After reaching the Edirnekapı bus stop and having our fill of some of the tastiest köfte we’ve ever had, we felt warmed inside and confident that we couldn’t be too far away from the the special building we were searching for: The present day Kariye Mosque or Kariye Camii. About Kariye Mosque Formerly the Byzantine …
Six years ago we visited the amazing city of Istanbul for the first time, no doubt with the same aim as every other first-time visitor to the city; we wanted to see Sultanahmet Camii (the Blue Mosque), Topkapı Palace Museum, Aya Sofya (Haghia Sophia) and the eerie Basilica Cistern. They were on our must-see list. …
Last night, the crowds – including us – gathered early, knowing the open-air stage was about to be graced with members of Turkey’s Konya Mevlevi Order ; better known to those in the West as Whirling Dervishes. We’re halfway through the Muslim holy month of Ramazan and, in Fethiye, the council (belediye) have organised free …
Today is a Turkish National Holiday: Commemoration of Atatürk and National Youth & Sport Day or Atatürk’ü Anma ve Gençlik ve Spor Bayramı. The people of Turkey are no strangers to a national holiday and proud display of the Turkish flag (Türk Bayrağı) and today is no different. What Is ‘Commemoration Of Atatürk And Youth …
When you’re in Üzümlü, be sure to look up products of the famous local craft, Üzümlü dastar. When we posted about the Üzümlü Mushroom Festival, I mentioned that the whole event was a great opportunity for Üzümlü to show itself off to all the visitors who attended the three-day event. So, not only were we …
Yesterday, we posted about the live performances at the Telmessos theatre in Fethiye. We’d heard Louis de Bernieres might be making an appearance so we went along out of curiosity – and in the hope of catching a glimpse of my favourite author. Birds Without Wings At the end of the performance, Louis de Bernieres, …
We were chatting with a friend a few nights ago about how Turkey seems to be rediscovering and embracing old traditions. 11 years ago, we came to Fethiye on holiday and smoked a nargile (water pipe), only to be told by waiters, ‘Oh, we have those just for the tourists. Nobody smokes nargile any more.’ …
We came across an interesting article the other day which gave us a little glimmer of hope for some of Fethiye’s crumbling ruins. The article focused on the rock tombs of Dalyan and said that nanotechnology is going to be used to restore and protect the rock tombs from further erosion; the first time nanotechnology …
All last week, the weather in Fethiye was fantastic – perfect for trekking. Time to return to the dramatic scenery of Afkule. We caught the dolmuş to Kayaköy so we could do the short walk to the dramatic setting of Af Kule Monastery. In the winter months, the dolmuş goes through Kayaköy, towards Gemiler but …
Yesterday, traditions usually associated with the Aegean region of Turkey headed south to the Fethiye region (the village of Karaçulha) and those who chose to attend were treated to a mini camel wrestling festival. I say ‘mini’ because I’ve seen photos of the size of the crowds attracted by the Selçuk Festival which can apparently …