Turkey, or Türkiye in Turkish, is a popular destination for Germans, and we always intended to go there but kept putting it off in favor of more exotic destinations, like Namibia. Back in autumn 2022, we wanted to plan a trip for my semester break in March and, thus, we chose Turkey. Finally, we were going to Turkey!
Istanbul was our first top, obviously, and what did we do? We visited a lot of mosques: Hagia Sophia, Süleymaniye and Rüstem Pasha. Unfortunately, the Blue Mosque, my main reason for visiting Istanbul, was closed for renovations. I wanted to see if the interior is as amazing as Taras’s friend (Bob?) said it was. My favorite was Süleymaniye because it was open and modern even though it was built in 1557.
We also explored the Karaköy and Beyoglu neighborhoods which felt more local, although they were still touristy. I’d like to go back to Istanbul to explore these areas, as well as the Asian side, more. We didn’t go to the Asian side at all because we didn’t want to take a ferry in the rain and fog. Oh, it rained the whole time we were in Istanbul.
My favorite area of Turkey, though, was not Istanbul but Cappadocia. It was raining the first two days, but when it cleared up, we went hot-air ballooning and horse riding. We also explored the fairy chimneys, Göreme Open-Air Museum and Kakmakli Underground City. Cappadocia reminded me of the Badlands or Bryce. I do like desert-like landscapes.
We also did a bit of birding at the Sultan Marshes. The birds are Eurasian, so the same we see in Germany, but they were in greater numbers. The best was the little owl trying to hide from us inside a beam in the observation tower.
We also visited the ruins of Ephesus and Pamukkale. The ruins were interesting but not as impressive as Pompeii or Villa Romana del Casale in Sicily. In all fairness, though, Ephesus was not preserved by volcanic ash or mud and, therefore, it looks weathered.
The white travertine terraces of Pamukkale are beautiful, but we were disappointed to learn that the turquoise pools are not permanent. The national park controls the water flow to the terraces and, so, all the pools are not always filled. This prevents algae from growing and discoloring the travertine. Nonetheless, the terraces themselves were impressive. I also liked soaking in the Antique Pool.
Thanks to a transport strike in Germany, we spent an extra two days in Turkey. We got the chance to see more of the Pamukkale area, less touristy sights like Kaklik Cave and Lake Salda. We also had time to walk around Izmir which, to me, was just another big city, albeit a coastal city.
And then, of course, we had to buy Turkish Delight! Can't go home without it!
