Globe Trekker Adela Ucar's Turkish adventure begins in the historical town of Konya, home town of the Whirling Dervish orders. A bastion of Islamic faith and Seljuk culture, it’s a city where ancient history meets modernity, from ancient mosques and myriad markets, perfumed  with Eastern spices, where Muslim pilgrims mingle with secular citizens in tranquil tea gardens.
Her journey continues along the coastline of the Aegean Sea. She treks along the Lycian Way, exploring ancient rock-hewn tombs which dot the hills surrounding Myra, and relaxing on sun-kissed beaches. She travels on to Adana, Turkey’s 4th largest city and home to the Sabancı Mosque, the largest mosque between Istanbul and Saudi Arabia which can accommodate 20,000 worshippers and even has a small elevator tucked away in one of its minarets. The city is also renowned for its exquisite cuisine - notably the Adana Kebab – and famed for its Salgam, a salty fermented juice made from turnips.
Journeying onwards and off-the-beaten-track, Adela visits the historic south eastern region of Anatolia. With its jagged mountain peaks, sun-kissed plains, extinct volcanoes, immense lakes, and historic cities – it’s a region filled with exoticism and adventure. First, she stops off at Gaziantep, a city buzzing with café culture hedonism, it’s filled with Roman, Byzantine, Arab, and Ottoman architecture - clusters of old stone houses, a mighty citadel, ancient fortress - bustling bazaars and brimming with bakery shops, said to produce the best and most delicious pistachio baklava in the whole of Turkey.
Last off, she visits the city of Diyarbakr with its huge basalt city walls, studded by mighty gates, it’s the epicentre of Kurdish culture. Criss-crossed by narrow, winding alleyways, studded with mosques and stone-stencilled black basalt houses, this atmospheric city just oozes history.
|
