Hotel Bossinop, Sinop: Nice New Hotel, Excellent Location, and Friendly Service

There are several hotels in Sinop, offering decent accommodation at reasonable prices. The one I stayed at uring my visit in October 2009 was Bossinop Hotel. It is located right at the roundabout in the centre of the town; all rooms have partial views of the sea and the garden opposite the harbour.

Hotel Bossinop is the tall silver-grey building second from the left in the photo above, the whole building is newly furnished with a nice coffee bar-restaurant on the second floor. Room are spacious and comfortable, all equipped with modern shower and toilet facilities, high speed wireless internet, fridge and plasma TV.

Sinop: the City of Turkey's Most Notorious Prison (Part 2)

After spending a few hours in Sinop, I can very well understand why the Ottoman authorities, as well as the Justice Department of the modern Turkish Republic, all chose to set up their maximium security prison in Sinop. Unlike other harbour towns on the Aegean, where the air could get very dry and thin during the winter months, the air around Sinop is extremely humid and dense all year round, one could virtually smell that heavy saltiness all over the place. In addition, Sinop is situated on an isolated headland located at the northern-most point of Turkey, with only one route leading out of the promontory. Such unhealthy clime, which is detrimental to the health of the inmates in the long run - the authorities probably would prefer to have some of the political dissident inmates to rot away in the salty air -, coupled with the geogrpahical isolation of Sinop, makes it difficult fo convicts to escape.

If you ever try to reach Sinop by public transport, you would soon realise that this area is one of most inaccesible in the whole of Turkey. The road from Kastamonu to Sinop passed by countless road construction sites (a highway which cuts across numerous mountain valleys was being built), before ascending up a serpentine road that winds its way through steep hills and bending curves for at least 2 hours in the rugged countryside. Often the average speed of the bus does not exceed 50km/h due to the never ending construction works along the way.

Sinop: The Town of Diogenes the Doggish Cynic, Sinope the Mythical Beauty, and Turkey's Most Infamous Prison (Part I)

Sinop has been on my 'must-see' list for several years. Although Sinop does not rank among the top 10 of Turkey's tourist attractions, the town is interesting for many other things:

1. It was the birthplace of the Greek philosopher Diogenes the Dog, a.k.a. Diogenes the Cynic, who preached a very unpretentious, natural form of philosophy.

2. In Greek mythology, Sinop was supposedly the place to which the beautiful daughter of King Asopus, Sinope, was abducted by Zeus. To demonstrate his love, Zeus promised Sinope he would grant whatever wish her heart desires, and the intelligent Sinope told Zeus she would like to have eternal virginity. Outwitted by Sinope, Zeus let her live in peace for the rest of her life on a promontory on the Black Sea. The city of Sinop is believed to have been named after this intelligent lady who had successfully eluded Zeus' advance.

Kastamonu: Unpexpected Encounter with a Pretty Northern Anatolian Town

The journey from Cide to Kastamonu passed by some stunning sceneries: beautiful forest full of autumn colours, meandering mountain streams, greenish Alpine valleys dotted with traditional wooden Black Sea village houses. It is definitely not the typical image of Turkey one conceives from postcards and tourism promotion booklets.

Needless to say, like almost every other city and town in Turkey's Black Sea region, Kastamonu also has  several thousand years of history behind its back. The city was founded as early as 18th century BC, and was part of the Byzantine Empire until the Muslim conquest of Anatolia. In modern history, the city of Kastamonu is probably best known for being the place where Mustafa Kemal Ataturk made his famous speech about the hat and dress reform in 1925.

Several interesting sights in the old town of Kastamonu are certainly worth a visit. First of all, the Byzantine-era Citadel, on top of a hill overlooking the whole city centre, is a good place to capture some photo shots of Kastamonu's old quarters.

The Journey along Turkey's Black Sea Coast (Part 1): From Amasra to Cide

My original plan was to travel from Amasra by public bus to Sinop, then continue onwards to exotic sounding places such as Ordu, Giresun, Rize, Hopa etc. As soon as I arrived at Amasra, however, I found out to my disappointment that there are no direct bus links between Amasra and Sinop, although there is a coastal road that links both towns. Friendly locals told me to get a bus to Cide, about halfway between Amasra and Sinop, and try my luck at Cide and see if there is any bus that would travel all the way to Sinop.

Fuelled by a sense of adventure, I decided to wait for the once-a-day bus from Amasra to Cide and see if I can catch the connecting bus from there to Sinop. The Amasra-Cide bus departs from the front of Amasra's post office and cost 10TL (October 2009) for the 3.5 hour drive through beautiful valleys and small fishing villages.

For some reason, this route is relatively unknown among foreign tourists, despite the abundance of beautiful green valleys, impressive coastal cliffs with clean, unspoilt coves, and miles of soft white sandy beaches, not to mention the numerous Pontic Greek historical ruins of note along the route. The scenery en route reminds me at times of parts of southwestern Ireland.

Amasra, Amasra: My First Encounter with the Pontic Black Sea

Amasra is a beautiful town situated on a peninsula on the Black Sea coast of Turkey. Like many other towns in Turkey's Black Sea region, Amasra is also a Greek town by origin and has a long history which dates all the way back to pre-Christian times. Being one of the Ionian colonies on the Black Sea coast, Amasra became part of the Pontic Greek Kingdom in 3rd Century B.C.; in the 13th century, the town was taken over by the Genovese who sought to obtain a monopoly over the Black Sea trade. Genovese rule came to an end when the entire Anatolian Black Sea coast were conquered by Sultan Mehmed II, thereby bringing Amasra into the realm of the expanding Ottoman Empire.

Buyukada: Rubbing Your Shoulders with 10,000 other Istanbul Residents

Buyukada is the biggest of the groups of islands and islets in the Marmara Sea, collectively known as the  Princes' Islands or the Red Islands.
If possible, try not to visit Buyukada on weekends. It seems at least 10,000 other Istanbulites are with you on this small island, about 30 minutes journey by IDO fast ferry from Istanbul's Kabatas Ferry Pier. If the weather is good and the sky is blue, you might be rubbing shoulders with several thousand people on the steep streets of this pedestrian and cyclists - only island. Due to the promoxity to some of Istanbul's biggest residential areas, the Buyukada is a popular destination for Istanbulites looking for a sunny picnic and a swim in the Marmara.

Shopping in Istanbul: Beyond the Usual Tourist Haunts

This is not about shopping in the Grand Bazaar or in the Sultanahmet areas, but a discussion of some of the up-market shopping areas in Istanbul where fashionistas of both sexes can torture their credit cards to their hearts' desire and don themselves with the latest fashion from Milan, Paris and New York. Welcome to High-End Shopping in Istanbul!!

Asmali Konak Otel, Safranbolu

Normally I do not recommend specific hotels in my personal blog, unless I found them to be unique or is good value for money. Asmali Konak, a small family-run hotel in the old town of Safranbolu, fits into the 'good value for money' category.

Located at the centre of Safranbolu's Old Town, near the town square and the Cinci Haman turkish bath complex, Asmali Konak is a restored old Ottoman house with a spacious garden. When the weather is warm enough, traditional turkish breakfast is served in the garden.

Safranbolu: Asian Tourists' Favourite UNESCO World Heritage Site in Turkey

Every nationality has its own favourite place to visit in Turkey. For the Germans, it is the region between Antalya and Alanya. The British prefer the stretch of coast between Fethiye and Altinkum. For tourists from East Asia, it seems no tour of Turkey is complete without a visit to Safranbolu, a small mountain village tucked away in a lush green valley.

The town of Safranbolu consists of two different parts: the New Town (called Kirankoy), and the Old Town (Safranbolu itself). Kirankoy is the town's administrative centre, with modern buildings and apartments blocks built on top of a small hill overlooking the valley of Safranbolu. Long distance buses stop at the bus station outside Kirankoy's town centre, and passengers continuing towards Safranbolu's Old Town will have to transfer to the free mini-shuttle provided by each bus company and get off at the bus company's town office in Kirankoy, before getting on a blue city bus which connects Kirankoy with the Old Town of Safranbolu.

Lefkosa/Nicosia: A Divided City and the Last Green Line in the World

Lefkosa is the capital of a divided Cyprus. The Green Line patrolled by the UN serves as the de facto border between Northern and Southern Cyprus, and this line runs through the centre of Lefkosa and virtually cuts the city into two separate ethnic enclaves.

The view of the giant flag of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus carved onto a hillside for all to see. In the night, the flag is lighted with thousands of light bulbs twinkling non-stop in the darkness.

Kyrenia/Girne: the No.1 Tourist Attraction of Northern Cyprus

Kyrenia (Girne in Turkish) is the most picturesque town in Northern Cyprus, as well as its most popular tourist attraction. The view of Kyrenia's scenic harbour appears on virtually all the tourism publications about Northern Cyprus, and for years European holidaymakers (especially the English) have been flocking to the hotels and resorts gracing the fine sandy beaches near Kyrenia in spite of the international economic embargo imposed upon the Northern Cyprus administration by the UN since the early 1980s. Previouly a predominantly Greek-Cypriot town, the majority of inhabitants in today's Kyrenia are Turkish-Cypriots and settlers from Turkey.

An Endangered Medieval City: Famagusta/Gazimagusa, Northern Cyprus

Famagusta (Gazimagusa in Turkish), a beautiful medieval town in Northern Cyprus, is probably among the biggest losers of the long-drawn-out political saga otherwise known as the Cyprus  conflict. This serene historical town, with  a pretty medieval centre and a natural  deep-water harbour, used to be an A-List holiday paradise in the 1960s and early 1970s, with some of the regions' most luxurious hotels and bars frequented by big-name Hollywood stars, as well as the rich and the famous from nearby Lebanon, the Levant and other countries in Europe.

 The heydays of Famagusta as one of the top tourist resorts in the whole of the Mediterraean was put to an abrupt stop in 1974. In the aftermath of Turkey's military intervention in Northern Cyprus, the entire district of Varosha - the tourist quarter of Famagusta - was sealed off by the Turkish army and has since remained closed to this day. No entry into Varosha is allowed except for UN and Turkish army personnels. Although the Turkish-Cypriot government had agreed to hand over Varosha to Greek-Cypriot control under the Cyprus peace agreement mediated by former UN secretary general Kofi Annan, the fact that this peace agreement was rejected by the Greek-Cypriots means that Varosha remains a closed ghost-town in the foreseeable future.

The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus: the Forgotten Country

Tucked away in the eastern Mediterranean Sea, the island of Cyprus has been a place fought over and over by various regional powers ever since the times of the Crusaders. In contemporary world, the power struggles between Christians and Muslims takes on a different twist, with a dose of ethnic-nationalism thrown into the fray.
Since the division of the island in 1974 into two separate administrative zones following the failed coup by Greek military junta and the subsequent military occupation of the northern part of the island by Turkey's armed forces, Northern Cyprus ( since 1983 the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus) has become a state that virtually disappeared off the political map of the world. To 99% of the international community, the country known as TRNC never exists, as the only country that recognizes Northern Cyprus as an independent country is Turkey. As a result of the international trade embargo and political sanctions imposed by the United Nations against Northern Cyprus in the aftermath of Turkish Cypriots' unilateral declaration of independence in 1983, the economy of Northern Cyprus becomes totally reliant upon Turkey for survival.

Mardin: Honey-Coloured City in a Mystical Land

Being a historian by training, the very name of Mesopotamia immediately invokes the mythical image of the 'fertile crescent', where human civilisations first flourished amid the green lands between the two Rivers of the Paradise - the Tigris and the Euphrates - that flow out of the Garden of Eden.

In reality, this vast stretch of land between the two great rivers is no paradise on earth, but a troubled zone plagued by cross-border sectarian conflicts, political instability, and chronic economic under-development.

Tucked away in the southeastern corner of Turkey's border with Iraq and Syria, both the town and the province of Mardin suffers long periods of neglect and under-investment until recently, when the ceasefire between the PKK and the Turkish armed forces, in conjunction with the arrival of state investments aimed at improving the region's infrastructures, gave Mardin a new lease of life. Unlike some of the better known ancient towns in Turkish Mesopotamia, tourism was not a mainstay in Mardin's economic life until the last few years, when the sudden rise of Mardin to touristic stardom as one of the 'must-see' places in Turkey saw a rapid rise in the number of tourists visiting the town. Nowadays there are several high-end boutique hotels in Mardin and nearby towns, offering good-quality accommodation to affluent visitors from Turkey and abroad.

Hasankeyf: 10,000 Years of History soon-to-be-lost

Although I already read about the controversial Ilisu Dam irrigation project before I actually visited Hasankeyf, once I had seen this place with my own eyes, however, it made quite an impact on me that I felt compelled to write something about this place, whose very existence has come under threat due to the construction of the dam project.

Hasankeyf, a Kurdish village in the predominantly Kurdish province of Batman in Southeastern Turkey, is a unique place, even for a country like Turkey, where ancient sites and towns with centuries of history are commonplace all over the country. One of the oldest continuously inhabited settlements in the world, this small village, situated above the limestone cliffs overlooking the canyon of the River Tigris, is like a living open-air museum, with a history dating back almost 10,000 years, spanning some 20 different cultures. Relics of several major ancient and medieval civilizations can be found in and around Hasakeyf - Romans, Byzantines, Artukids (Artuklu in Turkish), Ayyubids, Ottomans -  all left their marks on this medieval village.

Beautiful Cafe in Trieste: Caffe Tommaseo et al.

Trieste is the home town of illy caffe, one of the premium coffee beans brands and my personal favourite. Being the birthplace of the world's best espresso beans, Trieste has an abundance of good cafes, ranging from the traditional elegant Viennese-style coffee houses (Caffe Tommaseo, Caffe San Marco, Caffe degli Speechi, Caffe Stella Polare etc.), to the ultra chic and stylish modern cafes (How about Espressamente illy, the funky coffee joint operated by illy caffe itself?).

A stroll through Trieste's compact city centre will bring you past some of the most authentic coffee houses in Europe. Cafes in Trieste are not quite like those in other Italian cities: they are not just a place to have a cup of cappucino or espresso whilst on your way to work, but an institution of ritual and tradition.

Urfa: Abraham, the Holy City, and the (Holy) Fish Lake

With thousands of years' history, the town of Sanliurfa (or Urfa in local usage) is a must-visit place for those who are interested in biblical sites, archaeology and ancient history.

Located close to the Syrian border, Urfa is a Kurdish town with a predominantly pro-AKP (Justice and Development Part, the current ruling party of Turkey) populace. In spite of their ethicity, many locals openly display their disdain of PKK and their dislike of Diyarbakir (the hotbed of Kurdish independence politics).

Midyat: Ancient Town, Friendly Folks, and Beautiful 'Sila'

Midyat, about 40 minutes away from Mardin, is a pretty town with many beautiful traditional rose -colour sandstone mansions surrounded by high walls (known as 'Konagi' in Turkish). The history of the town dates back thousands of years and is a melting pot of various cultures, religious and ethnic groups.

Like all border regions in the world, the population of Midyat, as well as those of the towns and villages close by, has a very mixed population that live alongside one another in a somewhat contrived state of peace. For thousands of years, Arabs, Kurds, Turks and Syriac Christians (as well as Armenian Christians until they were driven out of the country in the early 20th century) are all parts of the social landscape. The region around Midyat also has one of the highest concentration of Syriac-Christian monasteries, some of which are still in use today.

Trieste: the Hidden Gem of the Adriatic

There is something special about Trieste, the polyglot city tucked away in the north-easternmost corner of Italy's Adriatic coast.

I first came across the name many years ago, while reading a biography of James Joyce, who spent more than a decade in this pretty port city teaching English. The very name of Trieste invokes a certain mystique, a sense of nostalgy, and it immediately set my imagination alight: the name seemed to personify some long-lost grandeur, sadness, and a misplaced sense of identity and loyalty.