Early morning in Istanbul en route to the Otogar

Most tourists come to Edirne to see Selimiye Mosque, one of Mimar Sinan's prime creation

Edirne, in Thrace, is a city with plenty of history. In Edward Gibbon’s tome on the fall of the Roman Empire, this is where the Ottoman’s Mehmet II launched his attack that took over Constantinople around 1300AD. Historic place, which means I will need a GPS waypoint of this place.

2 September 2009:
It is an early morning for a daytrip to Edirne (Adrianople or Hadrianopolis), and the position of my new hotel allows me to take the first tram that passes Sultanahmet station on the way to the Otogar after a change of trains. Hope to grab my sleep later on the bus as the trip should take some time. If you recall, I booked this bus ticket in advance from the Istanbul Otogar on Monday and will be travelling with Ulusoy bus company on the 0800hrs bus. The trip should take around 2 hours. Left the hotel before 7am and at this time, Sultanahmet is totally dead. Nothing except sanitation workers sweeping up rubbish on the street from the night before. Lucky the tram starts moving at 6am. It looks like a blue sky day but I will be careful. Going with a small backpack with a spare lens, waterproof jacket and my all-important iPod. All cameras are coming along and I expect a long day of walking and aimless wandering in Edirne.

Local Edirne town bus

0715hrs: I have done this public transportation routine before. Tram to Metro station Aksaray and straight on to the Otogar from there. Just hoping to get there with enough time to have a light breakfast this morning. It’s always good to have a feel of the area before a tight schedule so that muscle memory takes over.

Nothing special here, boarded the bus like clockwork, and proceeded to the all important nap.

1106hrs: Arrived in Edirne. The bus stops at the Otogar outside the city. Right next to the bus is a smaller shuttle bus which brings the passengers to wherever you want to go in Edirne. This type of town planning makes sense, but what happens if the bus is full and the shuttle bus is just carrying a third of the capacity of a large coach bus?

Eventually this trip took more than 2 hours from Istanbul to Edirne. It seems that the buses here do not travel so fast, so a little more time is required from what was expected earlier.

The shuttle bus would bring us to the bus stop next to Selimiye Mosque. Once I got there, thought that a 7pm return bus ticket is in order right now, and is a good time to return so I bought tickets right then to make sure I have an aim at the end of today. This mosque is quite visibly the most elaborate one in Edirne, another of Mimar Sinan’s creation and the center of most tourist visits to this city I’m sure. I spend 30 minutes inside while shooting some macro closeups. The architecture of this mosque is unmistakably Ottoman in nature.

Selimiye Mosque: Minaret

Selimiye Mosque: Stairs up from the basement Bazaar to the mosque

Selimiye Mosque: Outer terrace

Selimiye Mosque: Accent detail

Selimiye Mosque: More detail shot

Selimiye Mosque: Outer terrace ceiling detail

Selimiye Mosque: More ceiling details

Selimiye Mosque: I like these lamps. I'm sure they're electric.

Selimiye Mosque: Even the door carvings are impressive

Selimiye Mosque: Main Entrance

Selimiye Mosque: Main dome details

Selimiye Mosque: Interior of the mosque

Edirne's Selimiye Mosque, one last picture to take us out...

1243hrs: Took me some time to find my orientation here in Edirne. The place is rural, but in an outpost kind of way. Lunchtime now at Altinsis Sarayi consisting of Beyti Kebap, Cay and salad portion. No meat it seems. Everywhere you go they ask if you want coke, fanta or one of those soft drinks. Tea for me. They grill stuff in wood and charcoal fire oven so it has to be good. No Ramadan here as far as I can see! I am supposed to fast today but since I didn’t have breakfast yet, I suppose I can compromise. Super hot day today and it’s noon now so time to cool down in the shops.

Bazaar just under Selimiye Mosque

Lunch: Beyti Kebap - yes, it was VERY heavy

The guys that made my lunch

This place is rural. Horse drawn carts are everywhere...

Edirne town center, close to Hurriyet Meydani

1400hrs: Right outside a town square, I find a tourist office and enquired how to get to the Sarayi palace complex. Was recommended to take a minibus for 1TL and I noticed on the map that it passes through Sultan Beyazid II complex as well, so why not make an unscheduled stop there.

The bus winds through a rural area where the scene looks more Balkans with horse pulled carts and cows on the street. And all of a sudden I stop at a big beautiful Ottoman building complex complete with domes and minarets. The first stop is a medical museum for 10TL. I didn’t plan to come here, but just so happen that the bus that I took passes by here. The plan is then to have a look at the complex and then walk back to the town center about 5km away in the hot sun, while going through a few other sights along the way.

Local bus

... I think I'm on the right track...

... like this tractor... pardon the pun

This complex is medium in size. Definitely very well kept and renovated. To the right of the entrance, where tickets are bought, is the mental asylum where they started to treat patients with soothing music and so on, unlike the western world at that time that treats mentally ill patients as being possessed by the devil and thus should be… tortured like in the movie Exorcist! There are all these exhibits here on the medicine and cure of its time and some of them are quite impressive, but not impressive enough for me to remember most of it once I leave the room! That says something about my capacity to remember nowadays. There is also an outpatient department, where the audio for the slideshow below was recorded, and the central water fountain is surrounded by consultation rooms. Patients would hang around outside the rooms and wait for their turn, not unlike what happens today when we visit the our general practitioner. This place is worth a visit,  even considering the dodgy bus ride outside the city in a clockwise loop.

Sultan Beyazid II Complex

Sultan Beyazid II Complex, outside Edirne

Sultan Beyazid II Complex: Interior courtyard

Sultan Beyazid II Complex: Mock scene showing doctors straightening a man's vertebrae, or something like that

1519hrs: After the medical museum, I walked eastwards past a dilapidated mosque that is being renovated. It is quite obviously part of the Beyazid II complex of buildings. Looks like the workmen are polishing up the stones that make up the exterior, and whatever they’re doing with it, the interiors are still open to the outside, and it is a fully functioning mosque.

Sultan Beyazid II Complex: Mosque under restoration

Sultan Beyazid II Complex: ... but the interiors are accessible and open for service

About 2 km further eastwards I arrive at the Edirne Palace after going pass a rural surrounding and old women in headscarves asking for money, at least that is what it sounded like with their palms outstretched. It was so hot they were not even willing to get out and walk for the money. Back at the Edirne Palace, I imagined that here before the conquest of Constantinople – this was the capital of the Ottoman empire where the Sultan stayed. Not much of the place is still standing, a ruined structure or two. I am now standing next to the entrance, in a shade, typing this out before spending some time imagining this place 700 years ago.

View of Selimiye in central Edirne from Sultan Beyazid II Complex

Simple graves along the roadside: Note the Turkish hats on the tomb stone, the shape of the hat denotes the rank of the deceased

Rural house

Old truck

Remains of Edirne Palace 1

Remains of Edirne Palace 2

Remains of Edirne Palace 3

Surrounding this area, there are ruins and at least one of them being restored as I walked pass. Close by is Kirkpinar Stadium, where once a year in Summer the oil wrestling tournament takes place, amidst farm animals wandering all over the place. Today the stadium is eerily quiet. Around the stadium there are metal statues of wrestling champions, I would guess. The temperature today is freaking hot. I wouldn’t say it is 40 Centigrade, but I think we are not too far from there. I have a few more km more to go according to my GPS. Direction back to the center of Edirne, hoping to pass Uc Serefeli Mosque, which is said to be the inspiration for the Selimiye mosque.

Kirkpinar Stadium

Tower of Justice, next to Kirkpinar Stadium

Kirkpinar Stadium: Home of Oil Wrestling. Just not today...

1605hrs: On my way back to Huriyet Meydani in the heart of Edirne. Still full from the mega lunch. Crossed the river along a stone bridge and I am now in a more urban area compared to the last posting. Taking refuge at Beylerbeyi Camii Mosque (1429AD). Mosques are a nice place to relax as it is generally quiet and cool in the hot sun. The only annoying thing here are the poor kids asking for money. Fine if they carry my 5kg of gear, but they will not get a cent from me and encouraging them to make begging a professional career. Everyone is always asking for something or selling something here. I rate this place as poor, wealthwise. Strange small mosque this one. Some poor kids chatting, a turk couple romancing outside the temple door with turkish music playing on their phone and 20m away a girl chats on her mobile and have been doing so for the last half hour.

Just a while after, I’m at Uc Serefeli Mosque, with each minarets different from the other. I’m not sure which is bigger between this one and Selimiye. The Uc Serefeli is definitely not a small building. Strange it does not show on most maps with its name. Not as famous as its newer brother I guess.

The four distinct minarets of Uc Serefeli Mosque

Uc Serefeli: Under renovation

Uc Serefeli: This worker is polishing the masonry

Uc Serefeli: Interior Courtyard

Uc Serefeli: Outer square, where the wash area is located

Uc Serefeli: Ceilling detail

Uc Serefeli: Minaret

Uc Serefeli: Minaret

1712hrs: Having dessert at a local Pastanesi at the town square and a box of Seftari Nectari, or what looks like a peach. No idea the dessert but they always seem to come in sets of 4. The one I chose is white in colour and seems to be made of nut, and damn nice as well. Cost only 2.5TL for a set plus the drink. Happy camper.

On the way back to the shuttle drop off point (it is now 1700hrs anyway), I pass by Huriyet Meydani, and stopped for a little dessert at a normal looking shop which they call a pastaleri, which I take to mean pastry. They don’t sell tea here which is very un-Turkish.

Edirne's Macedonian Tower: One of the last remnants of the old city wall

1745hrs: Right next to Huriyet Meydani is another mosque, Eski Camii, which translates to The Old Mosque. The architecture of this one is definitely different from the Sinan-era mosques. Instead of a large dome this one is made up of 3×3 smaller ones with 4 pillars arranged in a square inside the mosque. Very geometric in architecture, I’d guess that this is more Seljukian architectural style. Large arabic writing cover the lower wall before transitioning into red coloured blocks alternated with patterned blocks on the arches. The motifs on the dome is very different from the other mosques in the area. Very refreshing. And like other mosque, every donation comes with a receipt near the entrance. Makes for great souvenir, and at least the money is put to good use.

Edirne Old Mosque: Large calligraphic designs adorn the wall

Edirne Old Mosque: Interior

Edirne Old Mosque: A smaller central dome

Edirne Old Mosque: More interiors

Edirne Old Mosque: Carpet design

Edirne Old Mosque: I hope the mother is not letting her son do what I think he's doing

1819hrs: Back at the bus station where I was left in the morning. Has been a long but interesting day so far. While waiting for the servis bus, I get to have a nice view of Selimaye Camii right in front of me. If this mosque has not been renovated then I’d say it is a true masterpiece.

On the way back to Istanbul...

To recap a long day is not easy, but easier when you’re still living the same day and memories are fresh. I’d say that Edirne is not a rich town, but moderate in size. I can imagine during its heyday, big cities don’t reach millions inpopulation. In a way, perhaps Edirne never grew past its prime in terms of size. Not all monuments are preserved, but there are signs of rebuilding on whats left, take the Edirne Palace for example. I came at the wrong time else I’d be able to catch some oil wrestling. People living here are a mix of turks (the turkish look ala Istanbul) and some older people look like they came from the Balkans. Bulgaria and Greece is just across the border so that could explain why. I swear for a while in the countryside at Sultan Beyazit II’s complex, I thought I was in Bosnia for a while. There are beggars everywhere. Walking in the countryside and old women open their windows asking for money, the hand signal for money is not too difficult, and rather universal: rub index finger and the thumb together. So poor it is. But culturally, I’m happy enough to see some of the structures that made up Hadrianopolis during the Byzantine and Ottoman times. Mission accomplished!

Edirne street seller

... Envy

Next up tomorrow: Iznik/Nicaea, of which the religious Christians among you should have heard about.

Continue to Bursa/Iznik…

*end*

Typing this on the flight from Singapore to Istanbul.

Trips with a historical slant can be stale for those who prefer to ignore the significance of places beyond its heyday. I have a feeling that most parts of my upcoming 2 week trip will be of interest to only a small minority. I have spent almost 3 months reading Edward Gibbon’s excellent “The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire”, referencing wikipedia and making notes on google maps, charting the locations as I go along. Luckily for me, most of the action towards the end of the Roman Empire centers around present-day Turkey.

The focal point of course is on Constantinople, also known today as Istanbul, where Emperor Constantine decided to establish the first Christian kingdom, arguably because he decided to side with the growing popularity of a new religion. Sacked a few times by passing crusaders and finally falling to the giant cannon of Sultan Mehmet II of the Muslim Ottomans less than a thousand years later. In Istanbul I would expect the signs of history to be more obvious, but it would be a challenge to find the remains of the wall where the muslims breached the city wall.

Planning to stay 3 days in Istanbul. As for the rest of the trip, the rough planning is as follows:

After Istanbul, and using it as a hub, I will do two day trips. First of it will be to Hadrianople – present day Edirne – next to the Greek border. This is where the Ottomans set up their capital and headquarters before heading out to conquer Constantinople. I expect the city to be bland,with history hidden behind a modern facade, tourists passing through, oblivious to the role this city played in the founding of present day Turkey about 700 years ago. A day trip out of Istanbul should be sufficient.

Then there’s Nicaea – present day Iznik – where a bunch of church elders held a meeting a bit more than a thousand years ago and decided on the Nicene Creed, a story setting the relationship between the key figures of today’s Christian church doctrine. All other conflicting views were banished, and purged. Iznik is famous for the tiles that graced many Ottoman monuments in Turkey. Again, I’m expecting a ruin or two but nothing more than the pleasure of getting GPS coordinates in a city steeped in historical significance. If time permits, perhaps Iskander Kebab in Bursa not too far from Iznik before returning to Istanbul.

To save time, I plan to then take a flight down to Nevsehir, in Cappadocia. A bus from the capital would take too long, losing up to a whole day to get to the heart of Turkey. At Urgup, I have made advanced booking on a rental car which will be with me the whole trip in Cappadocia while I try to cover the whole area in 3 days. It is probably ambitious to do so with public transportation, so we shall see. Distances seem quite short so I shouldn’t have to use up tanks of petrol everyday.

Planning to spend 3-4 days there depending on my mood. Cappadocia would be the landscaping part of the trip, and my DSLR and a couple choice lenses and tripod will come with me for this purpose.

The next few day post-Cappadocia is unclear at this moment. Will probably make it up as I go along. One possibility is to go to Kayseri, hanging around the most muslim city of my trip, and taking the overnight train down to Adana to have a kebap, and finally down to Antakya (ancient name: Antioch). The second plan is to skip Kayseri, but since I’m not in the mood to apply for a Syrian visa, not sure what I will do in the 3-4 days down south in Antakya. Will worry later. All I know is that I have to be in Adana at a certain time the day before the flight back so that I can catch a domestic flight from Adana back to Istanbul, where I will spend another night before leaving Turkey.

Total duration: two weeks. This will be during Ramadan season, so I’m prepared to fast if I have to, eating breakfast and dinner only.

Equipment wise, I have the standard blogging machine, my Nokia E71 that will double as an alarm clock as it has the most irritating ring of all, and tripling as a GPS backup since it has google maps allowing me to have an eye up in the sky if required. Primary GPS is my trusty 10 year old Garmin eTrex Vista loaded with world map for this part of the planet. For the first time, I will bring a PCM sound recorder to get ambient sounds into my archives, honours going to the Sony PCM D50 recorder. A trip is not a trip without cameras, of course . I will have the usual 3 cameras. People shots will be made with a Leica M6 Classic and just one lens, a 35mm Summicron ASPH which should be versatile enough for close up action. Bringing 20 rolls of film, Kodak Tri-X, Chinese-made ERA100 and Fuji Neopan1600. Not forgetting a single roll of Kodachrome, just in case. DSLR for landscapes with a rugged-ish Nikon D300. Lenses that will come along: 12-24mm f4 AFS, 10.5mm f2.8, 28-70mm f2.8 AFS and my favourite all-round lens: Micro-Nikkor 105mm f4 AI. All Nikkors. Point and shoot honours will go to a Ricoh GR Digital in a belt holster for quick grab shots. A light Gitzo 1531T travel tripod and RRS BH25 tripod head comes along. All these goes into a Kinesis  Journeyman bag configured for half gears and half clothes. A Kinesis M550 multipurpose bag serves as a day and accessory pack when I need to move fast.

Enough on the equipment. This setup allows me to move fast and to jump on buses and planes without any big bulk. It’s heavy for sure, but nothing big plate of kebab at the day cannot soothe. And so it begins…