Old cameras at the hotel. Nothing special, Arca Swiss LF camera, and no exotics to nick.

Last night in Istanbul

11 September 2009:
Arrived back in Istanbul from Adana around 1600hrs today. From sunny Adana, I came back to a cloudy Istanbul. I have Kodachrome loaded in my Leica ready to shoot but it was never meant to be. By the time I got to the hotel, it was starting to drizzle a little, the sky grey as usual. News on the way indicated heavy flooding in parts of Istanbul, not in old town for sure. But I’m happy enough to have almost two weeks of sun, so this last day of less than perfect light is not going to be an issue.

On the last day I have here, it will be used to explore places I left out in the first few days. First off, to Eminonu docks to have a fish sandwich. I didn’t really miss this one earlier, if you recall, but the fish sandwich is so good here, I will need to have one last one before I leave. Recognised this time, the fish in question is Mackerel, so this is not for the people who hate fishy smell. It’s basically pan fried mackerel with salad in bread. Simple and good. Then its off by bus to Balat as I still have some more credit left in my transport key fob. Walking around and shooting the other side of the Golden Horn, this place looks a lot quieter than Eminonu or Sultanahmet. Right after, at Ayvansaray Iskelesi, a ferry took me back to Eminonu before sun was down. Originally I had plans to go back to Harem to take another set of sunset photos but cloud cover was so thick it was going from light to dark without the amber transition in the sky, so plan scrapped and decided to spend some time at Rustem Pasa Mosque.

On the way to Eminonu...

Bosphorus Car Ferry

No, not the fish sandwich I'm after...

Locals (I guess) looking at a passenger Bosphorus ferry, Galata tower in the far background...

Ayvansaray Ferry Terminal in Balat

Lone boat, Halic (Golden Horn) Bridge in the background. In Balat.

Ayvansaray Ferry Station waiting room

The ferries that ply the Golden horn arrive head-first and passengers board from the front tip.

One colour shot of the golden horn ferry interior... Obviously this is the open air part of the deck

View of old Istanbul from the golden horn ferry. I believe it is close to Balat in the foreground.

Fellow passengers.

And soon I'm back at Eminonu...

Dodgy pier-side cafe...

Rustem Pasa Mosque dome!

Along with plenty of old Iznik tiles in this mosque...

This mosque is just filled with beautiful Iznik quartz tiles...

But Rustem Pasa is also a fully working mosque...

But I believe high contrast scenes like this looks better with black and white film...

Exteriors of Rustem Pasa is equally mesmerizing.

At night the fish sandwich shops come alive. The kitchen is on the rocking boat on the right, and the patrons on the left on terra firma.

Yeni Mosque at Eminonu

Zenep Sultan Mosque not too far from Aya Sofia, at night of course.

And blue mosque in Sultanahmet Square

Hmmm... desserts

Kybele Hotel room

Hotel Lobby...

12 September 2009:

And on the last day, a trip to the Grand Bazaar in the center of town is in order. What a better thing to do than to visit the bazaar before it is really open and tourists visit. 7am is a good time. And just to make things interesting, today is exclusively film only. And here are the photos:

Istanbul's Grand Bazaar early in the morning...

... which features many of these squares in the maze of shops, I believe this is part of a caravanserai for the ancient merchants to rest...

... corridors, I really wish I remember where this was, but it is terribly easy to get lost...

... but no doubt I'm at the bazaar...

And not to be mistaken, some merchants do start early!

And a few more of downtown Sultanahmet before heading off to the airport…

I was so tired after two weeks I could have followed this guy.

On second thoughts, I wouldn't want to wake up to pigeon droppings...

And one last picture of the Blue Mosque before rewinding...

Goodbye Turkey, hello Singapore...

*The End*

Antakya, Hatay

... Nice looking plant I shot somewhere in Hatay

View of the Mediterranean from Cevlik

8 September 2009:

This place goes by many names. Officially it is known as Antakya, but people here call it Hatay (name of the region Antakya is in), and in ancient times it is also known as Antioch. And the last reason, Antioch, is why I’m here in the first place. With a name this famous, it is not difficult to imagine how much history this place has. Not to mention that Antakya is located just next to Syria, just in case I feel like jumping over to the other country.

A river runs through the center of Antakya, nay, a dirty river....

Downtown Antakya

More downtown Antakya

The overnight bus from Kayseri stopped almost everywhere along the way, and leaving at midnight, we arrived in Hatay almost at 8am. I counted Ningde, Adana and Iskenderun. Could have been more but I was trying to get some sleep as well. As the bus pulls into the Hatay otogar a few km out of the city, many touts come up asking if we were going to Aleppo, Syria. The bus company should have a servis bus to go to the city. Mine did but the bastard didn’t want to go to the city center and made me walk 2km. Cursed him to lowest depth of Hades.

Totally dead when I got to the hotel so time for a shower and a quick nap. Which I did. 10am came and I was out looking for breakfast and indulged myself in a large 2 orders for brunch.

Lunch

Hatay is divided by a dirty river with low flow and just about anything you can imagine floating on it. I swear one day there will be dead bodies floating down this river. Imagining what it was like in the old days. Maybe a nice mountain stream and a roman stone arched bridge?

1130hrs: Antakya Archeology Museum, the first stop. 8TL gets you in. At first the entrance is anything but impressive, till you reach the first room. In short, countless mosaics from archeological sites near Antakya/Hatay, namely Daphne. And the other impressive collection, at least to me is the coin collection that spans the early Roman empire, to the Byzantines, and to the Ottoman. I don’t believe they missed n emperor or sultan. That IS one amazing collection if there was one. The mosaics are nice too, but they should have called this the Antakya Mosaics Museum plus a little more. Definitely worth the visit and the entrance fee.

Antakya Archeological Museum entrance

Museum Exhibit 1

Museum Exhibit 2: intricately carved Roman sacrophagus

Museum Exhibit 3: Plenty of mosaics in this museum, mostly coming from Harbiye just outside Antakya

Museum Exhibit 4

Museum Exhibit 5

On the way to see the working places of worship in town, stopped by a juice shop. The guy asked about the Leica M6 I have in my hand and soon we were talking about Kiev and Yashica cameras. Showed me b&w prints of Antakya/Hatay in the 20s and later years. One building remain recognizable but everything else is different now. Then he showed me the way to the backlanes to experience the old streets of Antioch during the old days. Not a good time to take photos now but will be back another time when the light is better.

Pressed fruit juice are a great way to refuel on a hot day!

Couldn’t take it any further, lack of sleep on the way here is taking its toll. Would be better if I go back to the hotel and get an hour of microsleeping and then proceed out the city to see the first church or St Peter. Right after I will walk back to old Antakya and shoot some b&w photos of the tight lanes and the balconied houses.

Streets of Antakya

Was walking the old parts of Antakya, looking for the Orthodox Church, and came upon this jumble of construction materials stacked up on an entrance

Doors to private homes are always wide open when walking the back streets... Can't help it.

Streets in old Antakya

Antakya Orthodox Church

A mosque on Kurtulus Caddesi

Backlanes of old Antakya with the distinctive overhang on the houses

Local transport lorry

Merchants unloading goods at a market

Boarding public transport

I have no idea....

1626hrs: Had my nap, and walked a few kilometers out the city and turned right up to the lower slopes of a mountain past some small workshops. It is properly signposted so you will never get lost. Eventually I get to St Peter’s cave church, entrance fee 8TL with a lot less to see than the same amount charged at the Archeology Museum.

This is where I'm going next...

Was going to take the tractor and a curious boy came up... immortalized...

St Peter's Church ticket booth

It was probably a real cave back then, unlike those carved churches I saw everyday in Cappadocia. But successive regimes have added to it. The crusaders added a wall and built a narthex inside while taking care of Antioch, quite apparent when in the church. The Catholic church added some stone furnitures and added a statue of St Peter on top in a hole in the wall. I could have thought it was Zeus or one of the pagan gods if not for the description. And a previous pope even went to declare that this place is holy and is fit for pilgrimage, according to the description.

But it is good to be reading all about it back in school and now being in Antioch. Just have to add a little imagination and see how they went about their chores avoiding the Roman forces. Have to remember at that time Christianity was just another outlawed cult. This cave church even has an emergency escape, which is lighted, but I guess people at that time were much smaller than contemporary Homo Modernus, so I will not attempt to lodge myself in the escape hatch. No idea where it leads to anyway.

Entrance to the small cave church. This facade was erected by the guys from the Crusade when they passed through here.

Ok, this is the real view of the entrance

Cave church altar. Its from the last century, which is not that long ago...

Leaving the church

This is the church escape route, too small for me to squeeze through...

On the way out, a street seller told me to climb the hill to see more stuff. And he sent his eldest son along. So we went up some steep shortcuts and met 2 turkish couples who speaks a little english. First sight was the exit of the emergency tunnel I saw in the church. And it is at least 50m higher than the cave church! the path is steep and it is easy to fall down the mountain if not careful. The group told me to follow them and we walked a little downhill to a sculpture of Mary, said one, and the girl said it is Hades. Looks more Mary-ish to me, but I need to research this one later as it looks older than the church.

Climbing up the hill on top of the church

What do you think? Does this carving look like a biblical character?

Mountains surrounding Antakya

Antakya city from the hillside

Mountainside where the cave church is located

Town buildings close to the cave-church mountains

Went back down to town with the group and we chatted a little. A guy is a short film maker and his girlfriend is a sculptor and they are from another city, in Antakya for a holiday. We walked to the old parts of the city on sundown and parted as I wanted to explore the side streets of Antakya/Hatay. As the sun is almost disappearing over the horizon, good that I was just down to my last frame of Tri-X, so I loaded in a roll of Neopan 1600 and started going into Oguzlar Caddesi, which goes uphill.

1842hrs: Passing by Kantara Camii, this is where I get to see the friendly nature of Antakyans. People on the streets willingly asked to have their photos taken, kids fighting to be in the frame as well. Even old men chatting on the streets asked me to take their photos. On top of that, the small crooked lanes, along with architecture where houses have covered balconies that stretches over the lanes makes it look interesting, even more so as the buildings are never even. Some houses have doors opened to look in and some have comfortable courtyards with sofas where the family just gathered and relaxed.

Old Antakya

People of Old Antakya 1

People of Old Antakya 2

People of Old Antakya 3

People of Old Antakya 4: Showing off pide

People of Old Antakya 5

People of Old Antakya 6

Old Antakya

1905hrs: On the way back to the Merkez centre of the city, I passed by a pide bakery. This turkish pizza looks like real pizza but instead of being a circular shaped dough, this is shaped like an eye. Of course forgetting the pupil. This shop in the back streets still cook it is a big brick oven, and while I was looking at them making it, the old boss came up and gave me a pide to take away. I tried to refuse, but I believe it might not be good to refuse a musliman’s hospitality, I offered to pay, but its free. And to make things worst, he even cut it for me and took out a tomato and sliced it right there at the bakery for me to break fast with them. So I did, listening to the father-son team talking. I was told, in turkish, by the old man that he was an arab and moved over from Syria. Soon, a neighbour came by and offered everyone Turkish coffee. Didn’t really expect all these. The pide was a bit too much of a mouthful, so when I couldn’t finish, they even packed it to go for me. We said our goodbyes and offered million thanks, and I was on my way for a little walk after a full dinner. Should have done the fasting today!

Pide baker

Not too much more to do tonight but to return to the hotel for a nice shower and early sleep. The hotel doesn’t have wifi internet, but that is ok. A day without checking my email will not be a disaster.

9 September 2009:
Slept for more than 9 hours last night. Fresh from that, at 8am it is time to explore the outskirts of Antakya. First off, breakfast as the hotel does not supply any. It is an issue as most shops only cater to the lunch crowd, so had to settle for a pistachio bar from the petrol station. Right after its a minibus to Samandag and then a little walk down the road for another minibus, this time to Cevlik.

Dolmus to Samandag

0949hrs: Finally got to Cevlik, right here by the Mediterranean sea. I believe this is my first time at the Med, at least in the last decade. Cevlik used to be the port of Antioch. If it really was, now it doesn’t seem that way. Just a row of seaside restaurants that are mostly closed backed by a mountain. The beach sand is dark brown in colour and very dirty with plastic artifacts from today all over the place.

Downtown Cevlik

Port of Cevlik

The reason to come here is the Vespasianus-Titus diversion tunnel. Not difficult to find as it is signposted when the right turn comes up just before Cevlik. Along the way up the hill to the tunnel, there is a signboard explaning the old city of Seleuceia Pieria. I don’t see too much of the city standing other than the signboard and indications of its old city wall.

Signboard pointing towards the tunnel

... with a view of the Mediterranean Sea

1020hrs: 3TL gets you into the tunnel area. Having tea and sesame crusted bread offered by the 2 old men guarding and manning the entrance. They speak only Turkish so we don’t talk much. They even gave me a bread wrapped in newspaper to bring on my trip, and an offer to fill my small mineral water bottle with real ‘mineral’ water.

The tunnel so far looks like a big drain cut into the rock. Some sections so far is about a few storeys deep, as I follow the outdoor path above the tunnel.

Much less a tunnel, more of an oversized diversion drain

From up there, it is possible to see how the rock was cut deep to form the tunnel

Rock bridge spanning the tunnel

1053hrs: I am taking a very slow walk, not that it is far to walk. Am now at the Besikli Cave Tomb Monument. According to the signs here, this is where the leaders of Seleuceia Piera are buried. The complex does look big but I do not intend to explore the insides of an ancient burial cave, vacant or not.

Besikli Cave Tomb

1124hrs: While walking a little further from the necropolis, I stumbled upon the ruins of Seleuceia Piera. Nothing but the base of the buildings are left and they are arranged in terrace on the slope of a hill. Looks like someone recently burnt the undergrowth so the base is quite distinct. Look for blocks of stone arranged geometrically. It has a nice view of the plains and the Mediterranean sea. It is now apparent that the tunnel/drain was carved out to divert water away from the town. Like a big ancient monsoon drain for the town. I am the only person here today, and my GPS is alive and well and blogging at the ruins. Wondering if I should take a bite out of the bread I was given.

Ruins of Seleuceia Piera

Seleuceia Piera

View from the ruins

More views of the Mediterreanean from the ruins. That ship is listing.

1228hrs: Took a slow walk back to Cevlik and had some time at the empty beach. A storm seems to be closing in from the sea, so time to head back to Antakya. Refilled a bottle of water and small can of promagranate juice, plentiful here. A dolmus minibus awaits me at the town’s sole bus stop and it is time to head back.

Cevlik Beach

View of the sea from Cevlik: rain nearing.

Dolmus back to Antakya

Along the way, we passed bare but concrete houses and most of them have a few tanks of water perched on top of its roof, looking like water storage tank and another one for hot water, judging from the solar panels. There are small farms everywhere, and the dolmus travels a little faster than jogging speed. I’m sure he is waiting for passengers to pile up and get to Samandag with a little more than me in the bus. I’m enjoying the ride.

1342hrs: Back in Antakya. Think it it time for a light meal. Stopped at a local fast food restaurant and ordered some aubergines plus a small local pie (the name sounds like Kaitas) and salad side. In all restaurants here in Antakya, you get an additional side side of mint leaves, green chillis and lemon wedges. Not sure what you go with them, but love those fresh mint leaves, which I completely demolished during the course of a meal. And a cup of Ayran completes the late lunch.

Lunch

Weather is getting cloudy, with signs of cumulus, the type that generates a storm. Since it is still early, contemplating checking out Harbiye, ancient Daphne where most of the mosaics in the museum yesterday are coming from. I have seen dolmuses that goes there in one of the streets near here yesterday. I’ll go have a look. Too early to call it a day. Just 1426hrs.

1450hrs: Boarded a crap smog spewing morris-like dolmus to Harbiye on Kartulus Caddesi going southwards. GPS goes on tracking the whole route. Shouldn’t be too far this one.

Harbiye dolmus resting area

1518hrs: Arrived in Harbiye. The dolmus goes up an incline most of the way, passing 2-3 storey houses along the way. Wouldn’t say these are posh houses. Eventually the bus will turn a sharp right and right after a valley will show up on the left. The dolmus then goes all the way to the end of the road at a small hydroelectric plant and a hotel-restaurant by that same name.

The path down the slope is quite obviously touristic. Stalls line both sides, and wide enough for 2 cars to go down its dirt track. But all restaurants here and a pitiful little stream that is being crafted into a waterfall, diverted into restaurants so some tables are placed in the inch deep flow. Nothing to see here. If the mosaiced city is here, it is not easy to find it.

Hillsides of Harbiye (Daphne)

On the way back on the same dolmus system, the bus would go up the hill close to St Peter’s cave church, and the view at the top of the mountain is good. The sun was shining directly at the city and mountain so shooting it then would be a total shadowy shot, so I just looked. Eventually it stops at a Dolmus station with many buses going all over the place. I logged the coordinates into my GPS for the next time.

1931hrs: My last night in Antakya and I will eat big tonight at Anadolu Restaurant. Ordered hummus and eggplant meze for starters and chicken skewer (tavuk sis) for hot dish. And the hummus was amazing, after the cold dishes I was already stuffed. And the usual sideplate of mint leaves, and lemon was there, this time plus fresh parsley leaves, which i stick into the mouth every here and then. Full like crazy, dont think I can move after, so I will finish it off with a cup of cay to end it. I was joking when I started this paragraph about eating big but I may have outdone myself this time. Well done Antakya. I shall fast tomorrow.

Dinner: And this is just for the starters! Eggplant salad and Hummus.

10 September 2009:
0813hrs: Out of the hotel after having to look for the receptionist and wake him up on the couch. Half awake, he calculated correctly my room fare for the 2 nights. Then time to catch bus 17 to the Otogar. It stops at the kebab shop at the end of Istiklal Caddesi close to the popular bridge in the city center. Stops at a bus station that heads South and cost 1TL. Ah well, details. And soon in 15 mins of slow crawl while the driver chats with a passenger and texts on his mobile, I’m at the otogar, having a cay.

Will be taking the 9am bus to Kayseri, but stopping at Adana today, and leaving this area for Istanbul tomorrow afternoon, nearing the end of my trip.

I have come to like Antakya. Not a place to stay for long for sure, it’s a medium sized town with the occassional syrian car driving around. They tend to love the nice cars there, and saw a few, ironically, American SUVs. Think the Turks drive crazy? I think the Syrians are crazier. Here too, everyone thinks I am Japanese, but if you don’t ignore them, they can be extremely friendly. Twice I was invited to join them for a meal with complete strangers. I attribute this to islamic teaching, but I guess there is a little bit of this habit for arabs more than other muslims. For example, you never get complete strangers being so inviting in Malaysia. I would keep away from gangs of youth calling out for you, however. Just common sense and laws of probability.

Spice market in Antakya

Antakya at night

A small mosque in Antakya

The main bazaar

Strange to find a rusting stove at the Vespasian Tunnel in Cevlik

Downtown Antakya from my hotel room

History wise, this place is just amazing. I’m sure there are other areas in Turkey that are better, Istanbul being one of them, but everyone has Istanbul in their itinerary. Antioch, the great principality of Antioch, however is one of those places where it takes some imagination to recognize the splendour of this place. Cevlik, for example, the ruins there plus the Vespasian and Titus tunnel… It takes a few hours hike along the tunnel and along the ruins of the town to know what this place was like a millennium ago. Had a feeling of the place which I didn’t have before I started, partly due to the fact I didn’t know about the place before. Harbiye is a place that is a little more difficult to imagine, but still, putting the mosaics in the museum and the location is still possible. Antioch itself is no different, the old city still stands, and walking around it gives an idea what life is like during it’s heyday.

On the way to Adana... my next stop.

Parting shot: Dry grass in Cevlik

Continue to Adana and Tarsus…

*end*

aa

Cappadocia

6 September 2009:
The plan today will be to cover the south-western part of Cappadocia, visiting some underground cities which the Christians lived while escaping the invading Seljuks. Right after will be the Ihlara valley, dotted with rock cut churches. Quite obviously the church will be just the same as the others I have seen in Cappadocia so far so the interest is more in the scenery. I plan to rush through it and not walk the whole valley.

After a heavy breakfast made of olives, goat cheese (like the french chevre) and bread, it’s time to start the day before 10am. Will drive past Uchisar and its hill top castle hewn out of a rocky hill and pass Pigeon Valley lookout point. You know the view here is good when you see tour buses. Valley on the right, and the ancient city of Uchisar in the background. And true to its name, there are pigeons around.

Pigeon Valley, with Uchisar Castle in the background

I don’t plan to stop too long at all the interesting spots. Soon I’d go southwards, passing highway 330, Kavak and on the way to Kaymakli through Cardak. The views are of rolling plains, a pleasant drive in the morning. The road is not too wide, enough for 2 lanes to and fro. With the windows wound down, the smell of garlic permeates the air. There are sacks of garlic fresh off the field on the roadside. No, it didn’t come across my mind to nick one. But this is a nice drive, about 40km to go.

Eventually I hit the main north-south road connecting Nevsehir and Kaymakli. It is still farming area here but soon I’d hit Kaymakli. Signs abound pointing to the underground city there, but right at the same spot I branch off to the right towards the satellite town Ozluce, with a lot less tour buses. As quickly as Kaymakli started, once I turned right I was in the open fields again and it is possible to see Ozluce in the distance.

1107hrs: Typing this out at Ozluce Underground City next to the village of the same name, minus the ‘underground’ part obviously. The place is right inside the village, follow the signs and you will not get lost. This one definitely looks out of the way for the tour groups that prefer the other 2 more popular underground cities, Derinkuyu and Kaymakli.

I drive the only car parked at the small shaded area. A guy comes up and ushers me into a small little stone house numbered 18. Inside is a small room with nice carpet strewn sofa and old farming tools and an old pair of leather shoe hanging on the wall. Naturally a good place to let go a barrage of B&W film on. I asked the guy how long to do the whole place and he says 10 something in part sign language. Can’t be hours so I guess must be minutes. Hope it is not 10 storeys of caves to explore. Stairs go down about a floor underground and first thing you come across is a medium sized chamber with a wheel as a door to block the entrance. There is a well as air ventilation shaft and potteries all over the place. The tunnel is lit with 60W incandescent bulbs requiring ISO1600 to shoot properly. At 400 I was able to do half second with my Ricoh. A few passages leads away from the main chamber and I follow it until it winds a little too much. I am the only one here and GPS don’t work so I thing better to play safe and not get too far. The air is cool here, easily 20C or slightly below when it is scorching hot outside. Nice. I will rest here for a while. The caves here look like they are dug out of clay, none of the rocky or crumbly caves which most churches I have seen in the last 2 days were made of.

On the way into Ozluce

Ozluce: Small farming village

I wonder where it is....

Entrance to the underground city. It is quite well marked. Making sure you don't miss it!

Ozluce: Underground City caretaker

Ozluce: Entrance. No way to get in here without the bulbs in operation, and the caretaker's job is just that. To turn on the lights.

Ozluce: Heavy door blocks the entrance when they are in hiding mode.

Ozluce: Main Cavern

On the way out, I had a chicken-duck, or Japanese-Latin type conversation with the caretaker, after donating some electricity and cay money to him. He sure looks like he could do with some. So if I heard right, Ozluce is 4 levels deep, probably mostly accessible, but I visited only one, should give me enough idea of the whole city-cave thingy. Spent some time chatting to him about the farm tools that adorn the wall of his lodge that is also part of the cave entrance. Right next to it is a little room that used to be the stable on ground level when people go into the cave. No idea what the old entrance looked like though it has to be a hole in the ground.

A short drive out to the main road I’m at Kaymakli again. I cannot afford to see multiple underground cities that cost 15TL each! I see many tour bus parked at this one so I decided to head off to the next and biggest underground city. Thus a drive to Derinkuyu which also has the deepest underground city in this area.

1202hrs: At Derinkuyu, after following the signposts in the small town, parking is 2TL and entrance 15TL, you can tell this is a tourist enterprise in the highest order. The underground city (aka Yeralti Sehri apparently in Turkish) entrance is also more elaborate than the crappy surrounding city. Its like going to a mansion in the middle of a slum. Rightly so, tour buses are all over the place.

Derinkuyu: Souvenir stands at the carpark

 

Derinkuyu: It was impossible to find your way around the underground city even after taking a picture of this map for my reference down below

Derinkuyu: Ticket office

Derinkuyu: Well renovated entrance

Derinkuyu: Storage or dump?

Derinkuyu: And of course, what is an underground city without a large stone door?

Derinkuyu: This well reaches all the way to the bottom, about 8 storeys below, if I remember well enough.

Derinkuyu: Signs indicating entrance and exit. I think Red means entrance.

Derinkuyu: Inside is small, cramped, and claustrophobic, not to mention a bitch to shoot with a point and shoot without camera shake...

Derinkuyu: Voila, right at the bottom. Lucky to have caught this before the next wave of tourists came.

After a few minutes tapping out the coordinate of the place and updating this blog plus checking out a well that is supposed to be a ventilation shaft for the subterranean city, I start my way into a little door and stairs downwards.

Bloody hell right after going town, got stuck behind a large Korean tour group explaining away the functions of the chamber we are in while blocking off the whole passageway!

No idea where I am going but the idea is to head lower and lower till I hit the bottom of this ‘deep well’ city, as it is called. I will not remember what is what anyway, and at least I know they live, eat, shit and store things there. Managed to escape the Koreans in a large chamber.

1219hrs: Now about 4 levels down and stuck at a one way direction stairs deep down due to a large group of Spanish tourists on the way up. The stairs are one lane only, and most of them are not exactly fit i.e. fat, so not possible to squeeze through 2 abreast. There are old ones, young ones and slow and fast ones, as I say ‘Ola’ to them as they passed. Has to be 60 of them coming past! I shall spend my time blogging this underground. Good it is not hot down here.

And before I know it right at the bottom of the city, I bumped in to the Koreans again. Since I’m destined to follow a Korean tour this time, might as well just follow them. There are also arrows indicating the direction to go. Guessing that red arrows are for down, and blue for exit direction, since I see more red than blue so far. This cave is a lot bigger than Ozluce but I think some of it is cordoned off. There is no where it will fit the thousands that it is supposed to if what I have seen so far is the whole thing. At the bottom I measured 1332m with my Suunto Observer and at the ticket booth, it was 1364m, so only 30m down the well almost at the bottom. Walking between rooms is not fun at all, having to crouch down as I am 6 feet tall. Some staircase tunnels run tens of meters and sometimes my small backpack scratches the roof of the tunnel as I walk quasimodo style.

But it is good to back in the open after a half an hour down there.

1300hrs: Back in the car at Derinkuyu. Having a drink and an almond bar for my semi-fasting lunch. The tour groups are gone for lunch now, the Koreans just leaving before me.

I’m heading off to Ihlara Valley now, not too far away, another 50km or so according to my not-to-scale map. Good to know no more underground city along the way, in fact, I’m sure there are more but I have seen the mother of all underground cities, so there.

Derinkuyu to Ihlara Valley

To tell you the truth, if I was living back in the Byzantine times, I’d rather convert to Islam than to have to live in these tunnels.

1352hrs: Arrived in Ihlara village after almost an hour in the plains from Derinkuyu, passing a crater lake and Guzelyurt on my left. Took a slow drive. At Guzelyurt, it was possible to see the gorges the town was build on top of. Same when entering Ihlara village, rock cut abodes and churches in the dark red rocks are visible from the road, all in a narrow valley. I park at the entrance to the village at a square where old muslim men are gathering around tables, 2-6 each, just chatting and counting prayer beads. Unfortunately stopped too early and nothing tourist will enjoy here in the village center, I move on farther away.

1424hrs: Reached the tourist center which is a few kilometers out of the village center. Entrance fee is this time 5TL to enter the valley floor and the view here is amazing. No one comes to collect parking fee so I try to play dumb.

At the village of Ihlara, this stream is the source of the river that carved out the valley just after this...

Ihlara Valley car park

Ihlara valley is narrow, I’m guessing with my duffmeter that it is 100m-ish across and goes straight down about 75m. Obviously the only way down is by a knee busting set of stairs. It starts from the ticket booth and gets to the valley floor in no time. Good that the bottom is flat and has tree shade, and a pleasing stream running through it. Not to clean though so my DSLR stays in the bag at the valley floor.

Ihlara Valley: This is what it is all about...

Ihlara Valley: Straight down, valley floor contains many churches carved into the rocks. As if I have not had enough to see in the last 2 days...

Ihlara Valley: At the valley floor, after a long walk down a few flight of stairs...

Ihlara Valley: Interesting uneven ceiling of the church... Less amateurish, but still will not consider this professionally done!

Ihlara Valley: Signs point to churches all over the valley floor

Ihlara Valley: More signs...

Visited Agacalti Church and Yiyanli church but they look absolutely the same as the other churches, all the same. I think I might have seen too many churches cut into rocks. They all look the same. I think I need to mention the word ‘same’ many times to drive it across.

Time to head back to the car and do the shortcut trip to Belisirma in my car. None of those hiking thing today. Once I hike to Belisirma I will need to hike back to get my car. Unfortunately when I got back to the car park the attendant was there to rightly claim his 2TL parking fee.

The drive through Belisirma is quite interesting. I go downhill winding my way down to the river down below the cliffs and soon coming to a car park full of tour buses again. According to the map there should be a bridge and soon I find it hidden away with a tight left turn by the side of the stream.

After crossing the stream, I get to the other side of Belisirma which is like a messed up poor farming village. There are no road signs here and for the most part of the way, the road is uphill on the first gear only and if you get lost looking for your way out of the valley, I don’t blame you.

On the way to Bellisirma

Entering Bellisirma

Bellisirma: Up the hill back to the top of the Ihlara plateau

1553hrs: After leaving the Ihlara valley, I decided to check out Guzelyurt. As I entered the town perched on top of the hill, I see signs for an underground city and a monastery. Sounds familiar. Decide that I have had enough of both. U-turned and back tracked but a left turn on the way towards Ihlara and Aksaray caught my eye. At the end of it is Guzelyurt Golet, which I assume is an old monastery or church. The views here of the valley, lake and Guzelyurt town is amazing.

1635hrs: On the way out to Aksaray, I decided to run through Selime town, at the end of Ihlara valley. There is nothing special about the town, though it is below a hill with many eroded and interesting conical shapes and naturally, someone has carved rooms out of it.

View from Guzelyurt Golet

Another view from Guzelyurt Golet

Selime

Selime

Livestock on the roadside

1702hrs: Hit the highway and turned right towards Nevsehir. Just after I got on 330, a caravanserai called Agzikarahan calls out to me. This highway used to be the highway for travelling caravans, thinking it must be part of the silk road but citations needed. So a caravanserai is what you think it is. An ancient hotel for travelling caravans. If you recall, I was at one called Saruhan yesterday.

They are all designed about the same, rectangular in shape, grandish entrance with the carved inversed dome like the ones adorning Ottoman era mosques I have visited so far.

This one, however, is closed, door locked with chain and lock. And a whole gang of village kids comes upon me practising their english. First they ask for photo, and after noticing I have no digital preview to show them as I shot them with my Leica M6, the elder of the lot wanted to give me their address to mail the photo. I obliged, and soon the others are asking for free bicycles, for my camera and so on. Good luck, I turn my ignorance skills. Can’t do too much here as the caravanserai is closed.

Entering Agzikarahan

Agzikarahan Caravanserai: Local kids

Agzikarahan Caravanserai: And yes, I did ask them to stand there so that I can get away!

Soon back on the highway eastwards, direction Acigol, Nevsehir and hoping to make it to Uchisar castle in time for sunset. Along the way, spotted two more caravanserai, the first on the left, newly restored, but I missed the left turn. The second, also on the left is in ruins and there is a scaffold indicating it is being rebuilt. It is not too difficult to spot caravanserais, look for the rectangular stone building and the features on the arched entrance.

After leaving Acigol, got stopped by the police doing spot checks. Quite obvious they were looking for a certain person and a foreigner like me gets waved past. I did stop my car and when the policeman noticed my GPS he asked if it was a GPRS (sic). Not wanting to extend my stop I just said yes. Before long we were chatting about the spots I passed today, and I showed my cookie crumbs on my Garmin GPS to him.

1838hrs: Made it to Uchisar Castle, waiting for the sun to set. The door closes at 7pm so I probably don’t have time to see the sun going below the horizon, based on the timing from the last 2 evenings, sun setting a little past 7pm here. The castle is an interesting piece of work, and an entrance fee of 3TL is charged. It started off as a rock hill and ages of digging out cave compartments means and it becomes an anthill of sorts. Several flight of stairs later and I’m at the top, being careful not to step off the edge. There is a nice panoramic view of Cappadocia here, but nothing perfect due to the evening shadows meaning there will be spots of utter blackness when shot with a DSLR.

At the base of Uchisar Castle

Uchisar Castle is just a rock outcrop that was carved all the way till it becomes a livable building... It is also the highest point in this area

Evening in Cappadocia

And this is my final sunset in Cappadocia, before leaving tomorrow morning...

Watched my last sunset in Cappadocia from here, tomorrow I will leave this place and return the rental car. Has been a long drive today, but not too many strenuous walk or climbs, so that is good. Dinner tonight has to be a pottery kebab which this place is supposedly known for. And ending the night with sweet baklava and a glass of Cappadocian red wine.

Tomorrow, I will spend the day in a big city, Kayseri.

Sunset in Cappadocia, outside Goreme

Continue to Kayseri…

*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…