Sunday 30 September – Sufis, sarcophagi and a shrink.

After breakfast this morning, again overlooking the pool but with a pussy cat for company today, and a last look over the Mediterranean, we headed inland.  After pausing to view the remains of the Roman aqueduct that brought water to the ancient Greco-Roman town of Aspendos, we visited the magnificent 12,000 seat theatre, constructed during the mid-2^nd century CE.  It is regarded as the best-preserved of all theatres from antiquity, largely due to the Seljuk Sultan Keykubat, who restored the ailing theatre in the 13^th century and for a time used it as a palace.  So what we saw has basically been preserved in its current state for seven centuries.

After a delicious pide lunch, next stop was the city of Konye and the Green Mausoleum, resting place of Hz. Mevlana Celaleddin-i Rumi, 13^th century Anatolian mystic, poet and the father of the Mevlevi Order, and is the original lodge of the Mevelvi Whirling Dervishes, a mystical Sufi Mulsim group.  The original green dome of the mausoleum was first built shortly after the rumi died and was added to in the 19^th century.  It contains many sarcophagi and is a place of pilgrimage for Muslim Turks.  While we were there, John spoke to a Sufi Master, who volunteered that he is also a London-based psychiatrist.  He asked John a few probing questions and, fortunately, gave him the all clear.  After a sip of the local holy water, he was pure in body and mind.

Last stop before our final destination was to visit a 13^th century caravanserai which – surprise, surprise – was under renovation, so we only saw the outside.  Then after a further long drive – we were on the road for eight hours today – we reached Cappadocia and stopped for a delicious three-course dinner in an upmarket restaurant.  We then completed the journey to our remarkable hotel – every room has been carved from the rock for which the region is famous and each is of unique design.  Ours has a large round bed and a spa-bath in the bedroom, as well as a separate bathroom with a double shower.  Absolutely amazing!

Saturday 29 September – Pottering through Perge; immersing in the Mediterranean.

An easier day today – after breakfast by the pool (where we were eyed off by a large seagull) we boarded our bus and made our escape as the hordes descended on our hotel for the 2018 Zula International Cup (whatever that is – something to do with video gaming).  We travelled just 15km to Perge, at one time one of the most important cities of the region.  It dates back to 1300BCE and, although the ruins show the signs of earthquake damage and general deterioration, there is sufficient of the original city available to give a good picture of life in Greek and Roman times.  Significant archaeological restoration work has been done – a project of the Turkish government (much of the restoration work on many of the archaeological sites we have visited, on this trip and in earlier years, have been sponsored by other countries, including Australia).

Originally a Hittite town, in much earlier times Perge was occupied in turn by the Persians, Athenians, Persians again and the Romans.  The early inhabitants worshipped Artemis and held regular festivals in her honour.  Alexander the Great occupied the city at one stage with part of his army, followed by the Seleucids and then the Romans.  In 46CE, according to the Acts of the Apostles, St Paul and his companion St Barnabas visited Perge, went away and then returned for another visit.  Perge remained inhabited until about 1000CE.  Perge's most celebrated ancient inhabitant, the mathematician Apollonius (c.262–c.190 BCE), lived and worked here. He wrote a series of eight books describing a family of curves known as conic sections, comprising the circle, ellipse, parabola, and hyperbola.

The ruins of Perge cover a large area.  The first thing you notice when you arrive is the 14,000 seat theatre, which we were unable to enter due to safety concerns.  But the main street, with many of the columns and the adjacent shopfronts still intact or discernible provided a good idea of daily life.  The agora is 65 metres square, with solid remains of a round temple in the centre.   The 2^nd century CE, 234 metre-long stadium, with a capacity of 12,000 spectators is largely intact.  The Roman gates, through which we passed, and the large Hellenistic gates and horseshoe courtyard are most impressive, and the baths still contain evidence of the underground plumbing and heating.  A fascinating site.

After a pleasant couple of hours we headed back to our hotel for a rest, as we have a very long day tomorrow, leaving here at 7.30am for Cappadocia and not arriving there until late in the evening.  (For that reason, plus having to get up about 4.30am the next morning for our dawn balloon ride over the fairy chimneys, we will not have a blog tomorrow).

After a bite of lunch we headed down to the Mediterranean  - literally down; we took a lift from the hotel level to the bottom of the cliff and the water’s edge.  We had a quick swim as the first rain we have experienced in Turkey started to fall, then back up to our room for a bath and a rest. We will wander out this evening for a seafood dinner, then back for an early night.

Friday 28 September – Tinsel, tombs and tomatoes.

This morning we had a delicious breakfast in an idyllic location – on the balcony of our hotel overlooking the Mediterranean.  We then boarded our bus for the two-hour journey, along the stunning Mediterranean coastline, to Myra and the Church of St Nicholas, an early Christian bishop (believed to have lived 270 -343CE) who became famous for his support of the poor and was the inspiration for Santa Claus (although the jolly, plump, white-bearded fellow with the red suit who we now associate with Christmas is an invention of Coca-Cola in the early 20^th century).  The church was first built in 520CE and, although it has been renovated a few times, it still contains some of the original frescoes.

Next stop was the nearby rock tombs and theatre, dating back to the 4^th century BCE, overlooked by the remains of the citadel perched high on the hill overlooking the town.  While there we stopped for a delicious lunch of pancakes filled with cheese and parsley, then continued on through the mountains and along the winding road clinging to the hillside above the sparkling Mediterranean, passing thousands upon thousands of greenhouses that, during the colder months, produce much of Turkey’s tomato crop for domestic consumption and export, to complement those grown in the open during the summer months, in all some seven million tonnes a year!

We finally reach Antalya, an ancient city that now boasts a population of four million people, and our hotel overlooking the sea.