Two weeks in Turkey

Trip to the center of the Byzantine and Ottoman worlds finds amazing sites at right price

By Rikki B.

Special to The Commercial Appeal
July 8, 2007

The reaction was almost unanimous: Why are you going to Turkey? "More Roman ruins than Italy, more ancient Greek ruins than Greece," was our reply, not to mention the Byzantine and Ottoman empires.
 
Little did my husband Bill and I realize, we were actually selling Turkey short. It is also breathtakingly beautiful, with a delicious (and healthful) cuisine and the warmest welcomes you could ask for.
 
Our 16-day sojourn in Turkey was amazing in every respect. Even better, it was an excellent travel bargain -- much less expensive than Europe and every bit as interesting.
 
We began our trip in Istanbul, where even the ride from the airport to our hotel was fascinating. We passed ancient walls that protected the city centuries ago, as well as a thoroughly modern park alongside the Sea of Marmara with joggers and picnickers.

Our small hotel was tucked into a corner just off the ancient Hippodrome. Built in the 3rd century, it is now almost completely destroyed. However, the encircling roadway traces the same path chariots used to race and three of its ancient monuments still remain in place. One of these is an Egyptian obelisk that's 3,500 years old -- with beautiful carvings so crisp and clear they look like they were carved yesterday.

Facing the Hippodrome are two of Istanbul's most famed sites: The Blue Mosque and Haghia Sophia.

The Blue Mosque gets its name from the stunning blue Iznik tiles that grace the interior. This graceful structure with its multiple domes offers a sense of serene spirituality in its expansive interior. After you don a scarf (for ladies) and remove your shoes at the entrance (carry them in a complimentary bag), your feet will simply melt into the beautiful carpeting as you look around in wonder. Mosques are not meant for sitting, so there are no benches or chairs, but you'll still want to linger in this tranquil environment.

The much older Haghia Sophia also has a multiple dome structure, but over the years, various additions have obscured some of its original shape. Some of the original 6th century Christian mosaic still remains and is strikingly beautiful.

The collision of Muslim and Christian religious influences can seem strange. We were struck by the veiled women pushing children in wheelchairs to the pillar of St. Gregory in hopes of a miracle. But, in a way, that is Istanbul.

The famous Topkapi Palace Museum was a disappointment after Memphis' WONDERS exhibition, "Splendors of the Ottoman Sultans" in 1992. We have to hand it to the curators for that exhibition, they brought the best of that museum to Memphis. In all fairness, however, parts of the museum were under renovation and we suspect that in a few years it will be truly exceptional.

In stark contrast to the quiet of the mosques and museums is the raucous Grand Bazaar. First, get rid of your movie images -- this is mostly inside and air-conditioned. The booths are more like tiny boutiques, and most are gathered by type of merchandise; jewelry in one area, rubs in another.

Oh, yes, the rug merchants. Everywhere in Turkey are attractive young men with one passionate desire -- to sell you a rug. Their insistent salesmanship is so charming and warm it's hard to ignore them. They will engage you in a conversation in a second, claiming no interest in anything but simply showing you their beautiful rugs. It's the hardest soft-sell we've ever encountered. We enjoyed it; others might not.

Just the opposite of the touristy Grand Bazaar was the Spice Bazaar. Open air and crowded with people, this is more what you expect to find in Istanbul -- full of interesting scents and unknown food items.

From Istanbul we flew to Cappadocia, in the heart of Turkey. The Hittite civilization flourished in this region in ancient times, but much of the attraction now is in the monasteries, hiding places and churches of the early Christians -- all of them in caves or underground.

Cappadocia has amazing landscape, as remarkable as southern Utah though completely different. Erosion has created all sorts of bizarre formations and shapes, but even more amazing are the man-made caves that make the area look like the Flintstones' hometown.

Even our stopping place, the Gamirasu Hotel was part cave dwelling, part old monastery. Through remote, this hotel was a complete delight in every way with an unbelievably warm and helpful staff and incredible five-course dinners with live Turkish music.

Touring the caves, we learned a great deal about the early Christians. The religious frescoes on the walls and ceilings were amazing and reflected a real evolution in artistic style over the course of several centuries. The faces of any frescoed figures within reach had long ago been scratched out by people who found their blank stares frightening, but what remained was still impressive.
Next, we journeyed to Demre on the Mediterranean coast via overnight bus. Turkish buses are nothing like those here. Clean and comfortable, they have stewards who bring you snacks and glasses of tea.

Instead of balky onboard toilets, they make stops at the cleanest rest areas you have ever seen; designed to serve travelers with food, beverages and spotless washrooms. Unfortunately, the roads were rather rough, so the trip felt like a plane ride with constant turbulence.

From Demre we began our three-night stay on a gullet, a traditional wooden Turkish yacht. Our fellow passengers were 10 young Australians, few of whom knew each other before boarding the small ship.

For three days we lazed about while admiring the Turkish coast, sometimes dipping into the still-quite-cool water. It was a perfect respite from all the touring, but a gullet is not for everyone: miniscule cabins with bunk beds, a bath with a spray nozzle for a shower and no towels, unless you bring them along. However, it is a great chance to relax and form some relationships with people from other places.

The rest of our trip focused on Greek and Roman ruins, as we traveled up the Aegean cost back towards Istanbul.
 
We spent a couple of nights in Selcuk, where we had the good fortune to be there when most of the town center was taken over by a street market. This was no tourist market, but the real thing with vendors offering everything from kitchenware to food to (you guessed it) rugs. No one spoke English, but that didn't stop us from shopping. When I wanted to buy some cheese, not only were we given a free sample, they actually refused to take any money for the chunk I wanted to purchase.

This type of generosity was typical of what we encountered everywhere in Turkey, along with a sincere willingness to help. We were traveling independently, mainly by bus, and were never sure what to expect when we had to change buses at a busy station. We shouldn't have worried, even with our terrible pronunciations of our destinations, we were immediately escorted (not merely directed) to where we needed to be.
 
Close to Selcuk, the ruins of Ephesus are probably the finest in Turkey, certainly the Library of Celsus is the most photographed ruin. As a "don't- miss" location, it was the only place that was crowded during our early May visit. However, we were still able to take many photos without a tourist in sight. Originally a Greek city founded by Alexander the Great, most of the ruins date from Roman times. Ephesus also played a prominent role in the early Christian church.

Next, we took a really long drive to see the ruins of Aphrodisias. It was worth every mile. Hardly anyone goes to this phenomenal site, instead choosing the nearby ruins of Hierapolis. A shrine of one sort or the other since about 5800 BC, at some point it was dedicated to the Greek goddess Aphrodite and was a major center for the arts. The enormous stadium is one of the best preserved from the classical era, and all the ruins there are stunning.

We went straight from Aphrodisias to Hierapolis and the mineral pools of Pamukkale. The wildly popular white travertine terraces don't live up to the photographs. They've been loved practically to death by visitors.
 
By the time we got to the ruins of Hierapolis, it was the hottest part of the day, and the walk was between one ruin and the next was long in an unforgiving sun. Our guide told us that until this year, tour buses used to drive from one ruin site to another in this large complex. We suspect the popularity of Hierapolis will decline without them. It just wasn't worth the effort, especially right after seeing Aphrodisias.

There is still a mineral pool where one can swim for 18 lira (about $12.50). It was quite crowded, however.

The next-to-last stop on our travels was Canakkale, to see the ruins of Troy. After the spectacular sights at Ephesus and Aphrodisias, Troy can be a bit of a letdown. Fortunately our wonderful guide literally wrote the book on Troy (and was willing to autograph a copy). His storytelling ability made the place come to life.
 
After a ferry ride across the Straits of the Dardanelles, we headed back to Istanbul for last-minute shopping before flying home.

So, why Turkey? Because you would be hard pressed to find another location with such a diversity of attractions, fantastic food and warm and welcoming population anyplace in the world. I can't wait to go back.

How to Enjoy Turkey without Really Trying

Avoid the crowds of summer. Go in the spring or fall when the weather is milder.

Learn a few Turkish phrases in advance. Turkish is largely pronounced just like it looks to us; a real plus.

Drink bottled water. We ate salads without problems, but we've heard that drinking water from the tap can have unfortunate consequences.

Bargain for your purchases. It's expected.

We were told that Turkish toilets were mainly holes in the floor. We never encountered any of these, but you might. In fact, the bathrooms throughout Turkey were exceptionally clean.

If you don't expect to buy something, never ever accept a glass of tea from a shop owner. It's almost like closing the deal.

We booked our trip through a Turkish travel agency we saw recommended on Trip Advisor. She put everything together for us beautifully with guides at every site, but we still traveled independently -- exactly what we wanted.

The buses run on time and are exceptionally nice. The smaller buses (dolmuses) tend to stop for people all along their routes and will sometimes take you to your hotel door if you ask.

Roads are so well marked, you could easily drive if you wish. But Turkey is a big country and gas is expensive.

Leave your skin-baring clothes at home. No one ever said anything to us, but I felt out of place wearing a sleeveless top outside of tourist places.
 
Don't be rude to the persistent rug salesmen. Try to make a joke of it. They'll usually joke back. We started saying things like "we have no floors," and they would respond with why that didn't matter. But just keep walking or you'll never get to your destination.

Like most of Europe, bring your own washcloth. If you're taking a gullet trip, bring your own towel, too.