One good thing about the bus having trouble is we can stay in the city just a but longer in the sun!
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Per request, here are two group photos from the first day in Istanbul. I promise, once we take a few more, I'll post them.
This was a photo of everyone on the steps of the Blue Mosque in Istanbul. Big thanks to Jared for these!
On the long ride to Ankara (Turkey's mordern capital city), we saw these amazing mountain ranges, the same ones we say yesterday, just from the other side. After such a long winter, we were glad to see the temps in the 80s without the white stuff on the ground, unlike the mountain peaks...
Turkey's mining industry is one of the largest in the world, as people from this part of the country cut away entire mountains practically in order to access the rich limestone deposits. Closer to Istanbul and the Sea of Marmara, marvle mining is more common (that's where the Sea gets its name). These Turkish rocks are found all across the Mediterranean, especially in the architecture.
Your next question is probably why I am posting a picture of an open field... Well, we learned that Turkey's agricultural sector is definately not on as large a scale as some larger companies that have more access to fertile land, but they are world leaders in the production of some products. These include hazelnuts, olives, olive oil, apricots, and figs. Plus, all the vegetables we have been eating were grown in the country (for the most part) since Turkey's climate is so diverse and can support so many different kinds of crops. Unfortunately, issues like expanding cities and using fertile lands for housing are reducing the amount of arable land across the country, which can cause serious problems.
The next few pictures all come from the burial site of King Midas, the Phrygian King who was cursed with the golden touch as a result of his greedy personality. I'll do my best to intermingle as many facts about the site as possible.
This is a replica of Alexander the Great's mosaic as displayed in Naples. This may seem strange, but he is at the center of a myth regarding the Gordion knot, one that if someone could untie, they would rule the world. In the myth, it is disputed whether or not he actually untied it or simply cut it with a sword, but either way he ended up taking control of the Macedonian Empire.
This mosaic floor is thought to be the oldest in the anciety world, dating back more than 8000 years to the Phrygian people of Gordion. For as old as it is, this piece is in remarkable shape!
Massive earth mounds such as King Midas' tomb are located all across Turkey, somewhere around 3000 of them in total. These piles of earth each contain the body of a member of the royal family; the larger the hill, the more important the figure. King Midas' tomb was excavated stsrting in 1931, though there were various markers inside that showed archeologists were working on the site in 1963 and beyond.
This was the layout of the actual tomb where Midas was laid to rest. The outer walls were made of jupiter wood, a very hard wood from the area that still stands today. There were three different levels of these jupiter "shacks" with lye, pebbles, and woodchips between each layer to further protect the body from the earth above. Like I said, this still stands today inside the tomb, but when they originallt excavated the site, the sudden rush of oxygen into the tomb caused a fire that destroyed part of the tomb, but it still appears in great shape.
You can definately see the wood here and the chamber where Midas was laid to rest. A very cool site to see 150 feet below ground!
The light at the end of the tunnel!!!!
Once we got to Ankara, we immediately were greeted by Ataturk himself, the first president of the Republic of Turkey and more commonly known as the Father of the Turks. ----
Also, a huge thank you to Brittney for her presentation on Ataturk! Even though our bus broke down, she worked it out like a champ.
The main stop in Ankara was at the Museum of Anatolian Archeology, studying all the ancient civilizations that lived on the peninsula from the beginning of time until about 1000BC. With the help of some of our travelers, here are some of the favorites!
This is a recreation of what a home in ancient Catalhoyuk would look like abougt 8000 years ago. Notice the ladder leading to the roof; the homes had no doors or windows to protect from outside invaders, so families had to climb in through the roof (and grow plants and vegetables up there too). Also, they buried their dead family members in the middle of their living space as a way to remember and respect their dead, something very different from how we would hold a funeral.
These are sickles from Catal Huyuk. I found them interesting because they are some if the first ever made and because they are examples of how agriculture started the evolution of technology.
This is a necklace from 17-16th BC. The necklace is made from tiny gold beads and in each section there is a spoon-like bead imprinted with a pattern. Something like this must have been such a tedious job of not only making each bead and print by hand but then making the necklace itself. It is incredible what they could make without the resources we have today!
This is an orthostat relief from around 950-850 B.C. It is from the Hittite period and depicts he sun and moon God standing on a lion. This shows the power and strength of the two gods and how they were viewed in that time.
Gold diadem or crown from 2500-2250 BC. It is made from a gold sheet, and showed the wealth and power and of the wearer.
This piece is a cuneiform tablet and envelope. It is from approximately 2000 B. C.. The Hatti people learned Cuneiform from Assyrian trade partners around this time and wrote incredibly small to fit their messages on these small clay tablets. This was my favorite piece in the museum because I always have found cuneiform interesting and I couldn't believe someone would take the time to make an envelope out of clay!
And now for the HIGHLIGHTS! Today's episode is sponsored by Heidi, who was a part in both of these.
On our way to Ankara, Mehmet was talking about Turkish vegetables. Seeing a shepard and his flock outside the bus, Heidi yells, "sheep!" Mehmet quickly turned to her and said, "Sheep is not a vegetable," and moved on with the lecture.
During the trip, Liz's foot fell asleep. Immediately, Heidi starts singing, "shake shake shake, shake shake shake, shake your footie!" To which we all laughed hysterically.
Well, that's all the time we have! ECGT signing off!
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