Sunday, July 19, 2015

LOVE TURKIYE'

LOVE TURKIYE'...Sayangkan Turki
Everybody loves Turkey...Setiap orang sukakan Turki

Map of Turkey


Enchanting, amusing, amazing, gorgeous, convenience, friendly, historic and so on........
I and my spouse had a golden chance to spend our holidays on the land of two continents. It began on the 2nd of June 2015 and end up on the 10th. We joined MPSM Kelantan or The Kelantan Secondary School Principal Society Touring group.

The trip was so tiring, exhausted but interesting and enjoying. It took half around the clock from KL to reach Istanbul and spent almost half of the whole trip on wheels and sight seeings. It covered from the European side rolling up to the centre of Anatolia and back again to Istanbul. The coach was so comfortable equipped
with WiFi throughout the journey enable us to send text messages and images to families, relatives and friends instantly.


     DAY 1: (2.6.2015) KBR - KUL - DOH - IST.
 Reached Ataturk International Airport, Istanbul in the late evening, boarded a luxury coach crossed Marmara sea by ferry to Yalova, then to Bursa for a stay.

 No images recorded due to darkness. Had a cup of Turkish tea on board, 4 lira/RM5.50 for a cup of tea(chai) or coffee(kehwah)


    DAY 2: 3.6.2015)  TOURING BURSA.
   
Bursa was once a capital city of the Ottoman @ Uthmaniah Empire. Currently the fourth most populous       and one of the most industrialized city. Interesting spots, most are historical. Photos showing the           visited places. Left Bursa in the evening and bound for Kusadasi for an overnight stay.



                                           

Ulu Mosque@Ulu Cami 
built in 1933


Calligraphy inside the Ulu Mosque

Relaxing under an old chestnut,
near Ulu Mosque
                                                         

                                                                                 

The Green mosque and mausoleum, the interior.

                                                                                 
Inside the Green Mosque


                                                
                                                                                  
                                                                            



Silk Bazaar

                 

   

 DAY 3: (4.6.2015)  
KUSADASI - SELJUK - EPHESUS CITY - PAMUKKALE/HIERAPOLIS
                                               

Kusadasi, a beach resort town
facing the Aegean Sea
                                                                         






Selcuk Cami or Seljuk Open Mosque
built in the 13th century

Seljuk Open Mosque, the interior.

                                                                       
My spouse fashioning a USD1200 jacket
at the fashion house


The fashion house 





Ephesus City is an ancient city, reflects centuries of history of classical Greek and Roman Empires,
situated near the town of Seljuk

"Main road" of the city






The city exit
Admiring poppy flowers
The theater


My spouse  loves flower too


Pamukkale or Cotton Castle in Turkish is located in the province of Denizli.
Comprises hot springs and travertines of  terraces of whitish carbonate mineral or limestone.

Hierapolis is an ancient city in adjacent to Pamukkale. Located  on hot springs and comprises an archaeological museum. Founded in the 2nd Century AD as a healing centre.
Formerly famous for it Hellenistic spa and thermal installation


White limestone terrace

Hot ponds below the terraces
                                                                                
Draining of hot water from 
no where to ponds below







Shady place for rest and beverages
Hot ponds

Colourful all the way





                                                                   
                                                                         
Posing in the greens 

All men group

All women group



Ancient city of Hierapolis

Halt for lunch



DAY 4 (5.6.2015)
DENIZLI - KONYA - SULTANHANI CARAVANSARAI - CAPADOCCIA        
Began our long travel. Bid farewell to Denizli (the town we stayed overnight) bound for Konya and Capadoccia. It took 6 hours to reach the destination. Good sight all the way

White poppy field



Sugar beet plantation and grazing 


Wheat field

                                                              





Konya  is the largest city in central Turkey, a fast growing  city and important economic and industrial centres. Also an important academic and training centres.

Mevlana mosque and mausoleum
in Seljuk University
Inside the mosque, Mevlana and ancestors tombs.
Mevlana Sulimiye Mosque



Met the elderly Turkish friend

                                                                                




Sultanhani Caravansaray, biggest masterpiece of the Seljuk period, 

situated on Konya-Aksaray road, halt for a tea.

Continue our journey to Capadoccia and stay for a couple of night in Avanos



Sultanhani Caravansary



DAY 5 (6.6.2015) A DAY IN CAPADOCCIA

Capadoccia is a Persian word means "beautiful horse' or Kapadokya in Turkish is a semi arid region of Central Turkey @ Anatolia, lies in the provinces of Nevsehir, Kayseri, Aksaray and Nigde. Most notably for its "fairy chimneys" cone shape rock formations, cave dwellers, underground cities and open air museums.




Kaymakli Underground city, the history and  facts:

Illustration of cross section of the city
                                 
 Built in 8-7 century BC by the Phrygians. Used during the Byzantine era for protection against Muslim Arab during the Arabs - Byzantine War in 780 - 1180 AD. In the 14th Century used by the Christians inhabitants as protection against Mongolian incursion. Late 20th century used by the Capadoccian Greeks refugees centre from the Turkish Muslim rulers during the Ottoman periods.
Opened to public and tourists in 1964  A UNESCO World Heritage

The entrance

In the tunnel
My spouse & Sherkan our tourist guide



After  passing through
the tunnels the city


The tunnels 
At the main entrance
My spouse sandwich by her
spontaneously met Turkish friends

Pigeon Valley


Uchisar Valley






Modern and traditional lifestyle
in Capadoccia.

Goreme open-air museum.
A Byzantine monastic settlement, house of 20 monks and later a pilgrimage site in the 17 Century.
Popular site with cluster monastic Byzantine artistry with its rock-cut churches, chapels and monasteries.
Abandoned during the Muslim Turk @ Ottoman Period
Currently becomes a UNESCO World Heritage.




Avanos is a historic town famous for its fine and high quality hand made carpets and pottery










DAY 6 (7.6.2015)
CAPADOCCIA - LAKE TUZ - ANKARA - BOLU 

Left Avanos, Capadoccia, 4 hours on the wheels to reach Ankara and another 2 for Bolu
We stayed overnight in Bolu, a mountain and country resort town.


Lake Tuz
Near Aksaray on the highway to Ankara. 
The high salinity lake, second largest and supply 60% of Turkey's salt.
Use as table salt, health care and pharmaceutical goods and products.

Lake Tuz.

At the lake's beach

A  wheat field just beside the lake


                                                 
Ankara: A cosmopolitan, the Turkey's modern capital city and home of arts performing centre. 
 At Anitkabir Hill situated a mausoleum of Ataturk.    

                   
Along the way from
the entrance to the mausoleum
Ataturk mausoleum
in the background 

A tough guard at the
Ataturk mausoleum


                                                                             
                                                                               











Replica of mausoleum.
Mustapha Kamal Ataturk's
remain laid to rest here


A hotel in Bolu, a mountain resort
cool and soothing

                                                                   

Cool and misty evening
 in Bolu
          

The Hotel's trekking & health path


DAY 7 (8.6.2015): ISTANBUL
The largest city, economic, cultural and historical heart with 18 million inhabitants.
Formerly called Constantinople in Byzantine era.  In 1453 captured by the Ottomans under Sultan Muhammed al Fateh, changed to Islambul and lately to its present name by Mustapha Kamal Ataturk 

                                                                     
finally 
The entrance of  the city from Anatolia (Asian side)

A Chinese restaurant, we enjoyed our lunch here

The Grand Bazaar
The oldest and largest covered market 

in the world contains 4000 stalls








Inside the Grand Bazaar













Sultan Ahmad Mosque
A historic mosque popularly known as The Blue Mosque due to blue tiles surrounding the mosque. Built in between 1609 - 1616 during the rule of Sultan Ahmed I. It comprises a tomb of a founder, madrasah(school), prayer hall and hospice. Still functioning as a mosque.                                                                      

Sultan Ahmed I or The Blue Mosque

                                                         
The Blue mosque, the close up
Inside the Blue Mosque












Hippodrome
The present sport & social centre
During Greek, Roman & Byzantine
 eras used as horse and 

chariot racing


Hagia Sophia
1400 years as cathedral 

during Byzantine era 
and as a mosque in Ottoman 
era. At present as a museum.
                                                                                   
                                                                               








Topkapi Palace Museum.
Currently as open museum, a major tourist attraction. It contains  an important holy relic including Prophet Muhammad's SAW cloak, sword, beard and teeth. 
Earlier served as palace and residence for Ottoman sultans for 400 years (1453 - 1856), later as an accommodation for high ranking officers (1853 -1924).
1924 as a museum under UNESCO World Heritage.


The main entrance









DAY 8 (9.6.2015) 
ISTANBUL - BOSPHORUS CRUISE - AIRPORT


Gorgeous Istanbul




Certainly not to forget but not mine
 only similar in name

Most popular public transport
in hand to other mean.
Turkish mutton kebab.
























 Cruising The Bosphorus

Bosphorus strait that form part
the boundary of Europe and Asia



Cruise slicing the strait
Before cruising 
The Bosphorus Strait in the background








The Ottoman fortress



                                   
Another cruise and one of the
bridges crossing the strait

                                             

                                                                           
                                                                               
At the airport terminal before leaving



Fly us to our homeland




                                                      DAY 9 (10 .6.2015) 
                                                              KUL - KBR - Home
  

Our airport
                                                          
The green green grass of home

Excellent and worthwhile trip!
I love it. Looking forward to be there again

Short of time and too rushing missed several centre of attractions. Most unlike, too limited time in the Grand Bazaar and so inconvenience had to carry our belongings while moving around the Blue Mosque and Topkapi Palace Museum.