Cesme: the Town of Fountain on the Aegean Coast

The word 'Cesme' means 'spring' or 'fountain' in English, and the resort town on the Aegean Sea does indeed have a rejuvenating feel about it. Located on the western most tip of Turkey, just a few miles across the Aegean from the Greek island of Chios, Cesme and the surrounding townships such as Alacati, Ilica and Dalyankoy are famous for their long white sany beaches, beautiful Greek Sakiz-style houses, and wind-surfing facilities.

Antalya Revisited: the Metropole of the Turkish Riviera

Antalya is a mega tourist magnet on the Turkish Riviera. According to one airlines industry report, the airport of Antalya handles more passengers every year than both airports in Istanbul put together. Nobody would doubt this once you see the crowded queues at Antalya airport's departure hall, full of tourists from all over Europe and the Middle East, pushing and shouting their way through the scramble otherwise known as check-in. During the summer months, there are direct flights to some of the most obscure and little-known airports in Europe, known probably only to industry insiders.

I had been to Antalya once several years back, and my first impression upon my return visit is: more new hotels, more posh cafes and restaurants, and prices have become very steep too, especially in the Old Town and the tourist areas. 

Aizanoi: the Temple of Zeus

I have seen image of the Temple of Zeus at Aizanoi in several publications about Turkey, but have never had the chance to visit it until now. Although it is probably amongst one of the most familiar images of Greek archaeological sites in Turkey, the ruins of Aizanoi has been out of the usual tourist track.

I guess the reason of this relative neglect is because unlike the extensive ruins at Ephesus or Bergama, there are relatively little old stones left standing in Aizanoi. Hence most tourists choose to give it a miss given their tight itinerary.

Kutahya: the City of Tiles

Those who have been to Istanbul will not fail to be impressed by the beautiful tiles which adorn the walls of the mosques and some important public buildings. While most people would have heard of the famous Iznik tiles, and the town of Iznik does continue to produce smaller decorative items such as vase, plates, bowls etc., to this day, yet as a matter of fact, most of the beautiful decorative pieces one gets to see in the tourist shops all over Turkey are actually produced in Kutahya, a town some 70km away from Eskisehir.

As if to make a point, everywhere in Kutahya you get to see the city's most famous product. The main square  in the centre of the town is adorned with a giant vase with traditional Ottoman tulip design.

Eski Foca: Little Fishing Village on Northern Aegean Coast

One of my all-time favourite destinations in Turkey is the northern Aegean coast, which stretches all the way from the Gallipoli Peninsula to the quaint little fishing village of Eski Foca, near Izmir. Like its Greek neighbours on the island of Lesbos across the Aegean, Eski Foca has a distinctive feel of wind-swept small-town rustic charm about it, which makes for a lasting impression. 

 

About 1 hour by car or bus from Izmir, Eski Foca is a popular weekend getaway for city dwellers from Izmir. On weekends, the little bars and restaurants which line the harbour front remain open until late in the night. Many of the small meyhanes (wine bars) also have live music performances in the evening. Due to the presence of a large military barrack right outside the centre of the town, the whole village has probably one of the highest concentration of internet cafes in the whole of Turkey.

 

The Museum of Anatolian Civilizations, Ankara

For those who are interested in the history of early civilizations in Anatolia, especially those from the Bronze Age such as the Hitties, a visit to Ankara's Museum of Anatolian Civilizations is a must. Although the entrance fee is a whooping 16TL, but considering the thousands of years of history behind each and every artifacts on display, it is really worth it.

The Museum has a pleasant courtyard, which is dotted with some exhibits.

It was a rainy and stormy day: Kusadasi Revisited

The weather in February in this part of Turkey can be atrocious. It was raining like the end of the world when I stopped at Kusadasi for one night while on my way from Cesme. The good thing about visiting Kusadasi in the winter month is, there are far less few tourists and the atmosphere is much more congenial than when I last visited the town in the summer of 2007.

Luckily for me, the sun reappeared on the second day, so I have been able to wander around the shoreline and take some photos. Granted, Kusadasi is not my ideal type of Aegean town, but then how many visitors from outside of Turkey know about truly beautiful places such as Ayvalik or Foca?

The shores of the Aegean is a good place to stop, have a few glasses of tea, and admire the beautiful Aegean Sea.

Bogazkale/Hattusa: The Anceint Capital of the Hittite Kingdom

Of all the UNESCO World Heritage sites in Turkey, the ruins of the capital of the the Bronze Age Hittite Kingdom at Hattusa, near the modern turkish village of Bogazkale in Turkey's Corum Province, is the one which really merits a visit.

As the site of Hattusa is a bit off the beaten tourist track, there are only two or three hotels in the village of Bogazkale, and all of them are closed in winter. Temperatures in winter could drop to as low as -20 degrees Celsius, which means water pipes would freeze and burst, while the roads leading out of Bogazkale would be rendered unpassable due to heavy snow.

Amasya: Possibly the Prettiest City in Anatolia

Amasya is a pretty town, whose beauty will impress any foreign visitors at the very first sight. I instantly fell in love with the town as soon as I set my eyes on it. With its numerous well-preserved Ottoman timber houses, the ancient tombs of the Pontus kings and a castle which overlooks the town, and the serene Yesilirmak river that flows through the town's Old Quarters, Amasya is a real gem and by all means a city not to be missed. 

Amasya' beauty is all the more evident in the night, when the whole town was lighted up. It is very romantic to walk along the river bank or wander around in the cobblestone streets of the old town lined with traditional Ottoman houses.

Sivas: the Highest City of the Central Anatolian Plateau

After Elazig, next stop of my Grand Tour through the Anatolian Highlands is Sivas. Located at the junction of two important medieval caravan trade routes from Persia and Baghdad respectively, Sivas has been an important trade centre since the Middle Ages. It is also an important centre of learning during the Selcuk rules, and several medrese have been built in the 13th century, including the Gok Medrese, the most famous of them in Sivas.

Too bad the Gok Medrese was undergoing major restoration while I was there, hence only the photo of its two beautiful minarets.

Elazig / Harput: Ancient City on the Euphrates

Elazig - this name has long fascinated me. The name sounds nice (at least in comparison to the name of many other Turkish cities) and it is located near the confluence of the two rivers (the Murat and the Karasu) that join to form the mighty Euphrates, one of the most prominent and historically significant rivers in the history of humanity. Hence I decided to stay overnight in Elazig while on the way from Van to Sivas and Amasya, and have a look how this city looks like.

The city of Elazig is, as usual for any Turkish city located near big bodies of water, a dusty one. But it is also a thriving city with a very ancient pedigree and a sizeable student population, thanks to the presence of  the Euphrates University in the city.

Van: So much Water, Yet So Dusty (But the Akdamar Island is Very Pretty!)

One thing I do not understand about towns and cities in Eastern Turkey is, the closer they are to huge body of water, the dustier the air becomes. Van, which is on the edge of Turkey's biggest lake, is a dusty city. The air smells of fine particles of dry dusts. And it is extremely dry out there as well. Which means one needs to drink a lot of water and bring some nasal spray if required.

The modern city of Van is a bustling town full of cars and good-looking men: a predominantly Kurdish city, the fact that the streets of Van are full of good-looking young men seems to lend support to the opinion of some that Kurdish men are in general a better looking lot than their Turkish counterparts.

From Dogubeyazit to Van: Some Facts

There are only 5 or 6 buses a day from Dogubeyazit to Van, maybe less in the winter, hence it is advisable to buy your ticket in advance as soon as possible. I had to spend an additional two hours waiting for the next available bus, because the bus at 12 o'clock was fully booked.

The bus company which operates the route Dogubeyazit - Van is called Ishak Pasha Turizm (although they do not operate the mini-bus to the Ishak Pasha Palace). Their office is located at a side street opposite the mini-bus stop for buses to/from Agri, just a few meters from the main throughfare of Dogubeyazit.

From Kars to Dogubeyazit: Endless Road Works, One Military Check-Point, and the Visit to Turkey's Neuschwanstein

A visit to Eastern Turkey is incomplete without a trip to the slightly surreal Ishak Pasha Sarayi, Turkey's landmark equivalent to Germany's world-renown Schloss Neuschwanstein. Built in 1685 by a Kurdish feudal lord by the name of Colak Abdi Pasha, the whole complex was completed in 1784 by his grandson, Ishak Pasha, hence the name of the palace.