Turkey

T U R K I S H D E L I G H T S

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After enjoying Barcelona, we flew to Turkey for touring there. We had two bases for touring: first in Izmir, a coastal town on the Aegean in the southern part of the country and then in Istanbul (formerly Constantinople (remember that '50's song?)).

Turkey is a beautiful country that boasts of some of the best Greco-Roman ruins in the world (i.e., Ephesus & Pergamon). It also has incredible significance to Western religions as two of Jesus' disciples lived and died there. Also, it is believed that Mother Mary lived her final years in Turkey and her home remains a sacred place. In Istanbul we spent a day in Topkapi, the former residence of the Sultans of the Ottoman Empire which now is a museum. If you see nothing else in Turkey you have to see this. It's a huge walled city (something like The Tower of London) and its contents are awesome! Be sure to visit the Harem!! Finally, Turkey has retained much traditional folklore, including Oriental Dancing (what we call "belly dancing"). We saw some very talented women, and in Turkey this is considered an incredible art enjoyed by both men and women and not some "sleezy dancing" done at all male gatherings. The food in turkey was outstanding (don't miss the halvah, a candy made from sesame seeds), the beer was great and they even turn out some very good wines.

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PERGAMON

	GREEK THEATRE STEEPEST THEATRE IN THE WORLD BUILT ON A 45 DEGREE ANGLE
	TEMPLE OF TRAJAN
	COLUMNS AT TEMPLE OF TRAJAN (CLOSER VIEW)
	TEMPLE OF TRAJAN

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EPHESUS

	THEATRE ESPHESUS WAS THE 3RD LARGEST CITY IN THE KNOWN WORLD WITH 250,000 RESIDENTS
	LOOKING OUT THE MAIN ENTRANCE TO THE THEATRE
	GODDESS (VENUS??) STATUTE
	LIBRARY THIRD LARGEST IN WORLD
	FOUNTAIN OF TRAJAN
	ORIGINAL MOSAIC TILE OUTSIDE AN UPSCALE RESIDENTIAL AREA
	LATRINE COMPLETE WITH RUNNING WATER AND A MINI-STAGE WHERE DAILY NEWS STORIES WERE READ (ALSO, SEATS WERE HEATED BY "SLAVE BOTTOMS" PRIOR TO ARISTOCRACY BEING SEATED!)
	RUINS OF THE BASILICA OF ST. JOHN (NEAR MODERN DAY EPHESUS) BUILT BY EMPEROR JUSTINIAN ~1400 YEARS AGO HOUSES THE GRAVE OF ST. JOHN
	GRAVE OF ST. JOHN, DISCIPLE OF JESUS & & PROTECTOR OF MOTHER MARY TILL HER DEATH (NOTE: IN PICTURE ABOVE, THE GRAVE IS IN THE PHOTO'S CENTER BETWEEN 2 SMALL PILLARS)

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ISTANBUL

	CITY VIEW OF ISTANBUL
	BLUE MOSQUE
	ST. SOPHIA CHURCH/MOSQUE BUILT BY EMPEROR JUSTINIAN ~14OO YEARS AGO
	ST. SOPHIA CHURCH/MOSQUE MINARETS ADDED BY OTTOMANS WHEN TURKEY BECOMES PART OF THE OTTOMAN EMPIRE
	TOPKAPI PALACE RESIDENCE OF THE SULTANS OF THE OTTOMAN EMPIRE
	TOPKAPI PALACE IMPERIAL COUNCIL HALL
	TOPKAPI PALACE ENTERTAINMENT ROOM (GUARDED BY BLACK EUNUCHS; THE ONLY MALE ALLOWED INSIDE WAS THE SULTAN)
	TOPKAPI PALACE SITTING ROOM IN THE HAREM
	BOSPHEROUS RIVER EUROPE IS ON THIS SIDE; ASIA MINOR THE FAR SIDE
	GRAND BAZAAR MAIN SHOPPING WALKWAY
	19TH CENTURY PALACE, 2ND BEHIND TOPKAPI & LOCATED ON THE BANKS OF THE BOSPHEROUS THE LAST OTTOMAN SULTAN SPENT HIS FINAL YEARS HERE AFTER TURKEY BECAME A REPUBLIC
	OTTOMAN FORTRESS BUILT IN 1452 USED TO CONTROL SHIPPING BETWEEN THE MEDITERREAN SEA & BLACK SEA

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FOLK SHOW AT ORIENT HOUSE

	MUSICIANS
	1ST ORIENTAL ("BELLY") DANCER
	2ND ORIENTAL ("BELLY") DANCER
	FOLK DANCERS
	FEATURED BELLY DANCER (WELL-KNOWN TO LOCALS)
	FEATURED BELLY DANCER (WELL-KNOWN TO LOCALS) ANOTHER VIEW
	FEATURED BELLY DANCER (WELL-KNOWN TO LOCALS) CHECK OUT THE FRINGE SWAY!
	AUDIENCE PARTICIPATION

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