The Bosphorus
My friend Mo (Dr Momtaz) in Antalya
Kanlıdivane ruins in Adana.
The site is build around a large sinkhole and as this region is limestone it is probably full of caves. The Mediterranean Sea last dried up about 5 millions years ago and I don't know how old is the sinkhole, but that has attracted attention since early antiquity and has ruins of Greek, Roman and later Christian occupation. Multiple temples and old churches are there. Some gruesome stories of felons being thrown in the sinkhole are complemented by stories of lions being kept and fed on early Christians, although it looks to me as any lion worth it's salt could climb out of there in no time.
Kizkalesi
This is an interesting story: some Roman emperor had a beautiful wife but she couldn't get pregnant. Finally after many years of infertility specialists, she did. And her baby girl turned out very pretty.
Some fortune-teller at look her hand and got so scared that the emperor asked what was she envisioning. She said: "Your daughter will die at her 19 birthday from a snake bite!!" So the emperor, scared and not knowing what to do, decides to build this castle on the sea so no snake can swim to her. On her 19 birthday they make big celebration for her being alive and one of the guest bring a basket of fresh grapes the girl particularly like. And of course no one realized a snake got into the basket and killed her at night... Apparently this is pretty true story!! And if not totally true, certainly repeated much. Actually there really is no strategic benefit in building a castle with no water and food access! In case of siege they would be over powered in no time, so the maiden story probably makes sense.
This unsightly "hole in a stone" is actually very interesting. This is the opening craved in the top of a stone to insert a "Lewis bolt" (or "Holivela") (check that hyperlink!). Thanks Pr Ressler for teaching me that!
A couple enjoying the sunset...
...before the full moon sets in
Lokmacisi from Narlikuyu. These delicious pastries (a little like doughnut hole but with a crunchy sweet outside) are commonly served around the Mediterranean but these are without a doubt, the very best!!
The Mediterranean
Mersin
Aphrodite in the Adana history museum
