Empires And Wonders
Historic Türkiye
So many empires have left their mark on Türkiye. It was in the east that early civilisation and trade flourished and the riches that worked their way along the silk road were attractive prizes for nations and religions looking to expand, both in footprint and tax revenue.
For the modern tourist, this has left a veritable treasure trove of history to explore. We started with the Trojans.
The story of Troy is a mixture of fact and fiction, Homer wrote about it and Brad Pitt acted it out. What is certain is that the city lived through many ages, seeing growth, ruin and rebirth. And then there’s the whole business about the horse. Being the off-season the replica Trojan horse was being refurbished, by which I mean it was in bits on the floor which was disappointing, but then it’s not like it was the original one.
The Troy museum is interesting, probably more so than the ruins themselves and highlights the issue with much of nineteenth and twentieth century archaeology, the removal of artefacts from the country of origin and the fight for repatriation. In the case of Troy this is complicated by the fact that many finds were removed to Germany, and then appropriated by Russia when Berlin fell at the end of world war two.
The Bread Van
We make our way south following the western coast, learning more of the culture, the people and the driving. To think, when we started this journey I was having kittens about Italy! The Turkish take things to a whole new level. Roundabouts exist, but their usage remains a mystery to most, as do the meaning of red lights, lanes and zebra crossings (which are at best, ornamental).
Passing through a village populated almost exclusively by bakeries I pull to the side of the road and Rosana jumps out to buy a round of bread. Game over, Türkiye wins. I don’t think we’ve had a more delicious loaf of bread on this trip, or, well, anywhere really. Sorry French baguettes and an assortment of Uruguayan and German baked loaves, you’ve been usurped.
This whole idea of related businesses being lumped together dates back to the Sasanaian rule of Persia, to simplify delivery from wholesalers to retailers but most importantly, for efficient tax collection. It’s surprising that the concept still exists and I wonder about the intense competition between like businesses grouped together in this way. How do you choose which to use? It can’t always be the one with easy parking, or maybe not everyone is as obsessed with easy parking as I am.
Garage Time
We’ve done some serious kilometres getting here. Our friends recommend a garage in Izmir. With the help of Google Translate and WhatsApp I book the van in for an oil change and plunge into the traffic of the big city to meet up with Matt and Lucy before we head to the garage.
It’s a modern city, busy and hectic and we spend an enjoyable afternoon wandering the historic naval ships in the harbour. Our park up for the evening turns out to be a particularly noisy one and no one gets a good night’s sleep.
The industrial zone is utter bedlam. There are literally hundreds of garages clustered together, on narrow criss-crossing roads. People dart in every direction, cars are manoeuvred in and out of garages. Tyres and car parts are piled high and the noise, human and automotive, is constant. The air is heavy with the smell of old oil and welding and somewhere in this maze of frantic activity is a garage called Rally Oto.
The garage is a happy place, with more mechanics and cars than space. A short time and a cup of çay later we leave with the van purring on fresh oil. Matt and Lucy have spent a few days camped at the garage recently and have built a friendship with the guys there and it is easy to see how that happened.
Back To The History
There are so many ancient sites that it’s a challenge to choose what to see and what to leave. The highlight, for us anyway, comes at Ephesus. We park at the smaller car park which I think works out of the best. Entering the vast site you are greeted by the bath houses and an amphitheatre.
I’m feeling a little underwhelmed because the ruins do not look as impressive as they do in the photos. Not even close. This is a particularly expensive site to visit and right now the marketing department stands accused of some overly creative photography. Still, I perform my best Shakespeare to my adoring public and we carry on with our tour.
We round the corner and there it is in all it’s glory, the library. All is forgiven, it’s as magnificent as I was hoping. We’ve actually managed to get here fairly early too, so it’s not all that busy, or hot, yet. Continuing on and oh my, there’s a second amphitheatre and it’s…well, it’s just like the photos. Now it’s me that stands accused and I’m guilty of judging too soon. I take to the stage and Rosana tolerates enjoys another rendition.
Not far from Ephesus is one of the Wonders of the Ancient World, the Temple of Artemis. It’s little more than a lonely column surrounded by rubble and hawkers now. We turn down the guide books and pan pipes and wander among the rocks, imagining what once was.
Our journey along the south west corner of Türkiye takes us to, past and through many more archaeological sites and a second Wonder of the Ancient world at Bodrum, the Mausoleum. Again, it’s little more than rocks now and requires a good dose of imagination to bring it to life.
Hungry
Türkiye is so much more than ruins though. We had been frustrated by the availability of fresh food in supermarkets, but discovered instead to look for market day. Vast markets would emerge, battered old vans arriving and setting up stalls with produce from the surrounding farmlands.
Much like the industrial areas, there are hundreds stalls all be selling much the same produce, for much the same price. Again, how do you choose? We scan for what looks to be the best quality and take a gamble. A level of trust is placed on the vendor when not knowing the language or the going rate for goods, we have to trust that they will not take advantage. I like to think that in general people are honest, but at the same time I’m pretty sure we get stung a couple of times.
Eastward Ho!
We turn east and each day feels more exotic than the last. We’re approaching Lycian territory, another era of Turkish history, most famed for the ornate tombs that are carved high into the rock walls. The viewing platforms at Kaunus are closed as it’s out of season, so we cut around the back and follow a stoney path before scrambling up the rock faces to get closer to the tombs that the viewing platforms allow. They are magnificent works of art and the golden rock glows in the afternoon sunshine.
To continue east, our way is blocked by the Dalyan Straight. We could head north and around the lake, but a slight miscalculation means we don’t have enough fuel to take that route. It’s only a small river and the ferry is equally small. I’m impressed when we squeeze two vans and a motorbike on board.
Rosana is not looking quite so impressed and is convinced we’re off to Davey Jones’ locker. And that’s when the third van arrived on the loading dock.
Flickr Albums: Troy | Izmir | Ephesus | Artemis | Milas | Bodrum | Mausoleum | Kaunus