A Pilgrimage to The Cradle of Civilization
It is a well-known fact that many Muslims, at some stage of their lives, perform the hajj, or pilgrimage to Mecca. But, if you are Christian, no such organized trip exists. If you wish to make a pilgrimage, it’s a do-it-yourself job. So I convinced a good friend of mine to join me and these two hardy adventurers from the land of Oz decided to make their own way around Mesopotamia for a once-in-a-lifetime journey to the cradle of civilization. After hearing the warnings from well-meaning middle-class friends from İstanbul regarding how dangerous it was to travel in this part of the world, we did what all self-respecting Aussies would, ignored all warnings and went anyway.
So we set off with nothing more than a plane ticket and a rather upbeat mood, ready to be wowed by the wonders of southeast Anatolia. The first destination was Sanlıurfa, or Edessa, as we know it. This city is commonly known as the “City of Prophets” and a popular stopover for those on a pilgrimage. The biggest hotspot was the cave where Abraham reportedly was born. Despite the expertly donned headscarves, courtesy of a young scarf seller outside the mosque, we felt a little out of place among the Muslim women who had similar ideas to ours, so we tended to skulk around at the back, slightly taken aback by the giant gas cylinder in what was supposed to be one of the holiest places on earth. Oh well.
Accommodation choices in Sanliurfa are somewhat limited. There is one rather jazzy five-star hotel, the El Ruha, which is completely decked out in chic southeast Anatolian decor. I admit to spending one evening lounging around in the cafe here, crashed out on some floor cushions and partaking of the water pipe that was being passed around. I would definitely recommend trying out the hamam there; for a mere 10 Turkish Lira, I used the hamam and had a complimentary oil massage thrown in. But, in the spirit of authenticity, we opted for the services of the Lisbon Guest House, with the lovely Aziz Bey and his wife, Ferida Hanim, who treated us to the hospitality of a Kurdish family, including delicious homemade meals. Ferida’s breakfast of homemade sheep’s cheese and apricot jam was really something else.
During the day, Aziz Bey doubled as a tour leader, taking us to see the wonderful Harran, site of one of the oldest recorded civilizations in the world and home to the famous beehive houses. It has also been rumoured that Adam and Eve spent some time in Harran after they were ousted by God as sinners and expelled from the Garden of Eden, which did plenty to increase the allure of the place in my eyes.
Aziz Bey, of course, enhanced the whole experience. A self-confessed descendant of nomadic tribespeople with socialist tendencies, he generally saw fit to give his opinions on things, which for the most part were fairly sound, but could offend some hardened feminists. Still, it was refreshing to meet a man who wasn’t all about football and we were usually well-entertained during our journeys, not only by Aziz and his philosophies, but also by some unusual sights, like the shepherd who allowed his goats to eat the council trees while the council workers were on holiday and the runaway donkey coming for us head-on.
Mardin: Ancient and Modern
Probably the biggest surprise was Mardin, which turned out to be an incredible mixture of the ancient and the surprisingly modern. One minute we felt like we were stepping back in time and the next tripping over a brand new trendy restaurant. The highlight of Mardin was definitely the Syrian Monastery where some of the church services are still done in Aramaic, the language spoken by Jesus, with its very sweet and informative priest, who spoke four languages and was able to answer all of our questions. Also, make sure you take a stroll through the Bazaar district. Go past the fruit and vegetable stands until you reach the silverware, which is specially made in Mardin and makes a fantastic gift. Walk back through the passage that has the old-fashioned tradesmen making handmade shoes for that feeling of stepping back in time.
Our final stop was Diyarbakir, a city whose notoriety definitely precedes it. Fortunately, the city is starting to shake off the image of being a centre of political dissent, which is great, because the city has a lot to offer a visitor in terms of cultural richness. The walls surrounding the city, a stark reminder of the city’s Roman and Byzantine heritage, give it a fantastic, creepy, medieval feel, particularly at night. The city is also home to one of Turkey’s oldest mosques, the Ulu Mosque, which was originally the Church of St. Thomas before it was converted into a mosque. Locals in Diyarbakir were great, especially those hanging out at the old han (house) drinking coffee, and always willing to generously share food and cigarettes with us while talking a little about local places and history.
What I most appreciated about these southeast Anatolian cities was how different they were from the big cities I am used to. Firstly, they were clean, a lot cleaner than where I live. This is largely born from a strong sense of civic pride, which is hard to find in many places. Littering was a rare sight, as was loitering around and staring at women, even a couple of obvious foreigners like us. Another thing we really liked about the people was that nobody ripped us off. Things were willingly shared with us, no matter how seemingly small and insignificant.
So did I have any spiritual breakthroughs? Not really. But I can honestly say this was one of the best travel experiences of my life. For those of you who would like to experience the Middle East but are not sure where to start, the south-east region of Turkey is a great place. Great food, friendly people, history and some wonderful sights made this cradle of civilization.