For the final 2 weeks of August 2013, we toured the highlights of Turkey, experiencing the blend of east meets west. The trip started with colorful & vibrant Istanbul along the European border, crossed the Dardanels onto the Asian side of Anatolia. We worked our way down the coast through the ancient sites of Troy, Ephesus, Pergamon through Perge then hopped inland to visit the fantastic rock formations of Cappadocia. The juxtaposition of ancient Greco-Roman, Byzantine Christian, and Ottoman Turkish Muslim influences are particularly striking.
08/15/13: Istanbul was the capital of Turkey and Ottoman Empire until the government became secularized. It is a city steeped in history, originally Byzantium from Ancient Greece. When the Roman Empire split into 2, it was renamed Constantinople and became capital of the Byzantine Empire. It is strategically located partly in Europe and also in Asia, at the end of the Silk Route and the intersection of several bodies of water. We started the day at Pierre Loti Hill to enjoy a panoramic view of the skyline around the Golden Horn graced with mosques. Before criss-crossing between Asia & Europe on our Bosphorus ferry tour, we enjoyed the colorful bazaars of spices, lights, rugs, scarves and yummy kebab galore. The day ended in Old Town with a visit to the Blue Mosque with its intricate tile work. The Hagia Sofia was built as a Christian church during the Byzantine Empire with repurposed columns from the Temple of Artemis in Ephesus, later converted into a giant mosque and now a museum for all the appreciate.
08/17/13: Starting from Istanbul, we drove along the European Coast to Gallipoli visiting important World War I battle sites. We crossed the Dardanels and spent the night in Chanakkule into Anatolia, the Asian side of Turkey.
08/18/13: Troy is the famed site of the Trojan War. We learned about the 9 layers of civilizations unearthed by Schlieman and others. It was interesting to correlate parts of the Iliad with some physical locations. Of course, the kids enjoyed climbing the Trojan Horse replica. After lunch, we visited Pergamon which was a large ancient trading city mentioned in Revelations. Spent the night in the coastal resort town of Kusadasi.
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08/19/13: Ephesus is the site of Turkey’s largest open air museum of the ancient Greco-Roman city. We explored the agora, odeon, amphitheater, various homes, and towering facade of the library. The famed Temple of Artemis, once considered one of the 7 Wonders of the Ancient. Only one column remains; the rest have been repurposed to other churches and mosques after the decline of pagan beliefs. People also make pilgrimages to the supposed home of the Virgin Mary where she stayed with Apostle Paul after the resurrection of Jesus.
08/20/13: Started the morning at Aphrodisias, city of Aphrodite, major marble producer of ancient world. It is famed for its huge stadium and many resurrected columns. In the afternoon at Pamukkale, the kids enjoyed ticklish pedicures by doctor fish then soaked in the hot springs which left vast travertine calcium deposits. Spent the night in the seaside town of Antalya.
08/21/13: Perge is an extremely well-preserved Greco-Roman city with an luxurious heated Roman bath, spacious agora, and extensive canal water pipe system. Asplendos has a very large Roman amphitheater and aqueduct. We finished at the Antalya Archeological Museum then flew to Hayseri in the Cappadocia region.
08/22-24/13: The inland region of Cappadocia is littered with wild rock formations of soft, easily carved volcanic ash. Various cave villages and monasteries were carved into the stone, resembling fairy chimneys. We also visited 4 levels of an 8-story underground city.
08/24-26/13: We returned to Istanbul for a couple days to explore the city on our own and rest before the next leg of our trip. We visited Taksim Square the demonstration site and major shopping center, Archaeological Museum, and also the seemingly endless Grande Bazaar.