Our route takes us firstly to the Lycian site of ancient Xanthos which is another World Heritage Site and was once the capital city of the Lycian Federation. This remote pagan site is very mountainous and peaceful and became famous when the citizens in 546-BC refused to submit to the Persian general who at the time was Harpagus, so rather than be captured and slavery, they all committed suicide.
The major sites to view are the Roman acropolis and agora, and the Lycian-Persian acropolis,. The theatre ruins are always interesting to me and this one at Xanthis had a capacity for approx 2200 people.
As we continue our mountainous drive through the often desert like landscape and pine trees, we arrive at the very interesting Greek ghost town of Kayakoy. This was a thriving township all the way to 1923 and had a population of over 3500 people. It was then that Ataturk instituted his population exchange progrm with Greece which had the Greek and Turkish populations repatriated to their country of origin, so this thriving mountain village where Greeks and Turks mingled and lived and worked happily together, became a ghost town. As at today only several Turkish families inhabit the houses at the bottom of the hill. This whole area has a very different feel cause it still seems so recent and possible with the great condition of the many buildings like small bungalows. I thought of my own mountain living in the lower mainland with the houses all tiered into the mountain to capture a view or privacy... in this case it was just to make it work and walking in and out of the many empty stone dwellings that were occupied only 91 years ago, is kinda eerie?
We have a stop and very excellent tour at Saklikent which is a large co-op for the dying and ancient handmade art of carpet weaving...this was likley the best tour yet for me and the host and manager of this large factory spoke excellent english with a very good sense of humor. I took video to capture the detailed history and huge manual workmanship that goes into each rug as well as the many types of wool and silks and the dyes, that are used to create these amazing works of functional art, that appreciate in value and last for well over a hundred years!
They also provided our group free lunch and drinks and then the sales exposition started as they had us all in a large show room in awe and while the rugs were literally flying off the wall and onto the floor in front of us to admire. I was rather taken with one contemporary piece for my dining room but the price tag took me elsewhere...the short story is they got a commitment to purchase from me and the long story is for my anxiety file however I have a great contact and access to amazing hand made rugs that can be shipped anywhere in the world to your door with taxes and shipping free of charge...apparently the Turkish government reimburses them of these costs to keep this ancient and unique art alive in Turkey.
Afterwards we arrive in the much larger town of over 100 thousand residents called Fethiye, where we check into the Ata Park Hotel, next to the marina and sea wall and then we plan our walk and free evening for browsing and dinner in this very developed and British flavoured town which lives on tourism. Our guide introduces us to the bustling central market and a small group of us decide to try something different for dinner, while the others enjoy a very lovely buffet in our hotel.
Our local dinner included selecting a fish item from a huge sales and display counter and cooler section manned by very agressive Turks and fisherman and each is trying to sell you the same item at a different price and its done by fish species and weight. These counter fish men are hilarious in how they try to capture your attention with clever gestures and names like 'Captain Octopus' So once you have selected and paid for your fish then you try to get them to cut it the way you like, and as for me it was a couple deboned filets of a local wild fish called Seabream and otherwise it comes to you on a plate in its entireity...for you to disect?
What happens afterwards is you are to select a restaurant seating area in a very large open environment with tables and people running everywhere but each one of a half dozen independents are trying to get you to sit in their restaurant, and with a group size you can negotiate this price. After you are seated they have your fish deleivered to their kitchen prep area and they cook it for you with a salad and bread and hope you buy lotsa drinks too, and you pay them for preparing your fish. My fish was lovely and cost me 10-TL to the fish counter man...my salad, bread and water was another 9-TL so not a bad deal for a fun high energy experience that I will long remember each time I order fish at a restaurant! lol
Our next morning was a 3 hour drive to visit Pamukkale and at the top is the very popular and expansive site named Hierapolis of Phrygia, this low season had a couple dozen full size tour buses in the lot but the area is so huge that you don't notice the people...can't imagine what the high season would be like, as this is one of the cannot be missed sites.
There are so many ruins and an artefact museum and Acropolis with a huge theatre and its all spread out over miles where they will offer a shuttle bus. The best part of this area and the reason why it survived two earthquakes as it was rebuilt each time was due to the coveted natural mineral pools that were used by the ancient Romans and ancient others before, as health spas and personal therapy. These mineral pools are white and look at first glance like wind blown snow as its built up into rolling hills. The pool water is 30 degrees warm and loaded with minerals and many people are wading in the expansive natural tiered pools...while they believe all that ails them will be washed away? lol.
I most enjoyed taking the long boardwalk that circled most of the entire ruined city as it followed the outside perimeter next to the green rural valley and dotted with beautiful flowers and fountains. It was landscaped so beautifully and with the white mineral hills next to me and the ancient ruins all within sight...this park like setting was very relaxing and few people to bother with.
As we departed with a valley sunset that was gorgeous to admire and try some creative pics...having spent 4 hours in the Hierapolis it was still not enough. This was a very great and well preserved expansive site and a perfect segway to what comes next on our tour...?
Today is my most anticipated ancient Turkey site...the ancient Biblical city of Ephesus.
I am really scrambling to compose this blog as the bus is waiting while I sit in the hotel lobby to get the only internet signal. No Turkish breakfast today but still have fresh nectarines and cherries in my pack from yesterday...its gonna be a longer and informative tour. The weather is sunny and hot, should prove to be a most amazing day...can't wait to experience the Ephesus that Paul the apostle lived and wrote of in his letters to the Ephesians.
Will try to publish this trip blog update now and will correct spelling and grammar later, maybe add a bit more detail and lots more pics to better enjoy this current entry, stand by...
No comments:
Post a Comment