Gizem Ozturk My Summer Trip to Turkey

This summer going back to my home country, Turkey, for two weeks was incredible. I was able to travel and spend time with my family and friends. I have always enjoyed travelling. Therefore, I wanted to use the two weeks efficiently to see the cities I have not visited before. After arriving in Istanbul, I spent a couple of days with my family in the city. Istanbul is the largest city in Turkey and the most populated city in Europe. The city lies in both Europe and Asia which is connected by Bosporus. Every street has its own culture and history from the ottoman empire, roman empire, Byzantium, etc. My favorite activity in Istanbul is just to wander around the historical streets. Even though I have lived there most of my life, there is always something new to discover. After spending some time in Istanbul, I went to Cappadocia which is the home to “fairy chimneys”. These chimneys are formed by erosions and abrasion from water and wind. They were carved by Hittites and turned into living spaces containing churches, houses, and mosques back in the days when Christians were travelling and used these chimneys as habitats. I was able to go inside the caves that went underground as well. In these caves, one of the things made in them was wine which is special in Cappadocia, Goreme. One of the most exciting things was getting on the hot air balloons during the sunrise. The views were breathtaking as I have seen from pictures before. After staying in Cappadocia for three days, I headed back to Istanbul. On the way I spent a day in Kayseri which is a city in central Anatolia. I had the chance to visit some museums including Educational national history and military museum which was an old high school in Kayseri that did not give any graduates during the Sakarya battle because all the students were martyred during the battle. The museum was about the people that played an important role during the independence war and the students who were part of this history. It was very touching to be in that school and share that atmosphere full of history. Lastly, I went to the Şifahiye and Gıyasiye Madrasa which is a hospital and religious school where medical sciences are taught. It was an interesting perspective to see how religion and science were combined. The most surprising thing I learned there was that people who had mental illness were treated with the noise of water and music. Finally, I went to the Ataturk House Museum which is the house in which Ataturk, founder, and father of the Turkish Republic, stayed when he was visiting Kayseri. Visiting all the museums, seeing the history behind this city, and learning more about my country was a wonderful feeling. However, one of the things that I loved about this place was how welcoming and nice the people were. It is known that Turkish people are hospitable, especially the people from central Anatolia. I really understood what that meant during this trip. Everybody, even the strangers on the street, is very helpful towards each other and are very welcoming. All these new experiences I gained made me feel more connected and aware of my culture. It was one of the best trips I had done, and I am excited to visit more cities in central Anatolia next time.