Follow My Journey

Follow My Journey
Istanbul-Bursa-Kusadasi-Ephesus-Pamukale-Konya-Cappadocia-Sivas-Amasya-Ankara

Tuesday, March 14, 2017

Turkey Fellowship


In the summer of 2007, Ms. Avery journeyed to Turkey with 20 educators from around the country as part of a Turkey Fellowship made possible through a grant from the Turkish Foundation in cooperation with The World Affairs Council of Connecticut and Yale PIER Institute. I was selected through a highly competitive process and will be a part of a four member Connecticut delegation of educators participating in this 17 day Fellowship, July 25th through the 10th of August.

Following the study tour I will be leading in workshops open to the public through Yale PIER on Turkey and I will also be sharing all that I learned with my students and fellow teachers. I am so looking forward to it!! So stay tuned because there's more to come!

Monday, March 13, 2017




My Turkey adventure is set to begin soon...Below are some facts about Turkey:

Sunday, March 12, 2017

The Bosporous Has A Soul

Today is our first full day in Istanbul and we began our very full day with a visit to the Spice Bazaar, where we found all sorts of fresh spices, sacks of henna, many varieties of oils and herbs and of course the world's very best Turkish delight. Afterwards we visited Robert College, a private high school founded by Americans. This prestigious high school is the number one high school in all of Turkey and graduates of this school go on to attend the best Turkish Universities as well as top universities in the US and Europe.

The remainder of the morning we had the ride of a lifetime-an incredible cruise along the Bosporous. The views took my breath away. At that moment I realized that I was in Istanbul, the city that is the crossroads of Europe and Asia. And this great waterway is its heart and its the soul. It breathes today with a life force that has existed for thousands of years, as man, vessels, goods and ideas have passed through this waterway. Along its banks lie opulent palaces, fine mosques, fortresses and traditional wooden Ottoman mansions. Orhan Oamuk, Turkey's most famous poet wrote of the Bosphorus, " To be traveling through the middle of a city as great....and historic as Istanbul, and yet feel the freedom of the open sea-that is the thrill of a trip along the Bosphorus."

In the afternoon, we visited the seaside neighborhood of Kuzguncuk and there we toured three houses of worship, a Sephardic Temple, an Armenian Orthodox Church and a Greek Orthodox Church. These places underscore Istanbul's long history of religious tolerance, where Christians, Jews and Muslims have lived together in peace and mutual respect. Today the Kozguncuk neighborhood is still cultural mosaic of Greek, Armenian, Jewish and Turkish communities.
Greetings from Istanbul!! We've finally arrived after a 9 hour journey. I puddle jump compared to the 15 hour journey to Korea earlier this summer. We're staying in the Arcadia Hotel overlooking the Blue Mosque and the Bosporous Strait. Today, after pick-up at the airport we check in at our hotel we all gathered atop the hotel terrace and had a brief orientation from our tour guide, Serhan. With a bit of time afterwards, Megan, Program Director at the World Affairs of CT and fellow CT teacher Susan and I had a coffee at the store down the street. It was the first taste of Istanbul for us. Then we made our way to the quant sea-side neighborhood of Oratky, to the Cinaralti Restaurant. We had a mese plate of dumas (stuffed grape leaves), humus, and artichoke heart, followed by a lamb shiskabe and a dessert of sweets and fruit. Delicious! My friend Susan and I walked the main square around our hotel after dinner and took photos of the Blue Mosque and the Aya Sophia at night. We just heard the final moon up call to prayer outside our hotel window and now it's off to bed for a full day tomorrow!

Saturday, March 11, 2017

A Day in "Old Istanbul"

Today we spent the day touring the Sultanahmet district in Istanbul. Sultanahmet is the neighborhood standing right on top of the ancient Byzantium settlement. The area is very easily maneuvered on foot, and having been fortunate enough to stay in the Arcadia Hotel located right in the Sultanahmet district, made for a memorable last day here in Istanbul.



The Hippodrome was the center of Byzantine life for 1000 years and Ottoman life for another 400. It was the center of Byzantium’s political and social life, a place for gathering and discussion and debate for the residents of the city. The Sultan’s ruled from their palaces while the hippodrome was the place that belonged to the people. Political parties were formed here and chariot races were often conducted between teams. Victorius charioteers might even have effects on political policy. Many a Sultan kept a watchful eye over the events in the Hippodrome, discontent was observed here as it could signal the beginnings of riot, demonstrations and revolution. In the northern corner of the Hippodrome is the Kaiser Wilhelm Fountain, presented as a token of friendship from the German keiser to the Turkish Sultan as a token of friendship. In the center of the Hippodrome is the Obelisk of Theodosius. The emperor Theodosius had this Egyptian obelisk brought to Constantinople in AD 390. Next to that is a bronze spiral column that once had three serpent heads atop. It was made by the Greeks from melted Persian war helmets to commemorate the Greek victory over the Persians. It was brought to Constantinople by Constantine in AD 330. Finally on the southern end of the Hippodrome is the Rough-Stone Obelisk that once was covered by bronze plates before removed by the invading Crusaders of the Fourth Crusade.




Hagia Sofia (The Church of Great Wisdom) is surely Istanbul’s most famous monument. First built as a church by Emperor Justinian in 527-65 as part of his efforts to restore the greatness of the Roman Empire. Mehmet the Conqueror, the Ottoman Sultan who conquered Constantinople in 1453, converted the church into a mosque. In 1935, Attaturk, the founder of the Turkish republic turned Aya Sofya into a museum. Entering into this museum is awe-inspiring. The Emperor Justinian was said to have declared, upon entering the church for the first time following its completion that he was honored to have built such a glorious house of worship and he is said to have uttered aloud,“ I have outdone Solomon himself.” Entering this site and immediately understand why. The enormous dome is the largest in all the world and truly one of the great wonders of ancient Byzantium. One is certainly overwhelmed by the height and breadth of Hagia Sofia. There is a mix of Byzantine and Islamic art throughout the site.


Sultanahmet Mosque. The Ottoman Sultan Ahmet I (1603-17) set out to build a monument that would rival the nearby Hagia Sofia in grandeur and beauty. Today it’s more widely known as the Blue Mosque due to the stained-glass windows and Iznik tiles lining the walls of the mosque. The mosque has six minarets and the courtyard is the biggest of all the Ottoman mosques.
The mosque is an absolutely stunning achievement of architecture. Both beautiful inside and out, it is truly a wonder of the Ottoman Age. From our hotel terrace at night we could see the Blue Mosque along the Bosphorus with its unique six minarets. With the moon shinning from above on this lovely summer evening and the call to prayer being heard through loudspeakers, one is easily mesmerized by the beauty and mystery of this ancient city.
Today was the second full day in the amazing city that is Istanbul. We spent the morning walking the grounds of Tokopai Palace, the lavish home to the Ottoman Sultans. Mehmet the Conqueror started work on this palace shortly after the Muslim Conquest in 1453 and it remained the home of the Sultans until the mid-19th century when the Sultan and his family moved into European style palaces that they built along the Bosporous.

We started our visit with a walk through the first and second courtyards of the palace into the labyrinth of rooms that comprised the Sultan’s harem, the imperial family quarters. Next, we entered the third court that contained the treasury of the Sultan’s. We marveled (along with hundreds of others) at all the opulent jewels and gold and diamonds that the Sultan’s and their court acquired. The highlight for me was the golden throne of Ahmet I and the Spoonmaker’s Diamond, an 86-carat rock surrounded by several dozen smaller stones worn by Mehmet IV at this accession to the throne.
After a lovely morning at Topkapi, our group crossed the Bosphorus Bridge and drove to Uskudar. There we watched one of Turkey’s leading Ebru artists, Mr. Hikmet Barutcugil demonstrate this ancient art of Turkey.
We then visited the Istanbul Modern Museum of Art and toured the exhibit of Turkish modern artists. Afterwards we stepped out on the balcony and once again took in the amazing view of the Bosphorous and the Sultenhamet District.
This very busy day last day in ended with a lovely dinner in a restored Ottoman mansion. We enjoyed good conversation, wonderful food and fasul, which is traditional Turkish classical music.







This morning we said goodbye to Istanbul and headed on our bus journey to Bursa. On our way we we visited the Enka School in Adapazari. This region suffered a terrible earthquake in 1999 and 20,000 people died as a result. Enka School was set up in aftermath of that earthquake to help the children of the victims. Most of the students who attend this school are orphans. Here are some facts on the visit:

  • Supported by multinational corporation, their purpose is to serve children who lost their homes and families

  • Private, but free to students (uniform, meals, transport, board)

  • Budget is $3.5 million annually

  • Began building 40 days after earthquake by searching out needy children and teachers

  • Now 560 students, K-12 (ration 8:1)

  • Entrance is difficult and according to need (85% poor, disadvantaged)

  • Projects displayed in hallways, activity encouraged

  • Not interested in aesthetics of building itself (focus on kids)

  • Curriculum is student-centered

  • Separate elementary and high school

  • Covered gym

  • IB programs

  • Mentoring

  • After school activities

  • Technology (4,000hrs of instruction)

  • Dance, art, music
We were very much moved by the service learning essential of the school. The seniors have to do community service before graduation and the teachers proudly shared one of their projects on helping a poor nearby village improve their school and community center.

We proceeded next to Iznik, Turkey. In ancient times this city was called Nicea, located on the shore of a peaceful lake. The city first flourished under greek rule in the 4th century BCE. It was here in the 4th century that the First Ecumenical Council was held and formulated the Nicene Creed-a statement on the basic beliefs of Christianity (I Believe in God....")
While there we visited the Isnik Foundation, an organization dedicated to reviving the tradition of Turkish tile-making (http://www.iznikvakfi,org/). It was fascinating to watch the women move through the age-old process.
Our tour’s final destination for the day was Bursa. Bursa has a special place in the hearts of Turks for it was the first capital of the Ottoman Empire. Bursa has many ancient mosques , medresses, (seminaries) and hamams (bathhouses). It is also was the center of the Silk trade and home to the famous “Turkish Towel.” Our hotel was the Karavanaray Thermal Hotel. This hotel was once offered rest, food and relaxation to tired sojourners and their animals along the Silk Road and is connected to an ancient spring. Before dinner, I enjoyed a luxurious Turkish Bath experience at the Hotel. It was one of the most memorable and most relaxing and pampering experiences on my trip so far. A must do for any traveler through Turkey.
In the evening we attended a Hacivat and Karagoz traditional Turkish shadow puppet show at the Karagoz House in Bursa. Please see my link on traditional Turkish shadow theatre for more information.

Friday, March 10, 2017

The Classical Heritage of Anatolia (Day I)



In the morning, before leaving Bursa we visited the tombs of Ozman Gazi and Orhan Gazi tombs, the founders of the Ottoman Empire and Koza Han, home of the silk trade.

Then it was on to Pergamum. There we had our first of many encounters of the breathtaking ancient ruins that run up and down the Aegean part of Anatolia. Pergamum was one of the greatest cities of Western Asia. It achieved its greatest power under Roman control and the rule of Eumenes II in 2nd century BCE. The wonders at Pergamum are many. We walked up the acropolis, the high point in ancient Pergamum to the Temple of Trajan, built during the reigns of Trajan and Hadrian and used as a place of worship for those emperors as well the worshipping of Zeus. This Roman temple is built atop Roman foundations that were later used as cisterns during the middle ages. We also visited the 10,000 seat theater at Pergamum. This open air Hellenistic theater is the steepest theater in the world, built right into the hillside and allowing for a spectacular view of the surrounding area. Above the stage was the ruined temple of Dionysus and to the south of the theatre and shaded by a evergreen trees is base of the Altar of Zeus. The altar itself, depicting freezes of a battle scenes between Olympian gods and their human foes can be found in Berlin at the Ephesus Archeological Museum.

We pulled into our Kusadasi Hotel late and before going to bed took in the breathtaking view of the Aegean at night from our balcony

Thursday, March 9, 2017

Classical Heritage of Anatolia (Day II)

Today was one of the highlights of my journey here through Turkey. We spent the day exploring the best preserved classical city in the eastern Mediterranean. Walking through Ephesus, I felt as if I were stepping back in time and experiencing what life was like in Classical times. Ancient Ephesus was a great trading city and a centre for the cult of Cybele, the Anatolian fertility goddess. Under the influence of the Ionian Greeks, Cybele became Artemisia, the virgin goddess of the hunt and the moon, and a fabulous temple was built in her honor. When the Romans took over this city and made it the capital city of the province of Asia, Artemisia became Diana.
We started this incredible day with a visit to the site of the Temple of Artemisia, one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. This site had been a place of pilgrimage in ancient Anatolia since 88BCE. By 600 BCE Ephesus was a prosperous trading city. In ancient times Ephesus was a seaport on the Aegean. The temple of Artemisia would have been looming large and magnificent as ancient vessels made their way into the harbor. Under Roman control Ephesus grew to 250,000 people and the cult of Diana brought pilgrims from all around the Mediterranean world. St. Paul when he visited this city in the 1st century CE came to preach about Christianity to the Ephesians and the uselessness of the cult of Diana. He preached in the Ephesus theatre and caused such a riot among Ephesians as a result of his attacks against Diana that he fled the city for his life.
After a stop at the site of the temple we toured the Ephesus Museum where among other classical ruins excavated in Ephesus we saw the statue of Artemisia. Next we explored other sites of Ephesus. In upper Ephesus we saw the odium, where the city council met and the Temple of Hestia Boulaea, in which a perpetually burning flame was guarded. Making our way towards the marketplace we passed through the Gate of Hercules constructed in the 4th century CE . The view looking down onto the agora, the market place, is spectacular. At its end is the famous Library of Celsus, named after the Roman governor of Asia Minor in the early part of the 2nd century CE. Along the market we couldn’t help but to pop into the remains of the male communal bathroom. (FYI-I now know what the Romans used instead of toilet paper-the had a remarkable water distribution system running all the way through Ephesus and some of the water that ran in throufs below the toilets from the baths up above was diverted into small channels in front of the toilets. Romans would then used available sponges to clean themselves and then washed them in the channel.) We also passed the Temple of Hadrian with a head of Medusa to keep out evil spirits. Finally, I paused for awhile to appreciate the library which once held 12,000 scrolls in niches around its walls. The outside of the temple has statues of the four wisdoms-Though, Knowledge, Wisdom and Goodness. (The real statues are in the Austrian Archeological Museum). There was of course much, much more to see and explore but time was against us.
Next it was up to visit the Basilica of St. John built by Emperor Justinian. It was here that St. John is believed to have preached. The 6th century church that bears his name was built here atop the ruins of the earliest Ephesus ruins. It was so moving to walk through a baptismal font along “the way of the pilgrims” as the early Ephesian converts must have done. Perhaps they were baptized by Paul or St. John themselves. St. John’s believed burial spot is here as well. The hill allows for a spectacular view of the temple of Artemesia and it’s easy to use one’s imagination to see the Aegean waters reaching up to its shores.
Lastly, but certainly not least, on my personal list, we visited The House of The Virgin Mary. After Jesus’ death in 33 CE, his mother, Mary, was entrusted into the care of the apostle John. John as I mentioned earlier, came to Asia Minor to spread the gospel and it is believed he took Mary with him and that it was here in Ephesus that Mary lived her last years. In the 19th century a German nun had a dream that the spot where Mary lived and where she was taken into heaven was in Ephesus. Clergy from nearby Izmir came to Ephesus and went to the place revealed in the sister’s dream. What they found was the foundation of the house you see today. (The house was reconstructed in the early 20th century). Below the Byzantine foundation was the remains of a 1st century home. Today pilgrims from all over, Muslims as well as Christians come to this spot to pray and meditate and bring back the waters from the spring. It was a very peaceful and reflective end to a extraordinary memorable day.

Wednesday, March 8, 2017

Classical Heritage of Anatolia (Day III)

Today we left Kusadasi bound for Pammukale. We drove most of the morning stopping for lunch along the way. The landscape outside my window has changed from the low lying lands along the seacoast to the high plateau/mountain region of Western Anatolia. Brick homes dot the landscape surrounded by dry, yellow fields with the mountains behind. There's not much arable land or crops being grown. Water allocation is a hot issue in this country. Damns and rivers provide most of Turkey’s water, but Turkey is going through a terrible dry spell and water is rationed. Cypress trees and olive tree groves appear often. Occasionally I see a small village and then we passed through Denizili, a major city in the area. The air is dry and the weather is HOT-108 degees Fahrenheit.

We arrived in the early afternoon to Aphrodisias, (Aphrodite-Greek/Venus-Roman), the city dedicated to the goddess of love and one of Turkey’s finest archeological sites. Here I got a real sense of the grandeur and the extent of the lost classical cities. The settlement at Afrodisias dates back to the 6th century BCE when Anatolians worshipped the local fertility goddess here. By the 2nd century BCE it was a town and by the 3rd century CE it had grown into the capital of the Roman province of Caria.

While here we visited the open air theatre that was built on the prehistoric earthmound that marked the earliest settlements of the city. We then saw the large agora and marveled at the gigantic swimming pool that ran its length. Then to the Hadrianic Baths where I could really envision the Romans bathing taking time during the day to come together in this place and bath in the pool and talk politics and discuss all sorts of social issues. The Roman bath became the model from which the Turkish Bath stemmed from. We passed the site of the Temple of Aphrodisias and later I visited the museum that contained her statue that was worshipped here. We could also see how the temple was later converted into a Byzantine Basilica in 500 CE. I loved touching the early Christian crosses carved into the marble pillars of the basilica. The stadium at Aphrodisias was the real treasure of this site. It’s the largest (30,000) and best preserved stadium in the classical world. The shape of the stadium is ovoid and at one end of the stadium was a circle for gladiatorial combats.








After lunch we payed a short visit to a village school, Atakoy Ilkogretim Okulu. The principal and a handful of adorable students were there to great us. Here is some data on the school:








  • School founded in 1948
  • 210 students, 3 buildings



  • Children come from this village



  • Each class has own classroom



  • 14 teachers, 1 English



  • 8 grades, 1st -5th here



  • 50% continue to high school, 10% to university



  • Students wear uniforms through high school (nationwide)



  • Teacher shortage is a problem



  • No internet yet, but hoping for it soon (basic training given)
  1. Government mobilizes businesses to contribute and sponsor (tax cuts)



  • Until 4th grade, teachers educate in all subjects; after, specialization



  • Teachers pursue bachelors, take civil service exam and are assigned to regions by score and preference but must stay 2 years (victim of system)



  • Equal salary by experience but not very different by region



  • Teachers respected but expected to produce results



  • Homework is expected and necessary for reality
  • Government provides books for all 14 million students in the country


The students were worth the trip to this small, country school!










Next we traveled to ancient Hieropolis and the Pamukkale travertines. Hieropolis was an ancient spa-resort. It was located near calcium formations known in Turkish as Pammukale, or “Cotton Cloluds.” These gleaming white-calcium formations are a spectacular site. As our tour bus drove up to Hieropolis we marveled at the snow white mountains in the distance. We had some time to enjoy the waters of Pamukkale and then walk through the ruins of Hieropolis, past the spectacular Roman Theatre and into the Hieropolis thermal pool and then onto the necropolis of Hieropolis. I couldn’t help but feel sadness at the image of the ill sojourners coming to Hieropolis, hoping for a cure, and in many cases not getting it and ending up in the necropolis in the distance.




Despite the intense heat of early August, I loved my day at Aphrodisias/Hieropolis. What I enjoyed most about these sites was the closeness I could get to the ruins. To be able to touch the Greek and Latin inscriptions, exploring classical structures and walk among these ancient stones, allowed me to connect with the ancient inhabitants of Anatolia in a way no history book could teach. I felt a deep connection to these people of long ago. As my friend Susan and I ran through the necropolis of Hieropolis, while the sun was beginning to make its own journey to the underworld, I could feel how the ancients must have loved and laughed, and hoped and dreamed and lived and died like those of us today. All that remains of them now are the ruins around us and the writings they left behind. And like the ancients, we too will someday be gone and the ruins and writings we leave behind will speak for to future generations. I realized as we jumped on board the bus, that we share a common humanity, both the past and the present and we also share similar journeys through life and death.