Çanakkale to Erdine, Turkey, Wednesday June 5th

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This morning we walked to the Çanakkale archaeological museum. It was a good chance to see more areas of the city, with blocks of flats with shops at street level being the norm.

We tried to soak in as much as possible, with our days in Turkey numbered. Things we had noticed as ‘different’ when we arrived two months ago were now familiar. We took photos of a horse drawn vehicle being used for daily transport, of footpaths being used for purposes other than walking along, and of the food shops that we have frequented where the options are laid out in the front window for customers to see.
The archaeological museum had some items that had been found at various levels in the city of Troy site, but also items from the surrounding region, all of which is known as Troad. Certainly the cream of the Troy finds is in Istanbul, along with excellent information about the excavations and ancient cities, so anyone wanting to go to Troy should go there as well if it is at all possible. Pottery from Troy I (2920-2550 BC) was very roughly made, while that from Troy II (2550 – 2350 BC), although still hand formed, was much finer. There were relief decorations from Troy III (2350 – 2200BC) and by the time of Troy V (2200 – 1700 BC) the pots were varied in shape, made on pottery wheels and burnished. There were Anatolian grey ware pots from Troy VI (1700 – 1200 BC), the level believed to be the city of King Priam and the level from which the treasure was removed by Schlieman. Other items from later times included a statue of the Emperor Hadrian with a Medusa head on the breast plate of his armour, and a statue of Aphrodite from Hellenistic times.
The rest of the displays were from the surrounding districts, with many having been found in tumuli (burial mounds). Some were used over the centuries, with the one at Tenedos being used from 3000 BC to the 19th century. At Asos cemetery many figures relating to the cult of Dionysus were found, and they were recognised as such because they all featured dancing and singing which were the fields of that god. The earliest stone sarcophagus yet found in Asia Minor was found in the Kizoldon Tumulus. It featured two detailed scenes of the sacrifice of Polyxena, the daughter of Priam. She is being sacrificed by Neuptolemus in front of the tomb of his father, Archilles. It was made in the last decade of the 6th century and was still in perfect condition. Another sarcophagus had reliefs on it of battle and hunting scenes, as well as the deceased, and it had the remnants of the original paint on it.
A strange hooked blade (a strigilis) was a 2nd century scraper used by athletes to remove dirt, sweat and oil. No gentle soaps for them! One inscription had been dated by archaeological detectives since it mentioned Herakleides, son of Heroides, and another inscription mentioned the same fellow as having done well in the Panathenais games of 72 BC at Ilion. Dardanos, a son of Zeus, was the mythical ancestor of the Trojans. It has been of major importance at some times in history but now is a charming fishing village. There were many items found in the Dardanos tumulus, dating from all eras. One very special one was a 3rd century BC statue of Aphrodite with snakes on her left leg and arm and a bronze ring high on her right arm.
The finds show the changes in religion and in burial customs, with little figures of the Roman and Hellenistic gods being replaced by crosses in the Byzantine period. All the time, names from the stories in the Iliad pop up, with historical verification for what I had always considered a somewhat embroidered tale being provided. There were finds from the tumulus at the sanctuary of Apollo Smirtheus (Lord of Mice), and that was the temple where Chryses was priest. It was his daughter, Chryseis, who was taken captive by Agamemnon during the siege of Troy, according to Homer. Many items, such as the iridescent tear bottles and the collection of every day and professional medical tools, opened windows onto the way of life at other times.
On the walk back we delved into the side streets where life was busier for some and full of tea breaks for others. We witnessed the police arriving – two motorcycles and two cars surrounding an incorrectly parked car that was blocking a road. The first policeman made a loud speaker announcement calling the culprit to come forth. There was plenty of movement. Everyone else rushed out to see who the wanted person was. Minutes passed with no-one appearing, only a man who seemed to be telling the police about someone else. It was a stalemate so more announcements were made. We didn’t have all day so we plunged into the Mirrored Bazaar that we had come to visit. Apart from columns with mirrors on them, now covered by items for sale, it was just another shopping centre. We hurried out the other end and doubled back a bit to see the arrest but we were too late – the street was empty of crime again.
We couldn’t visit the synagogue since we arrived during the lunch break. It is protected by high fences and barbed wire and appeared not to be used any more. The back part had washing hanging up and children playing nearby. While we picnicked in the park near the Atatürk statue, a crowd was filmed listening to a speaker, enthusiastically clapping and chanting. I had watched the rehearsals when they had used cheat sheets for the chanting. At the end of the speech these ‘committed’ supporters just melted away, as if their job as part of ‘rent-a-crowd’ did not include any hanging around afterwards.
So at 2 pm we were back on the bus, then on the ferry, leaving the Asian shore of Turkey and setting off for Erdine, near the Bulgarian border. Never have we travelled so incessantly through crops that they have become boring before, but this trip took us through the food basket of Thrace and even I nodded off for a few minutes now and then. Keith unashamedly sleeps on most journeys and asks me what he missed.
From the bus station we took a small bus to the centre. The bus was tiny and had seen better days but it was fun to ride in something that could have been part of the set for a Noddy movie. Some people were sitting behind us and some others got on. The conductor rearranged everyone efficiently and was friendly and chatty in a non-language way. Finally the bus was overfull and two women had to stand. At the next stop the people in the back seat got off and the conductor indicated to the women that they should sit at the back. They made faces and implied that they wouldn’t sit in those seats because of the previous people. Eventually the conductor sprayed the seats with hand freshener and the women reluctantly sat down. We thought that they may have been making their feelings clear about the cleanliness of gypsies.
Arriving at the tourist information centre, we met a gentle and courteous man who said that he spoke ‘a little English’ and then spoke perfectly to suggest the things that we might like to do in Erdine. He also suggested a hotel to suit our budget. He was a gem who anticipated the needs of travellers and explained everything well. The only question that flummoxed him was about visas to Bulgaria, but he showed us on the map where the Bulgarian Consulate was.
We booked in at a crumbling hotel, where the floor smelled as if previous residents had not been able to wait for their turn at the shared toilet, and where the man tried to charge us lots more than he should have. Sorted out, we took the advice of our friend at the tourist bureau and visited what he had said was ‘the most beautiful mosque in Turkey’. And he was right; the Selimiye Mosque is even more beautiful than the Blue Mosque so imagine it. It is perfectly proportioned and delicate, with an octagon as a design element near the dome. Unfortunately it was not permitted to take photos inside and I know that a description will be inadequate. Each section was designed so that it contributed to a whole that was light and airy, and yet had its own special elements. Arches with Iznik tiles demanded attention because they stood in contrast to delicately carved stone work. Calligraphy had been incorporated into complex painted designs and over all, almost impossible to stop gazing at, was the most beautiful enormous dome, with a richly but lightly coloured design all over it. I was sure that the dome must be transparent so that light could penetrate because the whole effect was so luminous. This beautiful building, courtyard and school were designed by the great Sinan, the master architect of the 16th century, whose statue stands at the beginning of the gardens where the mosque is found. We ate our meal looking at the mosque and the citizens of Edirne who utilise these gardens well, until it was dark enough for the lights to come on. Someone with no concern for conserving power and a crazy sense of colour has filled the trees, streets, fountains and gardens with light displays so that this common night looked as if it was fiesta time. We found the internet café after a long walk.
Finally we were ready to look through the opaque glass to see if anyone was in the toilet/shower room, and of course, it was endlessly occupied. Eventually Keith had a shower but I had long since given up and slept as if no smells assailed me. Medusa heads apparently had the power to turn people to stone if they looked at the image, so they were sometimes part of the city gates. This one may have been from a gate or a grave.

We were a couple of weeks too early to enjoy the annual oil wrestling event in Edirne. This was the only oil wrestling we saw, in a park in the centre of town.
There is a basket hanging on a rope in the centre of this picture. The resident of the third floor flat is pulling it up after a man has delivered something to the address and place it in the basket.
A simit seller strolling down the street.
A typical Turkish small general store. The ice-creams are in the big freezer on the footpath. The bread is in a glass cabinet behind the freezer. Crisps are always prominently displayed.
Horse drawn carts are common in many Turkish towns, though we visited a small number of cities where we saw none.

Probably the worst hotel we stayed in, with no redeeming features. It was not the cheapest, it had a slightly unpleasant smell about it, the manager was not friendly and most of the guests were very seedy looking. Perhaps they thought the same of us. At the end of this passage is the only toilet and shower, though the hotel has at least ten rooms. Both the first door, to the basin, and the second door, to the toilet and shower, have transluscent glass in them. With the light on inside, the level of privacy was less than adequate.

The picture below shows the toilet in the same room as the shower, which is common in most places we have been, not just in Turkey. The floor is not polished, but wet from the shower. This squat toilet has no cover over the hole, so it is always smelly in and near such toilets.