Thread by @RazAkkoc

When 2018 arrived, I told myself I would memorise all of Turkey’s 81 provinces. That proved relatively easy so I decided I would visit each one (yes Kirikkale too IA). This goal is not so easy but so far... (beyond the obvious Ankara, Istanbul and Aksaray where I was born)

I will count Eskisehir from December 2017 as it was a great city. But it turns out I spent a lot of that day trip with cats 🐈 Eskisehir’s Independence Museum was a particular delight on this trip.

Then there was Urfa in March including of course a visit to Balıklı Göl and Gobekli Tepe (more on the latter which is believed to be the world’s oldest temple here: smithsonianmag.com/history/gobekl…)

And in Urfa, one also had the chance to visit the ancient city of Harran (more here about it britannica.com/place/Harran) as well as see some great museums. Seriously, the Urfa museum taught me a lot about the different ages.

After Urfa, we took a relatively quick coach to Mardin where I was able to visit the Deyrulzafaran Monastery and Kasımiye Madrasah with a friend.

And there’s also the fabulous views in Mardin from the old city.

Of course living in Ankara, one would also have to visit Safranbolu for a day, and pay a visit to the Kaymakamevi and its museum which is housed in a fabulous building (third picture of the yellow building)

While covering the CHP candidate Muharrem İnce in Corum last week, there were unexpected posters of a Napoleon show (which I sure wanted to see). Yes this visit was more for work but it still counts. I hope to come back to see Hittite capital Hattusa (en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hattusa)

So far, I’ve been to a small amount of provinces (and this lira situation might make this goal too difficult in the future but hadi neyse):
Ankara, Aksaray, Konya, Nevsehir, Istanbul, Izmir, Mugla, Antalya, Hatay, Urfa, Mardin, Karabuk, Corum. (And right now in Edirne)

Side note: cats of Urfa are extremely unfriendly but in Safranbolu...

To continue this thread very belatedly, in late May I had the chance to visit Edirne for work-related reasons and see the magnificent Selimiye Camii by Mimar Sinan, built in the 16th century during the Ottoman Empire. The masjid was added to the UNESCO list in June 2011.

We also visited the Lausanne Monument & the health museum of Sultan Bayezid II where between 1488-1909, innovative treatments were developed at the med school. It was known for treating mental illnesses with music & scents, etc (info source: Lonely Planet and Hürriyet Daily News)

For Eid, I took my mum to Bursa & Canakkale. In Bursa, we visited the Ulu Camii, which dates back to the 14th century & the Green Masjid/tomb which date back to the 15th C. The latter was described by UNESCO as “one of the most significant mosques of the early Ottoman period”.

Of course one can’t visit “Yesil (Green) Bursa” without a trip on the téléférique🚡 to see the greenery up close. (I can say it’s better than Ankara’s but the Samsun téléférique also provides a great view albeit of the sea mainly). See later tweets.

But Canakkale was a more moving and educational trip visiting the site of the Battle of Canakkale, a campaign which took place on the Gallipoli peninsula between 1915 and 1916 and left over 500,000 dead on both sides, 250,000 on the Ottoman Empire’s side alone.

We had a guide take us around the peninsula where we had the chance to see the Canakkale Martyrs’ Monument, whose size can be overwhelming. The 4 pillars are meant to represent the 4 corners of Turkey & how the martyrs came from across the country to fight against Allied powers

Then following June elections and the aftermath, I did a one-day trip to the central province of Afyonkarahisar (the karahisar meaning black fortress) and walked up hundreds of steps to reach the famous castle. Worth it for the views.

Finally in August, I visited the Black Sea city Samsun where for historical reasons, there is much Atatürk. Samsun is where Atatürk landed (May 19, 1919 which is now annually Atatürk, Youth and Sports Day) & launched the Turkish War of Independence (1919-1923)

The city is home to the 1919 Panorama Museum. No images as it is a video played of Turkey’s creation, with special focus on the events of the early 20th century. There are other museums dedicated to Atatürk including Gazi and Bandirma Museums

SS Bandirma is the name of the ship which carried Atatürk from then Constantinople to Samsun. There is a replica ship with a small museum inside

And the Samsun téléférique 🚡 which is short, taking you up to Amisos Hill within minutes. May 2019 bring more Turkish téléférique discoveries.

And now I can add Bolu to my list of provinces after a visit there last month. Although we didn’t have the chance to enjoy Abant Gol, the town of Mudurnu was lovely. And there was also the chateaux...

The first visit of 2019 was Yozgat, yes really Yozgat. It’s a nice province, and a shame more of its history wasn’t kept. It has one of Turkey’s better clocktowers and the Hayri Inal mansion was really lovely to visit. I’m a fan, if only because of the exaggerated criticism of it

Then in February, with Ankara’s AKP candidate coming from Kayseri, I decided it was time to visit the Anatolian city for the weekend. Not an old masjid, but the Bürüngüz Camii has some beautiful ceilings outside (which have become an obsession to photograph as the thread shows)

Kayseri has a rich history (see link). The Selcuk presence is there with the türbeler and madrasahs (some deserving of more care). Pictures are of the Museum of Selcuk Civilisation in the former Cifte Madrasah, a 13th-century twin hospital & seminary. britannica.com/place/Kayseri

No images but after the visit I read “Kayseri’s Armenians Speak” published by Hrant Dink Foundation (set up after the Armenian journalist’s assassination in 2007). According to the book, before 1915, “the sanjak of Kayseri had 113 Armenian churches & 16 Armenian monasteries.”

The book speaks to many of Kayseri’s Armenians, many of whom left the city for İstanbul and detail their struggles in Kayseri. According to records before the First World War, the total population of Armenians living within the prefecture of Kayseri was “approximately 52,000”.

Then in March to get a flavour of elections somewhere other than Ankara, I went to Mersin in the south where 🍊& 🍋 trees are an absolute visual delight. I went to the cat park though it needs a clean & the cats seemed sicker than their counterparts hanging near amateur fishermen

It’s Ankara, but the new Wonderland Eurasia theme park (what theme??) known to many of us as Ankapark is a visual something... When we visited days before the election, many rides were not working and the park wasn’t fully open. It cost 1.4bn Turkish lira. reuters.com/article/turkey…

Just a little side note: we drove to Kayseri and I had the good fortune to be with those who liked to stop and enjoy the Anatolian landscapes and villages as well as kervansarays including Cacabey kervansaray in Kirsehir, close to Ankara.

Last month I went to Amasya, which is now one of my favourite cities. It’s better than Safranbolu (see previous tweets from 2018) and just is wonderful. The river isn’t the prettiest but the Tombs of the Pontic Kings are wonderful albeit at a distance. Up close not so mesmerising

Modern day Amasya is where the Greek geographer and historian Strabo was born, known as Amaseia, Pontus in his time (the statue is of him in the city). More information about him here: britannica.com/biography/Stra…. The other images are from the 15th century Sultan Beyazit II Masjid.

Amasya Castle, also known as Harşena Castle, was great w/ views of the city. Now some restoration work is taking place which raises some fears. According to one site, some historians claim it was built by Pontus King Mithridates. Others say by Karsan or Harsana & named after him

The 4th image in the PT is from the Sabuncuoglu History of Medicine Museum, built as a mental hospital in 1309. Here among other things, they tried to treat psychiatric disorders with music. The museum is named after a physician who worked there, Serefedin Sabuncuoglu

Finally last month I went to Gaziantep and visited the popular Zeugma Mosaic Museum where the “Çingene kız” is. Was told that this would be better than the Urfa mosaic museum (and it is) but it is quite large. I don’t advise visiting 2 museums and doing loads of walking before 😬

Antep castle was nice (museum inside focused on the occupation of the French, the residents’ resistance, and then its end). Trying beyran corbasi was a highlight as well as this literally blue mosque in the fourth picture whose architecture enthralled me.

But I preferred Adana with the Seyhan river. The large Sabanci mosque by the water is beautiful while the old buildings (which are in need of love) are just so wonderful in the old town. Spent most of my time sitting by the water, drinking tea and Beypazari soda.

In July came a long-awaited road trip to the former Hittite capital of Hattusa, which is in Corum province in central Turkey and the kings’ tombs in Alaca Hoyuk nearby. More information about the tombs here ktb.gov.tr/EN-114132/alac…

This was all before the desired stop for a night in the Black Sea city of Sinop, the happiest city in Turkey and birthplace of philosopher Diogenes (bbc.com/travel/story/2…). With a view like that in the morning, who wouldn’t be happy?

But Sinop has a dark history too. There’s the infamous Sinop prison where among many prisoners was the novelist and poet Sabahattin Ali, who was imprisoned in the early 1930s for insulting the president, who at the time was Atatürk (see pic 4 in Turkish). anews.com.tr/gallery/turkey…

And if you have a car in the region, go to Boyabat. Climb up a lot of stairs in darkness to get to the castle, then subsequently hate the friends who made you climb through a dark cave to see a thousands-year old castle until you survive it & you’re happy. dailysabah.com/turkey/2015/09…