On Wednesday, we packed our bags for another adventure, but this time a little further east of Istanbul; our destination a smaller city called Cappadocia (Kapadokya in Turkish). This secluded area known for its cave structures and wine country is perched up in the mountains of Turkey. The next morning we took off bright and early to explore the UNESCO World Heritage site nestled in the caves that surrounded us. As we walked into the open air museum our noses pink with the cold, we looked upon massive teepee like mountains that used to serve as homes for thousands of cave-dwellers. Walking into the first church I was dumbfounded by the intricate artwork and elaborate nature of the frescos. The vivid colors that had been preserved over thousands of years, still stand as a testament and constant reminder of the devotion people had to their faith, and their constant desire to create beauty in the name of that faith. I spent my afternoon meandering around the site entering room after room of artwork and architecture carved into a mountain side.
That evening the awestruck feeling generated by the structures I had witnessed was only to be enhanced by the Whirling Dervish show I attended. When I was in Cairo I had the opportunity to attend a Tanura dance show that had a beautiful whirling compounds complete with bright colors, lively music and specialized performers. In contrast to that musical show the dervishes I saw perform here in Cappadocia were strictly oriented in a Sufi religious context. They dressed in white robes to symbolize a shroud with tall felt hats a symbol of their tombs, while the leader of the group kept on a back robe as a sign of the dunya (Turkish world for this life). Their soulful music teeming with their reverence of Allah and their submission to his will though the most moving art form was a life changing and spiritually cleansing experience. The repeated rotating and swirling of their flowing white robes combines with the melodious music was unforgettable. During the performance one musician sung a verse from the Quran and after the lead dervish proceeded to have a dialogue with Allah regarding forgiveness of sins and devotion from all, he asked Allah for strength to stay on the straight path and opened the discourse to all in the audience through his movements. Afterwards we sat down with the lead dervish and his son and had our own dialogue with him about the performance we had just seen.
On Saturday our group took a trip Mustafa Pasha a small former Greek town that was occupied by Turks after the creation of the republic. We strolled around the caves and inlets taking in the scenery and learning more about Turkish culture. Our lunch was an unforgettable meal with a local family that opened their home to 24 foreigners and prepared a home-cooked lunch for us to enjoy! After lunch we were able to chat with the family and gain a little more insight into the day-to-day cultural gaps that exist. After lunch we headed to the underground city, an actual city that was dug out of the stone and used as a residence. Walking through the tiny caves and tunnels I understood the feeling of an ant in an ant farm, continually moving around in a labyrinth of uncertainty. Before dinner, we took a trip to a pottery making shop and watched a master potter create a decanter on a kick wheel and demonstrate the technique it takes to maintain this dying art form. Our day of immersion into the Turkish cultural landscape was only enhanced in the evening when we went with our tour guide Sidar to visit a friend of his where we essentially partook in a Turkish music jam session. Sitting in a cozy room covered with Turkish rugs and plush cushions we sat and enjoyed our cay and baklava while Sidar and his friends serenaded us with a range of music from traditional Turkish songs to Tarkan to Hotel California and Johnny Cash. Musically inclined members of our group took the lead for a few throwback songs including our rendition of I Want it That Way, and we concluded our Cappadocian excursion with a range of cultural experiences which enhanced our understanding of my new home in a way that any textbook could not hold a candle too.
That evening the awestruck feeling generated by the structures I had witnessed was only to be enhanced by the Whirling Dervish show I attended. When I was in Cairo I had the opportunity to attend a Tanura dance show that had a beautiful whirling compounds complete with bright colors, lively music and specialized performers. In contrast to that musical show the dervishes I saw perform here in Cappadocia were strictly oriented in a Sufi religious context. They dressed in white robes to symbolize a shroud with tall felt hats a symbol of their tombs, while the leader of the group kept on a back robe as a sign of the dunya (Turkish world for this life). Their soulful music teeming with their reverence of Allah and their submission to his will though the most moving art form was a life changing and spiritually cleansing experience. The repeated rotating and swirling of their flowing white robes combines with the melodious music was unforgettable. During the performance one musician sung a verse from the Quran and after the lead dervish proceeded to have a dialogue with Allah regarding forgiveness of sins and devotion from all, he asked Allah for strength to stay on the straight path and opened the discourse to all in the audience through his movements. Afterwards we sat down with the lead dervish and his son and had our own dialogue with him about the performance we had just seen.
On Saturday our group took a trip Mustafa Pasha a small former Greek town that was occupied by Turks after the creation of the republic. We strolled around the caves and inlets taking in the scenery and learning more about Turkish culture. Our lunch was an unforgettable meal with a local family that opened their home to 24 foreigners and prepared a home-cooked lunch for us to enjoy! After lunch we were able to chat with the family and gain a little more insight into the day-to-day cultural gaps that exist. After lunch we headed to the underground city, an actual city that was dug out of the stone and used as a residence. Walking through the tiny caves and tunnels I understood the feeling of an ant in an ant farm, continually moving around in a labyrinth of uncertainty. Before dinner, we took a trip to a pottery making shop and watched a master potter create a decanter on a kick wheel and demonstrate the technique it takes to maintain this dying art form. Our day of immersion into the Turkish cultural landscape was only enhanced in the evening when we went with our tour guide Sidar to visit a friend of his where we essentially partook in a Turkish music jam session. Sitting in a cozy room covered with Turkish rugs and plush cushions we sat and enjoyed our cay and baklava while Sidar and his friends serenaded us with a range of music from traditional Turkish songs to Tarkan to Hotel California and Johnny Cash. Musically inclined members of our group took the lead for a few throwback songs including our rendition of I Want it That Way, and we concluded our Cappadocian excursion with a range of cultural experiences which enhanced our understanding of my new home in a way that any textbook could not hold a candle too.
