Goreme, Cappadocia, part 3
We went to the Goreme Outdoor Museum today, the fifth most visited place in Turkey. It consists of a series of monasteries, dating from the 11th and 12th century, each one very close to the next. These were constructed in the large tufa, the strange volcanic triangle formations that are famous in Cappadocia. By the way, Cappadocia is an area; Goreme is a small town in Cappadocia, and we are staying at the Kelebek Hotel, which I love. It has a great website—check it out. The monasteries are not like any churches we’ve ever seen. They are carved out of stone and have very primitive frescos on the walls. The sad part is that many of the faces have been scratched out. Turkey is the holiest site for Christians outside of the Vatican and Israel. In the fourth century Constantine made Christianity the official language of the Roman Empire. Byzantine was the capital; after Constantine’s death, the name was changed to Constantinople. When the Turks came, it became Istanbul. It was Constantine’s mother who went to what is today Israel to identify the holy sites: here is where Jesus had the last supper, here is where he was born, etc. The Christian church here is, of course, the Eastern Orthodox. Our guide yesterday repeatedly pointed out how tolerant Turkey has always been, given refuge to persecuted people.
They did accept the Jews when Spain kicked them out after the Inquisition and seem tolerant of them today.
Turkish Bath: The Kelebek Hotel has the BEST spa. I indulged in a Turkish massage today. It costs $70 for 70 mins, but really lasted 1 hr and 45 mins. If you go to the Kelebek website, you can see the room. In the middle is a large, heated marble slab—maybe 10-12 ft in diameter with a butterfly design in the middle (Kelebek means butterfly) and a skylight overhead. I was given a small Turkish towel for cover. This is a coed room, and I was grateful that I was the only one there because the towel slips a lot! The therapist was a teeny, tiny Japanese young woman. Next to her, I looked like Jaba the Hut. First she poured large bowls of hot water all over me. Then she used a loofa to scrub me, covered me with soapy water using a pillow full of the bubble bath., and gave me a massage. I thought it was all over, but wait—there’s more! She took me to a cool down room and then to a private massage room, where I got another great massage. Finally I got a facial mask. Sublime
Observation: You have to be very healthy and fit to travel in Turkey. This is not a place for sissies or anyone with a handicap. There is no ADA here. There are no warnings about how steep or how slippery a trail may be , how low a ceiling is, or how narrow a passageway. There are no waivers to sign. Everything seems to involve climbing a lot of stairs. I’m glad Dan and I did this while we’re still reasonably fit!
Turkish language: Evidently the Turkish language is related to Japanese, Korean, and Finnish!!! Two guides shared this info with us. I don’t know if it can be validated on Snopes.
As soon as I edit my pictures, put them to music and add captions, I will invite anyone who has received this blog to come see the DVD.
Signing off…(unless something really interesting happens in the next 24 hrs)
Shirley
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