photos-voyages : Greece and Turkey

Travel to Greece and Turkey

Course from the travel Brussels, Belgium Istanbul, Turkey Trabzon, Turkey Kars, Turkey Dogubayazit, Turkey Van lake, Turkey Mardin, Turkey Nemrud Dagi, Turkey Marmaris, Turkey Rodos, Greece Kos, Greece Nyssiros, Greece Patmos, Greece Venise, Italy

From 08/16/2002 to 09/14/2002, one month to cross Europe, get East Turkey, and then go back to dodecanese Islands, Athen and venise. We have traveled with land and maritime transportations : bus in Turkey and ferries in Greece.

Click here to download a little guide (travel, accomodations, restaurants, tips), Sorry in French only.

Our route was the following :

- August the 16th 2002 : departure from Paris to Brussels with Eurolines

- August the 17th 2002 : departure from Brussels to Istanbul, by Frankfurt Brindisi and Greece, with Eurolines

- August the 19th 2002 : arrival in Istanbul

- August the 21st 2002 : Trabzon on Black See

- August the 23r and the 24th : visit from Kars et la the ruined city of Ani near the armenian border

- August the 25th : staying near Dogubayazit and the Ararat mount

- August the 26th and the 27th : staying at Van lake

- August the 27th : night in Mardin

- August the 29th 2002 : visit of the Nemrud Dagi

- september the 1st 2002 : staying in Marmaris, departure port to Greece

- september the 2d and the 3d 2002 : staying in Rodos island

- september the 4th : journey from Rodos to Kos

- september the 5th and the 6th : staying in Nyssiros

- september the 7th : visit of Kos

- september from the 8th to th 10th : staying in Patmos

- september the 10th : begining from the long return by Athen, patras and Venise

- september the 13d : arrival in Venise

- september the 14th : end of the travel, back in Paris

Course from the travel Brussels, Belgium Istanbul, Turkey Trabzon, Turkey Kars, Turkey Dogubayazit, Turkey Van lake, Turkey Mardin, Turkey Nemrud Dagi, Turkey Marmaris, Turkey Rodos, Greece Kos, Greece Nyssiros, Greece Patmos, Greece Venise, Italy

Brussels is 4h30 from Paris. Brussels was a stop before the departure to Turkey by Frankfurt. We took advantage of our stay in Brussels by visiting the town centre, the St Michael cathedral and the flours' carpet in the Grand-place.

A little square, see from Jacques Brel youth hostel in Brussels

Course from the travel Brussels, Belgium Istanbul, Turkey Trabzon, Turkey Kars, Turkey Dogubayazit, Turkey Van lake, Turkey Mardin, Turkey Nemrud Dagi, Turkey Marmaris, Turkey Rodos, Greece Kos, Greece Nyssiros, Greece Patmos, Greece Venise, Italy

From Brussel, departure at 6 in the mornig, arrival in istanbul at 5PM two days later. The arrival place was at istanbul's main coach station ; from this coach station all Turkey can be join. Istanbul is a large town , with a lot of paradox ; many time would be necessary to see all. We visited the blue mosque and Agia Sofia in the rain.

	Blue mosque
	Topkapi palace's entrance

Course from the travel Brussels, Belgium Istanbul, Turkey Trabzon, Turkey Kars, Turkey Dogubayazit, Turkey Van lake, Turkey Mardin, Turkey Nemrud Dagi, Turkey Marmaris, Turkey Rodos, Greece Kos, Greece Nyssiros, Greece Patmos, Greece Venise, Italy

Trabzon is a noisy and lively town on the black see. His bazar has yet many small trades that has disapppeared in France. The second day, minibus leads us to Sumela Monastery, 45kms from trabzon. Final acces to the monastery involved to climb a steepy path ; this effort was beneficial, although the monastery was in a bad condition, it has many frescos. Another curiosity is the little Agia Sofia ; pleasant visit, we had tea in the garden near Little Agia Sofia.

	Seeing from Trabzon, Black See is on the back.
	Sumela monastery.
	A fresco from Sumela monastery.
	In the garden from little Agia Sofia.

Course from the travel Brussels, Belgium Istanbul, Turkey Trabzon, Turkey Kars, Turkey Dogubayazit, Turkey Van lake, Turkey Mardin, Turkey Nemrud Dagi, Turkey Marmaris, Turkey Rodos, Greece Kos, Greece Nyssiros, Greece Patmos, Greece Venise, Italy

From Trabzon, going to Kars, we had the benefit to see the the harvest, amazing in this poor country : with scythe or with farm machines moved with animals. Kars is located on a high plateau, it is not a really plesay city, but it is the closest from the ruined city of Ani. Ani is near the Armenian border and look as an abandoned city since the midle-age with a lot of ancient monuments (church, mosque, bath...). Unfortunatly turkish authoritiys don't allow to take photos from Ani..

	Kars see up from the citadel.
	Saint apostles Armenian church, now a mosque.

Course from the travel Brussels, Belgium Istanbul, Turkey Trabzon, Turkey Kars, Turkey Dogubayazit, Turkey Van lake, Turkey Mardin, Turkey Nemrud Dagi, Turkey Marmaris, Turkey Rodos, Greece Kos, Greece Nyssiros, Greece Patmos, Greece Venise, Italy

Dogubayazit, near Iran, it's another culture, because located in Kurdistan. along the trip, we had too shortly vision of Ararat mount. We has a stay a time near Isac Pasha palace.

	The camping site down Isac Pasha palace.
	mountains seen from a window of the Isac Pasha palace.
	Isac Pasha palace.
	Setting sun.

At south Turkey is the Van Lake. We stayed in to visit the Akdamar island. plesant stay in this region, with no mass-tourism. On Akdamar island is an armenian church full of frescos..

	the van lake, far away the Akdamar island.
	David and Goliath, carved on a wall from the Akdamar island church.
	Fresco inside the church.
	Akdamar island's beach.

Course from the travel Brussels, Belgium Istanbul, Turkey Trabzon, Turkey Kars, Turkey Dogubayazit, Turkey Van lake, Turkey Mardin, Turkey Nemrud Dagi, Turkey Marmaris, Turkey Rodos, Greece Kos, Greece Nyssiros, Greece Patmos, Greece Venise, Italy

After the van laken, our next stop was Mardin. Mardin is near Syria, on a rocky peak, it has all the caracteristics of an arab city : souk, medina, arab language....

Mardin's street.

Course from the travel Brussels, Belgium Istanbul, Turkey Trabzon, Turkey Kars, Turkey Dogubayazit, Turkey Van lake, Turkey Mardin, Turkey Nemrud Dagi, Turkey Marmaris, Turkey Rodos, Greece Kos, Greece Nyssiros, Greece Patmos, Greece Venise, Italy

The Nemrud Dagi is emblematic from touristic Turkey. this is a no usurped reputation, at 2000 m altitude Antiochus's mausoleum stand up, combining greek and middle easter statutories. the best times to visit the te site are when rising and ending sunl.

	roman bridge, near the Nemrud.
	Heraclès hanging the hand from a middle easter king ; symbol from greek-roman and middle easter worlds union.
	Nemrud's gods.
	Ending sun ont the Nemrud

We realised the trip from the Nemrud to Maramaris in only one go, a more than 1000 kms bus journey in 26h. When arriving in Marmaris and after our staying in east Turkey, the cultural scok was real in this seaside resort dedicated to mass tourism..

marmaris's hearbour

With Rodos, we were back in the European Union, but also we were back in the consumer society in this Island which seemed to live only from tourism. Rodos city changer not too much since the middle-age et is surrounded with massive remparts.

	The remparts from Rodos city
	On a rocky headland and overhanging the sea, Lindos' acropolis.

Course from the travel Brussels, Belgium Istanbul, Turkey Trabzon, Turkey Kars, Turkey Dogubayazit, Turkey Van lake, Turkey Mardin, Turkey Nemrud Dagi, Turkey Marmaris, Turkey Rodos, Greece Kos, Greece Nyssiros, Greece Patmos, Greece Venise, Italy

Kos is the second island from the dodecanese we visited after Rodos. This Island keep an human appearance despite the presence of a lot of tourists. The town is strewn with a lot of antic ruins. The island is flat can be routed by bicycle.

	Ships in Kos' harbour.
	Hippocrate's tree, could has been planted by the antic philosopher, father from the medicine.
	The asklepieion, antic hospital overhanging the sea.

a small island off from Kos, Nyssiros is famous for his volcano : emanations can be see and the air smells sulphur. This is an island with an intact nature.

	A crater from the sleeping volcano.
	A more active crater with emanations..

Last island frm our trip, Patmos is austere, due to the presence of his manastery and to the apocalypse's cave. however holidaymakers can find beautiful beaches.

	far away Patmos' monastery
	a beach

Venise, end and final apotheosis from the trip. One doesn't present , arrival after a train and ship journey : Patmos, Pireus, athens, Patras, Venise.

Gondola on Saint-Marc canal

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