I have yet to read a book by Orhan Pamuk, Nobel prize-winning Turkish author, but he begins his memoir-novel Istanbul with this quote by Ahmet Rasim. In my opinion, the quote would be better suited to the landscape of his book Snow, or Kar in Turkish, which takes place in the eastern Turkish city of Kars. As you might be able to tell by the connection between the word for snow and the name of the city, Kars is full of snow and cold. This weekend CIEE, my study abroad program, flew me and my 15 American compatriots all the way across the country to the eastern province of Kars, and I experienced my first snow of the autumn in Asia!
The trip was unforgettable. It was my first trip to rural Turkey, and the landscape was very distinct from that of Istanbul. Where Istanbul has dark green pine and cypress trees and bright blue seas and colorful boats and houses and lots of bright sunlight, Kars had harsh, rocky hills, huge stretches of barren plains that were tan, brown, white, or red, depending on whether they were grassy, snowy, or rocky.
The city of Kars was full of multicultural history and was definitely interesting to visit, but my favorite part was getting to see Ani, an ancient town near the Armenian border whose ruins were flung across the hills. Mountains in the background, turquoise river snaking through a canyon. Gorgeous Georgian and Armenian and Ottoman architecture and the eerie sensation that comes with visiting a now ruined place while learning about the lives of people who lived there a thousand years ago.
After visiting Ani, we went to the tiny village of Boğatepe. There are only 60 houses there, between 200 and 300 people depending on the season. We were invited inside the homes of villagers who had prepared the most delicious lunch for us: tomatoes and cucumbers, freshly baked bread, delicious fried bread, homemade cheeses and jams, home grown potatoes, and, of course, çay. Turkish generosity is the best kind of generosity. After lunch we were given a tour of the village's lovely eco-museum showcasing the history of cheese-making in the area; a local woman also showed us the building where medicinal herbs were collected and dried. It was a humbling and eye-opening visit, and I am so thankful to the villagers for letting us into their homes.
I have lots more to say about the trip (mostly re: nations/nationalism, but also the beauty of the steppes, Turkish politics, etc.) but for now: pictures!
Lots of love from Turkey.
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