Gaziantep or Antep: it's still mosaics, castles, pistachios and coffee

It's a short bus journey from Adana to Gaziantep. Antep, as the city is informally known, is almost 200 kilometers east of Adana and not far from the Syrian border - Aleppo is less than 100 kilometers drive south.

Antep Castle (Photo: Imran Ahmed)

Antep's history stretches back to the Stone Age - remember the Stone Age from your history classes?!. That means the city has been continuously inhabited for over a million years with various powers, i.e. the Assyrians, Persians, Romans, Byzantines and finally the Turks (Seljuk and Ottoman) in control of the area.

Though it is Ataturk and the later Ottoman period which drives me to Turkey, the country also houses some amazing historical artefacts. A taste of this history is available at the Zeugma Mosaic Museum in Antep. The museum houses a diverse and breathtaking collection of mosaics. 

One of the most famous mosaics on display
at the Zeugma Mosaic Museum, Antep, Turkey (Photo: Imran Ahmed)

Much of the art focuses on the ancient city of Zeugma, a city believed to have been founded by Alexander's army in 300 BC. Zeugma, which literally means “bridge” or “crossing” in ancient Greek, gets its name as it was located at a major ancient crossing point on the river Euphrates. The archaelogical site of Zeugma is on the UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List.

Other than the Mosaic Museum, Antep is home to a Hamam Museum. The Hamam – or Turkish bath – is an integral part of Turkish culture. The museum is compact but provides a great introduction to the multifacted hamam culture found across the Ottoman Turkish empire.

The Hamam Museum is conveniently located next to the well preserved Antep Castle. 

So what, you say? Every Turkish city has an old castle and they all look and feel the same. Well, yes, but there is one difference in Antep. To get to the top of the castle visitors walk through a well constructed tunnel outlining the history of the Turkish War of Independence, specifically Antep's role in the War. Unfortunately the commentary is in Turkish so non-Turkish speakers can only view the visuals and guess at the commentary!

Menengic or pistachio coffee as served in one of Antep's many coffee shops (Photo: Imran Ahmed)

If history is not your thing then focus on the word 'fistik!' Fistik is the Turkish word for pistachio and there are a lot of pistachios in the region. 

The Antep fistik is famous throughout Turkey. It's plentiful and it's cheap. Try these nuts (technically pistachios arer drupes - a type of fruit – and not nuts!) straight from the shell, in baclava sweets or even in a type of pistachio coffee called menengic.

Antep has an unique place in Turkish history. No travels to Turkey's east are complete without at least a brief stopover in Gaziantep. From Alexander's general who started the Zeugma settlement, to the city's heroic defense during the War of Independence, Antep has it's own story to tell. Undoubtedly, Antep's story is incomplete without mentioning the word fistik. Taste it for yourself! 

Imran is a Singapore based Tour Guide with a special interest in arts and history. Imran has lived and worked in several countries during his career as an international banker. He enjoys traveling, especially by train, as a way to feed his curiosity about the world and nurture his interest in photography. Presently, Imran is spending ten weeks (March – May 2019) in Turkey exploring the country. He is available on twitter (@grandmoofti); Instagram(@imranahmedsg) and can be contacted at imran.ahmed.sg@gmail.com.

The Girl on the Train: a film review

The Girl on the Train directed by Tate Taylor based on the best selling novel by Paula Hawkins was perhaps better left as a novel. For the first hour of the almost two hour long movie it was difficult to follow the plot or make a mental note of the characters. Yes, the pace improved in the second half and, at the very least, the main characters were no longer confusing.

The story revolves around an alcoholic divorcee woman, Rachel, who becomes obsessed with a couple living in a house she passes on her daily commute into Manhattan. One day during these daiy voyeuristic commutes Rachel witnesses the woman kissing a man who is not her husband. Having been through a divorce with an unfaithful husband – who lives in their jointly purchased house a few doors down from the couple she obsesses about – Rachel loses it.

Rachel, known for making unannounced visits to her ex-husband's home, subsequently tries to visit the apparently unfaithful woman (Megan) to give her a piece of her mind. Unfortunately for Rachel as she was in her usual drunken stupor she has little recollection of what transpired during that fateful visit. Unfortunate because that night Megan mysteriously disappeared. 

The story slowly unravels and the viewer pieces together the puzzle, all the while learning more about each character. (Yes, you know the old adage: don't judge a book by its cover.) 

The Girl on the Train is billed as a psychological thriller on many move sites. That's a fallacy. At best it's a mystery - albeit incuding a side role for a mysterious psychiatrist. Only the strength of the acting held it together with great performances put in by the cast. In case anyone's asking, I would say the book might be the better bet!

Imran is a Singapore based Tour Guide with a special interest in arts and history. Imran has lived and worked in several countries during his career as an international banker. He enjoys traveling, especially by train, as a way to feed his curiosity about the world and nurture his interest in photography. He is available on twitter (@grandmoofti); Instagram(@imranahmedsg) and can be contacted at imran.ahmed.sg@gmail.com.

Adana: much more than a kebab

From Konya it was onward to Adana. Adana is a nice sized city of 1.75 million persons located 35 kilometers inland from the Mediterranean coast. The Seyhan River flows through the city.

It's not difficult to reach Adana. Intercity public buses ply regularly to Adana from Konya. There is also a Turkish Railways (TCDD) train – the Toros Express – which travels between the two cities daily in a six hour rail journey.

Photo: Imran Ahmed

As I always find train travel more comfortable than buses choosing the Toros Express was a no-brainer - despite knowing TCDD's old fashioned diesel electric locomotive trains are not fanous for their punctuality (arriving two hours late may be considered 'on time!').

A Turkish Railways diesel electric locomotive stands at the head
of the Toros Express train at Konya station (Photo: Imran Ahmed)

The Toros Express train reached Adana after dark and we took a taxi to the hotel. Sitting in the taxi observing the city on the drive to the hotel I felt a sense of panic and dread. The hotel seemed in the middle of nowhere surrounded only by commercial warehouses! After check-in all I could see from our hotel window were a few trees and total darkness!

Things are always clearer when the sun ishines, i.e. during daylight. So it was with Adana. It turned out the empty space across the hotel was a park and beyond the park flowed the Seyhan River. In other words, the hotel's location was perfect!

Adana was a great place to rest and destress. Sure, there are several sights worth exploring, such as the grand Sabanci Merkez Cami or Sabanci Central Mosque but at its heart, Adana is for rest and recreation not for visiting six different attractions daily over a weekend.

The Sabanci Merkezi Cami (Photo: Imran Ahmed)

Nonetheless, it's hard to miss the Sabanci Mosque – nor should one miss it. The mosque is built on the banks of the Seyhan River and it is huge! It can accommodate 28,500 faithful for prayers, has six minarets with the tallest being 99 meters. Those numbers may not mean much to many but trust me the mosque is large. In fact, at the time of writing it is the largest mosque in Turkey (though soon to be surpassed by the official opening of a new mosque in Istanbul).

The banks of the Seyhan River (Photo: Imran Ahmed)

Though there are sights other than the mosque, the recommended plan for Adana is walk around the bazaar, eat some Adana kebab and, most importantly, stroll along the promenade by the Seyhan River – past the Sabanci Merkez Mosque – stop for a Turkish cay (tea) and simply soak in the environment. In today's information filled, wired society the soothing sounds of Turkey's longest river flowing toward the Mediterranean Sea is enough to add Adana to any Turkey travel itinerary.

Imran is a Singapore based Tour Guide with a special interest in arts and history. Imran has lived and worked in several countries during his career as an international banker. He enjoys traveling, especially by train, as a way to feed his curiosity about the world and nurture his interest in photography. Presently, Imran is spending ten weeks (March – May 2019) in Turkey exploring the country. He is available on twitter (@grandmoofti); Instagram(@imranahmedsg) and can be contacted at imran.ahmed.sg@gmail.com.

Why ten weeks in Turkey? Blame Ataturk and the Ottoman Turks!

Spending ten weeks in any country outside your own is a commitment. It costs money, requires energy and, most importantly, the country must tickle your fancy. And, it uses ten weeks of your life – time which can never be recovered!

Our journey starts in Istanbul and gradually moves eastwards until Kars. Along the way we take in one city on the Black Sea coast, i.e, Trabzon. Finally, from Kars we head back to Istanbul via Ankara on the Dogu Express train. 

But why Turkey?

I first visited Turkey in 2003. Following that first trip, I continued traveling to Turkey at regular intervals, including twice by train from Istanbul to London, Britain and an Istanbul to Tbilisi, Georgia by rail / road journey in 2018.

However, my relationship with Turkey started much earlier and it was due to a gentleman called Mustafa Kemal (1881 – 1938) aka Ataturk.

In my youth – and in my family (as was the case with many Pakistani families) – Ataturk was revered as a modernizing Muslim leader, on par with Quaid-e-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah and Dr Muhammad Iqbal. Here was a leader destined to pull the Islamic world towards progress following centuries of decay and stupor. He was a uniting force in a world where Muslims were (are?) torn, divided and at the mercy of Western nations.

To be sure, for millions of Muslims around the world Ataturk inherited the honorific leadership position held for centuries by the Ottoman Sultan in his capacity as Caliph of the Sunni Muslim world. Ataturk, however, not only inherited the leadership title, he earned the respect of millions through his exploits as a military officer during World War I and the ensuing Turkish War of Independence.

Postcard depicting the 'Sick Man of Europe' being devoured by other European countries (Circa: early 20th century)

When World War I ended in 1918, the defeated Ottoman Empire's carcass was being devoured by victorious European colonial powers, i.e. Britain and France. Istanbul was occupied by French and British forces. Izmir was to be handed over to the Greeks, Armenia and Russia were encroaching on eastern Anatolia with only a small rump in Anatolia allocated as living space for Muslim Turks.

Ataturk, the hero of Gallipoli and the father of modern, Republican Turkey was the military leader who - with some good fortune and masterful leadership – saved Ottoman Turkey from the devouring colonial powers. Ultimately, through the 1923 Treaty of Laussanne the Allies recognized modern Turkey and its present borders. In return, Turkey renounced all claims to former Ottoman Empire territories, including in the the Middle East.

Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the saviour and founder of modern Turkey (Photo: Wikipedia)

Students of history understand that history is like a cyclone. Once you get caught in the torrents of history the only way forward is by going deeper towards the center. That's what happened to me. After studying Ataturk it became obvious the man had to be placed in the broader context of the Turkish Ottoman Empire.

So it went, from studying the Mogul Empire I turned to the Ottoman Empire. I've not looked back since then.

Finally, in 2003 I became just one more number in Turkey's tourism statistics with my maiden visit to Istanbul. Since 2003, Turkey has been on the travel agenda regularly, though in fits and starts. Recently, it became apparent that if I am to deepen my relationship with Turkey I must broaden it beyond Istanbul. Moreover, I've already paid my respects at Ataturk's mausoleum in Ankara so it's time to move into the Anatolian heartlands.

That's where we are today, Turkey for ten weeks, including two long stays in Istanbul (arrival and departure) plus three to five nights in each of the following cities: Bursa, Eskisehir, Konya, Adana, Gaziantep, Diyarbakir, Mardin, Van, Agri, Erzerum, Trabzon, Kars and finally Ankara.

By the end of this trip, not only should I speak a smattering of Turkish words but also have a better understanding of Turks and Turkey. At least, that's the hope!

Imran is a Singapore based Tour Guide with a special interest in arts and history. Imran has lived and worked in several countries during his career as an international banker. He enjoys traveling, especially by train, as a way to feed his curiosity about the world and nurture his interest in photography. Presently, Imran is spending ten weeks (March – May 2019) in Turkey exploring the country. He is available on twitter (@grandmoofti); Instagram(@imranahmedsg) and can be contacted at imran.ahmed.sg@gmail.com.

Poor entertainment, purely cerebral (Film review: Stay)

I watched the movie thinking it might be a suspenseful thriller. I was mistaken. The movie was slow to begin with but after about 30 minutes I felt committed and saw it through to the end.

Despite the big name cast - every actor was a familiar face - the movie provided little in the way of entertainment. It was purely cerebral. Maybe the writer is a shrink?

The movie may make sense to shrinks or those who wish to mentally dissect the 100 minutes of celluloid. For those just looking for entertainment the movie is a failure.

Watch it if you're in a Freudian mood otherwise move on to something else.

NB: At the time of writing this review, Stay is available on Amazon Prime in many jurisdictions.

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Imran is a Singapore based Tour Guide with a special interest in arts and history. Imran has lived and worked in several countries during his career as an international banker. He enjoys traveling, especially by train, as a way to feed his curiosity about the world and nurture his interest in photography. He is available on twitter (@grandmoofti); Instagram(@imranahmedsg) and can be contacted at imran.ahmed.sg@gmail.com.

Konya: Mevlana Rumi's city

After Eskisehir, next stop was Konya. We traveled by a Turkish Railways high speed bullet train - yes, Turkish Railways have high speed trains running on several key routes connecting Ankara and Istanbul to other parts of the country. Konya, Mevlana Rumi's city, is connected via bullet trains to both Istanbul and Ankara.

Many observers suggest Konya is Turkey's most religiously conservative city – the heartbeat of Islam in Turkey.

The main square in Konya with the Selimiye Mosque in the foreground and the Mevlana Rumi shrine complex (with the green tower) in the background (Photo: Imran Ahmed)

Even before arriving in Konya I got a whiff of this conservatism while looking for hotels. One of the hotels stated on its booking conditions that couples must show proof of marriage at the time of check-in! (Ticket: check; passport: check; marriage certificate: check!)

The influence of Rumi is felt everywhere – not only in the in the notable absence of stores selling alcoholic beverages. Indeed, Konya thrives on religious tourism (and it does a good job at it too). Much of this tourism revolves around followers paying homage to Rumi at his tomb.

Rumi's tomb is ensconced in a complex, including a museum devoted to his life and the beliefs of his Mawlawiyah Order. Amazingly, entry to his tomb and attached museum is free (good on you, Turkey!).

Rumi's grave inside the shrine complex (Photo: Imran Ahmed)

Rumi was born in 1207 in Afghanistan – then a part of the Persian empire - and died in 1273 in Konya. Over his lifetime, Rumi developed a unique Islamic philosophy through his teachings. His philosophy was beautifully expressed through his poetry which was written mainly in Persian and Arabic, but also in Turkish and Greek. It were his teachings that ultimately led to the establishment of the Mawlawiyah Sufi order.

Though Rumi was born into a family of theologians – his father was a mystical theologian, author and teacher – it was Rumi's meeting and subsequent relationship with Shams al Din of Tabriz (1185 – 1248) which greatly affected his religious views. Shams, best known for his Forty Rules of Love, became Rumi's spiritual mentor and guide until his disappearance in 1247.

Undoubtedly, Konya is Rumi's city. It is hard to escape Rumi's influence – it permeates the entire city. Rumi's influence gives the city a unique character. To be sure, Konya has other attractions, e.g. museums and even some beautiful gardens (Alaeddin Hill), the city is one big shrine to the Great Mevlana.

Turk kahvesi or Turkish coffee served konya style (Photo: Imran Ahmed)

Enjoy Konya not only for the Mevlana but, more importantly, for what he represents: tolerance, positive reasoning, goodness, charity and Love.

Come, come again, whoever you are, come!

Heathen, fire worshipper or idolatrous, come!

Come even if you broke your penitence a hundred times,

Ours if the door of hope, come as you are. 

- Rumi

Stay tuned for my next post on Adana – home of the famous Adana Kebab!

Imran is a Singapore based Tour Guide with a special interest in arts and history. Imran has lived and worked in several countries during his career as an international banker. He enjoys traveling, especially by train, as a way to feed his curiosity about the world and nurture his interest in photography. Presently, Imran is spending ten weeks (March – May 2019) in Turkey exploring the country. He is available on twitter (@grandmoofti); Instagram(@imranahmedsg) and can be contacted at imran.ahmed.sg@gmail.com.

Eskisehir, Turkey: travel hub or hidden gem?

From Bursa our next destination was Konya. However, exploring Turkey at leisure meant the long direct journey to Konya was conveniently broken at Eskisehir. Eskisehir is on the main high speed train route to Konya from Istanbul so it made sense to spend a few days in Eskisehir then take the YHT bullet train to Konya.

Eskisehir did not disappoint; though it helped that our hotel was clean and had strong WiFi versus the dump of a hotel in Bursa (no names shall be mentioned). Yes, after spending several days in a run down hotel it was nice to be in a modern hotel with good infrastructure!

The Porsuk Cayi River runs through Eskisehir and is lines with bars, cafes and restaurants.
(Photo: Imran Ahmed)

Eskisehir or literally old (eski) town (sehir) is ironically mostly a new town. With two major universities in town – Anadolou University and Eskisehir Osmangazi University – Eskisehir is a university town.

But it is much more than simply a university town. It is, after all, a city of almost one million people. For a city of that population, Esiksehir is remarkably compact.

Like many ancient cities - Eskisehir's history can be traced to at least the Byzantine period - it is located on the banks of a river. The Porsuk Cayi River runs through Eskisehir's center. Both sides of the river are lined with cafes, bars and restaurants making it pleasant to stroll by the river. There were even gondolas and river cruises for tourists operating on the river!

One of the many bridges across the river. (Photo: Imran Ahmed)

The highlight of the Eskisehir trip was a walk to Odunpazari District. Odunpazari is an amalgamation of fresh produce street markets, hotels, cafes, restaurants and traditional Turkish style coffee houses. The bazaar is a place to wander, sip coffee and browse souvenirs while taking in the traditional Turkish architecture of the area's houses.

Another unexpected though pleasant surprise was coming across an Aviation Museum in the vicinity of our hotel. However, one should not be too surprised given the city's links to aviation. There is a large Turkish Air Force base on the outskirts of the city. (Fighter planes streaked through Eskisehir skies routinely.) Additionally, the city houses much of Turkey's burgeoning airplane parts manufacturing and maintenance industry.

Eskisehir's Aviation Museum is a great place to see the evolution of the Turkish Air Force and many of it has planes flown from past to present. (Photo: Imran Ahmed)

Eskisehir is a pleasant town with its own subtle charm. Being a university town gives the city a particular character. Following a short stay, Eskisehir came across as a great place - perhaps providing a glimpse into modern (Kemalist) Turkish society outside of the country's main centers of Istanbul and Ankara. If you have a few days to spare and, especially if you like fighter planes, then Eskisehir's your city!

Imran is a Singapore based Tour Guide with a special interest in arts and history. Imran has lived and worked in several countries during his career as an international banker. He enjoys traveling, especially by train, as a way to feed his curiosity about the world and nurture his interest in photography. Presently, Imran is spending ten weeks (March – May 2019) in Turkey exploring the country. He is available on twitter (@grandmoofti); Instagram(@imranahmedsg) and can be contacted at imran.ahmed.sg@gmail.com.