May 18 - Beautiful Endings - Lessons from History

It is a beautiful day in Instanbul.  The temperature is just cool enough and the sky is a turquoise blue. It will be a great day for pictures...with my iPhone.  I've been having problems with my primary lens for almost a week now, and I finally just gave up.  For those of you that know how much I love taking pictures, you can imagine what a disappointment this is. One of my fellow travelers was kind enough to loan me their spare point and shoot, and between that and the phone, I'm getting by.  

On the agenda today is worship service in a reserved room in the hotel and touring the classic tourist sites of Istanbul.  Most of the group started out at the Blue Mosque. I just took a picture of the side before all the tourists arrived.  

The Blue Mosque

It is an amazing building, but several of us have been there before, so we are off to a less known historic spot, the Basilica Cistern.  It is an underground Roman cistern built in the 6th century AD.  However, it is named for the Baslica that was built on the site in the 3rd and 4th centuries. We were there a little before it opened, and that turned out to be in our favor.  They opened the doors and we were some of the first to enter.  It was a mesmerizing site. We descended about 50 stairs to find a forest of 336 columns that are 30 ft tall with mostly Ionic and Corinthian capitals. It was cool, dark and quiet, and washed in a golden glow coming from lights at the base of the columns. The water level is about 18" deep, so the columns reflect onto the surface like a mirror.  We saw a number of coy fish swimming in the water that we suspect are not original to the cistern! Historians believe the Emperor Constantine built the original cistern and it was later enlarged by Emperor Justinian about 547.  The Romans, it appears, thought recycling was cool too. The columns that support the ceiling are believed to have been taken from ruined structures across the kingdom. The cistern provided a water filtration system for the Great Palace of Constantinople and other buildings, and continued to provide water to the Topkapi Palace after the Ottoman conquest in 1453 and even into modern times.

Basilica Cistern

We joined the rest of the group at the Topkapi Palace, the home to Turkish Sultans that controlled the region for centuries. It is a royal complex of elaborate buildings and gardens that spawl over the highest point of Istanbul. There are buildings that house the "royal jewels," a facinating bakery with enormous intricately decorated jars and serving dishes, and relics of war. The lines are long so I spent most of my time wandering in the gardens and enjoying the beautiful view.  

View from Topkopi Palace

Our next stop is the Istanbul Archaeological Museum.  There are many priceless antiquities housed here. Some of the most intriguing are colorful, sculpted brick panels that comprised the walls of Babylon.  They have raised designs fired into the brick in the shapes of lions, dragons, and unicorns.  

They have a very nice collection of Hittite pieces (below) that date back to the 13th century BC. 

Of particular note is a clay table that records the first known peace treaty between nations.  The Kadesh Treaty documents the agreement between the Hittite King Hattusilis III and Egyptian pharaoh Ramses II in 1269 BC. A similar version is carved on the walls of the Amon temple at Karnak in Egypt.  Unfortunately, 2014 seems to be the year of museum rennovation in Turkey. This is the fourth time on this trip we have not been able to see the complete collections in museums we have visited.  There are other important Bible related artifacts we will have to see another time.

We had a little extra free time, so the driver dropped several of us off at the Dolmabahce Place.  We had seen the palace from afar on our boat ride on the Bosiphorous, but we had no idea what opulence was contained within the walls. It was a residence built for Sultans in the mid 1800s to compete with modern day European castles, and was only used by six Sultans for 68 years until the Ottoman Empire ended.  The opulence is beyond description. Unfortunately, we were not allowed to take photos so you will have to take my word for it. The walls were covered in rich wallpaper; everywhere we looked there were carved mouldings overlaid with 24k gold; enormous silk Hereke Turkish rugs-we learned earlier in our trip are of the highest quality and cost; and massive chandeliers from England, dripping with crystals-one in the Ceremonial Hall held 750 light bulbs and weighed 4.5 tonnes.  

Side entrance of the Dolmabahce Place

Palace gate leading to the Bosphorous. 

A neat experience, but we are all ready to come home, so back to the hotel we go for our last night.  Orhan told us it was a 15 minute walk up the hill to our hotel.  We've learned that we have to double Orhan's time estimates, but were happy to get back to the hotel, even if it was 30 minutes uphill! 

Our day ended with a worship service. Dr. Dan, as we call him, preached a wonderful sermon that brought together many of the things we've experienced on this trip.  It always makes me especially thoughtful to worship with Christians on these trips.  We are so fortunate to live in a country that, at least for now, allows religious freedom.  Turkey, a land with such a storied Christian heritage is now 99% Muslim.  We must be diligent to protect the freedoms we enjoy today.  Paul and his companions endured such persecution for their beliefs.  In 2 Cor 11:25-28, Paul notes a few of these: "Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I was adrift at sea; on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, danger from robbers, danger from my own people, danger from Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brothers; in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure. And, apart from other things, there is the daily pressure on me of my anxiety for all the churches." Having traveled in a luxurious bus, not walked in sandals along these ancient crossroads, I can only begin to imagine Paul's dedication to spreading the gospel.  What an incredible lesson for all of us. These courageous and dedicated men truly sacrificed all to spread God's word and save souls. How much more could we be doing with the capabilities and freedoms that we enjoy today? We have seen the most beautiful materials things you can image today, but riches are fleeting and powerful world empires inevitably fall if it's God's will. Let's live everyday seeking those riches that await us with our Heavenly Father. 

I arrived home safely and hope the rest of the group did too.  Come back in a few days.  I'll have an update on our departure and add a few more pictures. 

May 17 - Boarding, Browsing, Bargaining, and Boating on the Bosphorus

We had  a very early flight this morning from Antakya to Istanbul. Istanbul was known as Constantinople in ancient times. Airport security here was interesting, and a little different than ours.  I'm not sure what set off the xray, but a few of us got a VERY thorough pat down.  Overall, things went very soothly, and we arrived in Istanbul with enough time to squeeze in a trip to Hagia Sophia. It is Saturday in Istanbul and there many student groups and tourist in general. For you kids at home, they take field trips on the weekend.  It does not mean a day off from school. 

  

The Hagia Sophia started out as a massive church built in the fourth century A.D. About 900 years later, the Turks captured Constantinople and converted it to a mosque.  Thankfully, they didn't destroy or deface the Christian mosaics like they did in many places.  They simply covered them with plaster.  In 1935, the first president of Turkey converted it from a mosque into a museum.  It is a contradiction today, like many things we have learned about in Turkey.  They have uncovered many of the beautiful Christian mosaics and they stand in close proximity to giant round medallions that are inscribed with the names of Muslim prophets.  The ceiling, columns and walls are ornately carved and painted. The floors are smooth marble, sculpted over time with the footsteps of millions.  Some of the walls are covered in a patchwork of  multi-colored and patterned marble.  The pictures cannot begin to capture the size and workmanship, and artistry.  

We spent a little time shopping in the world famous Grand Bazzar.  It is an experience.  I would imagine it was a nightmare for most of the men.

Next was a private boat ride down the Bosphorus.  This is the straight where the Black Sea and the Sea of Marmara meets. It is part of the border that divides the Asia and Europe. The water is partly salt and partly fresh water and eventually dumps into the Mediterranean. Along the water are ancient palaces, famous "wooden homes" that are worth many millions, and even a hunting lodge.  We even passed a group of women on a boat celebrating an upcoming wedding.  It seems to be something akin to a bachelorette party.  

We had a wonderful dinner followed by an interesting walk through the nearby streets. I'll tell you that story another time.  I'm a day behind and will post more picture after dinner 

May 16 Antalya, Perga, Museum

It has been another amazing day, but we have a very early wake up call, so this will be short.  We visited the historic ruins of ancient Pamphylia: Antalya (biblical Attalia, Acts 14:25) and Perge. Attalia served as the port of entry to the interior of Asia. It is likely that Paul landed here and then traveled to Perga (Perge today) From here, Paul sailed back to Antioch (Acts 14:25). As our bus approached the site of Perge, we passed the ruins of an amphitheater and stadium, but this was just to tease us.  Before long we were wandering through impressive Hellenistic and Roman ruins.  There are incredible colonnaded streets, elaborate Roman baths, fountains flowing into channels of water that served to cool the streets as well as adding to the beauty.  We later visited the Archaeological Museum that had many fully intact statues and sarcophagi found during excavations.  We visited the harbor area and can only dream of what it was like in those days. I have so much more to tell, but I need some sleep.  I will leave you with these pictures for now.  

Ruins at Perga

1st Century Roman baths at Perga

Roman street at Perga

Fountain below acropolis with waterfall

Statue found at Perga

Harbor at Attalia

May 15 Pisidian Antioch and Antalya (Attalia) - Amazing Journey

We arrived late last night in Konya, the site of ancient Iconium.  It is one of the oldest cities of Anatolia. Paul and Barnabas encountered much opposition in this city (Acts 14:1-6), but today, it is best known today as the home of the Whirling Dervishes. More on that another time, because we have a lot of ground to cover.  The city is affluent, modern, with a lot of new construction.  Our  hotel was wonderful and we hated to leave after only one night.  On our way out of town we made a quick stop at the Konya Archaeology  Museum.  There are three stones that mention the places we saw yesterday: Derbe, Lystra, and Iconium. Two are especially important. The one mentioning Lystra Is a Latin inscription. The one that mentions Derbe is in Greek, but is in poor condition from exposure to the elements. Inscriptions such as these help confirm the authenticity of events and people we read about in the bible.  

We have traveled through the Pamphylian plain surrounded by beautiful mountains, some snow covered again, on our way to Yalvaç. We have taken countless pictures of the beautiful green waters of the lakes in the area. 

 

There are several lake-side towns with new construction since Ferrell was here seven years ago.  

The scenery is breathtaking but we can only imagine what is must have been like on Paul's journeys.  In 2 Corinthians 11:26, Paul talks about facing "dangers from rivers, dangers from robbers." It is beautiful and pastoral today, with lush, green, irrigated fields of barley shimmering in the wind, rolling hills, and herds of sheep. As serene as  it is now, it is easy to see how vulnerable and unprotected travelers would have been in Paul's day.  Most think because of the direction of the wind, he would have walked west and sailed east. 

Our next stop is excavated ruins near Yalvaç. This is the ancient city of Pisidian Antioch. We know that there would have been a number of Jews had settled in Phrygia because Paul visited the synagogue there. 

The site has been somewhat excavated in the area of the roads and temple, but the residential areas are still untouched. The ruins are Roman, Greek, adm Byzantine.  We walked along the ancient Main Street and cross road, saw the amphitheater, Roman baths, the Augustus temple, a Byzantine era church foundation and off in the distance, remains of an aqueduct. There is a beautiful view from the temple region of the mountains and valleys. I know I've said it before, but the concept of how far Paul and his companions walked and the nature of the terrain will make me read the books of Acts and Galations with a completely new perspective.  We could learn a lot from their fervor for spreading the gospel.  

A view of Lake Egridir from the bus.  The third largest lake in Turkey. 

After a long drive through some of the most beautiful mountains and valleys I've ever seen, and a beautiful sunset, we arrived at Antalya (Antalia of old) at 8:30 pm.  I'll post pictures when I can.  The internet here is very slow.  

May 14 - Derbe, Karaman, Lystra, Iconium-Collapse!

We've had a fantastic day, traveling again through the Taurus mountains, some of which are capped with snow.  We climbed to the top of the tel at Derbe, rummaging through pottery shards and enjoying the fantastic views.  We met some of the nicest, native people in the villiage nearby and took pictures of everything from storks' nest, young residents, older residents, and even manure and straw brick structures.  We've driven (ok, so we rode and Mustafa drove) almost 300 miles.  We visited the tel at Lystra that had the most beautiful wild flowers growing along the roadside.  I have so much more to tell you but it will have to wait until tomorrow. I will leave with with a few pictures from today. The picture of the tel at Derbe will be up tomorrow (our tomorrow anyway).

 

Pottery at Derbe

The tel at Lystra 

Flowers at Lystra

May 13 - Roaming Roman Roads -Tarsus

Today we traveled to the city of Tarsus in the region of Cilicia which lies about half way between Adana and Mersin.  Tarsus is well know for being the native home of the apostle Paul (Acts 21:39).  Orhan explained that Adana is the fourth largest city in Turkey with a population of about 2.2 million.  I think most of them passed by the road in front of our hotel last night. It is a very busy city, and has a very large population of Kurds.  Kurds and Turks have lived together for 1000 years peacefully, but now a group of Kurds is trying to separate. The city is somewhat disorganized and has a large number of immigrants which sell fruit and food on the street.  Orhan counted about 200 when he walked around last night.  The suburbs are lovely and quite affluent.  The second richest man in Turkey (Sabanaci) is from Adana.  We learned later he built the largest mosque in Turkey which is in the center of town and dedicated it to his mother. The local economy is mostly based on farming. It is the fifth largest producer of cotton.  Yesterday,  we saw oranges, pomegranates, vineyards, corn, sunflowers and many other orchards. The climate is subtropical and the soil is rich and very dark.  I think anything would grow here. 

It also has a very large textile, industrial manufacturing and assembly region. There is a Mercedes plant here, and oh, our bus is a Mercedes! Because of the wealth of the town, they have 6 professional sports teams (state not individually owned in Turkey). 

Now that you've had your regional lesson for the day, let me take you on a journey back in time.  Before we made it to the city of Tarsus, we took a small road and headed slightly north of town.  High atop a hill was an ancient Roman road thought to have been built in the first century AD.  The road may have been a passageway from Cilicia to Cappadocia, but only about 1.9 miles have been uncovered.  

                   At the entrance is a majestic gate that has been reconstructed.  

Trena and Ed stroll romantically down the road.  

It is likely that Paul passed along this way on his journeys.  He didn't have a highly skilled bus driver to bring him as far as we did, so it must have been a long, hard trip.  Moustafa, has navigated unbelievable passages, steep, curvy hills, and tiny dirt roads on this trip.  He will have some stories to tell his friends when he gets home.  The phrase "crazy Americans" will undoubtably be used.  

Along the way we saw nomadic camps, a goat herder, beautiful small poppies, and even dung beetles, rolling balls...yes, of dung (anyone that has traveled to Egypt will appreciate this).  Some in our group walked far enough to see a Roman mile marker.  On the way back, a man working on a pipe nearby was nice enough to show us a tiny snake. Yuck! 

We finally arrived to explore the city streets of Tarsus.  Amoung the was another Roman road.  

This one, discovered in 1993, is unusual in that it is made of basalt stone with white stone trim. I've never seen one like this.  

We also stopped to see "Paul's well" and another underground structure protected by glass.  As we drove out of town we stopped at at Paul's Gate also know as Cleopatra's Gate. The sign in front of it dates it to the Byzantine era.  We also stopped at a place some believe is Daniel's burial site.  Muslims have built a mosque on the site, but there are also Roman ruins.  They revere the Old Testament prophets.  

  

Many towns name artifacts with names of well known biblical characters to encourage tourism.  Of course all we really know is that Paul is from this region, and for us, that is enough to make it a meaningful visit.  

And all of this before lunch! We stopped at a lovely restaurant/park for lunch.  There is a waterfall that is fed from snow melting from the Taurus Mountains.  Orhan says "It's not Niagara Falls," but the water was a beautiful color-almost mint green (like glacier runoff in Alaska) and the sound was full and refreshing.  We thought it was delightful. We could have stayed all afternoon.  

LaDonna found a new flavor of Magnum bar! It is filled with pistachio ice cream.  I didn't try one, but I'll be on the lookout for one soon! 

We stopped for a brief walk across an old bridge that crosses the Seyhan river for pictures of the mosque.  Arter and Janice are resting against the bridge.

The other Sharon found some boys taking target practice at balloons in the water with a BB gun and had to show them how it was done.  She may not be from Alabama, but she knows how to shoot a gun. 

After dinner, a small group headed out for a quick dessert and walk through town. We happened upon a cultural center and asked the guard what was in there.  Before we knew it, we were seated in an auditorium watching young school kids performing on stage for their parents.  They were in beautiful traditional clothing, and performed songs and skits. I have no idea what they were saying, but it was precious and a perfect end to a wonderful day.  

Children in traditional Turkish dress performing in cultural center. 

Monday – May 12 A Tel of Two Cities - Plain of Antioch to Adana

We started the morning with a typical breakfast buffet. It looks beautiful with colorful salads, cheese, processed meat, hummus, olives, and lots of bread, pastries, and sweets.  It just doesn't seem like breakfast food, so I'm opting for yogurt mixed with apricot jam and cereal. Their yogurt is much like the Greek yogurt that has become so popular in the states and is very good. 

Leaving the hotel, we drove about 12 miles to the Amuq Valley, also known as the Plain of Antioch, along the Orontes River.  Our first stop today was a typical Ferrell adventure.  He has been reading about a tel (ancient ruins typically covered in dirt with varying degrees of excavation) called Tel Tayinet.  He had never been there, so we passed it the first time around. Several of us had GPS, so after turning around, we found a tiny dirt road to the top of a low tel. There was an old, but not ancient structure on top. The guard pointed us to the site and we tramped through fields of red poppies and thistle.  

There are two temples from the early Iron Age (ca. 1200—900 B.C.) found there that have a floor plan similar to that of Solomon’s Temple in Jerusalem.  Unfortunately the remains are covered now for protection, but we could visualize the temple courtyard, Holy Place, and Most Holy Place.  

We found shards of pottery, but had to leave them -per the law in Turkey. 

After we returned to the bus, we spent some time researching the site online. The University of Toronto made significant discoveries  a few years ago.  We also learned that many of the artifacts they discovered are in the museum that is currently closed.  Oh, well.  Maybe next time. 

There is another tel across the road (Ancient Alalakh), but there isn't anything to see at the excavation site, so we are off to the next site. 

Our final destination today is Adana.  As we drive north and then west, there are beautiful mountain passes, stunning hillside orchards, and luscious green farms.  We often see pink oleanders along the road side. 

More wind turbines.

This particular tour might not be for everyone, but I have thoroughly enjoyed the scenery along the drive.  Turkey has beautiful and varied terrain, with something new to see at every turn.  Some are napping, others knitting and crocheting.  I'm enjoying what the other Sharon on the tour calls Kodak moments.  You can't get a picture of everything (although I'm trying) so sometimes you just have to take a snapshot in your mind.  They will be memories for a lifetime. 

We stopped for lunch in a lovely little town called Osmaniye. We had some of the best grilled chicken and salads of the trip. Some sampled local cuisine including roasted nuts, seeds and Baklava. 

We watched as this couple made thin, crepe-like shells, then grilled them on a hot iron and filled them with spiced cheese crumbles.

We passed fields of sunflowers just beginning to bloom.  Another couple of weeks and it will be stunning. 

Our next stop is the Karatepe Museum. We strolled through walls of interesting carved blocks of basalt. Most of the museum is outside and the blocks have been placed where they were found.  The walled fortress controlled a passage from eastern Anatolia to the north Syrian plain. It became an important Neo-Hittite center after the collapse of the Hittite Empire in the late 12th century BC.  The site showcases gate houses, sculptures of lions and sphinxes, and even a huge statue of the storm - god Baal. 

 

These people were bilingual (Phoenician and Luwian) and inscriptions found here from the 8th century served as a Rosetta Stone for the Luwian language.  

Ferrell noted the North gate sphinx that shows a creature typical of this time period with a woman's head, eagle's wings, and lion's body (or maybe a bull's body). 

The Hittite people in the area were conquered by the Assyrians somewhere between 720 and 680 BC. 

We stopped along the road for a quick picture of the Hierapolis Casabala. The city atop the hill has ruins from a number of time periods ranging from 175 BC to the 7th century Byzantine.  

There are blooms and tiny pomegranate fruits (below) along the roadside and (barley in the field above).

We also saw about 20 storks flying through the fields as we passed.  No babies, just storks.  They are kind of hard to make out, but this is the best I could do from the moving bus. 

We arrived safely in the town of Adana, ready for our next adventure.  Come back tomorrow and see where we've been.  We will be seeing more areas Paul visited on his first journey: Lystra, Derbe, and  Iconium.