Driving Eastern Turkey Part 2: Van - Ankara - IgoUgo Turkey Journal

Amasya: Anatolia's Hidden Gem

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Amasya Photo - Amasya: Anatolia's Hidden Gem, Turkey, Europe

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Today Amasya is a relatively small provincial capital, but 2,500 years ago it was the capital of the Pontan kingdom, a rival of Rome and remained an important trade center under the various empires that passed along the banks of its lovely YesilÄ±rmak (Green River). During the Ottoman Era it was considered an ideal spot for the imperial summer residence, as well as the place to send future Sultans as governors to learn the trade. The city, one of Turkey's most beautiful, lies nestled on the banks of the YesilÄ±rmak and contains an old town full of 200 year-old Ottoman mansions and cobblestone streets, tucked into the side of a cliff under magnificent Pontan tombs.In summer Amasya is a fair...Read More

Today Amasya is a relatively small provincial capital, but 2,500 years ago it was the capital of the Pontan kingdom, a rival of Rome and remained an important trade center under the various empires that passed along the banks of its lovely YesilÄ±rmak (Green River). During the Ottoman Era it was considered an ideal spot for the imperial summer residence, as well as the place to send future Sultans as governors to learn the trade. The city, one of Turkey's most beautiful, lies nestled on the banks of the YesilÄ±rmak and contains an old town full of 200 year-old Ottoman mansions and cobblestone streets, tucked into the side of a cliff under magnificent Pontan tombs.

In summer Amasya is a fairly popular place from refugees from Ankara fleeing the heat, but when we arrived in early spring, the town was almost dead. We had arrived late at night, due to our run-in with the snowstorm, and were worried about finding a place to stay. The first place we stopped was a large new hotel built in modern Amasya, but it was soulless and expensive. Luckily we managed to stumble upon Pension Ilk a quirky old house turned into a bed and breakfast. The rooms are decorated with random assortments of antiques and the walls are decorated with various old photographs, paintings, and copies of Time Magazine from 1928 declaring Ataturk "Man of the Year." The host, though is friendly, and the breakfast like all other in Turkey, and because it was virtually empty, we got the room for next to nothing.

When it comes to sights itself, the main sight of Amasya is the town. A walk along the right bank of the river gives you the best views of the Pontic tombs and the Ottoman houses across the river, but it also allows you to stop at two of Amasya's best architectural sights, the Gok (Blue) Medrese and the Mosque of Sultan Beyazit II. The Medrese, dating from 1266 contains, as the name implies, bands of blue tile and is an excellent example of Selcuk architecture, as well as some Mongol mummies. The Mosque was erected in the 15th century and contains two lovely minarets and an elegant dome. Inside you will find glazed tile and marble.

On the other side of the river is the old city, full of Ottoman mansions and narrow streets. This is also were you find most of the craft and souvenir stores in town. You can enter one of the houses, the Hazeranlar Konagi, and many of the houses are actually inns, great places to stay if you aren't arriving in the middle of the night. Above the old city lie a series of cliffs, into which are Pontic tombs, similar to the Lycean tombs you find on the Mediterranean. You can walk up to the lowest of the tombs for free.

Beyond that you can take a drive up to Amasya's citadel where you can get great views of the city and countryside. Read Less

Member Rating 5 out of 5 on January 11, 2006

Amasya: Anatolia's Hidden Gem
Amasya
Amasya, Anatolia, Turkey

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Hattusa: The Path of the Hittites

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King Photo - Hattusa: The Path of the Hittites, Turkey, Europe

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The last stop on our road trip of Eastern Turkey was the ancient Hittite cities of Hattusa and Yazilikaya. These sites, just outside of Ankara, are a popular stop for expats in Ankara as well as tour buses. For us it was a bit of a shock entering back into mainstream "tourist" Turkey. Having spent the last few weeks in places where we were one of the few, if not only tourists, it was weird to be among streams of tourists again, and the annoyances that come along with that. Like many of the sites on the tourist path, Hattusa is full of touts who try and sell you tours or "antiques" and will follow you around the site until you tell them to shove off. Still, though, it doesn't mean that these sites aren...Read More

The last stop on our road trip of Eastern Turkey was the ancient Hittite cities of Hattusa and Yazilikaya. These sites, just outside of Ankara, are a popular stop for expats in Ankara as well as tour buses. For us it was a bit of a shock entering back into mainstream "tourist" Turkey. Having spent the last few weeks in places where we were one of the few, if not only tourists, it was weird to be among streams of tourists again, and the annoyances that come along with that. Like many of the sites on the tourist path, Hattusa is full of touts who try and sell you tours or "antiques" and will follow you around the site until you tell them to shove off. Still, though, it doesn't mean that these sites aren't worth it. They are the best Hittite ruins in Turkey and although most of the statues and pottery have been taken to museums in Ankara, Istanbul and Europe, it is nice to see the setting to get a feel for how the Hittites lived. For this reason, the experience is perhaps more rewarding if you have already been to the Archeology Museum in Istanbul or the Museum of Anatolian Civilizations in Ankara.

The area is split into two sites, of which Hattusa is the largest, and by large I mean 2.5 square Km. A car is almost necessary. The site itself is a series of temples and palaces surrounded by large walls. Don't expect to find much more than the walls of these structures along with some pottery, but still the shear size of the structures and the rocks is impressive. Most impressive are the various gates of the city, particularly the Sphinxes' Gate and the Lion's Gate, both of which contain statues of the aforementioned animals. In addition there is also the King's gate whose large "king" figure is impressive. Watch out for the cows that roam the ruins and what they leave behind.

Although Hattusa is larger and more panoramic, you may find Yazilikaya more interesting because there are more specific things to see. Yazilikaya, which means "rock with writing on it" in Turkish, contains exactly that. On the site there are two temple chambers carved into the rock that contain bas-reliefs of gods, kings and chimeras. Most impressive is the 12 gods relief in which the gods are lined in a row like marching soldiers wielding weapons.

Upon leaving Yazilikaya an old Turkish man flagged down our car. He came up to the window and asked me in Turkish if I could drive his mother back to their house in the nearby village. She was carrying bags full of groceries and was too tired to walk. I gladly obliged. The mother was full of questions and continuously offered us food. We politely declined.

That was our last stop on our trip. We spent the next night in Ankara and then from there headed back to our apartment in Istanbul. All in all, a wonderful trip. Read Less

Member Rating 3 out of 5 on January 11, 2006

Hattusa: The Path of the Hittites
North of Ankara
Van, Turkey

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Ishak Pasha Palace

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Attraction | "Ishak Pasha Sarayi: At the foot of Ararat"

Courtyard Photo - Ishak Pasha Palace, Dogubeyazit, Turkey

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Sitting majestically at 1,000 feet above to border town of Dogubeyazit, lies the magnificent palace-fortress complex of Ishak Pasha, one of Eastern Turkey's most extraordinary sights. Although a fortress has existed on this spot for centuries, the structure you see today dates from the mid-18th century and was the home to the aforementioned Ishak Pasha, a Kurd and the governor of the Dogubeyazit region. At this time the area was on the frontier of the Ottoman Empire and a strategic point from which to defend against Persian and Russian invasions, all of which accounts for the palace's fortress-like location and exterior. Once inside its towering walls, however, a whole different world appears, one of ...Read More

Sitting majestically at 1,000 feet above to border town of Dogubeyazit, lies the magnificent palace-fortress complex of Ishak Pasha, one of Eastern Turkey's most extraordinary sights. Although a fortress has existed on this spot for centuries, the structure you see today dates from the mid-18th century and was the home to the aforementioned Ishak Pasha, a Kurd and the governor of the Dogubeyazit region. At this time the area was on the frontier of the Ottoman Empire and a strategic point from which to defend against Persian and Russian invasions, all of which accounts for the palace's fortress-like location and exterior. Once inside its towering walls, however, a whole different world appears, one of decadence, lavishness, and the architectural beauty the Ottomans were famous for. With a lot of money put into restoration Ishak Pasha, on many levels can impress the tourist more than its grander cousin Topkapi, back in Istanbul.

For one, the Ishak Pasha complex showcases the unique blend of Armenian, Georgian and Persian architectural styles that the Ottomans were famous for. Undoubtedly, the builders of the castle followed the Ottoman standard of utilizing the renown architectural ability of the empire's Armenians, as well as the same sort of rose-colored stone that is featured in many of the Armenian churches in the region.

Above Topkapi, Ishak Pasha is exactly what one thinks of when one thinks of an Ottoman-era palace. It has lavish courtyards, elegant arches, superb domes, and a maze of rooms, stairs and inner chambers, all of which you can explore as you wish. Flights of slippery stone stairs lead down dark passages and into the old reservoirs, obviously capable of holding plenty of water in case of a siege. Perhaps the oddest sight is the random occurrence of Armenian graffiti dating from around 1910, just as the conflict between the Ottomans and Armenians was starting to bubble. It is an odd feeling standing there and staring at the carefree carving of a random Armenian and wondering if he had nay idea what fate had in store for him 5 years from then.

The palace also contains an interesting little mosque, but perhaps the most spectacular thing about Ishak Pasha is the views. The palace looks out over the plains and the modern city of Dogubeyazit with the towering Mount Ararat in the background. There are few things as humbling as laying your eyes upon Ararat for the first time. There is no doubt why the Armenians worshipped the mountain and why it maintains such a mythical status today. This permanently snow-capped and cloud covered mountain is worth the trip itself.

Behind the palace lie the ruins of a few old mosques and houses from the old city of Dogubeyazit worth a look, but don't bother with the modern city. Itâ€™s a true border town and has more of an "Old West" feel to it (i.e probably a lot of prostitutes and drugs). There are places to stay, but I'd push on to Kars. Read Less

Member Rating 5 out of 5 on January 11, 2006

Ishak Pasha Palace
Dogubeyazit District, Agn Province
Dogubeyazit, Turkey

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Sumela Monastery

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Monastery Photo - Sumela Monastery, Trabzon, Turkey

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The main reason travelers come to Trabzon is to take a trip to the Monastery of the Virgin Mary at Sumela. This 1,000-year-old monastery, nestled in the mountains 30 miles from Trabzon is a hit with tourists and Trabzonians alike, who flood the monastery in the summer for picnics. The whole time we were in Trabzon people constantly asked, "Have you seen Sumela yet?" and when we finally saw it we understood why.Today the monastery is preserved in the Altindere National Park, sparing it from being drown in development. The approach to the monastery is a road that winds its way up the mountains through forests and past waterfalls. Eventually you arrive at a small tourist vill...Read More

The main reason travelers come to Trabzon is to take a trip to the Monastery of the Virgin Mary at Sumela. This 1,000-year-old monastery, nestled in the mountains 30 miles from Trabzon is a hit with tourists and Trabzonians alike, who flood the monastery in the summer for picnics. The whole time we were in Trabzon people constantly asked, "Have you seen Sumela yet?" and when we finally saw it we understood why.

Today the monastery is preserved in the Altindere National Park, sparing it from being drown in development. The approach to the monastery is a road that winds its way up the mountains through forests and past waterfalls. Eventually you arrive at a small tourist village with a hotel, restaurant built over a stream, and some souvenir stands. From here you have the choice of proceeding by foot up the path to the monastery, or driving up. I recommend walking if you feel up to it. It takes only about 30 minutes affords you great views of the monastery on the approach. Also it is usually less crowded. If you drive up you have to only walk along a small path for a few minutes to reach the gate.

Upon arrival you pay the somewhat hefty (about $10) fee and then enter on your own. The monastery isn't terribly large, but its location is truly spectacular. Sumela is what a monastery should be. It is literally carved out of the cliff. It is a series of stone steps and wooden shacks that seem to stick out of the cliff with almost no support. The monastery seems to almost defy gravity, inexplicably clinging onto the cliff.

You can make your way into various monk cells complete with fireplaces and latrines, but the real jewel is the main church. It is a chapel carved out of the cliff and covered (inside and out) in vibrant frescoes depicting various biblical characters and scenes, including one stunning one of Christ. Sadly graffiti in Greek, Turkish and random other languages has taken a bit of a toll, but it's still impressive.

The monastery is empty these days, the monks having left during Greece and Turkey's "population exchange" in 1923, but it remains an impressive site and a popular spot for Greek tourists. Once you have had your fill you can mosey back down to the tourist village and have some overpriced Trabzon pide at the restaurant straddling the stream that comes down from the mountain. Sure it's tacky, but it's still a nice spot, provided that it isn't a sunny summer weekend and flooded with locals looking for a picnic. Read Less

Member Rating 4 out of 5 on January 11, 2006

Sumela Monastery
Altindere National Park
Trabzon, Turkey

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Hoşap Castle

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Attraction | "The Kurdish Castle of Hosap"

View Photo - Hoşap Castle, Turkey, Europe

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The road out of Van towards the Iranian border, provided you can find it, is a narrow, winding one, full of lorries trucking back and forth between Turkey and Iran. As you pull away from Van, the lush valleys give way to desolate mountains. The black smoke spewing out of the exhaust pipes may hide it, but this is an ancient land that has been home to empires of Urartians, Armenians, and Kurds. Indeed this is where Turkish Kurdistan gives way to Iranian Kurdistan.About an hour into the journey, depending on how many trucks you get stuck behind, you will come upon a flat plain with a large hill in the middle. This hill is called Cavustepe (Sergeant Hill) and atop it you will find the ruins o...Read More

The road out of Van towards the Iranian border, provided you can find it, is a narrow, winding one, full of lorries trucking back and forth between Turkey and Iran. As you pull away from Van, the lush valleys give way to desolate mountains. The black smoke spewing out of the exhaust pipes may hide it, but this is an ancient land that has been home to empires of Urartians, Armenians, and Kurds. Indeed this is where Turkish Kurdistan gives way to Iranian Kurdistan.

About an hour into the journey, depending on how many trucks you get stuck behind, you will come upon a flat plain with a large hill in the middle. This hill is called Cavustepe (Sergeant Hill) and atop it you will find the ruins of an ancient Urartian Castle. The castle is unguarded and there is no entrance fee. The only people there when we showed up were two Turkish soldiers. The castle itself dates back to the 8th century BC, when Sardur II was reigning over the Urartian kingdom. Sadly, not much beyond walls and other various stones exist today. It is worth a stop, though, if only for the magnificent views over the surrounding plains and mountains. It's not hard to see why it was chosen as a prime castle building spot.

Moving on towards Iran, the road starts to descend into a valley. At this point you may be thinking, as you get stuck behind another plodding lorry, "Why am I here again?" But then you see it, a towering castle sticking out of a needle-like hill across the valley. This is Hosap (good water in Kurdish), a 17th century citadel built by a local Kurdish warlord. As you get closer, the scene sadly gets a little less spectacular. This is because you are just miles from the Iranian border and at the foot of the castle lies on Jersey Turnpike-style truck stop. It's a mess of gas stations and kebab shops. Luckily, as you climb up to the castle and park yourself in front of its intricate gateway, you can forget about the rumbling trucks below.

When we first arrived, the door was locked, a familiar occurrence when traveling in such tourist-neglected lands. We were sure the local caretaker would make his way up eventually. In the meantime we were attacked by a group of local children. They barraged us with questions in Kurdish. I tried my best to use my limited Kurdish. When I resorted to Turkish the kids just looked puzzled. This is when I knew I was really in Kurdistan. Even in Diyarbakir, Turkish is widely known, but out here on the Iranian border, it was Kurdish all the way. Eventually a delightful old man showed up with the keys, asking us if we wanted to enter in broken Turkish. The castle isn't spectacular but affords great views into Iran. On the way out we handed the caretaker a few Lira, gave him a khoda hafez, and headed back towards Van. Read Less

Member Rating 4 out of 5 on January 11, 2006

Hoşap Castle
Village of Hosap, 30 miles from Van
Hosap, Turkey

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Trabzon on the Black Sea

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walkway Photo - Trabzon on the Black Sea, Trabzon, Turkey

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Trabzon might be my single favorite city in Turkey other than Istanbul. Istanbul is one of a kind, but as you cross Turkey you will begin to notice that a lot of Turkey's major cities have a similar feel, that is to say, large chunks of concrete laid out across the Anatolian steppe. Trabzon is different; It has a distinct character that makes it one of Turkey's most charming towns.Long isolated from the rest of Turkey, squeezed between the Black Sea and the Kackar MountaÄ±ns, Trabzon has more in common with nearby Georgia than Istanbul or Ankara and has always maintained an independent flair. Founded by ancient Greeks, and long an important trade center, Trabzon was home to a brief empire ...Read More

Trabzon might be my single favorite city in Turkey other than Istanbul. Istanbul is one of a kind, but as you cross Turkey you will begin to notice that a lot of Turkey's major cities have a similar feel, that is to say, large chunks of concrete laid out across the Anatolian steppe. Trabzon is different; It has a distinct character that makes it one of Turkey's most charming towns.

Long isolated from the rest of Turkey, squeezed between the Black Sea and the Kackar MountaÄ±ns, Trabzon has more in common with nearby Georgia than Istanbul or Ankara and has always maintained an independent flair. Founded by ancient Greeks, and long an important trade center, Trabzon was home to a brief empire when the Byzantines, fleeing Crusader invasion, founded an independent state of Trabzon in 1204. It stayed that way until 1461 when it capitulated to the Ottomans. Under Ottoman rule Trabzon became diverse and cosmopolitan as a home to Greeks, Armenians, Georgians, Abkhaz, Turks, and Laz. It was a powerfully Christian city during Ottoman rule and always maintained a sense of independence. The city, like the rest of the region, was caught up in the Russo-Turkic War and the War of Independence after being captured by Russians and Armenians, but was not as damaged as Kars or Van and eventually returned to Turkey. During the Cold War it also did not suffer the economic fates of Erzurum or Kars because of its large port.

Today Trabzon sits, spread out along the steep hills that descend into the Black Sea. It's climate is temperate and classified as semi-topical, meaning that even in winter it maintains some warmth, but is kept fairly cool in summer by the sea. It can be a bit of a hard city to find your way around, as it is built on hills and thus the streets sometimes seem to wind around the hills with no sense of direction, but the heart of the city for tourists is its small old town, full of narrow winding streets and markets that you could wander through for hours. They are not like Istanbul's old city streets in that this is not for tourists. It's for locals to buy groceries, produce, and various other goods.

Without a doubt Trabzon's major site is the Haghia Sophia (yes, another one), the little sister of the one in Istanbul. While not as large as Istanbul, it is still a piece of Byzantine architectural splendor, surrounded by gardens, a tea house and lovely views out towards the Black Sea.

A few more churches, like St. Basil, should peak your interest, as well as some splendind mosques, like the Fatih Camii. Other than that just enjoy this splendid city, carved into the hillside, sample its wonderful cuisine, particularly pide, and feel its distinctive charm. You will notice an undoubtedly non-Turkic feel about the place and many of the people you will see might look more Russian or Caucasian. Itâ€™s all part of what makes Trabzon so special. Read Less

Member Rating 4 out of 5 on January 11, 2006

Trabzon on the Black Sea
Trabzon
Trabzon, Turkey

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Ani: The Ghost of the Armenians

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The ancient Armenian city of Ani is perhaps the most unique historical site in all of Turkey, not to mention one of the most stunning. Set about 30 miles to the east of Kars, right on the Armenian border, it is also one of the most out-of-the-way and least-visited, which means that the chances of having this vast site to yourself are very high. The city itself, founded by Armenian King Ashot the Meat-Eater (perhaps the best regal name ever) in 961, Ani flourished as the Armenian capital and a large trade center on the Silk Road for two centuries. Fearful of Byzantine domination, it allied itself with the Arabs it in return gave the Armenians autonomy. It finally fell to the Byzantines in the 11th cent...Read More

The ancient Armenian city of Ani is perhaps the most unique historical site in all of Turkey, not to mention one of the most stunning. Set about 30 miles to the east of Kars, right on the Armenian border, it is also one of the most out-of-the-way and least-visited, which means that the chances of having this vast site to yourself are very high. The city itself, founded by Armenian King Ashot the Meat-Eater (perhaps the best regal name ever) in 961, Ani flourished as the Armenian capital and a large trade center on the Silk Road for two centuries. Fearful of Byzantine domination, it allied itself with the Arabs it in return gave the Armenians autonomy. It finally fell to the Byzantines in the 11th century and was subsequently conquered by the Selcuks upon their arrival in the region later in the century. Over the next few centuries Ani, like much of the region, acted as a doormat for numerous conquering armies, particularly the Mongols. Then in the early 14th century it was leveled by an earthquake never to be rebuilt again.

For years Ani languished on Turkey's border with the Soviet Union, cut-off from tourists and archeologists. Even after the fall of the Soviet Union it was necessary to obtain a permit before visiting Ani, but no more. Ani has finally opened up completely and Turkey has made its restoration a priority, but that doesn't mean the tourists have been flocking. In fact, the largest group of potential tourists, the Armenians, canâ€™t even visit because the border is closed with Turkey. Thus, they are left to admire the ruins from across the Arpa-Cay Ravine that separates the ruins from Armenia (they have built an observation deck).

On the drive towards Ani you pass a monument dedicated to the thousands of Turks and Kurds massacred by Armenian and Russian forces around 1919, reminding you of the strife and war this region has seen over the years. The final approach to the town takes you through a small border town built just outside the towering double walls of Ani. The whole thing gives the site a sort of medieval feel, the peasant shepherds living outside the wall of the imperial city.

A small parking lot sits outside the main gate of the city and a tiny ticket booth in the gate-house. Tickets are only a few dollars, perhaps the best deal in all of Turkey. There are no guides or maps save for a giant map of the site at the entrance. There is no need, though, the paths are marked and each ruin is labeled in Turkish and English.

Upon passing through the gate you are greeted with an enormous field of tall grass. The walls spread out in both directions and snow-capped mountains pop up in the distance. You wouldn't know it, but Ani actually lies at 4390 ft above sea level. It is here when you can finally see the vastness of the site. Now you can just start walking.

Ani was once called "the city of one thousand churches" and for good reason. Most of the structures that remain today are churches, monasteries and convents, all of which lie half crumbled in a state of beautiful decrepitude. As with all Armenian cities there is a Church of St. Gregory the Illuminator (the patron saint of Armenia), but also a Church of St. Patrick. Most of the churches date from the 11th century and are made of the same reddish stone that you find churches in Armenia and down near Lake Van made out of. While the churches all bear the effects of time, many contain still brilliant frescoes and carvings. Sadly graffiti has taken a toll, and oddly enough much of this is Armenian graffiti. Armenians have a tradition of carving names and prayers into the walls of churches so that each time they are read, the prayer will be renewed. Inside many of the churches you will find kachkars, the typically ornate Armenian crosses made from stone. Look also for the towering basilica to get a true feel for the architectural genius of the Armenians, the Ottomans often utilized their talents.

Beyond churches you will also find the ruins of an ancient bridge that used to cross the ravine as well as some Selcuk ruins, including one of the earliest Selcuk mosques and a palace. In the center of the site also lies the citadel, on top of which you can get great views back over the site and the surrounding area. From here you can peer into Armenia and mull over the ridiculousness of modern territorial disputes as well as the supreme insult the Armenians suffer every day as they are forced to view their two most important sites (Ani and Ararat) from across a closed border. It is not illegal for Armenians to travel to Turkey, in fact there are direct flights from Yerevan to Istanbul, but the border still remains closed due to Armenia's dispute with Azerbaijan. In fact, walking around the site can be a little surreal because the whole time you are in view of Armenian border guards, and the idea of wandering around while a soldier might be peering at you through a scope of a gun is a bit innerving. This isn't to say it is dangerous though, random shooting across the border is something that doesn't occur, but the heavy military presence can be odd.

Hopefully, if you end up at Ani, it will be like it was when I was there, completely empty so that you can have the whole place to yourself to wander and ponder the ruins of civilizations past. It's a truly humbling experience. Read Less

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Caught in a Blizzard

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Upon leaving Trabzon, we headed southwest towards the Anatolian city of Sivas, a town with a long Turkic history and numerous architectural monuments from the Selcuk and Ottoman eras. Sivas, however, was on the other side of the upper Anatolian mountain range, on the Anatolian plateau, and to get there we had to wind our way through a series of mountains.The day started in the lush semi-topical climate of Trabzon where the sun was shining at t-shirts were able to be warn. After we crossed back into central Anatolia and turned west from Erzincan, however, the weather cooled down and the skies turned grey. As we pushed our way into the mountains it started to rain slightly. As were rose in e...Read More

Upon leaving Trabzon, we headed southwest towards the Anatolian city of Sivas, a town with a long Turkic history and numerous architectural monuments from the Selcuk and Ottoman eras. Sivas, however, was on the other side of the upper Anatolian mountain range, on the Anatolian plateau, and to get there we had to wind our way through a series of mountains.

The day started in the lush semi-topical climate of Trabzon where the sun was shining at t-shirts were able to be warn. After we crossed back into central Anatolia and turned west from Erzincan, however, the weather cooled down and the skies turned grey. As we pushed our way into the mountains it started to rain slightly. As were rose in elevation, that rain turned into a light snow. Slowly the road became increasingly covered in white flakes. Not long after we entered the mountains we came across an ominous sign, a large tractor-trailer had (obviously recently) gone off the road. We pondered the warning, but decided that the roads weren't that bad yet and decided to push on. It turned out to not be the best of ideas.

Soon the road started to rise sharply in elevation. It wound its way up the sides of the mountains and as we went up the snow cover grew. We were in a full-fledged snowstorm. The storm had obviously started recently, as there were very few tracks in the snow. As we climbed up the road, we passed numerous cars and lorries on the side of the road who had gotten stuck. Surprisingly our front-wheel drive Ford trucked on. I like to think it was my years of snow-driving experience from growing up in Vermont, but for whatever reason we were able to continue on. "As long as it stays like this," I thought, "we can keep going." Unfortunately it didn't.

We were at, what I had to estimate was around 1,500 meters in elevation when the snow really started to come down. The road iced over and the wheels of the car started to spin. I managed to plod along in first gear, engine racing at 5,000 rpm for a few more minutes, but then we got stuck. The road was too steep and our tires were no longer touching anything but ice. We were forced to stop.

The road was covered with trucks, taxis and other cars in the same position. Eventually I decided to go up to a truck driver to ask him how long he thought it would take for the road to become passable again. He said he had no idea and that it could take all night. He was just going to wait because there was no other road to get to Sivas that didnâ€™t involve mountains.

Feeling slightly dejected, we hopped back into the car to figure out a plan. Neither of us wanted to wait out the storm, that could take forever, so we took out the map to find a new route. Eventually, we decided that we could head back down the mountains and then skirt around them to the north to the town of Amasya. I had heard good things about the town, so I figured we could give it a shot.

We slowly turned the car around, praying that we wouldn't get stuck, and then headed back down the mountain. As we drove, or I should say slid, down the road, with the anit-lock brakes pumping, the number of cars stuck on the side was increasing. Finally, as we descended, the snow turned back into rain and we were on our way to Amasya. As we headed north along the green valley separating the Anatolian mountains from those on the Black Sea coast, we could look back at where we came from. The mountains were covered in snow and the clouds hung gently on top of them, dipping slightly into the valley. It's was a testament to the multiple climates of Turkey. We had started the day wearing t-shirts, we passed through a snowstorm, and were now in foggy green highlands like you might find in Scotland. We never made it to Sivas, but ended up somewhere probably even better, the ancient imperial town of Amasya. Read Less

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Kackar Mountains: Turkey's Georgian Past

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The drive from Erzurum to Trabzon is perhaps the most visually spectacular drive in all of Turkey. It is a long and winding one that leaves desolate plains of Erzurum, passes through the towering Kackar Mountains, and then descends into the lush and semi-tropical climate of Trabzon on the Black Sea coast. It is a drive that passes some of Turkey's most remote and isolated communities. Along the way you will find the crumbling ruins of ancient Georgian churches, as well waterfalls and a few communities of Turkey's Caucasian minority the Laz, recognizable by their elaborate red headscarves. This is prime territory for trekkers (which sadly I didnâ€™t have time to do), but completely impassible during wi...Read More

The drive from Erzurum to Trabzon is perhaps the most visually spectacular drive in all of Turkey. It is a long and winding one that leaves desolate plains of Erzurum, passes through the towering Kackar Mountains, and then descends into the lush and semi-tropical climate of Trabzon on the Black Sea coast. It is a drive that passes some of Turkey's most remote and isolated communities. Along the way you will find the crumbling ruins of ancient Georgian churches, as well waterfalls and a few communities of Turkey's Caucasian minority the Laz, recognizable by their elaborate red headscarves. This is prime territory for trekkers (which sadly I didnâ€™t have time to do), but completely impassible during winter. However, in addition to being Turkey's most beautiful drive, it is also its most frustrating.

For the whole trip, the road is only two lanes as it crawls up and down through valleys, along the sides of mountains, across ravines, and through tunnels. Oddly enough this is also the main road to Trabzon, so it is also full of lorries, meaning it is likely that you will get stuck behind a lot of lorries for extended periods and your chances to pass will be few and most likely result in a blind corner or two. This is all about to change, though, as Turkey is in the middle of constructing a large highway that will pass right through the mountains to Trabzon, making the drive less scenic, but much easier.

What also didn't help us is that we arrived just after the spring thaw and the road was almost completely wiped out by mudslides in parts. We were told that just a few weeks ago it was impassible, and was just recently opened up. Thus, there will still numerous crews removing mud and car-sized boulders from the road. The thaw had also flooded many of the lower parts of the road, and there were parts where the water was still up to the edge of the highway. The drive ended up taking almost a full day, including stops, but was well worth it.

In terms of sights along the way, they are mostly the large Georgian Cathedrals that dot the valleys, the remnants of the old Georgian kingdoms that ruled this area in the 11th century. Most of the churches date from that time and although you will see some architectural connections with the Armenian churches, you will notice some differences. The valleys are littered with churches, so it is basically pick and choose. We ended up stopping at three, but two are of particular note. One is the Church in Ishan and another is Osh Vank, getting to many of the churches involves driving up narrow dirt roads deep into the mountains where you will find some isolated towns. Most of the churches are in some state of ruins (i.e. collapsed roofs), but many still have nice frescoes and carvings. Almost none are locked and none have admission fees. Likely all you will find is a group of small men hanging outside the church chatting. Up here finding an English speaker will be hard, so brush up on that Turkish.

Once you have had your fill of churches, you can continue on towards the Black Sea. As you drive on you will climb high into the mountains. They barren brown air will start to become green and the sweet smell of the sea will linger in the air. Eventually you will crest a final hill. The landscape will come alive with lush trees and the vast the Black Sea will be become visible. The first town you come upon is Hopa, the last stop before Georgia and an unimpressive border town. As you turn west towards Trabzon, though, you will start to notice the tea fields of Rize appearing on the hills, most likely dotted with a few Laz women. Rize is Turkey's tea capital and produces a robust black tea. The town itself isnâ€™t terribly impressive, but a good place to stop for the night after a long drive, or you could continue on the infinitely more impressive Trabzon if you wish. Read Less

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Kars: Disheveled Beauty

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Kars was once the Eastern jewel of the Ottoman Empire. Lying on the primary Silk Road trade route through the mountains into Armenia, it was a wealthy and diverse city, full of Turks, Kurds, Armenians, Russians and Georgians, but it's been a rough 150 years for the city of Kars. It was conquered by Russia in the Crimean war, then again in the Russo-Turkish War of 1877 in which (like they did in Van), the Russian nearly destroyed the city. In 1915 it was devastated by fallout of the Empire's dealing with the Armenians. The minorities fled. It returned to Ottoman hands in 1918, and then was briefly independent until it was occupied by the Armenians in 1920. During the Turkish War of Independence, Kars f...Read More

Kars was once the Eastern jewel of the Ottoman Empire. Lying on the primary Silk Road trade route through the mountains into Armenia, it was a wealthy and diverse city, full of Turks, Kurds, Armenians, Russians and Georgians, but it's been a rough 150 years for the city of Kars. It was conquered by Russia in the Crimean war, then again in the Russo-Turkish War of 1877 in which (like they did in Van), the Russian nearly destroyed the city. In 1915 it was devastated by fallout of the Empire's dealing with the Armenians. The minorities fled. It returned to Ottoman hands in 1918, and then was briefly independent until it was occupied by the Armenians in 1920. During the Turkish War of Independence, Kars fell back into Turkish hands and the nascent Soviet Union relinquished its claims on the city. For the next 70 years, Kars stood as the last outpost of NATO against the threat of communism. Just miles from the Soviet border the city languished in isolation, its primary trade routes into to the east sealed off by the Iron Curtain. The city experienced mass emmigration. With the fall of the Soviets, and the emergence of an independent Armenia, the border reopened and Kars finally started to awaken as a trade center once again, until the Armenian-Azerbaijani War that is. In a show of support for its Azeri brothers, Turkey closed the border with Armenia and the border has yet to reopen. Today the city of Kars carries in it a sense of desperation and despair. It's residents pray for the eventual reopening of the Armenian border so that the trade may continue and reawaken the city, until then Kars will always maintain an air of hÃ¼zÃ¼n (melancholy), and emotion the Turks know well, and one you can read about in Orhan Pamuk's recent novel Snow, a tale of teenage depression in Kars.

But let that not dissuade you from stopping by Kars. Chances are that if you want to see the ruins of Ani, you will have to spend the night here anyway, and the city does have a lot more character than the nearby cities of Erzurum and AgrÄ±, not to mention some culinary specialties that make it worth all the trouble.

When it comes to sights, not surprisingly, Kars specializes in ruins, or more accurately, decaying grandeur. A large citadel, seemingly permanently shrouded in grey clouds, and an old Russian churc-cum-mosque are just some of the sights. Through central Kars flows a river with old stone bridges struggling to stretch across it. It is across these bridges that you will find the remnants of old Kars, or what was not decimated by war, of which most prominent is a crumbling old Georgian church.

Heading back into modern town at night I was surprised to see the town aglow in lights, shop windows lit-up and the residents out on the streets for the night. Kars does have a large university, which gives the city a bit of a youthful feel and provides plenty of places to eat and relax late at night. Having heard about Kars' famous cuisine, I was determined to get a fair share of sampling in, and wandering around the new town at night, I was amply rewarded. I found myself at OcakbaÅŸÄ±, a Kars standard sampling succulent Ali Nazik (pureed eggplant with minced meat and spices). The restaurant features large medieval tavern-style wooden tables and large brick ovens that pump out piles of fresh bread. After dinner, a stop at any number of local pastane (pastry shop) is a must for Kars' famous honey-soaked desserts.

Most guides to eastern Turkey gloss over Kars, or don't recommend a stop, but I disagree. I found it to have an air of forgotten glory that gave it a decrepit charm. Underneath the gloom that Kars is famous for I found extremely warm and welcoming people and its gastronomical delights are some of the least appreciated (and known) in Turkey. If you are out this far in Turkey, it's likely not because you are looking for 5 star hotels and tourist-oriented restaurants. It is because you want to see and understand Turkey and the Turkish people and Kars provides a glimpse completely different from what youâ€™ll see back in Istanbul. Read Less

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Where's the military? The East opens up.

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As recently as five years ago the whole of eastern Turkey was a web of checkpoints and special permits, but all of that is rapidly changing. I had heard stories from travelers about being denied access to areas and being forbidden to take pictures. I had heard about the numerous checkpoints along the roads and the suspicious police that can make traveling in this region a headache, but by the time I arrived, it seems like that had all but disappeared. Ever since I had arrived in Diyarbakir I had been expecting numerous run-ins with the military, but hadn't seen a single one. The one-two punch of the collapse of the Soviet Union and the end of the Kurdish conflict, have opened up Eastern Turkey in a wa...Read More

As recently as five years ago the whole of eastern Turkey was a web of checkpoints and special permits, but all of that is rapidly changing. I had heard stories from travelers about being denied access to areas and being forbidden to take pictures. I had heard about the numerous checkpoints along the roads and the suspicious police that can make traveling in this region a headache, but by the time I arrived, it seems like that had all but disappeared. Ever since I had arrived in Diyarbakir I had been expecting numerous run-ins with the military, but hadn't seen a single one. The one-two punch of the collapse of the Soviet Union and the end of the Kurdish conflict, have opened up Eastern Turkey in a way that it has not seen for over a century. In the last five years Turkey has been pouring money into the east I hopes of revitalizing its economy, and a good chunk of that has gone to tourism. The downside of that, of course, for all us "off-the-beaten-track" travelers is that as Western Turkey gets ever more crowded with European holiday-makers, the overflow is bound to hit Eastern Turkey. The good news is that that is still years away from happening, and until then the traveler in Eastern Turkey today gets unrestricted travel, rarely has to pay outrageous entrance fees, and is still treated with the overwhelming hospitality and curiosity that much of Western Turkey has lost. Still, though, there are a few checkpoints remaining, and a run-in or two with the military is bound to happen. Although these checkpoints today are less concerned with Kurdish terrorists then they are with illegal immigrants and drug-smugglers from Iran.

The only serious checkpoint we ever ran into was on the way back from Hosap Castle, near the Iranian border. The military had set up a roadblock in order to check cars and trucks for illegal drugs. When our turn came the soldier came up to the window and asked for our documents. He grabbed them expecting to see Turkish or Iranian passports, but when he gave them a look over his face was overcome with surprise. "You're American?" He asked in Turkish. I confirmed.

"And her, she's Pakistani?" He asked, motioning towards my Pakistani travel buddy. I confirmed. There was a pause and then the guard burst out laughing. I asked him what was so funny. He smiled and said, "An American and a Pakistani traveling together!" He asked if we could get out of the car so he could take a look in the trunk. We obliged, and while I was opening the trunk he called out to a few of his friends also checking cars. "Hey guys! Look! I have an American and a Pakistani, traveling together!" They all gave a good chuckle. "Sorry," he said, "this is just so odd. All we get are Turks and Iranians. This is a very rare occurrence." I said, standing with the trunk open, that I didn't mind. The officer proceeded to ask the typical questions I was used to by now, "Why do you speak Turkish? What do you study? How do I like Turkey?" He seemed to have completely forgotten about the trunk.

Eventually the soldier decided to send us on his way and get back to his tedious job, but not without making sure everything was OK and that we didn't need anything. In a country where military service in mandatory, numerous young men spend their days in the armed forces like him, stuck on Turkey's frontiers, so it seems that we were a welcome distraction. It was hardly the cold interrogation I had expected to receive at a military checkpoint, and it's a testament to how quickly Eastern Turkey is waking up. I have a feeling that in a few years these last few outposts may even be a thing of the past. Read Less

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Dealing with a broken hubcap

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Somewhere along the road from Kars to Erzurum I hear a loud pop as our Ford Fiesta ran over a large pothole. I looked out my right window in time to see the front hubcap go flying into the air and then watched through the rear-view mirror land on the side of the road behind us. My friend and I pulled the car over, convinced that we had popped our tire. I got out and inspected it but could not find a hole. It had seemed we had escaped, but still needed to find a hubcap. After all, this was a rental car and I was sure they would charge for a lost hubcap.So we left our car behind and began to search for the missing hubcap. We were having a bit of trouble until a couple of cars drove by honkin...Read More

Somewhere along the road from Kars to Erzurum I hear a loud pop as our Ford Fiesta ran over a large pothole. I looked out my right window in time to see the front hubcap go flying into the air and then watched through the rear-view mirror land on the side of the road behind us. My friend and I pulled the car over, convinced that we had popped our tire. I got out and inspected it but could not find a hole. It had seemed we had escaped, but still needed to find a hubcap. After all, this was a rental car and I was sure they would charge for a lost hubcap.

So we left our car behind and began to search for the missing hubcap. We were having a bit of trouble until a couple of cars drove by honking and pointing to a spot on the side of the road. We ran up to it and finally found the hubcap. Piling back into the car, and praying that the tire had enough air to get us to Erzurum, we headed back onto the road.

Turkey's roads can be hit or miss. In Western Turkey there are numerous multi-lane highways that are in wonderful shape, but this was the East and everything is a bit more neglected over there. In truth, the Kars-Erzurum road is the most-traveled in Northeastern Turkey, and was a multi-lane highway, but like many of the roads in this region, it was plagued by potholes.

Upon pulling into Erzurum we began our search for a Oto lastik (tire shop) and eventually found one. I pulled up and showed the tire to the owner. I was a bit afraid because I had no idea what was going to happen. I was fully expecting the owner to suggest that I needed a whole new tireâ€¦or four, but that didn't happen. Instead he glanced at the broken tire and the bent rim and gave me a "tsk, tsk." He then took the tire off pounded the rim back into shape, filled it (and the other 3 tires) up with air and then took some zip ties and tied the hubcap back on.

When it was all done I asked how much. He thought to himself for a second. I was expecting something like $30 and was preparing myself for some bargaining, but then he settled on 10YTL ($7). I had no idea if that was fair. I figured he probably bumped it up a bit, but I wasn't going to argue with $7. Plus, he gave me tea. So I gave it to him, he smiled, we said our thanks and were on our way.

Of all the times I have driven in Turkey, this was the only slight accident I had ever had, and it turned out to be not a big deal. When it first happened I thought it might be this long process that'd ruin the trip, but it turned out to actually be a slightly delightful experience as I got to stop in Erzurum (which I wasn't planning on doing) and I got the to experience a Turkish lastikci (tire-monger). When we returned to Istanbul the rental company didn't even notice. So, all in all, it could have been much worse. After that I was just much more careful about potholes. Read Less

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The Cuisine of the Northeast

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I am a traveler who likes to do a lot of gastronomic exploration. Everywhere I go I have to sample the local specialty, no matter what it is, and Northeastern Turkey doesn't dissapoint. Most people, when they think of Turkish cuisine think of the kebabs, doner and kofte, the specialties of Istanbul and the south. But while the culinary hubs of Adana and Urfa steal much of the gastronomic glory among foreigners, Turks hold a special place in their hearts for the unique cuisine of the Northeast.While much of Turkish cuisine contains Arab, Persian and Greek influences, Northeastern Turkey's cuisine is closer to that of its Georgian and Armenian neighbors. Each town has its own specialties and...Read More

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Driving Eastern Turkey Part 2: Van - Ankara

Amasya: Anatolia's Hidden Gem

Hattusa: The Path of the Hittites

Ishak Pasha Palace

Sumela Monastery

Hoşap Castle

Trabzon on the Black Sea

Ani: The Ghost of the Armenians

Caught in a Blizzard

Kackar Mountains: Turkey's Georgian Past

Kars: Disheveled Beauty

Where's the military? The East opens up.

Dealing with a broken hubcap

The Cuisine of the Northeast

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