Anadolu Gezisi Notlari - Turkce Ozet

Ulkemizin kültürel mirasi inanılmaz genis. Gecen yilin sonunda emekli olunca en sonunda bir Anadolu gezisi icin plan yapmaya basladim ve oglumla birlikte Mayıs 2022’de 10 günlük bir Anadolu turuna ciktik. Konya’dan baslayip, Catalhoyuk, Ankara, Hattusa, Yazilikaya, Alacahoyuk derken Ankara’dan Mardine uctuk. Mardin’de 3 gun kaldıktan sonra Diyarbakir’a oradan da Urfa’ya geçtik. Urfa’da Via Maris ile tur’a katılıp Gobeklitepe, Karahantepe, Nemrut, Harran, Sogmatar yaptık.

Sehirler arası tum ulaşım, otel ve transferleri ben organize ettigim icin biraz zamanimi aldi ama çok guzel bir gezi oldu.

Oncelikle eğer minimum stres olsun isterseniz bir tura katilmanizi oneririm. Tum bu sehirleri kapsayan bir tur yok ama, geziyi 2-3 kısima bolebilirsiniz. Fest Travel ve Antonina’yi tur şirketi olarak  oneririm. Fest Travel içlerinde en pahalı ama en profesyonel olan ve kültür turlarında 1 numara. Onlarla giden bir çok arkadaşım memnun kaldı. Antonina ile ilgili de çok pozitif feedback duydum. Benim Via Maris’i secme sebebim, spiritüel yaklaşmaları, gezi sırasında Shamanik calışmalar ve meditasyonlar yapılmasıydi. Turda hem resmi bir rehber (ki kendisi tarihci), hem arastirmaci yazar, GokTurk Ramu, hem de  bir Shaman (Ates Saman) vardi. Tura katılmasak, 2 gun icinde bu kadar çok yeri gezemezdik.

Eger Urfa, Gobekli Tepe, Karahan Tepe ve Harran’i  kapsayan bir tur alırsanız, turu uzatıp diger sehirlere kendiniz de gidebilirsiniz.

Urfa, Mardin ve Diyarbakir’a Istanbul’dan düzenli ucuslar var. Yanliz sezonda doluluk artabilir. Bahar ve sonbahar ayları en popüler zaman. Biz Mayıs sonu oradaydık ve hava çok guzeldi, bizden sonra aniden sicaklik 30 derecelerin üstüne cikti. Ayrıca bizim turdan bazı kisiler Urfaya uçak bileti bulamadıkları icin Antep’e uçup, otobüs ile gelmek zorunda kaldilar. Yuksek sezonda giderseniz rezervasyonu erken yapmanızı tavsiye ederim. 

Konya

Mevlananin mezarı ve Kultur merkezi
Sems’in mezarı & Camii
Kece ustası Celaleddin Berberoğlu Atolyesi (Destegül)
Iplikci Cami ve Sadirvani
Serafettin Camii
Aziziye Camii 
Alaadddin tepesi ve Camii
Karatay Medrese
Ince Minare Cami
Arkeoloji Müzesi
Bedesten Carsi
Panorama Minyatür Müzesi

Savas Gazileri Aniti ve Muzesi

Meram’da: Seyh Sadrettin Konevi Turbesi, Tavus Baba Turbesi ve Atesbaz Veli Turbesi (biz goremedik, bir daha ki sefere!)

Restaurant: Tarihi Mengüç Caddesindeki restaurantlar (kahvalti icin Somatci), ve sehir merkezinde Safran Restaurant

Otel: Biz Hilton Garden Inn’de kaldik, muhtesemdi. Mevlana’ya 15 dk. yürüme mesafesinde ve Minyatür Müzesi yanında

Mayda Turizm ve rehberimiz İlker Bey’in profesyonelliği ve bilgisinden çok memnun kaldık.

Ankara

Anadolu Medeniyetleri müzesi icin yarim gun ayirmanizi oneririm, hatta sadece bu müze icin Ankara’ya günübirlik gitmeye bile deger. Anıtkabir ve Müzesi, 1. ve 2. Meclis binaları, Haci Bayram Veli türbesi ve yanındaki Augustus tapinagi , Ankara kalesi (biz cikmadik), eski Ankara evleri, Seymenler parki mutlaka görülmeli.

Ankara Ulus’ta Radisson Blu otelinde kaldık, vasat ama merkezi bir bolgedeydi. Hem Meclis binalarına yürüme mesafesinde, hem Kugulu Parkin karsisindaydi. Eskiden çok popüler olan bu park şimdilerde çok tekin değilmiş megerse. Ankara’da bizi günübirlik Hattusa’ya Bizim Ada Turizm goturdu. Kesinlikle tavsiye ederim. Çok profesyoneller ve özellikle rehberimiz , aslında Japonca rehber olan Senem Hanim, Hititoloji öğrencisi (3. Üniversite olarak), çok bilgili ve degerli bir rehber.

Mardin

Sakip Sabancı Kent Muzesi, Mardin Muzesi, Kirklar Kilisesi,, Zinciriye Medresesi, Ulu Cami, Revakli Carsi, Kebapci Rido, Bagdadi restaurant, Cercis Murat Konagi restaurant.

Bu yukarıdakiler Mardin’in eski sehir merkezinde ve hepsi yürüme mesafesinde. Ayrıca Mardin’in etrafinda gorulecek çok yer var. Mutlaka ya araba kiralamanizi, ya transfer servisi kullanmanızı yada tur ayarlamanızı oneririm. Manastirlari gezmenizi (Darul Zafaran ve Mor Gabriel manastiri), Dara Antik sehri,  Nusaybin ve Midyati mutlaka oneririm. Hatta 1 gece Midyatta da kalabilirsiniz.

Bazi restaurantlar (Cercis Konagi ve Bagdadi) çok popüler ve 2-3 gun oncesinden rezervasyon gerekiyor. 

BIz Mardin’de Osmanlı Konağında kaldik, eski tas bir konak, manzara harika ama odalar biraz kucuktu. Mardin’de bizi bir transfer şirketi sahibi Gökhan Bey (Seker turizm) gezdirdi. Kendisi rehber degil zatem manastirlarin kendileri rehberlik sağlıyor, ama su anki aklim olsa Dara’yi rehberle gezmek isterdim.  Gökhan Bey  gayet iyi niyetli ve guvenilir. Transfer servisi olarak kesinlikle tavsiye ederim.

Sehirler arası tum transfer icin de lokal acentalari kullanabilirsiniz. Gokhan bey bizi Mardinden Diyarbakira kadar da goturdu. Yol üstünde Zerzevan Kalesi var, tam yari yolda, Mardin’e 45 dakika uzaklikta. Ben daha once oraya gtmistim ve hatta Zerzevan ile ilgili zoom konuşmaları yaptıgım icin, rehbere ihtiyacimiz yoktu ama oraya gitmek isterseniz bir rehber oneririm.

Diyarbakir

Diyarbakir’da bizi Asur Turizm’den Dogan San teslim aldi. Diyarbakir’i gezecekseniz Dogan Beyi şiddetle oneririm, BIzim kistili zamanımız vardi 4-5 saat icinde bize harika bir Diyarbakir sehir turu verdi. Diyarkabir’da Ulu cami, Diyarbakir surları, Meryem Ana Suryani Kilisesi, Hasan Pasa Hani, Dengbej Evi mutlaka görülmeye deger.

Ben Dogan Beyi baska arkadaslarima da onerdim, hepsi çok memnun kaldılar. Dogan Bey ayni aksam bizi Diyarbakir;dan Urfa’ya da goturdu.

Urfa

SanliUrfa Arkeoloji Muzesi, Mozaik muzesi, Balikli Gol ve Hz. Ibrahim camii, Gobeklitepe, Karahantepe, Harran, Sogmatar, Klaus Schmidt Ani Evi görmeye deger.

Sanliurfa Muzesi icin en az 2-3 saat ayırın derim,  Mozaik muzesi- SanliUrfa müzesinin yanında, görülmeye deger (eğer vaktiniz varsa)

Balikli Gol ve Hz. Ibrahim camii- Aksam saatlerinde çok mistik oluyor. Mutlaka camiler bölgesinde zaman geçirmenizi, Hz. Ibrahimin doğduğu mağarayı ziyaret etmenizi öneririm.

Gobeklitepe- Urfadan yarim saat uzakta, eğer tur almazsanız mutlaka bir rehber tutmanızı öneririm. Ilk gidisimizde hem rehber hem agenta sahibi Ahmet Bey bizi goturmustu (Tel:0542 268 78 98), ikinci gidişimizde Via Maris’in turuna katildik.

Karahantepe henüz kazi aşamasında ve mutlaka oneririm. Tabi Urfa’da Sıra gecesi yapan bir restaurant secebilir, yada arkeolojiye merakliysaniz, Gobeklitepe’yi bulan arkeolog Klaus Schmidt’in dul esi Cigdem Hanimi ziyaret edebilir ve 20 yıl boyunca Kazi evi işlevi goren muhteşem evlerini gezebilirsiniz. Biz ilk gidişimizde Urfa Hilton’da kaldık, bu sefer Cigdem Hanimin evinde kaldık. Cigdem Hanim 1 odasini AirBNB’e veriyor, Klaus Schmidt Ani Evi olarak arama yapabilirsiniz.

Urfa’da Viamaris ile tura katildik, ve ayni gun icinde müze ile baslayip, Gobeklitepe ve Nemrut’a ciktik. Ertesi gun Karahantepe, Harran ve Sogmatat yapıp gece istanbul’a donduk.  Cok yogun bir turdu ama kısa surede çok yeri gorebildik, eğer sindirerek yapmak isteseniz tur sonuna zaman ekleyip kendiniz gezmenizi oneririm.

Herkese iyi gezmeler diliyorum.

Konya and Catalhoyuk

Mayda Travel- Ibrahim Mayda

info@maydatravel.com

Tel: +90 507 7918077

Professional Tour Guide Ilker Yaglier.

Ankara and Hattusas

Bizim Ada Tourism

www.bizimada.com.tr

Yasin Bey + 90 546 4183800

Professional Tour guide: Senem Guzel

Mardin

Seker Rent-a-Car

Gokhan Bey +90-542-5303155

Hotel: Osmanli Konagi 

Diyarbakir

Asur Turizm 

Dogan San

+90-532 474 45 98

info@asurturizm.com.tr

0(412) 235 02 

Urfa

Via Maris Turizm

Neslisah Cevahir

ness@viamaris.com.tr

https://viamaris.com.tr

Rehberler: Gokturk Ramu, Halit Aygat, Ates Saman

Ayrica bu web sitesini de öneririm.

https://www.birhayalinpesinde.com/turkiye

Catalhoyuk 7500 BC

Anatolian Trip Notes #6- Nemrut-Harran-Sogmatar

People usually go to watch either a sunrise or sunset at Nemrut Mountain. We made it for the most spectacular sunset. The summit is only 600 meters (2000 ft) hike from the parking lot but it's quite steep.I was breathless. This highest peak (2134 meters/7000 ft) of Eastern Taurus mountain range is close to Adiyaman.  A Unesco World Heritage site,  Nemrut is a tomb and house for Gods and Goddesses built by King Antiochos I of Commagene (69-34 B.C.).

Commagene claims to bring East and West together and this is where I truly felt it. Commagene King carry Persian ancestors, from paternal site (a descendant of Darius by his father Mithridates) and Macedonian ancestors from maternal side (descendant of Alexander the Great by his mother Laodice). 

Another uniqueness is the assimilation of Eastern and Western  Gods: Five giant seated limestone statues awaits you: Antiochus himself, the goddess of Commagene, Zeus-Orosmasdes-Ahura Mazda, Apollo-Mithras-Helios-Hermes, and Artagnes-Bahram-Heracles-Ares.

Unfortunately, the world’s first horoscope is not in display, locked away from sight. This doesn’t change the mystical experience.

Harran

Harran, an ancient city and trade center in northern Mesopotamia, is also known for the traditional beehive houses.. Only a few hundred of Harran's beehive houses are left but the good news is they are under the protection and are being restored for touristic purposes.

This style is an architectural tradition in this area for at least 3,000 years. Covered with mud or clay, the mortar of the buildings were made from rose leaves, straw, soil and egg whites. they fence off heat during hot summers (up to 50 C/125 F) and retain cool air.

Traditional Harran Houses

Harran is also famous for the Sin temple dedicated to Sin, the Moon God.

The Moon God plays an important role in the Babylonian and Assyrian religions, and was first known as the chief god of the Ur city, and later became the most important god of Harran.

The Sin/Moon temple was established sometime at the end of the Neo-Sumerian Empire (circa 2000 BCE).

Harran=Sin Temple

Sogmatar

Sogmatar was the highlight of our Anatolian trip for me. If I could describe my experience in the Sogmatar temple in one word it would be non-duality. 

If you expect to see fancy ruins, towers or temples, you’ll be highly disappointed in Sogmatar. In fact, there is almost nothing visible immediately when you get to Sogmatar. Soğmatar was a pagan religious center and dates back to the 2nd century. Close to Harran, south of Urfa, it is also known as the Town of Seven Temples, as the people of Harran worshiped the moon and planetary gods.

Here is an article I wrote about Sogmatar, if you want to read more…

https://reikinewsletter.blogspot.com/2022/08/

Sogmatar

Resources and Thanks:

Konya and Catalhoyuk

Mayda Travel- Ibrahim Mayda

info@maydatravel.com

Tel: +90 507 7918077

Professional Tour Guide Ilker Yaglier

Ankara and Hattusas

Bizim Ada Tourism

www.bizimada.com.tr

Yasin Bey + 90 546 4183800

Professional Tour guide: Senem Guzel

Mardin

Seker Rent-a-Car

Gokhan Bey +90-542-5303155

Diyarbakir

Asur Turizm 

Dogan San

info@asurturizm.com.tr

0(412) 235 02 22

http://www.asurturizm.com.tr/?i89/iletisim.html

Via Maris Turizm

Neslisah Cevahir

ness@viamaris.com.tr

https://viamaris.com.tr

Special Thanks to: Gokturk Ramu, Halit Aygat, Ates Shaman

For self guided tours, you can follow:

https://www.birhayalinpesinde.com/turkiye

Anatolian Trip Notes #5- Urfa- Gobekli Tepe-Karahan Tepe

Urfa is mystical at night. Especially the call to prayer at Halil-ul Rahman Mosque is mesmerizing. We literally couldn't move for minutes as if we were hypnotized during the evening  prayer. I wished time would stop and we would stay there and listen to the prayer forverer. It’s believed Abraham was born here in a cave and thrown into fire here by Nimrod. The fire turned to a lake and the wood into fishes. The lake (Balikli Gol) and the fishes are considered sacred to this day.

Klaus Schmidt Memorial House/Ani Evi

Dogan Bey drove us from Diyarbakir to Urfa which is a 2 hour drive. If you have time in Urfa, I’d recommend to visit Klaus Schmidt Memorial House/Ani Evi. Klaus Schmidt is the German archeologist who discovered Gobeklitepe and led the excavations for 20 years until his untimely death in 2014. His widow and a fellow archeologist, Cigdem Koksal Schmidt still lives in Urfa and rents one bedroom of their house on AirBnb. This gorgeous traditional Urfa home is also a museum to commemorate Herr Schmidt. It was lovely to stay there and pay our tribute to Herr Schmidt.

The next day, we joined a tour ,Viamaris, for the last part of our trip. There are many tours for Gobeklitepe but VIaMaris covers most area in the shortest time. We covered Urfa, Gobeklitepe, Karahantepe, Nemrut, Harran, Sogmatar in just 2 days . It’s a very compact tour, so don’t expect to spend too much time in each area but have a taste of it all. What I also liked about ViaMaris, you can get both the official view and the alternate, and it includes shamanic drumming and meditations in each landmark.

We started out the tour at Urfa museum, a must see in Urfa. You can easily spend a half day there. Urfa museum hosts sculptures from the Neolithic age, mainly from Gobeklitepe, Karahantepe, Nevaliçöri and other settlements in the area. They also have replica of Gobeklitepe built in doors. I wonder what art will survive from us 10,000 years from today, in 12,022?

Gobeklitepe

Discovery of Gobeklitepe, a 12,000-year-old archeological site in Southeast Turkey, has changed our understanding of evolution of civilization forever. 

The common thought up until discovery of Gobeklitepe was that agriculture came first then the faith. However Gobeklitepe proves this theory wrong. It’s a sanctuary built 12,000 years ago, before the discovery of the wheel, the pottery and the agriculture

If you want to learn more, here is the link to one of my talks on Gobeklitepe.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1dCza-gL4NSJwi_0psTeJFTcwVYFDevL6/view?usp=share_link

Karahantepe

"11 giant penises carved from the bedrock and watched over by a bearded head with a serpent’s body that emerges from the wall." That's only one of the ritual areas excavated at Karahantepe.

I feel so lucky to see Karahantepe up close. I'm sure they'll soon build walk-ways, like Gobeklitepe and will protect the area from public (which they really should), but until then go visit Karahantepe for an up close encounter. Archaeologists now suspect that Karahantepe, is even older than Gobeklitepe. The head archeologist Necmi Karul  calls Karahantepe “one of the most monumental and earliest examples of phallic symbolism”:  Karul thinks the space, which includes a separate entrance and exit and a channel for water, was used for a male rite of passage.

Stone Mounds (Tas Tepeler) is home to at least 12 similar sites that may have all been built by the same Neolithic civilization, all within 120 miles radius. Karahantepe is 25 miles to Gobeklitepe and only 30 miles to SanliUrfa. 

Here is a presentation from the Head archeologists of Stone Mounds:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ueAUcFBCdjo&ab_channel=arkeolojihaber

Next: Nemrut-Harran-Sogmatar

Anatolian Trip Notes #4- Diyarbakir

Diyarbakir or Amida (its ancient name), has been the cradle of 26 different civilizations throughout its 5000 year history.  Our driver dropped us off at Asur Turizm, a local agency at Diyarbakir. We only had 5 hours to walk through the town but we were very lucky to have an amazing guide. If you ever go to Diyarbakir, I'd certainly recommend Dogan San/ Asur Turizm. He is an extraordinary guide, so passionate about Diyarbakir and his job as a professional tour guide.

Of course, 5 hours is not enough but we had a small taste of Diyarbakir. Close to the banks of the Tigris River (Dicle) the city is encircled with 6 km city walls, decorated with inscriptions and bas-reliefs. Mosques and churches represent different architectural styles. The third century Aramaic Church of the Virgin Mary (Meryemana Kilisesi), is still in use today. Ulu Cami is a masterpiece. The local handcrafts, specifically copper ware (by the way Diyarbakir means Land of Copper), is so alive. You should visit local shops and see masters engrave copper.

So sad, Diyarbakır has always been a focal point of the political conflict between  Turkey and the Kurdish separatists. Diyarbakir has so much to offer and such a beautiful city. When there is peace, tourism picks up quickly. 

Another memorable moment…Dengbêj is a Kurdish tradition of storytelling. Storytellers recite old stories and epics. In Diyarbakir, there is this public park  where you can stop by any time of the day to listen to Dengbejs. Even though I don’t understand a word, it gave me chills. This is a precious tradition and I hope they keep it alive.

Here is a video: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ChWcpdmxzs&t=174s&ab_channel=EmreY%C3%BCcelen%C5%9EanDersi

Colorful local fashion

Next: Urfa

Anatolian Trip Notes #3- Mardin

We flew to Mardin from Ankara. 

Cultural diversity is what strikes you in Mardin where Turks, Kurds, Arabs and Assyrian Christians live together.

I watched this video in tears when I was in Mardin. “Sounds of Mardin” features three traditional folk songs of Mardin vocalized  by 48 local artists in Turkish, Arabic, Kurdish, Syriac and Armenian languages. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8qxsPpOMyWk&ab_channel=MardinM%C3%BCzeM%C3%BCd%C3%BCrl%C3%BC%C4%9F%C3%BC

Mardin Museum is a must see, showing thousands of years of cultural heritage and diversity. Some other highlights include: Sakip Sabancı Kent Museum, Kirklar Kilissesi/Church, Revakli Carsi, Zinciriye Medresesi and Ulu Cami. Other than that, just get lost in the narrow streets of Mardin, visit Orthodox churches, mosques, indulge in food and shopping.

It’s best either to rent a car or get a tour in Mardin to see the vicinity. We had a transfer service to drive us around and it worked perfectly. I’d recommend Seker Rent-a Car. Gokhan and Volkan brothers are punctual , careful and safe. 

The old city can be covered in one full day by feet and you need at least another day or two to see the surrounding  areas. Once you are in Mardin, you must see Midyat, Nusaybin and Dara. There are resident guides in the monasteries, so you don’t need to hire a guide, but I do regret that I did not have a guide in Dara.

Roman Emperor Anastasius had built the eastern frontier city of Dara in 591 AD in honor of their people who were killed by the Sassanids after the invasion of 577. The site is a large burial ground carved into the bedrock.

Deyrul Zafaran Monastery, a 30 minute drive from Mardin, is the most famous monastery and a must see. We see many examples of sacred sites built on top of each other in human history, Deyrul Zafaran monastery is one of them. Deyr means monastery and Zafaran is saffron and it's built on top of a Sun temple (Shams/ Shamash) which existed since 2000 BC.

Ancient people were more tuned to natural energies and could feel the sacred earth energies. They have built temples where they felt earth energies the most. Some says they built on top of an older structure to eradicate the old view and establish a new. You decide!

According to the legend, the saffron plant was used in the mortar of the Deyrul Zafaran Monastery and the structure took its yellow color from this plant. In 451, the Syrian Orthodox Church (Jacobites) split from the Byzantine Church after a debate about the true nature of Christ. The church still uses Aramaic, Jesus’ language, as its liturgical tongue. Services are held daily.. The church houses a 300-year-old Bible, a 1000-year-old baptismal font, and a 1600-year-old mosaic floor.

What impressed me the most is the original pagan sun temple where the monastery is built upon, where sunrises fills the room from the Eastern window while the niche on the southern wall holds an altar.

Beyaz Su is the popular picnic area by the river, and is best to take lunch break.

The same Rent-a car company (Seker) drove us from Mardin to Diyarbakir.  which is only 1.5 hours drive. On the way, we were blessed to be able to stop by Zerzevan castle (a second time for me and first time for my son). Zerzevan castle was the half way point, only 45 minutes away from Mardin.

Zerzevan Castle is one of the best-preserved Roman military settlements in the world. So what? There are many castles around the world. Well, this castle also hosts a Mithras temple, a temple used by the Mithraic cult which is the religion of Roman Empire prior to Christianity. For that reason, the castle gives clues not only about the life in the ancient world but also give hints about history of faith and religion and how beliefs are transformed over centuries. Plus, there are lots of mysteries about this place.

 If you're interested to hear more about it, you can watch one of my previous zoom talks:

https://drive.google.com/.../1ptKAod9_EHT-Gpe_EnL.../view...

Next: Diyarbakir