TURKEYA TREASURE TROVE OF CULTURES - PART 1Story & Photos by Sandy Katz Travelin' Sandy Katz is a freelance writer based in Charleston, South Carolina. She has visited over 250 destinations and writes for many USA publications. Sandy who has a degree in psychology resides on the Ashley River with her husband. ISTANBUL BLACK SEA REGION TRABAZON ARTVIN Turkey's inheritance of a cultural collage that spanned 10 great civilizations has earned the country the title of "the center of world history" and is also known as part of "the cradle of civilization." Truly remarkable is the strong influence of many cultures, Greek, Roman, Byzantine, Arabic and Turkish. Ancient sites and ruins scattered throughout the country bear witness to each civilization and fame as "the world's largest open air museum." But its recent history is also fascinating. With the decline of the Ottoman Empire, Mustafa Kemal, a soldier and visionary used the defeat of World War I to gain "victory" by liberating Turkey from all foreign invaders. Mustafa Kemal Ataturk was the founding father of the Republic of Turkey which materialized on Oct. 29, 1923, when he upheld his belief that Turkey should look to the western world for its ideas and the fez, the veil and the harem became customs of the past. Turkish women once had very little rights. They were obliged to wear veils when they went outdoors and it was it was their duty to obey their fathers or husbands throughout their lives. The men wore baggy trousers pulled in at the knees and a hat known as a fez. Today the Turks wear western-style clothing and men and women enjoy equal rights. In 1993, Tansu Ciller was elected the country's first woman prime minister. Visitors to Turkey mostly begin and end their trip in Istanbul, flying by Turkish Airlines, although seafaring travelers may arrive by cruise ships and ferries. It's also accessible by train from some of the major European cities, and coach and private car offer other choices of touring Turkey. American citizens require a $20 visa, sold at the airport or at border points, which gains entry for up to three-month stays. My journey began in a city with all the startling contrasts of Europe and Asia. Istanbul is a festival of kaleidoscopic colors, ancient architecture and modern luxuries. This is where you can see some of the most stunning intact works of art and architecture. The Blue Mosque with its six minarets is just across a courtyard from the Byzantine Church of St. Sophia. Be sure to visit Topapi Palace, and do all your shopping at the Grand Bazaar. Your willpower will stand the test of time when it comes to resisting the temptation of returning home with a Turkish carpet. Don't be surprised to discover that your suitcase can accommodate a carpet! The Turks are astoundingly expert at folding carpets, trust me they are adept at their craft. Turkey remains a Mecca for shoestring travelers and the college backpack crowd, but with the advent of luxury hotels and first-class resorts more and more affluent travelers are being courted. The Black Sea is one of Turkey's well-kept secrets. It offers some of the most spectacular scenery, quaint villages and sights, steeped in antiquity, not often seen. The Black Sea is something of a misnomer. This sea is in fact as blue as the Mediterranean. The waters are crystal clear and the sandy beaches stretch for miles. The coast is covered with ancient fishing and trading towns, and torrential streams come crashing down from the humid mountains. Those streams lead into the hills and valleys of the hinterland to reveal a world of unexpected and spectacular beauty. Traditional villages spread far into the skyline in a succession of spacious farmhouses and cultivated fields, interrupted by a grouping of local shops or a mosque. The villagers are independent, assertive, hospitable and unfamiliar with the ways of mass tourism.
Modern Trabzon has retained much of its genteel charm. A highlight is a visit to the Monastery of the Black Virgin of Sumela, which has one of the eeriest settings for a monastery anywhere in the world. The enormous two-story monastery is perched on a ledge atop a 400-meter sheer rock face, far in the depths of an uninhabited forest valley. Monks first came here in the 4th Century, and the place soon developed into the most renowned monastic community in Asia Minor. Artvin is considered the most breathtakingly beautiful town in Turkey. It is perched in an almost perpendicular position on a mountain some 500 meters above the narrow Coruh Valley. The land is covered with forests, broken by walnut, apple and mulberry orchards. The view through the layers of cloud, either above or below the town, is astonishing. On the way to Artvin make a stop at Rize, where the Empire of Tea begins and visit a tea factory in Hopa.
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Humpbacked
stone bridges of 16th to 19th Century vintage span the streams. Less
picturesque, but more efficient are the one-man crank cable cars that
span the wider stretches. The higher you go the greener and grander
the scenery. Evergreens replace leaf trees and rising clouds wrap all
in mist for most of the day.