Turkey - is bordered by eight countries - Bulgaria to the northwest; Greece to the west; Georgia to the northeast; Armenia, Azerbaijan (the exclave of Nakhchivan) and Iran to the east; and Iraq and Syria to the southeast. The Mediterranean Sea and Cyprus are to the south; the Aegean Sea to the west; and the Black Sea is to the north. Separating Anatolia and Thrace are the Sea of Marmara and the Turkish Straits (the Bosphorus and the Dardanelles), which are commonly reckoned to delineate the boundary between Europe and Asia, thereby making Turkey a transcontinental country.
I learnt all this when I was invited to go on a two-week study tour of the timeless cities of Turkey by the Affinity Cultural Foundation in Australia (see website - http://www.affinity.org.au/).
Turkey’s history has always fascinated me and when I learnt about its geographical position I readily accepted. There were seven of us – one Roman Catholic, two Muslims and four from the Uniting Church.
We flew to Istanbul and then straight on to Kayseri where the tour began. Then on to Neysihir including Cappadocia, Ni?de, Gaziantep, Urfa, Harran, Mardin and Diyarbkir. After 7 days visiting these cities we flew back to Istanbul. It was an experience to walk in the steps of the early Christians through these timeless cities. There were times I felt that some of these places had not changed and must have looked the same in those early years.
The scenery, especially the almost ethereal Cappadocia was breathtaking. Cappadocia is like a mirage of stone in the heart of Anatolia. It is a beautiful landscape of white caves of various shapes that seem to go on forever. No photographs can do it justice.
The tour ended in Istanbul where we spent a week, which was too short to see the sites in this fascinating city. However we did have time to visit the famous Topkapi Palace and the beautiful Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia or the Aya Sophia.
We met people from all walks of life and their generosity and graciousness was extraordinary. Sharing food together, every night in a different home was the best way to be introduced to the lifestyles of the people of Turkey, and for them to learn about us. We shared stories from both backgrounds - Christian and Muslim - and learnt so much about each others’ histories. I met some remarkable women, who like their sisters all over the world, were juggling their various duties with expertise.
The tour included visits to various organisations and educational services, including primary, high school and tertiary institutions. We also visited places of worship both Christian (mainly Greek Orthodox monasteries and Catholic Churches) and Muslim (Mosques and tombs and birthplaces of some of the Old Testament prophets). In Istanbul we visited the *PASIAD office, the Journalists and Writers Guild office, a TV station and many more interesting places. We also met business women and men who continue to fund the organisations we visited.
The others in the tour were Kimberley Davis, Director of the Office for the Participation of Women of the Australian Catholic Bishops’ Conference; Ahmet Keskin, Vice President of the Affinity Foundation and Makiz Ansari, Director of the Affinity Foundation. And from the Uniting Church - the Revd Glenda Blakefield, and the Revd Ian and Helen Pearson;
Special mention must be made of Ahmet, who acted as our guide and translator. He is a remarkable young man and did an amazing job. He always put the comfort of the team ahead of his own, buying food and drinks along the way and even medicines for those of us who needed them.
The trip was also supported by *PASIAD (Asia-Pacific Social & Economic Solidarity Foundation), which has its headquarters in Istanbul.
It was a well-planned tour.
Wilma Viswanathan - Executive member of the Uniting Church Assembly’s Relations With Other Faiths group.
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Pictured: "The Full Team" Standing - Kimberley Davis, a local guide, Ahmet Keskin, Glenda Blakefield, Wilma Viswanathan Kneeling - Ian & Helen Pearson, Makiz Ansari |
In Cappadoccia |
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In front of the Blue Mosque |
Between the Blue Mosque and Aya Sophia |