Today we visited Phrygian burial sites in the Phrygian Valley and Midas Şehri (Midas City).  For those of you who don’t know anything about the Phrygians, you can find information on them in your encyclopedia of choice.  Just kidding! Don’t worry - I’m not going to make anyone do any homework!  The Phrygians were people who had migrated to Central Anatolia from Thrace in Greece about 3000 years ago.  They set up a kingdom around 1200 BC, and established a civilization that was influenced by Greek, Hittite, and Urartian cultures; however, the Phrygian culture was unique, as they spoke their own language and had their own gods and goddesses.  The most famous, ok, really the only famous Phrygian king was King Midas, who ruled from about 725-675 BC.  Around this time, the Phrygians enjoyed the peak of their influence and cultural achievements.   The Phrygians are credited with inventing a bunch of musical instruments, like cymbals, flutes and lyres, which were staples in Ancient bands. In art, they are credited with originating  the frieze.  To make a long story short, the Phrygians were a pretty cool and inventive group of people that I’d never heard of before, and am willing to bet that you hadn’t, either.

Oh, and to dispel any cries of “you’re wrong, I know quite a bit about King Midas, so there,” I would point out that while the Phrygians had a king whose name was Midas, there were actually a bunch of Phrygian kings named Midas, and I’m betting none of them could turn whatever they touched into gold.  However, it is apparently pretty common to attribute things to the legendary King Midas that shouldn’t be.  Midas City was named after the king because it was believed that this  was his tomb.  In fact, it turns out that there was a mistranslation of one of the Phrygian words, so that instead of Midas, the word is really a variant of the local name of the goddess Cybele, the mother earth goddess worshipped by the Phrygians.  So they named an entire town after what they thought was Midas’ tomb, but was really a monument dedicated to a goddess. To make matters even worse, another attributed tomb of Midas, which we didn’t visit, was also recently found not to have been the king’s tomb, as it dates from about two or three hundred years away from his rule. Whoops! 

One of the last Classical sites we visited was Aphrodisias. Originally settled in the Chalcolithic period (4350 BC), the site of Aphrodisias was continuously occupied until the early 1970s when the villagers living on the site were moved by the Turkish government since the area had become dangerous due to recent earthquakes.

Despite nearly 6,000 years of occupation and its advantageous location on the Meander River and at the border of ancient Caria, Lydia, and Phrygia, the greatest component of the site is Roman. From approximately 200 BC to 400 AD, the city flourished and was a cultural center due to the importance of its Aphrodite cult and as the center of a school of sculpture. A series of earthquakes in the 4th century and on largely destroyed the city and lead to its partial abandonment. The site has been under excavation by New York University since 1961.
Aphrodisias is different from some of the other sites we visited since it is not part of the normal tourist loop. For us, that means more freedom to explore the site and enter the ruins. Also, due to its remote location, much of its rubble lies where it fell during the earthquakes and was not mined by later empires, such as the Ottoman. The rubble allows viewers to get a sense of the age of the site and the kind of catastrophe that causes people to abandon their homes. The sense that people abandoned the city for a reason is lost at sites like Ephesus which has been cleaned-up for the public. Another unique characteristic of Aphrodisias is how much of it survived and did not have to be reconstructed. Its theater, odeion (concert hall), and stadium remain largely intact. During the earthquakes the theater and odeion were abandoned and filled in with debris, either from the roof collapsing or by the citizens in an effort to remove the debris from other sections of the city.

The stadium, one of the best preserved in the Mediterranean, was never as damaged as the other structures. Over its lifetime, it was modified to compensate for earthquake damage and incorporated into the city walls before being abandoned.
As befits a traditional Roman city, Aphrodisias had an impressive double agora, or market place, that we got the opportunity to explore. The earthquakes disrupted the water table in the area so it does flood on occasion, however. The city also has the remnants of a governor’s residence and several baths. The baths are in poor condition, but from them you can get a sense of their size and inner workings. The Temple of Aphrodite, one Aphrodisias’ main attractions in ancient times, was almost completely destroyed first by Christian remodeling and then by earthquakes. It has been partially reconstructed but is still difficult to envision. However, it was in the ruins of the temple that we found some tortoises so if you visit, look for the native wildlife.

Not mentioned in guidebooks are the several homes that have been excavated. Although not nearly as well preserved as the terrace houses at Ephesus, you can get a sense of the living arrangements for wealthy Roman. They are also another good place to look for tortoises and grass snakes. One of the few fully reconstructed monuments at Aphrodisias is the tetrapylon or monumental gateway. It serves as a headstone of sorts for Aphrodisias’ primary excavator Kenan Erim who was buried on the site after his death in 1990. It is also one of few places on the site where you can find living grass. As you leave Aphrodisias, you can stop in the museum which houses many of the sculptures excavated from the site. It offers a good sense of the characteristics of the Aphrodisias School of sculpture.

Most people have heard of Ephesus. Ephesus (or in Turkish: Efes) was an Ionian Greek city in ancient Anatolia, founded by colonists from Athens in the 10th century BC.

The city was located in the area of Ionia, where the Cayster River flows into the Aegean Sea, and was part of the Panionian League. Today’s archaeological site lies 3 km south of the Selçuk district of Izmir Province, in southwest Turkey. The ruins of Ephesus are favorite international and local tourist attractions. Ephesus hosted one of the seven churches of Asia, addressed in the Book of Revelation, and was also the city which Paul wrote 1 Corinthians. It is also the site of a large Gladiator graveyard.

Unlike most of the other ruins that we saw during our trip from Istanbul to Ankara, Ephesus covered a very large area of land and was surprisingly well preserved. Most scholars believe that Ephesus was originally founded during the Bronze Age in the 10^th century BC. The original city of Ephesus completely flooded and as a result was destroyed. The city was rebuilt by Lysimachus, who destroyed the cities of Lebedos and Colophon in 292 BC and relocated their inhabitants to the new city.

The Greek goddess Artemis and the great Anatolian goddess Kybele were identified together as Artemis of Ephesus. The many-breasted “Lady of Ephesus”, identified with Artemis, was venerated in the Temple of Artemis, one of the Seven Wonders of the World and the largest building of the ancient world according to Pausanias. As you can see, of this structure, scarcely a trace remains. The large statue that was once erected of the Goddess Artemis is in an Austrian museum in Vienna, because the original excavators of the city were Austrian. In addition to the statue in Vienna, there are two more statues of Artemis in the cities of Selҫuk and Ephesus, as these statues are the iconic images of the city.

There are four major reasons why the ruins are in such poor shape. The first reason is that the Sultans did not care enough about the ancient cities. During the 1800’s one of the major problems in Turkey was the exporting of Turkish historical artifacts to Germany and Austria, and unfortunately this happened at Ephesus as well. Also, because Ephesus is located so close to the present day cities of Izmir and Selҫuk, the ruins were mined fairly heavily for marble, which also sped up the deterioration of the structures, such as the Temple of Artemis. A third reason why the Temple of Artemis no longer exists is because of the Christianization of the area. Because Ephesus was a Pagan city, when the Christians came through to Christianize the area, they destroyed the Pagan temples. Because these things were not Christian there was no need for them anymore in the city. Finally, three different major earthquakes occurred while Ephesus was still a thriving city, which led to the volatility in the area. The citizens of Ephesus had to continually rebuild their city, and did not always rebuild every part of the city structures.

The ruins were fairly interesting at this site. During the high times of Ephesus, the city was distinguished for the Library of Celsus, and for its theatre, capable of holding 25,000 spectators. This open-air theatre was used initially for drama, but during later Roman times gladiatorial combats were also held on its stage, with the first archaeological evidence of a gladiator graveyard. Additionally, the ruins of Ephesus are known for the upper-class city dwellings within the city and for the Roman baths inside the city limits.

At the time, the Library of Celsus was the second largest library in the world. It was built for Tiberius Julius Celsus Polemaeanus and completed in AD 135. Celsus’ son built the library in honor of his father, who was a consul, governor, and wealthy and popular citizen of Ephesus. The library was built to store 12,000 scrolls and to serve as a monumental tomb for Celsus. At the time, it was unusual to be buried within a library or even within city limits.

The most interesting ruin within Ephesus was the theatre. Capable of seating over 25,000 spectators, this theatre was one of the largest theatres we saw during our trip. Because Ephesus was such a large city, they were continually adding onto the theatre. By the 200’s AD, the theatre had three tiers; however the present day theatre only has two tiers. Because Ephesus is located near a fault line, several earthquakes devastated the city and made the citizens rebuild the theatre along with the city. By the third great earthquake, around 359-408 AD., the last Roman reconstruction took place. However this time, they only rebuilt the lower two tiers of the stadium and let the other tiers deteriorate more. After being excavated in the late 1800’s by a team of Austrians, the theatre was in fairly good shape. When the city was opened up to the public and to tourists, one of the major attractions was the theatre. In fact, the theatre attracted several bands in the 1980s who wanted to put a show on in it. The Turkish government allowed several artists to perform in the ancient theatre in Ephesus. As you can see from the photo on the right, the theatre would make a great place for a smaller concert venue. Elton John, Sting, and Guns ‘N Roses were three of the more prominent acts to play the venue. However, after Guns ‘N Roses played a plugged session, the Turkish government saw that it was not healthy for the ruins to host an event such as a concert and did not allow any other bands to play the theatre.

Another aspect unique to Ephesus are the well preserved ruins of housing units within the city center. These ruins are of upper-class housing units, which are like current day condominiums. These housing units were smaller than present day condominiums, and yet were just as, if not more grandiose than their current day counterparts. On each floor there was either a fresco or a mural, and each house had its own bath and large foyer area. It was easy to tell that the rich lived in these settlements. To the right is one of the many murals that were in these housing units. The people in these houses lived very extravagant lifestyles. They had large reception rooms to entertain guests, and tried to show off their wealth as best as they could. These housing units reminded me of high-rise condominiums or like ancient homes in the Hampton’s. These people were the traders and merchants of the city, and as a result were very wealthy.

My favorite part of Ephesus was the Roman bath or “hamam” area. These ruins still had the marble toilets intact. The story behind these toilets is very interesting. According to many tales, this bath was only for the very rich and wealthy men of Ephesus. Because marble gets fairly cold in the winter, the rich people would go make their servants sit on the toilet before them in order to get it warmed up. Even though it was nearly 100 degrees outside, Lucas and I had to try to warm up the toilets for our rich masters, as you can see in the picture to the right. I found it very interesting, and somewhat disturbing, that the toilets were so close to one another. It is hard for me to imagine having grand conversations with the other wealthy men in that bathroom. I can only imagine how the area smelt on a warm summer day. The poor peasants who had to clean up the hamam had, by far, the worst job I can possibly think of.

Ephesus was a unique and interesting ruin to visit. It is an absolute must to anyone who is traveling to Turkey, as the historical background to Ephesus is one that we all know. The ruins in Ephesus are like no other ancient city. Ephesus was, by far, the best stop on our tour from Istanbul to Ankara.

The city of Pergamon was established around the 4th century B.C. and was soon after conquered by the Persians. In 334 B.C. Alexander the Great conquered the Pergamon acropolis. When Alexander the Great died, the rule of Pergamon passed to one of his generals, Lysimakhos.

Because of its defensible placement, the general choose Pergamon to house the treasures he had won during war. However, the actual kingdom of Pergamon began with his successor, Philetairos, making a treaty with the Syrian king and beginning to build up the acropolis of the city. Philetarious and his nephew, Eumenes I, who continued his projects for the improvement of the city, were thus looked at as the founders of the city and kingdom of Pergamon.
During the Hellenistic age of Pergamon, the Attalid kingdom of Pergamon, called so because they were descendents of Attalus, the father of Philetarious, gained great importance as staunch allies of the Roman Empire and as a kingdom that greatly supported the arts. Pergamon became known as a center for sculpture in the Attalid period of the kingdom, extending from 281-133 B.C. The Attalids were also known for their just rule as they allowed some measure of independence to the Greek villages under their jurisdiction and supported the growth of new towns.
In 133 B.C. King Attalos III died without an heir and to prevent civil war he left the kingdom to the rule of the Roman Empire. However, Pergamon retained its importance and much of its independence even while ruled by the Roman Empire. It had the second largest library in the ancient world, second only to the library at Alexandria, though this library was somewhat diminished as Marc Anthony sent the best volumes as a gift to Cleopatra. Pergamon remained also a great cultural center for artists of all kinds and when a shortage of papyrus stopped imports into Pergamon, the talented artisans of the city invented parchment.
Our tour of Pergamon begins with a drive up a frighteningly narrow trail on the side of a very steep hill. We disembark at the top of the tall hill and begin our walk through the ruins. We walk around the stone walls of the city and into the agora, or marketplace, of the ancient city. The long occupation of the upper acropolis can be seen in the different building styles of different parts of the stone walls dating from different time periods. We walk past the sacred precinct of Athena, marked now by little more than some paving stones and the bottoms of the marble columns that once lined the entire area.

We then get our first view of the impressive reconstructed temple of the Trajaneum. This temple was dedicated to Roman emperor Trajan and dates from the 2nd century A.D.
The temple, already impressive with its towering marble columns and carved plinths is even more so when considered in its surroundings. It stands, relatively isolated from any other imposing structures, on the top of the upper acropolis, the very heart of the ancient city perched on top of a huge hill.

From there one can see the brown and desolate hills stretching on and on through the hazy air. We bypass the temple for now to go look over the edge of the cliff outside the city walls out over the dry, barren hills. There is a reservoir that shows the gravity of the current drought in the area through the huge difference between its old and current water lines. The surroundings as well as the placement of Pergamon and its composition all lend feelings of space, air, and age, as well as a sense of desolation.

We walk back through the Temple of Trajaneum. The marble columns are even more impressive standing beneath one and looking up at it. I lay my hot face against the cool marble of the temple and look over the modern town of Bergama, which is at the base of the hill on which rests the upper acropolis of ancient Pergamon. The courtyard of the temple has a large tree with spreading green branches that reminds me of the White Tree of Gondor in its glory days.
From there we move on to the terrace where the Sanctuary of Athena lies. As we stand on the terrace we can hear the call to prayer drifting up from Bergama below. A deep sense of the distance from home strikes me forcibly standing there on the top of a brown and nearly treeless hill, in the middle of an ancient Greek and Roman city, hearing the Muslim call to prayer.

The terrace that we stand on also forms the top of the disturbingly steep theater of Pergamon. The theater is built into the sheer hill and looks out with a spectacular view over the valley below. The theater is one of the most unique theaters that we see on the field trip. It is steeper and narrow than most others because it was constrained by the natural hillside into which it was built.
After the theater we begin the walk back to the bus, past the site of the Altar of Zeus, which is now just several beautiful trees as the actual altar is in a museum in Germany. We finally make it back to the bus, hot and sweaty, and drive down the hill and over to the Asklepieion, the ancient healing center of Pergamon.
The temple to Asklepios here was built in the 4th century B.C. It was dedicated to the Greek god Asklepios, the god of healing. The Asklepieion was one of three major ancient centers of healing. The priests of Asklepios were also physicians that treated the complaints of the patients with some herbs, a great deal of rest, massage, and the holy water from the spring. Much of the healing was thus psychological and those that could get better, did so more through rest and relaxation than any consummate skill of the physicians.
Our visit to the Asklepieion began with a walk down the long, paved road lined on either side with marble columns. At the end of this impressive walkway lies a courtyard, in the middle of which is a column carved with snakes, the symbol of the god Asklepios. There is a small theater, which was used for performances to entertain the patients. As we explore the theater, we find a small tunnel, barely tall enough to allow us to stand up straight and of course we head straight through it, feeling our way in the utter darkness. Occasionally the wall against which I trail my hand disappears and I wonder where these small side passages lead. The snakeskin that someone finds and the bats that apparently are hanging overhead lend to the general air of dungeon creepiness.
The other tunnel in the Asklepieion is much larger and lighter and much more inviting. It is a perfectly preserved 80-meter long domed tunnel leading from the holy spring to the Temple of Telesphorous. It has openings in the top to let in light and air and compared to the scorching heat outside it is nice and cool inside. Walking down the tunnel feels like I should be transported into another time and place. As though, when I finally reach the end, I will find ancient Roman patients washing themselves in the Temple of Telesphorous. This structure too is beautiful in its ruinous age, consisting of a series of arches surrounding a cylindrical stone area. It was once two stories tall, but the second story above ground no longer exists and only this portion, sunken as it is in the protective ground remains.
On the other end of the tunnel is the holy spring, which still yields drinkable water from underground. There is also a stagnant algae covered pool holding all manner of creatures now, which was once a covered pool of holy water used by the patients for bathing.

As we sit under one of the beautiful trees in the center of the Askelpieion waiting for everyone to gather so that we can get on the bus and head back to the hotel, I am struck by the differences in the feel of the acropolis of Pergamon and that of the Asklepieion, a difference in part caused by their different functions, but also largely because of their different placements. Pergamon is set on the top of a hill looking over what now seems like a desolate dry wasteland, though in ancient times it was very fertile land. Asklepieion, on the other hand, is set in a valley and is seemingly much more centralized and intact. Asklepieion therefore, though it was never an inhabited city like Pergamon, nevertheless has more of a feeling of life and less a sense of bleak age sweeping over the ruins.

Loren McFarlan, a Grinnell College alumna (’07) studied off-campus in Turkey her junior year, and wanted to return. With a bit of enterprise and some help from Craig’s List, she found a job as a copy editor at Todays Zaman, a new English language Turkish newspaper. Loren arranged for us to have a tour of the Zaman building, where Todays Zaman is produced, as well as the Turkish Zaman and some other publications. We were shown around parts of the building by Loren, Fatmah Dişli, one of her co-workers, and Emrah Ülker, the managing editor.

            Todays Zaman is a small part of the Zaman empire, with 30 employees and a circulation of 3600 compared to the Turkish Zaman, which employs over 600 people and has a circulation around ¾ of a million. Turkish papers sell mostly through news stands, and Todays Zaman is aimed largely at foreigners, with an explicit agenda of making Turkey more accessible as it becomes a more important player in world politics and economy. The Zaman enterprise has a somewhat Islamist orientation. For instance, Zaman employs women like Fatmah who wear headscarves in the office, which is forbidden in government offices and many large businesses. Headscarves are a touchy issue in Turkey at the moment. The AK party currently in power wants to loosen rules, claiming that headscarves are a matter of personal freedom of expression, while many secularists view them as a wedge issue and a foot in the door towards a more Islamist nation. 

The news coverage in Todays Zaman naturally focused on Turkey and the Mediterranean, with wider editorial comment and human interest notes from countries likely to have visitors in Turkey. In addition, there are more articles on getting accustomed to Turkey and columns on things like legal issues for foreigners in Turkey.  Most articles are written specifically for Todays Zaman, with a few translated from the Turkish paper and others picked up from wire sources. The staff writes in English, and Loren and three other native English speaking copy editors make sure the English is idiomatically correct. Writer’s stances are not always readily predictable to an outsider. The issue due out the day before our visit included a rather lopsided article calling for Greece to remove its settlers from Cyprus, and editorials with opposed views on Turkey’s response to claims of Armenian genocide at the end of World War I, one responding with outrage to Jewish organizations’ recent decision to use the term “genocide” in referring to the deaths of thousands of Armenians, the other suggesting that Turkey should admit some wrongdoing, if not genocide, and attempt reconciliation instead of denial. This last may land the author in legal trouble, as some authorities interpret any such comments as criminal defamation of Turkey.

            What is most striking to the outsider is how salient some political issues are in the minds of the people, and how immediately felt the effects of some political stances can be.  The parallels in Turkey and the US between competing claims of religious freedom and freedom from other people’s religion, arguments about a contested past, and political polarization can hardly be missed by visiting Americans.

            Also interesting are some differences in corporate culture between businesses like Zaman and most in the U.S.  The company provides free meals for all its employees round the clock (due to the need for people to work odd hours in the publishing business), an on-site doctor, a gym, a shuttle that transports employees to and from work, and a driver to take employees who work late home. We had a chance to experience the cafeteria food.  The verdict?  MUCH better than the ITU school lunch!

Fenerbahçe-Sivasspor Soccer Game, August 25

One of the most popular and important pastimes in Turkey is football (soccer for us), and it shows; fans decked out in jerseys and team colors are everywhere, and almost every bar and restaurant has televisions so their patrons can watch important matches while they eat or drink. We are fortunate in that our Turkish host students, Ertu and Özay, are both very big football fans, but we learned very soon that the teams they support are huge rivals. Özay supports Fenerbahçe, last year’s champions, while Ertu is a fan of Galatasaray, another powerful and popular team in Turkey. The teams’ fans are easy to mistake at first; their jerseys both prominently feature logos of Avea, a local cellphone company, and Cola Turka, a local brand of soda. However, the rivalry between these teams and their fans is decades old, and we learned quickly not to mistake one for the other at the risk of greatly offending our Turkish friends.

We would have liked to give both Özay and Ertu an equal chance to sway our Turkish football loyalties by letting them each take us to a game, but unfortunately Galatasaray is currently banned from playing in front of audiences because of problems with rioting last season. Thus, Fenerbahçe became our team of choice, and Özay took us to see them play against Sivasspor, a team based east of Ankara, on Saturday, August 25. In preparation we all went out and bought Fener jerseys, hats, and armbands. This was a necessary precaution, as Chaz and I were nearly mistaken for Belgian fans when we went with Özay to watch Fener play a Belgian team at a bar earlier in the trip. The whole lot of us decked out in yellow and navy blue was quite a sight to see; Özay, of course, was ecstatic, while Ertu looked completely miserable the entire night.

Before I talk about the Fenerbahçe-Sivasspor game, I should give a brief history of the sport and an outline of its place in Turkish culture, as well as the history of the Fenerbahçe Spor Kulübü (Fenerbahçe Sporting Club). The earliest officially recognized version of football was played in ancient China; called cuju, it developed between 400 and 200 B.C. After years of dispute, FIFA (the Fédération Internationale de Football Association, the sport’s main governing body) announced that historical records of cuju guaranteed that China was, in fact, the birthplace of what we now know as football. Another ancient ancestor of the game was the Roman’s harpastum, a game that also may have been an ancestor of rugby and American football. A cruder version of the game was played in medieval Europe; known as “mob football”, it basically consisted of an unlimited number of players from different villages doing anything possible to drag a pig’s bladder to their opponents’ side of the village (or to the balcony of their opponents’ church).

Modern football developed in England in the 1500’s, primarily due to the efforts of schoolchildren and their teachers to turn it into a rule-based game that was fun, organized, and healthy. The rules weren’t written down until the 1800’s, however, when a number of schools including Eton College and Cambridge University attempted to codify the game. Football currently follows the “Laws of the Game”, the first set of which were drawn up by Ebenezer Cobb Morley and approved by the Football Association (England’s governing body for the sport) in 1863. In 1997 the International Football Association Board adopted the modern Laws of the Game; these are 17 rules that outline how the game must be played.

Turkish football has had a long and difficult history; the game was outlawed under the Ottoman Empire, so its early teams were composed primarily of English, Armenian, Greek, and Jewish players. So strict were the laws of the Ottomans that Black Stockings FC, the first Turkish team, had its first match stopped by the police, and many of its players were arrested. The sport continued to grow, however, with the formation of the first league, the Istanbul Football League; Fenerbahçe and Galatasaray were both formed to play in this league. A number of other leagues sprouted up over the country, but the first official professional league (the Turkish First Football League) wasn’t formed until 1959. This is the league that still represents the highest-class football in the country, although it is now known as the Turkcell Super League. The League currently consists of a revolving door of 18 teams, with the three who finish in the lowest three spots at the end of each season relegated to the Turk Telekom League A, and that League’s three best teams promoted to the Super League. In the nearly 50 years since the Super League has been active, only four teams have ever won a championship; these are Fenerbahçe SK, Galatasaray SK, Beşiktaş JK, and Trabzonspor.

Fenerbahçe SK was formed in 1907, although it is claimed that it descended from the previously mentioned Black Stockings FC. Its namesake is the Fenerbahçe section of the Asian side of Istanbul; this, in turn, is named for a large lighthouse that is a prominent part of the area’s landscape (fener means “lighthouse”, while bahçe means “garden” or “yard”). While the club is best known for its football squad, it also provides teams in such sports as basketball, volleyball, boxing, and even table tennis. Since its inception a century ago, the Fener football club has won 17 Super League Championships, and is currently participating in its 5th UEFA Champions’ League competition; this is one of the most prestigious international football competitions in the world. Another notable Fenerbahçe fact is that Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the founder and hero of the modern Turkish Republic, was a Fener fan.

As for the game we saw, it was a very exciting one; I am a huge football fan, but I have never had the chance to go to a professional game. I was particularly excited by Fenerbahçe’s recent acquisition of Roberto Carlos, a famous and very talented Brazilian player who was transferred from Spain’s Real Madrid. Games are always that much more fun when you know the players, and I was looking forward to seeing such a world-class player in action. He definitely lived up to my expectations, scoring the game’s only goal with an amazing diving header in the middle of the first half. Unfortunately, we didn’t get to see any other goals, but there was still plenty of excitement; we spent most of our time yelling at the ref for what we felt were biased calls, and taking part in the stadium-wide cheers. My favorite was one that translated to “Yellow! Navy blue! Champions! Fener!” It was short, simple, and easy to remember, but it took quite a good deal of organization to carry out; the fans in each quadrant of the stadium took one phrase of the four-phrase cheer and chanted it in turn, so it went in circles around the field.

We all had a great time at the game, as the pictures show; Özay ensured that we were on our feet and cheering as often as possible, and the energy and enthusiasm of the crowd were impossible to ignore. This was one of the first times that I truly felt less like a tourist and more like a Turk. I may not have known the words to all the cheers, but I screamed anyway, and proudly wore the yellow and navy blue just like all the rest of the supporters in the stands. We were all glad to see Fenerbahçe win, and we certainly hope for more chances to take part in such an exhilarating event in Ankara.

This year our Istanbul quarters are in dorms belonging to Bilgi University.  They are nice and new, close to the breezy waterfront of Karaköy. We can walk along the Bridge and then across to the old city of Istanbul, or up hill to the medieval Galata Tower and the busy boulevard of Istiklal Caddesi, lined with shops and crowded with Istanbulites and tourists shopping, dining and strolling during the day, and even more docks to Galata crowded in the cool of evening.
At the far end of Istiklal is the central hub of Taksim Medani, and our classroom is in a building on the Istanbul Technical University campus just down hill from there. Coming to class in the morning, we walk past nargile cafes and the ancient mosque of Kiliç Ali Pasha, the only Turkish admiral to bring ships back from the galley battle of Lepanto in 1571 (also witnessed by Miguel Cervantes). An effective tram system takes us part way, followed by a short funicular ride, a small train in a tunnel that carries passengers up the hill to Taksim Square, from which we reach our class.

After class we have lunch in the cafeteria at ITU. The basic food served makes us appreciate the elaborate cafes common at American universities, but costs only 2.25 YTL (New Turkish Lira) which is about $2.00.

The dorms provide areas for journal and blog writing and study as well as emailing and Skyping friends and relatives.

Afternoons and weekends are reserved for the heart of the program - the chance to explore one of the world’s great cities.  Evenings… well Istanbul IS a city that never sleeps, so whatever your passion you can probably find it is Istanbul.  Luckily Ertu and Ozay, our  Turkish host students, are savy about  everything from cheap restaurants  to cool cafes and parks to hopping dance clubs.
Our organized field trips include many of the major tourist sites of Istanbul, and some less known wonders too. So far we have seen Aya Sofya, the Blue Mosque, the Mosaic Museum at the site of the former Byzantine Imperial Palace, the cisterns under the basilica, Topkapı and Dolmabahçe Palaces, and a Mevlevi (“whirling”) dervish performance, to name a few.
Our Turkish host students, Özay and Ertuğrul organize other activities. One of the joys of living in Turkey is exploring new cuisine, like kumpir (giant baked potatoes loaded with goodies), various kebaps, balik ekmek (fish sandwich), or gözleme (cheese or meat filled pancakes), and Özay and Ertuğ know all the best places. Nights on the town, a soccer game, university logistics, shopping tips, and help with the social rules of a different world are all part of their expertise. The vast Tuesday street market on the Asian shore was a particular hit with some of us, although reasons differed (bargain scarves and clothing, beer accompanied by Turkish instruction in a café, blocks of fruit and vegetable stands - why can’t US produce markets be like this?).

Istanbul’s Adalar are nine small islands near the opening of the Bosphorus into the Sea of Marmara. Just 20km from the city, for centuries they were destinations for wealthy royalty of Istanbul—royal visitors sometimes on holiday, and sometimes on political exile. The largest is called Büyükada, often translated as “majestic-”, “grand-”, or simply “big-island” depending on how poetic the author is feeling.

~A glimpse of the still-wild part of the island (all photographs taken by Samantha)

My day’s aventure began when, separated from the rest of the group, I missed the ferry from Kabataş. Luckily the deniz otobüsü (sea bus) also runs to Büyükada, twice the ferry fee and four times faster. Inside the deniz otobüsü all passengers sit in rows of air-conditioned seats rather like an airplane. I was disappointed that people can’t sit outside and feel wind during the ride (like on the ferry) and questioning a crew member “why?” My question may have appeared more as a complaint, for the worker answered by taking me through the seats, up a small ladder into the cockpit, and introducing me to the captain. I had many questions; the captain and crew, curious about my curiosity, were happy to chat. They sat me in one of the two “driver’s seats,” served me tea, and the ship began to move.

Alice: “Do you enjoy this job? Why do you want to work on a ship?”
Crewman #1: “Ahh, because we have a view…see the water and birds?” and he was right, looking out the wide curved front window I felt the wonderful openness.
Crewman #2: “Because I can have everyday habits and I know what will happen here.”
Crewman #3: “Listen, I want to learn English, but I need someone to teach me. Do you have a boyfriend?”

Alice: “Sorry, I’m not available. I wonder, do you think there should be less traffic on the Bosphorus? Trade is important, but I worry about accidents and pollution.”
Crewman #2 (to his partner): “If you really want a girlfriend, you should take one from the internet. Tourists come to Istanbul for mosques and shopping, not for Turkish sailors.”
Crewman #3: “I do look on the internet…listen, tell me, why do all women lie?”

Alice: “Well…I mean, I suppose, maybe women who are on the internet lie more than most women. Myself, I try to be honest.” My rather feeble answer…
Crewman #3: “That’s good, ya? What time do you come back from the island? I’m off tonight at 6 o’clock.”
Captain: “Ok that’s enough, all you get back to work.”

~From the island looking across the sea at Istanbul’s vast concrete-ness

Ten minutes later I stepped onto the dock of Büyükada, filled with Turkish nautical words and no wiser about Bosphorus trade. The most beautiful thing I immediately felt on the island was the lack of traffic (urban traffic, that is). Here cars and engines are forbidden. The entire population (about 10,000 permanent and 35,000 during the summers) travels by foot, bicycle, and horse-drawn carriages. Apparently there is a school and a health clinic for regular residents, along with all the restaurants and cafes for summer guests.

It’s a wonderful day- or weekend-trip for Istanbulites. Hundreds of bicycles are for rent; our Turkish professor took one for the day and among the group we shared turns riding it up and down the steets. The horse-drawn carriages, painted with flowers and sometimes gilted gold, are grandly called fayton. I suppose it comes from the French word phaeton, and the Greek myth of Phaethon who died while driving his father Helios’ sun-carriage across the sky.

~Horse corral, ready for rent

We walked past many old houses and mansions, the oldest perhaps from 1900. Most were wooden and shingled, some anciently decayed and some in beautiful condition for residence. We slowly climbed in elevation past a national park for picnicking and swimming, past an organic fig farm, and many corrals full of dirty and weary-looking horses. On the highest elevation, up a very steep cobblestoned road, is an old monastery. It’s called Aya Yorgi Rum Ortodoks Manastırı for the famous St. George of Greek Orthodox Christianity.

~Restored villas now serving as inns

Though Istanbul was the capital of the Islamic Ottoman Empire since 1453, most of the islands in the Sea of Marmara stayed predominantly Greek Orthodox. After WWI, however, and continuing through the 20th century, most of the islands’ ethnic Greek people left Turkey for Greece. The islands now mix Turkish, Armenian, and Greek, Catholic, Muslim, and Jewish families (though I don’t know how smoothly…)
This monastery’s historical story begins with the Turkish phrase which I’m learning to appreciate more and more: ” Mevcut rivayetlere göre…” (”According to the current rumours…”) A church was originally built in the 4th century, funded entirely by pledges and gifts from the local people, in honour of St. George’s martyrdom. Over the following centuries it was attacked a few times, destroyed at least twice, and its members persecuted by Islamic forces. In the 17th century a shepard on Büyükada saw St. George in his dream and heard the words, “follow the sound of your sheep’s bells and you will find my icon.” With his sheep he climbed the hill, and among dry pines he found the ruins of the destroyed church. The building was reconstructed on the exact same location, and this is the one still standing today.

~Mediterranean climate, typical trees of higher elevations

Men of the church are still tending a few different varieties of fruit trees, though the site is no longer serving as a monastery. Beyond the church’s surrounding stone walls, the far side of the island is undeveloped. It is a far different (and perhaps more beautiful) view than looking back down on the harbour filled with its spreading and colorful activites. To the east and south, only a few small paths and a silent road are visible down the mountainside to the sea. This place is incredibly beautiful in parts… and I wonder what will happen in its future.

~Swimming families and private boats anchored in the cove

~~~alice

Istanbul’s Military Museum is located on the Beyoğlu side of the city, in a large square building that was once a military academy. When Mustafa Kemal was preparing to join the army, this is the school he attended. The academy has since been turned into a museum of weaponry and warfare. In memory of the school’s most illustrious pupil, a schoolroom where Ataturk studied has been preserved, and it now contains a large bust of Atatürk looking out over the students’ table. The museum is now also the main site of the army’s Mehter band. The Mehter band was used during battle to strike fear into opponents’ hearts. Originally Janissaries, the performers today still don the trademark mustache. Gathering around a huge cannon in front of the building, the standard bearers march, swinging their arms, while the musicians play horns, pipes, and drums and the singers belt out the triumphant words.  The music is loud and powerful, and it is certainly worth the trip just to hear the band play their war songs.

Exhibitions

The main exhibit in the museum is a collection of weapons, showing the history of swords, bows and arrows, maces, axes, guns, etc., as well as shields and armor. Although the bulk of the objects are Turkish or Ottoman, there are also many weapons from other cultures, so the museum provides a good representation of the development and evolution of weaponry. One room is dedicated to bows; Turkish bows (as the exhibit proudly states) are generally considered to be some of the best in the world.

Another interesting area holds daggers of interesting shapes and sizes. Many also have elaborate sheaths, jeweled or curved into shapes impossible for a dagger.

Further on in the museum is a large hall for Mehter band performances. Mingled with the benches in this room are old cannons, torpedoes, and even machine guns.

The most impressive exhibit is a representation of the Ottoman siege of Constantinople. On the wall is a large mural of the beleaguered city, done in such excellent perspective that the scenery set up in front seemed to blend perfectly into one vast view of the conquest.

Just in front of the visitor, Ottoman soldiers in trenches look out at the fighting; cannons and projectiles lay stocked nearby to attack the wall of Constantinople. Further away, Ottoman and Byzantine soldiers clash, and many lie injured or dead. My favorite detail in this whole picture is a soldier who fell off his horse, but whose foot is still stuck in the stirrup.

The horse is painted and the soldier is a mannequin, but the two blend together so that it is hard to notice. While visitors survey this important moment in Ottoman history, battle sounds are played in the room, as well as the music of the Mehter band. These further the experience of this exhibit, and make it a worthwhile room in which to stay a while.

The only exhibit which compared stylistically to this was that of an assassination in 1913 of an important Turkish general, Mahmut Şevket Paşa. In the middle of the room was the car in which he was riding at the time of the attack; the car’s left window is splintered by bullet holes.

Mannequins play a part in this display as well, but only showing the positions of those nearby (presumably just before they were hit). Nearby, a glass case displays the shirts worn by the victims (bullet holes clearly marked), the guns used, and even the bullets fired. Although the assassins themselves are depicted and named in this case, I could not find information either here or on my own which explained their motives for this act.

Further down the hall, exhibits go into detail about Turkey’s various campaigns and wars. One such room which is particularly remarkable is the room dealing with terrorists. The main “terrorists” are the Kurdish separatists; however, the Kurds are never mentioned by name. In fact, all the internal opponents Turkey has faced are referred to broadly as “terrorists,” and neither the identities of the groups nor their motives are mentioned. The exhibit itself is made up almost entirely of items taken from “the terrorists,” including items ranging from mines and guns to typewriters and fax machines. The rest of the exhibit shows brutal pictures of bloodied Turkish “martyrs,” including women and children.

One of the most interesting rooms in the museum is that concerning the Armenians. Popular international opinion on this issue is with the Armenians, who claim that between 1915 and 1923, 1.5 million Armenians were either killed outright or died due to conditions imposed on them by the Turks during their forced deportation. The Turks attest that during WWI, the Armenians were aiding the Russian army and murdering innocent Muslims, so the population was deported to safety in Syria; however, some Armenians did die along the way because of cold and sickness. This room at the museum contains evidence (through pictures, reports, and even bloodied clothing) of the atrocities committed by the Armenians against the Turks. A large statement on the wall, in both Turkish and English, goes through the history of the “Armenian issue,” as it is called. This sign recounts numerous treasonous and violent acts committed by the Armenians, and attests that the Armenian accusation of genocide at Turkey’s hands is motivated by Armenia’s desire to weaken Turkey politically and to take Turkish land for their own country. There is no explanation in the room of what evidence the Armenians use to support their claim of genocide; the museum consistently refers to this argument as “so-called genocide.”

Reflections

Often, museums in the United States strive to appear unbiased, so that the information provided will be taken at face value and more readily accepted as true. This museum, like other Turkish museums, has no such compunctions. The Turkish people are presented as a united line reaching from Ottoman times to the present, and suffering no inner strife. All of the enemies presented in these exhibits are non-Turks; this even applies to the Armenians and the Kurds, who are both ethnic groups living inside Turkey, making these people legally Turks. However, this connection is discarded in order to present a nationalist ideal of order and solidarity. For example, in the room concerning terrorism, the exhibit focused on Turkish victories (by showing entirely things Turkish forces had taken) and belittled the status and even organization of the opposing group by not even naming them. Turkish victims are consistently referred to as “martyrs,” no matter which enemy is to blame. Such blatant, unashamed bias is something that is not seen often in museums; the closest similarity I could place is with museums about the Holocaust. Now, obviously, a Turkish military museum and a Holocaust museum are very different, but they have some interesting similarities. First of all, both the Turks and the Jews have such strong faith in their own conviction that they are not afraid of being inflammatory towards their enemies. The difference here is the amount of justification that each group has for this conviction; the international community acknowledges that the Jews were subjected to genocide during the Holocaust, whereas the Turks are actually being accused of genocide of the Armenians by many countries. However , the Turks hold firm to their version of history, which is clear in a place such as this. Furthermore, although Istanbul is a very popular city among tourists, the Military Museum is not one of the larger attractions. Therefore this museum has fewer international guests, and the main audience is probably native Turks. Another similarity to a Holocaust museum, it appears, is that the audience is very intentional. By this I mean that the average person going to either of these museums probably knows what to expect and already agrees with the message. In this way the Turkish government can present exactly the facts that it wishes to, and not encounter any troubles because of it.

Having considered all of this, the Military Museum is still a spectacular place to visit. It is well worth the trip, and is definitely a place worth dedicating a substantial chunk of time to explore.