How I investigated Turkey!

Only in Turkey is it possible for one to make 3.000 km in 8 days, having seen 14 countries, having visited 20 centuries, and having touched 5 civilizations during such a trip.

Vladimir Laurtschenkoff


Contents:
1.   First glance on Istanbul

2.   My second Istanbul city-tour

3.   Canakkale-Troy

4.   My third Istanbul tour

5.   My fourth Istanbul tour

6.   Pamukkale – the "Cotton Mountains"

7.   Izmir-Pergam-Ancient Athens...

8.   Ephesus - handicrafts

9.   Story about a cat

10. Izmir - crafts

11. My fifth Istanbul tour

12. Cappadocia - the mountain city

13. My sixth Istanbul tour

14. Ankara - Ataturk Mausoleum

15. Part two - How I investigated Turkey!

16. My seventh Istanbul tour

17. My eighth Istanbul tour

18. Problems, which one will not come against in Turkey

19. Hierapolis

20. Churches of Ephesus

21. Hierapolis Necropolis

22. Ephesus, the house of Our Lady

23. Were there two... John’s???

24. It’s me, Apostle Paul, who gave you the religion. It’s me who rescued it.

25. The tenth Istanbul tour


The first Russian tourist group arrived at Istanbul a long time ago. The town’s name was Constantinople, then. Russians called it Tsargrad (the city of Tsars), and mostly Greeks instead of Turks lived there. That group was too big – 2.000 boats, with 40 people in each, and Constantinople did not accept them in. Golden Horn harbour was blocked by a chain, and the gate was locked. Probably, that was the only time when Istanbul was not hospitable to its guests. In fact, citizens’ behaviour can be understood easily, for the guests were all armed and clearly bad intended. Prince Oleg who lead Slavs ordered, “Burn all the suburbs, and kill all the citizens!” 

Fortunately, most of the suburban dwellers managed to flee, and slaughter was prevented. Then, Oleg ordered to put the boats on wheels, and sailed towards the city… by land! Well, Greeks got very impressed. The conflict was conciliated. Russians were respectfully let in, and the two sides signed a peace treaty. Oleg’s boats went back with new sails woven by Byzantine women. Maybe, since that incident Istanbul citizens got used to giving all the best to tourists, whereas tourists got used to bringing gifts from Istanbul. 

A lot of time passed since then, and Constantinople walls standing tired on seacoast saw lots of intruders, peoples, and tribes…

A lot of time passed since the wooden shield nailed to city gate by Oleg got rotten, and so got Oleg, those Greeks, and those Slav boats…

A lot of time passed since all those wines and fruits brought by Russians from Constantinople got eaten…

A lot of time passed since all those who ate the fruits and drank the wines were buried in hills by Dniestr… 

But Constantinople is still there. And whereas a chain used to block the harbour when any guests came in the past, now such guests are hospitably greeted with a loud “Hos Geldiniz!” in Istanbul airport, instead. This phrase, meaning “Welcome!” in Turkish, can be heard constantly in Ataturk airport. It might seem to one that this “hoshgeldiniz” plays the role of echo, here. There is nothing more you will have to listen to in the airport, because to visit Turkey is simpler than to travel from L.A. to Cisco. Just have you passport with yourself – and here you are. Pay for the tourist visa, that’s all! Turks are interested in tourist influx, and therefore the customs officer will just stick a stamp into your passport and… welcome to Turkey!