Dear Netters
One of my granddaughters, Gayatri Gogoi, a Classics student at the
Worcester College, Oxford,
e-mailed messages to her parents which include me while she was on a
safari to Turkey and eastern
Europe during September-October 2014. i have pleasure in enclosing an
excerpt from those
messages for you for you ton enjoy just as we did. I might let you have
the other bits as well if you like it.
bhuban
My Trip to Turkey – Istanbul and Fethiye
Gayatri Gogoi
Turkey is the bridge between Europe and Asia, and its heritage as the
link between east and west is reflected in the country’s rich, varied
and unique history and culture. In my ten-day trip to the country, I
was enchanted by the beautiful architecture, stunning landscape, and
the delicious food.
Visiting the capital Istanbul, the epitome of Turkey’s historical
diversity is symbolised by the Hagia Sophia, the Byzantine Greek
Orthodox Basilica, built in the 6th Century AD, transformed into an
imperial mosque after the Ottoman invasion of Constantinople. Today, it
is museum, showcasing ancient and modern Islamic calligraphic art, as
well as standing as testament to the cycles of conquest, assimilation
and integration in Turkey’s complex history.
Lying opposite, is the Blue Mosque, also known as the Sultan Amhed
mosque, an intricate masterpiece of Islamic art and architecture, which
took over from the Hagia Sophia as the principal mosque of Istanbul
upon its construction in 1616. Taking its inspiration from Byzantine
elements of the Hagia Sophia, it blends them with features of Islamic
art, such as basing the minarets on those of the mosque of the Ka'aba
in Mecca. In a place with such a diverse mix of cultures, it seems only
fitting that under its shadow is the 4th-Century AD Hippodrome of
Constantinople, andorned with not one, but two obelisks, one plundered
from Karnak temple in Luxor dating from the 1400s BC but erected by
Theodisius the Great in 360AD, the other a tenth-century AD creation,
once covered in bronze plaques, now known as the Walled obelisk.
Other famous sights of Istanbul include 7th Century AD cisterns of
Justinian I, filled with columns of every sort, looted from buildings
throughout the Byzantine emperor, including mysteriously carved Gorgons
head pedestal bases. There is also the magnificent complex of the
Tokapi palace, the residence of the Ottoman Sultans, their harem and
their court. Sparking fountains, impeccably kept gardens and
intricately painted tile-work all speak of the incredibly luxury
enjoyed by Constantinople’s former rulers, with stunning panoramic
views over the azure waters of Sea of Marmora and Bosphorus, home to
the Imperial treasury, including opulent priceless treasures, such the
biggest, most entrancing diamond I have ever seen, the Spoonmakers
diamond. Other things to try are boat trips down the Bosphorus, seeing
the sights along the river banks, or a trip to the Grand Bazaar. Don’t
leave Istanbul without trying a light and toothachingly sweet Turkish
delight, studded with pistachios, in every colour of the rainbow, or a
traditional Turkish kebab, dripping with delicious juices in a freshly
made flatbread.
In my second week, away from the hustle and bustle, I found myself in
Kaya, a village not far from Fethiye, site of the former village of
Kayaköy, also known in Greek as Levissi. What was formerly a
well-populated and bustling town became a ghost town after the 1923
deportation of Antatolian Greeks from Turkey, and attempts to rehome
Turks displaced from Greece failed. These haunting ruins of over 1000
houses, two churches and a school form the evocative setting for the
Louis de Bernières novel “Birds without Wings”, an excellent book which
weaves the rise of Turkeys much beloved leader Attaturk with the tragic
story of the inhabitants of a fictional town inspired by the very real
story of the Kayakoy residents, recommended to me by the owner of the
villa I stayed in, and one I would recommend to anyone wishing to learn
more about Turkish culture.
In the nearby town of Fethiye, formerly known as Telmessos, one of the
most important Lycian cities of the Aegean and a history dating back to
the 6th Century BC, are the remains of Lycian tombs, cut into the
mountainside. Not far from here, are the ancient ruins of Tlos, Xanthos
and Letoon along the Lycian way,
where we can only try to imagine the former splendour of these sites,
standing in the ruins of the amphitheatres, temples or sanctuaries.
Turkey is truly a place filled with delights, not just of the edible
kind, but one which is the meeting place between eastern and western
culture, whose history encompasses the rise and fall of great empires
and great people, and today blooms as a place of astonishing beauty.
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