I realized that if I wrote a meticulous account of Turkey, it would get really long and most people wouldn't care. So I decided to cut all the stuff down into one post of just important things. If you want to see pictures, go here.
Izmir, Pamukkale, and Selcuk
I like Izmir, a lot. It's really a summer place to go, it's by the Izmir Bay and it would have been much nicer in the summer. But the funny thing about this place, more so than Istanbul, is that the city never sleeps. Cais and I were out until well after 1AM, and I, suffering from jet lag, got up at 630AM to wander around the city. The city was awake and moving about at 630AM. Restaurants were just opening, people were moving around, it really was like a city that doesn't sleep.
Pamukkale, I broke my camera and got stuck in 38 degree weather, fairly wet. The sunset made it worth it, though I have no pictures. Look on Facebook for the pictures I took, that's all I'm going to say.
Selcuk, the city, was ok. We got there while it was dark, and kind of wished I got some more time there. Efes, on the other hand, was pretty amazing. It was known as Ephesus to the Greeks Romans. It was the capital of Asia Minor in the Roman Empire, so it is filled with amazing Roman ruins. The place holds great significance to Catholics as well, because the House of the Virgin Mary is there and is the spot where Virgin Mary died. I didn't think the site was that great, but I'm guessing, if I was Christian, the site would mean much more to me.
Istanbul
Istanbul is a great town with a lot of things to do. The generic things you can do are better read in a tour guide or book than here. There were experiences, though, that I believe everybody should have. I was lucky enough to witness Saturday morning prayers at the largest mosque in Istanbul, Suleymaniye camii. It is an amazingly peaceful time. Hundreds of people get together, and for those 15 minutes, nothing else matters. There is only you, your fellow man, and Allah. It makes you feel much more apart of a community. The world slows down, and I feel that there's a crystallizing moment where everything makes sense and you can ground yourself for a day. I think in this country we demonize Islam way too much to appreciate and understand it. From listening to the Adan 5 times a day and being woken up by it daily, I have to say the words "Allahu Akbar" holds greater meaning for me.
I'm not deeply religious, even in Buddhism. But I can absolutely understand the draw to religion and how it is the one thing that brings us all closer together. We rarely here about that. Instead we are constantly bombarded with sounds clips of religions hating on one another.
I think of all the things I did in Istanbul, those 15 minutes were the best.
Istanbul is one of those cities where anything you touch is old. The city is old and filled with history. It's simply amazing, for me, to walk the streets and think that thousands of years ago, some Byzantine schmuck was also on there streets, probably thinking the two things I was thinking:
1. Wow, this city is amazing!
2. Where can I get some cheap to eat?
Maybe this sounds hippie, but I truly believe that we have a metaphysical connection to our past, and the understanding of our past helps explain and clarify the present. It allows us to understand the meaning of life, through so many lives, and understand what it is to be human. Our history hasn't always been bright, but as long as we learn from the mistakes before, we can always make it better.
Edirne
I felt Edirne, an old capital of the Ottoman Empire, was my favorite city. It was touristy, but not catered to Westerners. It's on the border of Bulgaria and Greece, which is a funny mix of things, since all three languages were represented in many cases. The mosques there were amazing. The main mosque, Selimiye Camii, has the tallest minarets of the Muslim world, and is known as the masterpiece of Sinan, the chief architect during the golden age of architecture in the Ottoman Empire. Google Sinan, his life story is an inspiration.
The old mosque took my breath away. It was decorated with giant calligraphy on the walls and had a very cozy feel to it, as opposed to all the rest which were huge (think fitting 500+ people huge). Check out the picture here, I don't want to drag this post out with pictures.
I only had a day trip to Edirne, not knowing what to expect, but I wish I had stayed a couple of days to explore everything and go into Bulgaria and Greece.
Overall, I liked Turkey, a lot. If I ever got the chance to go back, I probably will. There's still so much to do and so many things left unexplored. But now I'm already thinking about my next destination....
Travelers never know where they're going, and tourist never know where they've been
Izmir, Pamukkale, and Selcuk
I like Izmir, a lot. It's really a summer place to go, it's by the Izmir Bay and it would have been much nicer in the summer. But the funny thing about this place, more so than Istanbul, is that the city never sleeps. Cais and I were out until well after 1AM, and I, suffering from jet lag, got up at 630AM to wander around the city. The city was awake and moving about at 630AM. Restaurants were just opening, people were moving around, it really was like a city that doesn't sleep.
Pamukkale, I broke my camera and got stuck in 38 degree weather, fairly wet. The sunset made it worth it, though I have no pictures. Look on Facebook for the pictures I took, that's all I'm going to say.
Selcuk, the city, was ok. We got there while it was dark, and kind of wished I got some more time there. Efes, on the other hand, was pretty amazing. It was known as Ephesus to the Greeks Romans. It was the capital of Asia Minor in the Roman Empire, so it is filled with amazing Roman ruins. The place holds great significance to Catholics as well, because the House of the Virgin Mary is there and is the spot where Virgin Mary died. I didn't think the site was that great, but I'm guessing, if I was Christian, the site would mean much more to me.
Istanbul
Istanbul is a great town with a lot of things to do. The generic things you can do are better read in a tour guide or book than here. There were experiences, though, that I believe everybody should have. I was lucky enough to witness Saturday morning prayers at the largest mosque in Istanbul, Suleymaniye camii. It is an amazingly peaceful time. Hundreds of people get together, and for those 15 minutes, nothing else matters. There is only you, your fellow man, and Allah. It makes you feel much more apart of a community. The world slows down, and I feel that there's a crystallizing moment where everything makes sense and you can ground yourself for a day. I think in this country we demonize Islam way too much to appreciate and understand it. From listening to the Adan 5 times a day and being woken up by it daily, I have to say the words "Allahu Akbar" holds greater meaning for me.
I'm not deeply religious, even in Buddhism. But I can absolutely understand the draw to religion and how it is the one thing that brings us all closer together. We rarely here about that. Instead we are constantly bombarded with sounds clips of religions hating on one another.
I think of all the things I did in Istanbul, those 15 minutes were the best.
Istanbul is one of those cities where anything you touch is old. The city is old and filled with history. It's simply amazing, for me, to walk the streets and think that thousands of years ago, some Byzantine schmuck was also on there streets, probably thinking the two things I was thinking:
1. Wow, this city is amazing!
2. Where can I get some cheap to eat?
Maybe this sounds hippie, but I truly believe that we have a metaphysical connection to our past, and the understanding of our past helps explain and clarify the present. It allows us to understand the meaning of life, through so many lives, and understand what it is to be human. Our history hasn't always been bright, but as long as we learn from the mistakes before, we can always make it better.
Edirne
I felt Edirne, an old capital of the Ottoman Empire, was my favorite city. It was touristy, but not catered to Westerners. It's on the border of Bulgaria and Greece, which is a funny mix of things, since all three languages were represented in many cases. The mosques there were amazing. The main mosque, Selimiye Camii, has the tallest minarets of the Muslim world, and is known as the masterpiece of Sinan, the chief architect during the golden age of architecture in the Ottoman Empire. Google Sinan, his life story is an inspiration.
The old mosque took my breath away. It was decorated with giant calligraphy on the walls and had a very cozy feel to it, as opposed to all the rest which were huge (think fitting 500+ people huge). Check out the picture here, I don't want to drag this post out with pictures.
I only had a day trip to Edirne, not knowing what to expect, but I wish I had stayed a couple of days to explore everything and go into Bulgaria and Greece.
Overall, I liked Turkey, a lot. If I ever got the chance to go back, I probably will. There's still so much to do and so many things left unexplored. But now I'm already thinking about my next destination....
Travelers never know where they're going, and tourist never know where they've been
Zao The pictures were amazing thanks. Julie and I are really looking forward to visiting Istanbul in July.
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