Turkish Delight

Turkey

What are the images of Turkey to travelers? The minarets, the mosques, or the chicken kebabs? Turkey is more than the sum of all things combined. It is a country that spans western Asia and eastern Europe.

A brief history of Turkey:

Turkey's predecessor is known as the Ottoman Empire. Before Ottoman, there was the Byzantine Empire which was the medieval Greece. Even before Byzantine, there was the Roman Empire. 

The Byzantine Empire around the year 867

                  

The Ottoman Empire around the year 1600

the founder of modern Turkey
Mustafa Kemal
Atatürk

 



   



The Turks slowly migrated to the land of Anatolia around year 1100, from central Asia. They built up the Ottoman Empire gradually, following a series of war with the Byzantines. In the year 1453, Ottoman Empire completely defeated the Byzantine Empire. After world war one, the Ottoman Empire disintegrated, and the modern Republic of Turkey was established in the year 1923.

The Itinerary in 2012 :

Istanbul->Antalya->Denizli->Kusadasi->Istanbul

Istanbul

Istanbul was called Constantinople in Byzantine times. The city wall of Constantinople is still standing today. A taxi was driving through the city wall in the picture above.

The Hagia Sofia (Turkish: Ayasofya) at night. The construction of Hagia Sophia was completed in year 360. From 360 until 1453, it served as an Eastern Orthodox cathedral and seat of the Patriarchate of Constantinople. The building was converted to a mosque from 1453 until 1931, when it was secularized. It was opened as a museum on 1 February 1935.

The Blue Mosque (Turkish: Sultanahmet Camii) and the Hagia Sofia are close to each other. The picture was taken from a window in Hagia Sophia.

inside the Blue Mosque, featuring the praying area. It was built from 1609 to 1616.

The Nuruosmaniye Mosque (Turkish: Nuruosmaniye Camii) is an Ottoman era mosque built in the 18th century.

The view from Galata Tower towards the Asian side.

The Galata Tower  (Turkish: Galata Kulesi), it was built in the year 1348 as a fortification tower.

İstiklal Caddesi (Independence Avenue), a long pedestrian shopping street, at Taksim Square.

Inside basilica cistern, it was built in the 6th century as a reservoir for the city people. Now it is a museum.

The people of Istanbul along a busy street.

The Bosphorus Channel, separates the Asian continent from Europe.

Antalya

It is the biggest city along the Turkish Mediterranean coast. There are a marina, old town and beaches squeezed into the city center.

The Mediterranean Sea next to the Antalya marina.

The Konyaaltı Beach at Antalya

I was in Antalya.

A boat sailed out from the Antalya harbour. The mountain in the background is the majestic Antalya mountain.

This is the city tram of Antalya. There is a tram station at the bus terminal, and we can take the tram to the old town section of Antalya.

The Hadrian gate, constructed in 130AD to commemorate Roman Emperor's visit to the city.

Perge

Perge was an anicent Greek city (founded 1000BC). It was a prosperous city in Greek and Roman times, sitting next to a river. Due to war and accumulation of sands in the river, it was slowly abandoned. Now what is left is a pile of ruins. Perge is about 15km from Antalya.

Side

Side is an anicent city. It was a prosperous harbour city in Roman times. Today, Side is a popular holiday destination. Side is about 75km from Antalya.

The Apollo temple is the most famous attraction in Side.

The Mediterranean Sea at Side town

Aspendos

Aspendos is another Greek-Roman ancient city. It is about 40km east of Antalya. Romans built the Aquaduct.

A man walked in the Roman Theater.

The best preserved Roman theater is in Aspendos.

The tour guide and the farmer were having a philosophical discussion?

Kusadasi

I took a bus from Denizli to Kusadasi. Kusadasi is a major harbour at the Turkish Aegean Sea.

The Ladies beach at Kusadasi in the early morning. It was quiet.

The fishing harbour in the evening at Kusadasi.

Ephesus

It was the capital of Roman Empire in the Asian region. There are pedestrians streets in the city of Ephesus.

The ruins of Celsius library

The great theatre of Ephesus.

Pamukkale

Pamukkale means 'cotton castle' in Turkish. It contains hot springs and travertines. The ancient Greco-Roman city of Hierapolis was built on top of Pamukkale. In present days, Pamukkale is a small village, which is 10km from Denizli. However small it maybe, Pamukkale is a UNSECO world heritage site.

The lake in front of the travertine pools in Pamukkale

The travertine pools is snowy white.

A tourist examined the travertine rock up close

Selling the Georgian Dream

Georgia

The territory of modern-day Georgia was occupied by many small kingdoms since the medieval times. It then became the united Georgia during the 11th-12th centuries. The united Georgia collapsed under Mongol attacks and broke into autonomous regions. Georgia was annexed by the Russian Empire in the beginning of the 19th century. It then became an independent sovereign state in the southern Caucasus region since 1991. In the 2008 South Ossetia War with Russia, Georgia lost more land. Now the population of Georgia is almost 4.7 million.

The geographical map of Georgia. It is surrounded by bigger neighboring countries.

The Georgia national flag and the slogan of Tbilisi: "the city that loves you".

Tbilisi:

It was founded in the 5th century, and has been serving as the Georgian capital for nearly 1500 years.

Upon arriving at Tbilisi in the year 2012, a street signage and an election advertising board were displayed next to one another. Number 5 refers to the political party of GNM.

A Tbilisi minibus going towards the Holy Trinity Cathedral of Tbilisi, biggest cathedral in Georgia.

This reminds me of a real story:

While i was in a Tbilisi city bus, two Africans boarded the same bus, they did not pay the bus fare, and sat down at the last row. Incidentally, the bus conductor also boarded the same bus. The conductor went through all passengers, and came to the two Africans. 

Conductor: "ticket?"
Africans: "no ticket"
Conductor: "where is the ticket?"
Africans: "no money, no money"

there it went on...

Conductor: "i call the police" (repeat many times)

One of the Africans jumped up, walked to the ticketing machine, dropped two coins, and said: "It is only two Lari."

Lari is the currency of Georgia.

Outside my hotel, the first sight i saw was the statue of Mother Georgia. At 20 meter tall, the statue was built in the early 1960s, and it is a metaphor for the Georgian character. Carrying a sword and a cup of wine, the guest is warmly welcome but intruders are fiercely resisted.

An quintessential building style in Tblisi, the protruded balcony can be seen on the right.

The old street of Tbilisi

The old town of Tbilisi is full of old streets such as this.

the view

The Narikala fortress on the mountain, the old city of Tbilisi, and the Kura River form a scenic view.

The Bridge of Peace, connecting old Tbilisi with the new district.

Someone took this picture for me.

The freedom square, the site of various mass demonstrations including the Rose Revolution.

Tbilsi old town under the moon light.

The city wall of Tbilisi is lit up at night. It is nice to take a leisurely stroll around the city wall.

The entrance to the metro station at freedom square.

The messy market at Didube.

baby on a Balcony

Going to Kazbegi:

After several days in Tbilisi, i took a shared taxi to Kazbegi Mountain. Kazbegi mountain is the ski resort of Georgia in winter time. In summer time, it is the hiking hot spot. The taxi traveled north from Tbilisi, then followed the Georgian Military Highway to the border with Russia. The taxi stopped at the town of Stepantsminda, which is at the foothill of Kazbegi Mountain.

Along the way, there is an attractive medieval Ananuri castle. The taxi stopped there briefly, for some photo time. The castle is on the tentative list of UNESCO world heritage site. The castle was built by a local family, probably 200 years ago.

The monument at the Jvari pass, to commemorate the opening of Georgian Military Highway.

I posed for a picture in front of the Southern Caucasus mountain.

The mountain surrounding the Jvari pass and the dirt road through the mountain.

The travetine rock along the Georgian Military Highway.

The scenery before reaching Kazbegi Mountain.

Another view.

I was able to see the Kazbegi Mountain and Gergeti Trinity Church once i arrived at the town square of Stepantsminda.

The town square of Stepantsminda. The Gergeti trinity Church is sitting atop the mountain. 

As i planned to return to Tbilisi before night fell, i took a 4x4 ride up the mountain, to visit the Gergeti trinity church.

Going straight will lead to the city of Vladikavkazi in Russia.

The next day, i took a train to Batumi, the biggest city at the Georgian Black Sea coast.

Two guys along the railway track

A little girl in the train

Batumi:

Batumi is just next to north eastern Turkey. It is the governing city of Adjara province.

The Black Sea coast of Batumi, it is a pebble stone beach.

At night, the musical fountains of Batumi played to the admiration of its people.

The quiet street of Batumi in the early morning.

It was almost noon time, and yet the street was empty.

I took a minibus to Gonio-Apsaros, an ancient Byzantine fortress built more than 1000 years ago. Inside the fortress, there is a small museum, and some derelict stone wall.

Inside the Gonio-Apsaros fortress, the small museum is on the left hand side. The fortress is located 10 minutes to the Turkey border by bus.

Mtskheta:

It is the spiritual heart of Georgia, and the historical center of Mtskheta is a UNESCO world heritage site.

The Svetitskhoveli Cathedral is the most important church in Georgia, it was built in the 11th century.

The Jvari Monastery, built in the 6th century, it is on the top of a hill.

At the confluence of Mtkvari and Aragvi rivers, the historical center of Mtskheta is on the right. This is seen from Jvari Monastery.