We had such a wonderful time in Turkey! Our school has a fall break for Eid celebration, so we took advantage of the 10 days off from school and hit the road...literally. We flew into Istanbul, rented a car, and drove 1500 miles around Turkey. We started in Istanbul; visiting the Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia, walking along the Ottoman wall, and strolling the old avenues.
Next, we drove southeast to Goreme to see the famous fairy chimneys of Capadoccia. Cappadocia is Turkey's only national park. The fairy chimneys are rock formations similar to the hoodoos of Bryce Canyon in Utah. They were inhabited by nomads and later would be used by Christians hiding from the Roman Empire. We enjoyed hiking around the park, relaxing on the hotel terrace while enjoying the view, and sleeping in a fairy chimney. It was truly a once in a lifetime experience.
Our next stop was Pamukkale; straight west. Pamukkale is a hidden gem and one that we feel fortunate to have made time for. Pamukkale means "cotton castle" in Turkish. Pamukkale contains travertine terraces made from carbonate minerals left behind from water flow. At the top of the terraces, lies the ancient Greco- Roman and Byzantine city of Hierapolis. Turkey views their ruins much differently from the rest of the world; allowing visitors to walk, climb, and experience the ancient ruins up close and personal. Nothing is closed or roped off. We spent a couple hours just walking around; touching and exploring these historical masterpieces. The only way down from Hierapolis is to walk down through the terraces which have ranging water temps from hot to ice cold. This was one of our favorite days.
From Pamukkale we drove west until we hit the Aegean Sea where we stayed in Seljuk near the famous ruins of Ephesus. Our friends, Dusty and Gordon suggested us buy a rug in Seljuk, so we spent some time walking around the carpet shops, learning the history of Turkish rugs and the meaning of the markings found on them, and practicing rug making. We had a tough task ahead of us; picking only ONE rug.
After our time in Seljuk, we headed back north to Istanbul. This time, we stayed near the Grand Bazaar. We knew we couldn't leave Turkey without visiting the famous Grand Bazaar. Unlike the Grand Bazaar in Egypt, this was indoors. The bazaar was huge and had such a variety of shops. We aren't much for shopping, but we could have spent more time roaming around if we didn't have to catch a plane.
We had a great trip and one that will never be forgotten, especially since it was the last one with just the two of us! We know we'll be traveling internationally even with our little one in tow, but we are quite aware that traveling will be different!
Enjoy this video we made!
Traveling Through Turkey
