TURKEY: Tea and culinary delights - 1. Istanbul - Ankara
Travel across Turkey became the next stage of the World without Visas project, within which Valery Shanin travels only around the countries, visa-free for Russians.
On the travel across Turkey and Northern Cyprus, his fellow travelers were Maynur Klementyeva from the island of Sakhalin, Mikhail Ivanov from Alma-Ata and Marina Osipova from Kaluga.
Istanbul is a city with a thousand-year old history. The city of palaces, mosques, parks, fountains, eastern markets and bustling streets. The bridge connects Sultanakhmet's region with the region of Galatian, which is on the opposite side of the Golden Horn gulf. Fishermen have been stationed here permanently since long time ago.
The fish is sold directly there — under the fishermen.
On the ground level of the bridge, there is a long line of cafes, considered for tourists, and restaurants. The prices are higher here, but the atmosphere is special. You are served the fish, that flew out of the water, literally past your nose, only 5 minutes ago.
Istiklyal Street comes back to life with the nightfall. They are frying kebabs directly in the show-window. The sellers-acrobats are evidently enjoying the process of selling ice cream. There is a lot of movement in the shops. Seems like, all city has come on this street with the nightfall. Here they have an ancient tram. It is still used for its original purpose — the transportation of passengers. But in the evenings, the tram car receives one more function. It becomes a mobile concert venue.
The small less-known town of Iznik was called Nicea in the ancient times. Exactly here, in the fourth century, where the Ecumenical council took place, the Christian symbol of Faith was accepted. And in the 12th century, the city was the capital of the powerful Byzantine empire.
Bursa — the homeland of the Ottoman Empire. Many ancient mosques have remained here. A person can pay a visit only when he is pure - both in mind and in body.
Kutahya — one of the most ancient cities on the territory of Turkey. At the top of the rock, towering over the center of the Old town, there are the preserved fortress ruins, that existed already at the time of the Romans.
Aizanoi used to occupy an extensive territory. Only a small part of it is dug out. Random constructions and fragments can be seen everywhere. Directly in the middle of the village, suddenly you can come across the foundation of an antique temple, and next to it - the antique street decorated with marble columns.
In Afyon, they love oriental delights and know how to make them.
The family of Mirimoglu makes halva, lucum, candies and baklava.
The quality of the highest rank. And reasonable prices.
The City of Pessinus, by the legend, was founded by the mother of the famous Phrygian Tsar, Midas. The huge meteorite of a cone-shaped form used to be kept on the altar of the Temple of the Goddess Kibela. Later it was transferred to Rome. The city lived well without the meteorite. It was destroyed in 715 by Arabs. The excavations began in 1967 and still continues. They have already succeeded to dig out the foundations of several temples, some separate columns and almost the whole amphitheater.
Gordion - everybody who didn't sleep through their history lessons at school, knows about this city. It was here, where Alexander the Great of Macedonia, was shown a difficult knot. It was known, that a person, who can untangle it, will become the lord of the world. Alexander got his sword out and split the knot in one resolute strike. At the very beginning of the 20th century, excavation works have begun.
Ankara — the capital of Turkey. In the center, houses occupy all available territory, molding closely to each other on the hill slopes.