wonders
The unique natural and historical wonders
which are drawing visitors away from the coast...
An increasing number of visitors to Turkey
are discovering that there’s a great deal more to this
country than its fabulous beaches. Turkey is a vast country
with unique natural landscapes and a rich history and culture,
the remains of the many civilisations which have inhabited
this ancient land. To date, the United Nations Educational,Scientific
andCultural Organization (UNESCO) has registered 9 locations
in Turkey on the World heritage List.
The sites are:
- Göreme National Park and the Rock Sites of Cappadocia
- Great Mosque of Divrigði
- Historic Areas of Istanbul
- Hattusha
- Nemrut Dagð
- Hierapolis-Pamukkale
- Xanthos-Letoon
- City of Safranbolu
- Archaeological Site of Troy
Göreme National Park and the Rock Sites of Cappadocia
Some 30 million years ago, a series of volcanoes erupted
in this area, the largest of which was the now extinct Mount
Erciyes. They spewed lava and volcanic ash over the landscape
which, as it solidified, turned into a soft stone known as
tuff. Tuff is easily eroded by the elements, and over millions
of years, the wind and the rain have formed the strange rock
shapes which can be seen today. Known in Turkish as peri bacalarÝ
or ‘fairy chimneys’ they have been shaped into
all manner of strange forms of all sizes, each contributing
to the other-worldly atmosphere of this unique lunar landscape.
Man has added to the work of nature, the softness of the tuff
allowing it to be easily carved out and excavated to form
subterranean dwellings and troglodyte villages. The early
Christians fled here, escaping persecution as early as the
4th century and built their churches underground, hewn from
the soft rock. A highlight of Cappadocia is the Göreme
Open Air Museum, which has the area’s greatest concentration
of chapels and monasteries cut out of the rock, dating mostly
from the 9th century onwards.Many of them are decorated with
beautiful Byzantine frescoes, showing Biblical scenes, which
have been carefully restored.
For further information on Cappadocia see page 82
Great Mosque and Hospital of Divrigði
This region of easternAnatolia was conquered by the Seljuk
Turks at the beginning of the 11th century and became the
seat of the MengüceogðullarÝ tribe. In 1228–29
Emir Ahmet Shah, their leader, founded a mosque, with its
adjoining hospital at Divrigði. The külliye or mosque
complex is one of the finest examples of Seljuk stone carving
and architecture in Turkey. What makes it so unusual is the
intricate, highly decorative sculpture work featuring plants
and animals, which seem to leap out of the stone. The doorways
are particularly ornate, which is in stark contrast to the
plain walls of the interior. Although Divrigði should definitely
be incorporated into any tour of eastern Turkey, it is a little
out of the way. It is approximately 160 kms southeast of Sivas,
a 5 hour train journey away, and 8 hrs by train from Erzurum.
For further information on Eastern Anatolia see page 86.
Historic Areas of IÏstanbul
IÏstanbul is strategically placed at the crossroads of Europe
and Asia, guarding the entrance to the Black Sea. Its location
has ensured its historic significance, and it has been the
capital of three empires: Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman. IÏstanbul
is divided by the Bosphorus straits which separate Europe
fromAsia, and the historic peninsula, known as the Sultanahmet
area is further set apart from the more modern centre of IÏstanbul
by the Golden Horn. This relatively small area, surrounded
by water, at the point where the Sea of Marmara, the Bosphorus
and the Golden Horn converge, is home to a treasure trove
of historic riches. Its masterpieces include the ancient Hippodrome
of Constantine, the 6th-century Haghia Sophia (Ayasofya),
TopkapÝ Palace, the BlueMosque (Sultan Ahmet Cami) and the
16th-century Süleymaniye Mosque. For further information
on IÏstanbul see page 76.
Hattusha or Hattus¸as¸
The archaeological site of the ancient walled city of Hattusha
or Hattus¸as¸, former capital of theHittite Empire,
is one of themost important inAnatolia.At the height of their
power, around 1300 BC, the Hittites had conquered most of
Anatolia and were rivalling the other great powers of the
day, Egypt,Babylon andAssyria. Much of what we know about
the Hittities has been learned from the thousands of bronze
and clay tablets which were found at this site. Set in a National
Park area in what is now known as Bogðazköy, the city
was built around 1600 BC on a strategic site, surrounded by
deep ravines. Perhaps the most famous of its monuments is
the Lion’s Gate or AslankapÝ, although the carved lions
which now guard the site are only copies, as the originals
are in the Museum of Anatolian Civilisations inAnkara.Hattus¸as¸was
a hugely important city, originally containing some 70 temples.
The largest of these was the Büyük Mabet which has
been extremely well preserved. It was dedicated to the worship
of Teshuba, the storm god, and Hebut, the sun goddess.Approximately
3kms away is the site of the temple of YazÝlÝkaya, literally
‘stone with writing’, named after the famous friezes
carved into the rock face to the rear of the site, which depict
Hittite deities.The city of Hattus¸as¸ was destroyed
around 1200 BC. The Hattus¸as¸ National Park is
located approximately 3hrs east ofAnkara near Cappadocia.
Nemrut DagðÝ
The image of the huge disembodied stone heads of Mount Nemrut
is one of Turkey’s most iconic. The site is remote,
on amountaintop some 2150 metres high, so it is not entirely
surprising that it lay undiscovered until 1881, when it was
found by a German engineer, carrying out a survey. The statues
are part of the dream of one man,Antiochus I (69–34
BC), who reigned over the Commagene kingdom. He certainly
had delusions of grandeur, claiming to be descended fromAlexander
the Great and also the Persian king, Darius, and believed
that on his death he would join the god, Zeus, in heaven.
The tomb and temple complex which he had built, consists of
three terraces cut into the north, east and west sides at
the top of the mountain and a sanctuary at the summit. The
terraces featured seated statues of Greek and Persian gods,
which were some 26-33 feet tall. Even the best preserved has
been decapitated but the remains are still very impressive
and in addition to the statues there are a number of carved
stone reliefs. The site can now be reached by road and the
most popular times to visit are dawn and dusk. For further
information on Eastern Anatolia see page 86.
Hierapolis-Pamukkale
Pamukkale literally means ‘cotton castle’and
is one of Turkey’s most impressive natural wonders.
It is made up of a series of white travertine terraces cascading
down a cliff, which is almost 200 metres high. The hard, white
mineral deposits, which from a distance resemble snow, are
caused by the high mineral content of the natural spring water
which runs down the cliff and congregates in warm pools on
the terraces. This is such a popular tourist attraction that
strict rules had to be established in order to preserve its
beauty, which include the fact that visitors may no longer
walk on the terraces. Those who want to enjoy the thermal
waters, however, can take a dip in the nearby pool, littered
with fragments of marble pillars. It was the thermal waters
which lead to the founding of the spa town of Hierapolis at
the end of the 2nd century BC by the dynasty of the Attalids,
the kings of Pergamon. The remains include the ancient ruins
of the baths, temples, the well-preserved theatre, and the
largest necropolis or graveyard in Anatolia containing over
1200 tombs. It is easy to book an excursion from any of the
major beach resorts to visit Pamukkale, and this is sometimes
combined with a visit to Ephesus.
Xanthos-Letoon
The remains of the ancient federation of Lycia, which encompassed
some 19 independent cities, can be seen throughout the southwestern
corner of Turkey. Most prominent are their tombs, especially
the rock tombs, often cut high into cliff faces, and representing
a house for the dead.Xanthos, which is situated close to the
village of KÝnÝk between Fethiye and Kalkan, became the capital
of Lycia during the 2nd century BC. It is an impressive site
containing some excellent examples of Lycian tombs. It was
here that a pillar inscribed in both Greek and Lycian was
found, which enabled the Lycian language to be understood.
Letoon, is approximately 4 kms from Xanthos and was the Lycian
religious centre, where the temples of Leto, Apollo and Artemis
were situated. It is now partially flooded. For further information
on Kalkan see page 66 and on Fethiye see page 58.
City of Safranbolu
Safranbolu is renowned for its superb Ottoman houses. It
has become almost like an open air museum and is attracting
more and more interest as the architecture which was once
so common is now disappearing from other parts of Turkey.
From the 13th century to the advent of the railway, Safranbolu
was an important stop on the main East–West trade route,
reaching the apogee of its cultural and economic success in
the Ottoman period, during the 17th century. The city’s
inhabitants became wealthy and built themselves lavish houses,
many of which still survive today. Some of themost interesting
houses have been restored and turned into museums, including
Kileciler Evi, Mumtazlar KonagðÝ and Kaymakamlar Müze
Evi. The public buildings too give an idea of the vast wealth
of the city at that time. You should visit the Köprülü
Mehmet Pas¸a Mosque, which was completed in 1661; the
Cinci HanÝ, the most famous building in the Çars¸Ý
district, which is a caravanserai dating back to 1645, and
the Cinci HamamÝ, a 17th century Turkish bath which is still
in use today. Safranbolu is on the north-west Black Sea coast.
It is approximately 4 hours fromAnkara by bus and 5 hours
from IÏstanbul. For further information on the Black Sea region
see page 84.
Archaeological Site of Troy
The name of Troy is perhaps one of the best known and most
evocative names of any historic site in the world. Relatively
few people realise, however, that it is situated in Turkey,
close to the town of Çanakkale at the entrance to the
Dardanelles. Homer immortalized Troy in the Iliad, with his
tale of passion, betrayal and cunning, and it is this, more
than anything else which has afforded Troy its fame. In recognition
of this, a replica wooden horse stands at the site. Troy is,
however, also of archaeological significance.When the controversial
German archaeologist, Schlieman, excavated at the end of the
19th century, he found nine cities, built on top of each other
which date back to 3000 BC.Although heated debate still continues
it seems likely that the fortifications which can still be
seen and which date from the 6th city, were those defended
by Priam and his sons Hector and Paris, and into which the
Greeks smuggled their infamous wooden horse. For further information
on the North Aegean see page 70.
The Seven Wonders of the Ancient World
Two of these Wonders were situated in what is now Turkey,
although sadly neither of them has survived to the present
day – the Temple of Artemis at Ephesus and the Mausoleum
of Halicarnassus.
The Temple of Artemis at Ephesus
The Temple was built to house the cult image of Artemis Ephesia
which shares many features in common with theAnatolian Mother
Goddess, Cybele. The exact construction of the temple is not
known but, although it was devastated by fire in 262AD, some
of its sculptures have survived and are now housed in the
British Museum in London.
The Mausoleum at Halicarnassus
The Mausoleum at Halicarnassus, in what is now Bodrum, was
built of white marble, some 135 feet high. It was the tomb
of the Persian Governor of Caria, Mausollos. The tomb’s
fame spread to such an extent that the word ‘mausoleum’
is taken from a corruption of the Latin form, Mausolus, of
the governor’s name. Today, only the foundations remain,
although some of the sculptures can be seen in the British
Museum in London.
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