Discovering Turkey's Ancient And Secret Cities | Hidden Aegean Turkey

[Music] it is known for one of the best preserved Roman ruins in the world but this isn't [Music] Italy it's steeped in Greek mythology a place where Homer's epics come to life but it's not Greece it's where a succession of his toric empires have left their Mark and Pagan Christian Muslim and Jewish cultures have collided and coexisted a sprawling Coastline of incredible beauty with stunning Landscapes endless beaches and clear turquoise Waters that have been traversed from Millennia yet they're still waiting to be discovered it's a destination that is equally alluring and surprising where you can explore the past live in the present and Ponder the future I'm Peter Greenberg and this is Turkey's hidden aan covering nearly 83,000 square miles the aanc has supported some of the greatest civilizations in history including the the Roman Byzantine and ottoman Empires surrounded by Greece to the north and west and the Mediterranean to the South the east shore of the aan is bounded by turkey this 1700m long stretch of Coastline marks the western edge of Asia Minor the Roman Alias for the Anatolian Peninsula which is figured so prominently in history but where ancient armies once marched and clashed now only bracing Winds of the aan buffet the ruins of the [Music] past historically the sea was more of a connection than a barrier as it was faster and more convenient to travel by boat making the ancient regions now defined as Greece and Turkey more closely intertwined I started my journey at the northern boundary of the the dardel because of its strategic location between two continents Europe and Asia and between two Seas the black and the aan this area was settled for thousands of years it was also witness to countless Wars including the nearby battlefields of galipoli which draws most visitors to this region but I'm here to explore something else that you might not expect to find in Turkey you may remember the legendary battle of Troy from High School Greek mythology when the invading Greeks built a huge wooden horse filled it with soldiers and rolled it up to the gates of the City sneaking their soldiers inside and defeating the Trojans while the horse may be a bit of Mythology and Hollywood fantasy the 5,000 ye- old city is real and here in Turkey now we are walking on the Troy's walles be careful yep archaeologist R asan is director of the Troy excavation and has been working on this site since 1988 P look the this wall is is you can see the damages to the earthquake and then that wall over there is the thousand years older than this wall wow this mean they build rebuild again and again again in 3,000 is we have nine different cities top each other the Stacked cities look like a layer cake of history in cross-section with the oldest cities on the bottom and the newest at the top excavations here have uncovered artifacts from the legendary Trojan War in the sixth layer dating back to 1200 BC but you're telling me that Troy actually happened here not in Greece not in Greece and it's happened everything's here so everything I learned in high school was wrong yes maybe wrong yes but what does that make Homer's ilad fiction there is some part of the ilad is based on historical event so it's a historical novel we can say like this but everything that you're Excavating is confirming to you that it really did happen this everything's happened here besides its strategic geographic location the ancient city sat high on a hill making it easier to defend it also may have benefited from the aasian which means annual winds in Greek gusting from the Northeast and making access to Troy more difficult for invading ships and Intrepid explorers I think that's an interesting thing this one piece will make 52 layers watch on mobile devices or the big screen all for free no subscription required the ancient city was first discovered by a German architect and treasure Hunter named Hinrich schleman who left his mark on this site in many ways P now we are looking to schiman trench he began his first official excavation 1871 was a top of the trees was a very high mount and he started cutting yes he cut until the bed track and to the whole side and what did he find down there he found here actually not much but let me show where he found and what he stole he stole yes schan searched for the legendary treasure of prom did not adhere to the methodical archaeological techniques used today which allowed important historical information and artifacts to be lost destroyed or stolen and when schan excavated here he found over there the trees over there yes the inside of the try two wall the treasure and what was in there it was a very big treasure was a more than 10,000 pieces gold silver electron bronze and he smuggled from Turkey first to atten and then to German and then what happened just after the second world war all the tury was a disappeared any chance of getting it back Shan's historic photographs show the treasures including an ancient headpiece worn by his wife that went missing for nearly 50 years until it was discovered that Russian soldiers had taken the treasures back to Moscow where they're now being displayed in the Pushkin Museum these Treasures may never be returned but in 2018 the Troy Museum was built adjacent to the ancient city to collect and display the other artifacts that have been discovered here different levels of the museum reflect the the different layers of this site illustrating the complicated history of this area as well as the painstaking process of restoring thousands of ancient artifacts that will continue to reveal the true story of this legendary City south of Troy is Mount Ida a verdant Peak where Homer's writings suggested that Zeus and his wife Hara watched the battle of Troy the mountain offers commanding views of the aan but it's hard to make out Troy as it's almost 20 miles away what you can see is orderly Groves of olive trees blanketing the base of the mountain in an area that has been called The Olive Riviera tucked in amongst the olive Groves is adatepe a village where you'll find old Greek houses and an unusual tasting opportunity but I'm not talking about ice cream later so head past the stands at the base of the village then up the hill to the narrow winding streets towards the end of the road be sure to say hello to all the locals and then head towards a small house shaded by a dense canopy of trees hello hello welcome to my Village it's a beautiful Village yeah how long have you been here maybe 35 years that's a long time yeah Hussein Mar came toe to retire in the 1980s but the preponderance of olive Orchards inspired him to produce olive oil just as they did in early Roman times by taking a large quantity of Olives then lightly Stone grinding them to produce the highest quality oil that's what this is yeah that's it so we call it the flower of the oil how many kilos of olives in here about uh 20 30 kilos olives to get one kilos of flow of oil so this is high test olive oil yeah that's extra virgin no extra extra extra virgin is it good yeah would you like taste sure yeah okay Hussein has developed a regimented process for tasting olive oil which is similar to wine tasting and uses the same glasses wa but with a generous serving of olive oil this is the first time I've toasted olive oil you do like uh the wine yeah you take some and then you ah and then you take some air and then you take the taste just a little right and first you have to look the color beautiful and then you have to yep husin has lots of instructions and it's obvious he also has something that I like patience okay here we go ready yeah finally we get to taste it I only hope that I'm doing it correctly the swishing the breathing nice very smooth you're still going you're still going Homer referred to olive oil as liquid gold and clearly Hussein agrees I like that uh olive oils I think you do I think I do thank you the village of adatepe and Hussein have been greatly influenced by Greek and Roman culture and that didn't stop here 80 miles of adatepe you can find the GRE Roman city of pergamon with striking ruins birched high on a Hilltop towering over the modern town of Burma below while the impressive Temple of trajan and the 10,000 seat theater draped dramatically down the hillside may catch your eye you can easily Miss what this ancient city was best known for a library that was once considered one of the world's main centers of learning only the rubble Foundation remains but in the 3r century BC it held over 200,000 volumes rivaling The Great Library in Alexandria this infuriated King pelam so he forbade the EXP word of Egyptian Papyrus used for Scrolls forcing pergamon to use animal skins to create writing materials although the tradition of making parchment is still practiced by an old master and his Young Apprentice today Burma may be best known for traditional Turkish carpets in small towns like berma I like to get off the tourist track and discover where the locals like to eat and the best place to find a local who speaks English is often the nearest carpet seller hello hi Hi how are you good nice to meet you Peter nice to meet you my mother ah hi Mom she's m mama okay beautiful let me show you some rocks which are from ber area I'm sure FAL imir and her mama will know the best places to eat as they've had a store in b since the 1960s beautiful they are always same design but always the tones are different as you see but it still may be a challenge to get lunch what do you think did you like them nice yes as Turkish carpet sellers rarely take no for an answer in any language this is another carpet we call it AR and with these two double teaming me I can't hold out for long but Ferell can't toss these heavy carpets all day so I might have a chance Peter would you like the Apple tea or would you like a rock maybe well you know what Apple tea later rug later but we're going to get some lunch I know it Place follow me Burma has great place for food like this shop that serves fresh creamy cheese smothered in Honey and it's known for its meatballs called C but FAL takes you to try a local dish with an interesting name potan chma which translate to screaming eggplant at a family restaurant run by Abdullah Gaya and his son musim musim Peter nice to meet you nice to meet you local shop he prepares oin chma eggplant and the name comes from when we put it into boiling hot olive oil it is screaming like that it almost exposes okay if you like to see yeah let's do it all right what's cooking in there ah this is soup what kind of soup yes this is sheep sheep yes I actually prefer it when my soup doesn't look back at me so I'm going to stick with the chur one okay ready in wa dangerous I know it's angry yes with this boiling hot oil it's not just the eggplant that's screaming oh man I can feel it and in no time it's nicely browned and ready to come out you're still screaming at me yes then we quickly fry some green peppers just throw them in yes attention please and tomatoes with garlic I never have enough garlic okay we got it and put it on all together so you put the peppers on the eggplants okay good good oh yeah look at that the whole thing the whole thing done this is wow who beautiful beautiful yes okay one for you one for you thank you and two for me I like it you approve yeah good there's much more to Burma than restaurants and carpet stores as it also has history dating back thousands of years these ancient Roman ruins known as the red Hall may have originally been built as a temple to the Egyptian gods in the 2 Century ad but 300 years later a Christian Basilica was built inside the massive Hall one of the infamous seven churches of the apost ocalypse mentioned in the Book of Revelation berma also has the longest running outdoor Market in Turkey which is a popular hangout for the locals and filled with much of what you might expect tea shops coffee shops yep and the dog but frell wants to show me something further off the beaten path what catches my attention first is a sign that says parking costs seven Turkish l a day that's about4 cents definitely not a New York City rate of course FAL has something else in mind surprise carpets these are being made by Master Weaver and teacher ha J talk using a special knot that is a Burma tradition may I introduce you my friend she's master of she will show us a double knot this is the double knot Guardian knot also we call it the term gordian knot comes from an ancient Greek legend about Alexander the Great it was such a complex knot that no one could undo it until Alexander came and sliced it in half with a single stroke of his sword the double knot isn't as complex but it doesn't look easy do you want to try it do I want to try this okay I'm coming I'm coming I'm not an arts and crafts guy so I definitely need some instruction double line double line there and then I put that through there bottom bottom bottom uh look at me yeah watching hat J it's clear she's the master Weaver oh I see and I need more practice okay we'll try again okay I do that right so uhhuh right then I put this down below uhuh yes yes exactly and then I pull it all the way down andness did it yes wow I was able to tie one double knot but there are thousands to go so I'll let the pro finish this carpet I'll see you in two weeks when it's done and even though I won't be weaving a carpet I can't avoid buying one oh thank you faral may offer a fair price for her carpets but I have a little trick to make sure I get the best deal for my purchases hello again hello now a carpet now a carpet all right how much for that one this is uh $700 $700 all right I get the best price by starting with a credit card American Express American Express no Mom says no okay uh a discount for visa visa and then I ask for the cash discount all right how much for cash cash I can do it for $600 for you okay okay it's good still thank you good good there it was much of the aan coast is dotted with small towns like berma but just 70 m to the South you'll find the thriving Metropolis of ismir turkey's third largest city and home to the country's biggest Port the city's roots go back 8,500 years once known as the ancient Greek City of Smyrna it was a Cosmopolitan Center of Trade that numerous cultures called [Music] home during the Roman era in the 4th Century BC the Agora was constructed an Open Air Market thought to be the biggest of its kind in the ancient world today you can see its remains as well as its sophisticated Roman [Music] plumbing and the Agora has evolved along with the growing city into the chamaral biggest outdoor Market in Turkey oh thanks man appreciate that the chamaral is home to 15,000 shops three times the amount in Istanbul's Grand Bazar down these Labyrinthian corridors it's easy to get overwhelmed by the Aromas of endless fresh produce and meat and the clatter of Artisans at work but some of the merchandise need needs to be handled very carefully ooh sharp very sharp I know out on the streets it's easy to spot the mosque soaring above the bizaar right in the middle of this bustling Market there's an almost forgotten hidden corner with some amazing history if you know where to look or you have someone to show you Tilda hi Peter nice to meet you so where are we going well come with me I'll show you because it's not easy to find on your own once you enter hover Street turn at the fish vendors and walk less than 50 ft and you will see the beginning of a wall that's just the first synagogue childa Kena is leading me into the old Jewish quarter an almost forgotten Enclave where her mother grew up that's filled with historic synagogues we have lots of surprises here and I have here even more for you here is something not everyone sees Peter you see these three walls yeah these are the outer walls of three different synagogues right next to each other right next to each other and you only have to turn your head to see a fourth synagogue a strange cluster in the Heart of the City so why were they all so close together well the Jewish community did not come to isir at once they came in different time periods sometimes even in different centuries tens of thousands of spartic Jews made their way to ottoman territories after being expelled from Spain and Portugal at the height of the Spanish Inquisition the Jewish population in ismir peaked at nearly 40,000 at the end of the 18th century but as the community dispersed the synagogues were abandoned and almost lost but not forgotten so are all the synagogues in this area in this state of disrepair no let me show you we know the there are nine synagogues in the area we are now working on restoring as many as we can it is a process that will take years but we at least have started the Jewish population today less than a thousand but Till's work with the Jewish heritage project is helping to rebuild what remains of these historic synagogues and their disappearing culture you hear that yeah come with me [Music] this traditional music is sung in ladino the language of the spartic Jews who were exiled from Spain and Portugal the song adio is is a farewell to a former love and perhaps a former home most people never see these hidden synagogues and never hear this music in its original language but we try to keep them all alive so we can celebrate and remember our history our religion our culture it is something that we should never forget [Music] beautiful beautiful thank you isn't that great yeah and you knew all the words yes these hidden synagogues are an unexpected escape from the modern city but to really get away the locals head out to the nearby chz Peninsula just an hour west of ismir you'll find the picturesque town of alata a 19 Century Village once known for its olive oil and soothing breezes that has now become a mecca for wind surfing and food the cobblestone streets are lined with small cafes and it's not hard to find a great Farm to Table Restaurant sometimes right in the farm but I head further east into the sprawling Farmland along the coast near aola using the giant wind turbines to guide me towards a piece of history that few people get to see it sounds easy enough you just hang a right before the third turbine then follow the dirt road to the giant Olive Tree hi welcome Peter thank you John this is quite a place thank you that's quite a tree it is the oldest Olive Tree here 1,800 years old wow still produces olives very tasty ones but I have older things to show you John orbitas started the usach Arboretum in 1996 to grow 19 100 different types of [Music] plants but as they tilled these grounds they made a surprising discovery one day when we were digging up here we found this un Forest more than 2,000 years old still smelling of wine amazing the culture was lost but the proof was here so you knew they'd made wine yes yes people were making wine for centuries here in Anatolia although the Egyptians May first come to mind when you think of ancient viticulture archaeologists have found evidence of wine production dating back nearly 10,000 years at the site of the world's first city in Anatolia so these ancient vessels with the scent of wine inspir John to take a chance the terar night and day differences sea breezes soil we knew we can do it again and you're [Music] dead in 2000 John started his first Vineyard using historic varieties of local [Music] grapes today the vines are thriving and in need of constant attention so how many Vines are we talking about here 170 Acres that's a lot and those ladies out there what are they doing uh they are getting ready for green harvesting and that's where you work what directly with the grapes with the grapes uh to have more concentration although it may seem counterintuitive during green Harvest unripe grapes are prune from The Vines this allows the remaining grapes to thrive and produce a more concentrated wine John wanted me to give it a try but my experience is drinking wi not making it so I just come right over here to the to the bunches here mm so what I cut this one Peter you decide okay this is the one yes this is the right one all right just it yeah and go on oh this one right here okay right okay yes this one right out of coost Co and how many Vines are out here we're going to be here for a while with ancient Vineyards that are older than Egypts and Greek mythology that didn't happen in Greece the Turkish aan makes me reconsider my entire understanding of world history and just 60 M down the coast from aula is the ancient city of Ephesus where you'll find one of the world's best reserved Roman ruins set on a strategic trade route Ephesus was once a cultural and religious Crossroads and the most important Greco Roman city in the Eastern Mediterranean these days the ancient city is besieged by nearly a half million tourists that pour off cruise ships each summer to see the ruins including the original version of a pay toilet so if you got to go every pun intended it's best to get there on a day when the cruise ships aren't in Port and if you want to skip the crowds all together you can head an hour down the coast to Lake baffa and the buuk mes also known as the Meander River if the name sounds familiar it's because the word Meander was inspired by the winding course of this River originating from Springs nearly 200 Mi Inland the Meander takes a sinuous path to the coast depositing silt that created fertile farmland and filled an ancient B 3,000 years ago the aan pushed almost 20 mil up this River Valley but silt carried by the Meander slowly filled the ancient Bay leaving only the isolated Lake baffa this pocket of salty water has managed to retain all of its aian culture transporting you to another world far from the throngs of tourists and the pressures of modern day Life along its Shores are thousands of years of history from the ancient PT city of heraclea to the prehistoric kurumi cave paintings as well as monasteries and frescos created by the byzantines if the shores are a monument to the distant past out on the water is a living present fishermen like Aken karakaya set out every day from the nearby Village of searching in Pursuit Of An Unexpected delicacy you try to catch the ills you've got traps all over here all over you traps to catch these lake baffa eels aen comes in the afternoon to set the traps and then returns in the early morning to check them ah you got some yep and now we're going to use the L there you are so now into the Basin wow okay the next one you just string them right along aen has 10 traps all connected underwater but not all of them catch oh this is empty and I don't like this one okay move the other one but he doesn't get yet discouraged his family has been in search in for 800 years surviving off the land and the water you got anything in there ah we do these are freshwat E fresh water but they came from salt water too came from Salt Water great there we go these eels are somewhat unusual as they live in both fresh and salt water and they take an astounding route to get to Lake bafo hatched in the saraso sea in the West Atlantic they spend 3 years crossing the ocean the Mediterranean and the aan then swim up the Meander River and into the lake this is the last one last one wa well that's one big eel how old is that guy maybe 15 years old seriously 15 years old yeah I'd never seen an eel that big so I wanted to try and get a closer look okay oh oh my God you can't you can't who oh oh that's why they say just for that dinner not a bad morning's work with the traps empty we head back to shore searchin has less than a thousand residents and one restaurant but the chef was happy to cook our fresh cash I was taking the backbone uhhuh and then after uh we're going to put them to fire grilling pretty simple it's the easiest thing in the world cooking some people think eels are gross and slimy and wouldn't even touch them While others think they're a delicacy I'm going to try the local variety and decide for myself here we are wow yep pre-oiled yep Ready to Go yep One-Stop shopping the fish that comes with its own oil delicious while fresh eel and the rugged remote Landscapes of baffa may not be for everyone 60 Mi south of lake bafa is one of the most popular destinations along the aan the port city of Bodrum its two Scenic bays are separated by The Majestic Bodum Castle which was erected in the 1400s by the crusading Knights of St John The Castle was constructed using stones and marble from the ruins of the ancient caran city of hrasses which included the tomb of mosus a massive mosum built around 350 BC that is considered one of the seven wonders of the ancient world but one of the most interesting ancient sites on this peninsula is far off the tourist track so you'll need the right gear and the right guide to get there hey man good morning Peter how are you I'm great hope are you good let's do it why not let's go my guide is Denise kich a former Motocross and Enduro racer who has traveled by motorcycle all the way from Turkey to the southern tip of the African continent today we're just climbing a local mountain not Crossing an entire continent so Denise has suggested Electric mountain bikes for this trip we're heading up a route called the Le way named for the Aboriginal people that inhabited this region as early as the 15th century BC 115 miles of trails connect ancient L leian sites across the peninsula and Denise is taking me to one of the Lesser known and best preserved spots in the region so this is it for the [Music] bikes it turns out we'll need to do some hiking as well and how far to the top again just around the corner that's what you said 10 minutes ago but then he swears it will be worth it wow that's a wow yes here we are this is G what that means this means pragnant B Church interesting name yeah but there's not any connection with church this is grave this is tombs oh they picked the right location perfect location up off the hill a tomb with a view yeah it's real place for peace archaeologists believe this tomb was constructed over 2600 years ago but unlike the city of Holly carasses it has withstood the test of time mind your head you go first please mind my step too yes please another wow this has got deeper than I thought [Music] outside is a huge Dome as you see inside it's a beautiful pyramid who knew so this has stood here for 2600 years even with earthquakes but with little damage human damage yes used to be a one piece but it's a huge damage thieves burglar the grave robbers were coming for they were looking for Treasures did they ever find them I hope not very little has been found to reveal more about the Lan people and this tomb so for now it remains a beautiful mystery well I got to say definitely worth the trip up well one more thing left what we need to go down why you laughing down is easier than up as gravity Works in my favor bringing me back to the Waters of the aan and the most popular motor Transportation boats boats have long been part of the aan culture and so important to the city's history that the Bodum Castle is now home to the Museum of underwater archaeology which contains artifacts and reconstructions of ancient shipwrecks dating back to the 14th century BC historically Boats were even used as currency here around 500 BC the ancient city of H carnassus actually paid taxes to Egypt with a trame a large ancient warship with three rows of ores but it wasn't until sponge diving became prominent in the 1800s that Boats were an integral part of boj's economy and its culture after World War II sponge diving and boat building were at their Peak and boaty yards were popping up across the bodam peninsula to meet the growing demand of professional sponge divers but by the 1980s artificial sponge production had eroded the demand for natural sponges and the divers as well as the boaty yards began to disappear today in Bodrum the Boatyard is often a backyard and a stroll through the back streets can reveal some impressive home projects hello anybody home hey Mustafa how are hi there hi there welcome can I come on board sure sure you can okay Mustafa asesin is the latest generation of Master boat builders in Bodrum and he's currently working on his 23rd boat all right we're on it's a traditional wood tanil which was the boat of choice for sponge divers the name is thought to come from the Greek word for 3: one which relates to the boat being three times longer than its wide beautiful boat thank you all wood it's all wood yeah mahogany mahogany and take mix but usually it's mahogan yeah and how long will it take you to finish this it's about 10 11 months almost a year yeah nearly a year and you Des designed it sure we designed it but it's buil by eye so wa no blueprint nothing no computer nothing nothing no no amazing so what are you working on today come I'll show you all right over the years Mustafa has developed an instinct for how all the pieces come together to create one beautiful boat these are heavy yeah it's important for the boat the heavier the wood the better the boat yeah it is be strong not very very heavy his best known boat was named hir which has won several prestigious awards at the Bodrum cup ratas but for Mustafa it's the tradition of wooden boat building that's far more important than any Prize or award that's it after about 8 hours took you8 hours to do this yeah wow but the thing is I'm talking about this boat the to they are carrying a very important cargo it's the heritage of the Ottoman Empire so you have to spend time for it and keep the tradition alive exactly but people don't make wood boats that much anymore because people Lov easy things easy to build but this it's my biggest hobby It's Your Love it's my love exactly exactly this passion for building traditional boats has been passed down for Generations in bodr starting with the Master Builders of the 1970s sandaran and Nam M but few of the Masters still remain my master now he's about 76 years old and he learned it from his master so it goes like that and who are you teaching actually there's nobody with me because it's a difficult business it's not easy they have to live it yeah you have to spend your time your money you you can make big money with this business so what keeps you doing it love love here in bodra the best way to understand the passion for Wooden Boats is to take one out on the water and people come from all over turkey and the world to do just that when we come out here it's to get away from the hustle and bustle it's to find yourself to find what's important to you because when you're out here you're one with nature and you are exposed to all the elements sight smell sound feeling and it's something you cannot capture when you're running around doing your daily life and that's what brings us out here for American expat Dina Street the pull of the aan got her over 30 years ago when a major earthquake shook up her life back in California and after the earthquake I had the opportunity to sort of reshift my life so to say so I bought a one-way ticket and said let's see what happens was it really a one-way ticket it was a one-way ticket and most of my friends from our University were shocked that I was throwing away my education I was throwing away my life to come and live in a fishing village now everyone's like Dina when can I visit Bodrum was a small fishing Village at the beginning of the 20th century with less than 10,000 residents but with the rise of the Turkish Republic and just a little tourism the city has grown dramatically well since you first came here od's got a little crowded it has indeed we've jumped from a official population of about 20,000 people to about 1 million when all the estambul ismir and anara people come down to their summer Villas so how do you escape them you get on a boat and you come out here and you have the whole seat to yourself and the real beauty of a traditional Tran deal it's a sailboat once you raise the sails and cut the engine you eliminate all the background noise of the modern world and sail back into a time when these boats dominated the agen in the 21st century there's something special about a wooden boat absolutely there's nothing artificial about it you're one with the sea the sound of the water the sound of the wind and it's better than any psychiatrist could ever do for you now you expect me to go back to California to you I've got a boat for sale you may have a buyer I can make you a deal now that's American no I take that back that's Turkish exactly it's certainly tempting to have a boat here as the coastline heading south and east of the Mediterranean is known as the turquoise Coast named for its beautiful beaches and stunning blue green water the word turquoise comes from the French word for Turkish after the gemstone of the same color that was first brought to Europe through turkey from Bodrum the aan wraps around the southwestern tip of turkey connecting to the deeper waters of the Mediterranean along the edge of a small tectonic plate bounded by the Greek Islands of creep and Roads then intersecting with the Turkish Coastline near the historic fishing Village of Delan off the beaten path of Turkish vacationers and cruise ships that can inundate other Coastal destinations dalan is a Hidden Gem the town sits on the winding dalion river between the great expans of Lake CES and the protected sand beach of isusu which is a preferred nesting site for loggerhead sea turs across the river 3,000-year-old tombs carved into the cliffs Tower over the ancient city of Kos which was an important port before silt from the river filled up its Bay the word dalion means fish wear which looked like wooden fences placed in the water to catch fish the river has long been the lifeblood of this community and boats Remain the main mode of [Music] transportation I take a boat to the beach I take a boat to the market and this isn't me this is like the whole xack Community about 40% of the population in dalion are expats Leila uril is an American expat he came to Turkey back in 2004 on a full bright scholarship and never went back today she's invited me on board a boat owned by xats and filled with xats that's heading across the lake on their weekly grocery run we go to the co Market because that market is spectacular and they let us off for like 2 hours and we sort of walk around the market and do our shopping and then some of us go swimming in the lake like me and then some go and sit at the cafe and then the boat comes back picks us all up and then brings us back to Dalia I mean so let me see if I get this straight it's boats to beaches to shopping to eating yes not a bad liftime no not at all this may sound like a vacation but it's everyday life for a digital Nomad like Lea who travels the country researching and writing stories for the biggest English language newspaper in Turkey you know I'm nearing into like my thousandth article on Turkish culture history expat Endeavors or anything that interest xats running out of ideas never not in Turkey there's so much history and so many different sites to see that I'm always traveling but within an hour 2 hours driving distance maximum you can be at an anent site a spectacular Beach or a bustling City or bom well being on this beautiful water on this beautiful boat on this beautiful day I'm almost hesitant to ask but is there a downside it's a whole different mentality here things do not go according to time schedules that westerners are used to so there is an adjustment curve for English expats who maybe want things at a certain time so the modotto for the aan is it happens when it happens exactly yeah but in a good way in a great way it's a real slower way of life especially in The Villages and towns I've lived in in the aan for Leila it's clearly not just the natural beauty and dramatic history that draws her to this region it's the people as well Turks have very strong values and they live by them they're very honorable and they like to share they're very generous they feel gratitude for everything it's that personality and this mentality of the Turks it also just makes it so special here so this is home yes definitely while the xats like to head north to the market in quits to the South Beyond radar Mountain there's a little known destination that has just about everything you need oh look what we got here mountain goats there they go in a much more rustic setting but the rough roads are worth the trip as cargo Jack coyu is a stunning hidden Bay that few Travelers know about and if you can tear yourself away from the beach to head Inland you'll be surprised to discover rows of citrus trees and vegetables spreading back to the base of the mountains it's a pretty big farm it's 30,000 square m in total and we have vegetable garden as 2,000 square m here wow right now around this part Forin dundar was living in Istanbul when he first discovered kachak Bay in 2017 and in less than a year began this Seaside organic farm that has become a simple summer home for the small team that supports it forun is happy to show off their crops and take advantage of a couple of extra hands we have some peppers ready okay we can grab some of them just take them like this yeah yeah yeah I may have grown up in New York City but I still know my way around the garden oh yeah yeah and we have a different type of pepper here you see oh yeah these are hot maybe let's see oh maybe yeah hot they grow an amazing variety of produce on this small farm which is prepared with locally caught fish to create seasonal dishes for visitors who are lucky enough to make the journey to get here but I'm more at home on the water than in the kitchen so while they prepare the food I head out with mem or's business partner to explore the sea if we continued East into the Mediterranean we would discover the ancient city of patara from a historic Republic that inspired our own democracy as well as goek Harbor which is as impressive as the massive Yachts that dock there [Music] for now I'm more interested in the hidden Coes and secret beaches around carach Bay and motoring across these blue green waters I'm reminded of the mix of cultures I've experienced along this Coastline from the city of Troy where Treasures of Greek Legends have been discovered and lost to the Roman ruins of Ephesus so incredibly preserved and Aboriginal monuments magnificent tombs with a view to the hidden synagogues of ismir where an exiled Spanish culture is being reborn beautiful beautiful although things that are uniquely Turkish stand out in my memory from an ancient agoro that is evolved into a giant out your bizar a modern Vineyard grown on Terraces from the earliest history of wine the Meander River named for its bends and a local eggplant dish named for its scream ultimately it was the history of the sea where I felt the strongest connection from Master boat builder continuing Traditions passed on for generations to the beautiful wooden boats that have sailed these waters for hundreds of years and then back to kachak bay where the warm Waters of the aan and Mediterranean mixed together uniting the past and the present in a Seascape of inescapable Beauty just a small moment in time in the realm of turkey's hidden the [Music] [Music]

Channel: TRACKS - Travel Documentaries

Views: 31,381

Keywords: Aegean treasures, Turkish landscapes, ancient empires, ancient secrets uncovered, ancient wonders, ancient world wonders, architectural wonders, documentary series, enchanting destinations, exotic locations, historic sites, historical documentaries, lesser-known cities, must-visit places, mysterious locations, mysterious past, remote destinations, stunning landscapes, travel back in time, travel enthusiasts

Id: __r9j2AOEoc

Length: 53min 14sec (3194 seconds)

Published: Tue Apr 30 2024