“I knew very little about Turkey…”
I knew very little about Turkey before going there, except that everyone I had ever known who had been there believed it to be an amazing place. Now I understand why. We, who grew up in the United States, can’t help but be struck by the layers of history one sees wherever you go in Turkey. Our guide Mesuthan, walked us through them, the Sumerians, the Assyrians, the Hittites, the Persians, the Greeks, the Romans, the Arabs, the Seljuks, the Ottomans, and modern day Turkey, showing us how, as one civilization conquered the next, the stones of civilizations were disassembled and reassembled into cities, villages, homes, kitchens, and baths. I found myself gaping at a fresco of a bird on a bedroom wall misaligned because of an earthquake, a mosaic of a lion on a living room floor, a game board tiled into a courtyard, all dating before 1000 AD.
Mesuthan took us on a journey through old town Istanbul, across Cappadocia, into the cities of Konya and Antalya, and showed us the wonders of the Turkish coast on a Gulet, one of the most beautiful 125 feet long wooden boats I have ever seen, let alone had the privilege of traveling on. Vedat gave us lessons on Turkish Textiles and Seljuk Tiles. And the FOOD!! was continuously gracious and seamless throughout our trip. We had a joke among those of us in our group as we ate our way across Turkey — we tried to imagine the food tour they lead, but it was impossible, because none of us could imagine any food better than what we experienced.
One last thing, my husband had some medical issues on the trip that began before we arrived in Turkey. Mesuthan’s competence and compassion showed itself strongly. We really appreciate how he handled the situation. It could not have been better.
Margot Dick & Bill Ross, Seattle U.S.A, Oct. 2012
