Photo Album & Travelogues

This collection of photos  and travelogues is about several travels to Eastern & Central Turkey during the years 2002-2005.  Most trips started in the Eastern provinces and headed West to end at the Aegean coast in Kuşadası. Apart from the pictures in the photo albums, I included travel information such as useful contacts and links to the hotels we stayed in and can be recommended or not.

Turkey, especially the Eastern provinces of Turkey,  Eastern Anatolia,  is indeed a magnificent country with vast steppes and high mountains. Adventurous Eastern Turkey offers a magnificent scenery full of remains of ancient and lost civilizations.  Among the highlights there are : the fairy-tale like castle of Ishak Pasha overlooking the vast plain at the foot of Mount Ararat, the ruins of the ancient Urartian civilization at Van, Ani the ancient capital of the Armenians, and Nemrut mountain (2.150 m) with its mysterious idols.  Also nature is splendid and unspoiled with landscapes one is never to forget. There are the vast steppes, the snow-capped top of Mount Ararat, the cloud-reaching mountains and fertile green valleys near Artvin, the blue-green waters of the Van lake surrounded by snow-capped mountains and grazing herds of cattle.

Map Courtesy of Nezihi Ozduzen

The map shows the routes that were followed. Just mouse-over and click on the map to have a look at the places we visited. Alternatively click on the hyperlinks on the left.

June 2002: The Magic of Eastern Anatolia

September 2003: Lost Civilisations in Eastern and Central Anatolia

June 2004: Saints and Pirates along Turkey's Mediterranean Coast

September 2004: City Trip Istanbul

June 2002

The plan was to start in Doğubayazit and visit the South-Eastern provinces near the borders of Iran, Iraq, and Syria. Then we  headed  West and visited Mount Nemrut and Cappadocia. After a stop at lake Egirdir, the journey ended at Kuşadası. This was a rather tiring journey with bus rides between cities that took sometimes as long as 8 hours. However, the mysterious landscape near Doğubayazit, the beauty of Lake Van, the Oriental splendor of Urfa, and the wonders of the world at Mount Nemrut and Cappadocia made it all more than worthwile.

A detailed itinerary of the June 2002  travel:

1. Monday 4/6 Flight TK1938 Brussels 12:25 – Istanbul 16:45
2. Tuesday 4/6 Flight TK806  Istanbul 07:45 – Van 09:45, dolmuş to Doğubayazit
3. Wednesday 5/6 Doğubayazit
4. Thursday 6/6 Doğubayazit - Van, visit Van Kalesi
5. Friday 7/6 Visit Hoşap Kalesi, Çavuştepe, Akdamar
6. Saturday 8/6 Van – Diyarbakır
7. Sunday 9/6 Diyarbakır
8. Monday 10/6 Visit of Mardin
9. Tuesday 11/6 Diyarbakir - Şanlıurfa
10. Wednesday 12/6 Visit of Harran
11. Thursday 13/6 Şanlıurfa - Adiyaman - Kahta - Mount Nemrut
12. Friday 14/6 Kahta – Adiyaman - Kayseri - Göreme
13. Saturday 15/6 Göreme
14. Sunday 16/6 Göreme - Konya  - Eğirdir
15. Monday 17/6 Eğirdir - Sagalassos
16. Tuesday 18/6 Eğirdir – Kuşadası
17. Wednesday 19/6 Kuşadası
18. Thursday 20/6 Kuşadası
19. Friday 21/6 Kuşadası
20. Saturday 22/6 Kuşadası
21. Sunday 23/6 Kuşadası
22. Monday 24/6 Kuşadası - Izmir - Istanbul - Brussels

Click here to start the journey

September 2003

This time we decided to head for the Black Sea coast region. In September there is a risk  though, as the weather can be quite unpredictable in this region with frequent rains and thunderstorms. Fortunately, in Central Anatolia weather was nice, though a bit chilly at night. The main attractions in this journey were a visit to the ruined Armenian capital of Ani near the Armenian border, the monastery of Sumela (unfortunately in the rain), and Hattusha the ancient capital of the Hittites.

A detailed itinerary of the September 2003 travel:

1. Thursday 11/09 Flight TK1938 Brussels 12:25 – Istanbul 16:45
2. Friday 12/09 Flight TK668 Istanbul 08:35 - Erzurum 10:35
3. Saturday 13/09 Erzurum - Kars
4. Sunday 14/09 Visit Ani
5. Monday 15/09 Kars - Artvin
6. Tuesday 16/09 Artvin -Trabzon
7. Wednesday 17/09 Trabzon - Sumela Monastery
8. Thursday 18/09 Trabzon
9. Friday 19/09 Trabzon - Amasya
10. Saturday 20/09 Amasya
11. Sunday 21/09 Amasya - Sungurlu
12. Monday 22/09 Visit Hattuşa – Yazılıkaya – Alacahöyük, followed by transfer to Ankara
13. Tuesday 23/09 Ankara
14. Wednesday 24/09 Ankara - Afyon
15. Thursday 25/09 Afyon - Izmir
16. Friday 26/09 Izmir
17. Saturday 27/09 Izmir - Kuşadası
18. Sunday 28/9 Kuşadası
19. Monday 29/9 Kuşadası
20. Tuesday 30/9 Kuşadası
21. Wednesday 1/10 Kuşadası
22. Thursday 2/10 Kuşadası
23. Friday 3/10 Kuşadası - Izmir
    Izmir Flight TK 06:15 - Istanbul 07:15
    Istanbul Flight TK1937 08:45 - Brussels 11:15

Click here to start the journey

June 2004

In June 2004, we followed Turkey's Mediterranean coast from Antakya ,or Hatay as its official name now is, to Antalya.   The main attractions were the Roman mosaics at the archeological museum of Antakya, the maiden castle at Kizkalesi, the archeological sites of  Uzuncaburç, Kanlidivane, Aspendos, Perge,  Termessos, and Sagalassos, and the historical center of Antalya. Of course, there was also time for swimming and sun bathing at the beaches of Kizkalesi and Side.

A detailed itinerary of the June 2004 travel:

1. Thursday 10/06 Flight TK1938 Brussels 11:15 - Istanbul15:35
   Flight TK466 Istanbul 16:50 - Adana 18:20
2. Friday 11/06 Visit Adana
3. Saturday 12/06 Adana - Antakya (Hatay) by bus about. 3.5 uur
4. Sunday 13/06 Visit of Antakya Arkeoloji Müzesi, Cave Church of  St. Peter, Monastery of St. Simeon, Cevlik,Titus ve Vespasyanus Tuneli, and Harbiye
5. Monday 14/06 Antakya - Adana (bus 3.5 hour) – Mersin (50 min)
6. Tuesday 15/06 Visit  Mersin & Tarsus (23 km, 20 min)
7. Wednesday 16/-6 Mersin - Kızkalesi (Taxi 1.5 hr)
8. Thursday 17/06 Silifke (30 min.) Visit Uzuncaburç (private car)
9. Friday 18/06 Visit Kanlıdivane and transfer to Silifke - Anamur (4 hrs)
10. Saturday 19/06 Anamur: Mamure Kalesi - Anamurium
11. Sunday 20/06 Anamur – Alanya (4 hrs) - Visit Alanya
12. Monday Alanya – Manavgat (1.5 hr) - Side, visit Side
13. Tuesday 23/06 Side – Manavgat - Antalya (2 hrs) - Visit old city of Antalya
14. Wednesday 24/06 Visit of Perge - Aspendos by taxi
15. Thursday 24/06 Visit of Termessos by taxi
16. Friday 25/06 Antalya – Eğirdir (2.5 hrs)
17. Saturday 26/06 Isparta - Sagalassos by dolmuş
18. Sunday 27/06 Eğirdir – Aydın - Kuşadası bus and dolmuş
19. Monday 28//06 Kuşadası
20. Tuesday 29/06 Kuşadası
21. Wednesday 30/06 Kuşadası
22. Thursday 01/07 Kuşadası
23. Friday 02/07 Kuşadası
24. Saturday 03/07 juli Kuşadası - Izmir - Istanbul – Brussels
    TK317 Departure Izmir: 11:15 Arrival Istanbul 12:15
    TK1939 Departure Istanbul: 14:00 Arrival Brussels: 16:30

Click here to start the journey

September 2004

A six day city trip to Istanbul, the City of Wonder with visits of:  Topkapi, Aya Sofya, Blue Mosque, Suleymaniye Mosque, Archeological Museum, Museum of the ancient Orient, Grand Bazaar, Egyptian Bazar, Hippodrome,  Tekfur Sarayı, Mihrimah Camii, Kariye Müzesi, Fener, Eyup, Galata Tower, Mehter concert at the Military Museum, and a scenic boat trip along the Bosphorus.

Click here for more details and photographs of this trip

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