Kusadasi

After we finished with our exhaustive tour of Ephesus, we returned to Kusadasi for a carpet demonstration.  
Some pictures of the countryside on the way back...Kusadasi is a beach community, a lot of northern Europeans go there for sun vacations.

We went to a carpet dealer for a demonstration of rug making...there was a gal who was making this silk carpet.  She had a computer print out of the design, and she tied the knots according to the designated color.  I tried to figure out where on the pattern she was, but it was Greek to me.  Her hands worked very quickly...amazing.  She took the scraps and put them into bags..I asked what they did with them...stuff pillows.  I would have bought a bag and put them in a clear vase.  

We were led upstairs, and we were offered apple tea and pastries...were we being drugged?  Just kidding...this picture is from their website, Sakkara, and we would buy from them again!

They pulled out at least 50 carpets...starting with wool tribal rugs, the most inexpensive, and ended up with silk.  The handlers spun the carpets, all with a flourish.  When we planned this trip, we had decided to purchase a rug.  So, we were fresh meat.  We bought 2 rugs, one is 18 x 36 inches, a wall hanging, a Hereke, 

this one is about 5x7, and blue is much prettier than the photo depicts.

I had no idea that as you look at silk from each direction, the color can become more vibrant.  Hopefully, we'll receive these soon.  We instantly became special customers, and were entitled to all sorts of special discounts.  They brought Robert Turkish coffee, and arrack for me...it was tasty,  I do like anise.  We were able to leave with our shirts on our backs!  It was great fun, and educational.

I had never seen a mosque, or heard the minaret call for prayers.  We asked Kurshot where we could see a mosque, hear the minaret, and he told us.  We walked for a bit, taking in the local sights, and found the mosque.  A man saw us looking, and invited us in.  Chris and I were given head coverings, since I had on shorts, I was given a skirt, and we all removed our shoes.  He said it was okay to take photos.

No religious symbols or icons.  Beautiful in its' plainness.

This is a short clip of the call to prayer...sorry, I don't know how to use the video on the camera.  Robert thinks that the man who helped us at the mosque was the iman, and this is his voice.

Nearby, there was a fountain where we saw men washing their hands (and feet), before going into the mosque.  Beautiful tile work on the fountain.

Who can resist a Turkish bazaar?  It was great fun!

We were supposed to leave Kusadasi at 4:30 p.m.  Nothing happened.  I went out on the balcony, and there were a couple people bustling around the gangway...all the shade tents, water, etc. were packed away, we were ready to go.  The captain gave a few blows of the whistle, and Turkish officials were looking anxious.  The tug boats kept circling.  At about 5:20, the purser went onto the dock, and gave a Turkish official a persons' picture and American passport (I was watching all this using Robert's binoculars).  Oh my  gosh, we were going to leave someone there.  At 5:30, a girl comes running down the pier, people on the upper decks start clapping, and off we go.  She almost got left behind.  We had played trivia with her and her sister the day before...she suggested our team name to be The Dancing Flamingos.  We came in second.  And did I mention that I won $76 playing bingo?
And speaking of watching the gangway...one day I spent 1 1/2 hours watching the crew pull up the tender platform...I held up happy hour, but it was too interesting to walk away from.  All parts fit together so neatly, and it became part of the ship!


Kusadasi as we left.

We had to back out of our docking area, so these two boats formed a "wall", for the boat to pivot around.  More maritime fun!

Ataturk, overlooking the city.

An old island fort.

We decided that we definitely liked Turkey, and would go back.  Though only there for a day, we met congenial people, felt safe, enjoyed what little culture we encountered.  The man at the mosque was so nice, as was our tour guide, and the rug dealers.  
Hmm, Istanbul calls my name....a pretty sunset,

 and a beautiful moon rise.  

Our final stop tomorrow, Athens.  Will this trip really end?

Kusadasi, Turkey, landing point for Ephesus

Never been to Turkey, have no idea of what to expect.  All I have are some preconceived ideas that they make silk carpets and Turkish coffee, that it houses Ephesus, and it's a Muslim country.  When we left Italy, the ship's staff collected our passports, and said they would return them when we arrived in Athens...so here we are, in the country of Midnight Express, with no passport.  Okay, just a little drama...really, I don't buy into this stuff.
We head to our tour bus, with our American educated guide, Kurshot.  The bus is decorated with the evil eye, a map, and some Turkish icons.  As long as they help the bus driver drive safely, I'm okay with that.

Our guide loves animals, which is fine with me.  We stop to observe a nest of storks.  Never seen that before.

After traveling for about 45 minutes through the Turkish countryside, and learning that one of Turkey's indigenous trees is the silk worm loving Mulberry (oh, I'm getting carpet fever already), we see our first glimpse of Ephesus.

Kurshot carries cat food with him, and feeds the population along the way.  

Before entering, I'm amused by the natural broom, 

and the Madison Ave. advertising.  East meets west.

Ephesus was an ancient Greek city, established thousands of years BC.  About 100 BC,  the Romans moved in, and made the city a major commercial port.  During its heyday, 200,000 people lived there, the city encompassing a 5 mile square area.  As silt from the surrounding mountains washed down, and covered parts of the city, it was abandoned.  About 15% has been excavated, and what we saw was amazing.  It is an open archaeological museum, you are free to walk, touch, sit.  I was very impressed.

Our first sight, a small theater.

The baths.

They had plumbing...excavated pipes.

  

These show how the ruins have been excavated from the hillsides.

The hospital area.

  Caduceus...

The goddess Nike, and it is believed that Phil Knight got the Nike Swoosh trademark from the fold in her dress...you can see it below her rt. hand (not the one her hand rests on, below the  hand).  It's plausible. 

Ruins everywhere.

Walking down the main drag, with the Library of Celsius in the distance.  The Terrace houses are on the left.

 Some sights along the way.

An ancient sign that this was the home of a Christian family.

This is an important Temple excavation...can't remember why.

 How's your Greek? Turkish?  What language is this? 

Medusa, the Greek Goddess, know as the protectress, is everywhere.

We entered this walkway, to go to the public bathrooms.

Robert called it the crapatorium.

Next stop, the Terrace Houses...these were truly amazing.  They're enclosed in a large greenhouse type building.  A few are uncovered outside, but let's going inside the protected area.

Workers assemble millions of jig saw puzzle pieces, reassembling marble walls and whatever else.  Fortunately, quite a bit is still intact.

 
A shower.  See the water pipe?

  

Painted, fresco walls...beautiful.

The floors were well preserved...I have lots of the mosaic pics I'll post later.

Back outside to the Library.  These people had their priorities right.  I still use the library...it's my tax payer money for something I like!

Beautiful.

This man was in our group.  From the Terrace houses, we had to walk down about 50 steep steps, no handrails.  Robert helped him down.  I want to be him when I'm his age...he had to be at least 90.  His wife stayed on the bus.

A menorah on the library steps, 

 and another Christian symbol.

Acres and acres of ruins.

As we walked toward the big theater, coliseum, we passed through a gate, that gave homage to a fierce gladiator.

And here it is.

Ahh, the theater!  Something for everyone!

 People would sit on this camel's back and have their photo taken.  Notice the spit catcher! 

Never seen poop catchers on horses before.

Tomorrow, the trip continues with our visit to Kushadasi...now, I'm pictured out.