photos : amasya

April 22, 2007 at 12:02 am

Amasya Mezarlık

Amasya Mezarlık

Dug into the walls of the mountainsides are the final resting places for old Sultans.
Amasya

Amasya

Along the river in Amasya are some nicely restored Ottoman-style houses, of course with a lovely little mosque tucked in between.
closeup

closeup

Ottoman-style house, with a waterwheel in the river below it.
Emrah taking in the scenery

Emrah taking in the scenery

Behind him there are stairs which lead directly into the center of town. When I visited this town I felt right away that this was a place I would be comfortable living, given the opportunity.
Amasya

Amasya

Looking back the other way from the river, you can see some of the normal city bustle. You can also see mountains rising on the other side of the city. Amasya is beautifully tucked into a valley with mountains rising all around, it has a very cosy feeling because of it.
Amasya mosque

Amasya mosque

One of the mosques in Amasya, near a lovely rock face.

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photos : ballıca mağarası

April 21, 2007 at 12:42 am

Ballıca Mağarası Ballıca Mağarası
Mağarası means caves, in case you couldn’t tell. Ballıca is the name.
wide shot
wide shot
This place is really big. Not as huge as Carlsbad but very impressive. The way in is by driving up a huge mountain on a narrow road with no guardrail accompanied by big tour busses (hoping you don’t have to pass one going the other way). It’s in the area of Pazar, Tokat.
great stalagmites
great stalagmites
or is it stalagtites? sheesh, and I was a geology major. someone write and remind me of the mnemonic that is supposed to help you never forget!
lunch is Tokat Kebabı
lunch is Tokat Kebabı
Emrah and I and his mother ate lunch atop the hill after venturing into the cavern (but his mother didn’t come into the cavern, she waited outside). Tokat kebabı ıs hunks of meat (beef or lamb) cooked with large pieces of eggplant and other vegetables. The best part is the whole cloves of garlic cooked along with it. And that’s not milk we’re drinking, it’s ayran. Ayran is basically watered-down yogurt with some salt, a very refreshing drink with a slightly sour taste.
Zeynep and Emrah Zeynep and Emrah
Sence Emrah onun annesine benziyor mu?

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