RAMI—This delightful restaurant has been serving Ottoman specialties such as hünkar beğendi (spiced, slow-cooked lamb on smoked eggplant puree) for more than 2 decades in historic Sultanahmet. Set in an old timber konak (residence) over four floors, including a top-floor roof terrace, it is the former home of 20th-century Istanbul artist Rami Uluer. INFO: Tel 90/212-517-6593; www.ramirestaurant.com. Cost: dinner $35.
SOFYALI 9—Occupying several floors of an old Istanbul house, Sofyali 9 is another great place to sample hot and cold meze plates paired with the anise-flavored drink raki. The restaurant is slightly more elegant than similar meyhane eateries in the neighborhood, offering an excellent array of small plates, some of which you probably won’t find elsewhere in the city. Exposed brickwork and wood floors create a cozy atmosphere for cold nights, and tables spill onto the pavement in summer. INFO: Tel 90/212-245-0362; www.sofyali.com.tr. Cost: dinner $35.
Prayer in Motion in Turkey’s Holiest City
THE WHIRLING DERVISHES OF KONYA
Konya, Turkey
Konya is Turkey’s most important center of Sufism, a mystical sect of Islam, and for nearly 700 years has been home to the Whirling Dervishes of the Mevlevi order. Their Mevlana Tekke (Mevlana Monastery) was founded by the 13th-century poet and philosopher Mevlânâ (meaning “master”) Celaleddin Rumi, who preached love, charity, humility, equality, and tolerance. He believed that an ecstatic, trancelike state of universal love could be induced by the practice of whirling around and around, in the manner of all things in the universe. Each year in mid-December, the Mevlana’s ascetic followers, known as dervishes, mark his death (his şeb-i arûs,“wedding night” with God) in 1273 by performing the meditative semâ, the ritual dance, one of the world’s most mesmerizing spectacles. An orchestra of traditional instruments accompanies the dancers who, with their right palms up to the sky as if to receive God’s grace, their left palms down as if to distribute it to the earth, spin away their earthly ties.
Following Mustapha Kemal Atatürk’s overthrow of the Ottoman Empire in 1924, the Mevlevi order was banned as an obstacle to Turkey’s modernization. After an interruption of 25 years, a group of dervishes convinced the local Konya government to once again allow the performance of “the turn” as a cultural performance. The Mevlana Monastery is now a museum containing the elaborate tomb of Rumi, making it a pilgrimage site for Muslims who venerate the saint. Non-Muslim tourists are also welcome.
Konya, considered one of Turkey’s most conservative cities, is also home to some of the country’s most important medieval mosques and buildings. These monuments are legacies of the Seljuks, an enlightened Turkic tribe that ruled much of Anatolia for 300 years, beginning in the 11th century.
Dervishes spin to attain a trance-like state.
WHERE: 170 miles/274 km west of Cappodocia. WHERE TO STAY: The Dedeman Konya is a modern hotel just outside the center of town, with great views. Tel 90/332-221-6600; www.dedeman.com. Cost: from $75. HOW: Argeus Tourism & Travel can help secure accommodation or tickets to the Mevlana Festival. Tel 90/384-341-4688; www.argeus.com.tr. WHEN: 10 days mid-Dec, culminating on Dec 17, the day of the master’s death.
Looking for St. Nick on the Lycian Coast
PATARA AND DEMRE
Turkey
Children around the world would be astonished to learn that Santa Claus hails not from the winter wonderland of the North Pole but from Turkey’s sultry Mediterranean coast. St. Nicholas—to use his proper name—was born at Patara, now better known for its beautifully pristine, 11-mile stretch of dune-studded white sand beach on today’s fashionable Lycian Coast. In the time of St. Nick, the 3rd century, Patara was waning as one of the Mediterranean’s most important ports, developed over the centuries by the Lycians, Greeks, and Romans. In its heyday, however, St. Paul changed ships at Patara en route to Jerusalem, and gladiators fought at the amphitheater; it stands today, well preserved, in Patara National Park.
St. Nicholas eventually made his way to nearby Demre, where he was appointed regional bishop and served until his death in A.D. 343. The church built on the site where he is believed to have preached is now named in his honor and dates mainly from the 8th century. It was restored in 1043 by the Byzantines and again in 1862 by Tsar Nicholas I and has become a popular pilgrimage site for Russian tourists.
Today the rugged coastline between Patara and Demre abounds in excellent resort hotels and inns, nestled in the hills or in the picturesque Mediterranean villages that are now trendy holiday destinations. Perched atop a steep bluff outside the well-heeled village of Kalkan, secluded Villa Mahal is one of Turkey’s finest coastal hotels. Chic, minimalist rooms all have inspiring views of Kalkan and the Mediterranean, some with their own infinity pools and a private beach club 181 steps below. In contrast, Hoyran Wedre Country House, on the coast 10 miles west of Demre, is an idyllic rural oasis of stone buildings spread over fields of aromatic plants. The hotel—actually a cluster of traditional-style houses—sits 1,640 feet up in the Taurus Mountains, with fantastic views of the sea. Antiques decorate the 16 rooms and public areas, and superb meals are prepared from products sourced or raised locally such as freshly made yogurt or lamb sautéed with oregano, green chile peppers, and homemade olive oil—all from the hotel’s grounds.
The 8th-century Church of St. Nicholas contains the saint’s tomb as well as the original nave and altar.
WHERE: Patara is 60 miles/95 km west of Demre and 603 miles/970 km south of Istanbul. VILLA MAHAL: Tel 90/242-844-3268; www.villamahal.com. Cost: from $285 (off-peak), from $325 (peak). HOYRAN WEDRE COUNTRY HOUSE: Tel 90/242-875-1125; www.hoyran.com. Cost: from $145. BEST TIMES: May and Oct–Dec for visiting ruins in cooler weather; Jun–Sep for swimming; Dec 6 for the feast of St. Nicholas.
Pilgrimage to a Solemn World War I Battleground
GALLIPOLI
Thrace, Turkey
It’s not difficult to imagine that ghosts still haunt Gallipoli nearly a century after the greatest Allied disaster of World War I. Many visitors still come today to pay homage to the 130,000 men killed and 400,000 wounded during the 9-month battle in 1915 to gain control of the Dardanelles, the narrow and strategically important sea lane that connects the Black Sea with the Mediterranean.
For Australians and New Zealanders, whose soldiers were drawn into their first global conflict, the battlefield has assumed an almost holy stature. Turks too flock to Gallipoli (known in Turkish as Gelibolu) to honor the victory by Lieutenant Colonel Mustafa Kemal (later known as Atatürk, “Father of Turks”) over the Western armies. His triumph paved the way, 8 years later, for the creation of modern Turkey from the ashes of the Ottoman Empire.
There are more than 50 Allied and Turkish war cemeteries and memorials scattered along the rugged 22-mile peninsula, which today is a peaceful national park covered in brush and pine forests. On April 25, thousands of Australians and New Zealanders come for the annual memorial service at Anzac Cove, the disastrous landing site of their troops.
Although Gallipoli can be seen on a long day trip from Istanbul, an overnight stay at one of the charming inns in the area allows one to feel the character of the place more fully. The amiable Belgian owner of Gallipoli Houses (Gelibolu Evleri), a history buff and Gallipoli expert, and his wife, a superb cook, make the ten tastefully furnished rooms a perfect base from which to explore the area. End the day by gazing at the stars from the hotel’s rooftop terrace, with a glass of local wine and a newfound sense of history.
WHERE: 192 miles/309 km southwest of Istanbul. VISITOR INFO: www.gallipoli-association.org. GALLIPOLI HOUSES: Tel 90/286-814-2650; www.gallipoli.com.tr. Cost: from $110; dinner $20. BEST TIMES: Mar–May and Sep–Oct (the period around Apr 25, Anzac Day, is crowded).
Color and Chaos in the Desert
TOLKUCHKA BAZAAR
Ashgabat, Turkmenistan
The Central Asian state of Turkmenistan is the home of one of the world’s least known and most reclusive societies, ruled for 15 years by Saparmyrat Nyýazow, a pres
ident-for-life eccentric who renamed the months after family members. He dubbed himself Türkmenbaşy (“Father of All Turkmen”) and erected a 40-foot-tall gold statue in his image that rotates to face the sun. Türkmenbaşy is now an uncomfortable memory (he passed away unexpectedly in 2006), and this former Soviet republic is slowly revealing itself as a fascinating, if enigmatic, country, largely trapped in time. Isolated and reticent toward foreigners (visitors are required to have a guide at all times), it offers serene desert landscapes and a fascinating history along the Silk Road, the ancient network of trade routes that ran from China to the Mediterranean Sea.
It also has the unparalleled Tolkuchka Bazaar, one of the largest markets in Central Asia, near the capital city of Ashgabat and a throwback to the marketplaces that have dotted this area for millennia. You can buy anything here—horses, camels, produce, and more—but the main draw for centuries has been carpets. Marco Polo wrote home about these beauties in the 13th century, commenting on their intricacy, workmanship, and rich colors; the quality of the craftsmanship is still unrivaled. Most are hand-woven locally in the age-old tradition and naturally dyed, but be on the lookout for factory-produced imitations. Although the prevailing style of carpet draws its name from the Uzbek city of Bukhara (where they have long been traditionally sold), these rugs have always been made in Turkmenistan. The best specimens, utilizing tribal designs, are used to cover the floors and walls of nomadic Turkmen’s yurts.
Even if you aren’t in the market for a rug, the bazaar is a feast for the senses. Rows of predominantly red carpets in all sizes contrast brilliantly with an invariably blue desert sky and the tawny tones of the surrounding landscape. Wizened old men smile through gold teeth and women stroll the aisles in colorful robes and silk headscarves. The smells of freshly cut melon, lamb kebabs, camel dung, wool, and plov (an Uzbek rice dish) waft through the air.
Customarily a Sunday market, these days the Tolkuchka Bazaar springs to life on Thursdays and Saturdays as well. In 2011, the Turkmen government opened a massive new bazaar, Altyn Asyr, nearby. Ashgabat is a jumping-off point for trips to the ancient ruins of Merv or for an exploration of neighboring Uzbekistan (see next page).
Oriental rugs—the finest of which are handmade—have drawn shoppers to the bazaar since the 13th century.
WHERE: 415 miles/669 km northeast of Tehran. How: U.S.-based Geographic Expeditions includes Ashgabat and the Sunday market on many of its trips to Central Asia. Tel 800-777-8183 or 415-922-0448; www.geoex.com. Cost: 15-day trip from $5,250, all-inclusive. Originates in Ashgabat. BEST TIMES: Apr–Jun and Sep–Nov are sunny but not too hot.
Holy City Suspended in Time
BUKHARA
Uzbekistan
As a key stop along the ancient trade route between China and the West, Bukhara became one of the holiest cities in the Muslim world by the 10th century. It declined, courtesy of Genghis Khan, then returned with a vengeance in the 16th century, eventually becoming—along with Kokand and Khiva (see next page)—one of Central Asia’s three dominant khanates (kingdoms).
The most pious of the three, Bukhara was also the cruelest. A string of ruling emirs (1785–1920) terrorized neighboring states and their own subjects with equal rapacity. Enemies were tossed off of Bukhara’s 155-foot-high Kalon Minaret (Tower of Death), built in 1127 and still standing—one of the few buildings not destroyed by Genghis Khan. The emirs were also voracious builders, erecting hundreds of mosques, madrassas (Islamic schools and colleges), caravansaries, and covered bazaars. Many of the madrassas are masterpieces, with towering, arched entrance portals splashed with blue tile work. The holiest and most spectacular of these is the Mir-i-Arab Madrassa, opposite the Kalon Minaret. Its luminous blue domes jump out against the pale brick that dominates the city’s skyline.
Compared with nearby Samarkand (see p. 589), Bukhara’s architecture is more subtle and austere. Remarkably, the Old Town remains as thoroughly lived-in as it was 500 years ago, providing the best insight on pre-Russian Uzbekistan: As you wander the residential area’s maze of narrow, mud-brick alleys, you’ll encounter hidden mosques, splendid 19th-century homes, and even old synagogues. Outside the protected center are more architectural gems, like the 1,000-year-old Ismail Samani Mausoleum and the opulent summer palace of the last Bukaran emir.
Bukhara B&Bs are characterful and wonderfully affordable. Many of them occupy 19th-century mansions bearing the hallmarks of “Bukhara style”—alabaster walls covered with intricate carvings, porticoes supported by handsome wood columns, and courtyards filled with pomegranate and other fruit trees. The Amulet Hotel is a preserved madrassa, where the students’ rooms have been converted into welcoming quarters, complete with 21st-century amenities.
Blue domes flank the entrance of Mir-i-Arab, which was founded in the 16th century and continues to function as a madrassa today.
WHERE: 167 miles/269 km west of Samarkand. AMULET HOTEL: Tel 998/65 -224-5342; www.amulet-hotel.com. Cost:$60. BEST TIMES: Mar–Apr and Sep–Nov for cool weather; early May for Silk & Spices Festival, which celebrates local music and folk art.
Time Travel in a Silk Road Capital
KHIVA
Uzbekistan
For over two millennia, the Silk Road linked the Mediterranean and China, allowing caravans laden with spices, perfumes, jewels, medicines, and precious textiles to traverse the forbidding deserts and mountain valleys of Central Asia. East of the Caspian Sea, in the midst of the Karakum desert, it passed through the oasislike valley of Khorezm and on to its resplendent capital, Khiva, a monumental city that was fabled for its extravagant wealth, haunting beauty, and often harsh despotism.
The finest showcase of medieval Islamic architecture in Central Asia and the best-preserved city on the old Silk Road, Khiva rises miragelike from the desert, an ancient, walled fortress built from the soil on which it stands. According to legend, the city was founded by Shem, the son of Noah, though archaeological excavations indicate that the first settlement here arose about 2,500 years ago. The city first flourished as a trade center around A.D. 1000. Its central location later propelled it to notoriety: From the 17th through the 19th century, Khiva was home to Central Asia’s primary slave market.
Perhaps Khiva’s most impressive feature is the fortified Ichan-Kala, its vast royal court surrounded by crenellated clay-brick walls that reach 33 feet high and extend for a protective mile. Embraced within are the city’s maze of palaces, mosques, minarets, madrassas, and other ancient structures, many elaborately decorated with delicate majolica tiles in varying shades of blue. During the Soviet era, Khiva received a thorough restoration, and, though beautifully intact, many areas are as ghostly as a museum. The oldest structures date back over 1,000 years, including the Kuhna Ark, the Old Citadel, built as a palace for Khiva’s rulers, with harems, stables, throne room, and a jail lined with manacles for holding slaves and prisoners. Established in the 10th century, the Djuma Mosque is supported by a forest of more than 200 wooden pillars, many carved with intricate, spiraling motifs. Another of Khiva’s striking monuments is the Pahlavan Mahmoud Mausoleum, a series of royal burial tombs that are a masterpiece of graceful architecture and proverb-inscribed tiles, whose deep turquoise color matches the extraordinary blue of the desert sky.
The mile-long walls of Ichan-Kala, Khiva’s well-preserved inner city, evoke its medieval origins.
WHERE: 635 miles/1,025 km west of the capital city of Tashkent. WHERE TO STAY: Hotel Malika has comfortable modern rooms just outside the Ichan-Kala walls. Tel 998/6237-52665; www.malika-khiva.com. Cost: from $70. BEST TIMES: Mar–May and Sep–Nov to avoid the heat; early May for the Asrlar Sadosi (Echoes of Ages) Festival, a celebration of traditional Uzbek art and culture.
Crossroads of Culture in the “Rome of the East”
SAMARKAND
Uzbekistan
Like Athens or Jerusalem, the name Samarkand evokes images of medieval armies, ancient architectural wonders, and bygone splendor. It was a romantic destination even for the Gr
eeks: “Everything I have heard about [Samarkand] is true, except that it is even more beautiful than I ever imagined,” effused Alexander the Great in 329 B.C.
The city was once an important desert stop on the ancient Silk Road, despite the periodic attacks by foreign invaders. Unsurprisingly, Genghis Khan topped them all by reducing the city to rubble in 1220. Tamerlane the Great (Timur Lenk), born not far from here in 1330, bucked the trend of destruction by restoring the city and made it the capital of his vast empire.
Tamerlane’s greatest architectural legacy is the mausoleum of the Timurid dynasty, the colossal Gūr-e Amīr. The dead have it good in Samarkand. Besides Tamerlane’s magnificent mausoleum, the city is also home to the Sha-i-Zinda, a huge necropolis containing dozens of others, each one seemingly more detailed and intricate than the last. The cemetery is built around the tomb of Qussam Ibn Abbas, a cousin of Mohammed who is said to have brought Islam to the region in the 7th century. Nearby stands the Bibi Khanum mosque. Distinguished by a massive dome, it is dedicated to the memory of Tamerlane’s favorite wife.
Samarkand’s pièce de résistance, however, is the Registan, a glorious ensemble of three madrassas (Islamic colleges) that flank a vast, sun-drenched square. Every inch of these buildings is covered with mosaics and highly stylized arabesque designs, which, along with their turquoise domes, soaring minarets, and timeless sense of grandeur, have awed visitors for centuries. For a small fee the guards allow visitors to climb the twisting staircases to the top of a minaret, affording wonderful views of the Registan and square below and the adjacent bazaar. Here life and trade continue much as they did in the heyday of the Silk Road, when spices such as peppercorns and saffron were more valuable than gold.
1,000 Places to See Before You Die Page 93
