Faith Underground

One of the absolute musts on the trip to Turkey was to visit one of the underground cities found around Cappadocia. Many have heard the stories of the persecution of the Christians during and after Roman times, however, not having personally experienced it, curiosity was piqued at the possibility of visiting an actual underground city lived in by 1st century Christians.

But first, a note, so as not to mislead you, as I was misled for many years.
Point 1: We are talking about an underground city. By city, one thinks of a place of residence for an extended period of time. How long do you think a large population could survive in an underground city?
Of course, the reason they are underground is to hide. This means that, unlike many cliff and cave cities of the southern region of North America, these people couldn't go in and out freely. Which means no harvesting crops, no hunting, no herding. In fact, there was even a place for them to bring the flocks of sheep and cows into the cave city. So once again, how long do you think one could live in such an underground city?
In reality, the maximum typical period of time was between 2 to 3 months. Now, in my mind, that is more of a retreat than a city, (and by retreat, I mean "camp"). But of course if it is a retreat forced upon you because you must retreat from the world, then perhaps its not such a fun retreat.

Point 2: Who made these underground cave cities and why?
I was always under the impression, falsely, that the Christians of the time created the cities. I was partially incorrect. Of course, they greatly expanded the city, however, the underground city had been there for a great great long time. It was prior to the period when the Egyptian army occasionally raided the area. Following the Egyptian raids came the Hittite reign. This was followed long after by the Roman Empire and Christian sufferage. So these were underground cities that everyone knew about, as they had been used for a great long time. So, why then were the Christians successful in hiding there? If we are going to play hide and seek, how many of us are going to hide behind the door? In the closet? Under the bed? These are not ideal places to look, as they are the first places checked by the seeker. Therefore, I ask again, how were these Christians successful in hiding there? If anyone knows the answer, please enlighten me!

During our trip, we visited 4 churches, 2 of which shall be described herein. The first was on a hike up a mountain, and the church was carved into the rock. It was a very beautiful church. It's plan was in the shape of an orthodox cross, with all legs of equal length. It had a dome with frescos, and just before sunset, sunlight entered its tiny windows and flooded the whole place with light. In terms of occupancy, I would estimate that a maximum of 20 people sitting crosslegged on the floor could be there at one time. Twenty people! Ultimate small group session.

The second was the underground city of Derinkuyu. As mentioned, it was possibly first developed by the locals as a hide out and fortress against Egyptian raiders. The first few levels have a series of stone wheels that roll into place completely blocking any potential invaders from entering further. Wells weren't dug in the upper levels either, fearing enemies would poison them. Instead, wells were dug on the seventh (final) level, giving no oportunity for poisoning from above. Air vents were cleverly hidden from enemies and any cooking done was done at night, so that no enemies could see the smoke. As my memory serves me, the kitchen was on the first floor (possibly third), thereby preventing any cooking smoke from penetrating deeper into the cave. A church can be found on the 5th floor with a small morgue on the 6th or 7th floor. The floors were all very vague to me but the ceilings were quite memorable. This was due to the fact that often going through passages I was forced to waddle like a duck just to pass through. The few times I could stand fully upright were a blessing.
The church found within the underground city was also in the form of a cross, though not an orthodox cross. It even had a narthex for people to gather in prior to service. In truth, no doubt, that area was used as living quarters for some poor souls, as the city at one point housed 5000+ souls. The church was significantly bigger than the previously described church, with standing space for maybe 500 just in the cross itself. There were, however, no domes or frescos. Due to the temperary nature of the city, perhaps it was deemed not necessary for frescos. Another possibility was the potential for degredation to any frescos due to the damp nature of the space.
Not only did the city have a church, but a stable for the cows and goats, kitchen, and wine making room. Even during times of persecution, fleeing Christians apparently had enough time to grab a few grapes. This was of course used for communion wine during times of hiding.
Lastly, during one of the latest periods of occupation, a missionary school was added to the city. After seeing the rough carved walls of the rest of the city, it was quite a shock to see such a truly refined space such as this.
Sadly, throughout this tour, I was never able to get an answer for this one question. Hiding in an underground city that all the locals no doubt know about, how could one successfully hide for months at a time? Truly a miracle!

On a tangent, long before the underground cities, caves were often carved into spires where people would retreat to during times of strife. These spire homes were small little homes for maybe two to three families, used when in danger from neighboring families. Placing a stone in front of the door was a very effective way maintaining safety. Again, why the enemies didn't just mortar the door shut, I don't know. Perhaps there was a certain code of honor followed in the day.

Next week, the once grand city of Efes (Ephesus) and why sun screen is important!

Full of hot air

Can you guess the image above? The title basically gives it away... Hot air balloon. Not many people know it but ever since college, when I first learned " hot air balloon" in Korean I used it all the time when practicing Korean and subconcsiously (or not) I developed a strong desire to ride in one. The opportunity presented it i  the form of a panoramic flight over central Cappadocia (pronounced kapadokia). We took this chance very seriously, scheduling two days in the area just in case of inclement weather the first day.

So whats it like to ride a hot air balloon? I think the pictures say it all.

Early morning wakeup at 4 am was met with an equally groggy driver who brought us to the office where we enjoyed a light breakfast. After someone gouged themselves on biscuits and cookies (no names but I only went with one person and I barely ate) we were driven to the launch site a few minutes away. The site iz chosen differently every morning for optimal launch and tour coverage. Watching the men set up and start to fill the balloons in the predawn glow was mesmerizing. Our basket was large enough to fit 20 people. Seems like a lot of people but now as I think about it, I barely realized they were there, with the exception of the big guy next to me.

 

Finally, ready for take off! The moment Ive been waiting for. Hot air goes in, nothing. More hot air, nothing, more... and finally we gently lift up. It isn't long before we are looking down on other balloons not yet full of air. And then we are gliding over the rippled terrain, floating back down into a valley, then up over another ridge. A balloon rises up ahead

of us, its approach toward us slow and inevitable. We gently bump and then part ways. A long burst of hot air sends us shooting up into the sky, high above all of the ridges and valleys. There is no sound but the wind passing between the ears and the sound of blasts of fire from distant balloons. A slow release of hot air on one side sends us turning gently, allowing a panoramic view of the whole region. Valleys are filled with different colors, depending on the ores found in their soils, red, yellow, and grey. Ridges are speckled with tall, narrow spires, spires capped by mushroom top like stones, as softer rock below has eroded away from wind and rain over time. There is nothing I have ever seen to match that eerie landscape.

 

Finally comes the slow descent. They had prepared us prior to lift off for descent position. Sitting with back to the wall of the basket, as if there was a chair under you, and grabbing the handles at the front. It was a necessary position. Descent starts gently, but it is entirely up to the wind as to how fast we land. Luckily, the stiff grasses helped to slow our slide, and as we hit dirt, the basket started to overturn. Had it not been for the staff there to grab the basket, no doubt, we would have fully turned onto the side. After landing, a traditional celebration with champagne and then a shuttle bus ride back to the hotel.

 

The remaining of the day was filled with our own independent excursions into a city famous for pottery, where someone very wisely prevented me on numerous occasions from buying souvenirs. This was all wrapped up with an evening hike up a ridge to see the beautiful sunset over the landscape. Dawn to Dusk, hardcore adventure travellers.

 

 

Next week: Flight or fight: Christian Churches

Any questions about this or other things seen in Turkey, please leave a comment below.

 

 

Mosques of Istanbul

In Seoul, there is a Starbucks on virtually every corner. If its not Starbucks, its a Paris Baguette. In Mongolia, all you can see are mountains and horses. In Istanbul, its mosques. There is no part of the city you can go without seeing the minarets of a nearby mosque (with the exception of the underground Cisterns, for obvious reasons). This is not by accident, as the minarets help to find the way to the mosque during the time of prayer. Prayer, lets pause and think about that for a moment. How many times in a day do we stop to pray. To have an honest conversation with God. For many, it is less often than we'd like to admit. In Islam, you are required to pray 6 times a day. At pre-dawn, the first call for prayer rings out, a mesmerizing voice urging you to wake up for your duties. No doubt, the average Turk is less than mesmerized, nonetheless, for me, having heard it for the first time, it was just that. This is followed by the prayer at dawn, the mid-day prayer, afternoon prayer, sunset prayer, and night prayer. The timing for each of these always changes (according to the sun) and always is announced with that same mesmerizing call. There is something very communal and sincere in this tradition of prayer. It doesn't stop with the cal to prayer, but there are several customs associated with this obligation. Unfortunately, I am in no position to explain any of them, but I was greatly impacted by the atmosphere created by this.

That said, upon arrival at Istanbul, a half hour taxi ride at 2 in the morning showed families gathered at parks, parking lots, beaches, verandas, anywhere outside, to enjoy a meal. It was the last meal of the day for them, as many of them, during the month of Ramazan (Ramadan) fast throughout the day. The religious tone that started our first day carried through till the very end of the day, in that virtually every site we visited was a mosque. The first mosque of the day, Aya Sophia (Hagia Sophia).

Originally not a mosque at all, but rather a church, the Church of the Holy Wisdom, it was only converted to a mosque when the Ottomans finally captured Constantinople. Prior to its conversion, it was rebuilt 3 times, due to riots, fires, and earthquakes. Currently, as a museum, it was difficult to fully experience it as a place of worship, particularly the grounds outside the mosque, but ignoring all of the information kiosks, it seemed to have a distinct layout different than all other mosques, especially due to the lack of a proper terrace. While the interior was quite beautiful with massive voids and a cavernous dome, once again, the fact that it was no longer an active place of worship detracted from the sincerity of the place. Of course, despite that, it was still a very impressive, must see place if you find yourself in Istanbul.

The second mosque visited, unofficially dubbed the Blue Mosque, is actually Sultan Ahmed Mosque. This is really a mosque, built in the early 1600's. It was located right across from the Aya Sofia, with the Hippodrome in between them. The pair of them makes for a truly impressive view for any visitors. One unique thing about the Blue Mosque is the fact that it has six minarets, as opposed to the standard 4. This was an issue in its day because the mosque in Mecca had six minarets, and to be its equal was quite presumptuous. Any tourist books will say where the Aya Sophia's true beauty is shown on the inside, the Blue Mosque shows its beauty on the outside. While it certainly stood out as more boastful than the Aya Sophia, the humble brick of the Aya Sophia had a certain authenticity to it that I felt drawn to. On the other hand, the interior of the Blue Mosque, being a current place of worship, had the authenticity I was looking for.

The last major mosque visited was the Suleymaniye Mosque, built in the mid 1500's by the great Ottoman architect Mimar Sinan. Of all of the great mosques, this one had the most impressive courtyard with some views towards the vast expanse of sea right outside the walls. It also had a series of support buildings adjacent to the courtyard, giving the sense of a full and complete master design. Unfortunately, at the time, the support area was under renovation. But to see the interior, the spotless white walls, the size, the vast dome... it was all so impressive. 500 years ago, not only did people in power were great visionaries. 

While all of these great and grand mosques were impressive, the day didn't end with them. Two more mosque were visited that day, Yeni Mosque and Rustem Pasa Mosque. Yeni Mosque was an accident, in search of Rustem Pasa, a neighborhood mosque with more blue tiles than the Blue Mosque. Rustem Pasa Mosque was a small mosque, built by a man who was richer beyond his means, and wanted to show it. Unfortunately, it is quite small and very difficult to find. However, the search was well worth it. Located right in the middle of the Spice Bazaar, it was a garden of calm raised above a sea of chaos. Of all the mosques visited that day, it was by far my favorite. 

Spending only one full day in Istanbul, wouldn't be complete without appreciating the skyline at night. A trip up Galata Tower satisfied that requirement, with great views of all three great mosques, the Galata Bridge, and the thriving city below.

Turkish Delight

Just got back from an amazing trip to Turkey. We spent 7 days in 5 cities in the western half of the country. The sequence was as follows:

1. Istanbul (2 days)
2. Cappadocia (2 days)
3. Fethiye (1 day)
4. Pamukkale (1 day)
5. Selcuk/Efes (1 day)
If you try to ask anyone on a travel forum about this schedule, they are going to tell you don't do it, its not worth it. Then again, they said the same about our honeymoon schedule, when we saw a city a day. For those on a time budget, its not only possible, but in my opinion, well worth it. Granted, I would have loved to stop and spend a few days in just one place, but lets face it, thats just not going to happen, so we have to make the most out of our flight. I used to do the same at buffet restaurants. I had to make sure that I got the most out of my parents purchase, attaining a record of twenty plates on one occation, and twenty ice cream cones on another (void of ice cream, to spare my siblings an unpleasant aromatic evening).

Anyways, here are a few of the highlights of the trip, as well as some reflections about the trip.

Transfering in Beijing: While many will never have the opportunity, I recommend that if you ever get the chance to transfer in Beijing International Airport, or the equally as likely chance to fly Southern China Air, you turn your back and run as fast and as far as you can. The planes are rather old (sounded like it was falling apart during landing), the transfer waiting room is a quarantine room with nothing to eat, nothing to shop for, nothing to look at, and no exit once you enter (until you get on the plane) and baggage transfer is a
joke. The method: send all baggage onto the carosel, once everyone has picked up their baggage, send a jockey to collect the rest, stack it in a big stack on a cart, and push it off to some mysterious place, where, hopefully, it makes it onto your connecting flight on time.

Istanbul, however, is a beautiful city to visit. There is so much color, sounds, smells, LIFE. We were only able to visit a few mosques and bazaars while we were there, but the beauty found inside was unparalleled, the food delicious, and the people are hands down the kindest people I have ever met. Upon arrival at the airport, at 12:30 in the morning, a quick call to the hotel to say we are coming a day early... no problem... and a quick taxi ride later and the manager is waiting outside the door, waiting to greet us. During the day, any time we looked even remotely lost or confused for a moment, someone would come up to us and ask us if we needed help. Anytime we asked for directions, people always helped with a smile. If they didn't know, they would find someone who did. All this during Ramazan, a time of fasting from 4 in the morning till 9 at night. I am talking hard core fasting, no food, no drink, no cigarettes (Turkish seem to love tobacco), no kissing, no gum... the list goes on and on. Oh, and no drink also includes that fancy stuff called H 2 O. Yeah, its that hard core. And yet, throughout our journey, we never once encountered someone who was annoyed by our inquiries, or grumpily shooed us away.

While it was great to be surrounded by such kind hosts, there were some downsides as well. For one, to even begin to understand the cultures of Turkey (it seems there was a plurality of culture), would take far more than the 7 days that we had allocated to it. Turkey is an Islamic state, however it is very liberal towards religion and very accepting and understanding of other religions. But it is still an Islamic state with a very high degree of participation from its citizens. Many women had head scarves to cover their hair. Some had full coverage of their entire bodies. And yet some women were completely lacking in such formalities, being the ideal western woman, running their own businesses. This really made it difficult to understand women's role in Turkish society. It also made it quite unclear to what extent any PDA shared between two people who haven't seen eachother for several months would be judged as acceptable to the locals.

Over the course of the next few weeks, I shall be sharing some of our experiences from Turkey, including architecture, nature, food, and adventures. I hope everyone enjoys and can feel as if they themselves were there.

Enjoy, and if you want to know more about anything, feel free to leave a comment.