Just Turkey

HASANKEYF

Fri, 01 Feb 2008 14:03:00 +0200

HASANKEYF

Hasankeyf is an open museum located at the end of an impressive gorge formed by the Tigris River. The cave dwellings and ruins of Hasankeyf tell of a long history although it is not known when and by whom Hasankeyf was first established. The Romans built the stronghold of Cephe on the frontier separating the Roman Empire from the Persian Sassanid Empire in a strategic place on the steep rocks overlooking the River Tigris. Under the name Kiphas, which means "steep rock", the Byzantines made it also their stronghold in the south-east of Anatolia. In the fifth century, this place became the seat of a Bishopric. Coveted by the Arabs, in the seventh century, the city

DIYARBAKIR

Fri, 01 Feb 2008 14:01:00 +0200

DIYARBAKIR

Diyarbakir rises above the right bank of the Tigris River (Dicle) to the north of the Mesopotamian plain. Many thousands of years ago, the volcano Karacadag, now extinct, erupted leaving a thick layer of basalt. Diyarbakir, which has its foundations on this black basalt stratum, is known as “the Dark” because the walls and much of the old town are constructed from the rock.
The region of Diyarbakir saw a succession of civilizations such as the Hurrites, Mittanians, Arameans, Chaldeans, Assyrians, Urartians, Medes, Persians, Macedonians. The city, known at the time under the name Amida, from 115 AD, was at stake in the wars between the Romans and the Parthians and later the Sassanids. Finally in 297 AD, Amida was annexed to the Roman Empire. A fortress was built on the hillock overlooking the city and in 349, Emperor Constance surrounded it by walls that later were reinforced by the Byzantines and particularly in the 6th century under the reign of Justinian, to face the continuous Sassanid threat. But aroud 638, the tremendous walls could not resist the attacks of the Arab tribes regrouped unter the banner of Islam and who had set out to capture Syria, Mesopotamia and Iran, after defeating the Byzantines on the banks of the Yarmouk River (which d.. ( devamı )

VAN

Fri, 01 Feb 2008 13:54:00 +0200

VAN

The city of Van is situated at an altitude of 1,700 m/ 5,580 ft on the eastern bank of Lake Van. The largest lake in Turkey is an inner sea that covers 3,713 km2 / 1,433 sq miles with a depth reaching 100 m / 328 ft. Because of the high salinity of the water, there is almost no life in the lake, fishes concentrating at the mouth of the rivers. In the region, there is a typical rare and ancient breed of cat called “ Turkish Van Cat ” (Van kedisi). All over the world the Van cat is recognized as an auburn white cat because of the auburn patterns on the top of the head and a faintly ringed auburn tail. But in Turkey they breed only what is called the real Turkish Van cat with a white coat. It can have both blue, both amber or one blue and the other amber eyes. This strong cat is beautiful, friendly, intelligent, faithful and lively. A rather surprising fact is that the Van Cat likes to swim in the lake. The shape of its head and semi-longhaired coat distinguishes it from the Turkish Angora Cat (Ankara Kedisi).
Van is linked to Ankara and İstanbul by daily flights.

Van, the ancient Tushpa and capital of the Urartu Kingdom founded in the 9C BC by Sarduri I, repelled the attacks of the Assyrians but was conquered in the 6C BC by the Medeans and later the Persians. In the 1C BC, the region became the center of the Armenian Kingdom founded by Tigran the Great, but it also .. ( devamı )

MOUNT ARARAT

Fri, 01 Feb 2008 13:50:00 +0200

MOUNT ARARAT

The highest mount in Anatolia is Mount Ararat, called Ağrı Dağı in Turkish, a volcano that culminates at 5,165 m/ 16,945 ft and whose summit is always capped with snow. The last eruption dates back to June 20, 1840. Many expeditions took place, some of which aiming to find the remains of Noah’s Ark that is thought to have landed there after the Deluge.

Noah's Ark - Miniature
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ANİ

Tue, 29 Jan 2008 13:43:00 +0200

ANİ

Ani, the ancient capital of the Bagratids, is located on a plateau near the gorges of the Arpa Çayı, whose course has delimited the border between Armenia and Turkey. Due to the proximity of the border, an authorization for the visit must be obtained from the Kars Tourism Office, and countersigned by the police in Ani.

The Armenian people who, at the time, was a prey to civil wars, had to split into two kingdoms: the Southern Kingdom in the region of Van, and the Northern Kingdom in the hands of the Bagratids. Ani was founded by Ashot Msaker (806-827) who was a prince of the Bagratid family, but it was made the Bagratid capital by Ashot III only in 961. In 993, during the construction of the cathedral, the See of the Armenian Catholicos was transferred here. This prosperous city owed to Sembat II its double walls with four gates and round towers still visible today. Weakened by fratricide wars, Ani was also assaulted by the Georgians and threatened by the Seljuks. Hovhannes Sembat asked for the protection of the Byzantines, in compensation of what, he bequeathed his kingdom to them. Gagik II who did not hold his Uncle’s word (who died in 1040) was forced to give it up in 1045. Only a few years later, Ani was taken by the Seljuks led by Alparslan. The place came under the power of emirs then was taken from Muslim hands by the Georgia.. ( devamı )

KARS

Tue, 29 Jan 2008 13:42:00 +0200

KARS

The city of Kars is located at an altitude of 1,750 meters (5,741 ft), to the northeast of Erzurum close to the borders of Georgia and Armenia. Although it is not the highest city in Turkey, Kars has the bad reputation of being the coldest city in the country with temperatures dropping to minus 30 degrees Celsius (- 22 F) during the winter season. Situated 55 km/ 34 miles southwest of Kars at an altitude of 2,634 m/ 8,641 ft is Sarıkamış, a ski center with ideal snow qualified with international standards, set in a scenic pine forest (ski season lasts from mid December till the end of April).

After different periods of occupations, at the beginning of the 10th century, Kars became the seat of the Armenian Bagratid Kingdom until it was supplanted by Ani as the capital. Later it fell into the hands of the Seljuks and the Georgians. After the Ottoman conquest in 1514, Kars became an important fortified place near the Russian border. It was besieged many times by the Russians and was conquered by them during the Crimean War (1853-56), becoming the center of the Turko-Russian war. Given back to the Turks, it was again occupied between 1878 and 1920, when it was granted to Turkey by the Treaty of Andrinople.

The town, built on a grid plan, reveals a stereotyped architecture left the Russians.

Because of its location amid green pastures, the region of Kars produces an excellent cheese. Kars is also reputed for folk dances, kilims and .. ( devamı )

PASINLER

Tue, 29 Jan 2008 13:40:00 +0200

PASINLER

Hasankale is an old Armenian citadel restored by Uzun Hasan (1435-1478), the famest leader of the White Sheep (Akkoyunlular), a Turcoman tribe which settled in the mid 14 th century in south-eastern Anatolia, ruling the region from Diyarbakır.

Çobandede, the 13th century Seljuk bridge that spans over the Arax (Aras) river, was restored by famous architect Sinan in the 16th century.

.. ( devamı )

ERZURUM

Tue, 29 Jan 2008 13:39:00 +0200

ERZURUM

Erzurum, which is located on a plateau at an altitude of 1,950 m/ 6,400 ft, is the largest city in Eastern Anatolia. Erzurum has very old origins extending back to about 4000 BC. Since antiquity Erzurum has been located on a caravan route from Anatolia to Persia, and has also been an important strategic centre. The region was conquered by the Urartians, Cimmerians, Scyths, Medes, the Persians, the Romans. However, it actually gained importance after it became a Byzantine stronghold and the fortress of Theodosiopolis was built. The religious divergence between the Armenians and Greeks often gave rise to clashes between the two populations. Taking advantage of the situation, the Sassanids temporarily occupied the city in the early 6th century. In 632, the Byzantines held a synod to impose on the Armenian Church to join the principles of the Greek orthodoxy. In 651, the place fell to the Arabs who called it "Erzen er-Rum" (the land of the Romans) or “Arz-er Rum” from which its present name is derived. Erzurum was in turn occupied by the Arabs and the Byzantines who made many attempts to take back the city. From 923, Byzantine general John Kurkuas defeated the Arabs on several fronts. The city .. ( devamı )

ÇORUH VALLEY

Tue, 29 Jan 2008 13:32:00 +0200

ÇORUH VALLEY

Between Artvin and Erzurum, a picturesque road follows the course of the fast flowing Çoruh River which is ideal for rafting. There are beautiful landscapes all along the river over which numerous old bridges and wooden footbridges have been thrown. All along the valley, many small ruined castles can be seen. They were built within sight of each other, which enabled better communication between them. Also, lots of Georgian vestiges can be found in the region:

Parhal : here stands a three naved basilica decorated with 10C paintings.

Dört Kilise is another 10C church.

İşhan: located high in the mountains, in a picturesque village that was once an Armenian then a Georgian bishopric, there are a 8-9C cathedral decorated with frescoes and a church dedicated to the Virgin Mary by Prince Gurgen in 1006.

RİZE

Tue, 29 Jan 2008 13:29:00 +0200

RİZE

Located at the seaside, Rize is surrounded by green tea plantations which make the wealth of the region as far as Hopa at the Georgian border. Tea has long been the national drink of Turkish People but tea cultivation was introduced in Turkey a little before World War II. There are about 200,000 tea growers in the Eastern Black Sea Region. They pick green tea three times a year from May to October. The average annual fresh tea leaves production is about 800,000 tons which means a 155-160,000 tons of black tea production. 65% is produced by public sector “Çaykur”, and 35% by private sector. High technology is used on tea production in tea processing factories. It is possible to visit the Rize Tea Institute or/and a tea plantation.
The Rize International Tea Festival takes place every year in June.

.. ( devamı )

SÜMELA

Mon, 28 Jan 2008 11:23:00 +0200

SÜMELA

The Byzantine Monastery of Sumela is located hinterland in a breathtaking site, hanging on the face of a steep rock 1,200m / 4,000 ft high. Dedicated to the Virgin Mary, this sanctuary, where Emperor Alexius Komnenus III was crowned in 1340, is composed of a rock-cut church and a chapel both decorated with frescoes, and conventual buildings, some of them added in the 17th century.

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TRABZON

Mon, 28 Jan 2008 11:22:00 +0200

TRABZON

Trabzon is the largest city and the second commercial port of the Black Sea in Turkey after Samsun, and it is also the center of an important agricultural region where , tobacco, tea, hazelnuts, rice are intensively grown. The city is built in the shape of an amphitheatre against woody hillsides overlooking the sea. It has narrow streets and old Ottoman wooden houses.
Trabzon is linked to İstanbul and Ankara by daily flights.

Ancient Trapezos successively came under the domination of the kings of Pontus (Euxeinos Pontos is the Greek name given to the Black Sea and the north-east region of Anatolia) and later the Romans. It was an important commercial port at the beginning of the main caravan route between the Black Sea and Persia via the Armenian mountains. It was destroyed by the Goths in 260 AD. Rebuilt and strongly fortified by Byzantine emperor Justinian, the city resisted the assaults of the Seljuks and the Mongols. In 1204, when Constantinople, the Byzantine capital, was seized and sacked by the Crusaders, two princes who were grandsons of Andronikos Komnenos I, fled. With the help of Georgian Queen Tamara, Alexius Komnenus took the title of emperor and founded the Independent Empire of Trebizond where he and his successors held a somptuous court. Later they made alliances with the Crusaders and the Palaeologus after the Byzantine restoration in Constantinople (1261). Trebizond could repel the assaults of the Seljuk Turks and the Mongols, but the last Byzantine bastion was finally seized by Mehmet the Conqueror in 1461.

Haghia Sophia, this wonderful byzantine church in the mi.. ( devamı )

TOKAT

Mon, 28 Jan 2008 11:21:00 +0200

TOKAT

Because of its geographical position, Tokat was, in ancient times, a strategic and commercial place. Located between two steep hills, Tokat is a charming town and an active craft industry center famous for its copper work, weaving and printing of fabrics with wooden pads called “yazma” (from yazmak, which means to write). Yazma is an old folk art using mainly floral designs. There are two types of yazma, “baski işi”, done with carved wooden blocks, and “kalem işi”, drawn by hand.

A tradition of carved and painted wood decoration and painted murals give the “konak” (mansions) of Tokat a particular elegance.

Places of interest:

The Madımağın and Latifoğlu Konakları are mansions which have been restaured showing the splendor of wealthy life in rural Turkey in the 19th century.

The Citadel, with its 28 towers, is an ancient building transformed by the Seljuks and the Ottomans.

Garipler Camii, a mosque from the 12C.

Ali Paşa Camii from the 16C.

Gök Medrese (1270) is an old school of theology transformed into the Archaeoligical Museum housing local finds.

Hatuniye Medresesi is a complex built by Sultan Beyazıt II in the 16C.

The Seljuk bridge on the Yeşilırmak River.

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AMASYA

Mon, 28 Jan 2008 11:20:00 +0200

AMASYA

Located at the foot of a rock in a narrow valley through which flow the torrential waters of the Yeşilırmak river, this charming town has a prestigious past: occupying a strategic and economic position on the route between Mesopotamia and the Black Sea, the ancient city of Amaseia was the capital of the kings of Pontus (Euxeinos Pontos is the Greek name given to the Black Sea and the North-Eastern region of Anatolia) during the Hellenistic period, a county town during the Roman period, the homeland of geographer Strabon, a Byzantine fortified fortress, the capital of the last kingdom of eastern Armenia, a Turkish emirate and a Mongol base before it was finally conquered by Ottoman Sultan Bayezit I in 1392.

The Ottoman houses lining the banks of the Yeşilırmak river create a picturesque atmosphere. The beauty of Amasya’s surroudings and its architecture legacy have contributed to make Amasya of the the most attractive city in Turkey.

Here in Amasya, Atatürk began his campaign for Turkish independence in secret meetings in June 1919.

Places of interest:

The Ancient Citadel , whose remains are a few towers with the ruins of an Ottoman palace and a tunnel w.. ( devamı )

SAFRANBOLU

Mon, 28 Jan 2008 11:19:01 +0200

SAFRANBOLU

Safranbolu is a picturesque small town located 115 km/ 71 miles north-east of Bolu.
From the 13th century till the 19th century, Safranbolu was an important caravan post. The old mosque, the medrese and hammams were built in 1322. The special architecture of the beautiful houses influenced the urban development of a large part of the Ottoman Empire. The impressive architecture of their rooves have led them to be called "Houses with five facades". The houses are two or three storeyed consisting of 6 to 9 rooms. Each room is intricately detailed and have ample window space allowing plenty of light. The delicate woodwork and carvings, wall and ceiling decoration, the banisters and the indoor knobs....all come together to form an unmatched harmony of architectural aestetics. The most important houses called “konak”(mansions) even have inner pools.
There are about 600 fountains in Safranbolu.
The town has been declared by UNESCO to be one of the Eminent Cultural Heritages of the World.
The Safranbolu Architectural Treasures and Folklore Week takes place every year in September.

BOLU

Mon, 28 Jan 2008 11:19:00 +0200
BOLU

The region of Bolu is a nice stop to break the journey between Istanbul and Ankara, as it is situated approximately half way between the two cities. It is located in the middle of thick forests and a green nature. Abant Lake situated at an altitude of 1,500m/ 4,921 feet, and the National Park of Yedigöller (Seven Lakes) are wonderful places.
Bolu and its surrounding towns had a significant effect in Ottoman cuisine as the best cooks of the Ottoman Empire were from this area. Mengen, a small town near Bolu still holds this tradition, where the biggest cook festivals in Turkey are held.

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DİVRİĞİ

Fri, 25 Jan 2008 13:38:00 +0200

DİVRİĞİ

Ancient Tephrike was a Byzantine fortified town that was conquered by the Seljuk Turks at the end of the 11C, and became the capital of the Mengucekid emirs. Sacked by the Mongols, Divriği was united to the Ottoman Empire in 1516.
In 1228-29, Emir Ahmet Shah built a beautiful mosque composed of a single prayer room crowned with two domes, and a hospital beside. A high technique used in the construction of the vaults and a type of ornemental sculpture that shows a great creativity and originality ( in particular the northern portal which is a masterpiece of stonework, showing a contrast with the sobriety of the inner walls) are the unique characteristics of this masterpiece of Islamic architecture.
The Monument has been declared by the UNESCO to be one of the Eminent Cultural Heritages of the World.

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KANGAL

Fri, 25 Jan 2008 13:36:00 +0200

KANGAL

Kangal is famous for its thermal springs called "Balıklı Kaplıca", a center for the treatment of psoriasis and skin diseases unique in the world. The springs, rich in minerals and known for their curative effects, are filled with two types of healer fishes whose length does not exceed 19-20 cm / 7.5-7.8 inches. The Cyprinion macrostomus macrostomus which act as "strikers" (they are the smaller) locating and nibbling at the diseased area, and the Garra rufa obtusa which act as "lickers" swallowing the dead tissue (they have stronger jaws) are of the Cyprinidae (carp) family. These omnivorous fishes, which feed on phytoplankton and zooplankton found only in small amount in the pools, do not grow larger because they live in hot water at 37 C / 99 F.
Scientific researches and the observation of patients have shown that there are mainly five factors to recover from the psoriasis in the thermal center: entering the pool twice a day and stay in the water for eight hours in total for physical contact with the fishes that totally "clean" the affected areas of the skin; the benefit from drinking the healing water which contains selenium (1.3 ppm) known to be the most friendly element for the skin and to be most effective in curing dermatological diseases; the advantage of high altitude (1650 m / 5,413 ft from the sea level) with the direct effect of natural ultraviolet radiation; the natural jacuzzi effect of the springs which flow into the pools; the Reverse Koebner Phenomenon (Koebner Phenomenon is a reaction to skin injury often seen in psoriasis patients, and victims of some other diseases).
During the three weeks pool therapy usually recommended, no alcohol should be taken (consumption of alcohol is not allowed within the public precincts of the centre). Towels, slippers and bathrobe are not provided b.. ( devamı )

SIVAS

Fri, 25 Jan 2008 13:35:01 +0200

SİVAS

Located in the broad valley of the Kızılırmak (ancient Halys) at an altitude of 1,275m/ 4,185 ft, Sivas is the highest city on the central Anatolian plateau. Although excavations made at a mound known as Toprak Tepesi have revealed traces of a Hittite settlement and besides the fact that the region came under the Phrygian, Lydian and Persian domination, almost nothing is known of Sivas' history until the Roman period when a city known as Sebasteia was founded in honor of Emperor Augustus in the late first century BC. Because of its location at the crossroads of the caravan routes between East and West and North and South, the city became an important trade metropolis. Christianity spread in the city in the 2nd century, but in the early 4th century, the Christians suffered from the tyranny of the Emperor Licinius with whom the story of the Fourty Martyrs of Sebasteia is associated. During the Byzantine period, Sebasteia became a bishopric. In the 6th century, Justinian had the walls strengthened but this did not prevent the city to be temporarily occupied by the Sassanid Persians in the late 6th century and by the Ommeyads in the 7th century. The Byzantine Empire having striven for a long time to subdue the small Armenian kingdoms across its borders, in 1021, King Senekerim Hovhannes of Vaspourakan (

YAZILIKAYA

Fri, 25 Jan 2008 13:35:00 +0200
YAZILIKAYA

The rock-cut Hittite sanctuary of Yazılıkaya (which means "inscribed rock) is located near Boğazkale. It was established during the New Empire in a naturally preserved rocky place forming galleries or narrow passes which faces are covered with low reliefs. Only the plan of the temple is still visible but the sanctuary has two interesting galleries:

The Great Gallery is a Hittite pantheon that includes 56 low reliefs with hieroglyphic texts identifying and explaining them. It leads to the Great Temple.

The Smal Gallery has the best preserved frieze depicting the numerous Hittite gods.

.. ( devamı )