. Coming from Muğla we struggle to find fresh hamsi (sardines) so that was our choice and what arrived at table was a great plateful together with a huge and imaginatively presented salad; all for just TL10 a head! Cheap at twice the price!

amasya3Later we wandered the island part of town and J managed to sneak in some ‘Brownie Points’ as we trekked to the lighthouse at the highest point – just like the castle at Afyon, it was worth the effort for the all-round view as well as our constitutions.

We drove home the long way round by heading West towards Zonguldak before turning South and up a long climb through a river valley that leads, literally, into the arse-end of Karabük. I’ll come to that in a minute, first I want to comment on the railway that climbs up the same valley – sometimes on the same side as the road, sometimes clinging to the vertical rock face the other side of the valley and sometimes disappearing for miles into tunnels before reappearing. What a feat of engineering, and what a sight it must have been when steam engines, often in fours, hauled the huge lines of coal-laden trucks up to the steel works at Karabük, 1300mts above sea level.

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Anyway, back to Karabük and its arse-end. As we arrived at the edge of town the diversions began and then continued into the centre. Road works were everywhere and as is often the case the diversion signs soon disappeared, never to return. It was chaos – bedlam – road rage and stupidity all rolled into one great mess! We got drawn into the gyrations and once in could find no way out. Eventually J nobbled four Zabita guys to get help – go across here one said and around there – but that’s against the traffic flow in a single lane – no problem said he, no police – and he was right, it worked like a dream and after 45 minutes of frustration we were back on track in about 3 – ‘Burası Türkiye!’ ‘This is Turkey!’

A few images to finish off:

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A&J

Posted on by Alan 2

Health & Fitness

‘You’re ‘avin’ a larf!’ I said, ‘With respect!’ (it pays to hedge one’s bets). In my opinion, for what that is worth, J is taking things a bit far with our exercise regimen. There we were, miles from home after a leisurely start and a leisurely drive; in the middle of nowhere;  bombing along on some of the finest, smoothest, vehicle-free duel-carriageway roads you could wish for, when she insisted I pull over onto a farm track that had once been the original main road. “Come on, then’ she said, getting out of the car, ‘we’re going for our daily walk.’ I can’t begin to imagine what all those people on the road thought at the sight of us two pounding, first one way, and then the other – I couldn’t possibly tell you what I thought, either! Health and fitness? Blood, Toil, Tears and Sweat is what I call it!

Anyway, duty done we set off again for our overnight stopping place here in Afyonkarahisar (Black Opium Castle). Because the roads have improved so much since we last came through we were here in really good time which was great because we’d be able to wander and explore at a nice, unhurried pace. Right? Wrong!

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We started by ambling around the back streets of the old part of town which is a delight to the senses with beautiful old buildings (many are restored and lived in) and food shops of every description. As I walked and photographed, J remarked that we were on Kale Street – ‘Ummm!’ I mumbled. This was followed by ‘Be a shame to come here and not go up to the top.’ My blood froze as I stopped and looked up. I mean, have you seen that thing? Afyon is already 1030mts above sea level – isn’t it enough that we drove here without climbing up there!

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So it was that we set off up the 550 odd, erratically spaced steps that lead, eventually, to the point where you have to scramble the last few hundred metres to the inevitable giant flagpole complete with giant flag. We were passed by hoards of polite and helpful students heading for the summit who would look at me with great concern, gently take my elbow and offer help. What kept me going was the occasional ‘How’s it going, old man?’ from J. ‘Yorkshire Bastard!’ Got me to the top though!

Was it worth it? Wellllll! Of course it was!

Coming down was much like going up – Jeez, my knees are sore! J says that if we lived here and ‘did’ the castle three times a week we’d be bloody fit. If we lived here I’d be pleading insanity!

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afyon2This is a really nice town; it bustles with life and activity and I reckon the shops outshine anything I’ve seen anywhere in Mugla (sorry, no Turkish characters on this machine).  Another highlight was finding a wonderful delicatessen which means we’ll have to come back this way to stock up on some really naughty goodies. Our shopping list will not include the derivatives of the beautiful opium poppy.

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A&J (who are not in Okçular) originally posted on Archers of Okçular 1.10.2011

Posted on by Alan