The Road to Antalya

July 25

We've been fed so well that we skipped breakfast and just sipped our coffee and tea by the pool enjoying a marvelous Turkish morning. At 7:30 we set about for an 8 hour to the Mediterranean city of Antalya.

Aksaray Sultanani Karavansaray was our first stop. A 12th century caravan stop along the ancient spice road constructed by a sultan for the safety of caravans during the night. Many of these karavansaray exist a days journey from one another. There are others but the ones constructed by the sultan were free of charge, walled, gated and protected by soldiers. The structure was impressive with a massive courtyard, a room big enough for 200 camels, a restaurant, sitting room, sleeping rooms, horse stable and a few misc rooms. There was also a cool tower in the center of the courtyard that could be climbed. Holly spent some time sketching the inside of the camel room and I explored. We're both definitely experiencing Turkey the way we want.

Down to Konya to the tomb of Mevlana Celaddin Rumi, the founder of the Dervish order 1247. This is the same famous poet Rumi that we learn about. He is considered by Muslims to be a great spiritual leader and for Muslims it is considered a place for pilgrimage.

The ornate decorative wall paintings and reliefs in the Mevlana's tomb were amazing. The tomb was a large open room, divided into sections and converted into a museum and it housed him, many of his early followers, his family and artifacts belonging to him. As in Topkapi Palace there was chest said to contain the beard of the Prophet Mohammed. Photos weren't allowed and out of respect women were asked to wear head scarves. I took a nice photo of Holly at the entrance. There were also rooms for men who became mevlana and although it is not used as a place for Dervishes any longer, lots of information about Dervishes lived and carried out their day . The garden was one of the most beautiful I have seen so far and I could see how a person could find incredible peace in this space.

I remember learning about the Taurus Mountains in 6th grade and about how the Romans crossed them to expand their empire and now I can say that I too have crossed the Taurus Mountains. The foothills were notably similar to the foothills of the Sierra back home, dry grassy hills, oak trees and farmland. As we climbed up to our apex of 6000ft it looked so much like the Western Sierra that unless I saw a minaret poking above a small village, I couldn't say for certain that I was in Turkey. I love the scenery at I home and I was just as captivated here. Tall jagged peaks, pine forests, small mountain towns and panoramic vistas as far as the eye can see. My daydreams of Romans, early Christians, Hittites and Ottomans all doing what I did kept me busy for the entire crossing.

The mountains leveled out to a humid coastal plane dappled with farmland and tourist hotels and gift shops galore. The Antalya region is one of the most heavily visited tourist places in the world for sun bathers and beach side resort goers. But even as the larger towns become tourist boom towns, there is still plenty of farmland remaining but not much of any traditional Turkish life unless you count old ladies dressed as peasants smiling and trying to sell you plastic/glass beaded jewelry.

It's not all modern hotels and condos, though. We turned off the main road and were introduced to Aspendos, the world's best preserved 2nd Century Roman amphitheater. Unless you're as Romantic about history as I am I don't know if you'll get what I felt and imagined. Forget the fact that plays and gladiator fights took place within these walls. I was mesmerized by the idea that I was sitting on the same stone bench some average nobody did 1900 years ago. I walked through the hallway that undoubtedly housed food/water vendors and people selling souvenir junk that the average nobody didn't need but bought anyway. My feet walked the steps that a father and son walked to catch a show and spend some quality time together. That's what my brain does with history and I was sad to leave. More ruins to come in the following week.