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Anthropology and Archeology for the Turkey Traveler

Anthropology and Archeology for the Turkey Traveler

Old Aug 6th, 2017, 12:35 PM
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Anthropology and Archeology for the Turkey Traveler

This is the new annual thread for those interested in the mystery of the people, nature, culture, history, architecture, art, economy, roads, routes, cities, towns, resorts, seas, islands, mountains, treks, of Asia Minor, or Anatolia, currently administered by a State called Republic of Turkey, a West affiliated, Islamist Autocracy on the way toward Theocracy, supported by the United States and EU, and even Russia, every now and then: embroiled in the morass that is the Middle East.

It has been reported that the people of this country are friendly and hospitable, government employees not very much so;
While hustlers may congregate at touristic areas of Istanbul, taxi cabs taken anywhere else are quite ethical, hoping for you to round up the fare shown on the meter to the next five or ten Lira.
There is no bargaining or negotiating at the regular shopping streets and malls.
Touristic areas have touristic restaurants, serving a clientelle who cannot differentiate between good and mediocre Turkish cuisine.
A reasonably inclusive visit to Turkey would take about two weeks and include Istanbul, Cappadocia and Ephesus (and environs)

Exciting historic and archeological additions could be Hattusas, Mardin-Midyat, Urfa-Gobeklitepe,
Diyarbakir-Nemrut, Kars-Ani-DoguBeyazit, Sagalassos-Termessos, Myra-Kekova, Kas-Kalkan-Patara, Fethiye-Tlos-Xanthos, Letoon,Olu Deniz, Silifke-Olba, Anamur-Ermenek, and many more.

The two major spiritual locations are Kaz mountains close to Assos, Troy and Pergamon; and Kackar mountains on Eastern Black Sea.

The oldest excavated synagogue is at Sardis, the best Zeus temple at Aizanoi and remnants of the Anatolian Celtic Kingdom mixed with older civilizations at and around Corum province along with huge quantities of chickpeas and a very special rice/lamb dish.

Some of the mysteries are
the route to Hades at Hieropolis at Pamukkale
the tunnels under the old town in Istanbul
the tunnels under the Bosphorus University which used to be ab American college established in 1863.

Next post may be about education, languages, family, etc.
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Old Aug 6th, 2017, 02:10 PM
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Signing on. Not Konya and Ankara?
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Old Aug 6th, 2017, 03:46 PM
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We're coming, OC, not sure when but sometime pretty soon.
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Old Aug 6th, 2017, 07:56 PM
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I think I understand why you left off Konya (too conservative?), but am surprised that you don't mention Ankara, Antalya, Bergama, or Bursa.... JMO!

As always, thanks for providing your insights and opinions, otherchelebi -- Fodorites are very fortunate to benefit from your expertise!
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Old Aug 6th, 2017, 11:07 PM
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On that first post, I concentrated on actual archeological and historic sites of classical Greece, Rome and and some earlier civilizations like the Hittites and Urartians.

I did not list later, meaning Byzantine, Georgian and Ottoman religious sites, architecture or museums, mausoleums, etc.

Konya is a religious site, so are Antakya and Bursa or Saint Nicholas, Alahan (Mus), Sumela (Trabzon)

Then, there are the many caravan resting structures, Han, that our frequent visitor Croesus is so fond of.

Ottoman houses at Mudurnu, Goynuk, Beypazari, Amasya, Safranbolu and Bartin are als worth visiting.

Bergama was mentioned, and Termessos near Antalya but not the other major sites like Perge, Aspendos, Side near Antalya.

It is impossible to cover all sites without making the thread one of lists as in a travel book.

Please feel free to add any and all sites you have visited, read about and recommend or have on your list.

If you have time, just driving around in late Spring (longer daylight hours and flowers and edible wild plants) or early Fall (more fruits and vegetables) on the Black Sea, Aegean and Mediterranean coasts with frequent inland excursions can be more rewarding than you can imagine, very safe and reasonably inexpensive.

Do not forget that this is a large country with three or four different climates, large variety of endemic plants and animals as well as deserts, rain forests, high young mountains, older rolling mountains, valleys, canyons, waterfalls, ice caps, volcanic lakes,
white water rivers, beaches and ski resorts, world class sailing and wind surfing locations, snorkeling and diving over ancient sunken cities; and even unexpected mysterious ruins among shrubbery, amidst tilled fields and dense forests.

Almost all known grains and fruit (except the really tropical ones) and vegetables are locally grown. Decent beef and excellent mutton (especially in the Northwestern regions). Once you get used to it the goat meat in the Southwest is very tender and aroma free.

Istanbul fish, due to the combination of cold and warmer currents between the Black Sea and the Mediterranean are tastier than their family members in the Atlantic and the rest of the Mediterranean.

Sorry for carrying on. It must be the age and the accumulation of all the things I wish to share, usually subject to my dear wife's censorship.
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Old Aug 6th, 2017, 11:25 PM
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"snorkeling and diving over ancient sunken cities"

"Sunken city in Kekova may open to diving"
http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/sun...&NewsCatID=379

I've never taken that boat trip, I'm not convinced there's much to see.
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Old Aug 7th, 2017, 06:55 AM
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Your grandchildren are adorable! Thanks for keeping us educated.
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Old Aug 7th, 2017, 05:40 PM
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I'm glad you are not just making another travel book list! Write on, awesome otherchelebi, and do so with the knowledge that you are providing invaluable to MANY people. You rock!
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Old Aug 8th, 2017, 01:42 AM
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Awww! kja, you are spoiling the young man!

Just read that the Turkish government told the German archeologists
funded by EU or Germany, not to come back to continue the excavations at the Hittite capital, Hattusas.

Temporary protective adobe structures that the team had put up have already started crumbling down.

This year number of visitors dropped to two thousand from many multiples of that in previous years.

FYI, the early excavations were funded and carried out by the Japanese. I wonder why they left them and how the Germans took over.
When we visited about eight years ago there was nobody working at the site.

What I love about the site is the natural temple area "Yazili Kaya" less than two miles from the Northern city gates. It can be quite eerie, reminding one of one's nightmares of ancient Gods, especially at dusk.

I remember spending more time visiting various villages in the area in search of a famous walking stick maker and not leaving much time to meditate on my former reincarnations at Hattusas.

We had also missed finding another specialty of the region, Iskilip Pilav. I never saw it but have applied for and gained a poetic license to also dream of that rice-lamb dish.
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Old Aug 8th, 2017, 11:22 AM
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A friend of mine from Kazakhstan, who is married to a Turkish national, was just deported from Turkey with a newborn breastfed baby. She is a medical professional and was accused of being linked to FG. She was originally arrested and held in jail, prior to her deportation, next to people accused of supporting ISIS.
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Old Aug 8th, 2017, 11:32 AM
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She was lucky to get out. I hope her spouse is also safe.
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Old Aug 8th, 2017, 11:47 AM
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Apparently, there is a list of 54,000 foreigners accused of links to FG, of whom 2,000 are citizens of Kazakhstan. It seems incredibly high.
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Old Aug 8th, 2017, 12:08 PM
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2016 adventurer, it is likely that those from Kazakhstan employed in Turkey have studied and learned Turkish at a FG school there, making it easier to find employment in Turkey.

Currently, anyone even remotely associated with any FG company or institution is a usual suspect and guilty by association until and if ever found innocent.


Many people who are critical of the Turkish government or leadership are considered to have links to FG. Some who had their salaries deposited by their employers at the FG bank have been fired from jobs and their credentials declared unacceptable (tens of thousands of teachers and academics who taught at Gulen schools)

All together 150-200 thousand kicked out and considered non-grata, thus unable to find employment and 50-60 thousand jailed on the basis of presidential emergency power decrees.

It is very dangerous for foreign journalists, reporters, free-lance writers and photographers to work in Turkey, just as members of human rights organizations.

Also any German may be detained and kept as a pawn to be exchanged with Turks who are trying for asylum in Germany.
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Old Aug 8th, 2017, 12:19 PM
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Commentary on Forbes article on solo female visitors to Turkey:

http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/orig...=1502214484195
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Old Aug 8th, 2017, 01:10 PM
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Nice to see you providing your usual helpful info. Your grandkids are adorable.

Have a friend who has been teaching at the University in Antalya and this year it work visa was denied, this happened to all the foreign professors. So sad to see Turkey taking the road it is traveling.
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Old Aug 8th, 2017, 02:21 PM
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I guess there must be quite a few people from Turkic speaking countries working in Turkey. There were two from Kyrgyzstan at the Canada Hotel last year.
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Old Aug 8th, 2017, 02:26 PM
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Very depressing read!

I also looked at the linked list and was surprised to see Morocco so high on the danger list.
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Old Aug 9th, 2017, 04:06 AM
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There were two recent archeological events.

The first was a two day symposium at Milas on Karyan Civilization, with special emphasis on its minted coins and their importance.

Apparently the Karya region including Halikarnassus, Herakleia, Alabanda, Knidos was a very rich region exporting honey to Egypt and dry figs to Rome. The Karyan figs were a great delicacy among the Roman women.

At difficult times and if a poor family had too many children some of the sons were sent to Egypt as mercenary soldiers and others may have needed to take a job as oarsmen on fishing or trading boats.

A very famous boxer from the region won the olympic title by purely leg work without receiving a single punch.

The second event was a commemoration of the Roman emperor,Marcus ulpius Traianus on the anniversary of his death 1900 years ago, at Antiochela Ad Cragum.

This may be the place to remind the reader that anthropologically speaking there is no difference in brain or heart capacity and hence, ideas, thoughts, values, emotions and behaviour between those people of two thousand years or more ago and the people inhabiting our world today. Same reflexes, abilities, senilities, ignorance, stupidities, cruelties, greed and compassion or lack thereof.
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Old Aug 9th, 2017, 02:56 PM
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Oh, I didn't see the new photos of the grandkids. Adorable! Thanks for this thread. I really miss Turkey.
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Old Aug 16th, 2017, 01:36 AM
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on more in hope for a good future than in confidence
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