New year 2012 is coming ....
meaning, new project .... better days ahead I hope.
Every reason to smile ....
Happy new year frenz
Saturday, December 31, 2011
Tuesday, December 27, 2011
Exotic Turkey - Dec 2011
Turkey is a place that I had always wanted to visit : The crossroads of Europe and Asia and the centre of the former Ottoman Empire. So, on 13-Dec 2011, my husband and I set for a journey of a lifetime.... a 12 days trip to the exotic and ancient land of Turkey.
Konya - 1 day
Cappadocia - 2 days
Bolu - 1 day
Istanbul - 3 days
The wuduk fountain in the middle of this mosque has a story. The Sultan declared he would build a mosque in this location, but the spot where this fountain flows was the property of a Jew. The Jew's condition to give up the land was that no one prays on the spot where his property was located. The solution was to place this beautiful fountain inside the mosque over the Jew’s property.
Not far from the mosque, is the ancient city of Ephesus. Ephesus was an ancient Greek city, and later a major Roman city, near present-day Selcuk, Izmir Province. We walked around the main city. The entire walkway through the city was paved in marble which is still there where we walked on. It is remarkably intact! The most interesting building was the public library. Its facade was put back together by the Germans who have shown a great interest in Turkey's classical ruins.
ruins.
These are the public toilets of the city near the library. This large public toilet had approximately 12 seats on each of three sides of a room. It also has a remarkably deep waste channel, from about two meters deep. Ramazzan told us that the wealthy people those times would send their slaves down early to warm up a seat for them. Amazing….
At one end of the city on the slope lay the Great Theatre. It was first constructed in the third century BC, but then during the Roman Period, it was enlarged and formed its current style that we see now. It is the largest in Anatolia and has the capacity of 25,000 seats.
The mosque, Pamukkale Kasabasi Buyuk Camii is closed when we reached there as Zuhur has already over. So, all of us did our jamak Zuhur & Asar at the balcony of the mosque.
We stopped for lunch half-way through Konya at Kirazli Bahce restaurant where they served Turkish pizza called ‘pide’. It doesn’t look like the typical pizza we have at home, its thin and very tasty. I like it so much.
It was a very interesting experience and wonderful feeling to float up in the air. Now and then there is a blast of flame sent up to the balloon by the pilot. But we don’t feel the heat at all as there’s a metal cover that protects our heads from the heat. Slowly we floated up and looked down on the beautiful landscape and the rock formations below. At one point we bumped into another balloon with the only effect of stopping us a bit. And off course we took a lot of pictures as the landscapes flowed beneath us.
Cappadocia is a magic!!! The cave homes, the cave churches and everything else made this, one of the most outstanding places I have ever visited. We spent nearly three hours there.
On the way back to our hotel, the coach took us to a handmade carpet factory and pottery in Avanos Village. Both places produced the best & finest product. But unfortunately, we did not buy anything from them as they are ridiculously expensive.
Tonight is our second night in Avrashay Hotel.
It was converted to a mosque after Istanbul was conquered by the Ottoman in 1453 and served as a mosque for 481 years. In 1934 it was converted to a museum by the founder of the Republic of Turkey, Mustafa Kamal. And it stays as museum till today...
This is the kitchen complex,
where more than 1000 servants were employed and cooked for 5000 people everyday during the Ottoman period.
T
Our last stop for today is the Spice Bazaar. Opened as a market in the 1400's, it still functions as a vibrant spice market today. We can find everything from exotic and common spices in large bins, to dried fruits and nuts, meats and cheeses, cafes etc...
Amidst of all the chaos, I stumbled upon a street with rows of shops selling fabrics, laces, embroideries and all kind of trimmings. And this street was definitely the gem of the entire bazaar for me. And the prices...oh Gosh! it's definitely so much cheaper here. So, if you’re craving a little fabric shopping in Istanbul, don’t miss it!
Feast your eyes..... :))
After breakfast... with the bird, we headed straight to the Grand Bazaar. This is the 'last-kopek' of shopping in Istanbul.
Our itinerary with a group of 27 people :
Bursa - 2 days
Kusadasi - 1 dayKonya - 1 day
Cappadocia - 2 days
Bolu - 1 day
Istanbul - 3 days
13-Dec 2011
We left for the airport right after our Isyak prayer for flight TK67 departing Singapore Changi Airport at 11.35 pm.
Day 1 - Bursa (3rd largest city of Turkey)
We arrived in Istanbul Ataturk Airport at 5.35 am. After a brief immigration process and Subuh prayer, we were greeted by our friendlyTurkish guide, Ramazzan and our driver, Izzet.
Upon leaving the airport, we drove across Bosphorus Straits which separating Europe from Asia via the First Bosphorus Bridge to Bursa. This bridge was completed in 1973 and is 3,524 feet long. We used the Eskihisar route by means of crossing the Gulf of Izmit by ferry from Eskihisar jetty. This route is actually a short-cut to reach Yalova, before heading to Bursa, otherwise we will be adding an hour more to our trip if we were to use the land trip. Once the coach is in the ferry, all of us are free to move around. I love looking at the seagulls from the deck and really enjoy the chill breeze throughout the 90 minutes voyage.
From Yalova, the coach continued its journey to the city of Bursa which took another 1.5 hours. Our first stop is the Ulu Cami (OO-loo-jah-mee, the Great Mosque). This mosque was built by Bayezid I in the 14th century and restored extensively in 1959. The interior is adorned with beautiful inscriptions presenting the 99 names of Allah. It was the greatest mosque of the Ottomans in those years. Most of the guys in our group did their Tahyatul Masjid. Alhamdulillah …
The wuduk fountain in the middle of this mosque has a story. The Sultan declared he would build a mosque in this location, but the spot where this fountain flows was the property of a Jew. The Jew's condition to give up the land was that no one prays on the spot where his property was located. The solution was to place this beautiful fountain inside the mosque over the Jew’s property.
Very interesting indeed ....
Close to the mosque is Koza Han, the ‘silk cocoon market’ which was built in 1491 by sultan Beyazid II. They have many small shops selling beautiful silks shawls, dresses, ties and all sorts. The atmosphere is very serene and the courtyard itself was the main sight with few big maple trees in the middle, it looks so pretty especially the 'botak' trees.
From Koza Han, we drove to a nearby Hunkar restaurant for lunch. This is our first lunch in Turkey and off course I’m so looking forward for their kebab.
After the delicious lunch, we walked to our second stop, which is Yeşil Türbe, the Green Tomb. This is a mausoleum of the fifth Ottoman Sultan, Mehmed I. It was built by Mehmed’s son and successor Murad II. The exterior of the mausoleum is clad with green-blue tiles with a remarkable octagonal green dome which give its name. Inside, the royal maqam stands on a platform at the centre surrounded by seven other tombs.
Our supposedly visit to the Green Mosque which is nearby is cancelled as it is closed for renovation. This gives us some free time to roam around the area. We managed to visit their local farmers market which situated near the mausoleum. Look at what they sell here …..
We then continue the journey and terminated at our hotel for dinner. I really enjoyed the drive which cutting through the idyllic scenery of Turkish countryside. Our hotel for these two nights is Kervansaray Thermal Hotel.
Day 2 - Mt. Uludag, Bursa
Our itinerary for today is a visit to Mt. Uludag (Great Mountain) ski resort. This mountain has an altitude of 2543 meters and one of the famous locations for winter activities. During the ancient times, Uludag was formerly known as Olympos Misios where the gods from mythology watched the Trojan War.
After breakfast, we drove about 20 minutes to the cable car (teliferik) base station. The cable ride to the summit takes 30 minutes. I should say that we are lucky that the weather is bright & sunny. Otherwise, in foul weather (especially wind, rain or fog), the cable car my not operate. The cable car stops at Kadiyayla and we continue the journey by mini-van (dolmus) to the top at Sarialan. There, some of us rented togobban and ski equipment for some ski activities. Those who are not so sporting (like the two of us), hopped on the chairlift to one of the restaurant few hundred meters above the meeting point. When we got to the top, we just kind of walked around a bit and as usual, took lots of pictures. The view was breathtaking.... honestly, its really beautiful!
We left the mountain around 3.00 pm and headed straight to the city of Bursa for lunch. Today's lunch is on our own account and we decided to have it at the big modern shopping complex where Izzet drop us off.
After a quick lunch & quick shopping, we returned to our hotel for dinner and retire for the day.
Day 3 - Kusadasi
After breakfast, we continue with our today's itinerary. We set off at 9.00 am to the city of Kusadasi which is within Aydin Province. Half-way through Kusadasi, we stopped for lunch at Kofteci Ramiz restaurant.
After which, we headed to our first stop, the mosque of Isa Bey. This is one of the oldest known mosque in Turkey, begun in 1307 and completed in 1375 and still a working mosque. It is the oldest known mosque with an exterior courtyard. We have our jamak Zuhur & Asar here with Ustadz Bakar as Imam.
ruins.
These are the public toilets of the city near the library. This large public toilet had approximately 12 seats on each of three sides of a room. It also has a remarkably deep waste channel, from about two meters deep. Ramazzan told us that the wealthy people those times would send their slaves down early to warm up a seat for them. Amazing….
Directly across the street from the library was a still visible sign on the pavement in classical Greek marking the way to the local brothel.
At one end of the city on the slope lay the Great Theatre. It was first constructed in the third century BC, but then during the Roman Period, it was enlarged and formed its current style that we see now. It is the largest in Anatolia and has the capacity of 25,000 seats.
After about two over hours of touring the ruins, we set off to our hotel. Tonight we stay at Tatlises Hotel in Kusadasi.
Day 4 – Pamukkale
After our breakfast, we are ready for our today’s itinerary. It will be a long bus trip to Pamukkale which take us 3 over hours. We stopped for lunch at Yesir Restaurant and later drove to the nearby Pamukkale Natural Park where there is a small mosque for our Zuhur prayer. Those who are can't pray spend their time in the park feeding the many ducks there. The mosque, Pamukkale Kasabasi Buyuk Camii is closed when we reached there as Zuhur has already over. So, all of us did our jamak Zuhur & Asar at the balcony of the mosque.
I can see lots of grape trees at the compound, unfortunately the grapes are all dried. It would be nice to see fresh grapes hanging from the branches.
We then continue our way to the nearby stunning white terraces of Pamukkale. Pamukkale literally means ‘cotton castle’ and I think this is an appropriate name because the hills from far looks like enormous cotton. Only its not cotton but series of white travertine terraces cascading down a cliff, which is almost 200 meters high. The hard, white mineral deposits, which from a distance resemble snow, are caused by the high mineral content of the natural spring water which runs down the cliff and congregates in warm pools on the terraces.
It can be walked on barefooted, but carefully as some spots are quite sharp. It was a strange sensation on our feet – an extra ordinary experience! It was told that the women in ancient times went there to treat their skin! And it’s this thermal water which leads to the founding of the spa town of Hierapolis at the end of the 2nd century BC. The remains includes the ancient ruins of the baths, temples and the theatre are nearby. I did not visit the site as I was too busy wading in the hot spring which I fully regretted later on.
Our hotel for tonight is Tripolis Hotel situated somewhere in Denizli, Pamukkale
Day 5 – Konya
After our breakfast, we had an early check-out as our coach has to leave at 8.00 am. This was the day of our longest bus trip, from Pamukkale to Konya which is 495 km away and estimated to take around 6.45 hours. Wow! Wow! Wow! It's tiring but I enjoyed the journey, as looking out at all the snow-capped mountains from the coach is very fascinating.
We stopped for lunch half-way through Konya at Kirazli Bahce restaurant where they served Turkish pizza called ‘pide’. It doesn’t look like the typical pizza we have at home, its thin and very tasty. I like it so much.
We reached Konya around 3.00 pm. Upon arrival, we visit the Mevlana museum. It is the mausoleum of Jalal ad-Din Muhammad Rumi, a Sufi mystic also known as Mevlana (Maulana) who founded the sect of “Whirling Dervishes”. He became a very well respected philosopher and religious lecturer at a very young age. He became a follower of the Suffis and devised the whirling dervishes ritual. He died in 1273 and was buried here, next to his father, Baheddin Veled as well as the tomb of his wife, children and some of his followers.
After the museum visit, we stopped briefly at one of the many kervansaray along the old trading route of the ancient days. It is a roadside inn where travellers could rest and recover from the day's journey.
After the long and interesting visits, we terminated at Avrasya Hotel at Avanos Nevşehir and stay there for two nights.
Day 6 - Cappadocia - MAGIC!
Today our wake-up call is at 5.00 am, yes, it’s earlier than the usual. And our itinerary for today is freakingsolutely interesting. It’s a morning of floating in a hot air balloon. Yahooooo....
At 6.00 am, a van came to our hotel to fetch us to a holding area of a balloon company, Atmosfer Balloons. We have a light breakfast there and then it was off to the take-off site.
It was a very interesting experience and wonderful feeling to float up in the air. Now and then there is a blast of flame sent up to the balloon by the pilot. But we don’t feel the heat at all as there’s a metal cover that protects our heads from the heat. Slowly we floated up and looked down on the beautiful landscape and the rock formations below. At one point we bumped into another balloon with the only effect of stopping us a bit. And off course we took a lot of pictures as the landscapes flowed beneath us. 
After about one hour, it was time to land. The ground crew had connected a long rope to the basket and worked very hard to keep the basket level. The landing was perfect! Then the basket lifted one more time and it set down exactly on the trailer with the help of the crew. The balloon was guided by the crew to fall to one side and slowly emptied of the air.
Then it was our turn to disembark. As a celebration of the perfect landing, we were offered cherry juice and a piece of cake. Not a bad way to spend an early morning.
The same van fetched us back to the hotel around 9.00 am. There was an ample time for a real hearty breakfast, and then the group were ready for our next adventure. A trip to Goreme, the major activity centre of the area. That was quite a different experience. From flying above the ground, we are now going down under the ground.
We went to the Open Air Museum and wandering around the valley with the group. More than a thousand years ago, the Christians were chased away and settled themselves in the area. They made some religious wall paintings inside the caves that were designated as churches.
Cappadocia is a magic!!! The cave homes, the cave churches and everything else made this, one of the most outstanding places I have ever visited. We spent nearly three hours there.
Tonight is our second night in Avrashay Hotel.
Day 7 - Ankara, capital city of Turkey
Today we are expecting another long bus trip. After breakfast at 8:00 am, we set off to Ankara, 300 km away and estimated to spend five hours on the road just to visit Ataturk's mausoleum. As usual, I have equipped myself sufficiently for the journey; water, peanuts, potato chips and a book on Turkey.
Half-way through Ankara, we stopped for a short while at Tuz Gölü (Salt Lake). Lake Tuz is the second largest lake in Turkey with its 1,665 km2 surface area and one of the largest hypersaline lakes in the world.
We finally reached Ankara around 2:00 pm. Ankara, with a population of 4 million, is the capital and administrative centre of the Republic of Turkey. It is a big modern city, quite a contrast to other cities that we visited so far. Driving in, we passed miles of high-rise apartment buildings and blocks of modern government buildings and ministries, all draped with huge Turkish flags and portraits of Ataturk.
Our first stop in Ankara is off course, the mausoleum of Ataturk. Here are some pictures of the mausoleum and its surrounding.
I do not wish to write about Mustafa Kemal Atatürk here, please google yourself if you want to know more about him.
After the visit, we drove another 3 hours to Bolu, where we spend one night in Koru Hotel before proceeding to Istanbul the next morning.
Day 8 - Istanbul
After breakfast, we set off to Istanbul which is 270 km away. Istanbul, historically known as Byzantium and Constantinople, is the largest of Turkey. It has 13.3 million people living in it, which is 18% of Turkey’s population. It is located on the Bosphorus Straits and encompasses the natural harbour known as the Golden Horn northwest of the country. It extends both on the European an on the Asia sides of the Bosphorus and is thereby the only city in the world that is situated on two continents.
Against a background of ancient architecture, grand mosques, glorious calls of adzan, and bazaars that still resemble old trade routes, Istanbul is a city equipped with modern infrastructure, designer clothing, a metro system, high culture, and rich nightlife.
There is simply no other city like it.....
We reached Istanbul at around 11am and are ever ready to explore the magical city, where, within the space of a few steps one can travel a thousand years.
First, we hopped into a private boat and go cruising down the Bosphorus Straits, the border of Europe and Asia The boat makes a roundtrip in about 90 minutes, passing through mosques and palaces and also passing under the two magnificent bridges, Bosphorus and Fatih Sultan Mehmet. I love the contrasting architecture : the old houses and the new hotels. It's just beautiful ...
After the cruise, we went for lunch at one of the many restaurant found near the Blue Mosque,Turkistan restaurant.
After lunch, we visited the Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia and the Spice Bazaar.
This is Sultan Ahmet Mosque but popularly known as Blue Mosque for the blue tiles adorning the wall of its interior. It was commissioned in 1609 by Sultan Ahmet I when he was only 19 years old. He was so anxious for this magnificent creation to be completed that he often assisted in the work. Sadly, he died just a year after the completion of his masterpiece, at the age of 27.
Inside, the high ceiling is lined with the 20,000 blue tiles that give the mosque its popular name. The interior is lit with 260 windows, which were once filled with 17th-century stained glass. Sadly, this has been lost and replaced with inferior replicas.
Alhamdulillah.... we performed our jamak Zuhur & Asar in this glorious mosque.
From Blue Mosque we walked to Hagia Sophia which is situated just next to the mosque.
Hagia Sophia was constructed in 537 and used as a church for 916 years.
It was converted to a mosque after Istanbul was conquered by the Ottoman in 1453 and served as a mosque for 481 years. In 1934 it was converted to a museum by the founder of the Republic of Turkey, Mustafa Kamal. And it stays as museum till today...
After all the interesting visits, we have our dinner at Travel Cafe restaurant in the city. This is the first restaurant in Turkey that provides chili. Finally, the food taste so perfect! Our hotel in Istanbul is Ikbal Deluxe Hotel, where we will stay for two nights.
Day 9 - Istanbul
Today onwards, we will not be having long bus trip anymore. All the places that to be visited are around the city.
After breakfast, we visited the icon of Istanbul, Topkapi Palace. It is a large palace, that was the primary residence of the Ottoman Sultans for around 400 years (1465~1856).
It is now a tourist attraction and contains important holy relics of the Muslim world including the Prophet Muhammad’s (PbuH) cloak and sword. The palace contained mosques, a hospital, bakeries and a mint. At its peak, the palace was home to as many as 5000 people.
Unfortunately, it was closed for some repairs when we were there.
Among the several buildings within the palace, we ventured into the Harem which housed the royal family’s private quarters. Most of the rooms were lavishly decorated with large sofas and beds and extravagant fireplaces.
The imperial Harem comprises of almost 100 rooms and courtyards. It contains a vast collection of Byzantine arts, jewelleries, furniture's, tapestries and much more.
After we've done with the tour of the palace, its time for "cay" and hot chocolate on the terrace of the palace, overlooking Bosphurous Straits. What a great day....
T
Today's lunch is little bit special as we will have sea-food at Tamara restaurant right after the palace visit. Hmm... this sounds nice & Im visualising ikan pari bakar! But they served mackerel, oh dear... but why the mackerel tastes like kebab, its so 'kebabbbbeeesh'...
After the fishy lunch, we proceeded to Mosque of Ayyob Al Ansar for our jamak Zuhur and Asar. This mosque is situated on the European side of Istanbul, outside the Walls of Constantinople. Built in 1458, it was the first mosque constructed by the Ottoman Turks following their conquest of Constantinople in 1453.
Amidst of all the chaos, I stumbled upon a street with rows of shops selling fabrics, laces, embroideries and all kind of trimmings. And this street was definitely the gem of the entire bazaar for me. And the prices...oh Gosh! it's definitely so much cheaper here. So, if you’re craving a little fabric shopping in Istanbul, don’t miss it!
Feast your eyes..... :))
After a fruitful shopping, we headed to our hotel for dinner and retire. Tonight is our last night in Istanbul.
Day 10 - Istanbul, our last day :((
Today is our last day in Istanbul. Our flight TK66 will be leaving Ataturk airport tonight at 23.30 hrs.
The Grand Bazaar or “Covered Market” in Turkish boasts over 4000 shops, 58 streets and several kilometers of winding lanes. Wikipedia estimates that about 250,000 to 400,000 people walk through it daily. They had everything the superficial heart could desire. From clothing, watch, lamp, carpet, guitar to jewellery and hookah stores. We spent almost five hours scouring through the market but did not buy much though.
Today's lunch is on our own and we decided to have Burger King after almost two weeks of having kebab. After lunch, we find our way back to the hotel by tram. Our hotel is only two stations away from the Grand Bazaar.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
We had a blast. I thought being in a group might be stifling or a drag - but having 25 instant friends was awesome. We love you guys!
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