My Goodbye to Central Europe…For Now

This is my farewell post to Slovakia…at least for now. I will be leaving the country soon to have other adventures. It has been such a treat to be here and I love Central Europe. Slovakia (the center of the center of Europe) is a beautiful country.  I did some calculations and realized that in the past 19 months I've visited 8 countries; Slovakia, Austria, Hungary, Poland, The Netherlands, Belgium, Italy and Turkey, and two continents; Europe and Turkey. Wow, I'm a little overwhelmed just thinking about it.

River Vah in Piestany January 2014

I have composed some of the best of my 50+ posts of my travels in and around Slovakia. I'm not saying goodbye, only čau, because I will be back. I'll keep posting on my experiences and travels and hope you will continue to follow my adventures.

Slovakia

It's hard to pick the best. While living here I've visited seven castles in Slovakia; Bratislava (my first), Trenčin (I lived there for four months), Beckov, Banska Stiavnica, Bojnice, and Orava and my personal favorite, Spiš Castle.  Spiš is located near the village of Levoča where I met Nadia and David Conway on my first trip in Slovakia. I've had the pleasure of visiting Levoča three times, twice to experience the Indian Summer Music Festival hosted by David and Nadia.

Spiš Castle

There are other adventures as well; two wine tasting tours and the summer party in Čachtice with the Skypers team. 

Wine tour May 2013

Austria

Salzburg Austria August 2012

I've visited Vienna several times, and it's alway a pleasure but I think the Vienna Christmas market, the bike wine tour and the trip to Salzburg are the most memorial.

Wine bike tour Wachau Valley, Austria

Hungary

Budapest is a must see on any European tour. I'm so glad I saw it early in my stay because it was such a lovely way to start my adventure in Central Europe.

Parliament, Pest August 2012

Poland

If Budapest was a nice first entry to my travel life in Central Europe, Krakow was the bang up finish. What a city! I absolutely loved it. Although Auschwitz provided a solemn historical view, it was well worth the experience.  

Wawel Royal Castle, Krakow Jan 2014

Italy

Even though I had been to Italy before, the trip I took with the Rotary members that included two of my students, was a highlight of my travels to date. I cherished the four day trip through Tuscany. Of all the places I've been, Italy has a special place in my heart and I know I will be back again.

Montepulciano, Italy Spring 2013

The Netherlands

Amsterdam had been on my travel "to do" list for some time. So, Christmas 2012 I had a weeks paid vacation and decided to make it one of my stops. Amsterdam is an incredible city. It is one of those places that mixes history with a contemporary flair and nothing looks out-of-place.

Amsterdam, December 2012

Belgium

Ooh…what a night. I celebrated Christmas 2012 with Bruges for breakfast, lunch in Ghent and dinner (mussels and a Gamay Blue) in Brussels. The Christmas markets were beyond what I had seen with carousels and joy rides, but I believed I enjoyed the music museum most.

Bruges Christmas Day 2012

Grand Place, Brussels December 2012

Turkey

Antalya, Turkey

Pamukkale, Turkey

My trip to Turkey was the first time I'd ever been on a tour. I've never liked the thought of being shoved to and fro and honestly this tour didn't change my mind. I like to see places on my own. It was a week long plane and bus ride with 30 Slovaks who didn't speak English. Now… there's an adventure. I wish we'd had a longer stay in Istanbul (I guess I'll just have to go back) however, if I hadn't gone on a tour, I don't think I would have seen as much of the country; Ephesus, Pamukkale, and Antalya  

Theatre in Ephesus, Turkey March 2013

Whew…there you have it.  Almost two years in a nutshell. In the immortal words of an Austrian actor turned California Governor…"I'll be back!"

Turkey, the Cradle of Civilization

In addition to traveling through Central Europe, one of my great interests was to see Turkey.  After spending just a short 10 days in the country, I can see why so many refer to Anatolia as the cradle of civilization.

My journey started in Istanbul (Marmara Region) down the Aegean Coast to Troy, Ephesus and Pamukkale then inland down to the Mediterranean Sea and Antalya.

Turkey (Anatolia) is over 10 thousand years old and is the point where Europe meets Asia and therefore has been the center of many migrations, conquests and conflicts.  From pre-historic era settlements to the Roman and Byzantine periods to the Ottoman Empire to its establishment as the Republic of Turkey, Anatolia which makes up 97% of Turkey's land mass, remains geo-political and of socio-economic importance.

In this post I will combine my previous posts on Istanbul and Ephesus and have included information and pictures from Pamukkale, Hierapolis and Antalya.

Istanbul, Turkey's Largest and Most Magnificent City

Ephesus, One of the World's Best Protected Civilizations

Pamukkale

Pamukkale (Cotton Castle)

Pamukkale means Cotton Castle and is a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage site.  Terraces of white rock with thermal pools dot the mountainside some 400 meters above sea level. The natural spring is approximately 35 degree Celsius and the terraces are spread over a 4 km area.  I walked out onto the terraces but it is strictly forbidden to wear any shoes.  It was quite slippery and I almost took a tumble into one of the pools (what a klutz)! As you can imagine Pamukkale is quite a tourist area and although I was visiting pre-season, there were several people enjoying the water. 

The area around the terraces are filled with beautiful flower beds and walkways with benches to sit and enjoy the scenic view.

High Flyer over Pamukkale

Hierapolis

Directly behind Pamukkale is the ancient city of Hierapolis.  The city was named after Telephos' (founder of Pergamon) wife Hiera and was annexed into the Roman Empire in 133 BC. Most of the cities remains can be traced to the 1st and 2nd centuries.  The Roman Bath, built in the 2nd century is now a museum.

Roman Bath 2nd Century now a museum

The theatre in Hierapolis had a seating capacity of 10,000 and was build in the 2nd century AD. In the back of the photo (circled in red) is the memorial grave to Philip, one of the martyred apostles. 

One of the most interesting sites in Hierapolis is the necropolis, with thousands of graves and tombs. I found it quite eerie walking down the long path through the excavated ruins.  The photo below is one of the tomb houses in the necropolis.

Antalya

Our final day was in Antalya, a lovely city located on the Mediterranean Sea.  Our hotel was the nicest so far.  Unfortunately, the tour company takes the bus load of "guests" to carpet, leather and jewelry manufacturers.  We spent about 7 hours at these places and really lost one full day of the trip.  Not my idea of fun which is why I've never taken a tour before and most likely will not again.  I only had one morning to walk the city and visit the Archaeological Museum and was well-worth the time.

Ruins in Antalya date back 2M years to the Palaeolithic Age, the Mesolithic Age, the Neolithic Age, the Chalkolithic Age and the Bronze Age.  Now, Antalya is a tourist city with numerous markets, white beaches and waterfalls. 

In my next life I'd like to be an archeologist. It seems to me all of Turkey is one giant dig. The museum boasts some of the oldest and most precious artifacts in the world.

The last night in Antalya we were taken to dinner and treated to special Turkish dancers.  The belly dancers (both men and women) were one of the highlights of the trip.

Ephesus, One of the World's Best Protected Ancient Civilizations

Ephesus on the Aegean Sea

Situated at the edge of the Bulbul and Panayir Mountain areas, Ephesus is one of the best-protected historic cities in Western Asia.  The city is the most famous of the Ionic settlements in Turkey. It was used as an export harbor, as well as the western starting point of a trade route leading from the Kaystros Valley across Iran into Asia.

It became an Ionic colony in the 10th century BC under the rule of Lydia and was rescued from Persian domination by Alexander the Great.  Ephesus had its "hay day" or golden period during the time it was a Roman city starting in 133 BC.  Most of the excavated structures are from this period. It was also during this time Christianity was growing in the region.  The St. Paul came to the city in 54 AD.  St. John wrote his Gospel here and after the death of Jesus, Mary fled to Ephesus to escape Christian persecution (I also visited Mary's house and have pics later in the post.) Because of all these events throughout ancient history, Ephesus is an important religious center.  It's probably the reason so many excavations have been and are continuing to be done in this center of civilization.

Roman decorations along Marble Street

Parts of a Roman Statue on Marble Street

Entrance to the city was by two avenues: The gates of the Virgin Mary and the Kusadasi Road. The gymnasium stood at the Kusadasi entrance and was built in the 2nd century dedicated to Artemis. 

Marble Street  begins at the west end of the Gymnasium leading to the Celsus Library.  The library was erected in honor of a Roman lord of Ephesus.  It was a two-story structure with four female statues in niches in the front of the building representing "Virtue", "Science", "Destiny", and "Knowledge", the original statues are now in Austria.  It is difficult to see them in this pic but I have a close up of one in the "Other Photos" section.

Celsus Library

Immediately to the left of the library is the major excavation of the Houses on the Slope built in the 1st century AD.  These houses belonged to the city's wealthier residents; the restoration of two of the houses is completed and I was able to take a separate tour.  The first house is the largest and was two stories.  It had a bathroom, kitchen, theatre room (yep!), and a fountain in the entry.  The frescoes and mosaics are amazing.  It was definitely a highlight for me to see.

House #1; 900 square meters with a second floor

Just one of the many mosaics in the house

Beautiful fresco

Opposite the "Houses on the Slope" is Harbour Road.  This road ran from the harbour to the front of the theatre and was built in the late Hellenistic period, around 408 AD. Beneath the road ran the sewage canal, while fresh water canals were built under the small shops lining both sides of the road.  Different symbols were imbedded into the road to signify buildings.  I have a pic of one of the symbols below.

Harbour Road to the Great Theatre

A foot with a heart (upper left) means this is the way to a brothel

The theatre was the largest structure in Ephesus and had a capacity for seating 25,000 people.  It had three floors with 22 stairs on each floor.  Not all of the theatre has been excavated. The theatre was first constructed during the Hellenistic period but the remains seen today are from the 1st and 2nd centuries AD.  In 54 AD St. Paul was attacked by the people of Ephesus when he tried to stop them from worshipping Artemis. After this confrontation Paul left Ephesus.

Virgin Mary's House

After the death of Jesus, Mary and John fled to Ephesus. This church is now known as the Virgin Mary's House and dates back to the 6th century.  The structure was originally found in ruins and has been restored. During excavations, pieces of coal belonging to the 1st century were found.  Five daily prayers as in Islam are performed here, because the Virgin Mary is also sacred to Moslems.

The gardens around the house are quite lovely and many Christians sojourn to this place to offer prayers.

Other Sites Near Ephesus

Artemis Temple was considered one of the "Wonders of the World" in ancient times. The only ruin left is one column.  The temple was actually built five times with the fourth constructed temple built during the rein of King Kroissos of Lydia in 550 BC.  Check out the birds nest on top. As you can see the land around this temple column and the other ruins is quite marshy and as a result malaria outbreaks were frequent.

Relief statue - Celsus Library

Other photos

Fountain of Trajan

House on the Slope pots for cooking

Temple of Hadrian built in 138 AD

Istanbul, Turkey's Largest & Most Magnificent City

Blue Mosque at Night
(photo courtesy of Lorrie LeJeune)

This post is just a very brief history and account of an ancient city with the first settlements in Istanbul dating back to 4000 BC.  It has been besieged by King Philip of Macedonia and Alexander the Great and thrived through the Byzantine and Ottoman Empires. It is the bridge between Europe and Asia with over six million people and can take its place among the world's largest cities.

I would love to say I really had the opportunity to see all of the city, but sadly I was on a tour of the Aegean Sea coast and only had one day in this glorious city of two world's, Europe and Asia.  The Europe side more modern in architecture and the Asian side, wroth with ancient dwellings I could see from a boat tour.

Unfortunately along with only a day to experience Istanbul, I had camera issues my memory card (digital isn't always best) and lost all my photos.  Thankfully a friend of mine, Lorrie LeJeune had just been to Istanbul a couple of weeks prior to my visit and so she has lent me her photos for this blog.  Many thanks Lorrie!

For the purposes of this blog (and because I lost so many photos) I will be concentrating on the Hagia Sofia, the Sultan Ahmed Mosque (Blue Mosque) and the Hippodrome.  Although if you visit Istanbul I highly recommend a few other sites.

Galata Tower:  Constantinople, as Istanbul was originally named, was situated between the Golden Horm and the Sea of Marmara.  Galata belonged to the Genoese (foreigners) who built the Galata Tower in 1348. After Mehmed II seized Galata from the Genoese he had it lowered but it was restored in 1967 to its original 55 m height.

Dolmabahce Palace: The Palace is quite impressive as it sits right on the Marmara Sea and can be seen by boat.  Originally a wooden palace of the Ottoman dynasty, it was torn down and rebuilt to today's site in 1853.  It was originally the Sultan apartments for his personal family and harem.  Today it is a Museum of Art and Sculpture. 

The Rumeli Fortresses: The fortresses originally built by Sultan Mehmed II in 1452 was designed to control the Bosphorus straits.  The site was the old temple to Zeus and its walls are 1.5 m thick and 7 m high.  Now it is an open air theatre for shows and performances.

Hagia Sofia

The Hagia Sofia was constructed during the Byzantine era during the reign of Emperor Constantine the Great and completed by his son Constantine in the year 360.  The main basilica was destroyed in 404 and rebuilt in 415.  It was again destroyed during the Nika uprising in 532.  It was again rebuilt in the mid 500 and was finally left in its present form from 562 in the style of the dome basilicas of the time.  The domes are weighted in balance with east and west with the columns placed in north-south directions.  The eight porphyry columns were brought from the Artemis temple in Ephesus, and marble stones and columns brought from Rome and Athens. There are red, circular ceremonial partitions on the right where the Emperor's throne was placed. I asked our Turkish guide was the some mosques had one tower and others two or more.  She said the number of towers established the wealth of either the person or persons living in the community.  Many wealthy individuals will built one or two mosques in their community as a status symbol.  The towers were originally built so men could call others to prayer.  An individual would climb up the tower and call out or sing to make sure others would come to prayer which is five times daily. Now, they use microphones and many don't even climb up the towers anymore.

Inside Hagia Sophia
(photos courtesy of Lorrie LeJeune)

The mosaic panel of Jesus rests above the Emperor's entrance door. 

Sultan Ahmed (Blue) Mosque

The Blue Mosque was built between 1609-1616 by Sultan Ahmed I.  It is built with a square plan design and the central dome rests upon four vaults which stand on large marble pedestals. Its door is inlaid with mother-of-pearl, gold-gilt and marble sculptured bannister's are all original works of art.  It was named "Blue Mosque" after the blue and green colors of the tiles. We were able to go inside to see the Mosque during one of their services.  We did have to take off our shoes, however we didn't have to wash our feet, face or hands and were not able to enter the prayer area.  I did see the special "cage" reserved for women. I say cage because it was all closed with bars.  Our guide said women are separated because men may become aroused by women praying next to them and the men should only focus on Allah.  Why is it all religions are so concerned with sex?

Inside Dome of the Blue Mosque
(Photo courtesy of Lorrie LeJeune)

Hippodrome

Hippodrome at Night
(photo courtesy of Lorrie LeJeune)

Just outside the Blue Mosque is the Hippodrome constructed in 230 during the time of Constantine and the reign of Roman Emperor Septimius Severas.  There are several monuments along the 370m x 118m original racing track; the Theodosius Obelisk, the Serpentine Column, Constantine's Column and the  German Fountain, a gift from German Emperor Wilhelm II.  Today, the monument is currently under renovation.

The racing track was bordered by spectator seats on three sides, with the Emperor's stand on the fourth side.  The Hippodrome could seat 100,000 in its glory days and was surrounded by high walls. It was destroyed during the crusades in 1204. It became a "Meydani" Horse Square where the Ottoman's would train their horses.  I did have photos of the obelisks and if I can somehow retrieve my photos from the damaged memory card I will update the post.

I'd be remiss if I didn't include all the wonderful bazaars in Istanbul.  The open air shopping areas are throughout the city and can offer some nice prices if you are willing to haggle.  The owners love to talk price!  One of the treats of Turkey is what is known as Turkish Delight. The dessert comes in all sizes and shapes and different flavors and mixtures of nuts and some spices.

This is just the first post of many on my adventure in Turkey so stay tuned for more from the cradle of civilization.