We arrived and left Istanbul driving in Thrace, the European part of Turkey. We will see Istanbul later. Black Sea is in the north side and Sea of Marmara in the south.We took a ferry from European side to Asian side of Turkey across Dardenelles Strait, and will continue to visit the coastal and central part of eastern Turkey with many historic sites of ancient Anatolian, Helenistic, Roman and Muslim culture origins.
Turkey is a secular country of being separate from religion. Turkey people were originally from central Asia and were called TuJue 突厥 in ancient Chinese history books.
(Oct 9-20, 2010)
土耳其有許多古老的東西方歷史, 古安那托利亞，希臘，羅馬和穆斯林文化的遺跡。土耳其是一個宗教分離的世俗國家。
現代土耳其人，認為自己是突厥的直系後裔，他們認為突厥的歷史可以追溯到西元48年立國的北匈奴。
根據《周書•突厥傳》記載，突厥酋長姓阿史那氏，居金山（今阿爾泰山）。唐朝有大將軍阿史那•忠。後歸附隋唐的人，有的改姓史。唐太宗時，阿史那•思摩被賜姓李，改稱李思摩。
突厥語屬阿爾泰語系。突厥人與烏孫以狼為圖騰。阿史那乃歷史上突厥民族姓氏, 在突厥神話中阿史那是母狼十個兒子中的一個。阿史那他們自稱天突厥，有高貴的意思；也有強壯、力量和成熟之意。
During World War I in 1915, the Allied launched a landing and subsequent campaign on Gallipoli Peninsula with the Aegean Sea to the west and the Dardanelles Strait to the east. We visited ANZAC Cove and Long Pine cemeteries where Allied soldiers were buried. The water color of Aegean Sea is very blue.
Click to see Gallipoli Peninsula, Aegean Sea pictures
We took a ferry across the Dardenelles connecting the Sea of Marmara to the Aegean Sea. Together with the Bosphorus Strait, it separates Europe from the mainland of Asia. They are strategically vital because they are the only outlets to ocean from Black Sea. We arrived at Canakkale and went immediately to the ancient site Troy.
Click to see Crossing Dardenelles pictures
Troy is at the mouth of Dardanelles and was vital historically. The oldest wall we saw is 7 thousand year old. There is a fake Trojan Horse. The tilted walls were for defense purposes. From the widow of our hotel in Canakkale, we could see both European and Asian sides.
Click to see Troy Ruin, Canakkale pictures
We drove south and arrived at Pergamon, an ancient Greek-Roman city. Instead of the Acropolis on the hill, we saw Sanctuary of Asclepius, the god of healing.
Click to see Pergamon, Sanctuary of Asclepius pictures
Further south, we arrived at Izmir, the ancient city Smyrna and the starting point of Silk Road. It is beautifully located along the outlying waters of the Gulf of İzmir, by the Aegean Sea. The next day, we visited the famous Ephesus, another Greek-Roman city, with its 2000 year old marble streets and Library of Celsus. Later we went to Virgin Mary's old stone cottage.
Click to see Izmir, Ephesus, Mary's House pictures
We stayed in a hotel in Pamukkale with fantastic open air mud hot spring pools. The next day we visited the ancient city of Hierapolis which contains hot springs and travertines, terraces of carbonate minerals left by the flowing water. People have bathed in its pools for thousands of years.
Click to see Pamukkale hot spring, Hierapolis pictures
We drove to Antalya, situated on coastal cliffs next to Mediterranean Sea and surrounded by mountains. We visited the nearby Greek-Roman city of Perge, one of the richest and most beautiful cities in the ancient world, famous for its temple of Artemis.
Click to see Roman Perge, Antalya Museum, Aspendos pictures
The night market at old town of Antalya is fantastic. People speak English well here. We visited the city's archaeological museum, one of the most important in Europe. The next day, we passed by Aspendos, an ancient Greco-Roman city, with its best-preserved Roman theater of antiquity.
Click to see Antaya, Mediterranean Sea pictures
We started to drive north, passing some high mountains, to inland of Turkey. On the way, we saw nomadic people. We arrived Konya and visited the extraordinary whirling dervishes at Rumi's (Mevlana) covent. The next day, we visited Karatay Koran School with some ancient drawings of Asian look faces of Turks.
On the way to Cappadocia, we visited a 13th century Seljuk caravansay, a free roadside inn where travelers could rest and recover from the day's journey. Then we went to the underground city of Kaymakli. The houses in the village are constructed around the nearly one hundred tunnels.
Click to see Konya, Caravansary, Kaymaklı underground pictures
We visited Göreme, the famous "fairy chimney" rock formations near Newsehir and a national park as a UNESCO World Heritage site. Starting in the 4th century, these rocks were carved out to form houses, churches, monasteries.
Click to see Newsehir, Goreme Rocks Caves pictures
The next day was the balloon flight, which is the highlight of this trip, however, I was sick out. This unique region of volcanic landscapes was dotted with cases and troglodyte dwellings.
Click to see Cappadocia Goreme Balloon Flight pictures
They also went to see the Sema dance of whirling dervishes.
Click to see Goreme ground, balloon, Sema dance pictures
We arrived at Ankara, the capitol at central part of Turkey. we visited the mausoleum of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk who succeeded in gaining Turkey independence in 1923 after the defeat of the Ottoman Empire in World War I.
We visited the city's Museum of Anatolian Civilizations which contains sophisticated artifacts of Hittites people more than 3000 years ago, and those of earlier Hattian people. The oldest name for Anatolia, "Land of the Hatti" was found for the first time on Mesopotamian cuneiform tablets.
Click to see Ankara, Mausoleum of Ataturk, porcelain pictures
On the way to Bursa, we visited the tomb of legendary King Midas, popularly for his Midas touch to turn everything gold, in the city of Gordion, the capital city of ancient Phrygia.
Click to see Ankara, Museum, Gordion King Midas pictures
In Bursa, we visited the Green Ottoman Complex and the Grand Mosque. We went to a shopping plaza. The next day, we took a ferry across the Sea of Marmara back to Istanbul. This saved time driving on land.
Click to see Bursa, Mosque, Plaza, Ferry pictures
After ferry landing, we took some pictures (also the next day) of Istanbul from the bus. Many activities on the streets with people shopping for goods. It is a big and lively city. The night we arrived at 2:00 am, we still still saw many people and cars.
We went to the Grand Bazaar, one of the largest and oldest covered markets in the world, with more than 58 covered streets and over 1,200 shops which attract hundreds of thousand visitors daily. Next is Spice Bazaar.
Click to see Istanbul Grand&Spice Bazaar pictures
We took a cruise to see the Bosphorus, a strait that forms part of the boundary between Europe and Asia, along with the Dardanelles. It's the world's narrowest strait used for international navigation, connecting the Black Sea with the Sea of Marmara (which is connected by the Dardanelles to the Aegean Sea, and thereby to the Mediterranean Sea).
Click to see Istanbul Bosphorus Cruise pictures
The next day morning we had a city sightseeing tour. We visited the Sultan Ahmed Mosque, popularly known as the Blue Mosque for the blue tiles adorning the walls of its interior.
Click to see Istanbul city streets pictures
We also visited the Topkapı Palace which was the official and primary residence in the city of the Ottoman Sultans for approximately 400 years. We had lunch at the palace that oversees the Bosphorus.
Click to see Istanbul Topkapi Palace pictures
We went to see the church of Hagia Sophia (Greek: Holy Wisdom), a former Orthodox patriarchal basilica, later a mosque, and now a museum. From the date of its dedication in 360 until 1453, it served as the cathedral of Constantinople, except between 1204 and 1261, when it was converted to a Roman Catholic cathedral under the Latin Patriarch of Constantinople of the Western Crusader established Latin Empire.
Click to see Istanbul Bosphorus Cruise pictures
The farewell dinner restaurant is fantastic with glass walls that one can oversee the Bosphorus and a bridge.
Click to see Istanbul diners, farewell pictures
Map of Silk Road:
Posts on China website: mainly in Chinese - more comprehensive and interactive
古老的土耳其旅遊
絲綢之路的終點-土耳其
土耳其的棉花堡
土耳其地中海風情
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