A Traveller's View: The Turkish Black Sea Coast, Eastern and South-eastern Turkey and Bakur and Bashur Kurdistan
In
recent months, I had the fortune to be able to wander along the
Turkey's Black Sea coast, explore east and southeastern Turkey and visit
Iraqi Kurdistan. Kurds would call the latter two Bakur a Kurdistan and
Bashur Kurdistan.
What follows is, I hope, a series of "photo chapters" of each section of my trip showing what I saw and where I went.
I
am afraid these photos are geography and architecture heavy as I am
still really learning to photograph people, but there are some people
photos in the latter chapters as my confidence gained.
I
hope to add some text commentary where I can, but this is likely to be
later and inconsistent in length and focus. I hope these tidbits may be
of interest too.
Proviso
Aotearoa’s
diplomatic corps would not applaud me: I travelled in areas the New Zealand
government’s travel advisory said should 1) be
avoided for non-essential travel, or 2) simply should not be visited at all - red zones, as it were.
Their advice is on the very cautious side, as
it should be. But I went with foreknowledge and, for me, the journey was well
worth it. I have followed these areas closely in the past and knew well the
region’s political and geo-political context. And while there, I moved with eyes
and ears open, listening to locals and the few other ex-pat travelers I met.
I
myself ran into no unusual trouble, and I think it was more than just luck. Indeed some areas are dangerous, or could become so rapidly. But
much of the region was simply safe.
Regardless, you now have the opportunity to visit these places yourself, at least vicariously.
Initial Selection:
Here is an initial selection, some of the best.
I'll be looking to upload chapters there after. (The first, on Istanbul, follows but captions are not complete.
I will update as I can, but please enjoy.
 |
| New Istanbul airpot |
 |
| south side of Agha Sophia |
|
 |
| Interior, Agha Sophia |
 |
| The Grand Bazaar, Istanbul |
 |
| Across the Bosphorus |
 |
| Istanbul from the north |
 |
| Safranbolu |
 |
| Amasra on the Black Sea Coast |
 |
| The roads to Sinop |
 |
| Sinop looking north |
 |
| Sinop looking West |
 |
| The road to Trabzon |
 |
| view of Turol, Kackar Mountains |
 |
| More of the Kackars |
 |
| One of many ruined 10th Century Georgian churches |
 |
| Zhi Ji on the citadel of Ardunuc |
 |
| Savsat, Kackar Mountains |
 |
| over the hills and onto the Eastern Turkish plateau |
 |
| A ruin of Ani, 10th Century Georgian kingdom |
 |
| Madresi in Erzurum |
 |
| Ezurum |
 |
| View on the way to Dogubayazit |
 |
| Army lookout over Dogubayazit |
 |
| A view of Eski Bayazit's
16th Century mosque and the remains of an 8th Century BC Urartian
castle, seen from Ishaq Pasha Palace, Dogubayazit |
 |
| Ishaq Pasha Palace, Dogubayazit |
 |
| Ishaq Pasha Palace and the hills east, Dogubayazit |
 |
| The old city south of Van Citadel |
 |
| Van Citadel and Van to the west |
 |
| Van Citadel |
 |
| view from Van Citadel to Lake Van |
 |
| Van Citadel |
 |
| Ulu Mosque minaret at sunrise, Mardin |
 |
| Ulu Mosque minaret at sunrise, Mardin |
 |
| random mosque entrance |
 |
| Mardin old city |
 |
| view from Mardin old city south over the Syrian Plain |
|
 |
| Interior, Ulu Mosque |
 |
| Ulu Mosque minaret |
 |
| Ulu Mosque minaret |
 |
| Shepard Boys in the hills west of Mardin |
 |
| A view south over the Syrian Plain on the road to Sanliurfga |
 |
| Night restaurant near the Bazaar in Sanliurfa |
 |
The Mevlid-i Halil Mosque outside the Tomb of Abraham, Sanliurfa
|
 |
| PArt of the Derga Complex around the Mevlid-i Halil Mosque |
 |
| The Dam Lake north of Dohuk, Iraqi Kurdistan/ Bashur Iraq |
 |
| Dohuk, Iraqi Kurdistan/Bashur Kurdistan |
 |
| Erbil, Iraqi Kurdistan/Bashur Kurdistan |
 |
| Proof |
 |
| Erbil, Iraqi Kurdistan/ Bashur Iraq |
 |
| The road to Sulaimaniya/Slemani, Iraqi Kurdistan/Bashur Iraq |
 |
| Street shops, Sulaimaniya/Slemani, Iraqi Kurdistan/Bashur Iraq |
 |
| Sulaimaniya/Slemani, Iraqi Kurdistan/Bashur Iraq |
 |
| Back in Erbil, street shop attendees |
 |
| Music in the central square, Erbil, Iraqi Kurdistan/Bashur Iraq |
 |
| Central Square, Erbil, Iraqi Kurdistan/Bashur Iraq |
 |
| The Bazaar, Erbil, Iraqi Kurdistan/Bashur Iraq |
 |
| Tea with the fellas, Erbil, Iraqi Kurdistan/Bashur Iraq |
 |
| Ulema (priest) outside a mosque in Istanbul |
 |
| back in Istabul, Entrance to the Grand Bazaar |
 |
| Looking across the Golden Horn to the Genoese Tower, Istanbul |
 |
| Buskers, Istanbul |
 |
| The Bridge across the Golden Horn, Istanbul |
 |
| The Blue Mosque, Sultanahmet, Istanbul |
 |
| The new airport, Istanbul |
Chapter 1: ISTANBUL
 |
| Agha Sophia interiors |
 |
| Night views of Sultanahmet |
 |
| One the many entries to the Grand Bazaar |
