Vedasri Siddamsetty

The landscape of Cappadocia mainly lies in the Eastern part of Anatolia, the stunning rock formations were once molten lava cooled down and weathered over millennia. The resulting effects of rocky earth in a semi-arid region all endowed with fairy chimneys, towering palaces, and busy trails making the region the most Instagrammed place of all time. Goreme is a village in the Cappadocia region that expands over the provinces Nevşehir, Kayseri, Aksaray, Kırşehir, Sivas and Niğde. Extremely popular with tourits Cappadocia caters to all kinds of culinary experiences and makes one feel very much at home, as do the numerous cave hotels in the village. The Cappadocia Cave hotel was once a space which the Hittites carved into the rock to produce rooms, workspaces, and living spaces. While Goreme records what happen over the ground, Kaymakli and Derinkyu record similar rock-cut dwellings under the ground, even at times at over 85 m. These underground cities were used to store grapes, make wine, sell wares, live, and pray especially when times got tough or the Hittites took refuge from incoming warrior tribes.

Each of these cities is extremely well-ventilated, lit through man-made means, but are air-fed through aptly located shafts and ventilation chambers. The crafted models guide the visitor through the space and once safely at the bottom of an underground city, for the not-so-faint-hearted, it is a revelation. These dwellings underground were never said to have been used as permanent dwellings but were used intermittently. But there are so many in the area, that the maze is real. Even while following a trail to the wild expanse we are greeted with churches and homes carved into a towering block of rock. All parts of the world are victims to the vicissitudes of climate change and Cappadocia is no less. The gases in the air erode the rocks even faster as they come in downpours, in an arid area it could mean a change in the landscape. Climate change is real, but that is what made the beautiful rock formations in the first place so the nature of impending doom is highly debatable. The ice age caused the present day, and the present day will cause another age, it is but a way of the world, just having no plastic does make the surroundings of the earth a lot more palatable!

Getting on one of the highly acclaimed trails in the region to the Red Valley and the Rose valley, named because of the colors of the rock formation, we lost our way and ended up in Mendesehir Valley walking through narrow passages between cut-out rock, the Goreme National park that is within the Mendesehir valley holds unique shrubbery of flora and thankfully no fauna! The region with all its dryness is extremely beautiful, but better avoided during a sunny day when the caves promptly come to rescue! While I treaded on to the Rose valley the spectacular scenes literally showcase the boss Artist of all time – God, and once we tread over to the Red valley the vast expanse of Cappadocia comes into full view, and it is here with the sky streaked in colors one cannot find logic in Atheism. Well Cappadocia, you make me a believer. The world in its raw natural state is so beautiful and as a part of this world, we humans are magical as well! I couldn’t then doubt when we find a multitude of churches in the trails. Churches that are beautifully adorned with indigo blue (from India), gilded golds, and bright yellows telling stories of Christ that want never be forgotten.

Good heavens! I wondered as I made my way inside the caves of Cappadocia and above the ground of Cappadocia. In the Hot Air Balloon we looked down on this vast landscape, while the host of balloons in the sky provided so much affluence, down below we saw men climbing trials and women running with long trailed dresses capturing the perfect moment in a picture-perfect place. With so much light bouncing off the landscape, there is no need for extra lighting! The light that Cappadocia lights within anyone who treads on it is well, more than enough. The nights in Cappadocia are magical as well, the man-made fairy lights compete with the fairy chimneys to bring magic in the air, and consequently in oneself. Tourist attractions are attractions for a reason, it is undebatable. Thriving on tourism the region does its best to present a pretty picture no matter what happens in the cities, Goreme is very Turkish in all its beauty, with a wild rose or two reminding one to not simply dismiss the aridity of the land it’s lacking. I for one turned a believer in more than one thing, but firstly and mostly in myself. The climb to the Red Valley was something and everything!

Bursa was once a major capital of the Ottoman kingdom. It is today one of a centrepoint for the making of silk and Bursa silk is an extremely popular fabric not unlikely located on almost the end of the Silk Route! Bursa is known for its two features, the Grand Mosque of Bursa, it’s silk and if I may add, the cats of Turkey. First of all the Grand Mosque in Bursa, is reached after the Caravan Serai, the grand bazaar and upon entrance it fills one with a certain degree of fineness since the mosque itself is an epitome of finesse. At the mosques centre is its most unique feature, a fountain! Once open to sky it’s roof, today covered in glass, the roof brings in light from above rendering the mosque with a degree of affluence. The mosque is an example of the early Ottoman architecture and is also a proponent of the Seljuk Turkish architecture. It was designed and built by architect Ali Neccar in the 1300s.

Silk of Bursa is touted to be a must have, at as the city was the terminal of the famous Silk Route, it is said that the best silk in the world, all with the cocoons, was once found in Bursa. The Ottomans literally spun the silk industry to international fame and the patterns made by the Ottomans are in trend even today, they are classic now! Today Ipek shops dot the region, and Bursa silk is markedly a luxury item, aspirational even. Gercek Ipek or 100% ipek does not mean that the silk is pure, even with a label. For let me warn you that Turkey with all its beauty and allure is a scam capital (of sorts) in the world. While one friend got pick-pocketed in the Istanbul metro, another’s phone was hacked using the airport wifi and yet another one bought a silk scarf, with a fake 100% Bursa silk tag. Though Turkey did break my recent jinx of injury on travels, but that also could be my absence from sharing my life on social media. And that superstitious thought brings me to the most intriguing part of Bursa, and in effect Turkey, its cats!

In Istanbul cats are kings, but in Bursa, cats are queens, and what royalty indeed. Outside the Grand Mosque of Bursa, after a while of debating and discussing the beauty of the mosque all supplemented by facts, we sat by the mosque to catch a breather. Deep in the discussion I barely noticed a cat climb into my lap, and when I did imagine the fright. Cats can dig their claws deep if they want to and cannot be dislodged easily. As it curled up and refused to leave I tried telling it to go, but no, that’s not what it wanted, and well cats get what they want. The blessed creature did not go, even when several cat lovers in the group tried to get it to lets say greener pasters but no, it wouldn’t budge. The Persian ladies, well they had a laugh. Cats are very well treated in predominantly Islamic countries, and the Prophet is said to have a fondness for these animals. The cats well, they seem to love me. There’s a thing or two about cat attack!

A heavyweight city wedged between two continents, Istanbul is a heady concoction of several flavors all from not just different parts of the world but also from different timezones. The main part of the city or the old part of the city, the areas of Sultanahmet, the Beyoglu, Karakoy, Bebek and Taksim in the European side, and the areas of Dogancilar, Icadiye and Nakasteppe in the Asian side make up the city along with the lovely Bosphorous in the center. The entire city is a mixture of the old and the new, the touristy and the business, the avate garde and the day to day. Apart from the historic limits that includes the mosques, the palaces and the bazaars, the new zones of the city are those of Beyoglu, Karakoy and Bebek. Beyoglu is extremely modern, with shopping in Iskitlal caddesi forming the main spine of the new age shopping. Karakoy on the other hand is the city’s art district with fun cafes and galleries showcasing Turkish artists. The Musuem of Innocence in Beyoglu is a hallmark of the Nobel prize laureate Orhan Pamuk’s novel by the same name. The fact that Pamuk curated all the things used by his characters and made a museum out of it is quite something. The man has gumption, but to charge a 16 Euro entry fee is just quite fanciful. Am told the museum sees visitors all around the year, going on to show how really random life is and people are.

A walk through the hilly climbs of Beyoglu brings one through hammams, shops, homes, restaurants and leisure spaces that make it the pulse of the city. A part of Beyoglu connects to the Taksim Square, an urban space that offers a punctuation, a breather to the dwellers of the city. A multitude of restaurants serve up Turkish fare suited to the average tourist. The fun Taksim square is buzzing with activity any time of the day! Warm roasted chestnuts for company, one can read into the multiple uses of the square, uses that are sometimes cultural, at times political and other times sheer leisure. One of the diagonals from the Taksim square connects to Iskitlal Caddesi,a heritage toned shopping destination with boards of great alacrity selling brands found literally all over the world but with a Turkish twist. The brands of H&M and Zara, popular globally find their Turkish application in cuts and designs. The average Turkish men and women seem to be fashion conscious with an eye for detail. The food places in Iskitlal are also very international serving up all kinds of food. The Turkish Baklava is very popular though as is the Turkish delight. Ahead of Iskitlal is the galata tower and there are many cafes across the Galata tower that serve the adorable cheesecake called Sans Sebastian, another win on the trip if one does not mind waiting about 45minutes for a table!

Karakoy on the other hand is extremely artsy. The galleries here curate work by Turkish artists and present a very vivid and happy picture of the general vibe of modern Turkish art. The streets are also fun, one of them covered in upturned umbrellas, to simply be! The gentrified neighbourhood also boasts of vintage and antique shops, some probably wares of sunken ships in the Turkish straits, obviously none are got for a song. The vegan restaurants in these zones cater to different food and lifestyle choices that one may make in their lives. Bebek on the other hand is highly upmarket and we visited the Bebek park early in the morning just to see a lady dive into the Bosphorous in her gaiely decorated swimsuit, another few doing their morning runs while a group began to blast zumba tunes for their morning workout. The houses in Bebek and in effect the streetscape are very upmarket, but as the city goes, no junction is complete without paying an ode to the father of modern Turkey, Mr Ataturk! The transportation systems in Turkey are plenty, with the metro, the tunnel, the funnel, the ferry, the tram, the taxis and the pavements ensuring that the city is easily commuted through. After all Istanbul is touted as one of the most walkable cities in the world! A feat that probably beats all of its otehr feats, even over time!

The Bosphorus Strait divides the continents of Europe and Asia, also dividing Istanbul into its European side and its Asian side. It is the narrowest strait in the world used for navigation, and along with Dardanelles Strait in the end of the Sea of Marmara together they form the Turkish Straits. The Golden Horn or the part of the Bosphorous which bounces off golden sunlight hence giving it the name, is one of the most picturesque parts of the experience. Getting on a cruise along the Bosphorous is about a 4 to 5-hour escapade, that includes lunch and a high tea in case one is not ferrying from one point in Istanbul to the other along the strait. Without any stops, several seagulls for company, sightseeing places along the ride, container ships trudging past, and private yachts blasting away, the ride on the cruise is rather eventful. The Galata bridge, Hagia Sophia, the Galata Tower, the Blue Mosque are notable landmarks along the Sultanahmet part of the city while Karakoy, Dolmabahce Palace, the city’s star properties extending almost all the way to Bebek give one a glimpse into the real extent of the city. On the Asian side though an astounding tower stands clearly ignoring the nation’s heritage and beaming television signal to the addicts of Turkish sitcoms. The Four Seasons hotel alongside the Bosphorous makes for a really pretty stay and is a must for an experience of the calm and lucid waters.

On board the ferry, one is welcomed with a huge lunch, almost as vast as the cuisine of Turkey goes. Every traditional meal in Turkey is extremely colorful, red, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet, yes it is almost like eating the rainbow every single meal. The meal on board followed suit, we were served a huge salad, with fresh produce it was as crunchy as ever, then the lentil soup followed, which I very conveniently call the daal soup and then come the flurry of breads, the maincourse this time included the rice stuffed capsicum. Another popular dish in Turkey not on board but available elsewhere is the Pide or Turkish Pizza, a lot flattened, it serves one and is quite delicious. The high tea platter that soon follows is all about a rainbow of fruits and then the olives and cheese an unmissable addition in Turkey. Totally stuffed, and gazing into the horizon of the city, one is treated to a city that has beautiful buildings, old and new, interspersed with parks and adequate greenery, there are many flags on display putting on a show of Turkish nationalism in great measure. While studying any city, its green quotient is very crucial, but recent research has shown that blue is also an important color in the make of the well-being of denizens.

Living in places with blue skies is noted to bring out the best in people, maybe the tropics sure have a role to play in island life! Blue water bodies, watching them or using them all at the same time bring out the best in the mental health of people, if not the complexion! The food, the environment, and the lineage make Turkish people the most ridiculously good-looking people in the world. Even the smoke in the air disappears with all the blue. Feeling blue must have a different meaning altogether!

The Mausoleum of Ataturk or Anitkabir is an ode to the Father of Turkey, Mustafa Kemal. It sits atop the Rasateppe or Observation hill in Ankara, the capital of Turkey, overlooking the rest of the city meeting eye-to-eye with the most modern developments in Ankara. It is a stunning piece of architecture that is regal yet accessible, truly what the Ataturk stood for. It is entirely swathed in Travertine brought from various parts of Turkey, over its concrete structure while the Hall of Honour is covered in marble. The inner hall with its straight-line geometry and massive proportions is gilded to lay honor to its occupant. The grand architecture is the burial site of Mustafa Kemal, the Turkish Army General, the 1st President of Turkey and the founding father of Turkey along with Ismet Inonu, the 2nd President of Turkey. The Design came about as the result of an architectural competition in which the proposal of Professors Emin Onat and Ahmet Orhan Arda won over the other 48 entries. The Layout of the building includes the Road of Lions, Ceremonial Plaza, Hall of Honor, and the Peace park. The Anitkabir Ataturk museum rests below the main Hall of Honor housing very well-done representations of the Turkish freedom movement and the personal possessions of Ataturk. It is undoubtedly the pride of the country that has seen massive events in history and even at it’s prime.

As the center of the world, with several prominent locations across the Silk Route, not to forget to mention the end of the Silk Route, the confluence of rivers, civilizations and later dynasties and empires, Turkey became a republic in 1923 and Ankara was the headquarters of the Freedom movement from 1920s. This building is not just an ode to its founding father but also an ode to everything that Turkey today stands for. While the Anitkabir is featured on various Turkish banknotes and is touted as one of the greatest civil engineering feats in Turkey. Ataturk for his part comes across as a very sensible leader with a balanced outlook and only a person with such balance could employ terribly progressive means making Turkey a secular democratic republic. He banned the hijab for women, supported universal suffrage, he replaced the Islamic courts and Islamic canon law with a secular civil code based on the Swiss Civil code and penal code based on that of Italy. He surmised the best in the world and tried to transform Turkey. Today when one is in this magnificent land, one cannot but surmise that he achieved a feat that is quite formidable. The peaceful people of Turkey consider their leader a champion of all sorts, seeing his life like statue in his office setting, the aura of greatness is unmissable. While we were there we witnessed a primary school class on an excursion and we witnessed the university paying a visit to the Ataturk, their devotion and affability to this great man was absolutely contagious.

We headed to the Museum of Anatolian Civilisations first in Ankara before the Mausoleum and learning about the forefathers of the Turks was fascinating as ever. From the Paleolithic age that happened sometime in 8000 BC, to the Neolithic Age in 5500 BC, to the Chalcolithic Age in 3000BC, to the Early Bronze Age in 1950BC, to the Assyrian Trade colonies in 1750 BC, to the Hittite period in 1200 BC, the Phrygian Perios in 700 BC, to the late Hittite Period in 700 BC, to the Urartian Period in 600 BC, to the Lydian Period in 546 BC, to the classical period in Ankara including the Romans, Greeks, Hellentists, Byzantines, the Turks and finally the Ottomans, the award-winning museum hold pieces from the past that literally unlock the past. There are artefacts from Egypt where the civilisation through the ages had a massive influence, that only go to show that no matter what history is full of stories of plunder alongside stories of achievement and greatness. The physical manifestation of what the Hittites achieved is seen in full scale in the hillscape of Cappadocia, but there are several bits in the museum that are equally stunning. The best part of the museum is the curation of it, and how well the exhibits are displayed and made to understand for the non-history buff. The legend of the land is real, it is true. But Ankara is far from being touristy. It is unlike Istanbul, hardly putting on a show, what it does though is to show that behind all the dondurmas and caves, the hot air balloons and kunafas, the tombs and the mosques, Turkey, now christened Turkiye, means business.

Early bird catches the worm. Well the phrase actually means that someone will have an advantage if they do something first, or before anyone else. But then right now I mean it literally. We entered the Hagia Sophia, also the Aya Sofya at 6 AM in the morning just after the morning prayers and that is the best tip I can give you about visiting, first things first. And no, its not just because one can skip the long and elaborate queues later in the day but mostly because it is a lot more stunning in the hours of dawn, even at dusk or even in the nights, but the time of cracking dawn adds more layers to the already layered beauty, with the circling of birds over it and the sun rising slowly over the Bosphoros, the majestic Hagia Sophia glows. In subtle pastel colors against the streaked blue sky the building is a treat to all one’s senses. The Persian cats of Istanbul walk alongside the early morning visitors, yawning comfortably into the day. Approaching the once church, now mosque, from its southern side, we took a long walk looking at the beauty from two sides, seeing the plaza and the Blue mosque, before reaching the entrance. In a pale hue of pink, and a whole lot of Byzantium stone the structure is rock solid, with its minarets reaching deftly into the sky. Again up for renovation the fringes of the building were under restoration, but fortunately for us, the main building had just finished it’s round of restoration and we could enter uninhibited.

Upon entrance, and looking up, the dome of the Hagia Sophia is the most encapturing. It is 32 metres and rests on pendentives and two semidomes, one on either side of the longitudinal axis, enclosing a basilica in the central portion. The rose windows and stained glass of the churches of the 6th century remain keenly fixed to its windows but much of the interiors have elements to showcase it’s current use of a mosque. The carpet today is aligned towards Mecca, which is a tad tilted off the longitudinal axis of the Basilica. The apex, naves, auxiliary axis, aisles and porch find their placement as per the churches of that time. The most impressive part of the Hagia Sophia is it’s proportions, a trend it shares with the most impressive architecture of the world. The ratio and proportion makes the entire structure very stunning as does it’s gilded interiors. The dome though takes the cake. And its defining feature is the light quality seen and felt in it all day. There have been books written just on the light quality. When it was built under the Byzantian Emperor Justian I, the church was meant to be the Sancta Sophia, the Church of the Holy Wisdom or the Church of the Divine Wisdom, and well it did make me a whole lot wiser, on architecture yes, and other things too. Bet that’s what wonder does to people.

On it’s part Sophia has had a turbulent history of its own, (the price one pays for wisdom) first ordered to be built by Constantine I in 325 on the site of a pagan temple, it was consecrated by his son Constantius II, following a damage by fire during the riots in 404, then rebuilt enlarged by Constans I, redecorated in 415 by Theodosius II, burnt again in Nika ressurection in 532 before being replaced by what we see today, that was rebuilt in 6 years and finished in 537. A subsequent earthquake in 558 damaged the dome with further partial collapses requiring reinforcement of the structure time and again. In 1204 it was looted by the Venetians and the crusaders of the Fourth Crusade. After the Turkish conquest of Constantinople by Mehmed II it was repurposed as a mosque with the addition of a minaret, a mihrab and a minbar, the essential elements of a mosque. Bayezid II is said to have added the red minaret, a white minaret, and Sinan is said to have designed identical minarets on the Western side. In 1934 the extremely progressive Turkish President of the modern secular Republic of Turkey, also the father of Turkey, Ataturk is said to have secularised the building making it a museum. In 1985 the structure and its peripheries were listed as the UNESCO world heritage site including an area of Istanbul called Sultanahmet that includes more places of historical significance. In 2020, President Erdogen made a highly controversial decision of converting the museum into a mosque, and today it is used for daily prayers. The Christian imagery in the mosque are partially covered by curtains but luckily haven’t been felled.

There is just one Hagia Sophia, the Byzantines, so well known for their domes did not replicate the dome of the Hagia Sophia ever again. The Byzantine techniques of mozaic art, inclduing the tilting of Tesserae and the turning of gold cubes can be seen here, showcasing a vast preoccupation with light and contributing greatly to the light quality in even badly lit spaces like that of the vestibule and the gallery. Linearism takes a huge step forward here. A masterpiece in architecture the Hagia Sophia remains one of the best loved buildings in the modern world. With a Blue mosque in front of it, the two share an enormous plaza that holds the Hurrem Sultan Hamami, the Hamman built by for Hurrem Sultan, the wife of Suleiman the Magnificent in the 16th century. The Ottomans have such cherubic titles for themselves that inspire me to choose one for myself ;). The fountains in the plaza are very beautiful and relaxing making the perfect stop for us to fix our drawing sheets and sketch. The stunning Topkapi Palace built by the Ottomans in the 17th century lies on one side, while the Hippodrome lies on the other. The Hagia Sophia mansions right behind are now luxury hospitality spaces run by the Hilton hotels. The Basilica Cistern built in 476, lies to the North-West of the Hagia Sophia, it is the largest of the several cisterns built by the Romans to store water, that lie under the city of Istanbul. Used as a gallery today, the Cistern is quite a find, even for a well-seasoned traveler. The lighting for the gallery is exquisite and the management has left a little water in the cistern to give the visitor a feel of how the cistern functioned as we tread on the rails. Like any place of water that grants wishes, flipping a dime in the Basilica Cistern grants a wish or two, well let’s see about that, only time can tell! The poor Medusa and her head is still out there for all to see, must’ve had some effect on the Emperor and his people to cast her head or rather heads in stone!!

The Obelisks fixed in the Hippodrome area were looted from the Egyptians, well it seems like one man’s hard work is another man’s loot, and then history just seems to be repeating itself, all over the world. There is no building that has been as battered as the Hagia Sophia, through time, through generations, yet it stands tall, not just pretty but extravagantly beautiful with no peer. Its cultural additions and subtractions do not seem to matter to it at all, since it is just at peace being phenomenal. Peace is phenomenal indeed. The sight of silhouetted birds flying over the Hagia Sophia cuts a stunning experience. And that happens any time of the day, albeit more beautiful when the sun’s inclined in the hemispheres at sunrise or sun set. The azzans or the call for prayer are heard quite often, but the average Turk does not seem to be too frazzled going about his day and his prayers in a very matter-of-fact fashion. Sitting by the Hagia Sophia one can see the reach of this building, grabbing attention of people from all over the world. Grabbing some Simit, warm toasted bagels with butter, cream cheese or chocolate, or kumpir, the baked potato with tons of toppings, or the dondurma, the turkish icecream, fills the stomach as one gazes at the Hagia Sophia and time stands till. Beauty is vastly inspiration and there is no dearth of that at the Hagia Sophia. Visiting the Hurrem Sultan Hamam and seeing the use of the building, Mimar Sinan Building was truly an exquisite experience too. The dimensions of the dome, the measure of the space against one’s body and one’s soul is what makes architecture. The quality of elevating not just a space but also the senses and the intelligence of man is what good architecture does, and should try to do. In the 6th century and then in the 16th century, the sensibilities of people of the time seem very varied, in terms of ratio or proportion but the feasibility never seems to have mattered. They rose above the ordinary, crafting something truly extraordinary, without the extraordinary tools that we have today. It is absolutely awe-inspiring.

Don’t grieve, for what you lose comes around in another form.

Now this was the first quote that I came across by Rumi, after all I suppose what I was seeking was seeking me, another quote by the master. Rumi found me when I was 26 years old, its astonishing that I had never heard of him considering all the time I spent with books! According to the Times magazine, Rumi is the most published poet in the world, across all ages and all genres. And then upon reading his wise words, I know why, the King of Hearts as he is fondly called deserves all of his titles, while his city Konya where he published most of his works is aptly titled The City of Hearts. As we ventured into Konya, a city on the Silk Route, almost at the end of the great route, the beautiful Caravan Serais offer a welcome even today to the tourists and all along the presence of Jalauddin Rumi is keenly felt. The Caravan Serais today have been restored and are used as art galleries curating both traditional and modern art. In the past they were used as melting pots that merchants and travelers would stay in intermittently during their journeys. All Caravan Serais had a similar orientation with an outer courtyard fringed with rooms on the sides used in Summers and inner halls with arched alleys used in winters, hammams usually were included in the serais as were storage spaces that the merchants would use. The Sultanhani Cravan Serai that we visited had a carpet exhibition in its main arched hall, while the courtyard played canvas to modern art.

As the founder of the Mevlana order of Sufism, Rumi enjoyed great popularity among the locals who would meet him every day, just as much as he enjoys all over the world today, and being on a crucial part of the silk route definitely helped shape his experience and hence expertise. Meeting people from all walks of life is a sure-shot way to know that no one way is absolutely the right way and wisdom is probably the basis of wit in life. His words have inspired many and much credit of that belongs to his son. His tomb was built by his son, who also ensured his legacy continued throughout his life. The Mevlana museum is the centre of the city that radially extends out. While Rumi sits at the confluence of traditional Islam and the Sufi order which with its whirling Dervishes and tangential philosophies embraces the avante-garde. His book Masnavi, also lauded as the Persian Koran, is about 50000 lines long and teaches the Sufis how to find love in God. Mystical and mythical, the reality of Rumi is keenly felt in the museum attached to the tomb. The museum of the Mevlana or the master of scholars as Rumi is referred to houses most daily objects that Rumi used including gargantuan prayer beads, beautiful Persian rugs, his clothes, furniture, and manuscripts giving the visitor an idea of how the great Sufi saint lived. On approaching the tomb we made acquantaince with a Persian dame, who whirls not as a dervish, but for its deeply meditative nature. Many of us, including me were so intrigued, as religion begins to detach from some practices all over the world, the modern seeks to imbibe gestures or actions from various practices, simply to elevate the soul!

The tomb itself is like Mecca, for it is the Mecca for the Rumi-fied people of world. And likely so, there were many people sitting in the tomb, praying, crying or dancing with wild abandon just like Rumi. The music and incense burning in the structure make for a certain mood, pensive or not. But the tomb of Rumi is decorated with all its gaiety. The head gear that Sufi saints wear, including Rumi’s is attached to the tomb stone and is stoically vast, to say the least. Shams was an early influence on Rumi, a great friend and in 4 years that they spent, Rumi is to have learnt a lot from Shams, in the way of living and letting live at a time when religion was meant to control and guide its followers. Though losing his master brought Rumi a lot of grief, like every creative person, he channeled his grief into building something magnificent, through poetry and prose, he had his way with words. Closer home, Imtiaz Ali, a noted filmmaker begins each of his movie with a quote of Rumi, and then the story builds on a premise of a line that Rumi probably recited after much deliberation. Rubbishing philosophies of any kind, here is what the Mevlana had to say about silence.

‘The life of this world is nothing but the harmony of opposites,’ he said. The way to find harmony is not to get bogged down in the chicanery of words or in the hair-splitting of philosophies. The way to achieve it is through the language of silence.

‘When the lips are silent, the heart has a hundred tongues,’ says Rumi, ‘Listen! Clam up your mouth and be silent like an oyster shell, for that tongue of yours is the enemy of the soul, my friend.’

There isnt much to Konya if not for Rumi, but his aura has ensured many madrasas or places of specialised study find their way all across the city. Today the medresses, as they are called, are used as museums but at one time were places of study for specialised scholars who made great progress in their craft. The madrasas themselves showcase a pinnacle in architecture, their most notable features being the beautiful blue glazed Iznik tiles apart from their domes and the octagonal forms. Some madrasas also house the tombs of the masters who ran the schools of study. Unlike today, in the past only learned scholars after a certain age were permitted into madrasas to implore the use of more knowledge. Modernised much, Konya too has grown beyond it’s past, but the lore of the past keeps the beauty of Konya very much alive. Turkey could well be the most instagrammed country on this planet. There are terrace cafes around monuments, even the tomb of Rumi, where one can sit an get selfied with the monument for company! The streets of Konya with pretty houses and colorful elevations do add to the spunk of life, reminding one to walk taller, smile wider and incorporate a spring in the step, bouncing along happily. From one monument to another as we walked, we passed by petty streets, building material stores that called wall paint, home cosmetics! Well what a poetic way to put it!! Nothing seems to be impervious to Rumi’s charm or poetry for that matter.

Other quotes by Rumi can be accessed here.

And then here’s one for the road.

Live life as if everything is rigged in your favor.

Edirne is a city located in the European part of Turkey (a country that is demographically located between Europe and Asia, approximately 15% of the landmass of Turkey is in Europe and 85% of it is in Asia) in a region known as Thrace. It was once the capital of the Ottoman Empire, called Adrianopole, or Hadrianopolis, located in close proximity to the neighbouring countries of Greece and Bulgaria, a mere 5 km from the Bulgarian border. Istanbul, then called Constantinople then eventually became the Ottomanian Capital where the empire flourished. It is about 230 km from the grandest capital city of the world, one that is laced with history and beauty alike, but Edirne is deeply endearing. From the name, the Roman Emperor Hadrian possibly refounded the city, but more recently the city and its precincts have been embroiled in controversies between Greece and Turkey, with border tensions plagueing the region ever since the treaty of Sevres in 1920. Today Edirne is filled with pretty houses, hearty courtyards full of peach trees, pomegranate trees and street facades with a unique architecture of its own, that mostly happens in border towns. We headed to Edirne soon after landing at Istanbul, absolutely mesmerised by the bird’s eye view of this ancient yet modern, religious yet secular, crowded yet clean, affluent yet rooted capital city of the world. Edirne though, is much smaller, in scale and in grandeur but makes up in affability and amiability, it was once a capital but now misses all the trappings of a big city.

Driving into the city, one is first amazed by the landscape and how close it really is to the neighbouring countries, and that is one of the reasons a lot of military can be spotted in Edirne, protecting Turkiye’s borders. Walking to the Grand Bazaar of Edirne we passed the Grand Synagogue and the Maarif Street seeing some of the houses being restored, observing a builder being hands-on with a panel of a house. The first Turkish architect I made my acquaintance with, also probably the grandest architect of the country, a peer of Michealangelo. Mimar Sinan, translating to architect Sinan was the Chief Ottoman architect and Civil Engineer, who was responsible for over 300 major structures and smaller schools. As a child he would imbibe a sense of architecture watching his father, a stone mason work, then later he worked as a military engineer, rising the ranks rapidly to finally be bestowed the honorific title of Sinan or architect. Of the 300 odd structures Sinan built or was responsible for the Selimiye Mosque completed in 1575 is touted as his greatest. The entire complex of the mosque is spread over a dimension of 190mX130m. His legacy continued beyond him through his buildings and through his apprentices including Mehmet Agha (architect of the Blue Mosque) in Istanbul.

Visiting a national monument, an ancient monument, has its own caveats though, heritage monuments are forever shrouded by a scaffolding of sorts, being under restoration, due to the age and the wear and tear! Buildings are meant to age, and keeping them going for years later takes a lot of work. This is what we found when we arrived at the Selimiye mosque, unfortunately covered in the restoration architect’s shroud of ladders and formwork as the UNESCO-listed site goes in for repair work to only be completed in 2025. The ambitious project will rework on the Iznik tiles of the mosque brought in and fixed from Bursa, an unsurpassable piece of the art work, work on the structural strength of the building. completely renewing the art work and the glass work inside the mosque. We got to however witness a portion of the mosque. With the mehrab and the mimbar and though the main dome was closed, a portion of the ancillary dome was kept open to the public. The details of the structure, it’s orientation and the domes that top it, are said to be quite unique which we missed due to the restoration process. The mosque itself finds a firm footing in the city, one who’s minarets we can see from every part of the town. For the architecture lovers, Khan academy has a beautiful rendition of the mosque, belting out technical and relevant details, it can be read here.

The Grand Bazaar of Edirne is a lot like the Grand Bazaars we would eventually see in all of Turkey, but it was here that I got to try a vegetarian version of the Cigofte Roll, made with Durum wheat. With a number of restaurants for tourists who end up going to Edirne, the city has a comfortable droll of a suburb wearing it’s history rather lightly on its head. There is a river that passes by Edirne called the Meric River and walking along the river bed if not on the cobbled stone streets of Edirne makes for a great evening. Edirne even makes a great day trip destination from Istanbul, and other places to visit in this University town are the Health Museum, the Karagaac of the fine Arts University, Eski Cami, the Karagac Train Station, the Serefeli Cami and the Margi Outlet.

Shortly after recording the Around the World in 83 hours, my humble podcast that takes one around the world through conversations, I had quite the chance to visit Turkey, the land of Suleiman, the Magnificient, and Mehmed, the Conqueror. Located at the end of the Spice Route, (surprisingly not using any of the spices themselves, the food makes use of just salt, pepper, and chili!), Turkey has quite lost its sheen as the center of the world, yet it dazzles with a careful quotient of the old and the new. While tourism is its largest industry, the Turks begin to embrace technology, make the most fabulous cloth, smoke like a chimney (they seem quite proud of their phrase ‘Smoke like a Turk’, worship Mustafa Kemal as Ataturk translating to the Father of the Nation, call their country Turkiye to not have a namesake of a bird, revere their architect Mimar Sinan, give their hearts to the King of Hearts Rumi, are ridiculously good-looking, make perfect canvasses for make-up, carry designer handbags, wear the most stylish clothes on their already lean frames and supply the world with a truckload of Baklava. Becoming a republic on the 29th of October 1923 under the leadership of Ataturk, Turkey morphed into a secular republic and has been widely modernized ever since. Before getting into this country, which boasts of brilliant natural beauty apart from architecture that connects to the Gods, I much heard of modern furniture and saw labels on my clothes, particularly from Zara that said, “Made in Turkey”. So with a rep of a manufacturing economy, I embarked with a group of 22 architects on a mega-study trip to the only country that marks its territory in two continents of the world, 15% of Turkiye is in Europe and 85% of the territory rests in Asia. Our journey of 2000 km touched upon the erstwhile Constantinople, Istanbul, the capital Ankara, smaller towns of Edirne, Goreme, Nevsehir, Konya, Eskisehir, the regions of Cappadocia, making a foray into the Anatolian lands of Turkiye. All those travels did make me think, and consolidated in me to be peaceful with oneself, for after studying years of history, the possible surmise remains, that peace and only peace is truly profitable!

The Istanbul international airport is extremely well-connected and if not Turkish Airlines a huge number of flights including the low-cost Indigo Airlines fly from Delhi to the city of dreams. Istanbul wears its title very lightly as the City of Dreams, yet it leaves one starry-eyed. It is massive, diverse, not as diverse as India, historically significant, and holds major keys to the past as it looks forward into the future. The older areas of Sultanahmet are the center of the world-famous Hagia Sophia, a church turned into a mosque to church to mosque to the museum to finally a mosque, Sinan’s wonders like the blue-mosque, the pasha mosque, the Basilica Cistern while the new areas of the city around the Taksim Square, close to the gentrified neighborhoods of Beyoglu, Karakoy, an ever elite Bebek, punctuated by parks that are literally to die for. It’s one of those cities whose River, the mighty Bosphorous flows through unabashedly, and green lungs add a few stars to the livable quality of the city. While the city is inundated by locals and tourists alike, the chance of their collision with agents, guides, sellers, or even pickpockets remains as high as ever! The best time to visit this rather friendly and walkable country is from March to September when the sun shines brightly and one can enjoy the Turkish Ice-cream nonchalantly. The parks of Istanbul too are their pleasant best, while I got to hang out at the Bebek Park mostly, I hear the other parks too in the city are just as fun.

Staying at first at the Taksim Square we were at close proximity to the high street of Iskitlal Caddesi, the bustling shopping district, the hip-upmarket area of Beyoglu, the Galata tower and the art neighbourhood of Karakoy, if not for the Taksim square itself. So thats the route I began my foray into the city of Istanbul. Following Google Maps I headed to the Museum of Innocence after reading the similarly titled book by Orhan Pamuk, what gumption to have a museum for a fictional world that one has created, but thats Pamuk being himself, the Nobel Laureate who is so sure of himself! Later I headed down to the Beyoglu precincts through Iskitlal, that I loved, and sat for a cuppa of Hot Chocolate and a salabrious dose of San Sebastian opposite the Galata Tower. The Kahvesi had a que that literally ran around the tower and after a 45-min wait I managed to secure a table with the best view of the Tower as I precariously charged my phone, Apple phones over 2 years of age have the worst battery ever! Fueled for the evening with dangerous levels of chocolate in the bloodstream I headed to Karakoy and flitted through art Galleries that housed Turkish artists and were a treat to the eyes. After some heady walking through the steep alleyways and streets I finished my walk at Iskitlal, exchanged Euro to Lira, the currency of Turkey, a country that still works on being a part of the EU and waltzed my way back to Taksim before retiring for the night.

Previously one day before, we set sail along the Bosphorous getting on a five-hour cruise that skittles along the Golden Horn all the up to the Rumeli fortress touching upon both the European and Asian sides of this big city. The cruise served up a resplendent four-course meal that started with the soft Turkish bread, salad, soup and ended with a hearty serving of Baklava. We did notice that every meal in Turkey is served with a colourful portion of salad, we did eat the rainbow at every single meal, the food was so healthy, even more so with the admirable lack of salt! Ayran or buttermilk is a common accompaniment to every meal, another healthy practice that I am sure keeps the Turkish people so fit and good-looking. The cruise gives one a faraway glimpse of the city including all their glorious monuments including the grand Hagia Sophia, the delicious Dolmabahce palace and the Asian side that is now dotted by a newly constructed telecom tower. Giving the ferry company were several other ferries, private yachts, pirate ships(!) and a few container ships. The main port of Istanbul is located a little away from the city to keep the Bosphorous for the tourists and the city-dwellers alike. The best part of Istanbul, the City of Dreams, is undoubtedly its history, and in its gilded history standing the test of time is the Hagia Sophia, once a church today it serves as a mosque, daily prayers are held here and between the prayer times the visitors ques seem utterly endless.

With a very wise and seasoned leader guiding our trip, we entered the Hagia Sophia at 6 AM catching the morning sunrise glisten off the pink and beige form of the Hagia Sophia, also called the Aya Sofaya, the experience of seeing this massive monument built during the Justinian times is truely incomparable. It is magnificent and commands the place around it like little else, one does wonder, a true merit to a beautiful building, and captivates its audience like nothing else. Inside the Hagia Sofia the remnants of the erstwhile stare at the average visitor while the inscriptions from the Quran hang tall and mighty driving home the point of the structure. So much has been said of the Hagia Sofia, books have even been written on the light quality of its indoors, that even more said would seem like less, it is indeed poetry in stationary, but ofcourse when I first thought such feelings were due to the hour, it wasnt really so, the building looks just as grand at every time of the day, though the early morning birds do indeed catch the worm! Ahead of the Hagia Sofia is a plaza that is beautifully adorned with a fountain, that is flanked by the Hurrem Sultana Hamam, it deserves a post of its own, but the story of the Hamam takes its root from the time of the Sultana, Roxelana who rose the ranks married the Sultan, ruled the Ottomans through the Sultan and then finally when she fell sick, the Sultan built her a Hamam! On the other side of the fountain is the Hippodrome where horses were made to race. The Hagia Sofia itself is sided by the Basilica Cistern on one side and the opulent Topkapi Palace on the other side. The Basilica Cistern is a surprise, it is a water storage tank built by the Romans that carries water from the Balkan mountains through the ever famous Roman aquaducts. Today the cistern serves as an art gallery, a wishing well and is very stunning on its own. The lighting design employed today adds to its mysterious quality and entrances the visitors who courageously step down into its cavernous path down to witness the column heads of Medusa, cursed as she was.

The Topkapi Palace on the other hand was built by the Ottomans and documents the pinnacle of the Tulip-era architecture. The Library in the Topkapi palace built by Ahmed the third caught my attention as did the verandahs of the palace overlooking the Bosphorous and the chimneys that arise from the Ottoman Kitchen. The Blue Mosque or the Sulemaniye mosque opposite the Hagia Sophia was designed by the Ottoman architect Mehmet Aga. But the more known Ottoman, Sinan, has a whole university by his name, he is vastly lauded for the mosque of Selimiye in Edirne, for the Shezaade mosque and so many structures across the Ottoman kingdom, but it is very interesting to note his beginnings as a soldier, raising the ranks to finally catch the attention of the Sultan, becoming not just enigmatic but a major influence on the skyline of Istanbul. He lies buried next to the Sulemaniye mosque in a tomb that he is supposedly have designed for himself. Sinan’s Sulemaniye mosque is greatly compared to the Hagia Sophia, being right opposite, it is essentially built as a mosque as against the Hagia Sophia that was built as a church and would have done well to remain so, it is much more nimble and is constructed almost skeletonly showing off its structure just as it balances its dome with great ease. The compound of the Blue Mosque offers one stunning views of the city at large, the Golden Horn and the perennial Bosphoros river.

Though we began our trip at Edirne to view the masterpiece of Sinan, the Selimiye mosque, we could not take in the best of Sinan’s masterpiece as the building was covered in scaffolding and the dome partially cut off from the inner side too. We however got to take in the best of the Selimiye through the parts that we were allowed to enter. Edirne by itself is a quaint town, having all the trappings of a small town. It was where we ate the vegetarian durum variant of the Cigofte roll, it was delicious indeed. Located in the Thrace region of the country, close to its border with its ever troubling neighbor- Greece, Edirne is vastly influenced by the neighbour with Greek elements in architecture, food and dialect! Sharing a very animosity ridden relationship with Greece, Turkey’s diplomatic policy with Greece ran into rough waters even when we were visiting in the Aegean Sea.

The day at Ankara that followed soon after had us visiting the Anatolian Museum of civilisation and the Mausoleum of Ataturk. Both the structures with museums attached provide a plethora of knowledge about the history of the country and in general the peninsula. Right from the Neanderthals to Homo Sapiens and then the Hittites and until the Ottomans, the Museum of Anatolian civilisation is very informative. It was adjudged the best museum in Europe for the year 2015, very well deserved I must say. After disastrous museums in India where half of the exhibits are either dilapidated or with descriptions torn it was a welcome experience. The Mausoleum of Ataturk is more focussed on the makings of a republic and the man of the hour himself. Designed as a competition project the mausoleum is perched on a hill and has the entirety of Ankara looking up at it, symbolically as its people look up to the progressive modern ruler who ushered Turkey into a new era. He abolished the Fez and had people take up surnames that was not a part of the Turkish culture. His liberal views brought the country out to great beginnings and they continue to laud his efforts and have a reminder of the ruler all over the country in parks and squares, why even on the currency note. Ataturk literally translates to the Father of Turkey. After a very mind refreshing dose of knowledge in Ankara we headed to the hills of Cappadocia for some soul refreshing experience! Cappadocia is insanely beautiful with its rocky landscape, that comprises of igneous rock that is solidified lava and this process bestows beautiful valleys in colors of red, pink and beige in various proportions while also played canvas to the Hittite populace who carved into the stone their homes, underground cities, caves, churches and every imaginable dwelling. They also used the underground cities to store grapes, make wine and are responsible for introducing wine to the world. Though the Hittites are widely credited for their underground cities, much of the earlier caves were dugout by the early Christian’s. Most of those dwellings are converted into cave hotels that are a sheer delight to be in, a claustrophobes nightmare for sure! Yet with their ventilation chambers and calming forms they are the most Instagrammed place on this planet at present.

On the way to Cappadocia we found the Tuz Golu, a lake that has evaporated leaving an endless bed of salt, much like the Rann of Kutch. Flamingoes were once found in droves at this lake. The Sanpanca Golu was a lake we saw from afar, but that was one with water. The most beautiful experience of Cappadocia, that is ridden with countless experiences including treks, horse-riding rides, atv rides and the gastronomical delight that it is (every tourists dream, Cedap and Haruna are gorgeous places to tuck into here) is undoubtedly the Hot Air Balloon ride. Essentially the baap of all rides! Catching the sunrise on a hot air balloon is a must do. It did make me so very happy, the rising of the balloon, the warm fire blowing air into the climes of the balloon and simply drifting over the landscape is unimaginably beautiful. The whole experience is so meditative, must I talk of the philosophical angle of the experience?

The pilot of the balloon can only control the altitude of the balloon and not the direction, the direction is set by the wind, and when he wants to find an appropriate place to land he had to keep working on the altitude till the wind sets the balloon over a plain! The 150 balloons that are allowed to ride in the morning are a sight to watch, the beauty is in the collection of balloons as against just one balloon flying across singularly. May we all rise together! With such noble thoughts we said goodbye to one of my happiest places, like I say, happiness is all over the world, just a little more on a hot air balloon in Cappadocia, we headed to the City of Hearts to meet the King of Hearts. Before we left Cappadocia we were treated to a very calming and lovely Sema ceremony acquainting ourselves with most famous whirling dervish, who inhabited a town just as lovable.

Yes it is Konya, the land of Rumi, whose poetry must have touched one in one form or the other. He is said to be a widely published poet, selling strongly even after decades of his demise. His words are heavy and light all at once, gravitating and levitating as one pleases. On the way we halted at a caravan serai building up our interest to see the surroundings of this great man. Rumi’s tomb built by his son is also ostentatiously done with an attached museum, inside the tomb visitors and followers of Rumi who bordered on religion and free-flowing Atheism, who was the Imam of a mosque and a sufi sait, a whirling dervish and an accomplished philosopher wore many hats, not just the fez that he is known with! At his tomb his followers wept keenly feeling a strong attachment with the thoughts of Rumi, I’d highly recommend one to read his quotes that are quite insightful. At the tomb we met some female whirlers who are not dervishes but certainly enjoy the meditative aspects of whirling learning through teachers for the betterment of their lives or their states of mind! Looks real fun though by itself. Ahead of the tomb in Konya, the city is also known for various medresses where specialized learning from scholars happened in the Islamic cultures. Needless to say the medresses were exquisite in form and decoration, the glazed blue tiles beautifully covered the mosque’s interiors. Bidding adieu to Konya we headed to Eskisehir, a business like town in today’s Turkey, close to Istanbul and even closer to the erstwhile capital of Bursa. In Bursa we again halted at the Umi Cami mosque and it was at this mosque that a cat refused to leave my lap. After the caravan serai and incessant walks through the city, we headed to the mosque that again, prettily done offered us some respite to wait, much on sugared chestnuts. Sitting on an ornate bench, deeply in conversation with a fellow traveller I was surprised to have a kitty come and sit on my lap and refuse to leave. She literally dug her paws to not be lifted off me! What can I say, perhaps some spirit animal!! Heading back to Istanbul from Bursa we finished off our trip with the Topkapi, the Hurrem Sultana Hamam following a morning at Bebek and a quick trip to the Grand Bazaar.

Turkey was delightful, indeed!

Set on a magnificent setting, along the River Bosporous, is a city so grand, housed in a country that has seen dynasties as diverse as ever from the Justians of Rome to the Seljuks, from the Ottomans to the Turks. Reinventing itself at every turn of the century Turkey or now Turkiye has amassed a wealth of memories and dazzles the average tourist with a flurry of domed mosques, whirling dervishes, underground cities chiseled from volcanic eruptions, beautiful art, mouth-watering delicacies and all the underpinnings of a tourist delight, ala the Turkish Delight!

And just as delightful as the country itself is our traveller Shirin Ashok, whose excitement and love for travel is not just efficacious but also extremely contagious. As a very fun and outgoing person her vivacious energy rubs off on all of us in equal measure. She is charming, happy-go-lucky and an enthusiast like no other. In short she has all the inklings of an intrepid traveler. Hear her on this episode sharing her tales through the country of Turkey taking the lesser taken path in Kusa Dasi, the touristy lures of Cappadocia and Pamukkhale, seeing the country by night, by day and achieving more day by travelling in July! The sun sets only after 9 pm in an average month of July. I for one loved chatting with her just on the eve of my very trip to this intriguing land!

Follow the link and give it a listen!

https://open.spotify.com/episode/3VwDSAjfhVEJIfY8uVwUUW?si=mLyywVRYR7ubI6_hF4uBog