Ankara,
Turkey, June 2003
The
low-key American Research Institution
of Turkey welcomed us to the capitol. Sharing a flat with waves of
archaeologists, I learned to smoke rose-tobacco in a nargile (water pipe),
while watching the sunset stain the leafy city scarlet.
The Turks were
brilliantly hospitable, despite Middle Eastern tension and the proximity
to the Second Gulf War. The big disappointment? Summer is not camel-wrestling
season, where alpha males viciously intertwine necks, vying for booty.
Istanbul
Surprisingly, the city on the Golden Horn didn't ignite
my heart. Cluttered and overwhelming, Istanbul was full of marvels and
antiquities... beside rag-pickers and con artists. Perhaps the bad impression
was kickstarted by Aslan, our waiter in the touristy Hippodrome, who
won his bride by shoving a pistol down his rival's throat and threatening
to "Ottoman punish".
A Turkish bath
afforded me a punishing massage and hair-wash, followed by a communal
nap on a heated marble platform. Sultan Ahmet, the Blue Mosque, was
sublime, while Hagia Sophia and Topkapi Palace merely impressed.
Hattusas
The Hittite ruins – city foundations and eroded
religious carvings in a canyon – astounded. The steppes, covered
in rippling grass, lent the site a gracious air, amplified by the eroded
stone lions standing sentinel. I celebrated my 28th birthday here, somewhat
austerely, but happily. The nearby "underground cities" were
spoilt by hyper-aggresive guides that turned nasty. Given the 90% deflated
tourist economy, I empathized, but still didn't want an ignorant, rudimentary-English
tour of all nine stories...
Cappadocia
An Athens News assignment led us to the land of
sinuous rock. More dramatic than expected, the region also exhibited
good character. At one point, the car's back wheel fell into a deep
whole in a remote village, where women frantically veiled themselves
as we trundled past. A group of children raced up, seized the undercarriage
and hoisted us from the hole.
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Mediterranean
Coast, July
We crossed the Straight of Marmara to Turkey, visiting
Sardis, the superb Roman ruins at Ephesus, Priene, Miletus and Didyma.
Selcuk proved a
welcoming base. We played backgammon on the roof, as storks sailed through
the dusk and lights inflamed the ancient castle. Despite a bad migraine
attack, I loved this leg of our summer journey.
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Amanda's
articles about Turkey
Big
Rock Candy Mountains: Cappadocia, Turkey
Road and Travel, October 2004
Some are campfire-softened marshmallows, domed and dipped. Others are
taffy chews, jerked upwards, lollipops, or peppermint sticks gummed
smooth. All the stonescapes have the sugarcoated hues of the sweet shop:
pinks, oranges and yellows in comforting childhood pastels.
The
cradle of western philosophy
Athens News, 16 January 2004
Once the oldest and most powerful metropolis among the 12 Ionian cities,
Miletus now stands in a marshy, neglected landscape.
Ephesus:
From Amazons to Alexander
Athens News, 28 May 2004
Its history is peppered with mighty figures: Rich King Croesus, Alexander
the Great, the Persian ruler Cyrus, the doomed lovers Mark Anthony and
Cleopatra, and their nemesis, the Emperor Augustus. The area also draws
Christian pilgrims, as the final resting place of the Apostle John and
the Virgin Mary.
The
surreal landscape where fairies and monks mingle
Athens News, 5 December 2003
The unique rock formations of Turkey's central region have inspired
the human spirit in diverse ways to create fantastic tales and saucy
postcards, and even triggering the birth of monasticism.
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