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19/10/2021

12/06/2021

To Istanbul and Back

Istanbul, Stamboul, Byzantium, or Constantinople (yes, these are all names for the same city) is the largest city in Turkey whose population is constantly rising. Its history dates back to the 7th century BC, but it’s assumed it was settled even before that. It’s a city with an extremely rich history since it’s located in an important transitory area, but it’s also interesting that the Bosporus which connects the Black Sea with the Sea of Marmara also divides the city into the European and Asian parts.

What are the things to see in Istanbul?

A point of interest is the Topkapı Palace that was for a long time the center of the Ottoman Empire and the home of the sultans and their wives. The palace also served as a golden home to the wives, concubines, as well as the royal jewels, treasures, and the kitchen that fed 5,000 mouths each day. Istanbul is fascinating underground, too; a popular attraction for tourists is the Yerebatan cistern, an interesting creation by the Byzantine engineers that once supplied the area from Bulgaria to Istanbul with drinking water. People say that the Archaeological Museum with one of the richest collections of antiquities is a hidden gem of Istanbul. Here you’ll find the sarcophagus of Alexander the Great, which marks the most important parts of his life, the first peace treaty, and a model of the Trojan horse. When you’re done with attractions you can also visit the Istanbul Market which is more than 500 years old and one of the largest covered markets in the world. In the area that covers 60 streets, you’ll find 5,000 shops, 60 restaurants, 18 fountains, 12 mosques, and even a school. You can try out your haggling skills while buying carpets, leather, ceramics, or jewelry. After all that you can head to the Turkish hammam, a sort of bath or spa, where you can treat yourself to scrub or a massage.

Have we convinced you of all these attractions? You can find even more information about Istanbul here.

Where to stay in Istanbul
Hostelling International offers quite a few hostels. If you prefer a more central location, just five minutes from all the major attractions, I recommend staying at the Sultan Hostel where you’ll be able to enjoy free breakfast and a terrace as well as restaurants, coffee shops, and bars located in the same street. In the most popular neighborhood in Istanbul, you’ll find the Chambers of the Boheme which is located in a 19-century building, just a stone’s throw from Taksim Square where guests can find many restaurants and pubs.

Istanbul might not be one of the destinations on your bucket list, but after visiting the city, you’ll leave mesmerized in culturally enriched.

11/06/2021

You may not see horses, but chimneys for sure

If we only speculate about the origin of the name the Land of Beautiful Horses, despite being very probable, then the current description of Cappadocia as a land of fairy chimneys is much more logical, as we can still admire them in this part of Cappadocia today. In addition to part of the landscape with the fairy chimneys, another place also worth visiting is the Göreme Valley National Park with its rock monasteries and churches, the Zelve Valley, the underground cities of Cappadocia (among which the most famous are Kaymaki and Derinkuyu), the Ihlara River Valley ... Many of these places, including the city of Göreme, are listed as UNESCO World Heritage, and it makes sense to combine the wonderment at the natural and cultural sights in the spring and autumn with trekking or horseback riding, although there are also less environmentally-friendly tours with off-road vehicles, motorcycles and quad bikes. Of all the options, the most popular is the panoramic hot-air balloon ride, which takes place before sunrise and sometimes at sunset.

It is true that not everything can be seen from a above, but a holistic, albeit superficial view is something that should not be missed when visiting Cappadocia. With the magnificent view from the balloon basket, I kept hearing Nena's song "99 Luftbalons" in my head because you can see just as many of these hot-air balloons from your own. The number of balloons that can fly simultaneously is limited to one hundred for safety reasons, so in addition to the fairytale landscape, you can also observe the remaining 99 hot-air balloons. These were all in the air on my visit during the crisis, only the number of passengers was reduced from 28 to 24 due to the measures. Before leaving, our body temperature was measured and we were again told that it was obligatory to wear a mask while up in the air, with a single exception – the mask could be taken off only if and when taking a selfie. Given that the balloon flight, which lifted us almost a kilometer above the landscape, depends largely on weather conditions, the competent authorities issue a separate (or not) permit for flights each morning and therefore it makes no sense to save the panoramic flight for the last day, as weather conditions can quickly ruin your plans.

Many tourist guides have been written about Cappadocia, but there is always more to see and experience than there's time. With only a few days that I spent preparing a Cappadocia travelogue, I certainly wouldn't have experienced and seen all that I had without my own means of transport, and the corona measures were even helpful in this case, as restaurants only offered food to-go, making the time spent for lunch significantly shorter than it would otherwise be. Let me also add that it would be unfair to say that the culinary delights available were also significantly lacking, as Turkey is also known for its delicious traditional fast food and excellent desserts. And on that note I also conclude the first part of this travelogue. In the next issue, we will focus mainly on spiritual food and walk through the heritage of Cappadocia, most of which is also listed by UNESCO as part of World Heritage.

11/06/2021

Cappadocia – the land of beautiful horses and fairy chimneys

But let us return to our visit to one of the most interesting regions not only in Turkey, but also in the world, to Cappadocia, which is otherwise located in the heart of central Anatolia.

Cappadocia was formed by volcanoes and erosion in the upper and middle course of the Kizilirmak River fifty million years ago, and the advantages of the landscape, full of cone and chimney shaped rock formations, have been known since prehistoric times. The first to settle here in an organized and planned manner were the Hittites in about 2,500 years BC. The Hittites were followed by the Assyrians, who established their trading posts here, and the Phrygians, Lydians, and Persians, who ruled the province from the middle of the sixth century to 334 BC.

In AD 17, Cappadocia became a Roman province through which trade and military routes led, and the first major urban centers were created. With the growing influence of Christianity in this part of Asia, the first Christian communities began to emerge in Cappadocia, and they flourished with the arrival of Basil the Great (329–379), the bishop of Caesarea (modern-day Kayseri), who encouraged the growth of various religious colonies in the form of monasteries, which survived throughout the next millennium. This was followed by invasions from Turkmenistan and Mongolia, followed by invasions by the Seljuks and finally the Turks or Ottomans, who are still here today.

It was these conical formations that made construction relatively easy, as the houses were built by nature itself, only the rooms in them had to be carved out.

The above is another special feature of Cappadocia – it is impossible to separate natural sites from the cultural ones, as the latter are actually located in the former.

11/06/2021

Traveling in Turkey During the Corona Restrictions – Part 1

From exploring the COVID-19 bureaucracy to one of the most beautiful landscapes in the world
Not so long ago, under the headline “Journeys in the Time of the Coronavirus”, in the Globetrotter online magazine, I shared my experiences during the spring wave of the coronavirus disease and sincerely hoped that we would soon begin to travel the usual way. Unfortunately, the virus has spread again, and with it, restrictions have also come into force that varies from country to country. And it is precisely the restrictions and the option to travel in compliance with the restrictions that will accompany us through this travelogue.

We have long been aware that travel is not just a luxury or entertainment, but above all learning about other cultures, customs and everything that makes us unique and strengthens us in our commitment to lasting peace in the world. But better than anyone, Mark Twain wrote: »Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one's lifetime.«

It is this articulation, in addition to the original and sparkling curiosity, of course, that led me to travel to another continent on one hand and, while reading, evoke in you a genuine desire to travel and discover something different and new on the other.

The Asian part of Turkey was chosen for the first escape from Europe. At the end of December, Turkey was one of the few countries that allowed entry without a negative PCR test, although this changed during the trip. The time, which was otherwise intended for the celebration of the entry into the new year, was thus replaced by the preparation of a Turkey travelogue in a way it had never been done before, and I hope it will never have to be again, although the journey at that time also had its peculiarities and charm.

Checking the epidemiological situation in the places where we intend to travel
But let's start where we usually don't – with a country that's a healthy and safe choice and one with the least complications when it comes to entering and returning. There were only a few countries I could choose from and I ended up choosing eastern Turkey, where the epidemiological situation was also better than in some other parts of the country. The decision was then followed by completely normal steps, from buying a plane ticket to booking accommodation, and also renting a car due to the limited public transport.

Given that the number of hostels operating within Hostelling International in Turkey is modest, I decided to choose different types of accommodation, from the most comfortable to the most prestigious, as those have become much cheaper and are also available at a time when accommodation is almost vacant.

Another reason was the very affordable plane ticket from Vienna to the city of Kayseri for the price of €170, including luggage. At the time of the trip (end of December 2020), the corona situation in Turkey was comparable to the European average in terms of the number of infections per million inhabitants, and the number of deaths per million was comparable to the world average and much better than in Europe.

Kayseri is located deep in the Asian part of Turkey and is closer to the Syrian and Iranian border than Istanbul, where I also bought a Turkish SIM card for easier connectivity. It already proved to be a good investment in Kayseri, as there was no car rental agency at the airport, but had to be called there instead. After a few formalities, I was already on my way to the first destination, the town of Ortahisar, just a few kilometers from Göreme, which is considered the heart of the fairytale region of Cappadocia, whose name probably comes from the word Katpatuka, which in Hittite language means the land of beautiful horses which, however, were not seen, except at tourist attractions.

Despite the coronavirus, Turkey decided to open up to tourism with strict adherence to measures and additional incentives from the government, which reduced the VAT in tourism to just 1%.

When opening up tourism, they decided that the curfew would not be in place for tourists, which wouldn't change much during the week. On weekends, however, it's a very important fact, as curfew is said to last from Friday evening to Monday morning. Even when entering shopping malls, tourists are not required to use an electronic tracking application, but other measures, such as disinfection, the general obligation to wear a mask, and maintaining a physical distance, also apply to tourists. Despite the general obligation to wear a mask outdoors, in a car, or on a bicycle, they also explain that the police are logical and do not even warn you to wear a mask outdoors and in places where there is no crowd.

11/06/2021

Travel to Turkey

Travel to a big country on the edge of Europe and Asia where you can explore ancient civilizations or explore one of the huge metropolises. You can also climb high mountains or swim in the warm seas. In this article, you will find some travel advice for Turkey.

Tourism in Turkey is well developed, which means great plane connections. Turkey has airports all over the country, the biggest one being Ataturk airport in Istanbul that connects you to the whole world.

And what can you see in this diverse country? Let’s start with the famous Turkish city Istanbul. One of the biggest attractions is the sanctuary Hagia Sophia, which was first built as a church, then it became a mosque and is a museum at the moment. Because of its history, it is always crowded with tourists, so we recommend buying a ticket online in a special package with a guided tour. If you want to feel the spirit of the sultans, visit a dance show Mevlevi Sema, which is a truly mystical and spiritual journey. Exploring Istanbul doesn’t end here, you should also visit the Blue Mosque and Toporais Saraj and shop in the main bazaar. If you wish to relax, you can also jump in a Turkish sauna.

The next big Turkish sights are located in Cappadocia. What can you do in this fairy-tale land that looks like it is located on another planet? It is best to explore the valleys which hide many natural sights, as well as magical chimneys and cultural museums. You also shouldn’t leave out Konya, a holy Muslim city. This and much more are offered to you on many one-day trips or even a trip on an air balloon. When you want to see the sea, visit Antalya and Alanya or you can see the canyon Sepadera. Not far away from the coast, you can see the ruins of Ephesus, the second biggest ancient city that was destroyed seven times but is still magnificent. Nearby is also the HI hostel Atilla, which is a great place for relaxation.

Let’s also go to the eastern part of Turkey where you can visit the lake Van right on the border. Here you will be able to go to places where the majority of the population are Kurdish like Urfa and Gaziantep. You can also visit the Sumela monastery in Pontic Mountains and then follow Marco Polo’s steps and go over the high mountain passes to Anatolia plateau and to wonderful cities and nature.

Traveling to Turkey is a real paradise for travelers. It is diverse and mysterious so everyone will find their perfect place to drink their coffee or tea.