Turkey - Pamukkale

From the port city of Kusadasi and its constant waves of cruise ships,  

and their passengers that we have to battle our way with at the tourist spots, we drove east to Pamukkale, in the Denzili region.  This is the home of the famous gleaming white calcium terraced pools.

Pamukkale was formed when warm, calcium rich mineral water cascaded over the cliff edge, cooling and depositing in the process.  The calcium built natural shelves and pools on the cliffs are known as travertines.  

By the travertines is the ruined spa town of Hierapolis, which was a cure centre founded around 190BC by the Romans.  The Romans were aware of the curative powers of mineral springs and created communal baths.

It is rumoured that Cleopatra used these baths and the pool, that is currently under restoration, is called the Cleopatra pool (sorry no pic).

We did get a pic of the Basilica Bath complex located on the north side, out of the city gates.   Bath buildings generally are located at the outskirts of the city as an important sign of sensitivity of ancient Anatolian people about the cleaning and protecting against epidemics.  It dates back to the 3rd century AD but in the 6th century AD an apse was added to the central part and it was turned into a church. 

Out of all the ancient cities we have visited, with each one sporting their impressive theatres, Hierapolis' one is definitely the most impressive in its entirety.  It was erected in the 3rd century AD during the reign of Emperor Septimius Severus and has had many restorations over the years with the latest one being 2009-13.  

This is the back of the theatre where the entertainment would have entered.

The Northern Necropolis was the area devoted to the burials of the Hierapolis inhabitants and there are over 2000 tombs like this one spread out over the land.

The Frontinus Gate is the monumental entrance to the Roman city

and leads onto the large plateia, 14m wide, which crosses the whole settlement,

exiting a gate at the other side, which connects with other key areas.

Like the other ancient cities, in the 7th century an earthquake caused the collapse of many of the buildings and ultimate abandonment of the city.  Archaeologists and historians have done very well to restore what they have and keep this amazing history alive.

Turkey - ancient cities

After the somber visit to Gallipoli we stayed the night in the beautiful city of Canakkale.  We were spoilt with some yummy Turkish cuisine and a good night's sleep.

It was then time to explore some ancient cities.  First stop was to the archaeological site of Troy, located on the mound of Hisarlik, overlooking the plain along the Turkish Aegean coast, 4.8km from the southern entrance to the Dardanelles.

This city has over 3000 years of history and is best known for the Greek myth of the Trojan War, which is such a cool story.

In the 10th year of The Trojan War, the Greeks were struggling to take the city of Troy so resorted to a cunning plan.  They built a hollow, wooden horse and filled it with skilled Greek warriors, then presented it to the city of Troy as a gift.  After a bit of persuading, it was wheeled through the Gates of Troy into the middle of the city.  At midnight the Greek soldiers unlocked the trapdoor and stealthily climbed down the rope ladder, opened the gates to let the Greek army storm through.  Not even the Gods could save Troy then.

Parts of the remains of Troy are limited apart from the amphitheatre above, and southern gate below, but they have found that over the years it has been built several times on top of each other due to fires and earthquakes. 

Archaeologists are still digging away through the various layers. Found this wee creature on part of the wall.

A trip on a cable car took us to the Acropolis of Pergamon, high above the Bakircay Plain in the Aegean region.  It was the capital of the Hellenistic Attalid dynasty, a major centre of learning in the ancient world.  

The theatre is the steepest raked Hellinistic theatre in the world.  It could seat 10 000 people.

There were lots of innate archways, nooks and crannies to explore.

For the next two days we stayed in the port city of Kusadasi which was close to the next ancient city for us to explore.  It was the massive one of Ephesus whose remains are remarkably preserved and gives a really good insight into life during the Roman Empire.  There were cats everywhere keeping an eye on this marvel.

This city was an important city in ancient times due to its strategic location and religious significance. Around 550BC Ephesus was the location of the Temple of Artemis, which was a famous temple that was one of the Seven Wonders of the World.  Its purpose was to honour and worship the goddess Artemis, who was highly revered s the protector of Ephesus. Artemis, daughter of Zeus, is the Roman and Greek's classical goddess of fertility, wild animals, vegetation and the moon.

Sadly, the temple endured numerous episodes of destruction and subsequent reconstruction throughout its history, and today there are only fragments and ruins left but a lot of the city is still in great form.

The Library of Celsus was just magnificent to look at.

And you can visualise this street with shops on either side being a vibrant place in its day.

As with all ancient cities, there is a theatre, not as steep as the last one we saw.

Hadrian's Temple, dedicated to the Emperor Hadrian, created with its Roman-Greek culture fusion, was also a magnificent sight.

Along with the Temple of Domitian which served the Imperial cult and dedicated to Emperor Domitian (AD 81 - 96)

Not far away from these temples, and opposite the library, is where you can find the public latrines.  Just in time...

On our way out we were treated to a show featuring Cleopatra and her then husband Mark 
Antony.

Apparently, they spent a winter in Ephesus and enjoyed watching a bit of one on one fighting.  Why not re-enact it?

We finished our explorations off with the Artemis Experience which was a 3D visual show about the story of Ephesus and how the Goddess Artemis was always looking after it even after the continuing decline of the accumulating silt in its harbour and the earthquakes in the 5th and 6th centuries which forced most of its inhabitants to flee and start new settlements.

By the end of the 15th century, under the Ottoman Empire, Ephesus was abandoned, its legacy left to archaeologists and historians.

Turkey - Gallipoli

Every Australian and New Zealander should have the opportunity to do what we did today - travel to the WWI battlefields of Gallipoli.  Here we embarked upon the sites of fierce fighting which are now hauntingly beautiful, with their wooded landscapes dotted with understated memorials to the war dead.

On 25th April 2015, some 16 000 Australians and New Zealanders together with British, French and Indian troops landed on the Gallipoli Peninsula only to be bombarded by Ottoman resistance for the next 10 1/2 months.

Look at the steep cliffs that they come up against with the Ottoman firing down on them!

Our first stop was at the cove where the ANZACs landed, not where they were supposed to, and were under constant fire from the Ottoman soldiers.  The 600m cove soon became named ANZAC cove where thousands of ANZACs lost their lives.

A

Lone Pine Australian War Memorial and cemetery was dedicated to the many Australians who fought valiantly in this area.

Chunuk Bair was where the Wellingtonians took the ridge virtually unopposed but it was difficult to defend and the Ottomans put up a fierce fight with 424 New Zealanders losing their lives.  Below is a photo of the track (bit more like a road now) they used to transport supplies and weapons up to the soldiers who were fighting up there.  

And here is one of the wells they used to bring water up for both Allies and the Ottoman soldiers.

The Nek is the area where a minor battle took place on 7th August 1915.  It is a narrow stretch of ridge on the Gallipoli Peninsula so was easily defended by the Turks.  We were told a story that the Ottoman were yelling at the Australians to stop coming up but they kept going for a courageous yet futile attack. Many lost their lives.  Another memorial marks the place.

There are many fortified trenches still clearly visible amongst the scrub near this cemetery.  Roughly 3 feet deep, the system of trenches provided much needed cover for troops as they desperately fought the enemy.  The pic doesn't show the trenches very well but they are still quite visible.

Here is an example of a NZ soldier's grave, one of the lucky ones that was identified and buried.

As much as we hear about the ANZACs side of the story about this terrible time, the guide was able to share some stories from the Ottoman side such as this soldier who carried an injured ANZAC back to his battalion then hurried back to his own, uninjured.

Below is a memorial to one of the Ottoman heroes of the time, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, who rose to prominence as a commander at Gallipoli.  His famous quote is "I don't order you to attack, I order you to die.  In the time it takes us to die, other troops and commanders can come and take our places."  

 

The Gallipoli campaign became the basis for the Turkish War of Independence and declaration of the Republic of Turkey in 1923. Mustafa went on to became the first President of Turkey.

Even thought it was an Ottoman victory at Gallipoli, the 25th April is remembered by not just the ANZACs but the Turkish people as well.  Lest we forget!

To get to our hotel for the night, we had a fun crossing over the Dardanelles Strait on a ferry.  A somber but absolutely fabulous day that we will not forget!

Turkey - Istanbul

From one continent to another, well sort of.  We travelled to Istanbul, an historical city that used to be called Constantinople, founded in 324AD in the country that is known as Turkey.  It is the largest city in Europe, and straddles the Bosphorus Strait lying in both Europe and Asia. We went on a cruise of the strait travelling down the European side and then the Asian side of Istanbul with both sides flying very large Turkish flags.

There was a sailing race on at the same time so it was interesting watching the sail boats race but try to avoid us as well!

The cruise gave us lots to look at like the Dolmabahce Palace, which served as the main admin centre of the Ottoman Empire until 1922.

The Beylerbeyi Palace which was a place to host foreign dignatories but is now a museum.

The city walls of Constantinople were inspiring to look at.  They were one of the most complex and elaborate systems ever built apparently.

Overall, a pleasant couple of hours just cruising along but only giving us a wee insight into some of the sites of this vibrant city!

Off the boat we visited the Camica Republic Mosque that had the most amazing views inside and outside.

Beylerbeyi Sarayi Summer Palace, a 19th century Ottoman palace located on the Asian shore of the Bosphorus was an interesting place to visit.  It was a summer residence for the Sultan but is now a museu,. and we weren't allowed to take photos, apart from its gate.

That night we found a fun restaurant who loved to serve dramatic drinks and yummy food.

The next day we joined the On the Go Tour group which consists of a few Aussies, Americans one other Kiwi and and an Irishman!  

Our first excursion together was to the ruinous hippodrome, now a small park and once the scene of chariot races and political activities in Byzantine times.  What was more exciting were the cars that were there for the start of the Gum Ball 3300 race.

Grant was so excited especially about this car!

Beside that was the Blue Mosque, famous for blue Iznik tiles and unique 6 minarets and which faces the Hagia Sophia.

We didn't go into this famous building but it is a basilica built in the 6th century by Emperor Justinian.

Instead we went into the Topkapi Palace.   It was built under the orders of Sultan Mehmed II a few years after he conquered Constantinople and remained to be the main residence of Ottoman sultans from 15th-19th centuries.  It is massive with one of the sections guarded by some Ottoman soldiers. He didn't mind a wee selfie!!

The Sultans used to sit on this stone throne to watch various sporting events such as javelin and wrestling.

The library was an impressive place where the sultans would go to read the Koran, the central religious text of Islam, believed by Muslims to be a revelation directly from God.

This is an example of the armor a sultan would wear during battle, and there were a few of those over the years during their complicated history.

On one of the balconies, you had a fabulous view of the Bosphorus Strait.

From the fresh air of the palace grounds we then were taken to the Underground Cistern - an ancient underground water tank, replete with carved and fluted Corinthian columns

and a puzzling head of Medusa.

There is so much to see and do in this fabulous city.  The Greek and Roman history is well remembered amongst the Ottoman period.  For a city that has had so many ethnic influences over the centuries, it has developed a very cosmopolitan vibe.