Kapadokijo bajna, Antalijo sjajna! Cappadocia; like a fairy tale!
Sletjeli smo u Antaliju malim čarter avionom prepunim Hrvata željnih turske avanture. Mnogima i nije prvi put da su zakoračili u ovu zemlju, a nije niti meni. Bila sam u Istanbulu i malo je reći da sam bila oduševljena. Znala sam da ću se vratiti i evo me nakon 7 godina sa svojim dragim čekam kofere na pokretnoj traci. Izuzetno smo uzbuđeni jer o ovom unutrašnjem dijelu Turske čitam već godinama, kao i o njezinoj obali. Mnogi se odlučuju za putovanje u Tursku iz raznih razloga jer udaljena je svega dva sata letom iz Zagreba od npr. cjenovne pristupačnosti (da ne govorim o mogućnosti cjenkanja za skoro sve), turističko-uslužni sektor je na nivou, a ima se što za vidjeti i raditi, od posjete raznim antičkim lokalitetima poput Troje, Efeza, Pergamona, Hierapolisa, a i famoznih Pamukkala koji su priča za sebe, ali i radi kulture i ljudi....
Turska ima onaj specifičan naćin života koji smo i mi pomalo iskusili radi njihove višestoljetne opsade na ovim našim područjima. Trgovina je cvjetala, zanati su se cijenili, a znalo se i dobro opustiti. Sada imamo EU i hrpetinu direktiva, imamo fiskalnu kasu i izuzetno bogatu birokraciju. Iako Turska pregovara za ulaz u EU iskreno se nadam da se to neće nikad dogoditi. Sam naćin života je kulturna baština i pravi je zločin to ugasiti.
Prešli smo oko 500-tinjak kilometara prema unutrašnjosti preko gorja Taurus kako bi došli u naširoko i nadaleko poznatu povijesnu regiju Kapadokiju, točnije u grad Nevšehir. Herodot, otac povijesti, spominje Kapadokiju još u 5. stoljeću prije Krista, a također se spominje i u Bibliji. Ovaj bajkoviti i nadnaravan krajolik nastao je nakon erupcija triju vulkana (jedan je i danas aktivan).
Nakon što su se slojevi pepela i lave ohladili nastale su sedimentalne stijene koje je erozija oblikovala milijunima godina i danas svjedočimo pravom čudu prirode.
We landed in Antalya by a small charter airplane full of Croatian people excited to experience new adventures in Turkey. For most people on board this was not the first time to visit this beautiful country and explore its history. I was one of those people. I had visited Istanbul before and little to say it left me feeling amazed. Seven years later here I am again, this time with my boyfriend, ready to experience the best Turkey has to offer. For years I have been reading about this part of Turkey, their coast, the Antalya Riviera, and especially their region of Cappadocia. Two hour flight from Zagreb is just one reason to visit this country which offers quite a lot to see like the Antic cities of Efez, Pergam, Troy, Hierapolis, the unique Pamukkale Natural Park which by the way is THE SIGHT TO SEE, their cultural heritage, hard-working people and a possibility to bargain for every product you see (which is A MUST unless you want to spend a small fortune or offend the trader).
Turkey has a specific way of life which people in Croatia had experienced during our long history of war and conquest by the Ottoman Empire that lasted for couple of centuries. Markets had flourished, trade work was appreciated, and people knew how to relax and have a good time. Now we have the EU - bunch of directives and fiscal laws on every corner, and even now when Turkey negotiates for entering this “shared universe of ours” I am hoping it will never
happen. Their way of life is a cultural heritage and it would be a crime to erase it forever.
We traveled about 500 kilometers inland over the mountain of Taurus to enter the historical region of Cappadocia, the city of Nevsehir to be exact. Herodot, so-called the father of history, mentions Cappadocia in 5 th century BC and it was even mentioned in the Bible. This unnatural and fairy-tale landscape has come to be after the eruption of three volcanoes (one is still active). After the layers and layers of ashes and lava havd cooled down the sedimentary rocks were formed, so now we can witness this wonder of nature.
Prepuna je dolina i vidikovaca, a najpoznatiji je nacionalni park Göreme koji ima oko 30-tak malih crkvica oslikanih freskama. U njima su se još od 4. stoljeća skrivali kršćani i u miru upražnjavali svoju vjeru, još dok krščanstvo nije bilo priznato kao religija. Vilinski dimnjaci ili tufovi nalaze se po cijeloj Kapadokiji, a zbog mekanih stijena ljudi su ih lako kopali i bušili kako bi si napravili nastambe. Osim što se u njima živjelo i čuvala stoka, uspješno se skrivalo od mnogih osvajača koji su tu prolazili. Danas arheolozi otkrivaju prave podzemne gradove. Najpoznatiji je Derinkuyu (duboki bunar) koji ima 18 katova i dubok je 85 metara ispod površine zemlje. U njemu je moglo živjeti oko 20 000 ljudi. Imali su sobe za spavanje, spremište za hranu, dovod pitke vode, prostor gdje su držali stoku, trgovine, crkve itd. Još uvijek se ne zna sa stopostotnom sigurnošću tko je kopao ove gradove, a sigurna sam da će ih s vremenom otkriti još veće i dublje.
Mi smo posjetili jedan od tih gradova, samo puno manji koji seže do sedam katova ispod površine zemlje, ali su samo prva dva dopuštena za posjet turistima.
The region is filled with valleys and high grounds with a beautiful view so far as the eye can see. Most notably is the National Park Göreme where you can find about 30 little churches painted with frescoes inside those caves. The evidence suggests that early Christians were hiding and living
there early in the 4 th century AC when they were still prosecuted by others and Christianity was its early stages as a religion. The region of Cappadocia is filled with so called “fairy chimneys” which were easy to drill and dig into and homes were built inside, or they were used for keeping cattle or stock. Underground cities were built for hiding from the invaders who were passing by on their way to conquest. The biggest of them all is Derinkuyu (deep well), 85 meters beneath the surface, spreading over 18 floors which could accommodate around 20 000 people according to
archeologists. No one knows for sure who dug those tunnels which had everything from sleeping quarters, food storages, drinkable water, draining system, markets, churches etc. We visited one of those cities, two floors beneath the ground, and we were amazed how people managed to build such a place and live there.
Također smo posjetili i jedan vilinski dimnjak tj. tuf u kojem živi vrlo simpatičan i osebujan čovjek koji sam sebe zove Kremenko. Otvorio je vrata svog doma svim znatiželjnim turistima koji žele proviriti unutra, ne naplaćujući ulaz ali uz mogućnost ostavljanja dobrovoljne donacije. On je modernizirao svoj tuf te uveo struju i satelitsku, te bežični internet. Uglavnom živi u prizemlju i ajmo reći u podrumu, dok na katovima (5 katova) ima samo spužve i tepihe gdje mogu boraviti velika društva. Kažu da čak oko 1000 obitelji još živi u tim tufovima iako svake godine sve manje, jer su poprilično ne komforni.
We also visited one of those “fairy chimney” where a man lives alone and calls himself “the Caveman”. He opened the door of his home for curious tourists to explore his way of life without charging them any price (donations are always welcome). He modernized his home with electricity, cable tv, wifi internet. Most of the time he lives on the ground floor or in basement where he made all the comforts of home, while other floors (there is five of them) he only decorated with rugs and carpets for large companies to visit. They say that around 1.000 families still live in these settlements, though every year the number decreases, because they are quite uncomfortable.
Prisustvovali smo i mističnom plesu vrtećih derviša. Ovo duhovno učenje poteklo je od mistika i pjesnika Rumija. Prema legendi, prvi derviški ples izveo je sam Rumi i to na trgu svog grada Konya u Tursoj. Čuvši ritmične zvukove čekića na tržnici pred obrtničkom radionicom spontano je zaplesao osjetivši Božju prisutnost. Ples se i dan danas pleše. Taj ples nikako nije folklor niti turistička atrakcija kako ga neki zapadnjaci doživljavaju, derviši u plesu traže svoje Božansko podrijetlo. Ceremonija koju smo mi gledali je trajala 45 minuta i bila je tajanstvena, duhovna, mistična i jako, jako lijepa. Definitivno nešto što nemate priliku tako često vidjeti.
We also participated in the mystical dance of spinning dervish. According to legends, this spiritual dance and teachings came from Rumi, a mystic and a poet who presented his first dance in his hometown of Konya square when listening to a rhythmic hammering sound coming from the craft shop at the marketplace. He spontaneously tossed himself by sensing God’s presence. This dance is not to be confused by a tourist attraction as some Westerners experience it. In that dance dervishes seek their Divine Origin. The Ceremony we had watched lasted about 45 minutes and it was mysterious, spiritual, mystical and very, very beautiful - something you do not have the opportunity to see so often.
Zbog tog nevjerojatnog i jedinstvenog krajolika, Kapadokija je često kulisa mnogim filmovima koji se ovdje snimaju, a poznata je i po svojim letećim balonima na vrući zrak. Na svakoj razglednici Kapadokije vidjet ćete balone, dok suvenire u obliku balona svih mogućih boja i veličina možete kupiti na svakom čošku. Mi smo imali tu nesreću da nam je vrijeme bilo vjetrovito i nismo mogli iskusiti tu vožnju niti vidjeti taj čudesni krajolik u svitanju. Ipak nešto moramo ostaviti i za drugi posjet.
Because of this unique and unbelievable landscape, Cappadocia is often the scene of many of films that are being filmed here and is also known for its hot air balloons tours. On every postcard of Cappadocia you can see hot air balloons, while balloon shape souvenirs you can find and buy on every corner. We had the misfortune that our weather was windy, and we could not experience the ride or see this marvelous landscape from the air… Still, we have to leave something for another visit.
Antalijska rivijera je totalno druga priča. Prepuna resorta i hotela, mnogih sadržaja za zabavu i slobodno vrijeme, šoping centara i bezbroj trgovina, štandova, restorana i kafića. Sam grad Antalija je smještena na 35 metara visokoj litici što joj daje posebnu ljepotu, te je također turističko središte i jedan od najbrže rastućih gradova u Turskoj. Mediteranska klima ovu pokrajinu baš mazi i pazi i ako se Turci ne bave trgovinom ili turizmom onda se bave poljoprivredom. Područje je bogato vodom i plodnom zemljom, što god da posade uspijeva im.
Grad je užurban, pun turista iz cijelog svijeta, terase kafića i restorana su uglavnom pune, dok se riječi turskih ugostitelja "kebab", "ice-cream", "souvenirs" probijaju kroz gradsku buku. Grad broji preko milion stanovnika i nudi za svačiji džep (jeste li znali da je džep turska riječ, jedna od 6000 koliko ih ima u hrvatskom jeziku) po nešto. Spustili smo se do mora gdje smo pronašli lijepi restoran za ručak sa pogledom na pučinu i grad. Lijep sunčani dan samo je upotpunio prekrasnu atmosferu Antalije.
Antalya Riviera is a complete different story to experience. It is full of resorts, hotels, cafe bars, restaurants and market places full of people trying to sell you something (bargaining is a must or else you will return home very poor). The very town of Antalya is located on a 35-meter high cliff giving it a special beauty, and is also a tourist resort and one of the fastest growing cities in Turkey. The Mediterranean climate tends to be mild and favorable for agriculture, which is one of the main occupations alongside with trade and tourism. The area is rich in water and fertile land, whatever they plant it grows. The city is busy and full of tourists from all over the world, the terraces of cafes and restaurants are mostly full, while the words of Turkish caterers such as “kebab”, “ice cream”, “souvenirs” stand out of the city noise. The city population of over a million people offers something for everyone’s pocket. We took a stroll by the sea where we found a nice restaurant for lunch with a beautiful view towards the city and Turkish Riviera. A nice sunny day just completed the beautiful
atmosphere of Antalya.
Posjetili smo još jedan prekrasan turistički grad na Antalijskoj rivijeri, Alanyu. Meni osobno još ljepši nego Antalija. Ipak je puno manji, pitomiji i gotovo sve je podređeno turizmu. Normalni lokalni stanovnici žive dalje od obale i turista, malo prema brdima, kažu da žele svoj mir i tišinu. Gradom dominira crvena kula (kizi kule) koja ima 7 km dugačke zidine. Popeli smo se na vrh kule visok 250 metara i svjedočili fantastičnom pogledu na grad, planinu i na Sredozemno more. Na ručak smo išli koji kilometar u unutrašnjost prema planini gdje se nalazi predivna špilja Damlatas poznata po svojem ljekovitom svojstvu posebno pogodna za osobe s astmom. Stalagmiti i stalaktiti su zapanjujuće ljepote i stari su od oko petnaest tisuća godina. Špilja je u potpunosti prilagođena posjetu turista, a na kraju 300-njak metara dugačke staze, za sve one koji uspiju doći do kraja nalazi se malo iznenađenje...
Alanya je okružena pješčanim plažama, a najpoznatija među njima je Kleopatrina plaža koja ima lijepu legendu. Naime, svojedobno je Marko Antonije poklonio ovaj dio sredozemne obale Kleopatri, no kada je kraljica sa svojim brodovima doplovila da vidi što joj je njezin ljubavnik poklonio, nije htjela izaći iz broda i stati na niti jedno tlo koje nije egipatsko, te se vratila kući. Marko Antonije je tada razmišljao kako da riješi problem i sjetio se! Svojim brodovima je donio kubike i kubike egipatskog pijeska i posuo po turskoj obali. Kleopatra je bila zadovoljna i rado prihvatila ovaj dar. Zanimljivo je da su znanstvenici otkrili kako je sastav pijeska na toj plaži u potpunosti drugačiji nego na bilo kojoj plaži u okolici.
We visited another beautiful tourist town on the Antalya Riviera, Alanya. To me it was even
more beautiful than Antalya, smaller, cute and everything is subordinated to tourism. Locals live inland, away from all the tourists, slightly to the hills, they say they want their peace and quiet…who can blame them! The city is dominated by a red tower which has walls 7 km long. We climbed to the top of the 250 meters high tower and witnessed a fantastic view of the city, the mountain and the Mediterranean Sea. After sightseeing we went further a mile inland to the
mountain where we visited a beautiful Damlatas cave known for its healing properties especially suitable for people with asthma. Stalagmites and stalactites are astonishingly beautiful and are about fifteen thousand years old. The cave is fully adapted for tourists and at the end of a 300-meter long trail, for those who can reach the end, there is a little surprise ...
Alanya is surrounded by sandy beaches, and the most famous of them all is Cleopatra’s beach which has a beautiful legend. The legend says, Marcus Antonius once gave this part of the Mediterranean coast to Cleopatra as a gift, but when the queen sailed with her ships to see what her lover was giving her, she did not want to leave the ship and stop on any non-Egyptian land so she returned home. Marcus Antonius then thought about how to solve the problem and figured it out! His ships brought cubes and cubes of Egyptian sand and spread it across the Turkish coast. Cleopatra was happy and glad to accept this gift. It is interesting that scientists have discovered that the composition of sand on this beach is completely different than on any beach in the area.
Alanya je šarmantni i lijepi gradić i poprilično nam je jasno da zbog bezbrojnih pješčanih plaža, luksuznih hotela, bogatoga noćnoga života, raznovrsne hrane, tajne skrivene turske povijesti i ostalih sadržaja koje nudi, privlači mnogobrojne goste iz cijelog svijeta.
Zaključila bih da su Turci izuzetno gostoljubiv i vrijedan narod, jako pristojni, pristupačni, komunikativni i što se ne smije zanemariti nevjerojatno čisti.
Pronašli su svoj put u turizmu (vjerovali ili ne, u Turskoj je turizam počeo 1970. godine, a sve do tada je bio nepoznati pojam), razvijaju ga u svim smjerovima i možemo pošteno reći da su nam veliki konkurenti.
Alanya is a charming and beautiful town, and it is quite clear to us that because of countless sandy beaches, luxurious hotels, rich nightlife, diverse food, secrets of hidden Turkish history and other contents it attracts many guests from all over the world.
I would conclude that the Turks are an extremely hospitable and worthy people, very polite, accessible, communicative and not to be missed incredibly clean. They found their way to tourism (believe it or not, in Turkey tourism started in 1970. and until then it was an unknown term), they developed it in all directions and we can honestly say that they are great competitors.
