1. Ephesus. This is an extraordinary place. It has some of the best restored Greek/Roman (this city housed both cultures in each of their primes) ruins in the world. It also has great biblical history (Revelations, Ephesians). The house where the Virgin Mary
is believed to have lived out her later life is nearby, as well as the cave of the 7 sleepers.
Go here for their story.
Ephesus is also close to Kushadasi, a wonderful resort area. Cruise ships dock here, there are beaches, clubs, stores, a carnival, cobblestone streets, outdoor pubs, street venders, and tons of scenic beauty.
2. Pamukale. When I went here the first time, it reminded me of parts of Yellowstone. The difference here, you are allowed to walk on the hills. The white is caused by chalk deposits in the water. You can find out more here.
3. Culture, culture, culture. Those little things that make it unique. The "circumcision" parties are a trip. Close to a combination of a bris and a barmitzvah, when a boy turns 7 he is circumsized. Before the act he is dressed in princly clothes and paraded around town in a convertible with a caravan of friends and family members in the backs of trucks banging drums and blowing horns. After the act there is a huge party that will sometimes go on for days. Families will go into years of debt to "keep up with the Jones'" for these parties. Or election time. Election time brings parades of people shouting in the streets proclaiming their candidate. They will walk in hordes for hours around the city tooting horns, shouting and chanting with banners and flags. Bayramis were great because for us Americans it was a free long holiday. The downside is that during the winter Bayrami (holy holidays) everything is closed from sundown to sun up, oh and the about to be sacrificed sheep can be heard on the balcanies of apartment buildings all over. Now I know the meaning of the Silence of the Lambs. I could go on and on, but for a better take on these fun little cultural things that make Turkey well, Turkey check this book.
4. The places I didn't get to see but wish I did. Like Istanbul
, Dyarbikar, Ankara, Pergamum
. And the list goes on.
5. Ekmek. Turkish word for bread, it was about 10 cents a loaf and you had to get it fresh every morning because after a day it was then only good for hammering nails into the cement walls. But when it was fresh, it was SO good. Along the same lines, when you ran out of gas (propane) you put your empty bottle outside of your apartment and your kapaci (door man/janitor) would exchange it for you and bring it back. Trash also went on the doorstep, picked up and disposed of by the faithful kapaci. Out of bottled water? (and you went through a lot, not even the local drank the tap water) Put your empty bottles out and your kapaci took care of that too. But, don't leave your shoes inn the hallway, they will run away.
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