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< Back to “Sarah’s Turkish Travels” Introduction Sarah’s Turkish Travels Day 5By Sarah Yeomans, Travel Study Director and Managing Web Editor
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Istanbul-Troy-ÇanakkaleThis morning I said goodbye to Istanbul with mixed feelings. On one hand, I was reluctant to leave a city that has enchanted me completely and of which I had only begun to scratch the surface—on the other, I was excited to see the legendary sites that lay to the south. So as we drove by coach out of the city, I said goodbye to Istanbul and promised myself that I would return.
Our destination was Çanakkale, a seaside resort town on the Dardanelles, the straits that connect the Sea of Marmara to the Aegean. Once we crossed the straits by ferry, we would officially be on the Asian continent, something I was childishly excited about (one day I’d like to be able to say that I’ve set foot on all seven continents—this is number 4). However, before we checked into our hotel in Çanakkale, we would overshoot it by a bit and visit Troy, that legendary city immortalized by Homer in the star-studded, tragic tale recounted in the epic poems the Iliad and the Odyssey. More recently, it was also the subject of a Hollywood blockbuster starring Brad Pitt and Eric Bana and a whole host of other beautiful actors and gorgeous, digitally enhanced sets. So I admit to being a bit starry-eyed by the romance of Troy before I even reached the site.
But first, we had to get there. So we drove...
And drove...
And drove...
Along the way, we were able to see Gallipoli from the coach, the peninsula where one of the most violent and tragic battles of World War I took place. Depending on which way you look at it, Gallipoli was either a glorious victory for the Ottoman Empire or a devastating defeat for the Allies. Either way, it was one of the bloodiest battles of the Great War. “Damn the Dardanelles! They will be our grave!” wrote Admiral Fisher to Winston Churchill in a letter dated April 5, 1915. On the other side, Mustafa Kemel, the junior officer to the German commander of the Ottoman armies, gave his exhausted soldiers the historic command: “I am not ordering you to attack, I am ordering you to die.” The words of both men proved to be prophetic. After nine months of fierce fighting, over half a million people were dead or wounded—over 160,000 thousand Allied troops and some 86,000 Turks lay dead.
I would have liked to stop here and pay tribute to this tragedy in human history and visit the battlefields, cemeteries and memorials—particularly the Turkish memorial at Anzac Cove, which was unveiled on Anzac Day, April 25, 1985. The memorial bears an eloquent message of reconciliation written by Atatürk:
There is no difference between the Johnnies and the Mehmets to us, where they lie side by side here in this country of ours. You, the mothers who sent your sons from faraway countries, wipe away your tears. Your sons are now lying in our bosom and are in peace after having lost their lives on this land. They have become our sons as well. Unfortunately, there was no time to visit what I am sure is a moving and compelling site. I understand that to see the whole area properly, a full day is recommended. I resolved to give it its proper time on my next trip. For now, I had to be content with a silent salute from the coach window.
I was distracted from my musings by the flashing lights of a police car parked up ahead, with a uniformed police officer waving our coach off to the side of the road. Our driver was a smiling and friendly gentleman who was fastidious about maintaining the cleanliness of the bus and seemed in all other ways to be absolutely responsible, so I was surprised that he was being pulled over for what I assumed was some sort of traffic violation.
As it turns out, that was not at all the case: Turks take the safety of both drivers and tourists seriously, and buses are required to drive at a slower, safe pace than the smaller, faster cars. Since the police cannot possibly control the entire vast road network, they have devised an ingenious way to maintain speed control without even being present: the “takograf.” Our driver unlocked his speedometer, and pulled out a circular piece of graph paper that the police officer looked over carefully. Meltem told me that the takograf paper records the coach’s speed any time that it is in motion, and that the police routinely check these papers at routine traffic stops. Once our driver’s documents demonstrated that all was in order, we started off again, with a fresh piece of paper in the takograf, which I was starting to look at as a potential adversary. If you are reading this, please do not pass this idea on to the American highway patrol—I get enough speeding tickets as it is.
After crossing the Dardanelles by ferry (which was a welcome change from the inside of the coach by this time), we were almost to Çanakkale. Not much farther beyond that was Troy, and visions of Paris, Helen, Achilles and Agamemnon starting dancing in my head—Brad Pitt and Eric Bana were in there too, it must be said.
Given that I had such romantic visions of Troy, it was rather jarring to enter into the parking lot by the visitor’s center and see a gigantic wooden horse. While I’m sure it made for a good photo-op for busloads of tourists like, well, ourselves, it somehow distracted from the seriousness of Homer’s heroic and tragic story.
 Click to view a slide show of larger images and captions. I tried to ignore the horse (though I did sneak a photo—it was a compulsion), and scooted into the site. I had just driven hours to see this site that I have dreamed of exploring for well over a decade.
Like many cities in ancient Greece, Troy sat perched up high, commanding a spectacular panorama of the Aegean. While they surely didn’t have tourists in mind when they choose these sites for their fortified ports and cities, I have to say it does have a fabulous unintended consequence for the modern lover of seascapes—the view is wonderful.
The site itself was very different from my imaginings. I should know better—I am an archaeologist, after all. I know that Hollywood and our imaginations often embellish history, and a great deal of information can be gleaned from methodical and scientifically conducted excavations, however unromantic the site may look. Nevertheless, I found Troy to be decidedly unlike what I had imagined. It’s smaller, for one. It has also been heavily impacted by various forces—both human and natural—so that the ruins of its legendary walls were only about 15-20 feet high—hardly enough to repel an army of Greeks, but enough to get an idea of the city’s citadel-style construction.
Besides the occasional wall remnant and road, other features were difficult to distinguish. The entire site lay sloped generally toward the west in the direction of the ocean. Along the few discernable roads, one could make out the outlines and forms of structures that could have been either shops or houses, but as most of the remaining masonry was only about 3 to 4 feet high, it was difficult to tell what exactly each set of low-lying ruins represented.
Adding to the difficulty of deciphering the site’s layout is its long and sometimes haphazard excavation history. Tall mounds indicate places that have yet to be excavated at all, while in other areas deep trenches cut through strata that represent thousands of years.
Troy suffered a great deal of mismanagement in the early history of its excavations. Toward the end of the 19th century, wealthy German businessman and amateur archaeologist Heinrich Schliemann set out to locate the legendary site, using the Iliad as his guide. While he did locate Troy, he also conducted an excavation that by modern archaeological standards is considered almost criminal; over a period of four months, 150 workers dug a massive trench through the site, and uncovered the gold treasure that he had been seeking. As it turns out, the gold cups, silver vases, jewelry and other priceless artifacts were 1,200 years older than Homer’s Troy, but Schliemann’s work paved the way for more methodical excavations that are yielding a great deal of information about the long and extraordinarily rich history of Troy.
Did Helen, Paris or Achilles ever exist? Did the events of the Trojan War ever take place? We may never know. But as is the case with so many legends, their value may lie more in what they inspire rather than in what actually took place. One thing is for sure: Brad Pitt was nowhere to be seen. Sigh.
Turkey TourSarah- My wife and I had the awesome experience of traveling on our own in Turkey in 1986 and we've never been the same. We promised ourselves that one day we would return. We fell in love with the Turkish people and their heritage. May your group have a great trip -they'll be in good company. • • • • • • • MalcomFrom this report, one would deduce that Turkey is the richest country in the world....no sign of poverty anywhere. Thanks for adding a few words and pix of Biblical sites. • • • • • • • TurkiyeSarah, it was such a privilege meeting you on this unique trip. Zane and I had a wonderful time as it was a very educational trip Your writing of this trip came in very helpful as I will be bringing a program on our trip to our Senior Townsy Day this month. Thank you for putting me on this list. Love, Betty • • • • • • • blog on on Turkey travelI too would like to see some of the mundane itinerary details--addresses, websites, etc. Great writing, which I will use for planning my upcoming trip. • • • • • • • A New PerspectiveThank you Sarah, you have given me a new perspective on Turkey in general, but Istanbul in particular. It is really your closing comments on her transition from what was really a medieval world to a modern world in a painfully short time. I had never really considered the meaning that might have before. There armis many places in the world I don’t suppose, where you can go enjoy the modern conveniences while strolling through a medieval world and do it all is safety. There are of course the classics like Rome, Venice,and their well pedigreed ilk, but it seems to me the medieval now resides there in the architecture and emotional history alone. In Turkey I imagine it’s more palpable in the atmosphere. Thanks for the reports! • • • • • • • Turkish TravelsHaving read and re-read CS Lewis' Narnia Series, "The Lion Witch and The Wardrobe" features Turkish Delight as the temptation that almost cost one of the heroes his very soul. What IS Turkish Delight? Is it that good? • • • • • • • Turkish DelightDelightful article. The author's ability to mix vivid imagery with her historical insights -- and to spice it up with a bit of wit and humor -- makes for informative and enjoyable reading. I look forward to future installments! • • • • • • • Sarah YeomanOur "Contessa" is on the move again. Looking forward to the next installment. • • • • • • • Sarah's Turkish TravelsWonderfully written. Her excitment,energy,discovery,and honesty grabbed me and carried me into her experience. I felt like a best friend who could not go on the trip and she transended the bountries of time and space taking me with her. I look forward to "our" next adventure. • • • • • • • Reminisces of IstanbulI lived with my family in Kuwait for 12 years from 1970 to 1982. We had the opportunity to travel a great deal over those years and Istanbul was one of our favorite spots. One of our pleasures was to stand on the street and hail a taxi that was a "vintage" automobile of some sort, perhaps a 1940 Dodge or whatever. There were many auto parts shops to match the demand to keep these old cars running. The food, the people, and the sights were splendid. • • • • • • • Turkey visitI really loved reading Sarah's entry - all the more because my husband and I are leaving on Sat for a 3 week trip to Turkey and Greece. I will keep a close watch on Sarah's whereabouts -we may even catch up! • • • • • • • TurkeySarah - I loved Turkey more than I ever could have imagined. Have a wonderful time. I would go back in a heartbeat. Thank you for letting me travel along with you. Mary Anne • • • • • • • Sarah's Turkey trip.This is as close to a trip to Turkey that I'll ever make. I feel as if I'm right there in the middle of every descriptive word that Sarah uses to tell us her travel story. I look forward to every word she writes. Thank you Sarah. GiGi Orru • • • • • • • Turkey ExperienceWell written article. Felt like I was with the author. Was disappointed when I discovered there was no more to read! • • • • • • • Wonderful! I look forward to the journeyA delightful article. I have recently taken a casual interest in Turkey and istanbul in particular. I even ordered some Christmas gifts last year from some private shops I found on the web in and around istanbul. I can see how I will thoroughly enjoy this adventure and I don’t even have to leave home. Any chance of an itinerary, or list of possible sights you might be visiting? Not necessary, but nice to have. • • • • • • • |
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