Northern Turkey, where East meets West

Trip Start May 29, 2005

Trip End Dec 17, 2005

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Flag of Turkey Kirkareli, Vize, Istanbul - Sultanahmet mosque, Hagia Sophia, Turkey
Wednesday, September 14, 2005

Chapter Summary

Northern Turkey, where East meets West

Rescued in Kirkareli
09 Sept, Friday
Start point: Aziziyez, Near the Bulgaria / Turkey border
End point: Kizilcikdere
Via: Kirklareli
Odom(Km): 58.82
Moving(hrs.mim): 3.52
Ave(Km/h): 15.2
Total Ascent(m): 605
Max Altitude(m) 676
Max Speed(Km/h): 60.9

Bulgaria and Turkey are two very different countries and the first village I passed through shouted this out. Firstly the church is replaced by a mosque and the minaret dominates the skyline. The next major religion after Islam is enterprise - A tiny village had a whole high street of shops, restaurants, cafes and roadside vendors. Thirdly the people are far more engaging - I can't imagine in Bulgaria being offered 2 cups of tea in the one day.
The road from the border into Kirklareli is wide, downhill, smooth, quiet and most of all, fast. 60.2Km/hour to be precise. The town has a network of shops selling everything and anything. Shoes, car parts, jewellery, mini markets, restaurants, cafes and so on. All the shopping you could wish for, except books that is. Out of the 500 or so shops I must have peered in, only a couple sold books on the side as first and foremost they sold stationary - that's pens and paper. Yes, they sold maps but the scale rendered them useless for a bike. Only major roads and big towns shown. During my search I found a bike shop and purchased much needed supplies, discussed routes and drank tea. Then I circled and circled until I was rescued by Merve, a student studying literature. We ate in the park before she located the tourist information office for me. It was like no other tourist information office I have been in. Firstly it was well hidden away in a park and located in an anonymous looking building. So anonymous we asked where it was while standing just across the road from it. We entered and soon I was sipping tea while being handed leaflets and advice on which route to take with Merve acting as translator. Waved goodbye and exited the city on the smallest road shown on the map and an hour later found a suitable spot to watch the sunset.

The countryside

Merve, to the rescue

The rescued!

In the musical bus, full of characters
10 Sept, Saturday
Start point: Kizilcikdere
End point: Vize
Via: Kirklareli
Odom(Km): 40.50
Moving(hrs.mim): 2.30
Ave(Km/h): 15.2
Total Ascent(m): 359
Max Altitude(m) 327
Max Speed(Km/h): 51.8

Although I had already had breakfast, the temptation to try something different in Kirklareli was too much. I saw somewhere that looked as though they took themselves and their food seriously, called Ikinci Bahar and run by a friendly family. Although I can't remember the name of the dish, it was sliced sausage, chopped tomato, peppers, mild chilli peppers, oil and chilli powder fried. Once cooked a generous helping of a cheddar like cheese was sprinkled over it and served as it melted. It made a great dip for the endless supply of bread.
I made it 10km and stopped at a roadside stall selling melons. The elderly gent could speak French so we chatted away while he gleefully peeled different types of melons - honeydew, water and the rest.. Then figs came out. The feast was interrupted as I helped load a car with sacks of onions - since the minimum age was about 70, I couldn't sit by so I offered to help. Before I left I asked how much I owed and he was very insistent I didn't pay, despite my protests and attempts to give him some money. I cycled away touched by his generosity and bloated after consuming 2 honeydews, 1 watermelon and a figs.
The pain in my stomach had gone by the time I reached Vize, a bustling walled town and major Byzantine centre with monuments. I knew there were some sights to see, and after a wander around the shops I was none the wiser as to where they were. Stopped by a lively internet cafe to send photos home on a CD and got talking to Turgay, one of the family members who owned and ran the cafe. He kindly offered to take me round the surviving sections of the old city. We walked around ancient churches, a bath house and an amphitheatre, all in various states of renovation or disrepair. The 6th Century Byzantine church of Hagia Sophia and St. Maria, built on the site of an earlier temple was the highlight. One of the other Byzantine churches was open and we crept inside for a look. After a few photos we came out and I felt my ankles itch. I looked down and saw covering my legs and socks about 100 fleas - the place was infested with them. All the others watched as I jumped up and down, brushing and picking them off. Quickly they too realised that I was not the only one suffering and soon we were all jumping around trying to rid ourselves of the fleas. Not pleasant. De-fleaed, we returned to the cafe were I chatted to Turgay and then a crowed of computer gamers. I tried to glean as much information about the town as I could, the schools and what drove the town economy. I also talked about places I had travelled to and being next to a computer I could show past pictures. Then Turgay and I ate and met up with some friends for a wander round the town - quiet for a Saturday night. We gate crashed a wedding before getting ice cream. Then they bought beer and we drove to a spot with good views over the town in a mini bus - almost filled to capacity while the musically talented - that everyone but me, belted out some wonderful tunes to the sound of an acoustic guitar. Then I stopped over at Targays house - it was after 2.00am when we got to bed. A memorable evening in the company of some really kind, generous, fun and interesting characters.

Kirklareli - Breakfast in with a smile

Market

Vizy - View of the town

Vizy - Monuments

Vizy - Internet cafe

Vizy - The wedding

Vizy - Musical bus

Vizy - Lucky it was not plugged in

The countdown to Istanbul starts..
11 Sept, Sunday
Start point: Vize
End point: Kabakca
Via: Saray
Odom(Km): 79.92
Moving(hrs.mim): 5.16
Ave(Km/h): 15.2
Total Ascent(m): 867
Max Altitude(m) 270
Max Speed(Km/h): 45.3

On the road one there is one thing in Turkey you have to get used to - the sound of the horn. It is used to signal many different things. "I'm here", "I'm overtaking", "get out the way" and so on... depending on the traffic situation. The one I find rather annoying is the "Hello" beep. A car drives up behind you and honks very loudly as it overtakes. This never fails to make me jump, especially if I can't hear the car coming in the first place.
The ride today was a strain, mainly due to a shift in sleeping pattern. A break and strong cup of coffee was what I needed. Gentle hills, some wooded and some scrub was the order of the day. Stopped for a snack in Saray where a kind gent bought me a cup of tea.
There are plenty of signs for Istanbul and it is with great enjoyment I watch them count down.

3 curious youngsters I met while filling my water bottle at a roadside spring

Istanbul ARRIVAL, beer please
12 Sept, Monday
Start point: Kabaka
End point: Istanbul
Via:
Odom(Km): 84.5
Moving(hrs.mim): 7.23
Ave(Km/h): 11.4
Total Ascent(m): ???
Max Altitude(m) 234
Max Speed(Km/h): 47.0

I awoke to a cool start - the condensation was back with vengeance. I set off into a bare hilly landscape shrouded in a low lying mist. The roads were empty until 30Km away from the city centre and then it got worse and worse. When the road reached the city centre it was lorry mayhem, so I turned off and relied on GPS to navigate me in the 'general direction' of the centre using backstreets. I wove my way through a colourful, lively and noisy street scene. After time in Eastern Europe its indeed an assault on the senses - especially taste as I kept stopping to try the different foods I came across.
I located the general area Turgay recommended and booked myself into a backpackers hostel. It is located 200 metres away from the landmark of Istanbul, Hagia Sophia. Upstairs in the hostel is a little used balcony with views of Hagia Sophia and Sultanhamet Mosque - also known as the Blue Mosque. In the other direction I can see the Bosphrous, a dividing line between east and west. A bed in a clean dorm sharing with a remarkably considerate collection of Australian guests comes to 3.50 pounds a night. How can you complain at that!
At the bar I got talking to a sociology student from Vienna. We wandered over to the Sultanahmet mosque (Blue Mosque) where we admired the inside and outside alike. Built between 1609 and 1616 my Green Guide correctly states "The soft blue tones and hushed steps of bare feet on thick rugs transports the visitor into a universe of tranquillity that invites prayer and meditation". Back at the hostel I jumped on the bike for a lightning tour of the area north west from the hotel following just inland from the river Corne D'Or. I discovered markets, crooked wooden houses, innumerable shops, eateries, workshops, repair centres, feral cats and street vendors. An insight into the everyday way of life in Istanbul.

Sultanahmet mosque (Blue Mosque)

Sultanahmet mosque (Blue Mosque) - Inside is a true work of art

Sultanahmet mosque (Blue Mosque) - Inside is a true work of art

Painted houses

Istanbul street scene

Istanbul city tour - Day 1
13 Sept, Tuesday
Start point: Istanbul city tour

After my early starts I could not help but wake early. I took breakfast overlooking the park area between the two mosques that was once the Hippodrome, built in 203.
The city of Istanbul has gone through many changes. In the 7th Century B.C, a Greek colony was founded here by Byzas, hence the name Byzantium. Then in 324 A.D, Emperor Constantine made it the capital of the Roman Empire and renamed it to Constantinople. In 1453 it was captured by the Ottomans who graced it with many mosques and renamed it to Istanbul. The Christian Basilica of St Sophia was converted into a mosque by painting over the mosaics decorating the interior and building four minarets where the call for prayer was sounded. When Turkey became a republic after the war of independence in 1923, the Mosque was converted into a museum in 1935 and work started restoring the mosaics, covered because portrayal of human forms are forbidden in a mosque. This was my first destination after breakfast and I spent a few hours wandering through its cavernous interior. The majority of the building dates from the initial building works carried out from 532 to 537 under the orders of Justinian, who wanted to raise a monument greater than the temple of Solomon in Jerusalem. I walked around the interior imagining what it would be like for a 6th century visitor, while admiring the artistic additions made following the conversion to a mosque. The uncovered mosaics once looked down on Richard the Lion Heart after his conquer of the city - this placed is just brimming with history.
After time in the cool and quiet I headed for the polar opposite - the Bazaar. It's a torrent of colour, light, atmosphere and over priced tourist tat. Then the area near the university and the book market were I finally managed to buy a map of Turkey (1:400 000 scale) it will allow me to plan routes away from the main roads.
Next stop on the tour was the Suleymaniye Camii mosque, built between 1550-1557 on a hill with good views of the city and waters. Similar in feel and size to the Blue Mosque, I soaked up the atmosphere for an hour before moving on for a walk round the exterior. Then back to the hostel for food and then beers on the terrace. Certainly a day to remember.

pre-rush hour street scene

Me outside the Hagia Sophia

View of the park located on the site of the Hippodrome

Part of the temple build in 414AD that predated the existing Hagia Sophia

Hagia Sophia - interior

Hagia Sophia - interior - 11C mosaics

Graveyard near by

Bazaar - What makes you think they sell lamps?

Bazaar - Tat

Istanbul backstreets

Market

Suleymaniye Mosque

Suleymaniye Mosque - Interior

Istanbul University gate

Harbour activity

Food!

Istanbul city tour - Day 2
14 Sept, Wednesday
Start point: Istanbul city tour

The morning I devoted to the area around the Topkapi, Ottoman seat of power from 1453 to 1839. Built on the site of the Byzantine Acropolis and it is rather apt the museum of Archaeology should also form part of the building complex. On arrival I was staggered at the number of tour busses that had off-loaded hordes of loud Italian tourists. Not wishing to join in the jostling, pushing and shouting, I decided to go to the Archaeology museum instead where I could peruse in quiet contemplation and learn about the ancient sites in and around Turkey. Its interesting but very big and after a few hours of studying the finds, I started to skim read. The collection is impressive and of particular note are the stone coffins or sarcophagi. One in particular is called the Alexander sarcophagi, carved in the 4th century B.C and found buried at Sidon in 1887, it is exceptionally detailed and still shows traces of paint. After the museum I entered the Topkapi as the queues had all but died down. This is the former royal residence of the rulers of the Ottoman Empire, so we are talking big fish here! It's a palace to fit the needs of entertaining, receiving dignitaries, running affairs of state and most importantly, impressing. I walked through the beautifully decorated and cool marble and tiled buildings. My audio guide talked me through the use and history of the different sections of the complex. I didn't have the energy to go to the Hareem, so I headed back to the hostel to route plan.
Finished the day off with a bike ride to buy things and fix bits and bobs for my onward journey. Istanbul was always going to be a return home decision point for me, but the moment I entered Turkey the decision was made. Tomorrow I take the boat for the next leg of my journey, The Sahara Desert...