Turkey's untrodden trails

But the country that tourists see because of the fence of the hotel, working on the all inclusive system or from the window of the tourist bus to memorized from the textbook speeches of the guide is not all of Turkey.

 

Turkey is a country with an ancient history, a bright oriental color, besides it is very different depending on the region. We offer to plunge into the atmosphere of non-tourist Turkey, learn a little new about the country, where you may have visited more than once, and may even go off the beaten path to untrodden trails.

Let’s start with historical sights.

 

On the territory of Turkey is the oldest temple complex in the world Göbekli Tepe ("Bubble Hill"). Its age is determined at twelve thousand years, the Mesolithic period, the Stone Age. This monumental complex was built by people at the stage of development of society, when there were no draft cattle, which means that the efforts of hundreds of people were required to raise columns weighing fifty tons. From the point of view of archaeology, the monument is unique, it gives reason to think that even in those ancient times the structure of society was more complex, and social ties are stronger than previously thought.

 

 

An ordinary tourist who decided to visit this magnificent structure, older than the Egyptian pyramids and Stonehenge, will also be surprised. The stone blocks are lined with even circles, above which tower columns decorated with carvings depicting animals, birds, people. A well-preserved lion descending the column. The monument shows that ancient people were not alien to art, all bas-reliefs are made very skillfully.

 

 

Currently, the temple complex is not a landmark included in the list of travel agencies, although work in this direction is underway. To visit it, you need to drive yourself from the nearest town of Şanlıurf or ask for a ride from archaeologists who ply this route constantly.

 

Keep in mind that permission to visit the excavations is not easy to obtain, there is a ban after a valuable bas-relief plate was stolen by one visitor in 2010. Nevertheless, those who want to see the archaeological monument should try their luck. You may be able to feel like Indiana Jones and wonder how such a simple and familiar Turkey turns into a mysterious world of ancient secrets.

 

Another city worth visiting, but a hotel guide will not exactly offer you such a tour - Erzurum, located in the northeast of the country. The city with the oldest history, located at the crossroads of empires, was founded in the 14th century BC. In different periods it belonged to Byzantium, Persians, Arabs, Seljuk Turks, Mongols and for some time even the Russian Empire.

 

Alexander Pushkin visited this city during the campaign of 1829, leaving the "Journey to Arzrum" to his descendants. In his travel notes, the classic wrote: Arzrum is revered as the main city in Asian Turkey. The climate of Arzrum is severe. The city is built in a hollow towering 7000 feet above the sea. The mountains surrounding it are covered with snow most of the year. The land is treeless but fertile. It is irrigated by many springs and is crossed from everywhere by water pipes. Arzrum is famous for its water. The Euphrates flows three versts from the city. But fountains are everywhere. We are not used to such landscapes of Turkey.

 

 

Today in Erzurum (the name comes from the Persian arz-Rum "border with Rome") you can see the fortress of the fifth century, which offers a magnificent view of the city. The fortress has a twelfth-century minaret and a mosque of the same period. There are several beautiful mosques on the city’s central street, one of them the Ulu Mosque, also dates from the twelfth century.

 

And, of course, many locals will invite Russian tourists to the house, saying that it was here that Alexander Pushkin lived. Do not believe, from the "Journey to Arzrum" directly follows that the poet lived in the palace of Seraskira, which has not survived to this day.

 

 

Maybe the number of sights of Erzurum and will not impress an experienced traveler, but in this place you can get acquainted with the real, non-tourist Turkey. The city has an old quarter of traditional houses of the era of the Ottoman Empire - united under one roof. Now the locals use the quarter primarily to attract tourists. This is a kind of museum, in which the “streets-corridors” are turned into restaurants, and the “house-rooms” into shops.

 

And yet experienced travelers will advise: if you want to try something truly “Turkish”, leave the tourist places to the outskirts, get off at the final bus stop, look for a cafe or the simplest stall, at the tables of which drivers will dine, and order a kebab there. It may be a bit dangerous to eat, but it will be your best East Anatolian kebab.

 

Remember, dear tourists, that even in the familiar country of juicy oranges, gentle surf and cheerful animators there is always a place for real adventure. The journey through Turkey’s untrodden paths is just beginning.