My Christmas Pilgrimage

Being abroad over holidays is always difficult.  Along with the distance from friends and family, there is a longing for those small, familiar things which make Christmas special—the sight of a Christmas tree in the window of every home, those childhood claymation features that play incessantly, carolers, and the increase in cheerfulness between strangers.  For several weeks I feared I would be spending Christmas alone.  I had planned a trip to Antakya, Turkey to celebrate Christmas mass in the original Antioch church, now called Saint Peter’s Grotto.   I invited several friends along, but their plans did not solidify until a day before the journey.  Thankfully, when all was said and done, I celebrated Christmas with fifteen friends.  I walked away from the weekend fully satisfied.  For the first time in Turkey, it truly felt like Christmas.

I left for Antakya late Thursday night.  Of course the journey would not be complete without some sort of bus mishaps.  My ticket’s departure time read “23/12/2011 at 00:30”.  However, when I boarded the bus with my friend Wendy, an English Language Fellow, we found our seats occupied by a father and daughter.  We showed them our ticket, and they showed us theirs.  They matched.  We showed the bus attendant and he grabbed our tickets and ran inside while I called my Turkish friend Ceyhun to come back to the station after dropping us off no more than five minutes before.

Ceyhun and the bus attendant returned at about the same time.  At this point he showed us the “fine print” of our ticket which said that we were traveling the night between Friday the 23^rd and Saturday the 24^th.  “Why,” I asked Ceyhun to translate, “would they date a ticket the 23^rd and use military time for 12:30 a.m. if they really meant for it to be the next day?”  It made no sense.  And they had no explanation.  Sympathetic of the poor foreigners’ plight, they accommodated us.  Wendy got a different seat right away.  I was allowed to ride shotgun with the bus driver for two hours before moving to the back of the bus.  There is nothing more horrifying than having a front row seat to a driver who is talking on his phone, smoking a cigarette, eating apricot seeds, and suspiciously staring at you all while barreling down a potholed Turkish highway at 100 km/h.  Thankfully I was exhausted enough to shut my eyes and go to sleep.

We were dropped off in Antakya right by our place of stay, another English Language Fellow Margot’s apartment.  We rested a bit, got some coffee in our system, and then ventured out into the pouring rain to explore the city.  Our first stop was the Archeology Museum, which has one of the world’s largest collections of ancient Roman mosaics.  Below is the mosaic entitled something like “Drunken Dionysus.”

Drunken Dionysus

After exploring the mosaics, we walked to the center of town to sit down and enjoy some tea and künefe, a traditional Turkish desert that meets its palatable peak in Hatay.  We chatted some, and the girls decided to make homemade eggnog, so we stopped by the store on the way back to Margot’s apartment.  That night I was served a delicious home cooked meal, Christmas cookies, and tasty eggnog.

The following morning we slept in and again stepped out into the rain for more exploring.  Meeting up with yet another ELF, we made our way to St. Peter’s to explore the site without a large crowd.  Although small, the church is quite spectacular and even more majestic when you consider its rich history.  During the proceeding leisurely lunch, I received a call from a group of Fulbrighters in Gaziantep.  All fifteen of them were on their way and excited about attending the Christmas Eve mass.

The facade of St. Peter's Grotto (Antioch)

That night I ventured to the city center and began asking around for the local Catholic Church.  I had heard there was a free bus from the church to St. Peter’s at around 8 o’clock.  The directions given to me from several different Turks led me through some dimly lit alleys and isolated roads, but finally I stumbled upon a giant red banner that read “Katolik Kilisesi Noel Bayramı” with arrows pointing the way.  Around several more turns, I arrived at a large gate.  After giving it a hefty push and then a pull, I was disappointed to find it locked, but I was shortly buzzed in from someone inside.

As I stepped into the deserted courtyard I was taken aback by its beauty.  White Christmas lights were strung across the numerous trees giving the intricate stonework of the surrounding buildings a warm glow.  Fountains and reading benches checkered the central plaza, and the rain clouds glowed in the open air above.  Wrapped up in silent appreciation, I hardly heard the “iyi akşamlar” (good evening) whispered from a doorway to my right.   As I approached and began asking about the bus, I quickly realized this man was not originally from Turkey.  (I would later discover that he was the Italian priest that headed up this parish.)

He confirmed to me that a bus would be leaving at eight.  With an hour to kill and a growling stomach, I jumped across the street to an inviting restaurant.  I knew I made the right choice when walking through the entryway I was greeted with a glowing Merry Christmas sign.  As I entered, a host pulled me aside and explained that there was a Christmas party that night, and I could not be seated upstairs.  However, since the rain had stopped, they would be willing to serve me in the open air courtyard.  I was pleased to sit amongst Christmas lights watching the well dressed guests stroll in for the holiday festivities.  The waiters were kind enough to bring out a space heater from the kitchen to keep me warm.  I enjoyed my meal under the night sky reading and journaling by the light of the Merry Christmas sign.

The 8 o’clock bus brought me straight to St. Peter’s, and I found all fifteen of my friends sitting along the side wall.  We exchanged greeting and sat down for the start of the service.  Despite the foreign language and even more foreign Catholic liturgy, I came to realize during Turkish “Silent Night” that it actually felt like Christmas.  The front-toothless children’s choir and the “I cannot believe Mom made me do this” look on Mary’s face as she held Cabbage Patch Jesus made it all the more authentic.

Christmas Eve Mass in St. Peter's

I decided that night that I had experienced all possible sights of Antakya given the gloomy weather conditions.  I figured my Christmas would be better spent in the company of friends.  So I took the extra seat in the van and traveled back to Gaziantep for the remaining day and a half of my break.  We slept in the following morning and met up for a leisurely Christmas brunch.  A group of fifteen friends around a table could not replace family, but it was a concerted effort.  Afterwards we headed into town to see the copper bazaar and the castle that overlooks the city.  Around mid-afternoon, we sat down in İmam Çadaş for Gaziantep’s famous lamacun and baklava.  By night we were back in the Gazianteper’s apartment for one final hurrah before parting ways the following morning.

Returning to class  Tuesday, I was met in the hallway by a swarm of students.  Unable to understand the chorus of voices shouting at me, I was dragged into the classroom and sat in front of a computer where I was shown the following video:

http://tvarsivi.com/player.php?y=13&z=2011-12-25+15%3A25%3A11&res=2011-12-25+15%3A25%3A11

Apparently, we made a local news covering the various Christmas celebrations around Turkey.  I now cannot get the students to stop calling me “hacı” which is the word they use for Muslims who complete their journey to Mecca.  My male students were hugging me, overcome with pride that, unbeknownst to me, I had completed my Christian pilgrimage to one of the world’s oldest churches.

Also check out this piece in Today’s Zaman – http://www.todayszaman.com/news-266703-christians-in-turkey-festively-celebrate-christmas.html

Strolling through Izmir.

Returning from Izmir, we found Malatya a winter wonderland.  All surrounding mountains and every apricot orchard in sight were caked with snow.  Initially I was excited at the thought of sitting in my apartment gazing at the frosted landscape while listening to Christmas music and sipping the Starbucks Christmas Blend I had just purchased in Izmir.  Sadly, this charming thought was soon dampened by the realization that Malatya fails to salt its icy roads.  Now every bus journey and walk to and from school has become a dangerous ordeal.  The snow may be beautiful, but I would much rather be back walking the streets of Izmir.

Because we were in Izmir for a wedding, there was little time to explore the sights of the city.  In any other historical town, this may have been problematic.  However, in 1922 a coastal town by the name of Smyrna was completely burned during the Turkish War of Independence, destroying most of its antiquities.  Shortly thereafter, the city was reconstructed, renamed Izmir, and today stands as Turkey’s third largest and arguably the most modern city.  Therefore, the time crunch was not a problem. Izmir is not a city for sightseeing per se, it is meant for strolling.

The afternoon we landed in Izmir was spent walking along Alsancak Streetdown into the Kordon district.  This beautiful seaside walkway was lined with café after café, many of which we ducked into for lunch or an invigorating Turkish coffee sweetened with mastic, a minty tree sap native to the Mediterranean.  As nightfall approached, we ventured to the Saat Kulesi, clock tower, which stands in front of the governor’s palace.  Constructed in 1901, it is one of the few survivors of the 1922 fire.  It is rumored to have been built to encourage Turks to adopt European timekeeping habits.

Izmir's Clock Tower

That night we stayed with a couple of the groom’s friends.  They were incredibly hospitable and went to every effort to make sure we were comfortable.  After sleeping in some, we woke up the next morning, dressed for the wedding, and set out for some more sightseeing.  For breakfast we had Izmir’s famous kumru followed by tea at the rooftop café of Asansör Tower.  From here the view of Izmir’s coast was spectacular.  Afterwards, we strolled through the markets and covered bazaars of the city center, stopping to drink Turkish coffee and Boza, a thick traditional Turkish drink made from corn and wheat.

The view from Asansör Tower.

Finally it was time to attend the wedding which was held in the city’s botanical fair grounds.  Turkish weddings are quite short.  The bride and groom walk in and sit at a large table in front of their friends and family.  They are accompanied by a state notary and two friends who serve as witnesses.  Quick remarks are made, the bride and groom promise to keep one another and sign their legal marriage document, quickly moving to the foyer.  There they are congratulated by wedding guests, bestowed with gifts, and pose for numerous pictures.  All this is followed several hours later by a reception in a local restaurant.  Guests partake in a series of meze platters (appetizers) which culminate in a main dish.  All the while there is singing, dancing, and sipping of Rakı, a traditional Turkish anise liquor that turns cloudy when mixed with water.  Despite its brevity, our time in Izmir was quite enjoyable.

Seth and I with the bride and groom. (I look so awkward because I am afraid to step on her dress.)

It appears Malatya will be having a very white Christmas.  Upon my turn, I have realized just how deep my Texas roots run—I am simply not made for snow.  My unsure-footedness has provided Seth and my students with several laughs.  However, I cannot blame them.  I am certain my hesitancy on ice is quite entertaining.  For Christmas I will be heading to Antakya (historic Antioch), and I could not be more excited.  My Christmas morning will be spent in what is said to be the earliest Christian church and the hub of Paul’s first missionary journey.  Many historians even believe it was dug by the hands of St. Peter himself.  Feel free to come join.

Merry Christmas.

The Imperial Capital

Throughout history, hundreds of writers have ventured to Istanbul to recount its splendors, their words far more eloquent than mine and their knowledge of history far more expansive.  Therefore, instead of trying to capture Istanbul with words, I choose only to show my pictures with short, informative captions.  Please enjoy!

The original Haghia Sophia was constructed by Constantinius, successor of Constantine the Great, in the year 360 A.D. This structure was burned to the ground during mob riots protesting the exile of John Chrysostom. After reconstruction, the second building suffered a similar fate, being burned to the ground during the Nika Revolt. Amazingly, the edifice seen in this picture is what survives of the third Haghia Sophia constructed by Emperor Justinian in the year 537 A.D. It remained the largest cathedral for thousands of years. Its dome, deemed the “epitome of Byzantine architecture”, is said to have changed the course of architecture. The interior of the church features impressive mosaics dating as early as the 8th century.

A panoramic of the interior of the Haghia Sophia.

The Blue Mosque, founded by Sultan Ahmet I and constructed by architect Mehmet Aḡa in the early 1600s, dominates the Istanbul skyline. Built directly across from the Haghia Sophia, one cannot help but wonder if it was constructed to show up the early Byzantine church. Just outside the Blue Mosque stands the Hippodrome, which used to house chariot races and was the sight where the thirty thousand rioters from the Nika Revolt were finally massacred.

The Mısır Carşısı (Egyptian Spice Bazaar) is one of the oldest and most popular markets in Istanbul. To this day it is one of the best places to buy Egyptian spices and tea.

The remains of this arch were once the center of the Roman Empire. This is the starting point from which all distances to the edge of the empire were measured.

This cistern was built by Justinian around 532 A.D., most likely as an expansion to the original built by Constantine the Great. Much of the historical information regarding the cistern appears to have been lost. For hundreds of years, residents of Sultanahmet would draw water and catch fish from holes in their basement floor. No one asked how this was possible until 1546 when Petrus Gyllius found a hole big enough to stick his head into. Two of the columns supporting the cistern feature the faces of the Gorgon sister (including Medusa). These pillars once stood in the Forum of Constantine.

The Chora Museum (Kariye Müzesi) is the hidden gem of Istanbul. It contains some of the most extensive and interesting Byzantine mosaics and frescoes in the world. The above mosaic is entitled “Christ Pontocrator” and is featured in the lunette over the entrance.

The “Anastasis” (Resurrection) of Chora Church is one of the greatest Byzantine frescoes in the world. It features Jesus with the gates of Hell beneath his feat and Satan bound, laying before him. With his right and left hand he pulls Adam and Eve out of the grave. A crowd of righteous witnesses stand behind him, including St. John the Baptist, David, King Solomon, and Abel.

Emily Elbert live in Taksim Square.