Wednesday, 29 April 2015
Early morning over Cappadocia
The air is full of balloons, finally we have a clear morning. Yesterday they couldn't fly, too hazy
and windy. This is the view at sunrise. Been awake for ages first the Turkish idea of a wake up call is hammering on the wrong door at 0330hrs, then the mosques start their morning call to prayer one after another at 0445hrs
The sun is now up.
cappadocia north 29th April 2015
Well what an amazing place this is. The caves and the hidden communities. This area was inhabited by the Hittites from 4000 bc to 1200 bc. The area was taken over by the Persians in 500 bc, and remained that way until 300 bc when Alexandra the great came through. In 30 bc it was taken over by the Romans, who imposed a tax of 380 silver talents.
Early Christians were persecuted and they lived in Cappadocia because they could easily hide in the underground and hidden areas. Places of worship were very private and small. They constructed a great many churches at this time, up to 400 in this area. Early Christians chose the Cappadocia area as it was thought to be both safe and sacred. The fairy chimneys that had three heads were meant to represent the trinity.
They were in a hidden cave city, interestingly the temperature remains constant at 17 degrees summer and winter underground, whereas summer is 40+ degrees and winter -20 degrees In this area. In the hidden cave city they were hidden from the Arabs, the Romans and many others.
Many of the churches had very crude etchings and drawings on the walls. The colours used were crushed rock for blue, brown from local tea, red from grapes, green from walnuts and yellow from saffron. These early etchings from 1st century Christians were covered over by Byzantine Greek frescoes. During earthquakes and wear and tear it is possible to see how the later frescos have fallen off revealing the original etchings. In the church of St Barbara it is easy to see a rooster, a depiction of Peter's denunciation of Jesus three times before the rooster crowed. There are pictures depicting all kinds of biblical parts. The story of Moses with his tablets, Abraham with Issac, and many parts of the new testament are depicted. The later frescoes are more in the Greek style, more like the icons. But again they are pictures telling a story. Every dome of the ceiling, every wall, every support has a picture on it, some in better condition than others. Many show the cross of St John, he clearly made a visit to Cappadocia.
Many of these early Christians had to worship in secret, as Christianity was not tolerated, but this was a thinking community. St George was born in Cappadocia although the Greeks claim him also. Probably Cappadocia was a Greek outpost at that time, part of the eastern Roman empire. One of the early churches is that of St Basil, and there are human remains of early Christians there, possibly a child. Baptismals were huge, babies were baptized by immersion, but always as babies. However converts were also baptized., in these churches by total immersion. Of course the Byzantine Era from the time of Constantine changed these churches considerably.
The locals call the structures fairy chimneys, largely because of the way time has washed away the volcanic ash. This whole area was an inland sea that got filled in by eruptions of the three surrounding volcanoes. There have been successive volcanic explosions. A bit like what we see on the central plateau. Often a piece of basalt sits atop of the spires, hence calling them fairy chimneys, and it has all formed naturally.
Cappadocia's main industry was agriculture (even though volcanic ash makes poor soil) and pottery, up to the 1980's when tourism really took off. It is well known for it's balloon rides, but it's fascinating history makes it well worth a look. However there are many steps and volcanic ash, and ash dust.
One of the trinity chimneys
Houses in the chimneys
More of these structures
A local potter at work
The open air museum where there are a lot of very early churches.
Agricultural efforts in the area.
At the open air museum
Love that spelling
Dry state walls, very old.
The cross above the church cave entrance
Agriculture in the are.
Cave houses
The red river, the longest in Turkey.
Early Christians were persecuted and they lived in Cappadocia because they could easily hide in the underground and hidden areas. Places of worship were very private and small. They constructed a great many churches at this time, up to 400 in this area. Early Christians chose the Cappadocia area as it was thought to be both safe and sacred. The fairy chimneys that had three heads were meant to represent the trinity.
They were in a hidden cave city, interestingly the temperature remains constant at 17 degrees summer and winter underground, whereas summer is 40+ degrees and winter -20 degrees In this area. In the hidden cave city they were hidden from the Arabs, the Romans and many others.
Many of the churches had very crude etchings and drawings on the walls. The colours used were crushed rock for blue, brown from local tea, red from grapes, green from walnuts and yellow from saffron. These early etchings from 1st century Christians were covered over by Byzantine Greek frescoes. During earthquakes and wear and tear it is possible to see how the later frescos have fallen off revealing the original etchings. In the church of St Barbara it is easy to see a rooster, a depiction of Peter's denunciation of Jesus three times before the rooster crowed. There are pictures depicting all kinds of biblical parts. The story of Moses with his tablets, Abraham with Issac, and many parts of the new testament are depicted. The later frescoes are more in the Greek style, more like the icons. But again they are pictures telling a story. Every dome of the ceiling, every wall, every support has a picture on it, some in better condition than others. Many show the cross of St John, he clearly made a visit to Cappadocia.
Many of these early Christians had to worship in secret, as Christianity was not tolerated, but this was a thinking community. St George was born in Cappadocia although the Greeks claim him also. Probably Cappadocia was a Greek outpost at that time, part of the eastern Roman empire. One of the early churches is that of St Basil, and there are human remains of early Christians there, possibly a child. Baptismals were huge, babies were baptized by immersion, but always as babies. However converts were also baptized., in these churches by total immersion. Of course the Byzantine Era from the time of Constantine changed these churches considerably.
The locals call the structures fairy chimneys, largely because of the way time has washed away the volcanic ash. This whole area was an inland sea that got filled in by eruptions of the three surrounding volcanoes. There have been successive volcanic explosions. A bit like what we see on the central plateau. Often a piece of basalt sits atop of the spires, hence calling them fairy chimneys, and it has all formed naturally.
Cappadocia's main industry was agriculture (even though volcanic ash makes poor soil) and pottery, up to the 1980's when tourism really took off. It is well known for it's balloon rides, but it's fascinating history makes it well worth a look. However there are many steps and volcanic ash, and ash dust.
Tuesday, 28 April 2015
Cappadocia 29th April
We flew here last night and I am surprised they let Lynley on the plane without her passport. Anyway the hotel in Istanbul faxed a photocopy to this hotel, a cave hotel. It is quite stunning here and it is a long way south east of Istanbul, way past Ankara.
Cappadocia by night when we first arrived.
First light this morning
After sunrise. The ground appears to be limestone and quite Sandy, as if there was once an inland sea. We are right by Turkey's 2nd highest mountain covered in snow, definitely a ski field. It is 3920 meters high.couldn't get a picture as my bag was away from me at the time.
28th April, a quiet day, the view from our hotel rooftop
Here it is a quiet day, Lynley went off to the Hagia Sophia and the blue mosque. We went up to the rooftop and were surprised at the amount of shipping in the Marana sea, possibly waiting for their turn to pass through the Bosphorus.
Shipping waiting to pass through the Bosphorus
The mosque next door with many loudspeakers on the minaret
A view of the minaret
Narrow streets
The local houses
The walls from ottoman times right outside our room.
The streets are steep and narrow
In the midst off all the mosques is a church with across on top.
There are 6 mosques in our immediate vicinity and when they all have the call to prayer, they all compete with each other, like a discordant singing in a round. It is very loud when the speakers are less than 20m away. Still this is their culture.
There are 6 mosques in our immediate vicinity and when they all have the call to prayer, they all compete with each other, like a discordant singing in a round. It is very loud when the speakers are less than 20m away. Still this is their culture.
Leaving the ship in Istanbul 27th of April.
Well it was a bit of a mission. I managed to get a copy of the book Gallipoli, which had its launch on the ship, and the Authors signed it. I also filled in the survey, and told the academic what I thought of his methodology. You don't answer binary questions with like scales! Also you must ask questions, in such a way that the answers are exhaustive.
Anyway I hope I have contributed to someone's PhD research (Deakon).
so some views of Istanbul, last ones from the ship, and the flowers at the port. The Tulips here are amazing.
we shot off to find a taksi, which dumped us by the centre of town near St Sophia mosque, telling us our hotel was down there ( a narrow street) well of course it wasn't but I think Lynley insulted his driving saying she had to close her eyes and pray.
Anyway another carpet seller sent us off in another taksi to find our hotel. It was quite close to the port where we had started out.
a bit later, it wasn't, raining, just the salt on the resturant windows
A yaght on the sea.
Last picture of Istanbul from the ship
Disembarked, the flowers Tulips at the port.
Rest of day catching this up.
Anyway I hope I have contributed to someone's PhD research (Deakon).
so some views of Istanbul, last ones from the ship, and the flowers at the port. The Tulips here are amazing.
we shot off to find a taksi, which dumped us by the centre of town near St Sophia mosque, telling us our hotel was down there ( a narrow street) well of course it wasn't but I think Lynley insulted his driving saying she had to close her eyes and pray.
Anyway another carpet seller sent us off in another taksi to find our hotel. It was quite close to the port where we had started out.
Sunrise over the Bosphorus
a bit later, it wasn't, raining, just the salt on the resturant windows
Rest of day catching this up.
The day after ANZAC day, 26th April
The ship was late leaving Canakkele, left about 0200 hrs on the 26th April. This meant we were late getting into Istanbul, we didn't dock until 1000hrs.
The first view of Istanbul
More Istanbul
Getting closer
Docking
A Roman Aquifer
An impressive mosque
The sultans tomb (Suleman)
The spire on top of his tomb
The palace gardens
Tulips, Turkey's nation flower
The grill behind which the sultan hid listening to the assembly
The chamber where issues were discussed.
The gate into the sacred treasures
Closer to the gate
AN early cistern.
More of the gardens
The entry spires.
The son of the last Turk soldier holding an Australian flag, with the daughter of the last remaining widow of a Gallipoli solider holding a Turkish flag, embrace an walk through the ship together.
The palace exit to the gardens.
I did not go into the treasury to see the jewel as I was quite tired, and a kindly carpet man helped me into taksi back to the ship.
I chilled out for the remainder of the afternoon missing the blue mosque and the Hagia Sophia.
We had a presentation and a ball that night, we stayed for the presentation, and acknowledgements. Then left. Dame Malvena Major sang, but it wasn't, like the earlier times
night fall over Istanbul
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