200 A love letter to Turkey II
The sparkling waters of the Mediterranean Sea - Nature's greatest favour to Antalya.
Like a private pool to its backyard, the city's clifftop houses, restaurants, and hotel balconies open up to the infinity of the sea.
Antalya was famously discovered when the king of Pergamon ordered his men to find "Heaven on earth". Today, with its natural deep harbour and beautiful coast, it has become a popular yachting hot spot.
West of the bay of Antalya, local boys take a swim in a river at Demre.
At the Çayağzı Port, we embark on a boat trip in pursuit of Heaven on earth.
On our way; a view of the Mediterranean from the stern of the moving boat.
And 'tis, our sailor, taking a break in the inviting sun.
Fifteen minutes past; we start to spot steep little stairs carved into the cliffs of islands we were sailing past.
Welcome to Kekova's Sunken City: the half submerged ruins of ancient Simena.
2nd century earthquakes had thrust the city and its surroundings into the Mediterranean Sea. As a result, old stairs and buildings descend into crystal blue waters. Look carefully and you may see the steps on the left continuing right underwater.
Also see the tiny orderly holes in the walls, the pillars, door arches (below), and jutting walls that could possibly have represented dividing walls between a row of houses (above).
It terrifies and awes me at the same time, knowing that this beauty was wrought by the destructive force of Nature.
A little further on, we reach the underwater ruins of the old harbour walls (above & below).
The Lycians were the people who once lived, loved, and died here. Fronted by the sea and bound closely by the mountains, their culture and systems were uniquely different from the rest of Turkey.
They had, for instance, a system of representative democracy, which the US constitution was said to have been modelled after. Pictured here is the Simena Castle: it was built to defend the city against pirates.
The Lycians also had in particular one strange custom, where they took their mothers' names instead of their fathers'. Sadly, constant ravages by earthquakes eventually led to the decline of this unique people.
Anchors down; a view of the Mediterranean from the stern of the stationary boat.
Deceptively inviting, a group of us decided to take a dip in the sea... only to find the beautiful turquoise waters ter-rr-ribly cold!
We floundered in her deadly embrace for about twenty minutes, then we climbed back onto the boat.
A change of landscape; passing through the majestic Taurus Mountains to get to Aspendos.
The mountains overlook the Aspendos Amphitheatre, surprisingly well-preserved even after all these years.
Puss and I found our way to the heart of the theatre. He chose to oblige me with a picture together... while attending to his toilet business! Can you see the two of us standing in the shadow?
The theatre is built such that the slightest sound made from the center of the stage can be heard in the upper gallery. For the die-hard romantic, there is a love story to this:
The princess of Aspendos was wandering in the upper gallery of the theatre when she heard a voice whispering her name. Falling in love with the voice, she was even more astonished when she found it came from a man hiding near the center of the stage.
Was there a happy ending? I think that isn't hard to guess.
We fast-forward from Turkey's Roman past to its Islamic present: the Mevlana's Mausoleum, Konya.
It was crowded with tourists and Muslim pilgrims.
Mausoleum means stately tomb, and Mevlana is the father of the Whirling Dervishes. The Whirling Dervishes are so called because of their interesting practice of whirling about as an act of devotion to God. Even the shrub at the mausoleum twirls around a pole!
At the graveyard we found many Ottoman tombstones. The social ranks of the deceased are identified by the style of turban or cap placed on top of the headstones.
Spoilt for choice at the Spices Bazaar in Istanbul, as we contemplate, from left, teas, spices, nuts, dried fruits, and Turkish Delight.
Turkish Delight is mentioned in the Chronicles of Narnia. In The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, the White Witch feeds the boy Edmund enchanted Turkish Delight. He craves the sweet and betrays his brother and sisters to the witch.
Three hours later; arriving for an afternoon tête à tête with the heart and soul of Modern Turkey - Massive statues of Turkish citizens solemnly greet us at the Atatürk Mausoleum, Ankara.
Atatürk is the beloved father of Modern Turkey. His face is painted on Turkish flags everywhere. How did he grow to receive such endearing adoration from his people?
1923: As first the primary figure in the Turkish national movement, Atatürk won for his people the Turkish War of Independence.
Then as President of Turkey till 1938, he introduced many reforms that advanced Turkey to what it is today. Inscribed above on the wall is a eulogy by the second president of Turkey: "You rendered us vigour from the fire in your soul in your whole life." Atatürk gave women the right to vote in 1930, long before other Middle Eastern countries did the same.
Soldier, soldier, have you counted how many times you were photographed today?
Another day, another photo opportunity - spying some sales assistants washing their carpet wares.
We leave you with a charming view of a street in Istanbul, leading down to the Marmara Sea.
Photography by my dearest Edmund and me.
Also Read:
A Love Letter to Turkey I | A Love Letter to Turkey III