Day 7 Caravan Connections: Stitching the Empire Together

Off to Canakkale (pronounced Chenackele) after learning about the Levant region of the Ottoman Empire in class this morning. We learned about the major characteristics of Aleppo, Damascus and Cairo and their overall importance for trade and culture in the Ottoman Empire. Our leader Dana (Boston College) is from Syria, and she is not only a great professor but is a lot of fun too. It was really interesting to hear this from her. Both of our professors, as well as our Primary Source leaders and tour guide are great. I have learned so much in the last week. Fascinating journey!

We then had another half day bus ride out to the Dardanelles. We rode a ferry with the entire bus across and back after seeing sites of the Gallipoli Battlefield where Turkey held position and defended this area of the Aegean Coast and Dardanelles from the Allies during World War I. Ataturk's heroism here brought him to fame for him to later rise to the Turkish leadership. There were over 130,000 casualties here. We only got to see a smidgen of this, but it was absolutely stunning. The panoramic views were unlike anything I have seen. The cemeteries were somber, a nice Sunday activity. 

This seemed to me to be the truck stop mosque, a baby of a thing. See the next pic with me. 

Ferry ride. Enjoying the breeze and sunshine. 

See the cars below. Our bus is even on here. The trip across took about 25 minutes. We took another way on the way back, as we made a loop. 

Moving quote by Ataturk 19 years after the battle. 

Mostly Australians are buried in this cemetery. 

Stacy and I along the Aegean.  I could not resist dipping my feet. Beautiful waters. 

 

An area called Lone Pine where more allied soldiers are buried. The wall there has names of those fallen whose bodies were not recovered. There were about 13,000 in all, from both sides I believe, that fell in that sad category. It really was moving to see the ages of all these young men and think of such needless slaughter. 

Ataturk. This is where he was wounded by shrapnel. 

The trenches. You can see why this high ground was defended. 

We are very close to Troy (30 km) but will not be going. That was pre-Ottoman. :-). This horse is from the movie. 

My dinner group. Jenny (across from me) was at the finish line of the Boston Marathon and had to have shrapnel surgically removed from her chest. These are awesome ladies. Great night of fish and chatting. 

You can see close to the entrance of the Strait of Dardanelles in the distance and the fort across the way. 

Day 6 The Conquest Moment: The Architectural Signature of the Early Ottomans

Bursa

Bursa is on the Silk Road. We started our day in the classroom, which is typical when we are already in the city we are touring. We discussed themes of the day and of much of Ottoman culture in general. 

These 4 Themes are: 1. Layers of History 2. Religious Diversity 3. Heterodoxy v Orthodoxy 4. Central Authority v Local Power

First, did I pick the right group, or what?  Four men and me?  You decide. :-)

We then went on a drive up on the mountainside of Bursa, a very large city, where most of the older sites are. The following are photos from the sites, such as the Green Mosque, the Silk Bazaar, etc. 

Ulicami Mosque built in 1399. It pre-dates when the Hagia Sofia was taken over by Islam, so there is no dome (a defining characteristic of Turkish mosques). It has remarkable example of Arabic calligraphy inside, and though it has a separate area for women during noon prayers, at other open times women and men can pray in the same area, an unusual thing about Bursa. 

The inner fountain is also unusual.  

My attempt at a panoramic shot. 

This is the direction of Mecca. The pulpit on the right is made of walnut and is all put together with wood, no screws or nails. It is incredibly beautiful. With my other camera I have a close-up shot of the woodwork. It has symbols of the sun, moon and stars. 

I never posted a pic with my wonderful roommate Stacey from Florida. She is a kindred spirit. 

The Koza Han, the trading market for silk in Bursa, built in 1491. Inside are dozens of shops selling fine silk scarves and other textiles. Will post more photos of the inside later. 

For those who wanted more pics of locals. 

Next we went to the Green Mosque. There are several mosques called this, but this is the most famous, due to the exceptional green and blue tiles. Somehow, I unintentionally dressed to coordinate with the mosque today. 

Women are asked to cover for entering the mosques. 

There is much symbolism in the writing and in the plant symbolism. This is all hundreds of years old and goes around the entrance to the mosque. 

Note the hexagon or beehive shape. This and squares and triangles are all tessellating shapes, which are godly because they can be extended together infinitely. 

 

The same symbolism we saw a couple of days ago in the houses in Yurukuru and Safronbolu. The number 12 and the hat-like shapes are everywhere. Again, the connections to various religions and even varieties within Islam. 

 

The group gathering outside the Green Tomb. I have to go back to notes and come back to report on who is buried here. 

Lunch at Hunkar. This was traditional kabob sliced meat over bread with yogurt. It was scrumptious. 

More shopping in Bursa. We found some great items in a multi-tiered store that sold everything from the tackiest souvenirs to beautiful quality linens. 

A highlight of the day was watching a traditional shadow puppet show. This was a dying art that has been resurrected over the last couple of decades. This tradition has been around in this part of the world and Indonesia for centuries. The themes include making fun of authorities and usually have a political bent. Though the show was in Turkish, we could understand much of it, and the puppet master threw in some English for our sakes. It was fun to hear the kids laugh. I loved seeing this art form and can see why it has been so popular through the centuries. 

These are made from stretched and scraped animal skins, which are then dyed. The parts move. 

Back-stage pass after enabled us to see how this was a one-man show. He makes the puppets, and does the movement and voices. I was impressed!  What fun!

Osman I tomb. He is the reason we are here, I guess you could say. :-). Is an was not the greatest Sultan but was the founder of what became the Ottoman Empire. I find the hats with the scarves a little strange. Turks do entertaining things. The Turkish flag also cracks me up since the empire really encompassed so much. 

Orhan Gazi tomb (Osman's son)

These tiles date back to Byzantine times. 

Centuries old Ottoman wall. 

Street in Bursa

Dinner tonight felt oddly wedding or bar mitzva-ish. When it got dark there were these strobing obnoxious neon lights. We were entertained by our fearless leader Barbara telling us funny Riverdance stories. My table was the best. 

View over Bursa at dusk. 

And finally, for my few friends (you know who you are) who told me not to snatch up a Turkish boyfriend, these are for you. A few of us girls had fun with these guys today. I especially like the mannequin with the turquoise pants and Ataturk shirt. Look up Ataturk on Wikipedia. He is a hero here, and the current Prime Minister, Erdogan, does not like him. He died long ago and is really the one responsible for the modern, more secular Turkish state. We have a game in our group called Ataturk Bingo, which I think is really more like I Spy Ataturk. 

Day 5 Layers of History: From Roman and Byzantine to Ottoman Times

Thrilled about today. Dressing conservatively for our first mosque visit as a group. Bus travel again today--Iznik and then Bursa. 

Went to the Iznik tile factory and research center where historic Ottoman and Islamic tiles are produced to match the authentic production methods. These tiles are hand painted and have quartz in the clay and glazing, which makes them very hard, beautiful and expensive. View for yourself and see what you think. In Islam people and animal images are not used. Flowers and geometric patterns are what you see. The tulip with pointy petals is all over, as it is a symbol of a period in the Ottoman Empire. They are grown here and blossom everywhere in the spring. I am going to purchase some bulbs when I get home. 

The Sans Sofia church. It is thought that the Ecumenical Counsel may have been here. This is in the area of Nicea. 

These frescoes were not erased by the Muslims. You can barely see them. They are hundreds of years old. 

This wall was started in the first century, ce. It is so amazing to see the layers of history. 

Rather than a Bible in the drawer, there is a sticker pointing to the direction of Mecca.