2. Friday 27th of March
Today is Friday and the day starts very early. At 6 a.m. we
have to be ready in order to depart to Pamukkale.
On this trip we had the opportunity to visit many
monuments that have been declared World Heritage Site by
UNESCO, and many of them I have only seen in books.
It was a great opportunity to see them with my own eyes!!!
Finally we arrived. Then we had lunch before the cultural visits
Today is Friday and the day starts very early.At 6 a.m. we
have to be ready in order to depart to Pamukkale.
On this trip we had the opportunity to visit many
monuments that have been declared World Heritage Site by
UNESCO, and many of them I have only seen in books.
It was a great opportunity to see them with my own eyes!!!
Finally we arrived. Then we had lunch before the cultural
visits.
Friday 27th of March
3. What struck me most was the theatre of the city of
Hierapolis which is one of the best preserved. Although we
had to climb a steep hill to see it, I must say that the
landscape was spectacular.
4. Hierapolis, whose names means “ sacred city”, was believed by the ancients to have been
founded by the God Apollo. It was famed for its sacred hot springs, whose vapours were
associated with Pluto, God of the Underworld.
The theatre of Hierapolis is well-preserved, especially the stage buildings which were
beautifully decorated with reliefs. Constructed around 200BC, the theatre could hold 20000
spectators and had reserved seating for distinguished spectators in the front row.
5. It was raining a lot but that did not
stop us to take off our shoes and walk
around the famous hot pools of
Pamukkale.
Wow, that hot water was phenomenal for my
frozen feet and they say that it has curative
properties.
6. Pammukkale is one of the Turkey’s
incomparable natural wonder with the
calcium cascade terraces of snow white
stalactites.
Pamukkale means “Cotton Castle”. It has
gained eminence for its waters believed
to have curative powers and been used
as a thermal bath since centuries.
Pamukkale & Hierapolis together are
both recognized as UNESCO World
Heritage Sites since 1988
7. At the Pamukkale museum we could see sarcophagi,
statues, reliefs and architectural fragments among other
items
8. Aphrodisias is one of the oldest sacred cities in Turkey. Dedicated to the ancient Mother
Goddess and the Greek Goddess Aphrodite, it was the site of the magnificent Temple of
Aphrodite and the home of renowned school of marble sculpture.
The stadium is one of the best preserved and has a unique elliptical shape. It was
specially designed for athletic contests, and Aphrodisias was granted the honor of
hosting games in Roman times.
9. After a long day we arrived at the hostel in the city of
Selcuk. As we had suffered quite low temperatures due
to the rain, having a hot soup for dinner was incredible.
10. We had to get up early today, as we had to visit many
places. Later on, we had to spend at least 4 hours to
return to Usak.
One of the most important stops was at Sirince, to
experience a taste of traditional village life in a peaceful
environment.
Saturday 28th of March
11. The city is full of
souvenir shops where
you can buy home-made
pastries, olive oil,
sultana raisins, organics
herbs and many more
things
A very friendly craftsman let us
melt glass, a technique used to
make items of jewelry
12. A photo of the good luck
tree, full of charms as the
Turkish Evil Eye Pendant
or the Nazar Boncugu, a
stone bead, which is worn
to protect oneself from
the evil looks.
In Spain a red ribbon is
used for evil eye
13. The village of Sirince is a good
example of the tolerance and
cultural heritage in the west of
Turkey which reflects Turkish and
Greek ways of life together. When
you visit to the village, you cannot
stop yourself admiring the harmony
of two cultures, Greek style houses
and Turkish type of living
Another attraction of Sirince was
a fruity wine. So we could visit
an underground cellar where we
could taste this wine.
Furthermore, as the walls were
plastered with posters written by
visitors we could not avoid the
temptation to sign one to leave a
memory of our visit.
14. I need thousands of pages to describe the wonders of the city
of Ephesus. Ephesus is considered one of the largest open-air
archaeological museums in the world.
Walking through its streets is like travelling back in time.
15. Library of Celsus. Originally built in 117 AD, the façade has been carefully reconstructed
from all original pieces. Gaius Julius Aquila built the library in honor of his father, Gaius
Julius Celsus Polemaeanus, a governor of Roman Asia who is buried beneath the library.
The library once held over 12,000 scrolls and was the third richest library in ancient times.
Arcadian Street (
Harbour street). It was
designed with marbel
slabs and colonnades.
It was restored during
the reign of the
Emperor Arcadius,
from whom it takes its
present name.
16. The theatre. Built in the Hellenistic Period (third century BC) during the reign of
Lysimachos, the theatre was enlarged during Roman times to what is seen today. With a
seating capacity of 25,000, it is the largest theatre in Anatolia, possibly even the largest
outdoor theater in the ancient world. The theatre hosted plays, concerts, religious,
political and philosophical discussions, as well as gladiator and animal fights.
17. One of the main three streets in Ephesus, Curetes Street runs between the Library of
Celsus and Hercules Gate. Along this street were shops, statues, fountains and homes
of some rich Ephesians.
18. The House of the Virgin Mary. It is believed to be the last resting place of Mary. When you
walk in, there are rows of candles so you can light a candle and kneel to pray if you wish
to. You will also see a wishing wall where people have tied napkins or scarves. The idea
behind is to make a wish while tying your object.
Samantha
lighting a
candle.
20. Izmir is a port city and is the third largest
city in Turkey.
We did not have much time
to visit the city, but “at
least we could eat at Mc
Donald”. While we were
waiting for the teachers, we
saw a man asking marriage to
his girlfriend in public, just
like in the movies!.
It was hilarious, the
boyfriend led the girl to a
place decorated with heart-
shaped balloons while a group
of musicians were playing
their instruments, and then
he said: Will you marry me?
Obviously, the girl said yes.
All this took place in the
square where the clock tower
21. Today we met the families of the students for a picnic in
a recreation area on the outskirts of the city.
Sunday 29th of March
Women prepared
the food, which
was a kind of
rich burger.
Meanwhile, the
men cooked
them on a
barbecue
22. While the food
was being
prepared, we
decided to visit
the horses and
we had the
chance to ride
them a little.
How well
our Turkish
families
care for us!
23.
24.
25. In the afternoon we went to a spa of thermal waters.
The most curious thing about the spa was that there were
separate places for men and women.
Inside, we had the opportunity to have a “Turkish Bath”.
26. We were given permission to visit a gold mine, even
though some teachers said it was very difficult to achieve
this.
Monday 30th of March
27. This gold mine is exploded by a Canadian company and,
therefore, the safety regulations are logically very strict
(helmets and reflective vests are absolutely compulsory).
We wanted to see gold bullion bars but, obviously, this was
impossible as they were kept in very safe places.
28. On our way to Ulubey Canyon we stopped at the
archaeological remains of the city of Blaundos.
Blaundos was an ancient city founded by the successors of Alexandre the Great.
Blaundos is situated on a rocky place in the valley of the Meandre River. The city is
protected by a peak, and the only access from the north is protected bya a gate,
reminiscent of Hellenistique and Roman times.
29. The mayor
received us kindly
explaining to us
their future
intentions as
building log cabins
to turn the area
into a playground
for families. He's
really proud of
their projects!!
30. Ulubey Canyon is said to be the biggest canyon after “The
Grand Canyon” in Colorado.
31. Later, we visited
one of the most
famous
monuments is
Clandras Bridge.
It was built over
Banaz Stream by
the Lydians or
the Persians.
32. In the afternoon, the family of Sena invited us to his house
to enjoy the delicious Turkish dishes. Sena's mother is a great
cook !!.
33. After dinner the teachers had a nice chat about life in Spain
and the importance of these projects for students.
34. Today is the last day. We started making activities related
with the Turkish culture at school.
Tuesday 31st of March
35. Then, the classmates of hostel management made for us some
typical Turkish food at the school.
36. Later, the partners went to buy something for theirselves and
their families.
At night, we went to a lovely restaurant with all partners and
teachers where we ate all together. It was our farewell dinner
before heading back home.
37. What we appreciated most of all
is the great warm-heartedness
and hospitality of our hosts.
Thank you, Turkey.
Time flies… It’s time to say
“Good bye” to our friends. But
everybody knows that this is
not the end but only a
beginning: the beginning of a
life-time friendship. They have
already started to make plans
for visiting each other again.
TESEKKURÜ EDERIM
