After our days in Istanbul, we climbed aboard the bus and headed east into the Asian center of Turkey. Our destination was Anatolia, where we landed for one night in the Turkish capital of Ankara.
Ankara is actually very old, but as the capital of modern Turkey, it has grown tremendously. With a population of 5.1 million and more, it is second only to Istanbul in population. What we saw of Ankara in our brief, one-day visit, was an impressive, thriving, and very modern capital city. From our hotel in mid- city, a group of us walked a few blocks to find the Turkish version of a “Pub” where we enjoyed dinner and drinks. Tomorrow would be a busy day: First we visit a great archeological museum and then the Mausoleum of Atatürk, the heroic founder of modern Turkey – before traveling again to Mustafapasa where we will stay in Cappadocia.
The Museum of Anatolian Civilizations, elected as the first “European Museum of the Year” in 1997, is a beautiful museum featuring ancient artifacts from the many different peoples and eras. In central Turkey, Anatolia sits at the crossroads of Asia and Europe, so its history of pre-Roman civilizations is particularly broad. From the Paleolithic era on, its holdings reflect the Neolithic era, the Early Bronze Age, Assyrian trading colonies, Hittite, Phrygian, Urartian, Greek, Hellenistic, Roman, Byzantine, Seljuq and Ottoman periods. The museum itself is in a beautiful setting, on a wooded hillside overlooking parts of Ankara. A few large statues adorn the grassy walks outside the museum proper.
Anıt Kabir: Atatürk’s Mausoleum is a huge monument to a great national hero.
We learned a great deal about Mustafa Kemal Pasha, (1881-1938) later Mustafa Kemal Atatürk. He gained national recognition as an effective field marshal during the Gallipoli Campaign, defeating the Allied forces trying to take control of the Dardanelles. In the Turkish War of Independence, Mustafa led the fight for Turkish independence, the fall of the Ottoman Empire and the establishment of an independent Republic of Turkey. As Turkey’s first president, he was given the name “Atatürk,” which makes him to Turkey rather like George Washington is to Americans, the Father of his Country. Attaturk insisted that Turkey would be a modern, secular nation. The separation of church and state is explicitly confirmed in the country’s constitution.
Anıt Kabir (ah-NEET kah-BEER) is a large monument, well-designed for large gatherings, celebrations and military maneuvers. It features Atatürk’s Mausoleum, a library, and a rich museum that reflects Atatürk’s unique history and importance. We visited during annual celebrations of Atatürk and Turkish independence, so we saw several student classes and military groups, all visiting and honoring the national hero. There was music, marching, and lots of group pictures.
“Where is the Winston?” We were surprised to learn that Turks generally hate Winston Churchill, who is seen as brilliant and heroic in Britain and America. “Why?” we wondered. Back in WWI, the Turks, then in the last years of Ottoman rule, had sided with Germany and Austria-Hungary against the allies. The young Winston Churchill of Britain sent his forces against Turkey to gain control over the Dardanelles, the major waterway from the Aegean Sea, to the Bosphorus, and then to the Black Sea. Churchill underestimated the ability and resolution of the Turks to defend their own, resulting in the Gallipoli campaign: The young Mustafa Kemal and his Turks won, and the Allied invaders gave up and left. Now I understand why the Turks see Churchill as a despised enemy. I think it was Mine, our guide, who pointed out that Churchill’s initials, “WC” are the same as the universal abbreviation for the toilet, the “Water Closet” or the “WC.” So now we can understand why Turks, in their moment of need, will frequently ask, “Where’s the Winston?”
Cappadocia, or the Turkish spelling Cappadokya (kah-pah-DOE-kee-ah)
After our visit to Anıt Kabir: Atatürk’s Mausoleum, we retreated to our bus for the ride to the unique landscape of historic Cappadocia where we shared dinner and settled into our hotel where we would stay for three nights in the village of Mustafapaşa (MOOS-tah-fah-pah-shah). Many people here live in homes that are really caves. Even our hotel was a troglodyte, with rooms built deep into the rock. The ancient village was originally known as Sinasos, a Greek name reflecting a long history of Greek Orthodox presence. Within the Ottoman Empire, Greeks and Turks lived together peacefully, so this area is saturated with Greek influence. We enjoyed delicious dinners every day sampling Turkish and Greek dishes.
Our great hotel in Mustafapaşa: Cappadocia Estates [Click Here] provided lovely rooms and a beautiful setting. A great place to stay while in Cappadocia.
Highlights of our time in Cappadocia:
A walking tour of our village of Mustafapaşa, where most buildings, both new and old, are built into the hillsides. A typical Greek façade will sit just a foot or two in front of the hillside. It’s a quiet village with few people around, but all were friendly and welcoming.
Ancient Churches of Göreme Open-Air Museum: Another UNESCO World Heritage site, this was the home of extreme monastic life during Byzantine times from the 4th through 13th centuries. Churches, chapels and monasteries are all carved into the rock. Beautiful 10th century frescoes are still preserved on the walls.
Hot Air Balloon: One morning we awoke early, at 4:00am, to ride a hot air balloon over beautiful Cappadocia’s “fairy-chimney” geological formations. We climbed into the balloon basket and began to fly at sunrise. It was a perfect morning, cool with a clear sky, for a balloon ride, made so much more fascinating by flying over this amazing landscape of tall, weird, rock formations. At one point our “Pilot” even lowered us down, almost to the ground, amidst these towers. Although we’ve often watched hot air balloon events, this was our first flight, and we loved it. What an amazing and awesome experience.
The Personal Touch: Mine, our guide, took us to the home of an elderly widow, Fayha, who regularly welcomes visitors into her home. She prepared Turkish tea and lovely pastries for us. We sat all along the walls of her bright summer room. Acting as our translator, Mine encouraged us to ask our questions about Fayha’s life, her family and about village life here in Turkey. Before we left, she showed us her handicrafts – scarfs with decorative crochet work, necklaces, knitted slippers and baby clothes. Many of us purchased an item or two. She uses the money to help support her family. Note: We really loved this very special aspect of our Rick Steves Tour. This was not a “tourist site,” not likely on anyone else’s tour agenda. But it was a lovely chance to sit and visit with a local, to ask our questions, and to answer some of hers. It was a very special chance to meet and learn more about the people of Turkey.
The ancient underground city of Kaymaklı: Another amazing site where they’ve discovered nearly a hundred tunnels connecting rooms for storage of food and stables for livestock, metal shops, kitchens and churches. Passageways are small, so I smashed my head more than once. And narrow stairways took us deeper down along the ventilation shafts and through the four floors that are open to tourists. Parts of this complex may go back as far as the 7th century BCE, but it was expanded greatly during the Byzantine era when Greek Christians sought safety here from marauding Muslim Arabs.
April 23: National Sovereignty and Children’s Day: Having breakfasted and boarded the bus on our way to another “tourist site,” we were slowed down in the village where a central plaza was full of youngsters and their teachers preparing for a celebration. Mine decided that our “tourist site” could wait, so we stopped to enjoy this slice of local life. The adults speechified a bit, and the children sang and danced, while their community of parents and neighbors smiled at their efforts. Buildings were adorned with the Turkish flag and with images of Atatürk. Sara has a great video of the young kids, perhaps 4-5 year-olds. Watch the little girl in the right with the yellow bows. She is really feeling her own beat and doing her own thing. National Sovereignty and Children’s Day celebrates the Turkish Grand National Assembly in 1920, establishing a government for a modern Turkey, AND celebrating Turkey’s Children who would grow and thrive under it. These festive celebrations are thought to be Atatürk’s gift to the Children of Turkey. It was not on our itinerary, but again we’re so glad that our RS Tour guides stopped for this. It was priceless!
Below is a short video (less than 2 minutes) of a small portion of the celebration we joined in with the people of this village. We sat with the parents, siblings, grandparents and friends as the children performed and speeches were offered. What a beautiful experience it was. What makes this video so enjoyable is watching one little girl who is dancing to her own rhythm. I smile every time I watch her.
Turkish Carpets: If you travel in Turkey, someone will try to sell you a carpet. Vendors are ubiquitous in Istanbul, standing at the entrance to their shop or bazaar booth, accosting you with charm, nice Turkish tea, and their gorgeous carpets in all sizes, shapes and colors. “Just come in and take a look.” We were forewarned about this, including warnings that not all vendors are reliable and sell the best at a fair price. A hand-made Turkish carpet is expensive: it’s an investment. Our Rick Steves itinerary included a visit to a very reputable Turkish Rug Co-op in Cappadocia, so we trusted and waited, only looking while in Istanbul. Our stop in Cappadocia was great. We saw women at work, tying each knot by hand to make these carpets; we learned about the centuries-old tradition and the artistry of Turkish carpet weaving; we learned about the materials — cotton, wool and silk — and we saw the most beautiful array of carpets. Of course, we were invited to buy, but no one was required. And they fed us lunch along with Turkish tea. So Sara and I purchased an authentic, hand-made Turkish carpet. And we do love it.
