Turkey was such an amazing experience! It is one country
that everyone needs to go to. There was
so much that happened in Turkey and way too much to write about. So I’m just
going to address a few highlights of the trip. We saw a ton of Greek/Roman
ruins and columns.
Some of the highlights included going to the Hagia Sofia the
first day and seeing part of Ishtar Gate and other treasures at the Istanbul
Museum of Archaeology. There are some of the most incredible artifacts in the
museum, just like the Louvre. The Hagia
Sofia is magnificent. We visited two more mosques on the trip and I have to
say, my favorite was the Sultanahmet Mosque (aka the Blue Mosque). The blue
designs on the walls and ceiling are like the Turkish porcelain.
Assos was in a little town that we had to hike through to
get to the top of a hill and see the view of the Aegean Sea and just about see
Greece. It was one of the prettiest view I’ve ever seen. And the locals didn’t
speak much English if any and they were selling the local products they made
such as socks, necklaces, and other things.
Another site was Ephesus, where there’s a picture of it in
the scriptures. It was full of Greek and Roman ruins. Exploring the ruins was
really fun. It’s not every day that you can explore thousands of years old
sculptures, temples, churches, and other things. We could even see the markings
from the chariots in the stone.
The bazaars were amazing and much like shopping in the old
city. Locals made their supplies they were selling in Bursa and they had cheap
prices. The Istanbul Bazaar is more touristy but is huge! We only had an hour
or two in each bazaar, but I would love to spend days there.
The last city we visited was Iznik, where the tiles were made
for the Dome of the Rock. The porcelain there is extremely famous and very
cheap. They sell it everywhere in the shops on the streets. The locals don’t
speak any English so it was fun trying to communicate with them. It is a
beautiful town and is a must-see if you travel to turkey.
Turkey was a great adventure. Having Turkish delight, the
Turkish toilets, cold rainy weather, the lentil soup at every meal, seeing a mosque at every block,
standing out in crowds because of the blonde hair, visiting ancient sights, and
following the footsteps of Paul in the New Testament was an experience of a
lifetime.
Istanbul Museum of Archaeology
Blue Mosque
Turkish Toilets :)
Ferry crossing from Asia to Europe
Troy
Temple of Artemis at Assos
Assos
Pergamon acropolis
Library at Ephesus
Watching the sunset over the Aegean Sea
Sardis gymnasium
Hagia Sofia
Some of the many political flags hanging in Iznik
