A journey through the far east of Turkey

jessbear (53)in #travel • 7 years ago

This land has been occupied by many great empires; crossed by Ottoman, Russian, Armenian, Byzantine, and Seljuk rulers and soldiers. Its castles have stood for thousands of years, and still goats are herded around the towns in search of something to graze on. The temperatures here are sub zero, and there are some seriously great locally made cheeses;

This is different to the Turkey you have seen before.

My journey to eastern Turkey began by flying into Van ("V-uhn", not "Vaaaan", my host in Olympos laughs), where I can see snow covered mountains before the plane even touches the ground. Stepping outside, the excitement begins upon seeing white fields in every direction. The town can be seen in the distance, with incredibly high mountains looming over it. Even in the middle of the afternoon, the temperature is only 5 degrees, and will hit freezing as the sun goes down.

We find a local restaurant to have some lunch while we confirm the location of our Airbnb for the next few days. Upon walking in, all the employees turn to look at us in disbelief, before a single English-speaking man offers to help us read the menu and choose a meal. He is fascinated to see foreigners come to visit Van, and following our meal, we chat over glasses of chai. So begins the endless chai sessions of the day.

We manage to find our home for the next few days, hosted by a lovely, adventurous, mountain-climbing young Turkish woman, who gives us some great insight about the culture and politics of the area, as well as opening our eyes to the ongoing control of expression of ideas against the government in Turkey. Coming from Australia, where people are able to freely and loudly oppose the government in speech, newspapers, and online on social media, her story of narrowly avoiding prosecution for writing something online against government actions is shocking, and a reminder of the freedoms I am lucky to have. Here, the chai sessions continue as we talk, and my cup is refilled 4 more times over dinner.

Our host kindly offers us breakfast; an incredible Turkish spread of bread, cheese, olives, fresh cucumber and tomato, and homemade tahini and jam, energizing us for the day of exploring ahead. We brave the cold and wander around the town, where traditional eateries and local shops selling conservative clothes are contrasted with fast food chains and modern clothing store just across the streets. We make our way to Van fortress, entering through a large, unmanned gate at the edge of Van's old Town, before ascending up the slippery path. My face is frozen and my shoes have little grip on the ice-covered stone, but I am soon rewarded with an incredible view of the city and mountains, as well as lake Van; the largest lake in Turkey, expanding far into the distance.

The next day, we take a dolmus to Kars, where the whether reports that it will decrease to -16°C overnight! With the lack of accommodation options, as well as our last minute planning, we will stay in a hotel in the centre of town. We are just as surprised at the high standard of the room and service provided, as they are surprised to see 2 foreigners wearing dirty clothes and massive backpacks! The freezing temperatures of Kars are definitely a shock, with the 5 minute walk outside to find dinner being enough to leave my hands and face red and numb, despite wearing several layers, gloves, and a scarf! This barely improves during the day time, where I find that exploring town needs to be broken up with time inside cafes to warm up with some chai and turkish kahve!

As Kars was previously occupied by many great empires over time, a variety of building styles can be seen within and around the city, such as the Kethuda Camii; originally an Armenian church and later converted to a mosque during Ottoman times, and the Fethiye Camii, a church built during the Russian occupation, also later converted to a mosque, with the minarets added on. The area is also famous for it's local cheese and honey, which you can "try before you buy" in many shops over town. Some of the cheese is comparable to Swiss cheese, and many are harder, with a stronger flavour compared to most cheese I have tried in Turkey.

At the edge of town, a castle overlooks the whole city. Once a point of defense for the city, it is now open for travellers to wander up the snow covered slope and explore the remaining castle floor. From the top, the view of the snow covered city is amazing, and seeing this endless white blanket confirms the cold and numbness I am feeling on my face again.

On my down the castle, I see some large goats making their way up the hill through the bushes; yes, I think, a true "eastern Turkey" moment! The number of goats and sheep coming towards me continues to increase. They are followed by a man, who herds them towards grass assisted by his donkey carrying some tools, but as it comes nearer, I see that this donkey also carries something else in a saddlebag; a small lamb, happily sleeping through the ride!

The following day, we make our way to the ruins of Ani. Occupied by many empires over thousands of years, the previously Armenian ruins are spread over a large area, and the remains of a great old city. Getting there proves to be an adventure itself, with the bus coming almost 2 hours after we are told to wait for it, in below zero degrees! Sitting in our jackets, beanies, 2 pairs of pants and socks, I am stunned by the landscape I see in every direction as we drive; nothing but pure, untouched winter snow can be seen across the fields and hills alongside the road. This drive is beginning to feel like a field trip through Russia! As we get nearer to the site, the snow begins to thin, and we see the ruins spread across a grassy plain. The buildings are stunning, and the sheer size of the site gives it a curious atmosphere unlike anywhere else, as though we are the first people to explore it in a century.

Some highlights include the Saint Gregory church of Tigran Honents, with the interior covered to wall with faded Christian motifs; The Cathedral, a large rectangular building with high ceilings; and the Church of St Gregory, a small church standing on the edge of a cliff, overlooking endless grass plains. To the east, unceremoniously separated by nothing more than a large valley, sits Armenia, and between buildings, wild goats happily run about, munching the heritage site's grass. Seeing this spectacular, centuries-old site, with each remaining building having it's own unique history, was a definite highlight for me and I can't recommend it enough!

Due to the proximity to several bordering countries, and ongoing tension between Kurdish and Turkish forces, there is always a heavy military and police presence in the Eastern cities of Turkey. While this can be alarming at first, I quickly realised that it is just a precaution against potential violence, and can honestly say that I always felt safe and welcome here. Experiencing cities such as Van and Kars, undoubtedly more conservative and "Eastern" than the more visited spots such as Istanbul and the southern coast, has been incredible, and the contrast between "Eastern" and "Western" Turkey has been eye opening. On top of this, it has been a great history lesson and example of the ever changing occupancy of a land over time, with traces of Armenian, Georgian, and so many other empires' legacies remaining throughout thousands of years.