2010.07.11-14 #5 TURKEY [Mardin - Hasankeyf - Van]

#5 TURKEY
2010.07.10 - 14

The Far-east: Near Syria / Armenia
[Mardin - Hasankeyf - Van]

We left SanliUrfa by bus to travel to MARDIN. The bus service really is a lifeline for people living in the ar East. This woman seems to have moved all her worldly possesions by bus. Every sack you can see belonged to her - she checked each one!

Just look at the contrast today: lands being watered and in the distance the desert.

The mountains were impressive.

Syria is only 18km away from us at this point.

The new city of Mardin is multi-coloured.

Whereas the old city of Mardin is sandstone-coloured. Mardin has hosted various cultures over its 7000 years' existance. The historical Silk Route and Mesopotamian Plain are intimately interwoven with the city. Its historical architecture is as well-preserved as Venice and Jerusalem. Mrad in front of the Mardin Museum (1995) which was began its life as the Church of Virgin Mary (1895). It also serves as the tourist information centre!

Mardin castle on the horison.

We visited Deyrulzafaran Monastery. It was once a Syriac-Jacobite monastery and has many of the sandstone carvings for which Mardin is famous.

The guide explained that the ceiling was "hung" by wedging a final stone into the structure which holds the ceiling up. Each block weighs more than one ton!!

The cross above the altar in the church which is still used regularly.

The monastery has been restored to its present glory. This is the only frescoe which survived the Mongols vandalism.

The next day we left for HASANKEYF. 

Much of the landscape was a repetition of the dry southern area but wherever GAP water reached, the fields were a lush green.

The concept for such sports fields amazed us. Obviously they're very effective in heat and in rain.

At MIDYAT I enjoyed an ice cream (1TL) - it was searingly hot!

And bought a piece of "telkari"/filigree - finely woven silver/gold jewellery. You can imagine it was difficult to choose.

Our journey continued. These people waited for the bus at this "bus stop".

Although a part of Turkey between the Euphrates and Tigris Rivers is wonderfully fertile, there are many parts that are extremely rocky.

By the time we reached Hasankeyf we were drenched with sweat. Fortunately, we found a room at the (one and only) hotel. It only has seven rooms!

This was our view from our room balcony. To the left.

To the right.

We were so tired that we slept soundly with the borrowed fan whirring hot air over us all night.

The next morning, we tried to beat the heat. So at 6am we were on our way. In Eyyub times (1116 AD) this bridge consisted of an upper and lower level and was 40m long.

The Zeynel By Tomb was impressive. It's purported to be the only onion shaped tomb in history!

It is sad to think that all of Hasankeyf (behind me) will be submerged within two years (?) once the dam project is completed.

In the village, everyday life continues in spite of the submerge threat.

The minaret (with a double staircase in it, constructed in 1409!). Only the tip will protrude from the dam's water - hopefully the storks will still breed on it?

The 99 "Names of Goodness" written on the El-risz Mosque next to the minaret and the beautiful ceiling above the names. Apparently the names will be removed prior to the final flood.

Our guide takes us up to the castle. En route we pass the newly excavated Roman shops.

From the heights we look down at the Tigris River and the restaurants next to them (see the pale squares?)

Hasankeyf - for the next few years before it is submerged.

The Small Palace (1328 AD) within the big palace. Look carefully to see the pitcher-like hollow structures incorported in the roof to prevent heat or sound being transmitted. As it was a place for a bride (!) one wonders why this was necessary!

The castle is being painstakingly renovated as a museum. When we saw how much time and effort each single stone in a walkway takes, we were impressed. And the heat of the day was impacting on us - and we were just merely walking on the hill (not working).

The old graveyard on the top of the hill.

The ruins of the palace mosque.

As the ruined mosque falls down, the underlying Christian church walls are revealed.

The interior of the ruins.

On our way back to the village below, one of the shop owners showed us his pet Kestrel - one eye is blind.

While waiting for our bus, this butcher "display" drew our attention.

We left Hasankeyf and for many kilometers, travelled along the Tigris River.

We passed Batman, a town where ground oil was found. See the storage tanks?

Some impressive buildings (all due to their new found wealth) in Batman.

We continued east along many kilometers of roads that were being constructed.

These passengers embarked with baby (in arms). They unwrapped the "bundle" in the dolmus - that's how we knew it was a baby!

Another dolmus - waiting for the next departure at Cevizlik.

Inge took the opportunity to buy a golden melon for which the east of Turkey is renowned. Turks love being photographed!

The usual pattern of amazing road works appeared again.

We drove through mountains which are said to compete with the Swiss Alps!

And still the road works continued. Turkey means to make the Far East very accessible!

These cobble stones in Tatvan have been here for many centuries.

LAKE VAN - one of the hghest lakes in the world (1,720m) and 6x saltier than the sea as it has no known outlet.

Mobile bee farming - it seems as if families in the far east travel with their bees to flowering pastures. The far east is famous for its honey.

Can you see the beehives near the tent?

We hope to visit Akdamer Island by boat tomorrow.

In VAN, we found Hotel Aslan suitable to stay in - very basic - but it became our home for the next three nights.

The remains of our super Turkish breakfast at Evren Kahvalti (breakfast) Salonu.

On the corner next to our hotel, customers came to inspect the quality of the sheeps' wool. We wondered what its use was?

At 10am we started a tour with Harun Toprack, an efficient guide, who took us to Cavustepe Castle (40km towards the Iranian border).

Mrad, Mehmet Kusman who often speaks about Cuneiform at international conferences, and Harun.

Mr Kusman is one of 25 people in the world who can read Cuneiform. Here is a Cuneiform stone tablet which he replicates.

He showed us some grain that was found in the storage jars at the castle. The wheat is more than 3000 yeaars old!

This is where the grain was found.

King Sarduri II (760-730BC) had irrigation channels dug to bring water to his palace and fields. These channels are nearrly 3000 years old and still working!

In the temple (you'll have to use your imagination to see the buiding!) sacrificial animals were slaughtered here - the blood drained away down the hill.

This is the original Cuneiform writing on a wall in the temple from which much of the present day knowledge of the site was gleaned.

One of the enormous cisterns in which water was stored.

Just look at the view from the castle. Can you see the enemy coming?? No! All safe!

Harun enjoyed showing us his heritage.

We head back and see that the site is well guarded by police (in the black shirts).

We drank tea with Mr Kusman who showed us the newspaper clippings documenting his fame.

Our next target is Hosap Castle - only +-40km from the Iranian border. Hosap Kalesi was built by a Kurdish despot, Sari Suleyman, "the Blond", in 1643.

From close up it is even more impressive.

Its entrance is securely locked, but Harun phones a friend who has the key.

While we wait for the key, we inspect the detail of the entrance.

Much renovation has been done - all the pale sections show where repairs have been done.

The tunnel leading into the castle is dark and the steps are irregular - just what one expects of a REAL castle!

The crenulated mud turrets are just right for archers to aim at the enemy.

The training arena for young knights.

The dilapidated castle mosque.

And in the distance near the "modern" homes of Guzelsu, the walls of the castle grounds can still be clearly seen.

And the man with the key to the castle, returns to work.

This Roman bridge in Guzelsu still works perfectly even after more thatn 2000 years of traffic across it.

This excellent road was built when Turkey and Iran had a good trade relationship. Thousands of trucks trundled across the border daily even bringing cheap petrol to Turkey. However, as this relationship has soured (mostly due to Iran hosting the rebel PKK group), the road is neglected and is only used by the odd dolmus/tour bus.

The army presence is obvious.

Yet with the water project in this region, farmers continue to plough, plant and harvest for the winter ahead.

We drove back to Akdamer Island in Lake Van to catch a ferry boat.

It was a pleasant, cool ride to the island.

Our target? The church of the Holy Cross, built by an Armanian king in the 10th century as a retreat before the Turkish onslaught. And as the Turks were good horsemen, but not good boatbuilders, the church survived.

The ornate reliefwork on the facade, depicts scenes from the Old Testament. Can you see Jonah being thrown to the whale on the lefthand side of the picture? The whale has ears, claws and wings - on the righthand, Jonah is spat out onto dry land!

This row of crosses is scratched onto one of the walls - was it Armenian graffiti?

Every outer wall is ornately carved with icons.

The interior only shows vestiges of its previous glory.

And inspite of the damage, the atmosphere is holy and these saints stare down at us in silent contemplation.

Mrad takes a quick dip in the sodium waters of the lake which are said to have healing properties.

On 

our way back to the hotel, we stop at a tomb of a Seljuk princess (11th century).

And see gravestones dating back to the Hittite times (2000BC) - according to our guide!?

The other graves were equally impressive - all dating back many centuries.

To lighten our mood, Harun took us to see the famous Van cats. One eye is green, the other blue. The wire made it a nightmare to photograph those eyes.

And finally, fresh Lake Van fish for supper. Stage 1: buy the fish.

Stage 2-4: clean, cook and "set" the table(!?!?). Stage 5: enjoy (eaten with bones, skin and fins - gutted on our behalf!).

The following day we discovered the Besyol Kahvalti Salonu where Van people came to buy their take-away breakfast. Whatever they choose is carefully weighed before they pay. We felt at home here.

We took a bus to Van Kalesi - we did not realise it at the time, but the family sitting at the back was on its way to have a picknick at the castle.

Van's suburbs.

Van Castle (built in 834BC) runs along the spine of the hill - this is the section closest to town.

And these are the ramparts which run towards the sea.

Our focus is not only on history, but on the present too. We had a good chat with this family although we can't talk Turkish and they can't talk English.

We climbed the hill to enter the castle. The size of the structures always amazed us.

Such a view would warn the Urartians of enemies coming from afar.

Mrad went to investigate the furthest point of the castle.

And Inge chose to (try to) sit down on these minute steps.

When we clambered down the hill to go home again, we met up with our bus family who invited us to tea. The friendliness of Turkish people never ceased to amaze us.

In Van we walked to the museum through a typical Van city center street.

And visited another carpet shop - we bought a small Sine-type carpet and had it wrapped up for transport.

At the museum we saw many of the artifacts which had been found at Cavustepe Castle (which had visited the previous day). I loved the bronze helmets.

And the agate(?) necklaces!

The examples of rock carvings from the Trishin Plateau intrigued us - especially as there is continuity between the rock designs and designs of the regions hand crafts.

The Hakkari Stellae were only discovered in 1998. They were made sometime between the middle of the 15th century to the 11th century BC!

One wonders why these ceramic boots were made?

We enjoyed the museum.

On our way back to the hotel, we passed these magnificent shoe polishing kits - shoe cleaning/polishing is done all over Turkey with great gusto and style. Especially at the bus stations.

And drinking tea on the street is a great pass time - men only!! Definitely a national "sport"!

Just look at the attention with which our Kahraman Maras icecream is served - and he had a great sense of humour as he teased us when he gave the cone to us - we had to try to catch it!

Supper at our favourite shop just down the road - we chose our food by pointing to the pictures on the wall!

So our time in VAN came to an end. The next day we continued our travels to Dogubayazit (near Mt Ararat).

Hierdie blog dek (weer) net 5 dae se ervarings en indrukke - en daar is soveel meer wat ons sou kon se^!!! Elke oomblik is vir ons 'n avontuur want die mense reik uit na ons, kom gesels as hulle enigsins Engels magtig is. Amper elke kind kom met sy/haar skoolrympie na ons: "What is your name?" "My name is ..." "Where do you come from?" "How old are you?" Sommiges word skaam, ander lag te lekker. en meeste wil tog he^ - vra sommer direk - of ons tog nie hulle foto sal neem nie! Hier en daar vra hulle vir geld, maar gelukkig is hulle in die minderheid en verander dit dikwels ook in 'n goedige geskerts.

Weer eens. Liewe Here, dankie vir die voorreg.

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