Quarantine Cappadocia through the eyes of Ukrainian tourists. Part 12
Start here: Part 1 < , Частина 2 , Части 3 < / em> , Чатина 4 , Part 5 , Part 6 , < strong> Часта 7 , Part 8 , Part 9 , Part 10 , Part 11 .
The technical part with maps, links and summary of all series is located here .
Day 7. Scheduled early rise. I have never worn a dress that flew here just for a photo shoot against the backdrop of balloons. Nuuuuuu, what can I tell you. The magic of Bushri is over)) No, the balloons were flying. But there were so catastrophically few of them that it seemed as if they could be counted on the fingers of one hand.
It's my turn to greet the newcomers from the ground))
I have breakfast and go straight to the bus station. There is no public transport schedule here as a class. But they wave at me at the stop (right in front of the ATMs) and recommend that I wait for my bus there. I'm waiting. Police on horseback parade past.
I didn't have to wait long. The bus has arrived. Fare prices are conscious. The mask is required.
Avanos . Geographically, Avanos is no longer Cappadocia. There are no cave churches, underground cities or picturesque valleys. And Avanos is located on the river Kizilirmak, which serves as Cappadocia's northern border.
However, the city is interesting and popular with tourists, in addition, is included in most standard sightseeing programs.
In Hittite times (2000 BC), Avanos served as a frontier fortification. But after clay deposits were discovered on the banks of the Kizilirmak River (then called Marassantia, later Galis), the city became a center of pottery.
Modern Avanos greets guests with a sculptural composition depicting a potter and carpet weaver at work. Nearby are several birdhouses with the inscription "Bird's Nest" (are the local birds taught literacy? ! : ))
Pedestrian suspension bridge that swings when walking (especially kids are happy, additionally floating on it).
K i z i l i > rmak or in translation "Red River" is the longest in Turkey (1350 km). It originates in the Kyzildag Mountains and empties into the Black Sea near the town of Samsun, forming a large delta.
Kizilirmak got its name because of the color of the water. Adjacent soils are rich in limestone and iron ore, so after heavy rains the river turns red. On a sunny day, there is nothing reminiscent of the specific color of the local water.
How do you like this landscape? ; ))
No, you're not wrong. This is a real gondola. How did she migrate from Italian Venice to Avanos, Turkey? No legends, dramas, mysterious myths or historical allusions. Only strict and practical tourist marketing.
In 2011, Kapadokya Jet Boat & Gondola launched a trial gondola ride. I liked the idea and got used to it. It is not known how the Venetian competitors reacted to this))
I'm walking along the waterfront
A small park with horses and quotes from Leo Tolstoy that cutting down trees is like killing people, because we are all God's creatures.
Did you notice the numerous geese and ducks floating in the river?
Several years ago, the municipality of Avanos initiated the creation of an artificial island for birds on Kizilirmak. Since then, the number of geese and ducks is constantly growing, and their feeding is one of the favorite tourist attractions.
And it all started like this (photo from here ) .
A little further on the river there are small rapids and a wooden water mill, reconstructed in 2018.
You can swim in the classics on the waterfront (I didn't think it was an international phenomenon! )
Or see an exhibition dedicated to the past and present of Avanos
You can read the most famous phrase about the city from the poet  sik Seyrani: "Even the blind know the way to Avanos, because it is made of broken pottery. "
Or get acquainted with the work of local instrumentalist and vocalist Selahattin Kü ç ü kdag, who is called the "Anatolian Nightingale" for the perfect performance of folk songs. His statue was dismantled several times, and then returned to its place (apparently, not all events like Turkish folklore : ).
I wonder how hot it is for women in these veils when I am almost boiled in my lung dress (and I still ignore the requirement to wear a mask on the street! ).
I decide that today no one is in a hurry and settle down in the shade by the river, catching my share of pleasure from the leisurely contemplation of life.
Interesting species of waterfowl
Baby (what are they mi-mi-mi)
Another bird watcher
But parents are on guard!
They hissed at the cat so collectively, trying to bite him for prevention, that he did not dare to come closer ...
And there are really a lot of birds here on the surrounding island.
Let's move on
I was very surprised by the popularity of boiled corn in the city. The slaughterhouses that cooked and sold it happened at almost every step. Serve the finished product in the form of grains seasoned with sauce (ketchup, mayonnaise, pepper, pomegranate syrup or lemon of your choice). And the seller was so happy to be photographed that he even took off his mask and posed for my camera))
I go up to the Old Town.
Avanos is famous for its pottery and carpet weaving workshops, where you can view the entire production process and if you want to take a share in it.
In the first shop you are invited to a workshop where you can see how a potter works on his work. By the way, pottery wheels are mechanical here, that is, they must be constantly pushed with their feet.
All the clay used in the local production is taken from the banks of the river Kizilirmak. Its high quality has been known since the Hittite hours.
The technology of pottery itself has not changed for many centuries: pottery wheel -> polishing with a rounded metal tool -> slow drying first in the workshop, then outdoors -> firing in a wood stove at a temperature of 950 ° to 1200 ° (sometimes the firing is repeated to give the pots a particularly dark color).
Hittite wine jugs with a "hole" in the middle, symbolizing the sun.
Kibele is the goddess of fertility in Anatolian mythology. The oldest images of Cybele date back to 7000-6500 BC. that is.
, that is, the Phrygians, who inhabited the territory of modern Cappadocia at that time, had a cult of the mother goddess (a kind of matriarchy of ancient spills).
Going up
Locals are taught proper parking))
Another family workshop and showroom just outside the apartment building
And what can I tell you, the creative energy that fills everyone around you can't leave you indifferent. Even if you used to distinguish a clay pot from a metal pan))
I wander the narrow streets in search of access to the observation deck. MAPS. ME paints a road that will lead to other people's backyards, then to dead ends. So I turn off artificial intelligence and turn on female logic)) I get up. The rural idyll already reigns here. And hotel buildings are replaced by picturesque ruins.
The path winds to the top
The yellow sea abounds beneath your feet, which Google identifies as Alyssum cuneifolium
Local dandelions twinkle with white spots on red clay soil
The scenery is beautiful, but in the scorching sun you will not admire them for a long time (
)Going back
The locals are watching me seriously))
What's interesting.
This obsessive service, which is so marked by Turkish tourist destinations (unfortunately, Goreme in most cases is no exception) - by the way, I do not understand who and when forced locals to accept as an axiom that if you cling to the dead grip of a potential buyer, is this a guarantee that you will buy something? ! ! - Yes, in contrast to the same Goreme, in Avanos completely different approaches. Very restrained. At a distance. With constant respect. A local miracle? Is it because tourists here are mostly also Turks, only from other cities?
Narrow streets. An interesting female statue near McDonald's. Who is this? The ancient Greek goddess of victory? Then why with a crown and near fast food?
Elegant private house area
Gü ray Mü ze . The world's first and only underground pottery museum. Its total area is 1600 square meters. m. The visit costs 20 lire.
The museum presents the stages of development of ceramics in Anatolia from antiquity to the present day. At the beginning of the exhibition there is a gallery of works by modern masters.
In the art gallery sector, young artists can present their work and hear the views of colleagues and the public.
Cafeteria with a fireplace (it is a pity that due to quarantine restrictions it does not work).
com/pw/AM-JKLUJBt6jeX8-27ctbuMLyEjpi-iIJs_zyN6qLApTyyWXBHoQxRung5rbc83zkMhbAsAtGuz69VRTmzsKLkyvRBWIwhIG-f3i3TI1anQS3ZDCuKNziLNItK4ILq_XdFOx7fg7612sfALkCcloXxG8Ikhn=w1400-h933-no? authuser=0" />
Next we find ourselves in the halls, where the works of famous ceramic schools and dynasties are presented.
Ismail Yigit works in the traditional technique, although he is not a "family" ceramist. By the way, floral design was once very common among the Seljuks and Ottomans. Moreover, the leather flower has its symbolic meaning. Carnation represents health, pomegranate - fertility and prosperity, rose - love, and the tulip is considered similar to the spelling of the name of Allah in Arabic.
After working at a porcelain factory, Turgut Tuna and his wife founded their own workshop. Trying to combine traditional and modern trends in art.
Pattern called "Tree of Life". This ornament takes us back to ancient pagan beliefs, where the main gods were natural forces. Trees have traditionally symbolized the life cycle from birth to death.
These or wolves or hares look quite funny, and from the information that they represent themselves is not found.
The creative team of the Museum of Ceramics is also presented in the exhibition
It was interesting to see ceramics in separate gilded frames. Tile as a work of art. Unusual.
Mehmet Gü rsoy is working on the revival of Iznik's ceramic art, inspired by the Ottoman artistic tradition of the 16th century.
Popular with Turkish masters and "animal" formats
Fish, as a symbol of prosperity and health, is also a fairly common pattern in local pottery
But floral motifs are still the most common
The museum, in addition to its artistic component, has two other great attractions. First, it's cool here (in the heat - it's a concrete argument for a visit : )).
Secondly, none of the staff hangs out with you, does not look over your shoulder, does not make remarks when you approach the exhibits. That's what I use, looking closely at the technique of drawing.
A collective retrospective of the development of ceramics in Anatolia is presented in the Hall of Ancient Artifacts. Agree that the history of mankind, in the end, can be well researched after its household chores have changed.
Minimalist pots of the Early Bronze Age
Images of the idols of that time
Utensils of the Middle Bronze Age.
The first ornaments appear in the form of patterns.
Ceremonial devices that had a wide range of uses from drinking wine to participating in sacrifices.
BC lamps
And in contrast, our era, the bright and colorful 15th century
19th Century Miniatures
I wonder what about the ban on depicting any living thing in Islam? Was it possible then?
A small exhibition of works by young ceramists. Fantasy on the theme "If the earth could speak".
The museum even hosts a festival of saints - a creative workshop where you can watch the work of artists.
This is what the four stages of painting a ceramic product look like
The shop at the museum is the size of the museum itself, and photography is prohibited in most sectors (apparently so that competitors do not steal the idea : )).
I return on a hot day and go to feed the duck on the waterfront.
I receive a remark from the police for the lack of a face mask. I pull. Chimchik to the stop. Please note that we need a bus in the direction of Nevsehir (Nevsehir), but be sure to ask the driver if he is going to Goreme. Because at first I tried to get on a bus that doesn't stop in the city.
About Goreme and marketing. As soon as it became clear that the vast majority of Ukrainians vacationing here, shops and restaurants quickly shifted to a potential consumer. Ukrainianized menus, Ukrainian songs coming from open cafeterias, an ice cream vendor shouting without an accent: "Delicious ice cream! ". You will not pass by. Because successful marketing must be supported financially))
I had a dream to try local testi kebapi (aka pottery kebab). This is meat cooked in a clay pot with vegetables.
But the main thing in the process is not so much the dish itself, as its serving by the waiter with the spectacular breaking of the pot with a special knife.
Expectations (photos from here and hence )
Kovid-reality - takeaway food in plastic trays. Eh: ((But it was delicious. Although a little sharp, as for me.
The moon, like the sun, shines at full power. Another great day has come to an end. Thank you, Cappadocia! You can be so different that I never tire of revealing to you again and again ...
