TravelMorgan Stone Grethermount araratTurkey, eastern Turkey, Come See Turkey 2014, tourism, leeches, cow, donkey, Bardaklı, portrait, travel

Bardaklı Village, Mount Ağrı

TravelMorgan Stone Grethermount araratTurkey, eastern Turkey, Come See Turkey 2014, tourism, leeches, cow, donkey, Bardaklı, portrait, travel
Bardaklı Village, Mount Ağrı

During my 2014 Come See Turkey adventure, we luckily stopped for a quick visit to the small village of Bardaklı at the base of Mount Ararat, or as they call it, Ağrı. The villagers are mostly farmers and cattle herders, but we did meet one interesting man whose job was selling leeches. That was a first for me.

The views were glorious (quite similar to my Oregon) and the people achingly sweet, though clearly they did not have great riches. The air was cool and damp; the land was green. Hard to imagine that just a short drive away sits Ishak Pasha Palace, where we headed next. As different as two places can be.

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TravelMorgan Stone GretherTopkapi Palace, Turkey, Come See Turkey 2014, tourism, Istanbul, travel

Come See Turkey, Day 3: Topkapİ Palace

In the middle of day three of my Come See Turkey trip, we visited the Topkapi Palace. When the Ottomans conquered the city 500 years ago, they rebuilt the ruined Roman imperial palace and administration complex into what would eventually become called Topkapi. Though renovated over the centuries, much of the original complex remains. And to my delight, they grow many, many tulips...

TravelMorgan Stone GretherTopkapi Palace, Turkey, Come See Turkey 2014, tourism, Istanbul, travel
Come See Turkey, Day 3: Topkapİ Palace
TravelMorgan Stone GretherAni, ruins, Kars, eastern Turkey, Turkey, Come See Turkey 2014, tourism, sunset, mountains, river, travel

The Ruins of Ani, Kars

Any list of the must-see spots of northeastern Turkey in my mind has to include the ruins of the city of Ani, which you will find in the Kars region, right along the border with Armenia. There are two parts actually, the former city overlooking a river valley, and a countless cave dwellings below along the river...

TravelMorgan Stone GretherAni, ruins, Kars, eastern Turkey, Turkey, Come See Turkey 2014, tourism, sunset, mountains, river, travel
The Ruins of Ani, Kars
TravelMorgan Stone GretherKaçkar Mountains, Turkey, Come See Turkey 2014, eastern Turkey, tourism, mountains, sheep, snow, dam, travel

Driving in Turkey from Trabzon to Kars

Leaving Trabzon after our adventures there, we in the Come See Turkey group made our way through the Pontic and Kaçkar mountain ranges toward Kars. It was amazing to see the changes in environment, topography, and culture as we traveled through river valleys, snowy alpine passes, and down into steppes... 

TravelMorgan Stone GretherKaçkar Mountains, Turkey, Come See Turkey 2014, eastern Turkey, tourism, mountains, sheep, snow, dam, travel
Driving in Turkey from Trabzon to Kars
TravelMorgan Stone GretherIshak Pasha Palace, Turkey, Come See Turkey 2014, tourism, eastern Turkey, travel

Ishak Pasha Palace, Turkey

In eastern Turkey, near mighty Mount Ararat, along the ancient Silk Road sits the 17th century palace of Ishak Pasha. If you want to feel like you are in stories of Scheherazade, this place is for you. Truly storybook in its grandeur...

TravelMorgan Stone GretherIshak Pasha Palace, Turkey, Come See Turkey 2014, tourism, eastern Turkey, travel
Ishak Pasha Palace, Turkey
TravelMorgan Stone GretherMalabadi bridge, Turkey, Come See Turkey 2014, tourism, Batman, hot springs, spa, travel

Batman, Turkey

Outside of Batman, Turkey, we stayed at Bato Termal Otel. Everyone was exhausted from our previous day's adventures (in places like the Ishak Pasha Palace), but I woke up early before everyone else and wandered the area outside the hotel alone. The air smelled of sulfur (from the natural hot springs), the hills and trees were a lush green... 

TravelMorgan Stone GretherMalabadi bridge, Turkey, Come See Turkey 2014, tourism, Batman, hot springs, spa, travel
Batman, Turkey