A TRIP ROUTE
INTERESTING FACTS
Born in 1510 in Poznań, Józef Struś was a humanist, translator and court physician of Zygmunt Stary and Zygmunt August. He lectured at the universities of Padua and Kraków, translated the works of Hippocrates and Galen, and conducted research on the heart rate. He was described as the most famous doctor in Europe at that time. His popularity was so great that in 1540 he was invited to Constantinople to the court of Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent. The ostrich successfully cured the ruler of the Ottoman Empire from a serious disease, for which he was handsomely rewarded.IT IS WORTH KNOWING
After the partitions of the Republic of Poland, which the Ottoman Empire did not recognize, Turkey became a sanctuary for numerous Polish political emigrants. At that time, Polish villages of Adampol, Annapol and Derbina were established and an attempt was made to organize military units. Many Polish officers served in the Ottoman army, many adopted Turkish names and converted to Islam. The most famous were Michał Czajkowski (Sadyk Pasza), Władysław Zamoyski and Józef Bem. During the Crimean War, Adam Mickiewicz came to Turkey to form the Polish Legion. However, he died suddenly during a cholera epidemic and was buried in a temporary grave in Istanbul.September 2008
This was our second vacation on the Turkish Riviera on the Mediterranean Sea. The reason for the trip was very prosaic, we wanted to relax, have a good time and see the amazing landscapes of Cappadocia, about which we have heard so much. All our plans were fully implemented.
As usual, we used a travel agency and bought an all inclusive hotel in the picturesque seaside town of Colakli, near Side. The choice turned out to be a bull's eye, because there were no crowds of noisy tourists here, and the hotel offered a full range of attractions. We especially remember the exquisite dinners served at beautifully decorated tables around the hotel's swimming pools. In an atmosphere of sweet laziness, gluttony and drunkenness, the two-week stay passed like a whip.Side
The lively Side is a great place for shopping, walking together and sightseeing, which we have used many times. For such a small town, there are surprisingly many interesting monuments from Greek, Roman and Byzantine times. We were most impressed by the marble columns of the Apollo temple reflecting against the blue sky and the picturesque view of the Antalya Bay.
Konya
Located on the road to Cappadocia, Konya is known primarily for the activities of the dancing dervish brotherhood. Strong ties to Islam and mysticism can be seen here at every turn. We didn't have the chance to see the famous ritual sema dance, but a visit to the impressive Mevlana museum gave us some idea of the daily and religious life of members of the Mewlewit Brotherhood.
Uchisar and its surroundings
Visiting the city of Uchisar, we got a foretaste of what we were about to see in Goreme National Park. It turns out that not everything that the guides provide is true. Uchisar Castle is actually a huge rock, riddled with holes like Swiss cheese. Nevertheless, the view from this highest place in Cappadocia is impressive. The Pigeon Valley turned out to be equally attractive, although we did not even have time for a short trek.
Goreme National Park
Goreme National Park, a Unesco World Heritage Site , was the main destination of our trip. Byzantine churches carved in tufa rock, beautiful frescoes and rock cones covered with caps made an amazing impression on us. We also planned to see these natural wonders from the air, but due to bad weather conditions, the balloon flights were canceled.