Journey: Turkey 2011 Chapter 4 Ankara and Istanbul

From Izmir we flew to Ankara, the capital of Turkey. We toured the parliament building and had tea in the majority party rose garden.

In the afternoon we went to the Kocatepe-Atakule Tower for a panoramic view of Ankara.

Ankara from the Kocatepe-Atakule Tower

Ankara is an ancient city, however, most of the city today is very modern. It had a very "western" feel just driving around town. We did visit parts of the old city including one of my favorites, Ankara Castle.

Here Jim is exploring the steep steps at Ankara Castle.

Here I am in the blue shirt.

Walking up the hill to Ankara Castle. The old cobblestone streets were steep and narrow. There were shops along the way. Cars still use these streets and you have to pay attention and step aside to allow them to pass.

Vegetable market. See the Coca Cola sign?

I spotted a Burger King near our hotel.

On a map at the Anatolian Civilizations Museum I discovered "Myra". This is the city where St. Nicholas lived, worked and became known. It is also a port where the prisoner Paul visited on the voyage to Italy.

Anatolian Civilizations Museum

This is an amazing little museum with a wonderful mix of ancient and modern pieces.

From Ankara we few back to Istanbul for another day of sight-seeing before returning home.

One of the entrances to the Grand Bazaar - Istanbul

Textiles

Ceramics

Jewelry

The bazaar in Istanbul is a colorful and busy place. The prices are not fixed and bargaining is expected.

A trip to Turkey would not be complete without the "Turkish Toilet" or squat toilet. Be prepared to hand over your lira and bring your own tissue so that you may experience this somewhat baffling necessity. In most places if you look around you will find a "modern toilet" tucked away nearby.