Time is what eats us all and all our endeavours. With a new job start date in August, I now was on a fairly tight time schedule to get back to my 2011 start point - Scotland. I decided to carve with my bike, as straight a line through Turkey as was reasonable. And I started so well on this mission - the main road along the Black Sea coast is fast, flat, has a good shoulder most of the way and commands great sea views framed with mountains on the other side.
I couldn't understand why so many long-distance cyclists online had talked down this route, at least not until I met a Japanese touring cyclist coming the other way. He had cracked his wheel rim and had turned around to go back to the city of Rize in hope of finding a replacement. Like me he had enjoyed the cycle Westwards, but when he had to turn around realised that East-to-West, you are right next to the sea, whereas West-to-East places you 6 lanes of traffic, an extra shoulder, and a central reservation away from the seaviews, which makes all the difference - I'd found it very easy to ignore the fact that I was on a major road when I had a shoulder to myself and views on my side of the road.
A short sidetrip took me to Sumela Monastery, a jaw-dropping, gravity-defying group of buildings that cling to the cliffs high in the mountains. The monastery was closed several years ago for restoration work, and planned opening dates came and went with delay after delay. One of them, the most hopeful sounding yet, was about a month before I arrived, so hopeful (I was told) that many people came just for the opening, but it came to nothing, then in the week before I arrived it quietly re-opened- the Maniam Midas touch! Well, sort of. I paid my money at the entrance, and walked up the stairs into the entrance balcony that looks down on the fantastic collection of old buildings, but that is as far as I got! The rest of the place was still not open for business. Still, it's a lot better than not getting in at all.
Visiting the monestary reminded me of Turkeys Christian heritage, and particularly of some of the dark events in relatively recently times.
Many of the events and recipients of letters in the New Testament were in Asia Minor (the old name for Asian Turkey). Constantinople (old Istanbul) was the centre of the world and the centre of the Christian Church with the biggest church on earth for a thousand years. Even up until the 1st World War, a quarter of the population of Turkey was Christian, but that was all to change.
During the War, 3 million Christians were killed. It was a genocide (though to this day Turkey refuse to acknowledge it). If you read the utter brutality and depravity of how the murder of children, women, elderly and men unfolded, there is no other reasonable description. It's too sick and disturbing for me to even repeat here in my blog.
Since the 2nd World War, various rounds of pograms, discrimination and legal actions have either led to further deaths or the expulsion of most of the rest of the Christian population. Of course the Christian crusades of several centuries ago were terrible, but Christians the world over, and western countries accepts this and acknowledged how bad they were - only the most twisted Christian fanatics or most evil European Nationalist would suggest that period of history was glorious. Yet for Turkey there is denial of what happened, justification and celebration of the "victory" of Turkish Muslim culture over the older history and culture of the Turkish Christian population. In fact the problem is so bad, and Turkey's laws against criticising the state so strong, that I have waited till leaving the country before posting this blog.
The Greek Christians who lived at Sumela abandoned the monastery in 1923, when the entire Greek population was forcibly removed from the area.
Cycling onwards, I rattled along the coastline at a healthy speed as far as the city of Samsun, the biggest population centre along the Turkish Black Sea. I have a choice to make. The coast road apparently slowly winds it way on less busy roads in and out of little bays up and down every rocky outcrop or seacliff. The alternative is inland cresting straight over the high Anatolian plain via Ankara. From what I have read the latter, although higher, seems like the faster option, and there are a few very interesting old historic sites not far off that route, so that's what I'll do.
I can't decide which of my Google map "starred" attractions to include, and whether to add a few more bike miles on to include them, or do them as side-trips, leaving my bike at guest houses along my direct line route, and taking a day off, and using public transport to get to the sites.
Amasya, with it's grand burial chambers hewn out of the surrounding cliffs, is not far off my direct route so I ride directly there and will decide what to do after that. Amasya turns out to be a big tourist attraction for Turks, the town is crowded, but without a foreigner in sight apart from myself! It's nice to visit a place like this!
It's a bit more of a diversion from my line back to Scotland, to carry on riding to Hatusha, but this is the one that interests me the most. After a little research I realise public transport is limited and complicated, so I get on with the job and ride there as well, over some big hills.
Hatusha was the capital of the Hittite Empire. Until the last century and the rediscovery of this great city, we knew relatively little about the Hittites. They are mentioned in the bible, but their kingdom was for a long time thought to be much smaller than it actually is. In actual fact, at one stage they were the major power in the near-east. And the reason we came to know this - a vast collection of treaties and records carved on stone tablets, found here in the libraries and stores of Hatusha.
Turkish people are much, much less aware of this place than many of the other ancient world sites in their country, and it's so far from the foreign-visited tourist Meccas of Cappadocia, Istanbul, Pamukkale, Ephesus, etc, that few make it here. Which makes it all the more exciting for me to visit.
The main city is surrounded by nearly 7kms of city walls, protecting the ruins of palaces, houses and temples. There is something particularly magical about touching an intricately carved stone gateway where you know someone else stood with a chisel 3500 years ago, and amazing to wander through such a vast open-air museum with only nature and maybe briefly just 4 or 5 other visitors for company.
I was now more than a little off the most direct route home. Not so so very far off, but enough for my eye to wander across the map of Turkey. I realised that I was just 2-3 days ride North of Cappadocia, almost the opposite way I needed to ride to get home. From Cappadocia, many more of Turkey's most interesting tourist destinations could be joined dot-to-dot to turn the imaginery piece of rope marking my route home, into a string of cultural pearls. Time though, that's the problem! I just don't have enough time now. But sometimes you just have to ignore the sensible and go with the adventure. So now, my rtw cycle journey will not finish in Edinburgh (just yet). I will go directly to Prague for August, in time for my new job. Anyway, as a teacher, I will have a nice long summer holiday next year to complete my grand adventure! And so a new adventure lies on the horizon - exploring the historic South-East of Turkey - but that is for the next blog post!
I couldn't understand why so many long-distance cyclists online had talked down this route, at least not until I met a Japanese touring cyclist coming the other way. He had cracked his wheel rim and had turned around to go back to the city of Rize in hope of finding a replacement. Like me he had enjoyed the cycle Westwards, but when he had to turn around realised that East-to-West, you are right next to the sea, whereas West-to-East places you 6 lanes of traffic, an extra shoulder, and a central reservation away from the seaviews, which makes all the difference - I'd found it very easy to ignore the fact that I was on a major road when I had a shoulder to myself and views on my side of the road.
A short sidetrip took me to Sumela Monastery, a jaw-dropping, gravity-defying group of buildings that cling to the cliffs high in the mountains. The monastery was closed several years ago for restoration work, and planned opening dates came and went with delay after delay. One of them, the most hopeful sounding yet, was about a month before I arrived, so hopeful (I was told) that many people came just for the opening, but it came to nothing, then in the week before I arrived it quietly re-opened- the Maniam Midas touch! Well, sort of. I paid my money at the entrance, and walked up the stairs into the entrance balcony that looks down on the fantastic collection of old buildings, but that is as far as I got! The rest of the place was still not open for business. Still, it's a lot better than not getting in at all.
Visiting the monestary reminded me of Turkeys Christian heritage, and particularly of some of the dark events in relatively recently times.
Many of the events and recipients of letters in the New Testament were in Asia Minor (the old name for Asian Turkey). Constantinople (old Istanbul) was the centre of the world and the centre of the Christian Church with the biggest church on earth for a thousand years. Even up until the 1st World War, a quarter of the population of Turkey was Christian, but that was all to change.
During the War, 3 million Christians were killed. It was a genocide (though to this day Turkey refuse to acknowledge it). If you read the utter brutality and depravity of how the murder of children, women, elderly and men unfolded, there is no other reasonable description. It's too sick and disturbing for me to even repeat here in my blog.
Since the 2nd World War, various rounds of pograms, discrimination and legal actions have either led to further deaths or the expulsion of most of the rest of the Christian population. Of course the Christian crusades of several centuries ago were terrible, but Christians the world over, and western countries accepts this and acknowledged how bad they were - only the most twisted Christian fanatics or most evil European Nationalist would suggest that period of history was glorious. Yet for Turkey there is denial of what happened, justification and celebration of the "victory" of Turkish Muslim culture over the older history and culture of the Turkish Christian population. In fact the problem is so bad, and Turkey's laws against criticising the state so strong, that I have waited till leaving the country before posting this blog.
The Greek Christians who lived at Sumela abandoned the monastery in 1923, when the entire Greek population was forcibly removed from the area.
Cycling onwards, I rattled along the coastline at a healthy speed as far as the city of Samsun, the biggest population centre along the Turkish Black Sea. I have a choice to make. The coast road apparently slowly winds it way on less busy roads in and out of little bays up and down every rocky outcrop or seacliff. The alternative is inland cresting straight over the high Anatolian plain via Ankara. From what I have read the latter, although higher, seems like the faster option, and there are a few very interesting old historic sites not far off that route, so that's what I'll do.
I can't decide which of my Google map "starred" attractions to include, and whether to add a few more bike miles on to include them, or do them as side-trips, leaving my bike at guest houses along my direct line route, and taking a day off, and using public transport to get to the sites.
Amasya, with it's grand burial chambers hewn out of the surrounding cliffs, is not far off my direct route so I ride directly there and will decide what to do after that. Amasya turns out to be a big tourist attraction for Turks, the town is crowded, but without a foreigner in sight apart from myself! It's nice to visit a place like this!
It's a bit more of a diversion from my line back to Scotland, to carry on riding to Hatusha, but this is the one that interests me the most. After a little research I realise public transport is limited and complicated, so I get on with the job and ride there as well, over some big hills.
Hatusha was the capital of the Hittite Empire. Until the last century and the rediscovery of this great city, we knew relatively little about the Hittites. They are mentioned in the bible, but their kingdom was for a long time thought to be much smaller than it actually is. In actual fact, at one stage they were the major power in the near-east. And the reason we came to know this - a vast collection of treaties and records carved on stone tablets, found here in the libraries and stores of Hatusha.
Turkish people are much, much less aware of this place than many of the other ancient world sites in their country, and it's so far from the foreign-visited tourist Meccas of Cappadocia, Istanbul, Pamukkale, Ephesus, etc, that few make it here. Which makes it all the more exciting for me to visit.
The main city is surrounded by nearly 7kms of city walls, protecting the ruins of palaces, houses and temples. There is something particularly magical about touching an intricately carved stone gateway where you know someone else stood with a chisel 3500 years ago, and amazing to wander through such a vast open-air museum with only nature and maybe briefly just 4 or 5 other visitors for company.
I was now more than a little off the most direct route home. Not so so very far off, but enough for my eye to wander across the map of Turkey. I realised that I was just 2-3 days ride North of Cappadocia, almost the opposite way I needed to ride to get home. From Cappadocia, many more of Turkey's most interesting tourist destinations could be joined dot-to-dot to turn the imaginery piece of rope marking my route home, into a string of cultural pearls. Time though, that's the problem! I just don't have enough time now. But sometimes you just have to ignore the sensible and go with the adventure. So now, my rtw cycle journey will not finish in Edinburgh (just yet). I will go directly to Prague for August, in time for my new job. Anyway, as a teacher, I will have a nice long summer holiday next year to complete my grand adventure! And so a new adventure lies on the horizon - exploring the historic South-East of Turkey - but that is for the next blog post!
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