INSIDE

Travel

By Margot Griffiths

I met a traveler from an antique land who said: Two vast and trunkless legs of stone stand in the desert. So starts Percy Bysshe Shelley’s requiem to Oxymandius, King of Kings. The head of the colossal statue, with sneer of cold command, lies broken in the sand … nothing besides remains.

I have been a traveler in the world’s most antique lands and in no place but Turkey does so much remain. Statues are strewn over the landscape, in varying degrees of decay or restoration and surrounding them remain the ancient cities that gave them birth. This is perhaps the most outstanding feature in an outstanding land – historical sites unearthed in their entirety. Of course the restoration will never be complete, and much remains buried under eons of time, but what has been accomplished is impressive. Many countries, most notably England and Germany, have assisted Turkey in reclaiming past brilliance and treasures can be found in museums throughout Europe. But nothing compares to seeing things in their rightful setting.

This is a land of myths, where Leander swam the Hellespont to reach his beloved, where Helen held the fate of Troy, where Paris was more than a Hilton heiress. It is a land of history, populated by an endless tide of settlers, conquerors and invaders reaching back 10,000 years to the Paleolithic Era. This magnetic land, gateway to the Fertile Crescent, was where the first agricultural centers formed. Nomads from the Central Asian steppes swept in and the “sea people’ from the rocky, barren islands of the Aegean stormed the coast. Such rich lands were fought over, again and again. The Hittites came, then Lydians, Greeks and Persians. Alexander the Great thundered over this war weary land. And of course there were Romans. There were always Romans. The mighty Ottoman Dynasty headquartered here and ruled three continents for over six centuries.

A tour of Turkey usually begins in Istanbul, the only city to straddle two continents – Europe and Asia. East is east and west is west, and here the twain meet in an exotic free-for-all of culture and religion. Typical of Turkey’s fantastic history, Istanbul has had three names. Byzantium, then Constantinople – named for the Roman leader – and finally, Istanbul, which literally means “the city.”

And it was the city, famous throughout the known world for its grandeur. Today, Islamic culture dominates the skyline with minarets spiraling heavenward from a multitude of mosques. The blue Mosque stands out, with six delicate minarets and an interior ablaze in turquoise tiles. Topkapi Palace, seat of the Ottoman Empire, sprawls atop an advantageous hill. Each sultan left his architectural mark in this vast complex that could house 10,000. The harem, home of the sultan’s wives and concubines, is a maze of hundreds of rooms and courtyards. The Topkapi museum holds egg-sized emeralds and the fabulous 86-carat Spookmaker’s Diamond.

Shopping in Istanbul is equally fabulous, with focus on textiles, ceramics, leather and jewels. The Spice Market and Grand Bazaar are huge congregations of covered shops, forerunners to our malls and unlike Bellis Fair, you may emerge with something unique and without the urge to flee humanity.

From Istanbul, head south to Gallipoli, tragic graveyard of World War I; once seen, never forgotten. From there, cross the Dardanelles (historically the Hellespont) to the Aegean Coast where Hellene and Roman cultures flourished. The first major site you’ll encounter predates everything about it. In Troy, legend has it, a battle was fought over the beautiful Helen. More recent theory has it they fought over land. Troy was settled eight times that we know of; each succeeding people building on top of what came before. Archeologists perform ongoing excavation, down 40 feet and back 8,000 years.

On to Ephesus, where St. Paul preached and the famous Celsus library was built. The city spreads over prize land, encompassing private homes, temples, the agora (a vast avenue of shops), a theater, public baths, and the crowning testament to sociability – a communal lavatory.

All down the coast, ancient cities crop up like blue opium poppies that dot the hillsides. Pergamum, Aphrodisias, and Priene were vastly wealthy, from plunder of war. Kings are remembered in heroic statutes and temples were raised to gods and goddess from Apollo to Zeus. A Medusa’s shocking stare stands guard. And when conflict was at bay, there was another form of drama. Turkey is home to the best preserved outdoor theatres anywhere.

Travel is pleasant, through mountainous land cut by rivers, to high vistas overlooking the Aegean. In the distance is Greece from where the glorious Hellenistic culture sprang.

The Aegean coast becomes the Mediterranean coast, where smart cities like Bodrum and Antalya are summer destinations for Europeans. Restaurants line the sea front and yachts lie anchored in bright blue bays.

From the coast, where Homer was born and Plato once taught, the wise traveler heads inland to the geological wonders of Cappadocia. Millions of years ago volcanic mountains spread lava and ash over miles and miles. Then, for thousands of years, the winds blew and rivers snaked through the land and in one of the most dramatic erosions of all times, Cappadocia evolved. The landscape is surreal, with undulating, barren mountains pocked by caves carved into hillsides. When the above ground caves weren’t safe, the people of these immense valleys excavated underground cities as refuge from the advancing Romans. The early Christians sought shelter here and entire monasteries were built in the bellies of soft rock mountains.

North of Capaadocia is Ankara, the capital city and memorial site of Ataturk, the beloved leader who led Turkey into the modern world. His tomb is coupled with an impressive museum featuring his extensive collection of clothes, jewelry and cars. It was Ataturk’s influence that created the secular nation of Turkey.

Although the Turks of today are predominately Muslim, Turkey is distinguished in the Islamic world by secularism, moderation and modernization. This is a warm and tolerant country with an unrivaled heritage. Her people are welcoming; eager to share their historic birthplace. Once the cradle of civilization, Turkey is now the greatest outdoor museum in the world.