Being a Goat in Zelve

Since Mark and I had both been to Cappadoccia before and 'did' the tours, we wanted to enjoy the area on our own. Today we took the city bus to the town called Zelve. Well, it used to be a town, but in the 1950's, the government moved everyone out of their cave homes because the rocks were no longer stable.  We decided to climb around these rocks and explore the homes.

Where to start?

 The rocks that were left by the volcanic eruptions are porous, which made them easy to carve out multi-story homes, churches with central columns, barns for the animals.  It reminded me alot of Mesa Verde in Colorado as the Indians lived in similar way. We climbed, Mark pulled me up steep rocks and guided me - not a sure footed hiker like him - down equally steep and slippery paths. We climbed up interior stairways that had notches for your feet and carved holes to put your hands (all perfectly placed).  We both decided that these people were short, at least shorter than me. I have a knot on my head from learning this lesson at many a doorway.

looking down one of the stairways

Yes we hiked and climbed into these caves in Zelve

We progressed from Zelve to the Fairy Chimneys, easy to hike about 1 km down the road.  You can see why these are my favorites!  People still live in these type of rocks, but where we hiked, the caves were empty.

Here are the lovely fairy chimneys - not the name i'd give them

mark climbs up into fairy chimney

more representative chimneys!

Visiting a Different World

One of my favorite places on earth is Cappadoccia. It is a region in central Turkey with a fascinating geography and history. Three volcanoes in this area created a sandstone type ground that has weathered through the centuries to form odd, pinnacle shaped hills. And this same sandstone is easily carved out to form homes, barns, churches.

To get here, we had to take a 14 hour, overnight, bumpy bus ride. Seems the bus stopped every 2 hours, plus an added stop at 4am to accommodate those who were fasting for Ramadan. They had to eat before 4:30am when fasting began for the day.  It was amazing to me to see a bus station at various times in the middle of the night filled with people bustling around as if it were the middle of the day. Vendors were selling fruit and kabobs, bus windows were being washed, children were running around.  Just odd for the hour.


The Cappadoccia area has historically been home to various peoples who seem to be in hiding.  That is the only reason to explain the underground cities. These cities housed tens of thousands of people - all underground complete with shopping centers, barns for animals, and homes.  Fresh air and water are plentiful even at the deepest levels. Some are so deep that all levels of the largest cities have not been explored even today.

cave churches hidden in the rocks

Going above ground, the hills and pinnacles (fairy chimneys) were carved out to create churches, barns, stores and homes.  We are staying in a cave hotel that was formed this way many years ago.

The early christians built small, almost personal churches in these hills, mostly during Byzantine times.  The frescoes are amazing, as are the number of churches that exist. The area was home to monks and nuns who seem to have just done alot of praying.  The surrounding communities had to support them - which doesnt seem like a very beneficial situation.

low doorways resulted in bumpy forehead

With over a thousand churches, we had plenty to choose to explore.  We hiked around the community just outside Goreme, where we stayed. The frescoes are either the early ochre painted geometric designs (at that time the church did not allow images to be used), or the later ornate frescoes depicting stories from the new testament.

Goreme cave church

Mark and I found a great little place, Old Cappadoccia Restaurant, where our dinners were cooked in clay pots. Mine required me to actually break the pot in order to get to the food. Lamb, eggplant, peppers (of course) were all cooked together and were accompanied with brick oven fresh bread. I finally got to taste the cappadoccia wine which was surprisingly good!

the Sac Tava dinner - lamb, peppers on hot plate

church alter area - ochre painting

To make the visit to Cappadoccia complete, we stayed in a cave hotel.  This hotel was the home where Mustafa, the owner, was born and raised.  He turned it into a lovely 6 room cave hotel that included beautiful patios and a roof patio for breakfast and to hang out between hikes.
Breakfast at our cave hotel is pretty wonderful too. Typical Turkish breakfast - fruits, olives, cheeses, fresh breads, honey and jams.  All home made/home grown. Great food and views to start the day

Looking from our room to the rest of hotel

our cave room - updated from when owner was born

Where Mark Goes, Fish Follow

Mark wanted to cook for his family a typical 'Mark' meal that we'd have at home. Today, Saturday, is market day and blocks of the town are lined with vendors selling everything from fabric and lightbulbs, shoes and underwear, spices and vegetables, fish and cheese.  And yes, lots of peppers!  

candies for Biram - starting september 9

We shopped all day - shopping on market day is a social activity as well as a functional one. There are also vendors who walk around selling things like pens, paper and even razor blades.  the razor blade salesman's pitch as he walked around was  ' Don't Sleep, Shave!'

We decided the 'dinner' would include a fish for everyone.   Even though Turkey has a large coastline, fish is expensive and somewhat of a luxury to alot of people. The cooking would be done on a grill, on the roof of brother Adnan's house where we could all spread out on the carpets and the women could watch the men do the grilling.  

We women making the salad

Dinner was a huge hit and even attracted a number of cats who somehow climbed up to the roof. I think brother Ibo had something to do with attracting the cats as I did see from the corner of my eye some fish bones being tossed out to the neighbor's cat.

Hanging with the family

Arriving in Selcuk

It took us 10 hours by bus to get to Selcuk, traveling part of the way via ferry across the Marmaris Sea.  Mark and I decided that next time we fly...that's a long time in the bus.

The family welcoming committee met us when we got in, men in the front yard and women and children in the house.  Of course no one speaks English, and with Mark in the front yard I was left to my own creativity to communicate with all of those women.  They asked so many questions - none of which I understood. After a while, they realized we werent getting anywhere with the talking.  It is important to note that even tho there is usually furniture in a room, everyone sits on the floor on the carpets.  And, it was probably 95 degrees (no exaggeration because the day had been over 100) in the 'ladies room'.


So, to limit the communication frustration, I started showing the ladies yoga moves.  We were already on the floor, so it seemed kind of natural.  This worked out great and got everyone interacting with me, without needing many words.  Mark came in after a while and joined in - much to their amusement.

We've slept on the roof of one brother's house because of the heat. This seemed like a good idea until 4am when the drummers started walking up and down EVERY street in town to wake up anyone who was fasting for Ramadan... and to wake up those of us who werent.  These are loud and rhythmic beats that could be interesting almost any other time than 4am. After one begins to settle down back to sleep, the call to prayers starts.  We found out that they had just installed a speaker system from the mosque on the wall next to our roof beds. ACCHKKKK.   Once that ended, the roosters started which got the dogs going.  About 6:30 the traffic started, joined by the morning train which passes about 50 yards away. Things quiet down then, but the sun is bright and hot by 8am, forcing you to get up.   I really need the strong tea served for breakfast each morning! 

 The family has been harvesting tons, literally, of peppers from the land they are renting this summer.  So, I was on the roof the other evening cutting these so they can dry - so we can bring some home.  Beautiful peppers, but also hot. Don't wipe your eye after cutting up hot peppers!!!

 

Mark's mom's house is over 100 years old. Now that it is cooler we are staying there. Shower is in the kitchen, peppers drying everywhere. And yes, the Ramadan drummers are on this street also, as are the roosters. The outside wall of the house is against a hill, so only a part of it is visible at the street.

Here is one of our dinners - peppers (of course), squash, kasatma (grilled peppers, eggplant, potatoes in garlic yogurt sauce). YUM.

G'Bye Istanbul

I love Istanbul - it is exotic, beautiful, exciting. Definately not restful - so we are headed to Selcuk, Mark's hometown that fits that need.  A long bus ride of 10 hours including a ferry ride to cross the Marmaris Sea makes for a long trip.  We both agree that next time, we fly!

i took these pics from the roof of our hotel, at sunset.  Above is the Blue Mosque, Below is Aya Sofya - once the largest Christian church.  in Byzantine times, this area was all Christian.  The Persians invaded and turned the area Muslim, converting the churches to mosques. thus began 200 years of crusades as the Christians attempted to reclaim the area.  Genghis Khan came in and was able to conquer the weakened muslims but was followed by the Seljuks who were the first Turks and began the Ottoman Empire.  This lasted until World War I when all was a mess. Siding with the Germans, who lost the war, the former Ottoman empire was divided amongst the victors. Atataurk, the general who lead the Turks at Gallipolli, took charge of the former ottoman army and claimed the area now known at Turkey.  Thus began the modern country of Turkey in 1923.  Attaturk removed religion from the government and created a democracy - the only muslim country to do so.  This is all in jeopardy as the country struggles with the constitution and growing religious movements.  August 30 is Turkey's Independence day.

Boating the Bospherus

Dinner last night was over in Beyoglu, the european side of istanbul and considered the modern city.  this was definately the case with European style buildings and even a cable car.  the embassies are here as are the international business Turkey offices.  Street muscians, including some dressed as American Indians, ice cream vendors, toy vendors all mingled with the pedestrians on the 'no car' road - Isticklal Caddesi. It is lined with cafes, bars, art galleries, book stores and restaurants

We tried a manti restaurant called Hala. Manti is the turkish version of ravioli, but as miniature balls.

Istanbul is unique in so many ways. Just one is that it is the only city that sits on 2 continents - Europe and Asia - split by the Bospherus which connects the Marmaris Sea and the Black Sea. We decided to explore the Bospherus today via Istanbul ferry boat and made it north, almost to the Black Sea.

 Europe side has alot fewer mosques than Asian site, the farther north you go-the less inhabited and more woodsy the terrain becomes, there are ALOT of boats on the Bospherus ranging from tankers to rubber rafts with engines and they are traveling all over the waterway, its nice to see the old ottoman houses along the shore being renovated - though it is so costly as the work is always extensive to these wooden multistory homes.                                                

We came ashore and made our way to Sariyer, after disembarking at Rumeli Kavagi to look for a Byzantine castle..which apparently is really across the water. In Sariyer I dragged the boys (mark and ali) to the Sadberk Hanim Museum which is housed in a renovated ottoman house. the house was stunning with beautiful wood floors and ceilings plastered with wreaths and other designs. The exhibits included coins and artifacts through the centuries, but also gold, silver and pottery items from ottoman times to early Turkey history. My fave tho was the exhibit of ottoman woman clothing. Gowns of intricate embroidery with lace and crocheted finishes, silks and velvets, jewelry, shoes and head coverings that included coins and tassels. It was interesting to see the same intricate crochet work as I see today done by Mark's mom and sisters - so nice to see it continue.

For dinner tonight, we went to cafeteria where you point to the platter for each type of food you want and they dish your choices onto your plate. You sit at long tables with other families. Everyone is eating, somewhat quickly because there are hoards of hungry turks waiting for your seat. At 8pm, those who are fasting for Ramadan will be arriving. The food was good standard homestyle Turkish food. But I know we'll have even better when we get to Mark's family in Selcuk.

Then off to the park in front of the mosque for beer, to watch the evening Ramadan. festivities. There were vendors selling roasted corn, roasted chestnuts, a candy that is made from dipping a stick into gooey candy which, when it cools, becomes like a long lollypop, gyro maker, vendors selling toys that light up in the night, cotton candy vendors, bottled water.

roasted corn vendor

Roasted chestnut vendor

Whirling Dervish in front of Mosque

watermelon vendor

Chocolate fountains in Beyoglu