In Southeastern Turkey: Something of the Past Days

Trip Start Feb 08, 2008

122

Trip End Sep 11, 2009

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Where I stayed

Belin Hotel

(Mardin hotels)

Flag of Turkey Mardin, Mardin, Turkey
Thursday, May 8, 2008

Mardin. Well, I think it is a little over rated. But, retiring early to the hotel provides me with the opportunity to begin on this blogsite, and catch up on some of the events leading up to today and since my last blog entry at my previous travel blog site: http://www.getjealous.com/getjealous.php?go=kurre.

The last of the previous blog entries left off as I was on my way from Gaziantep, (or Antep) Turkey east to Şanlıurfa (or Urfa), Turkey. And Urfa did present a different world, a different Turkey. One that I rather liked.

For accommodation in Urfa I chose from the Lonely Planet Turkey guide what is now known as Lizbon Konuk Evi (Guest House)(http://www.lizbonguesthouse.com/). It is rather like a homestay in that there is a courtyard which is ringed by the hosts' living quarters, the kitchen, three guest rooms, a WC and a shower. The hosts are Aziz and Feride Torunlar.

[I'm sad to report that the photo uploader for this site is the same detested one employed by GetJealous.com, and does the same thing: 1) It asks to trust some sort of "unrecognized certificate" which would provide "unlimited access to your computer," and whichever I choose--trust or not trust--the click crashes (freezes) the website. I have to restart my computer to get rid of it. So, no photos for now--the reason I thought this site would be more friendly in the first place.]

I have nice pictures of the two of them, especially Feride, tatooed, and holding her newest 3-day old grandson.

Overview of Gölbekli Tepe

I'll put them, in frustration, on my Couchsurfing Profile site:

The Lizbon Konuk Evi is maybe only less than 200 meters from Abraham's
Cave and The Pool of Sacred Fish (Balikligöl). This park is one of the gems of the world. I happened to visit it first on a Sunday, and it was thronged with families, and that made it very endearing to me. And besides that, it is just a beautiful garden/park. (http://www.enjoyturkey.com/info/sights/sanliurfa.htm)

Following upon visiting the Museum I turnned left out the door (on a side street) and at about 30 paces on happened into another fine, family-friendly park. Where they want to, the City of Urfa can bring water and grow nice lawns, trees and flower gardens.

One incident stands out for me. I climbed up to the Kale (Castle) that overlooks the Sacred Fish Lake and park, then saw a near hill a little higher, so went up to get a view from there. As I was climbing the steep street a man came out of his house, saw me, and gestured for me to come into his house--for a tea, I thought. But he had more in mind. A rug was placed in the fore court, a pillow for me, and his little daughter instructed to bring out our breakfast! She brought out a large platter about as wide as her arms could reach, and on it was a dish of scrambled eggs, a dish of something like bean soup, bread (always bread) and a sort of pepper spread. And, of course, tea. Well, the man took one polite spoon of the bean soup, and he and his children (the other a young boy) stayed with the bread and tea, it seemed.

Moving Around to the Left

The man indicated to me that he was a cotton picker. At least that is what I derrived from his word pamuk, and his finger gesture. And so I have read that the GAP project is, among other things, providing for an expanding cotton crop.

On the following day I went by myself, by dolmus, to Harran. This is a site associated--as the Fish Lake--with Abraham and also known for its "beehive" houses. I took with me to Harran a book I found in the "library" of the Lizbon Konuk Evi, Biblical Sites in Turkey, by Everett C. Blake and Anna G. Edmonds. Briefly, it opened my eyes to the deeper history of the Bible, specifically the Old Testament, than I had given thought to before. Namely, whether or not Mt. Ararat, in far eastern Turkey, was the true site for Noah's Ark to come to rest, appearantly eastern Turkey is the home of Noah and his children--or they as they and their descendents represent the peoples from whom Abraham descends. Abraham is the common prophet to the Jewish, Christian and Moslem religions. As the book states, initial archaeological research has centered on Palestine [and Jericho] as sites for the beginnings of "civilization"; but more and more archaeological digs are bringing to light the true origins to be in Anatolia.

I was going to come straight to Mardin yesterday. But another guest at the Lizbon Konuk Evi started showing me photos he had taken the day before when Aziz had taken him and another guest to an active archaeological dig site, Göbekli Tepe (while I went to Harran).

Oldest of Human Constructs?

I also noted, this late, that I had fairly recently read about Göbekli in the New York Times (I think) before leaving home, and had made a note of it on my map of Turkey. So, before coming to Mardin I decided to have Aziz run my out to Göbekli. The Australian fellow also decided to go out again. Well, the Wikipedia entry (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gobekli_Tepe) says, "It is currently considered the oldest known shrine or temple complex in the world, and the planet's oldest known example of monumental architecture." And it is something to see--if you like this stuff. For the dig site is small, and even from outside the fenced-off dig, one is quite close to these fresh discoveries. So one can see the artifacts in situ, I think the term, rather than in a museum. Unfortunately for me (not for the site) the guard would not permit the Aussie fellow, David, and I to enter the dig area to take close up pictures of the reliefs--though David had been able to do so the day before.

After returning from that rather expensive outing (Aziz charged me 40YTL), I went to the otogar and had to wait two or three hours for a bus to Mardin. Although, during that wait I was reading my other current book, Xenophon's Anabasis, when suddenly the "guys" pulled a table to the center of the waiting room and upon which were placed two sort of deep pizza pans, in the center of each was a mat of grilled kebap ringed with baked tomatoes, swimming in oil, and I was bid to join in the lunch. Strips of peeled eggplant were also laid by. I still haven't gotten the hang of wrapping this stuff in bread such that oil isn't to run all over my fingers.

Today I spent walking around Mardin. And while yes, it is picturesque, it hasn't given me a thrill. Tomorrow, then, it's on to Diyarbikir.